trailgranny: June? Probably quite a bit further than now! Thanks. I'll keep in mind your used camper stuff store. Nice to have sources. I already got a few stove parts I needed from a place called Five Star RV near Denver, but it's good to locate a few sources. I'll let you know if something comes up for needed parts before your trip. If you give us some heads up we'll be here. It's unlikely we'll go anywhere in June; one of the best weather months for enjoying Wyoming.
Here's our match stick holder. It came out of my Dad's 1972 12' camper. He gave it to us when he got his motorhome and we put it on our 1972 GMC 3/4 ton single cab pickup. We used it for a few trips before we decided it was too rotted in parts of the frame and parted it out. That's when we got our second canned ham trailer, a 1960 unit, and upgraded it with many of the camper parts.
And these catches also came out of it. When I parted out that 1972 camper, I saved all kinds of it's parts. It's likely some of the mostly 16 gauge 12V wiring will end up in Lil' Queeny, as there are still quite a number of neat little coils still stored in my wiring jugs and cans. But you can see manufacturers were moving more to plastic by 1972 with these cathes.
I entertained the idea of using them on Lil' Queeny, But the main drawback was them being plastic and my 1968 came with metal. I don't mind plastic if it came that way and it's not broken, but I surely don't want modern plastic put on indiscriminately, and I really hesitate even for vintage stuff if it didn't come that way. The final straw was their mounting depth. The metal catches are flat and thin where they mount. These are 1/8" thick. That means the door opening needs to be about 1/4" larger than Lil' Queeny's openings. That was a non-starter for me.
This handle was in my "Latches" can. I am pretty sure it was for the bathroom door out of the 1972 camper. I might be able to use it for something if I can't get the 1966 handle off the parts door.
And here's a little hardware I found around in my supplies. These might find a use in Lil' Queeny. These days, our residential choices of hardware metals are more of the bronze and oil-rubbed or hand-rubbed mimic, but much of Lil' Queeny's hardware is brass, and takes on a great antiquing, so I really think we'll avoid bronze hardware and stick with the antique brass stuff, except of course the silver metals (zinc plated or chrome, etc.) when it was used originally.
So I decided on these for all the pop-offs. Like I said, I prefer standards and I already had them, and could buy the few I needed quite affordably. They are metal, they are original silver, and they are common these days for future repairs if needed. The single roller style I used on the hinged doors can also fail (usually they just need adjustment), but if they fail, I can modify to the spear barb type pretty easily.
Now when I say "these" I mean the one on the top left. The non-roller type in the foreground are also some I found in my "Latches" can, perhaps from the 1972 camper.
So to use the spear barb type I needed a mounting modification. I stuck with the little cleat method. Least intrusive, and gives a nice solid mount for the catch to fasten to, especially if it is a smooth cut, flat fitting, piece of hardware itself.
I started on the table saw with some 3/4" stock oak I had on hand.
Then I marked them for mounting holes (clear through) and catch mount holes (specific depth) and pre-drilled them on the drill press.
Then I ran each of them over the bench sander and hit each surface and edge, except I didn't touch the corners that will sit flat and sharp against their mounting surface (to the cabinet wood).
Now I didn't want to put raw, unfinished wood into the camper, not with a finish on virtually everything else! But should it be white primer? Brown Stain? Poly in one tint or another? One color like primer wasn't going to work everywhere. Brownish or darker was a better choice. So primer was out. Besides, I didn't look favorably on hand painting all those pieces with primer! What else.
Poly would take a day to dry. Stain works quick. Wipe it on, wipe it off. What color? Something that "goes" with any of my locations. Something that is they same for all. Something that says, "I'm this color because I've got a specific job to do". Don't have to hide it in other words. I found this little can of ebony stain. I can't remember what we used it on, but half the can was gone. Now watch this.
I took them out and let them drain on a rag, then wiped them down and poured the rest of the stain back in the can for next time, maybe those hardwood hood blocks on Lil' Willy's hood that hold the folded windshield. They always allow the spray on primer and black gloss paint to peel. I made two extra cleats.
Various stages of fastening the catches to mounting cleats.
Now of the four locations on the main dinette furniture needing such a catch mounted, one spot was inaccessible, as the grey-water tank was in the way. There was really no other good method to place it without sticking a couple of screws in the furniture face, toward the finished side; I wasn't excited about that. It was worth an experiment. How hard would it be to remove the installed furniture?
I first cleared loose parts away. Then I lifted out the fresh water tank. Then I marked the interior position of the pieces with a black magic marker. Then I backed out all the screws holding both furniture pieces (dinette and fresh water compartment). Then slightly shifting the front unit I was able to lift out the dinette unit and placed it on the bench.
I didn't time the removal, but it went pretty quick.
I held each door in proper position and in no time at all the catches were installed, from the bench. No crawling around on knees and elbows for this install!
I decided to "time" putting the dinette back in place. True we had lunch first, and then an interruption for surprise company. But all in all, it took less than 30 minutes to: Place the furniture, run all the screws in tight, place the water tank back, and pop all the doors back on, and set the floor in place for the photo op. And that included stopping to take photos.
Time shortens, just because I know where all the skeletons are hidden, but still the point is worth making. Either my future modifications or repairs, or somebody else's, will benefit from the modular assembly I've placed importance on. In general, modular installation fasteners (screw heads) remain unpainted. They are the "hint" that tells you "back this out to remove that". But you still have to think. Certain battery tray screws did NOT back out for this removal - as one example.
This is the small door access to the large storage forward of the grey-water tank. Historically, a location in our pop-up camper where we stored drinking water in plastic bottles. We're moving to less plastic so that is changing, but shoes? Canned food? Whatever.
Next door back, front of grey tank. Pop off doors and stow them, instant heated basement.
Next door back, middle of grey tank. I'll probably post a tank gauge here. Marked in gallons or fractions of tank, i.e. 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, Full. And instant heated basement.
Next door back, rear of grey tank, shower drain plumbing access, instant heated basement.
And of course the next door back from there is the tiny door for the grey tank dump-valve. If the grey hose is connected and run to the campground dump hook-up, you can fill the tank and then open up the valve and empty it from inside, still in your pajamas, probably while still occupying one hand with a cup of coffee.
Moving on to the openings above and below the fridge. These were originally designed with no door in mind. But when I discovered just how easy it is to make a custom sized door, we chose to cover them. There is no room for hinges around the fridge frame, but there is room for pop-offs. So I mounted the catches in preparation for new doors.
The opening at top required the mounting cleats.
The lower opening did not (it had wall surfaces where needed).
Maybe I'll make doors today?
