Thread: rebuild on an early 70's camper. I call her Boat.

Ok so i am rebuilding Boat from the ground up.
She is a great unit. Can support all 6 of my family and is sleek enough to be towed easily. Also sets up quick. Will set up a lot quicker when im done!
I have a gazillion plans with this baby but all projects have to start somewhere.
So here is the girl as i was given her.

Outside wrapped up.

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Setup. 2 double beds either side.

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Inside as it was i wont bother you with too much. Below is basically the shell.

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First thing i find interesting in the tear down is the fact that its clear to me this thing has been played with in the past, and the not to distant past.......
Strip all that stuff out and get it down to 2 components, chassis and boat. Boat actually has the wooden floor fibreglassed into it. WEIRD but anyway it gets weirder.
They pop riveted the floor to the chassis! Im not fooling. Not a single bolt holding it down. Surprised it did not fly off when i brought it home from SA.

Then notice the reason it was leaning one way was the fact one of the suspension hangers had snapped off.
Wont bore you with all the pics but i will leave you one pic of the front suspension hanger that did not fall off as i was turning the chassis!

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Please take the time to study that image. It holds the front suspension in place. I have done nothing but wire brush it. Im not a trade welder, but really? I could weld better than that when i was 12!
Im so mad at the person i got it off for risking my safety like this. Seriously im surprised i got that damn thing home. So glad i decided it needed to be pulled down when i did.

Anyways thats the start of my build. Wish me luck as i got a lot to do.

Plans.

Chassis cleaned to bare steel and inspected for all welds. Every weld fixed properly.
Fab up a stove to slide under the boat chassis.
Fab up new suspension.
Quite possibly a new draw bar.
A few more things that are in the "argue with the missus stage".
New brakes and lines etc etc.
Prepped and painted.

Move onto boat.

Bodywork first. All filled and prepped and painted, decalled then cleared.
Make a hardtop for it that will be painted with it but plans are to make it an electric lifting roof! During build it will be allowed for.
A few little secrets i dont want to say yet with boat but we love her and want to revive her beyond what she ever was.
New floor, either wood floor or lino we cant decide yet, but i suspect lino. Either way a new floor, the covering is the arguing point.
Full rebuild of the whole interior. All cupboards with lids at the top that are seats.
I have NO plan to have any gas in the camper at all. That will all be external to the living area. Genny and 12 volts are my supply.

We give ourselves till summer to finish. So here goes. Hope the damn disco can stay running for that time

Nah keep the post`s coming i like sticky beaking