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-   -   Vintage Camper Trailer Build (https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f88/vintage-camper-trailer-build-186107/)

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 07:05 PM

Vintage Camper Trailer Build
 
I've been going back and forth for a long time on what camping set up I wanted to have. I love camping but at the same time it can be a real pain too, lugging and packing all the gear in your truck, setting up tents in the dark, leaking air mattresses, tearing down camp and repacking the vehicle while being hungover :laugh:. There's got to be a better way, right? For a long time I wanted to build a camping trailer based on a Toyota pick up bed and topper, but I was a little concerned about the weight and really just never got around to it. A couple weeks ago I had made up my mind on getting a Tent Cot, but I just couldn't spend the money, with shipping and the rainfly it was going to be $300-$400.

While looking through the local paper a week ago I stumbled onto the solution. :D There was an ad for a vintage 1965 pop camper for $50.00, it had been in their family since day one. I decided for the price that I couldn't go wrong and pretty much bought it sight unseen (I knew I had to jump on it, otherwise someone else would). He even delivered it to my shop, for $50.00, with a clean title!

So here are the spec's. It's a 1965 Bethany Chief pop up camper, weighs in at 900 pounds and has a tongue weight of 60 pounds. While it's a little heavier than I like, for the price it's worth giving it a shot!

Here is all the the paper work that came with it, including the bill of sale from 1965! :smokin:

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...3622283-00.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020288.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020289.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020290.jpg

BigBluePile 07-07-2009 07:10 PM

Looks like a fun investment!!

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 07:15 PM

Here's how it looked when he dropped it off, in pretty good shape for it's age.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020279.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020280.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020281.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020283.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020284.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020285.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020286.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020287.jpg

BigBluePile 07-07-2009 07:25 PM

Holy freakin tires batman, ah on your rig! :great:

Camper looks good too, have you had a chance to open it?

RobD 07-07-2009 07:37 PM

Wow, $50 and he delivered it!

I think it needs a lift or you're going to need one heckuva drop on your hitch.

:camp:

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 07:43 PM

The plan is to keep it retro, but be able to take it down mild to semi-moderate trails to set up camp. All while not spending much more than $500 dollars, it should be interesting. :D

The first order of business, (not including the pink) was to lift the thing. At first I thought about putting a Toyota rear axle under it but that would have been more expensive and more work than I wanted. There is not much of a wheel well on the camper, which makes things interesting.

Instead, I lifted it using the stock axle. While the tires are small, so is the axle tube, which means more clearance with a smaller tire.

Stock, on the lift, getting ready for surgery :D

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020292.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020294.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020295.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020296.jpg

Matt16 07-07-2009 07:43 PM

or the trailer needs a lift.

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 07:53 PM


Originally Posted by BigBluePile (Post 51178152)
Looks like a fun investment!!


Originally Posted by BigBluePile (Post 51178166)
Holy freakin tires batman, ah on your rig! :great:

Camper looks good too, have you had a chance to open it?

For the price I can't really go wrong! They're 35's, but I keep them clean. :laugh:


Originally Posted by RobD (Post 51178180)
Wow, $50 and he delivered it!

I think it needs a lift or you're going to need one heckuva drop on your hitch.

:camp:

Yea, it's getting lifted for sure!

BigBluePile 07-07-2009 07:59 PM

Oh nice, this IS gonna be from project! Can't wait to see how the "lift" turns out!

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:11 PM

After some thought, and some more thought, I decided 10" of lift sounded like a good number. There was around 17" between the truck and trailer, with a 10" lift that brings things in the zone of a normal drop hitch. It also give's me around 25" of clearance to the camper body and I can always step up in tire size if I get a different ball mount.

Here is how I got the lift, I decided to build a sub frame that would be welded to the frame of the camper and the stock axle assy. would bolt to.

Geting the measurements right

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020297.jpg

Welded up

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020302.jpg

The install

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020303.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020304.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020306.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020307.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020308.jpg

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:17 PM

I also added a support (side to side) and under coated the whole thing.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020312.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020313.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020318.jpg

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:28 PM

In the process of the lift I also repacked the wheel bearings, replaced the seals, re-painted the wheels and installed some new tires. I stuck with the stock size tire since it was only $30.00 each and it was the biggest I could really get on a 12" wheel. Down the road I plan on getting some larger tires and wheels.

Old hub caps getting ready to be painted

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020299.jpg

And wheels

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020301.jpg

Old tires full of Fix-a-Flat :barf:

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020300.jpg

BigBluePile 07-07-2009 08:30 PM

Lookin good!!

Hayes 07-07-2009 08:32 PM

You rockin' 155-12's? That's waaaaaay too big, you're gonna break something:P (this smiley freaks me out, but it's the only one that fit on the front page of smileys)...


Any reason you decided to do a solid lift instead of leaf springs? Seems like it would be easier to tow with the leaves...

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:34 PM

Some new paint and tires, the whole trailer is going to be painted the red on the hub caps.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020316.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020317.jpg

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:39 PM


Originally Posted by Hayes (Post 51178243)
You rockin' 155-12's? That's waaaaaay too big, you're gonna break something:P (this smiley freaks me out, but it's the only one that fit on the front page of smileys)...


Any reason you decided to do a solid lift instead of leaf springs? Seems like it would be easier to tow with the leaves...

4.80 -12's :D It's a torsion axle housing which has it's own suspension!

Hayes 07-07-2009 08:40 PM

What size tires do you plan on running when all is said and done?

BigBluePile 07-07-2009 08:44 PM

That's a nice red to match your rig! :great:

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:47 PM

While adding the 10" of lift, I ran into a couple other things.

First I needed to drop the front jack the same amount, but I didn't want to get hung up on it so I made it removable.

Stock

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020319.jpg

New

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020326.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020328.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020329.jpg

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:52 PM


Originally Posted by Hayes (Post 51178253)
What size tires do you plan on running when all is said and done?

I'm not sure yet, I'm going to wait and see how it sets loaded up with all my camping gear. I won't be changing the tires and wheels until next year.

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:53 PM


Originally Posted by BigBluePile (Post 51178256)
That's a nice red to match your rig! :great:

Thanks! It's going to look sharp when it's done :)

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 08:59 PM

I also added some gussets to the coupler, since it's going to see some off road action!

Stock (gusset in the background tacked in place)

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020320.jpg

Some 3/8" plate :)

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020324.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020321.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020325.jpg

BigBluePile 07-07-2009 09:01 PM

oh purty!!

DIRTCO 07-07-2009 09:02 PM

And it setting on the ground!

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020330.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020331.jpg

RobD 07-07-2009 09:25 PM

I am so relieved you're going to paint it...that pink is...well, just a little "flamboyant". Like in a Liberace kinda way.

BigBluePile 07-07-2009 09:27 PM

Awesome!

agusgus3 07-07-2009 10:15 PM


Originally Posted by RobD (Post 51178312)
I am so relieved you're going to paint it...that pink is...well, just a little "flamboyant". Like in a Liberace kinda way.

It is slightly faded, but I'm sure it will look as hot as a transformer radio Flyer when your done with it...

91 4Runner 07-08-2009 02:34 AM

Can't wait to see it in action.

StangBanger 07-08-2009 03:53 AM

I cant wait to see some of that juicy red on there.. the fadedness is killing it for me. Awsome progress..And SAWWEEEEETTTTT 4Runner..

DIRTCO 07-08-2009 04:49 PM


Originally Posted by RobD (Post 51178312)
I am so relieved you're going to paint it...that pink is...well, just a little "flamboyant". Like in a Liberace kinda way.


Originally Posted by StangBanger (Post 51178403)
I cant wait to see some of that juicy red on there.. the fadedness is killing it for me. Awsome progress..And SAWWEEEEETTTTT 4Runner..

I can't wait to get rid of the pink, the red will look a lot better!

DIRTCO 07-08-2009 04:55 PM


Originally Posted by BigBluePile (Post 51178313)
Awesome!

Thanks!


Originally Posted by 91 4Runner (Post 51178386)
Can't wait to see it in action.

Me too, it should be interesting. I think it going to be pretty bouncy but I don't plan on doing any super long trails with it hooked up. Nice and slow should be the key.


Originally Posted by agusgus3 (Post 51178339)
It is slightly faded, but I'm sure it will look as hot as a transformer radio Flyer when your done with it...

That was my EXACT thought! :laugh:

DIRTCO 07-08-2009 05:34 PM

I also beefed up the front of the frame. The trailer used to have a bar that came down and acted as the jack/stand. With the lift this was not going to work any more, so I added some tubing and welded the thing solid. I also plan on mounting my spare tire for the truck up against the front of the camper, this will give me more to work with when building the mount.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020332.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020333.jpg

BigBluePile 07-08-2009 05:44 PM

Beefy!

DIRTCO 07-08-2009 05:50 PM

The next project was to open the thing up and clean it up. Being that it's 45 years old I knew that was going to be quite the task, and it was, but it was not as bad as I thought it might be.

(Insert cool Transformers sound effects) :laugh:

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020339.jpg

Everything was steam cleaned, vacumned and wiped down. The front section right (behind the truck) had quite a bit of mildew/mold, so I cut it out and will be making a patch panel to replace it. It took a whole day to clean the thing, but it was worth it. I feel super comfortable in it, not that dirty old gross feeling you get.

Does anybody need some 60's cowboy curtains? :laugh:

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020334.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020335.jpg

BigBluePile 07-08-2009 05:51 PM

Man those things are AWESOME!!! lol!

DIRTCO 07-08-2009 05:56 PM

And here it is unfolded and hooked up to the truck. It has a slight rake to it, but not much. I can adjust that in the future with tires and ball mounts.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020337.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/P1020338.jpg

DIRTCO 07-08-2009 05:58 PM


Originally Posted by BigBluePile (Post 51178879)
Man those things are AWESOME!!! lol!

They could be yours, but your going to have to dig around in the dumpster for them! :laugh:

phildelfino 07-08-2009 06:15 PM

Very cool find. I'm sure with your attention to detail, it will look new in no time flat.

GenXr 07-08-2009 06:56 PM

...

Sorry! I'm a little late to the party.

DIRTCO 07-11-2009 05:31 PM


Originally Posted by phildelfino (Post 51178897)
Very cool find. I'm sure with your attention to detail, it will look new in no time flat.

Thanks, I'm going to try my hardest!


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