68 Caravel interior remodel

[Stefrobrts]

I have had my Caravel for almost 20 years. I did significant work the second year I owned it, and it has been very little trouble since then. The original layout was a dinette in the front, and a gaucho on the side.



There was one major thing that I was tired of, and that was folding the gaucho out into a bed every night, and folding it away in the morning. Often we would fold down the dinette into a bed and just leave it down for the whole trip, but then we didn't have a table to eat at. So I finally decided to remodel to a permanent bed in the front (using a matress from a modern Bambi 16) and a dinette on the side. My goal was to make it match what remained of the interior and make it look as original as possible, because I love the feel of the trailer.





While doing that remodel I decided to include a reversable install of a composting toilet, to help relieve the anxiety of camping with an 8 gallon black tank.



The only other major thing I included was an external power connection, because the old method of running a hose out through a hole in the side compartment was annoying, and a great opening for bugs and mice. I reused that hole to ventilate the composting toilet, and it is well sealed now.





All ready to enjoy for another 20 years, I hope! If you have any questions, ask away! You can see many more details here on my blog https://steffdoesstuff.com/category/airstream/

[Janet H]

Nice updates and the new dinette location is a better use of space imo. I would love to hear your reviews of the toilet change after some time passes.

[Boondocker]

Looks great!

[DremStremer]

A great job of updating while still keeping with the original look.

[Hittenstiehl]

Bravo!!!

This was a very nice update to your trailer, it turned out beautifully. Your write up(s) in the "old timey" journal are very well written and explained.

This was my biggest complaint in our 19 ft 61 Globetrotter. I don't like making up a bed daily. When un rallies we do happy hour, potluck and then campfire. Coming back to the trailer after that to do the "make the bed" dance was not enjoyable.

[Dingo Girl]

Steph, great work. it's nice to see your trailer again
i got so much inspiration from you to do my own trailer, thank you again for that.

[Stefrobrts]

Thanks, all! My time spent during the pandemic taking the woodworking for mere mortals' online course definitely paid off! I was happy to finally have the skills to do what I had been thinking about for years.

We would be camping in it this weekend if our tow vehicle hadn't broke down two days before leaving, so now it's in the shop waiting for parts and we're enjoying a 'staycation'!

[Stefrobrts]

We've had two long weekends out in the trailer now and the remodel is a huge success. It's really nice to not have to worry about putting down the bed, and always having a table to use. We have enjoyed several afternoon naps on that comfy bed (much comfier than the thin gaucho cushions ever were)!

Also the composting toilet has worked really well for us. It does not smell at all, in fact the regular toilet always started to smell when it got close to full, but the composting toilet is vented outside, and we didn't smell anything from it.

Not to get too TMI, but the urine tank is good for a day or two, then is easily carried to a restroom for emptying. That process is significantly less gross than using the dump station, and best of all, it completely eliminates the constant worry of filling the tiny black tank before the last day. The composting tank is supposed to last a whole month of constant use for two people, so I think it will not need to be emptied until the season is over, since we only camp a couple weekends a month.

Also, I had planned on adding a grey tank, but now I think the 'blue boy' external grey tank is actually better, because on our first trip we emptied it at a grey water dump in the tent area, and on the second trip we just put it in the back of the tow vehicle and brought it home to empty it in the yard, since it is just soapy water. Between the composting toilet and the Blue Boy, we may not have to go to a dump station ever again!