Our Aliner Restoration: 36 Days!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

36 Days!

Until Spring! Yay! The days are getting longer and the sun is getting warmer :) I haven't done too much, but I did pick up a few things. Got some plates and utensils. I got a mini-bonus at work and picked up those along with a new screen house, we needed that in general as ours was dry rot, ripped and old. It's a Coleman, looks a lot like our old one but we haven't set it up yet so I really don't have much to add as we all know that's were the opinion matters. I also picked up a new Coleman Extreme 90qt (maybe 70?) for $20 on Amazon. Wish that was what I had paid for our first one years ago....but glad to find the deal now.
I need to wonder into the camper and see how she's holding up. Pushed down to the end of the driveway kinda out of sight, out of mind :(
I also almost bought a bed set for it. It was a kids set with racoons, bears and so on it. It was cichey. I liked it, but it would've bugged Mike so I left it on the clearance rack at Walmart for some other kid (at heart). Besides with the few printed curtains and cushions I've got going on I guess I should do solids.
I'm thinking I may get the sewing machine out and work on these curtains tonight....maybe over the weekend? I don't know....I'm just using this space to think out loud for now. I wish it was warmer so we could finish this up.
Mike wants to sell it still. Ha! Ha!

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Future Plans

(Written shortly after bringing home the Aliner in June of 2009) I'm hoping at the end of the day to put together these blog entries and photos and publish some comprehensive notes and instructions that will help the next poor bastard out. There is a ton of knowledge out there, it's just really hard to find it in one place. We will most likely publish in google docs and link pdf or doc files here.

Our primary goal at this point is the floor. In our imaginations we can see the potential for this little unit and there is a lot of inspiration on the web. It's really hard (for me, I think Mike has his head on a bit tighter) to not want to look into the cool mods and daydream about crazy efficient cabinets and gadgets.

(May of 2011)

As of today we are working on getting into our second season of camping in the Aliner. Last year we only brought it local to Otter River State Forest in Templeton with plates off of our utility trailer and the old tires. This season after new tires we brought her to Myrtle Beach in April and have since removed the old decals and applied new ones. We love this camper, so don't ask to buy it unless you're looking to forkover 6-7k. It's pretty much a new camper now, even better it's made well....no stapled together cabinets or chintzy counter tops. It may not be the biggest thing but it is just right for the two of us!

Aliner Parts and Pieces

Aliner Owners Club on Floor Replacement

Here you can find the AOC write up on floor replacement with some helpful links, such as to the wood petrifier if you just need to fix a soft spot and links to pictures that show a floor replacement done by lifting the body of the camper and using the old floor as a template. We chose not to lift the camper and to replace piece by piece for a few reasons. The first was because the floor was so far gone it was pretty much dirt. There was no using the old floor as a template and no need to try to get it out in one piece. Second, we did not have the garage or other space to work on the camper and did all our work in our then gravel driveway. And lastly time, we didn't want to leave the camper up and apart for the length of time we thought this would all take. The main reason though was because our floor was so far gone. I think either method is fine but do realize when doing it a piece at a time you need to place the new floor in as you go or you will lose structural support. The walls are wrapped around the edges of the floor and stapled all the way around. When you remove the old flooring it will fall if you take it all off. Also doing it a piece at a time you will need to do the parameter first then the center of the floor rather than what would probably be three full sheets. We half lapped, used liquid nails and recessed bolts. We also did spray a rubberized undercoat and we added reinforcement to the rear of the frame.