I keep an informal eye on the number of daily views for the thread I'm working. Last year in its prime, I was seeing near 100-120. Since starting back up here recently, I'm seeing about 50 increasing to near 80.
Last night I checked before bed and found 517 views since yesterday morning's post! This morning there's an additional 618!!. Well over 1000 views in 24 hours? That seems impossible to me.
I know RV.net has been experiencing technical difficulties lately; I've taken to access Open Roads through Woodalls, so perhaps the number of views is some sort of anomaly associated with that.
If - on the other hand - the number of views is accurate, I suspect somebody from an interested group has found it and spread the word to their organization. As long as it ain't ISIS, I'd like to welcome you to my resto-mod and remind everyone that at the begininng of each thread (this one included) is an index to the other categories of the project (currently 14 threads).
The scope of the job has become incredibly greater than I ever imagined in the beginning. To illustrate this, one of the first parts purchases I made was a roll of window screen material; it remains on the shelf and will likely be part of one of the very last discussions.
Today involves a subject I think is quite unique to Travel Queen, although it will resemble similar components found on other campers, especially stick-builts. It is the more or less dainty, decorative tailgate opening treatment.
These L shaped boards fasten to the back camper box and wing region, both to extend the back wall metal support into the signature non-extended Travel Queen camper look, and to block direct view up into the truck bed from behind. Of course those are the originals on the left, complete with their covering of undercoat material that was found on the unsheathed, bottom portions of the rest of the camper.
Here is the left side. The under grid jack support system incorporates what amounts to an L bracket used for partially mounting the board solidly in place. Originally, two additional support locations were found: a nail from the board's other side surface into the lengthwise inboard 2x2 (I have inadvertent construction gaps there now), and a heavy metal L bracket (made from 1.5" angle iron) as found elsewhere in the camper, to support the lower part of the leg. I used those original brackets on the front camper wall installation, just in front of the water tank.
And the right side.
I used a router and finished up with a wood chisel, to remove enough material (it was on a slight slope) so as to fit the bracket and allow for a flush rear wall surface.
Here's the overall look.
Now - what to do about angle brackets? First I checked my brackets bucket (maybe you were wondering what kinds of things are in those coffee cans on the shelves).
Out of the group, I found these four - and didn't like any of them for this application.
I guess I could waste some time and run over to the hardware store and get some basic zinc plated angle brackets; there's not a great deal of strength required. But I kind of thought they would look ugly, all silver and standing out like, "look at me - I'm a new, cheap thing here on this old classic camper!". I wasn't feeling it.
But I had these! Originally used for the dinette area bed slide-out board between the table portion and the bathroom wall. I've replaced that design with a hinged top-access to an electrical cabinet. My dinette bed will be twin width - not double - so I wouldn't be re-using them.
I put the metal cut-off blade on the table saw and started cutting brackets.
Then I cleaned them up on the bench grinder and wire-wheel.
A couple of them had some old grime on them, so I gave them a lacquer thinner bath, which also soaked off most of the gold paint.
And primed them.
While waiting for another day to finish paint, and to prime and paint the boards themselves (For longevity reasons, I want them to be a complete, painted part to install, as opposed to installing first and then priming and painting only the exposed surfaces), I moved around front to see what I needed in THAT area.
In the meantime, here are some reminder photos of the Travel Queen back-wall styling.
A 1964 for sale quite some time ago in Durango, CO. Note the differing shape - one way to determine an unknown camper year.
Lil' Queeny for sale photo before she was ours. 1968.
These are the only two non-extended Travel Queens I've been able to find.
The extended campers - typically about 10-10.5' have a simple straight angle corner like our 1966 parts camper (may it rest in peace) in this photo the day we bought it out of Fort Collins, CO.
