I have been reading this forum for some time now. I have been impressed with the talents of the craftsman and the amazing designs that have came about. As a kid my family owned a couple campers; Shasta and Hi Lo as I recall. The Hi Lo was a favorite of mine. The lifting mechanism broke on one outing and I recall my dad having my grandpa welding it to stay upright.
I had a couple utility trailers given to me and was going to build a teardrop. Ever since I watched the discovery channel special I had it in mine to build a couple until my wife decided that was too small for us and the two kids. Needless to say I gave those utility trailers away.
A few weeks ago a good friend of mine gave me a 1979 Rockwood popup!! Well that was good until I have discovered that the canvas needs replaced ($850) and I am missing half of the long since discontinued lifting system. There has also been noticeable water damage that I have since discarded to remodel the inside. Well to no avail I have been disappointed and not sure what to do since I can't make it popup. I ventured to this forum since I know that ppl have used popup frames for teardrops. I like the popup forum but I love the creativity here. Of course that lead me full circle again to teardrops UNTIL..
This is where I would like some design help. How about I make the popup unpoppable by constructing hard sides and use the bed slides but make the slides with hard sides and sealable like slides on newer trailers? Does that make sense? I suppose that maybe it would be more like an apache?? Does anyone remember those? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I also can post some pics if that helps. Thanks so much.
Requsting design help for an apache style TTT
3 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Requsting design help for an apache style TTT
by Riken » Sat Jun 09, 2007 3:35 pm
-
Riken - Teardrop Inspector
- Posts: 18
- Images: 12
- Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2006 3:37 pm
- Location: Prairieville, Louisiana
by Laredo » Sat Jun 09, 2007 4:18 pm
quote:This is where I would like some design help. How about I make the popup unpoppable by constructing hard sides and use the bed slides but make the slides with hard sides and sealable like slides on newer trailers? Does that make sense? I suppose that maybe it would be more like an apache?? Does anyone remember those? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I also can post some pics if that helps. Thanks so much.
If you can get one there is an online version of the manual for the Palomino hard-side camper that explains how to replace a panel if it breaks, and includes drawings for dimensioning a "patch panel."
If you can't find it anyplace else check at www.popupexplorer.com in the "Fix it" forum.
I know your trailer is a Rockwood, but if the size is similar to one of the Palomino models you might be able to refit it with a Palomino lift system.
Palomino's lifting mechanism doesn't use cables (it's levers IIRC) and is pretty durable, but the point here is the idea that if you can copy the hard-sides with the hinged middles to fold down, you can also create hard bed-ends and sides (is there enough left of your canvas to flatten out and measure for dimensions??) the other thing you might do is see if you can find online scale drawings (maybe at the patent office? or via google image search?) for "replacement panels" for the apache pieces you want to emulate. If all else fails post a "want it" ad on Ebay/craigslist and see if anybody can help you.
Back in the early 1980s I read an article n a magazine about an older couple who modified their secondhand popup to go full-time RVing in (they had a Ford Escort wagon as a tow vehicle). They had bought the camper used, with mildewed canvas and seat covers they thought they could wash at a commercial laundry (with bleach and hot water, naturally; as you probably have already guessed, what they got back out of the washer{s} was pretty much useless.)
He got the measurements for a new canvas, then they went to a lumberyard. He bought painter's tarps, heavy-duty mason's line, some 3/8'' plywood, some hinges, some nylon screen fabric and the plastic sheets that fit over fluorescent light ballasts, and some grommets and screen-door latch hooks. Then they went to a fabric store. She bought cushion foam and upholstery fabric, snap tape, quilt batting, elastic cord and carpet/button thread.
He cut the plywood panels and assembled the "hard sides" with the hinges and hooks and grommets, , and she made new cushions and curtains. Then she made a "slip cover" for the "hard sides" out of the tarps, with ties (like a lumberyard nail apron). They fixed the nylon screen fabric to the "window openings" in the slip cover, and made hard windows out of the light cover sheet, and fixed these so they snapped open or shut.
They had enjoyed it for seven months but wanted to know how to insulate it for winter.
I didn't get to read the answers they got from the readers, but I was hugely impressed with what they'd done -- instead of a $300 new canvas they'd spent about $75 in materials and had actually upgraded their camper. Bear in mind this was about 20 to 25 years ago, so it would cost more now....
If you can get one there is an online version of the manual for the Palomino hard-side camper that explains how to replace a panel if it breaks, and includes drawings for dimensioning a "patch panel."
If you can't find it anyplace else check at www.popupexplorer.com in the "Fix it" forum.
I know your trailer is a Rockwood, but if the size is similar to one of the Palomino models you might be able to refit it with a Palomino lift system.
Palomino's lifting mechanism doesn't use cables (it's levers IIRC) and is pretty durable, but the point here is the idea that if you can copy the hard-sides with the hinged middles to fold down, you can also create hard bed-ends and sides (is there enough left of your canvas to flatten out and measure for dimensions??) the other thing you might do is see if you can find online scale drawings (maybe at the patent office? or via google image search?) for "replacement panels" for the apache pieces you want to emulate. If all else fails post a "want it" ad on Ebay/craigslist and see if anybody can help you.
Back in the early 1980s I read an article n a magazine about an older couple who modified their secondhand popup to go full-time RVing in (they had a Ford Escort wagon as a tow vehicle). They had bought the camper used, with mildewed canvas and seat covers they thought they could wash at a commercial laundry (with bleach and hot water, naturally; as you probably have already guessed, what they got back out of the washer{s} was pretty much useless.)
He got the measurements for a new canvas, then they went to a lumberyard. He bought painter's tarps, heavy-duty mason's line, some 3/8'' plywood, some hinges, some nylon screen fabric and the plastic sheets that fit over fluorescent light ballasts, and some grommets and screen-door latch hooks. Then they went to a fabric store. She bought cushion foam and upholstery fabric, snap tape, quilt batting, elastic cord and carpet/button thread.
He cut the plywood panels and assembled the "hard sides" with the hinges and hooks and grommets, , and she made new cushions and curtains. Then she made a "slip cover" for the "hard sides" out of the tarps, with ties (like a lumberyard nail apron). They fixed the nylon screen fabric to the "window openings" in the slip cover, and made hard windows out of the light cover sheet, and fixed these so they snapped open or shut.
They had enjoyed it for seven months but wanted to know how to insulate it for winter.
I didn't get to read the answers they got from the readers, but I was hugely impressed with what they'd done -- instead of a $300 new canvas they'd spent about $75 in materials and had actually upgraded their camper. Bear in mind this was about 20 to 25 years ago, so it would cost more now....
Last edited by Laredo on Sat Jun 09, 2007 4:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mopar's what my busted knuckles bleed, working on my 318s...
-
Laredo - Donating Member
- Posts: 2017
- Images: 0
- Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 10:42 pm
- Location: West Texas