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Old 01-07-2005, 08:12 PM   #1
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Question need interior help

Now that the cold air has settled in, it's time to redo the interior. This may not matter one way or the other, because we don't plan to ever sell our Caravel, but I've learned to never say never. I would like everyone's opinion about what to do with the interior. The inside of this poor little trailer was badly abused over the years, so I gutted it, put down a new floor and am starting to install the interior. Is there any value in redoing it back to the way the factory sent it out or should I update it to modern standards and redo the floor plan to our personal tastes? Like I said, I never plan to sell it, but if I had to, does the interior really going to affect resale? (assuming I do a excellent job on the interior decorating ) Or am I better off reusing original stuff (ie bath room sink, wet shower, oven) The hot water heater is shot, the original furnace removed, the 12v system is shot, frig removed and replaced w/ a small 120 v house model. The pictures of the interior the way we got it is scarry The exterior shell was real nice. Again this question may be pointless, because probably no matter what you guys say my wife gets the last say on how I do it. I was just wonder'n. Thanks for your input.

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Old 01-07-2005, 08:24 PM   #2
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1968 17' Caravel
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Hi Whistler, we have been having the same discussions around our house. I really loved taking the Caravel to vintage rallys and having people oooh and ahh over it's original fridge, heater, and countertop. BUt then the heater went out, and my hubby wants to replace it with a modern one, same with the fridge. Since we're going to have to redo some of the kitchen counter anyway, I want to replace the countertop with something more fun than the faded yellow checks it has now, and trim it with chrome. So while I really enjoyed being vintage, it looks like we're going to go for a few modern upgrades. They will make it alot easier to live with, because we plan on using it a lot. When I get done it's going to be as nice as a new Bambi, but still an old Caravel.

I am going to try and keep all the cabinets the same, but I would like to add pull out drawers to the kitchen, and maybe drawers to the under-bench storage areas, to make them easier to access. I'm also getting a gel cell battery and moving it to an empty spot behind the wheelwell, and putting in a new charging system.

If you look at the vintage-vacations Caravel, you'll see he redid the cabinets to the original layout, but they were all much better than new, and looked great. It really gave the trailer a completely different feel. Same with the Winick designs Caravel.

Like you said, if you plan to keep it, do whatever you like. No one will tell you you are wrong, and it will be your unique expression. Most important, make it so you will want to use it, because Airstreams WANT to be out on the road!

So, what kind of changes are you thinking of?
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Old 01-07-2005, 09:01 PM   #3
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It's very hard to come up with a design that works better than the original Caravel Layouts ( Sofa or Dinette in front) We have the Dinette and will put that in the 59 Overlander I'm doing.
If you have strong woodworking skills and get good materials and finishes it will be great.
If you can do without the bathroom (use campground stuff), then you have a great space to work with. Otherwise maybe a hanging bunk over the side sofa works. For our 59 Overland I labored greatly over layout and ended up with little different from the original. You have the same kind of limitations, window size and location. You could almost fit twins in the Caravel if you could put the Galley in the front, almost. Of course if you can manage with no galley or just a sink and fridge you may be able to do it.
As far as resale I think the few thousand dollars more for "original" is long in your trailers past.
Don't overlook the Axel. Best fix I did on mine.
You will need to resize the Galley Depth as the current Fridges are deeper.
I think you have Aluminum wiring as we do. Ask an electrician about how to work with it. If you have the original univolt I'ld replace it with an automatic charger converter or is it inverter (AC to DC) and a second battery if you do weekends off power in those nearby state parks.
Plan, plan, plan, plan.
Get samples and make a storyboard of what you want. Believe me it helps. We have change course twice doing this.
Are you going to get awnings. The color choice is limited so you may want to start there if you want to "coordinate". We put a cork click together floor in our Caravel and it looks great, it's the right scale for the trailer to. (ifloor.com) or (ifloors.com)

Good Luck.
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Old 01-07-2005, 09:04 PM   #4
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I've wrestling with the same question ever since I gutted the Ambassador. On one hand, I have all of the original interior as templates so that I could re-create the interior using new wood and materials to give it a cleaner look. On the other, with the wife and 2 kids, the original twins and gaucho would get cramped on extended trips. I'm leaning now with re-modeling the Ambassador and looking for something a bit older and smaller for restoring down the road. However you decide to do it, good luck!
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Old 01-07-2005, 09:11 PM   #5
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There is a point were you need to decided where you want to be on the line of restoration or usefulness. The small coaches, like yours. are the most desirable and quickest to sell. To do a major change of floor plan would probably lower the value. That said while its neat to have original appliances there is a point where it is not financially justifiable or in some cases the newer products are more safe (i.e. asbestos, safety devices etc).

I'm in the middle of a complete frame off redo on our 1959 Caravanner. I'm not going to call it a restoration because all of our original appliances, other then the Princess stove, are long gone. I am balancing our wants with what is practical.

Stuff like the counter tops I think are going to be fine to replace with new if worn. I would recommend if yours is one of the Wood interiors that you may want to retain as much of the cabinetry as possible but not worry about the appliances other then the stove if it has a princess. Update the rest as needed. I think that will probably help retain or raise its value to have new water heaters, central heat and reefers and let you have the creature comforts of today and more efficient and better working and SAFE equipment.

As an example our coach is pretty beat up. There is not a single piece of interior cabinetry that I will not have to redo. It will get a brand new A/C with heat strip, The original asbestos filled heater is headed for the dump and it will probably not get a new central heat unit as I doubt we will camp at times that the heatstrip inthe A/C will not be enough. Water heaters has been in the dump for years and the PO replaced the reefer with a dorm room sized fridge that at some point I do want a new RV unit so that I don't have to mess with coolers on drive days.

The interior cabinets will get a new veneer applied to them to hide all the damage and holes it has suffered over the years. The interior we want to retain the original "look" because of sentimental reasons. Our coach has over 20 years of family history for my wife. That said we are balancing what is practical in terms of the materials we are going to use when we put it back together. The counter top will totally be rebuilt as it has cracked and a new neutral bone colored laminate will be applied. Finding the old patter Formica is not high on our lists of must haves and infact the solid white would make a little of a update look.

The original stand alone table is MIA and was replaced with a folding wall mount. We like the folding wall mount table because it offers a larger dining table that takes up less space when not in use. All the tops and cabinets will be redone to match each other and the floor plan retained. THe base of the Gaucho will beretained but it will be modified to accomidate a more comfortable futon matress with a neutral cover.

The one thing that will be a little bit of an expense is we do plan to restore the princess stove because it adds so much nostalgia to our unit.

I found it nearly impossible to do better then the factory floor plan for our needs. Most coaches the owners find the same is true except when it comes to the sleeping arrangements needed to accommodate the family. Then bunks are justifiable or modifications in the beds layout.

Most of the time is does not make financial sense to move the bath. It is a very involved process that can get very expensive real quick if you have to make tanks, bath cabinets etc. it may even involve some frame modifications.

The one big thing that is a personal choice is "Dinette" or "Gaucho". Most coaches either was available as options so even at a vintage rally that is often over looked if it was not original to the coach as long as it appears original.

So bottom line is: Retain what financial or safety wise makes sense and what ever you add try to match the appearance of the time it was built and I think you can find a reasonable balance that will help retain the value and charm and let you have the best of both worlds in reguards to functionality and safety.
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Old 01-07-2005, 09:33 PM   #6
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It's just 2 of us camping. Bathroom a must, wife won't camp w/o it. Plan is a front dinette, original was couch across front with a pull out table. Kitchen where it was, duh! side couch for sleeping. Remove wet bath, remove street side rear cab. and install a 32" shower. Move the sink to under rear window and move toilet to opposite side of bathroom. No oven, put in a cooktop and a micro wave instead. New water heater, new furnance, maybe a new A/C. original doesn't work and I don't know if it's worth fixing. Possibly a cork floor. I love the old trailer stuff, but alas it's too far gone. And since it's only a '67 I don't think a upgrade will affect resale too much. It's a shame it wasn't better cared for. I have a 1949 Spartan Royal Mansion that is in much better shape w/ all of the original appliances working (except the furnance, which was nothing more than a kero heater in the living room area) I love the old frig in that.
I imagine that a modern upgrade will happen since we plan on using it alot. I think the hardest part of redoing the interior is what scheme to use. Keep the ideas coming and as I go along w/ the rebuild I'll post photos.

whistler

PS; I laid out the new interior on the floor of the trailer, measured everything 3 times and new layout will work good. Main part was the bathroom, wife hated the wet bath idea.
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Old 01-07-2005, 09:52 PM   #7
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If the cabinetry is that damage then it makes no sense to try to keep. Sounds like you have already put a lot of thought into it and come up with a good plan of action. Just keep an eye on the weight not onaly for and aft but port and starboard! If the tongue gets too light it will be miserable to tow. To much weight on one side could cause it to be more prone to wag and list.

Post up the picture when you get working on it.

We also need some pictures of the Spartan.
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Old 01-07-2005, 11:23 PM   #8
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Sounds like a good plan. We are not messing with the bathroom in ours, we love it just the way it is! The bath should not be too hard to redo, but you will be moving the black tank to the opposite side. Luckily it was above the floor to begin with, so you'll just have to redo the pipes and the water lines. Consider moving the dump connection towards the edge of the trailer where it's easier to reach at the same time. Good time to think about a grey tank too - like you didn't already have enough on your mind. Personally, if the bathroom was salvageable, I wouldn't mess with it. That's a LOT of work.

We have the dinette in front and love it. Have you seen one in person? It has a funky angle to it, to give you more room entering and exiting. I can get you the measurements, and pictures of how the original is built if you want. They are all in my garage right now, waiting to be refinished.

I don't think upgrades will effect resale if they are well done. People are so eager to get these little trailers, who's going to complain about it not being original, especially if it is all newer and works? Most people buy them to use.

Good luck on picking a scheme - that's the hardest part. One of my favorite redone trailers is Diana Langleys Globetrotter. It's modernized, but still vintage looking. She has the cooktop and microwave setup as well.
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Old 01-08-2005, 05:26 AM   #9
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An idea for those of you removing ovens and opting for microwaves would be a Sharp Microwave Convection Oven. In the past year they have come out with a smaller unit weighing 44 lbs, dimensions 20.5 W x 12.25 H x 19.75 D inches. They come in black, white and silver. I have the larger unit at home and just love the thing.
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Old 01-08-2005, 06:23 AM   #10
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I haven't really started to restore my 78 Argosy, so I don't have any input there; however, I looked at your photos and saw the 51 Ford. My husband has a restored 52 Ford that he wants to use to pull a little 1957 trailer we bought. Do you use your 51 as a tow vehicle? Bob is thinking about pulling the Flathead V8 and the rear end and replacing it with Mustang parts to allow us to have more fun with the trailer. Any input there? When I married Bob 2 years ago he had never had a trailer. I had once had a 1967 Caravel and wanted another. Now in less than 3 months we have a 1957 SanteFe and a 1978 24ft Argosy. Bob is looking at a 25ft Airstream down the road in a second- hand shop yard. What have I done?
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Old 01-08-2005, 08:09 AM   #11
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Sharp micro

Quote:
Originally Posted by eljay
An idea for those of you removing ovens and opting for microwaves would be a Sharp Microwave Convection Oven. In the past year they have come out with a smaller unit weighing 44 lbs, dimensions 20.5 W x 12.25 H x 19.75 D inches. They come in black, white and silver. I have the larger unit at home and just love the thing.
Your right about the Sharp. Just got their little "warm and toasty". Has a built in toaster oven that really makes it nice. If you have just a cook top this will come in handy if you want to really bake once in a while.
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Old 01-08-2005, 12:26 PM   #12
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Ok, I'm so behind the times, I had no idea they had combo microwave/toaster ovens. Cool! I was debating on losing the propane oven, my hubby says "but how will you bake cookies?" so that warm & toasty sounds like just the thing.

Is it hard to get power over to that side of the trailer for these 120v appliances? Is there any other concerns about it, like should they be on their own circuit? I think the Caravel fusebox only has two circuits, and it is full.
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Old 01-08-2005, 02:12 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stefrobrts
Ok, I'm so behind the times, I had no idea they had combo microwave/toaster ovens. Cool! I was debating on losing the propane oven, my hubby says "but how will you bake cookies?" so that warm & toasty sounds like just the thing.

Is it hard to get power over to that side of the trailer for these 120v appliances? Is there any other concerns about it, like should they be on their own circuit? I think the Caravel fusebox only has two circuits, and it is full.
The micro power is 650 watts and the heat elements are abut 1400 which is about the same as a toaster or an AC. Just don't run the AC at the same time! My AS has an AC/Micro switch that only allows yo to run one at a time (took some one on this forum to tell me why my AC would not work).
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Old 01-08-2005, 02:34 PM   #14
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No problem then, no AC on my rig
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Old 01-08-2005, 02:35 PM   #15
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dmadam's is the smaller unit, I had looked at this one: 0.9 cu.ft. capacity. 900W output power. 2-Line, 12-Digit Interactive Display. Custom Help, CompuBake, CompuPizza, CompuGrill, CompuRoast, CompuCook, CompuDefrost. Reheat Sensor. A Built In Kit. Available in Black (R-820EK) & silver (R-820BW).
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Old 01-08-2005, 03:35 PM   #16
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Angry

Quote:
Originally Posted by eljay
dmadam's is the smaller unit, I had looked at this one: 0.9 cu.ft. capacity. 900W output power. 2-Line, 12-Digit Interactive Display. Custom Help, CompuBake, CompuPizza, CompuGrill, CompuRoast, CompuCook, CompuDefrost. Reheat Sensor. A Built In Kit. Available in Black (R-820EK) & silver (R-820BW).
I got mine mostly on the basis of looks As I am doing the interior in gray vinyl on the walls and then floor black white check and black counter tops.. SS and somewhat retro on the front.

Am also getting the "retro/metro" toaster from DeLonghi.

What can I say? I'm a sucker
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Old 01-08-2005, 06:36 PM   #17
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I haven't really started to restore my 78 Argosy, so I don't have any input there; however, I looked at your photos and saw the 51 Ford. My husband has a restored 52 Ford that he wants to use to pull a little 1957 trailer we bought. Do you use your 51 as a tow vehicle?
My 51 had an original flathead engine w/ 3 speed. Had enough power to tow the Caravel, but alas I couldn't get myself to tow any distance w/ it. It probably could have done it, but if a water pump decided to leak a 1000 miles from home not alot of auto stores stock parts for flathead any more, go figure So now it has a small block Ford (what else?) w/ a auto trans. for reliability. It's in the shop getting a face lift over the winter. I'll post photos w/ the finished project.

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Old 01-08-2005, 06:41 PM   #18
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I got mine mostly on the basis of looks As I am doing the interior in gray vinyl on the walls and then floor black white check and black counter tops.. SS and somewhat retro on the front.

Sounds great! And you'll be posting photos...when?
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Old 01-08-2005, 06:46 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eljay
dmadam's is the smaller unit, I had looked at this one: 0.9 cu.ft. capacity. 900W output power. 2-Line, 12-Digit Interactive Display. Custom Help, CompuBake, CompuPizza, CompuGrill, CompuRoast, CompuCook, CompuDefrost. Reheat Sensor. A Built In Kit. Available in Black (R-820EK) & silver (R-820BW).
I looked at the new micro wave unit's and that is what we are going to use. What brand one are you refering to here? And has anyone had any bad experiences w/ any brands?

As far as our bathroom. The original sink and shower pan, along w/ the lower walls of the bathroom were all painted w/ a green spackle spray on paint that almost all paint stores sell. I didn't spend alot of time on it, but when we tried to remove the paint, 1 it didn't come of easy and 2 it didn't look good underneath (possibly why it was painted) So thats really where the whole remodle idea came from. Now I just need to find a supplier for some copper sheets. I'll keep ya posted. Thanks for all the ideas.

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Old 01-08-2005, 06:53 PM   #20
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The units I am talking about are made by Sharp. I have the larger unit and bought one for both my mother and my daughter. My step mother has a Sharp unit that is about 20 years old and won't hear of a replacement...None of us have had any difficulty with them. I like the convection feature as it functions similar to a regular oven as well as a microwave.
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