The Shastah Disastah! 1961 "canned ham" camper

Yeah, we looked at the repro Shastas. Really crappy looking build quality (and this coming from people who had already seen the guts of a vintage one!), and no cool wood interior. Besides, as you said, where would be the fun in that?

Oh, and the sentence about Tim and the chainsaw and the carpet thread pretty much covers the high points.

Longer version: We were working in the yard, and Tim was cutting up a tree branch when the saw kicked. Natural reflexes being what they are, he put his hand up to stop it and it cut a nice, deep, 1/4-inch-wide groove into his palm. He showed me the gash, and I said, "Needs stitches. Let's go." He said, "I'm doing a job here, don't have time for that. Can't you just sew it up quick?" I said no. (Actually said a lot more than that, but takeaway was nfw.)

Next time I saw Tim, he was standing on the patio with a large sewing needle threaded with some carpet thread, jabbing it into his bleeding palm while he whined, "Can you just help me here?" I again declined his most appealing offer, and pointed out that now he had an even worse boo-boo, and needed to see, you know, a doctor.

At that point Tim said, "I'll go see Dr. Paul"--our good friend and neighbor. So he did. Paul cleaned and stitched the gash, and didn't even mention whether it was the stupidest thing he'd ever seen.

Best part of the whole thing? Paul had brought Tim his jet-ski the week before because he had trouble getting it running, and Tim had gone on and on about what he found. "Who uses carriage bolts on a job like this?" and stuff like that. After the palm incident, he became much more reticent about pointing out the mechanical failures of others.

Margie

alfadriver wrote: The Scamp camper (or was it a boler?) fiberglass camper seemed to be in better overall shape than this one. Based on what has been posted about them- I would lean toward one of those OR see how Airstreams are put together. Both of those have a different kind of failure mode than rotted wood.

. . . . and they go for small fortunes.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: Yeah, we looked at the repro Shastas. Really crappy looking build quality (and this coming from people who had already seen the guts of a vintage one!), and no cool wood interior. Besides, as you said, where would be the fun in that? Oh, and the sentence about Tim and the chainsaw and the carpet thread pretty much covers the high points. Longer version: We were working in the yard, and Tim was cutting up a tree branch when the saw kicked. Natural reflexes being what they are, he put his hand up to stop it and it cut a nice, deep, 1/4-inch-wide groove into his palm. He showed me the gash, and I said, "Needs stitches. Let's go." He said, "I'm doing a job here, don't have time for that. Can't you just sew it up quick?" I said no. (Actually said a lot more than that, but takeaway was nfw.) Next time I saw Tim, he was standing on the patio with a large sewing needle threaded with some carpet thread, jabbing it into his bleeding palm while he whined, "Can you just help me here?" I again declined his most appealing offer, and pointed out that now he had an even worse boo-boo, and needed to see, you know, a doctor. At that point Tim said, "I'll go see Dr. Paul"--our good friend and neighbor. So he did. Paul cleaned and stitched the gash, and didn't even mention whether it was the stupidest thing he'd ever seen. Best part of the whole thing? Paul had brought Tim his jet-ski the week before because he had trouble getting it running, and Tim had gone on and on about what he found. "Who uses carriage bolts on a job like this?" and stuff like that. After the palm incident, he became much more reticent about pointing out the mechanical failures of others. Margie

So, uh, has anybody suggested that you get a column? Although, it would end up being an expose, but it sure would be funny, even while we all cringe in pain.

Can't save that just for the board.

On a different note... while you put this thing back together, are you doing any "changes" to make the trailer more robust to water? Between sealing the outside and using woods more resistant to rot?

Just curious, considering you live in an area that does tend to get some good water coming out of the sky.

I'm not really columnist material: Not a racer or a wrencher, don't like deadlines, and I do not revel in the spotlight. Plus, I think I'd kill the first person who complimented me by telling me I write pretty well "for a girl" or wrote in to ask if I "actually like cars, too." I get enough of that sort of thing at events from a certain demographic that also can't resist sharing their observation that I seem to have actual thoughts in my head, not just whale sounds.

We'll be using the original weatherproofing methods, because they're really pretty good--time just does a number on the butyl tape. There are lots of modern wonder sealants, but unlike old-timey putty, most of them aren't that happy with lots of movement and shear.

These trailers shake, rattle and roll. And probably move in more directions than that. A lot of restorers make the mistake of "improving" them with solid flooring and silicone sealants that just crack and buckle, and coat the holy hell out of the roofs without understanding that the main source of leaks is at the very edges of the roofs and around the windows and vents. Oh, and we'll be storing our little baby in a covered garage. That's probably the best defense.

Margie

I too think Margie needs a column in the magazine. May I suggest a title, too....."The View from the Patio".

"Whale sounds"

If you can be talked out of butyl tape look into some of the Sikaflex products, they are literally using them to hold semi trailers together instead of rivets, and they are flexible and waterproof. Dont use silicone, ever.

Margie:

I have a ton of experience with crappy campers (I am rebuilding one right now). I also have a ton of experience with commercial construction.

Some of the techniques (like stress skins, sealant tapes, curved panels, etc) are VERY similar.

When the time comes to be considering exterior sealants (roofing, caulks, seam tape, etc.) may I suggest you go to a COMMERCIAL construction supply house, not an RV supply (and most certainly not Lowes). The commercial sealants are MUCH better- with 50 year lifespans, incredible bonding characteristics, permanent flexibility, UV safe, etc.

Lowes may have an entire aisle of caulks and sealants, but if you read the label, they are ALL silicon. Silicon is a nice rubbery material, but it doesn't bond well, and it doesn't stand up to UV rays. Urethane sealants are much better.

Another source for these sealants is a commercial glass company. They use tremendous sealants all the time.

Commercial roofing products and sealants are much better than RV or residential too.

Good luck!

BTW, commercial buildings move too- probably much more than an RV. That's why their products are so useful.

Thanks, guys. We do know to avoid silicone, but I am intrigued by alternatives. Paul, I'll see if we can field-trip to a commercial supply house or glass company; that sounds like my kind of shopping.

Margie

Ill just leave some light reading here :)

http://usa.sika.com/en/automotive/automotive-transportation-home/01a005.html

Hmmm, that is good reading. What I keep seeing, though, is that the polyurethane sealants are REALLY adhesive, which makes dealing with them down the road a nightmare (special solvents are required). And since we are staying pretty faithful with this restoration, we don't really need the adhesive strength because the Shasta construction makes very, very liberal use of fasteners (the evil twist nails plus lots of screws). I bet the trailer's fasteners weigh as much as the framing. At least it seems that way to someone who just helped pull them all out.

There's a pretty nice comparison of products at this link. Although they're talking marine applications, lots of the info applies.

Margie

NGTD wrote:

alfadriver wrote: The Scamp camper (or was it a boler?) fiberglass camper seemed to be in better overall shape than this one. Based on what has been posted about them- I would lean toward one of those OR see how Airstreams are put together. Both of those have a different kind of failure mode than rotted wood.

. . . . and they go for small fortunes.

Are they? I'll have to take a ride, as I haven't been past in a while, but there was an abandoned air stream (or airstream clone) manufacturing plant not too far from here. Been shut down since the 80's, and at least the last time I was out past maybe 5 years ago, there were still a few sitting behind a knocked down and rusty fence. If they've been there long enough to qualify for the states squatters rights, sounds like a few free project bases if the scrappers haven't gotten them.

Margie, this is actually one of my favorite projects here. I've never paid much attention to tow behinds, but I have always liked the looks of these older canned ham style ones. It's surprising, to me, how it was put together to begin with, and opened up it does look like a great and useful project. I was also going to suggest a Cat's Paw for the outside nails, but you found the screwdiver puller thing, and that's a bit thinner and easier to work with.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: I'm not really columnist material: Not a racer or really a wrencher, don't like deadlines, and I do not revel in the spotlight. Plus, I think I'd kill the first person who complimented me by telling me I write pretty well "for a girl" or wrote in to ask if I "actually like cars, too." I get enough of that sort of thing at events from a certain demographic that also can't resist sharing their observation that I seem to have actual thoughts in my head, not just whale sounds.

Since I brought this tangent up...

Doesn't have to be either CM or GRM you write occasional "editorials" for. And this isn't for your fame and fortune. It's funny, and entertaining for us.

As I see it.

I was laughing at my desk with your post about Tim's adventures. Could anyone really be that casual when dealing with a, well, cut from a chainsaw?

NGTD wrote:

alfadriver wrote: The Scamp camper (or was it a boler?) fiberglass camper seemed to be in better overall shape than this one. Based on what has been posted about them- I would lean toward one of those OR see how Airstreams are put together. Both of those have a different kind of failure mode than rotted wood.

. . . . and they go for small fortunes.

New, sure. But ones in close to the same condition at the starer here are pretty reasonable. Which is why I looked into restoring one. No thanks.

Seems like the ones to find are the glass ones, for the easier restoration. (note that I don't say easiest, as it kind of implies that it could actually be easy- not that I can find- it's difficult, less difficult, or really difficult.

In reply to revrico:

The previous incarnation of Doc Brown did this job- really nice- https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/portable-man-cave-1972-13ft-boler-camper/65700/page1/

alfadriver wrote: I was laughing at my desk with your post about Tim's adventures. Could anyone really be that casual when dealing with a, well, cut from a chainsaw?

Tim pretty regularly cuts, burns, smashes, paints and sprays himself, so we don't get too agitated when this stuff happens anymore. It'd be like Evel Kneivel and his wife freaking out over a broken arm.

Besides, I grew up in a big family with a mom who was an RN. She was always sighing and saying, "That needs stitches. Let's go."

Margie

By the way, butyl tape is still the preferred method of sealing hardware to decks for a lot of the off-shore sailboat people. If it will survive water inundation from above and below while slamming through heavy seas while the fiberglass boat twists and pounds, it should be a good choice for the camper. Sikaflex and similar 3M products (5200, 5400) are the other side of the coin but do tend to be REALLY adhesive and more permanent than you might want. As you surmised.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: I'm not really columnist material: Not a racer or really a wrencher, don't like deadlines, and I do not revel in the spotlight. Plus, I think I'd kill the first person who complimented me by telling me I write pretty well "for a girl"...

You give us too much credit. I'd probably have said you write good for a girl. I hardly ever use well properly.

Next time Tim brings you a cut hand to be repaired remember a bottle of superglue works much better than carpet thread for amateurs. I could never tie a knot in myself I was happy with.

In reply to Wall-e:

Super glue has saved my skin (literally) on a number of occasions.

Really cool camper - one of my sisters just finished a partial gut on an Airstream that had me all fired up to do one too, my wife thanks you for scaring me away.

I was there for the chainsaw thing. I was, uhh, 12 or 13 years old?

"Dad, why are you bleeding on the pool deck, and what are you doing with that thread?"

walks over

I feel we need Margie to lift the curtain on GRM occasionally.

Progress continues on the Shastah Disastah! Tim's making real headway fitting and framing the new bathroom. We're going with a "wet bath" to replace the tiny, potty-only setup the trailer came with. It won't be luxurious, but we WILL be able to poop in the shower, so it has that going for it.

Here's the bathroom unit just placed for size. Speaking of size, the doorframe leaning against it shows how big the whole bathroom was before (!). Door will need to be located further forward so we step into the new shower floor.

The potty sits on top of a tiny black-water tank, which is being framed in here. (There's sewer hookups below for when we're camping in a full-service spot.)

Additional framing on the outside wall will also help support the heavier fixtures and plumbing.

Shower faucets will mount to the false wall being framed at the back here, with the plumbing behind it. As you can see, this thing is practically done! Or at least, it's still going in the right direction. Stay tuned for our Adventures in Plumbing.

Margie

Marjorie Suddard wrote: but we WILL be able to poop in the shower, so it has that going for it..

I assume staff is disqualified from "say what?" so it is OK to bring this line to greater attention. Genius!