Our Aliner Restoration: June Update

Thursday, June 10, 2010

June Update

Maybe I should change the title of the blog now that the camper is pretty much done? Not that these things are ever actually done, done anyway. Someone on the Yahoo Aliner group has a 2000 that they rebuilt the ceiling panels on. (link will only work if you're a member, sorry). Looks like something we could do down the road too. Their work is a good baseline, but I would change a couple things....like add a layer of plywood, and use glue made for adhering foam to metal and plastic. But that is what's great about other people sharing their experiences online. I had contacted the factory about buying new panels, but at $1000 each (at least for the front....the back is probably less....no fan, less windows) we're all set. We spent less than that doing the rest of the camper over. Our panels aren't that bad either, just a bit of delamination at the seams near the bubbles. Plus the new panels have a lot less windows, which might be good for less chance of leakage down the road, but I want windows. The windows are part of the reason it doesn't feel as small as it is.
I made Mike

a little pouch to put his stuff in at night, glasses and so on. He said he wanted a pouch like in the tent, lol....he has a hidden cabinet under the side table this pouch is on. That's okay, a dollar ball of yarn and a couple of command hooks. I also crocheted a band with a button on the end of it to hang t

he paper towels off the wall lock over the sink (inspired by someone elses camper diy...sorry no pic yet). And I picked up this little shelf that is made to stick to the wall of a shower with suction cups. I got it off the clearance rack for $7 at Lowes and it fits perfect on the small triangle corner window. I'm going to put a little plant there when we're set up. Next week I will try to blog about the graphics we've been looking at and designing to replace the old tired and peeling graphics on the Aliner now.
Mike and I are going out to camp for the weekend alone. I don't think we've gone out alone since before we were married! Thanks to the simplicity of throwing the camper on the hitch and going, thank you very much. So later gators, hope you have the chance to get out there this weekend too!

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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.