Were should we start

[Louise Holland]

I think its ok for now but wondering what things we should be considering first when updating this unit

[Tony durfey]

I think one of the best updates we have added to our Cabana is a back-up camera. We found a car stereo on e-bay with a back-up camera and GPS in it as well as all the features you could imagine. $360.00 out of china no name brand but it does work well.

[Kim H]

Well Louise, we started where we were comfortable... Interior upgrades/updates. Our trailer is a 1971 so it was wall to wall panneling... not birch just dark panneling on the ceiling, walls and dark cabinets. The formika is quite faded so we are attempting to find an appropriate color to put on it. We are painting the walls and ceiling but leaving the cabinets, fixtures and flooring original. It has a new electric fridge w/freezer & Microwave and we will probably leave those. The cushions are great unfortunately 40 years has not been kind to the cottom fabric and we are experiencing some dry rott on them :(. We are looking at how to replace just the cotton insert as the vinyl is in good shape.

I'd say... do what you feel comfortable with and make it your own. If you are trying to do a restoration... then research is the first step. If you are like us and trying to stay true to the time period and feel of the camper then you just have decisions on what projects you want to do and in what order. Either way you'll find lots of online assistance and help.

Good luck! Post photos..

[Deborah Greant]

Hi Louise, I'd advise having the mechanicals checked by an experienced RV person - the propane and electrical systems, the fridge - tires and brakes. Maybe do a weekend run to make sure everything works before sinking a lot of money/work in it. A run through the car wash to check for leaks is essential.

The most important thing is to make sure that's it's safe. You may very well have done all those things before you bought it, but just sayin'. Every RV should have smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector and propane detector. These things set you back a couple of hundred dollars, but we lost a friend to carbon monoxide poisoning in his RV, so it pays to be careful.

Our first trailer was a dark tunnel. Couldn't stand all that dark wood. Lots of it was damaged and had to be replaced anyway, so we painted everything. White in the middle, apricot on the ends and cobalt accents. It was colorful and crisp without being "girly". Not exactly "period" but it sure was cute.

If you want to maintain the period look then old decorating book and magazines of the era are good resources because these units always follow the current trends. Ours had orange shag carpet, smoked mirrors, gold and orange upholstery, and dark green drapes. Untouched 1970s!

The unit we're in now is perfect mid-90s. Teal upholstery, black appliances, linen wallpaper, velvet-like carpet, huge valances obscuring the windows. We're busy "destroying" it all. Heaven knows what we'll end up with. I don't have a "vision" yet. LOL

My philosophy is - "It's my dolly, and I'm dressing it the way I want!"

Have fun!
Deb

[Louise Holland]

Thank you for the tips, I will get hub to put in a carbon monoxide detector, there is a fire extinquisher and a smoke detector in the unit! If it is not safe and sound then there is no way any one should be in one anytime any place. The unit is now going over a certification process and when we get it off the lot we will bring it home pack up a few things and take it for a test run for a couple of days. I have also gotten CAA coverage in case of a problem on the road we cannot deal with! The inside is pretty good considering the age, no leaks any place and we have had so much rain the past few weeks. The sleeping quarters above the drivers area is sound for its age no signs of any water damage etc at all there or any other place for that matter in the unit!

We will live with it the way it is for a bit, I am planning on ripping off the wallpaper that they put on the walls because its not really that great in some spots and would like to paint it at some point!

[Louise Holland]

Thanks we actually went out today looking at some and will get one installed as soon as we can probably in the next couple of weeks. Purchases will also be carbon min tester as well

[Deborah Greant]

Aha! CAA means you are Canucks like us! Another tip! If you go to RONA you can buy some bubble-wrap which has silver mylar foil on both faces - It's called "Reflectix". It gives R-8 insulation value used vertically, which like doubles (or triples) the insulation value in these older units. And it reflects the heat back out in the summer and keeps the heat in in the winter. We installed it (stapled the edges and taped them with duct tape) on the back wall and ceilings of all cupboards and closets, behind the sofa and bunks etc. Keeps you a lot more comfortable, winter and summer.

[Louise Holland]

wow sounds interesting thanks for the tip and yes I am a Canuck live in Southwestern Ontario I guess near Guelph. I will have to check that out were looking for the best back up camera we can get around here do you know anything about the one at Cdn Tire

[Deborah Greant]

Yes, we bought one for our truck. Our RV guy put it in for us. It works *great* in our truck but there's only a short (two metre) cord between the camera mount on the license plate and the transmitter. Our RV guy had to drill a hole under the back seat of our truck to mount it. He said if the cord had been two inches shorter we'd have been out of luck. So just be sure you have a place to mount the transmitter. In a car it goes in the trunk, but in a pickup bed it was too exposed, so he had to take it into the cab.