RV Project

[gregfender]

Since I didn't have enough to do this winter...

My wife found a 1983 Terry Taurus camper on Craigslist and talked me into going with her to look at it. You can guess how this ended. I found myself dragging it home the next day. Truth is, for a 31 year old camper it was in exceptional shape. No water damage, plumbing and electrical is good, all the appliances work, the only issues were some yellowing plastic and the hideous interior design from the 80s. The plan is to completely redo the interior (with the exception of the appliances). I parked it by the shop Thursday morning and by this afternoon, I had made pretty good progress. Tomorrow I am going to sand down the paneling and then paint. After that I'm gonna get to work building the sectional sofa/bed. Add a new cabinet/shelf unit and some exterior painting when it warms up, and we'll be in business. Wish me luck!

 

[Bird]

Looks like a 21 foot trailer and a popular design back then and earlier.

 

[SIMassey]

Had an 81 Wilderness 17 ft. that had an identical layout. Really liked the front couch / pullout bed design because we would normally leave the bed pulled out since we had the separate dinette.

Doe's it have a small stand up shower to the right, stool on the left and vanity across back under the window? Brings back a lot of good memories. Spent many weekends and vacations in it.

Mine had the 13 inch tires on it. The brakes never seemed to work very well since the drums are smaller. Wish I went with the 21 foot and got the 15 inch tires.

Looks like a nice unit. Enjoy!

SIMassey

 

[MacLawn]

Great project! Those older trailers still have a long life ahead, with that kind of TLC.

 

[Bird]

Wish I went with the 21 foot and got the 15 inch tires.

A little hard to imagine in this day and age, but my parents retired in Anchorage, AK, in the Fall of 1971 and lived full time for 4 years in a 21' Nomad trailer (bought it used in Anchorage) that they first pulled with a 1966 Buick sedan, later with an Oldsmobile. They spent the Winters in Port Aransas, TX, and went back to Anchorage for the Summers.

 

[SPIKER]

Sounds like fun, I been contemplating retirement with a RV or pull behind w a nice 4door type tow vehicle to see USA. I seen a lot while in Military & want more but other half has only 1 time left Ohio so she is game. Problem is what to do with all the other stuff we have... I said sell it all and buy a good RV, keep a weeks worth of clothing each and nothing more than some skeeter tents and fishing poles for the times we find a nice stream/lake or ocean

(Best plan would be to have a floating house boat RV combination


Mark

 

[Bird]

Mark, my Mother said when they retired and got that 21' trailer, she asked my Dad how in the world they were going to decide what to take and what to leave (they sold their house in Anchorage, furniture and all, to one of my brothers). She said he told her to put all his fishing gear and whatever she needed to cook meals in the trailer, and if there was any room left, she could put in some clothes.

When I retired, we had a 32' fifth-wheel, closed on the sale of the house 3 days later, gave our daughters all the contents of the house that we couldn't take in the trailer. But after a bit more than 3 years in that trailer and we traded for a new 40' Bounder motorhome and towed a Ford Escort behind it.

 

[SPIKER]

Mark, my Mother said when they retired and got that 21' trailer, she asked my Dad how in the world they were going to decide what to take and what to leave (they sold their house in Anchorage, furniture and all, to one of my brothers). She said he told her to put all his fishing gear and whatever she needed to cook meals in the trailer, and if there was any room left, she could put in some clothes.

When I retired, we had a 32' fifth-wheel, closed on the sale of the house 3 days later, gave our daughters all the contents of the house that we couldn't take in the trailer. But after a bit more than 3 years in that trailer and we traded for a new 40' Bounder motorhome and towed a Ford Escort behind it.

:thumbsup: that is my plan Where did ya like it the best/worst for RVing??

M

 

[Bird]

:thumbsup: that is my plan Where did ya like it the best/worst for RVing??

M

It's a little hard to say where the best is, partly because I'm sure it's changed since we quit the RV lifestyle the first of 1995, and partly because the things you like and the things I like might be different. We got into 4 provinces of Canada and at least some part of every state except California, and of course Hawaii. But we barely got into Maine and only across the northern part of Florida.

Generally speaking, the west has wider roads, wider shoulders if you should need to stop, and less traffic. Much easier driving in the west than in the east. If I were going to live in a state other than Texas, I'd prefer Arizona. Besides passing through Arizona at other times, we spent the month of January, 1990, in Tucson and February in Phoenix. I enjoy museums and western history. West Virginia's Pipestem State Park is, in my opinion, the finest state park in the country. The Oregon coast around Canon Beach and on a bit south is beautiful. I worked some doing gas leakage surveys and the people in northern Pennsylvania, around Sayre, PA, were the friendliest I've found anywhere in the country. The fishing was best around Port Aransas, TX, and in Alaska. The Air Force Museum in Ohio and the Naval Aviation Museum in Florida were fascinating, but then so was the Pima County Air Museum and Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson. Of course, the Fall foliage was prettiest in the northeast.

So it just depends on your personal preferences.

 

[PAGUY]

the people in northern Pennsylvania, around Sayre, PA, were the friendliest I've found anywhere in the country.

the Fall foliage was prettiest in the northeast.

Bird - Thanks for those compliments. That is why I think Pennsylvania is the best place on this earth. :thumbsup:

PAGUY

 

[Will_C]

Bird,

I am not a Pennsylvanian, but live 10 miles away from Sayre, just over the border in NY. I frequent the general Sayre area for most of my shopping. I think is quite amazing a traveler such as yourself would have such praise for this little community.

Will

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

 

[Bird]

Will, I don't know how long you've lived there but I was there for 16 weeks starting April 16, 1993, so I'm sure there's been a few changes there in the last 21 years.:laughing: I was doing gas leakage surveys (natural gas), working for a company out of Atlanta, GA, and they contracted with gas companies and others to find their leaks. Gas companies are required to check all their gas lines every 5 years, except in downtown areas with wall to wall pavement. Those have to be checked annually.

So we stayed in a small RV/trailer facility right on the highway owned and run by a nice 83 year old gentleman while I walked all the natural gas lines from Waverly, NY, to Towanda, PA. I was told initially that there were supposedly 5,000 services and 140 miles of gas mains and should take me about 10 weeks. I actually wrote up 6,417 services; don't remember how many miles of mains, but it was a bit more than the 140. And they "forgot" to tell me that lots of gas meters were in the basements of the homes instead of outside.

However, the gas company employees treated me like I was one of the family from the day I arrived, and when I knocked on doors to tell gas company customers I needed to get to their gas meter in the basement, every single one was friendly and welcomed me. One lady just saw me coming down the street and came out with a glass of lemonade for me.

Of course, besides documenting leaks, they have to be graded as 1, 2, or 3. Grade 3 are the minor leaks, such as many meters have, not dangerous, and nothing required except to check it again within a year. Grade 2 are not dangerous now, but could become that way and should be scheduled for repair, preferably within a month. Grade 1 is dangerous and requires corrective action now. Any leak in or under a house is automatically a Grade 1, so any time I found such a leak, I'd call the gas company and stay there until their employee arrived.

One time when I called the Sayre office, the truck arrived 15 minutes later and the guy got out of the truck apologizing for taking so long because he had been so far off. All other times, someone arrived in 10 minutes or less. Everywhere else I worked (GA, TN, OH, TX, AZ, NM, LA), I considered myself lucky if someone arrived within a half hour and an hour was not at all unusual.

 

[SPIKER]

Bird:

I did some driving thru the midwest and south west a couple times. spent a few months in TX and seen a good bit of the western half of the state. TX is nice people but everything is rather remote to get to, great food for sure AZ not bad but too hot most of the year for this Ohio boy. PA, MI and OH all have pretty good people in rural areas, city areas about like most others. Midwest is pretty barren & flat, have spent good amount of time from Nebraska all way down 4 yrs in KS w trips north & south regularly. Like the Black Hills a lot & Northern CA a lot, high desert is nice place to visit (spent 2 years there.)

Spent a month in center of FL nice place but Bugs were a pain & fishing not too good where I was (several bad fish kill years.)

Most impressive was the Northern CA forests (Redwoods & Sequoias both impressive) & good people. That was '90~'92 so may have changed some, had a friend in Merced CA that I was stationed w in Edwards AFB

Mark

 

[Bird]

Most impressive was the Northern CA forests (Redwoods & Sequoias both impressive) & good people. That was '90~'92 so may have changed some, had a friend in Merced CA that I was stationed w in Edwards AFB

That's one of the things I've not seen and would like to see. We never got into CA in the RV. I did fly, once each, to San Diego, Sacramento, and Los Angeles on business.

The younger of my two brothers was stationed at Edwards AFB, but about 25 years earlier.

 

[grainger12002]

looks like the dog is up for the R\V renovation..............

 

[gregfender]

looks like the dog is up for the R\V renovation..............

Lucy is ready to go!

 

[SPIKER]

That's one of the things I've not seen and would like to see. We never got into CA in the RV. I did fly, once each, to San Diego, Sacramento, and Los Angeles on business.

The younger of my two brothers was stationed at Edwards AFB, but about 25 years earlier.

I say fly out and plan a trip a head of time stay in hotels (plenty of small places B&Bs to stay at.) Get a small (but powerful) rental car that you can zip around in. The place is bad with under powered RVs now and LOTS of tight switch backs, steep mountains & limited passing.

A motorcycle is ideal (if ya were still 25 lol) now not so much. I camped out of back of my 74 big block Mercury Cougar & 2 person tent. I took a little So-Cal blond bombshell on my camping trip up there & had to put up with some "Blonde Issues." We camped off road under old logging slews w lots of running water and occasional bumping logs & back off hiking trails. NO FIRES was only limitation I stuck to

Somewhere I might still have a pic of her standing in front of a Red Wood, looks like a barbie doll set in front of a big (aka normal large tree for Ohio of 36")

Mark


Mark

 

[Bird]

I say fly out and plan a trip a head of time stay in hotels

Mark, I'm sure that's a good idea, but . . . . I definitely plan to never fly on a commercial airliner again. I won't say that I'll never do it, but so far I cannot imagine an emergency serious enough to get me to put up with the airports' "security", parking, and other inconveniences. There was a time when I enjoyed flying to California, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Washington, DC, Detroit, Flint, MI, Salt Lake City, etc. And once I flew to Anchorage in a Cessna 152 and came back via commercial flight.:laughing:

And of course, I used to enjoy traveling on a motorcycle. I've been from Dallas to Colorado Springs, went up Pike's Peak when I started back. I made a few trips about 300 miles south to the Texas coast, and of course, to Quantico, VA, for 10 weeks at the FBI National Academy. But now . . . if I can't go in my air-conditioned car or pickup, I don't want to go. That is, unless I win the lottery and buy a small motorhome.:laughing:

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Greg,

Nice project. We did the same to a small motor home. I put new plywood down and vinyl flooring. Easier to keep clean. We sold it and bought a new 30' fifth wheel but camping drove me crazy, too much to do at home, so we sold the fifth wheel

You going to the pottery show this weekend at McDowell High? I have to take the wife

 

[rd_macgregor]

If you never make it out to redwoods country, just watch the battle for Endor in the Return of the Jedi; a lot of the forest scenes were filmed in Del Norte county not far from where my grandmother lived north of Crescent City.