Sad end and new beginnings!
I've been around RV's all my 52 years of life, and over the years many RV's have passed through my hands. All that I have sold were always in better shape than when I purchased used, having only once bought a new trailer. This unit was my fourth used camper, and I had hoped it would serve me for some years to come. But sadly it was too far gone when I got it, and just recently I scrapped it.
I used the camper for a couple years, but when the ceiling began falling in (really) and the bed was hanging down in the middle I thought I would rebuild it like I've done with two previous campers. Well, vacuum bonded construction is really good, super strong, and light weight until it begins leaking. The entire curbside of the camper was d-laminating, and the stink was pretty bad. But once I opened this camper up, there was no end to the rot. yes the aluminum walls are strong, but the minimal amount of wood in the walls was all mush. I realized soon that it was beyond repair, better to just scrap it.
So sadly the last few days I have been taking everything salvageable out of it and will soon take it for one last ride on my utility trailer to the land fill. Breaks my heart, I enjoyed it very much for such a short time.
I've found when the camper was brand new the dealer installed an awning and never used putty under the awning channel, just ran the screws into the side wall, and two big bolts through the wall with fender washers on the inside. The wall has water intrusion since it was new. Sad
After tearing the whole cab over off I chased the rot in the roof back to past the air conditioner. It actually goes further back along the very edge where walls meet the roof.
All the wood and Styrofoam was soaked with water.
Not even a miracle could save it now.
The average mechanic cannot repair these types of RV's. You just can't replace sections like you can on stick and tin RV's.
What a mess. I had planned to rebuild the cab-over section using some high tech composite material I have on hand. But I realized even if I rebuilt the cab-over portion there was still so much more wrong with the sidewalls coming apart and the entire roof having to be rebuilt.
And here I go again, starting over with another "older" camper and even a newer truck. I gave my 96 Silverado to my son and put my Suburban in the barn with all my collector vehicles. My new truck is a 2003 2500HD Duramax/Allison with only 57,000 miles, one owner and all service records included.
It was a 350 mile trip over two passes with lots of snow an ice to get this camper out of the desert and back home.
I bought this old 1987 Western Wilderness Alpine 11 foot camper for $1200, and had no way to check if anything worked until I got home. Everything works! 3 way fridge, furnace, hot water tank, pump, stove and oven. Not one light bulb was even burned out.
Big north south bed.
There is even room for my new dog (7 year old Corgi from the rescue) to sleep next to the bed.
Spacious kitchen area.
Curbside fridge (110V/12V/Propane) counter top and a wet bath in the back. The bathroom has a furnace duct into it so it gets nice and toasty when it's on (my old one didn't - Brrrr!)
Dinette with drop down bunk.
And so I start over with sealing and cleaning. It's not pristine, pictures make it look good. There are de-lam issues with the fiberglass siding, the fire escape over the bed leaks when it rains, but I hope to have this camper ready for use very soon. I'll post more pictures when I make my first trip out with it. Hans
I used the camper for a couple years, but when the ceiling began falling in (really) and the bed was hanging down in the middle I thought I would rebuild it like I've done with two previous campers. Well, vacuum bonded construction is really good, super strong, and light weight until it begins leaking. The entire curbside of the camper was d-laminating, and the stink was pretty bad. But once I opened this camper up, there was no end to the rot. yes the aluminum walls are strong, but the minimal amount of wood in the walls was all mush. I realized soon that it was beyond repair, better to just scrap it.
So sadly the last few days I have been taking everything salvageable out of it and will soon take it for one last ride on my utility trailer to the land fill. Breaks my heart, I enjoyed it very much for such a short time.
I've found when the camper was brand new the dealer installed an awning and never used putty under the awning channel, just ran the screws into the side wall, and two big bolts through the wall with fender washers on the inside. The wall has water intrusion since it was new. Sad
After tearing the whole cab over off I chased the rot in the roof back to past the air conditioner. It actually goes further back along the very edge where walls meet the roof.
All the wood and Styrofoam was soaked with water.
Not even a miracle could save it now.
The average mechanic cannot repair these types of RV's. You just can't replace sections like you can on stick and tin RV's.
What a mess. I had planned to rebuild the cab-over section using some high tech composite material I have on hand. But I realized even if I rebuilt the cab-over portion there was still so much more wrong with the sidewalls coming apart and the entire roof having to be rebuilt.
And here I go again, starting over with another "older" camper and even a newer truck. I gave my 96 Silverado to my son and put my Suburban in the barn with all my collector vehicles. My new truck is a 2003 2500HD Duramax/Allison with only 57,000 miles, one owner and all service records included.
It was a 350 mile trip over two passes with lots of snow an ice to get this camper out of the desert and back home.
I bought this old 1987 Western Wilderness Alpine 11 foot camper for $1200, and had no way to check if anything worked until I got home. Everything works! 3 way fridge, furnace, hot water tank, pump, stove and oven. Not one light bulb was even burned out.
Big north south bed.
There is even room for my new dog (7 year old Corgi from the rescue) to sleep next to the bed.
Spacious kitchen area.
Curbside fridge (110V/12V/Propane) counter top and a wet bath in the back. The bathroom has a furnace duct into it so it gets nice and toasty when it's on (my old one didn't - Brrrr!)
Dinette with drop down bunk.
And so I start over with sealing and cleaning. It's not pristine, pictures make it look good. There are de-lam issues with the fiberglass siding, the fire escape over the bed leaks when it rains, but I hope to have this camper ready for use very soon. I'll post more pictures when I make my first trip out with it. Hans
