Updated... with pictures...
Much has happened since my last post over a year ago. We sold Chaska Shasta I (Chloe) to a brand new Vintage Shasta Enthusiast in Utah who was just delighted to have her. This happened last July -- my wife and I personally delivered her to her new owners, meeting them half way between Minnesota and Utah at Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. While it was tough to see Chloe go, Colleen and I knew she was going to a good couple. They had already purchased wings for her! It was also fun taking her cross county one last time, stopping at various places to eat and sleep in the little 10 foot compact.
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| What we brought home in 2011 - What did we get ourselves into? |
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| Yes, that's me standing on the GROUND under the trailer... |
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| Andy helping out...under dad's watchful eyes... |
Meanwhile, back in Minnesota, lots of work continued on Chaska Shasta II, now known as Clementine, a name chosen by my kids. With the insides completely stripped, we made plans for the way we wanted the trailer to be laid out. Purists would scoff at the redesign, but my feeling is that she has been redone for modern camping on the inside, while maintaining her 1960 canned-ham image on the outside.
As the floor was rotted in numerous places, we completely replaced it. New insulation was put in the walls along with new 110 Volt wiring and plugs, 12 volt wiring and lights, 12 volt exterior trailer lighting, and audio lines for built in speakers.
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| A Year later... Looking back toward the back of the camper (where Gaucho once was is now a dinette). I tried placing cabinet doors in many places for storage of items while on the road... |
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| Maybe a little better picture -- showing the fold down upper bunk. We had a table that attached to wall, but are thinking of just using a freestanding one that can be easily stored when we don't want it -- or placed outside. |
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| Looking toward the front. Where dinette would have been is now a full-length fixed couch/bed. That is a room air conditioner in the lower part of the picture that tucks under the countertop. |
New bead board paneling was installed and painted a light yellow color (walls) and white (ceiling). I moved the roof vent as the old one would interfere with my new cabinet plan and relocated it further back and more centered in the camper. Some of the flat glass (thankfully not the Jalouise) window glass had to be replaced, which was remarkably easier than I thought it would be. I also removed an ugly household style exhaust fan that a PO had installed above the old range.
In the front of the camper, where the dinette once was, we created a long couch/bed along with a corresponding permanent (not fold-out) top bunk bed over the top.
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| It's hard to take good pictures inside a camper... This gives you a better idea of the upper bunk in front. Also shows the counter that runs along the streetside inside of the camper. |
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| Nifty round sink from Ikea -- had to order this one in from another state as our Minnesota store had discontinued them but I loved the look for the 1960 Shasta...range (gas) and microwave oven and reused hood also in picture. |
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| Closer view of the range with the reused range hood. In the original layout, this would have been where the sink was located. |
At the back of the camper, where originally there was a couch, we created a dinette area much like the 66 compact, with a fold-out top bunk. The dinette seats also pull together to make a super single sized bed. Since the cushions had long been discarded from this neglected Shasta (by a PO), we had to start all over and order new foam, pick out fabrics and my talented mother sewed the covers for both bunks, the dinette cushions and the couch in the front. On the street side of the trailer, I built a long lower cabinet that runs from front to rear which has a gas stovetop, a built-in microwave, a sink, and, believe it or not, COUNTERSPACE! I also built some upper cabinets (thank God for the guy who invented the Kreg Jig! - a must have for any camper renovator). Finally, I also created some drawers and storage cabinets along with space for a room air conditioner under the lower cabinets.
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| Here is the wardrobe next to the door with the refrigerator. This unit fits over the wheel-well. This picture gives you a good view of the beadboard throughout the interior of the camper. |
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| Right inside the door is a mirrored front medicine cabinet (Ikea) an electrical plug and light switches for an interior and exterior (step) light. The cabinet below also allows storage of long items, such as fishing poles, marshmallow roasting sticks, etc. The hinge for the mirror swings into the camper, so that the mirror can also be used when you are standing farther inside the camper, and allows access to toiletries when standing outside the camper (i.e. on the way to the campsite bathroom). |
Opposite this, next to the door, I built a large floor to ceiling wardrobe that also contains the refrigerator and another large storage cabinet along with a medicine chest with a mirrored door.
We carpeted the floor with commercial carpet squares. We still need to work on curtains and some finishing touches on the inside.
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| This is the exterior of what we started with a year ago... |
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June 2012 picture of the outside about half-way through the top $50 paint job. I love how this is coming out and am glad I followed Vintage Shasta Forum thread on this method of painting...
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| Part of the challenge to renovating an old camper is inventing new ways to deal with the problems you have inherited. This is my current problem -- there used to be a large, ugly vent (see two pictures above) in this location. The wall has been patched and will hold up to weather, etc. but is ugly. I don't want to replace the aluminum skin (that is more of a project than I want to take on). Thinking of using a 12 x 12 louvered vent cover, but having a difficult time finding good looking vent covers. I would paint the space under the louvers black... Any ideas anyone? |
Now that I have Clementine out of winter storage, I need to focus on the outside. As I mentioned last year, I took Red Dirt Shasta's advice and polished the Z stripe. I started my $50 paint job (rolling on oil-based Rustoleum paint thinned to 50% with mineral spirits and applying with foam brushes, sanding between coats) this weekend and am very pleased with the results so far (3 of 6 coats for the top, off-white part). I found a mechanic willing to repack bearings (which probably have not been repacked in at least 25 years) so that's next, along with new wheels and tires purchased this spring at Northern Tool. With luck, we should be able to take her on the road by early July! She sure looks different one year later!
