66 Shasta Compact - Wood panel removal

No first hand experience, because we did a frame off, but from that experience, we learned how the trailer was originally put together. Replacing panels from the inside compromises the structural integrity of the camper. Although it can be a little scary to either lift or remove the skin, it's not really difficult, just time consuming to remove a whole part. And the time and effort spent is well worth it in the long run.

I think my biggest concern is finding somewhere to store the skins while I work on the camper.  They aren't large except the roof skin so it's a case of just finding space.  I don't think there is a ton of damage to the interior of the walls but again I won't know until the skins are off.

I was thinking of removing the two existing closets inside the camper to open floor space since this isn't a restoration but modification/repair to fit our needs a fly fisherman.

My plan is to remove the two closets at the top left, center the counter on the front wall and then put a closet on either end of the counter.  Do you think this would weaken the structural integrity of the camper?

There are two closets, one a closet and the other a closet/water tank/back of ice box. We really don't want the icebox, stove, or sink (can't eat Ohio fish). This is more for storage and sleeping. We don't spend a ton of time in the camper. We are usually around the fire or in the water. I was hoping to open the floor plan a little bit so I'm not stepping on my dog getting out of bed.

The original design of these trailers are very important in how they are held together with very little in the way of structural framing. So if you change all the cabinets you may find yourself with a trailer that doesn't hold together very well. The engineering of these trailers use all the parts connected in certain ways to hold it all together. 

Sounds to me like you really want a larger camper.

Here a a couple thoughts. If you haven't put the bed frame in yet, maybe you can raise it a couple inches so the dog can sleep beneath. We had two 35 pound dogs that both fit under the full bed in our Compact. We now have just one, but she loves it under there, just like a little cave. Don't ditch the icebox, they come in handy for all sorts of things, including extra storage. If you ever want to sell it, you'll get a much better price if it's complete. Same thing goes for the stove. You can make a cover for it, and for the sink, that will make the whole front a counter top.

As for the closets and uppers, look at the older Compacts. With the double bed, you should now have 22 inches of space to work with on both sides of the trailer. We turned the big closet into a potty room (which you don't need, so it can stay a closet) and added a 22 inch wide closet next to iT above the wheel well, and on the other side, built a two drawer cupboard that also provides additional counter space. We have never wanted for room enough to store everything we really need. We don't have a big truck for a tow vehicle, so pretty much everything goes in the camper. Fly rods are in their tubes laid securely on the bed/bench.

So the layout of the Compact really IS versatile, but like with all vintage trailers, you have to "play by the rules" of physics if you want something that will be functional for many years. Best of luck!

Here you go...this is a blog post our daughter did several years ago...
www.howiseelife.com/blog/2011/06/20/trailer/

We did a fair amount of modifying, including raising the front of the roof 3" so my hubby could stand straight and cook. But you can see the closets and two drawer chest. The fun part for us is that if you didn't know what the original looked like, you'd never know we changed it,