Sock Puppet
Adventurer
Great pics and write-up!!!
'94 Hallmark Ute (Re)build
- Thread starter 1stDeuce
- Start date
topher800
New member
nice work. we have a 2005 Ute. i switched to a digital thermostat and i am not liking its night time performance. it tries to keep the camper within 1 or 2 degrees of what it is set to. cycling on every 15 minutes in the winter keeps me up all night. i would rather have one with 10F temperature swing. i bought a thermal / double walled fantastic fan vent lid, never any condensation / ice on that in the morning. i might convert the other two vents. we stayed on wolf creek pass thanksgiving weekend in single digit weather. this might be a stupid question, do people actually use electric blankets? if so, how much draw on the batteries?
1stDeuce
Explorer
If your digital thermostat came with a decent manual, see if you can change the swing temp. I know I was able to change it on mine... Sometimes it's as easy as telling it you're using hot water heat instead of electric or forced air... I was more annoyed with the 10F swing of the RV thermostat because at night I would cook, then freeze, then cook, then.... Well, you get it. 
Electric blankets are not going to work for you unless you can plug the camper into 110, or you like dead batteries. Way too much draw to run off a battery or two and an inverter. If you're not already doing it, try using sleeping bags when winter camping. Traditional bedding will require the camper temp to be way too high, unless you normally sleep with 5 blankets on top of you!
I also keep the camper temp down around 55 at night, and that helps with the constant running of the heater. 55F keeps me toasty warm in my sleeping bag, and the heater doesn't have to run as much, which saves on propane and battery.
Happy camping!!
Electric blankets are not going to work for you unless you can plug the camper into 110, or you like dead batteries. Way too much draw to run off a battery or two and an inverter. If you're not already doing it, try using sleeping bags when winter camping. Traditional bedding will require the camper temp to be way too high, unless you normally sleep with 5 blankets on top of you!
I also keep the camper temp down around 55 at night, and that helps with the constant running of the heater. 55F keeps me toasty warm in my sleeping bag, and the heater doesn't have to run as much, which saves on propane and battery.
Happy camping!!
1stDeuce
Explorer
Time to redo the door!!
Well, after initially loving it, then being so-so about it, and recently hating it, I'm on a mission to do away with the full height rear door.
It probably worked well when the camper was new, but it's 20 years old now, and it's not in such good shape. The upper door comes unlatched from the lower door and I bang my head on it. It doesn't seal well at all, which is not so fun in the cold. I also am jealous of those who can use the fan to pull in the side walls when they lower to roof.
I'll be redoing the soft walls soon anyway, so figure now is the time to shorten the door! I'm going to use the parts I have from the lower and upper to make a complete frame, and re-use the lower door after I shorten it about 1".
Step 1: Yank the door! Done.
All laid out in it's original config:
Took the top door apart. Kept the window (Anyone want it?) and the framework.
The upper surround was HEAVY. But it has fiberglass outer material similar to the doors, which happens to be just wide enough that I can use it to cover the outside of the new wood that will go across the top of the door opening and get a few inches of overlap on each side. And it'll match the color of the camper better than anything else I can think of...
Next up, making a complete door frame from the original lower and the top piece of the upper. Then taking 1" off the top of the door. Then some woodwork on the back of the camper...
Well, after initially loving it, then being so-so about it, and recently hating it, I'm on a mission to do away with the full height rear door.
It probably worked well when the camper was new, but it's 20 years old now, and it's not in such good shape. The upper door comes unlatched from the lower door and I bang my head on it. It doesn't seal well at all, which is not so fun in the cold. I also am jealous of those who can use the fan to pull in the side walls when they lower to roof.
I'll be redoing the soft walls soon anyway, so figure now is the time to shorten the door! I'm going to use the parts I have from the lower and upper to make a complete frame, and re-use the lower door after I shorten it about 1".
Step 1: Yank the door! Done.
All laid out in it's original config:
Took the top door apart. Kept the window (Anyone want it?) and the framework.
The upper surround was HEAVY. But it has fiberglass outer material similar to the doors, which happens to be just wide enough that I can use it to cover the outside of the new wood that will go across the top of the door opening and get a few inches of overlap on each side. And it'll match the color of the camper better than anything else I can think of...
Next up, making a complete door frame from the original lower and the top piece of the upper. Then taking 1" off the top of the door. Then some woodwork on the back of the camper...
Sock Puppet
Adventurer
I need to get over and see this thing in person so I can steal some of your ideas!
1stDeuce
Explorer
More Door work...
Well, in the continuing saga of the door rebuild, I took the actual door apart and rebuilt it. Had to replace the rotten wood on three sides. It was OK on the latch side after I shortened it a bit to make room for new wood across the top and bottom.
Here is the wood and foam after I pulled off the trim and inner and outer covers. The wood is pretty rotten on three sides. I need to shorten the door about 1-1/4" anyway, so I'm re-using the latch side wood, which is pretty solid after I cut off the top and bottom.
New wood screwed and glued. I put the inside aluminum sheet on first with liquid nails and a few staples to hold the wood square. When I got to installing the outer fiberglass cover, I ran out of Liquid Nails, so I used some adhesive caulk that was laying around.
Once it was all stacked together in a nice door sandwich, I put a bunch of weight on top to flatten it out and let it dry overnight.
I bought some white paint to see what looked good on the door, semi-gloss or gloss. Gloss looks MUCH better, and then I got curious if it would look good on the camper too, so I painted some. Yup, much better. Camper is getting painted rustoleum gloss white.
I have the door frame trimmed and ready for welding. That'll be my lunch tomorrow hopefully. BTW, in case anyone was wondering, the aluminum trim cuts wonderfully with a 40 tooth blade on a table saw. I just took it slow. Didn't seem to hurt the blade at all, and made about as much noise as cutting wood. I think this aluminum is pretty soft. But I have nice 45 degree corners now!
Well, in the continuing saga of the door rebuild, I took the actual door apart and rebuilt it. Had to replace the rotten wood on three sides. It was OK on the latch side after I shortened it a bit to make room for new wood across the top and bottom.
Here is the wood and foam after I pulled off the trim and inner and outer covers. The wood is pretty rotten on three sides. I need to shorten the door about 1-1/4" anyway, so I'm re-using the latch side wood, which is pretty solid after I cut off the top and bottom.
New wood screwed and glued. I put the inside aluminum sheet on first with liquid nails and a few staples to hold the wood square. When I got to installing the outer fiberglass cover, I ran out of Liquid Nails, so I used some adhesive caulk that was laying around.
Once it was all stacked together in a nice door sandwich, I put a bunch of weight on top to flatten it out and let it dry overnight.
I bought some white paint to see what looked good on the door, semi-gloss or gloss. Gloss looks MUCH better, and then I got curious if it would look good on the camper too, so I painted some. Yup, much better. Camper is getting painted rustoleum gloss white.
I have the door frame trimmed and ready for welding. That'll be my lunch tomorrow hopefully. BTW, in case anyone was wondering, the aluminum trim cuts wonderfully with a 40 tooth blade on a table saw. I just took it slow. Didn't seem to hurt the blade at all, and made about as much noise as cutting wood. I think this aluminum is pretty soft. But I have nice 45 degree corners now!
1stDeuce
Explorer
Got the door together, and aside from the latch coming out a little crooked (Not sure how that happened...) it looks good. I ended up doing seim-gloss white on the inside, and gloss on the outside, and I fogged the outer window frame with some semi-gloss black to freshen it up too.
Then I cut up the old upper door surround and made a 2-3/4" wide piece to go across the top of the open door frame. Worked out pretty well, as it was laminated with fiberglass on the outside, and I preserved some overlap to hopefully help seal it a little better. I used my favorite woodworking tool, the Kreg Jig to be able to screw and glue it in place.
To cover the opening, I bought a yard of Weblon in Driftwood. That's what I want to use when I redo the soft sides, so I figured I'd check it out. I like it!! I used some industrial stick-on velcro on the top and sides and velcro'd it in place. Looks ok, and should hold up just fine.
Still need to cut off the inner velcro flaps, and I just bought a piece of trim to go completely across the outside and overlap a foot or more on each side to help tie it all together. After I get that on, I can paint the back of the camper and then put the door in. Just waiting on some 3/4" butyl from Amazon for the door install.)
The other three sides have been cleaned up and painted, and I think they look pretty good.
I might put a black stripe on it to break up the white a little, and I have some black vinyl Camco trim ordered to replace the old stuff. (Four Wheel does it that way, and I think they look really sharp!)
Probably see if Hallmark will sell me a decal or two for the front and back, just to break it up a little more.
Then I cut up the old upper door surround and made a 2-3/4" wide piece to go across the top of the open door frame. Worked out pretty well, as it was laminated with fiberglass on the outside, and I preserved some overlap to hopefully help seal it a little better. I used my favorite woodworking tool, the Kreg Jig to be able to screw and glue it in place.
To cover the opening, I bought a yard of Weblon in Driftwood. That's what I want to use when I redo the soft sides, so I figured I'd check it out. I like it!! I used some industrial stick-on velcro on the top and sides and velcro'd it in place. Looks ok, and should hold up just fine.
Still need to cut off the inner velcro flaps, and I just bought a piece of trim to go completely across the outside and overlap a foot or more on each side to help tie it all together. After I get that on, I can paint the back of the camper and then put the door in. Just waiting on some 3/4" butyl from Amazon for the door install.)
The other three sides have been cleaned up and painted, and I think they look pretty good.
I might put a black stripe on it to break up the white a little, and I have some black vinyl Camco trim ordered to replace the old stuff. (Four Wheel does it that way, and I think they look really sharp!)
Probably see if Hallmark will sell me a decal or two for the front and back, just to break it up a little more.
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Sock Puppet
Adventurer
Looks great!
I think I have some butyl tape if you want to come by and get it.
I think I have some butyl tape if you want to come by and get it.
1stDeuce
Explorer
Thanks Sock Puppet!
I finished the back of the camper last night, so now it has a door!! I put the heater back in too, after taking the fan apart to oil the bearings and lightly sand the armature. (No more squealing!!)
The door fit perfectly in the opening, and through some miracle, the top screw holes lined right up!! The whole camper needs a little black trim, and then perhaps a stripe or something, but it looks a lot better than it did!!
Now to get it loaded up so I can head to OE14!!
I finished the back of the camper last night, so now it has a door!! I put the heater back in too, after taking the fan apart to oil the bearings and lightly sand the armature. (No more squealing!!)
The door fit perfectly in the opening, and through some miracle, the top screw holes lined right up!! The whole camper needs a little black trim, and then perhaps a stripe or something, but it looks a lot better than it did!!
Now to get it loaded up so I can head to OE14!!
Sock Puppet
Adventurer
That turned out great!:Wow1:
Thanks for making the rest of us look like slackers.
Thanks for making the rest of us look like slackers.
waterwindsuntraveller
Observer
How did you get the old vinyl decals off? I've tried acetone with no luck. Heat gun?
Thanks Sock Puppet!
I finished the back of the camper last night, so now it has a door!! I put the heater back in too, after taking the fan apart to oil the bearings and lightly sand the armature. (No more squealing!!)
The door fit perfectly in the opening, and through some miracle, the top screw holes lined right up!! The whole camper needs a little black trim, and then perhaps a stripe or something, but it looks a lot better than it did!!
Now to get it loaded up so I can head to OE14!!