Starcraft Truck Camper
In 2004 I stumbled on this old Starcraft truck camper in the back of an RV dealer's lot and I thought I might rebuild into a mobile jewelry studio. That idea soon fizzled. I got about as far as you see in the pictures and abandoned the project.
The Starcraft sat there for years and then when I sold the property in late 2009 it had to go quickly and, sadly, I cut it up and hauled it off to the dump. I'll leave this page and the pictures at Starcraft Truck Camper Images up here in case they are useful to anyone.
A website devoted to these neat campers
There were only a relative few of these neat truck campers built and a few are still out there traveling the world. Check out http://americanroadcamper.com/ for some historical and restoration information and to see some campers that avoided the sad fate of this one.
I bought this old Starcraft truck camper a while back for a hundred dollars, thinking about all that would be salvageable was the shell - I was right!
In trying to come up with a list of features I'd like to include in this old Starcraft truck camper I'm running up against a problem - I don't quite know how I'll end up using it. The current thinking is it will be my primary jewelry studio but I'm unsure if it will ever travel.
Needed for stationary jewelry studio use only:
- Heat (year round?)
- Catalytic heater 100% efficient?
- Electricity
- Two type 31 batteries
- Photovoltaics
- Inverter (capacity?)
- Two burner cooktop
- Sink & fresh & grey water storage
Needed in addition to the above for travelling, living, jewelling:
- Sleeping for 1
- Boondocking ability
- More water storage, fresh & grey
- Toilet
- Porta Potti?
- Shower
- Sponge bath & campground showers
- Refrigerator, cooler, minifridge?
see Kitchen Layout idea at http://www.vintageairstream.com/archives1/59GT/index.htmll
see plywood truck camper box construction at http://www.glen-l.com/campers/fairhaven-constr-1.html
Doors
Phillips Products - RV doors
Window trim is referred to as "Garnish" trim.
I need to replace the worn cylinder on my Bargman “refer door handle” entry door lock. Any ideas?
The cylinder is identical to what was used by Ford on mid fifties ignition switches, and is known by locksmiths as a "Hurd" cylinder.
My door is missing the little catch that hold it open. Where can I get a new one?
The Bargman Door catch was used from almost the first Airstream trailer on. They are still made to this day by Tekonsha, and are available at RV dealers.
Note: Go-RV has these.
Rivets or stainless steel bolts and nuts make fine hole sealers that will last forever without being influenced by expanding and contracting skin in the hot and cold cycles of the desert.
As in any structure, you want the vapor barrier to be located between the finished surface and the insulation. You want to keep the moisture out of the insulation so that it maintains its R value. We use Polyisocyanurate foam which is environmentally friendly and comes with an aluiminum face. We use 2" with an R value of 15. It is fireproof, has no formaldahide or other nasty gases. And yes, it does conform to even the tightest compound curves.
After the Polyiso is in we tape all joints with aluminum duct tape and then cover everything with a 6 mil polyethelene plastic sheeting to keep the moisture away from the skin.