Our Aliner Restoration: March 2011

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Spring, 2011

It's been a while since I've added anything to this blog. Spring, 2011 is on its way though. We pulled the Aliner up to the active part of the driveway yesterday and there are a few things we'd like to do to it before our first trip of the year, which is next month and it's a big one. We will be going to Myrtle Beach State Park. It'll be the camper first trip out of the state. It didn't go last year because we knew we had to replace the tires before such a trip so we tented that trip. So our to do list is:

Replace the tires.
~~Paint the sink/heater cabinet.~~
Put a removable shelf in at the seat for the laptop.
Lifts for the bed.
Seal off opening under the bed.
Replace the vent that I broke over the winter :(
Restock.

Mike started up the heater today so while the camper was warm I went out and painted the cabinet. I had some DCR brown so that's what it is. I wish we had stained it initially, but we didn't. Mike says he can cut new wood for it, maybe down the road. I do like the DCR brown much more than the color it was. The darker brown is the same brown that I had painted the heater vent, close at least, and one of the electrically outlets. It looks better.
After:

Before:

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.