Our Aliner Restoration: March 2012

Monday, March 19, 2012

Sold!

This past weekend we brought the Aliner up to NH to a wonderful woman and her daughter and they bought it. On one hand I am really glad I didn't have to list it and it went to a good home but on the other I am sad to see it gone and I know I'll miss it. I keep trying to remind myself too of the wonder new camper in our driveway that I have been looking for for years. I'm thinking our first trip in a few weeks to Myrtle Beach should cure my blues. I know the Aliner went to a good home though and I bet we'll cross paths again. I am going to stay on the Yahoo group list, maybe go to digest I guess. There is a lot of great info and knowledge shared on the list that goes beyond owning an aframe. Maybe I'll start a new blog for the new camper? Most of what I have done to that so far is buy and make sheets for the odd sized bunks and bed and try to figure out where to put things. You'd think with the extra size of the new camper it'd be easier, lol.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

For Sale!!!

Well it's official we bought a new travel trailer (a Keystone Bullet) and we are selling the Aliner. I'm pretty torn about it too. I love this little camper, a lot. I've been fighting with myself about selling it too. I could store it at my dad's house or even leave it in the neighbors yard but in all honesty where is that getting my poor little camper or us? I don't want to see all that hard work rot away, again. So we have to sell it and get it a new home, there is someone out there that will love her as much as I do, I hope. I started cleaning it out last weekend and it was hard. I haven't finished yet either but it's like pulling a tooth, gotta get it done. So I posted it on the Yahoo relevant pages and now here. I guess I'll post it to Craigslist if I have too but I'll wait until I get the rest of it cleaned out. We're asking $4800. You can see from the blog here all the work that has been done and that it's all of good quality. Here is a rundown, I'm sure I forgot something! Please email me at happyhooking at gmail dot com or leave a message here if have any questions at all!

New Floor, sealed with ABS undercoating.
Custom cabinets with a lot more storage than stock, solid oak and maple with slide outs for easy access.
New custom curtains, counter tops (highest height) and care free linoleum flooring.
New full size bed (not the smaller camper size), with air shock lifts to even more storage underneath.
Flush door handle system (upgraded from knob).
All new wiring, gas lines and PEX water lines.
Brand new custom detail logos, unique and professional.
New caulking and seals all around.
Twelve gallon fresh water tank, 6 gallon hot water tank. New faucet.
New Marine grade dry cell 12 volt battery, volt meter, GFI outlets, 12volt outlet.
New Tires.
Reinforced rear frame.
Unique hard to find window design, maximum windows for open feeling, huge rear window over bed that opens! Three upper vents and two front bubbles.
Three burner stove
16k BTU Heater with electronic ignition
3-way Dometic Refrigerator (removed for storage but included in sale, used only a few seasons)
Two LP Tanks, fire extinguisher, CO2 alarm, removable window shelf, removable laptop shelf, plus more!
Weighs ~1800#, which keeps it super easy to tow and very low cost to register ($25 in MA) and insure. Clear VIN, no title. (title not needed in MA to register, if you need a title in your state the title search fee will be deducted from the price. If purchasing from MA will include transfer of plates).
Takes 30 seconds to set up! Store chairs, canopies etc under bed. Always ready to go!
Delivery possible to MA, NH, VT, CT, ME, MD, NY, NJ, PA, DE, WV, VA (NC, SC only if expected delivery between April 13-19 as we will be visiting the area this week).
Upper roof panels are original and have some interior cosmetic damage due to previous owner storing the unit closed with a damaged vent. Vents are all new. Bungee cords need to be replaced. This can be done prior to sale if needed. .

Thanks!

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.