Tomorrow is the maiden voyage (even though its not done yet)

I came to terms quite a while ago that the camper was not going to be completed enough to take the family camping this year. Like most projects, they require more time and money than you think they will. Other things come up, illness happens, weather happens etc.

That said, I had made plans with my brother months ago to go to the Lime Rock Park Historic Festival in Connecticut over Labor Day weekend. LRP is a famous road racing course set in the hills of western CT. It has 40 reserved spots for campers right up against the track, each spot 20 x 60 but there are no hookups. Its a great track in a great setting, not a NASCAR Type place at all. No grandstands, you watch from the hillsides along the track. We are really looking forward to going.. Over 320 vintage race cars from the 1920s through the 1980s are registered for the event.

So once the Corvette project was completed I got busy on the camper to make sure we would have at least a weather tight room to sleep in. I made some good progress and although the camper isn't nearly done, it will be more comfortable than I was thinking it would be.

Since the last camper update on August 3rd I did the following:

-Installed the black and white tiled floor
-Installed all the interior walls
-Pulled the J channel off and replaced the butyl
-Resealed the back window after discovering it had a small leak
-Installed the trim rings and moon hubcaps
-Built the dinette area and mounted the table
-Built the potty closet and low tech potty
-Installed the rear bunk
-Finished the wiring harness for running lights, turn signals and stop lights
-Reinstalled the propane tanks
-Reinstalled the rock guard
-Installed the new magazine rack

I ran out of time to frame the couch/bed area in the rear but we are bringing self inflating air mattresses so we'll be fine with one on the floor back there.

Here's a bunch of pictures of this past months progress:

The Dinette area just prior to the flooring install

Flooring only took a couple hours to get done

Test fitting the first peice of Birch for the walls

Laying some birch out for 2 coats of amber shellac

More finishing work

Here's the dinette area with flooring and amber walls

You can see some of the cool grain and figuring Birch has

Dinette is framed in and the potty area is coming along

Dinette area with the lovely original 1971 cushions in place

(they will be replaced as funds allow)

Dinette area with the table down in 'bed mode'

The Shasta magazine rack

Here she is on a test drive to get the propane tanks filled

Finally, a picture of a little accessory for this weekends trip to help get around at the track..

Its a 1961 JC Higgins 3 speed bike complete with vintage Sears speedometer and a working

generator powered headlight. Very Retro~  Thank You Craigslist for this $25 purchase  :)

Well as Porky Pig often said..  Th Th Th Th Thats all foks~!

Raised a little cash

I took a little break from the camper in August to flip a car..

I found this low miles 1991 Corvette on Craigslist.
It was listed as "Doesn't run, don't know why"
I checked it over and bought the car based on the condition and the low price.
I figured even if it needed the engine replaced, I'd still be ahead.
Thankfully, it only needed a set of fuel injectors and the fuel system was
full of water so that all had to be flushed. Everything else was good to go.

(Our cat Simon immediately claimed it as his own)

I sold the car 17 days after I towed it home. After all expenses for the repairs, the trailer rental, gas etc I cleared two thousand dollars. I'd like to find a deal like this monthly!

OK, back to camper news in the next post~