I've thought about doing one the next time I purchase a camper, but to briefly sum it up, 1) is it horribly broken, and 2) is it cheap? Lol. In all seriousness though, it depends on how big a project you're looking for. If you're not wanting to do a frame off rebuild, you want to look at the corners near the floor and inside the cabinets for any signs of water damage and rot. Next you want to look closely at the frame to make sure it isn't bent or rusted to pieces. And lastly what's the axle and springs look like (although, those can generally be replaced without doing a frame off). Oh and tires, can you get it home without bringing another trailer to pick it up? Thanks for watching and good luck!
I'd place the furnace fairly close to the cooktop, to simplify propane piping. I would go with a 12V compressor fridge. I would be thinking about solar. I've seen some where people created a window awning that was basically a solar panel.
This trailer will be one of a kind. I am impressed with how you figure things out. I think its much more difficult to work on these small trailers compared to longer ones. Keep going, I enjoy your videos.
The longest one I've worked on was about 18 foot, and honestly I do prefer the smaller ones as they're a noticeably more manageable project even though it's just a couple of feet different. I think I'd like to do another 18-20 footer though.
Glad to see the 56 back. I understand exactly what you’re going through. Going on 3 years for mine. It would have been done by now if I didn’t keep changing my mind. But the end result is worth it.
We bought a little 12v cooler style fridge from some no name company off amazon a year and a half ago for our first camping trip in the Play-Mor. It worked so well camping we brought it home and have kept it plugged in ever sense as a drink cooler, and it's fantastic! And it was only like $400! We take it with us whenever we go camping and it hasn't given us any trouble. And thanks for sharing again!
You do beautiful work. Go all in on this with the wood to make it something you enjoy for the long run. Whatever you decide I’m sure it will be amazing.
Have you ever thought of making hodgepodge a style, using thrifted furniture for the old wood which is in itself inherently high quality? Plywood is much heavier than solid oak, that could be gleaned from a set of drawers that are cheap at a thrift store or yard sale, or free. The work you have done is BEAUTIFUL! I am amazed and grateful for the insider tips.
I've seen a few skoolies where people have done that, and it looks kinda neat if you're after a more eclectic vibe. I think it works better in a larger camper/vehicle; small spaces need to be specifically designed to be the most functional.
Furnace/AC in tall cabinet. Water under sink cabinet. Puts water closer to axle and minimal plumbing. Then you have inlets for city water and to fill tank hidden behind the sink. Propane lines run under trailer, just have to get electricity to tall cabinet for AC. Also need DC to run furnace usually. Without the skin on you can easily do the wiring. Look forward to what you come up with. That’s the fun, make it your own to suit your needs.
Sounds like you're thinking like I am! I've had several people suggest diesel heaters and I sort of wrote them off as just having another fuel to worry about, but now I'm thinking I should really look into them more before making a decision. So anyway, I'm still in the planning stages.
I am basically doing a frame off 1958 Jewel. Same bunch of decisions. However, I was going to replicate the curved 1/8 birch cabinetry ( my prototype steam box worked pretty good.). So, on the cabinets you can stick frame instead of building box carcasses like for traditional cabinetry. Cuts down the weight etc. I was going to put a 200 Ahr lithium ion battery system in with flexible panels on the top. Where to locate the battery and water tank to best achieve functionality as well as weight and balance. Youve articulated all the same thoughts I have had. Where to locate stuff etc…thanks for the vid!
Thanks for watching, Scott! I actually did stick frame the cabinets, the doors were 3/4" though to create the proper look, but I've kind of changed my mind about that now, so maybe it's back to the drawing board...again. Lots of stuff to think through for sure!
Glad to see you’re back on the CalCraft. I just threw a tarp over my CalCraft, it’s starting to feel like winter here. Mine needs a lot of work, but I’m going to have to wait for the spring.
in the 1940s and 50s, you would occasionally find a pair of opposing wardrobes in small trailers, one on each side. Then, when you opened the doors, they met in the middle of the trailer forming an actual wall between the front and back. Since you've got one that nearly closes off the trailer, you might give a little thought to having another directly opposite. Of course, as small as the trailer is, there might not be a suitable place on the opposite side for a full length wardrobe. Just a thought.
If you can fill your water tank where, or close to where, your camp site is the tank can go forward without affecting the tongue weight plus gas mileage might be better with an empty tank. Heater/ac I vote yes! more camping months per year. and please keep posting.
I feel like the heater is a for sure, and the water tank is more so we could potentially stay at a Harvest Host or somewhere else where there is a lack of hookups.
one approach I saw in another build is to mock up all the cabinets full scale out of cardboard just to see how it looks feels and functions before you commit to the expensive materials
It’s going to be nice, whatever you decide. It’s tough because with water storage, you may want to make sure it’s easy to drain for winter. 12 volts, solar, batteries, etc. too much to think about, lol
well I lived in a camper like this and my propane fridge was rock solid went for three months on a small propane bottle full of gas and worked great.. they need to be close to level but that's not difficult .. if you can't tell it's tilted just standing in there it's close enough ...!
Yeah, I'm not trying to say the design is bad, or that they aren't really cool for off grid camping, but I just think the newer 12V fridges are more in line with our use of a camper, and since the overall design of the unit is more simplistic there's less to potentially cause trouble down the line.
I'm at a point with my renovation where EVERYTHING seems like it needs to be decided at one time... and any one choice affects all of the others... Does it ever get "easy"?
Ha ha, yeah there's times when everything butts into everything else, and that can be the time where you feel like quitting or at least taking a break. My advice is to find one small part that you can continue on with, and once that's done find another part, and eventually you'll work through it. It gets easy when you're sitting around a campfire reminiscing about what a pain in the butt everything was, lol!
Yeah, I've heard of diesel heaters, but don't know too much about them. I don't really want to add another fuel type to carry though. And no, I'm not interested in a catalytic heater. They'll keep you plenty warm, but they'll also add moisture to the air, and I don't want that.
@@TrailerTrashtoTreasure ANY propane heater you burn will add moisture to the air except an actual furnace. Unless you always plan to plug your unit into electricity, a propane furnace will bring your battery bank down very rapidly and they use a lot more propane too. Gotta go with what you are comfortable with though.
The furnace I've been looking at is the Heatsource HS2000, which is supposedly fuel efficient and only uses about 1.6A when running. But I've had enough suggestions for diesel heaters that I'm going to check those out too before I make my final decision.
Can you do a video detailing what it is you look for when buying a camper and the things you do when you see it in person?
I've thought about doing one the next time I purchase a camper, but to briefly sum it up, 1) is it horribly broken, and 2) is it cheap? Lol.
In all seriousness though, it depends on how big a project you're looking for. If you're not wanting to do a frame off rebuild, you want to look at the corners near the floor and inside the cabinets for any signs of water damage and rot. Next you want to look closely at the frame to make sure it isn't bent or rusted to pieces. And lastly what's the axle and springs look like (although, those can generally be replaced without doing a frame off). Oh and tires, can you get it home without bringing another trailer to pick it up?
Thanks for watching and good luck!
I'd place the furnace fairly close to the cooktop, to simplify propane piping. I would go with a 12V compressor fridge. I would be thinking about solar. I've seen some where people created a window awning that was basically a solar panel.
I agree, but I'm not too sure I want to bother with the expense of solar. The window awning idea is pretty neat though.
This trailer will be one of a kind. I am impressed with how you figure things out. I think its much more difficult to work on these small trailers compared to longer ones. Keep going, I enjoy your videos.
The longest one I've worked on was about 18 foot, and honestly I do prefer the smaller ones as they're a noticeably more manageable project even though it's just a couple of feet different. I think I'd like to do another 18-20 footer though.
Glad to see the 56 back. I understand exactly what you’re going through. Going on 3 years for mine. It would have been done by now if I didn’t keep changing my mind. But the end result is worth it.
Yeah, I think the pay-off in the end will be all the more rewarding!
The new 12 volt refrigerators are great. Sharing this with my class.
We bought a little 12v cooler style fridge from some no name company off amazon a year and a half ago for our first camping trip in the Play-Mor. It worked so well camping we brought it home and have kept it plugged in ever sense as a drink cooler, and it's fantastic! And it was only like $400! We take it with us whenever we go camping and it hasn't given us any trouble.
And thanks for sharing again!
You are determined and amazing!
Determined, stupid, something like that, lol!
You do beautiful work. Go all in on this with the wood to make it something you enjoy for the long run. Whatever you decide I’m sure it will be amazing.
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Have you ever thought of making hodgepodge a style, using thrifted furniture for the old wood which is in itself inherently high quality? Plywood is much heavier than solid oak, that could be gleaned from a set of drawers that are cheap at a thrift store or yard sale, or free. The work you have done is BEAUTIFUL! I am amazed and grateful for the insider tips.
I've seen a few skoolies where people have done that, and it looks kinda neat if you're after a more eclectic vibe. I think it works better in a larger camper/vehicle; small spaces need to be specifically designed to be the most functional.
Furnace/AC in tall cabinet. Water under sink cabinet. Puts water closer to axle and minimal plumbing. Then you have inlets for city water and to fill tank hidden behind the sink. Propane lines run under trailer, just have to get electricity to tall cabinet for AC. Also need DC to run furnace usually. Without the skin on you can easily do the wiring. Look forward to what you come up with. That’s the fun, make it your own to suit your needs.
Sounds like you're thinking like I am! I've had several people suggest diesel heaters and I sort of wrote them off as just having another fuel to worry about, but now I'm thinking I should really look into them more before making a decision. So anyway, I'm still in the planning stages.
I am basically doing a frame off 1958 Jewel. Same bunch of decisions. However, I was going to replicate the curved 1/8 birch cabinetry ( my prototype steam box worked pretty good.). So, on the cabinets you can stick frame instead of building box carcasses like for traditional cabinetry. Cuts down the weight etc. I was going to put a 200 Ahr lithium ion battery system in with flexible panels on the top. Where to locate the battery and water tank to best achieve functionality as well as weight and balance. Youve articulated all the same thoughts I have had. Where to locate stuff etc…thanks for the vid!
Thanks for watching, Scott! I actually did stick frame the cabinets, the doors were 3/4" though to create the proper look, but I've kind of changed my mind about that now, so maybe it's back to the drawing board...again. Lots of stuff to think through for sure!
Glad to see you’re back on the CalCraft. I just threw a tarp over my CalCraft, it’s starting to feel like winter here. Mine needs a lot of work, but I’m going to have to wait for the spring.
Ha ha, I had to finish up a couple of things real quick and then throw the tarp back over it as it is snowing here right now as I'm typing.
in the 1940s and 50s, you would occasionally find a pair of opposing wardrobes in small trailers, one on each side. Then, when you opened the doors, they met in the middle of the trailer forming an actual wall between the front and back. Since you've got one that nearly closes off the trailer, you might give a little thought to having another directly opposite. Of course, as small as the trailer is, there might not be a suitable place on the opposite side for a full length wardrobe. Just a thought.
Yeah, I've seen some old ones like that. Pretty clever design if you ask me. I don't really want to do such an extreme redesign of this one though.
Feels like an opportunity to do all the things you learned with the other one.
That's how I look at it!
If you can fill your water tank where, or close to where, your camp site is the tank can go forward without affecting the tongue weight plus gas mileage might be better with an empty tank. Heater/ac I vote yes! more camping months per year. and please keep posting.
I feel like the heater is a for sure, and the water tank is more so we could potentially stay at a Harvest Host or somewhere else where there is a lack of hookups.
one approach I saw in another build is to mock up all the cabinets full scale out of cardboard just to see how it looks feels and functions before you commit to the expensive materials
That's an interesting idea. I mostly use SketchUp to mock things up and get a pretty good idea of the feel of things before I take them to wood.
It’s going to be nice, whatever you decide. It’s tough because with water storage, you may want to make sure it’s easy to drain for winter. 12 volts, solar, batteries, etc. too much to think about, lol
Thanks for the vote of confidence! It is a lot to ponder over.
well I lived in a camper like this and my propane fridge was rock solid went for three months on a small propane bottle full of gas and worked great.. they need to be close to level but that's not difficult .. if you can't tell it's tilted just standing in there it's close enough ...!
Yeah, I'm not trying to say the design is bad, or that they aren't really cool for off grid camping, but I just think the newer 12V fridges are more in line with our use of a camper, and since the overall design of the unit is more simplistic there's less to potentially cause trouble down the line.
I'm at a point with my renovation where EVERYTHING seems like it needs to be decided at one time... and any one choice affects all of the others...
Does it ever get "easy"?
Ha ha, yeah there's times when everything butts into everything else, and that can be the time where you feel like quitting or at least taking a break. My advice is to find one small part that you can continue on with, and once that's done find another part, and eventually you'll work through it. It gets easy when you're sitting around a campfire reminiscing about what a pain in the butt everything was, lol!
Chinese diesel heater for heating is the route I'm going also looking to heat my water with it too
If I had a truck that was diesel, I'd probably consider it; I've seen a lot of van conversions that have those so it seems sensible.
COULD MAKE IT A SECRET COMPARTMENT TOO!
I like secret compartments.
Would the toilet fit in the closet? That would make it easy to use in the middle of the night.
It would be sort of awkwardly tall, plus I'm not sure if I'd want to give up the convenient storage of clothes for convenient storage of turds. :)
@@TrailerTrashtoTreasure Don't overestimate the value of a conveniently stored turd!
I suppose if you're going to store a turd, convenient beats inconvenient any day. Maybe this should be a topic of a future video.
Instead of a propane furnace, unless you go with a catalytic one like the Camco Wave Olympian heaters, try a diesel heater.
Yeah, I've heard of diesel heaters, but don't know too much about them. I don't really want to add another fuel type to carry though. And no, I'm not interested in a catalytic heater. They'll keep you plenty warm, but they'll also add moisture to the air, and I don't want that.
@@TrailerTrashtoTreasure ANY propane heater you burn will add moisture to the air except an actual furnace. Unless you always plan to plug your unit into electricity, a propane furnace will bring your battery bank down very rapidly and they use a lot more propane too. Gotta go with what you are comfortable with though.
The furnace I've been looking at is the Heatsource HS2000, which is supposedly fuel efficient and only uses about 1.6A when running. But I've had enough suggestions for diesel heaters that I'm going to check those out too before I make my final decision.
How big is that tarp you got for it??
I don't remember exactly, but it's a big one, maybe 20x24?
Don't move weight too far to the back it wont tow right need tongue weight to pull right
I always keep the rear of these campers pretty light and position the most weight close to the axle.
YOUR OVER THINKING.
Well yeah! At least that's what Katherine always tells me.