my NEW ceiling, Warning the purist will cry!

[universalexports]

well, I got my LED lights up and now I am starting on putting up FRP panels, I will have Birch cabinets, shelves etc, but FRP walls and ceiling.



I got the 1st panel up today using Gorilla glue and screws with caps, this in not for everyone, but I like it, and the Wife is dead set against birch paneling, she says that makes them look old and junky??? she likes the modern look, as do I, but with some vintage mixed in.

anyways here is my progress.


with the light off so you can see it

[dawgpound]

Very Cool and bright! I like it!

[Deleted]

Did that unit have cabinets over the sides, above the dinette seat backs? I was looking at that one on eBay and noticed it had, but had not seen them before.
The white on the ceiling is going to really brighten it up a lot, and the LED's should work all the better for ya!

[universalexports]

thanks,

I have never seen one with cabinets over the windows, I just looked at it,, weird. and the wood doesnt seem to match perfectly, usually their is just a Shasta magazine rack on the street side, but that is it.

[boandsusan]

I like it too! Not my personal choice but I do not dislike it. Nice and bright and clean looking.

[pathfinder3081]

Clean work.. I like it!

[kto17]

Honetly I saw you post the idea before and thought UGHH, that will ruin a great resto, BUT it really looks nice. I'm still wondering how it will look with white walls but we will see. I'm a big fan of the birch, but it looks good. Keep up the good work.

I can't remeber who it was but someone converted their gas lamp to electric.
Is that the gas line for the lamp in the front, middle of the cabinet? You may want to really study the surface burn charachteristics if you are putting the gas lamp back in. And yes I know wood burns also.... I'm just thinking melting point, stuff stain or sag.

[schweetcruisers]

I am not a purist and its personally not my style but looking good!

Here is the link for converting a propane light that kto was talking about!

paxtonshasta.blogspot.com/2012/04/propane-to-electric-light-conversion.html

[universalexports]

yeah, I am going to put back the factory propane lamp, I will probably rarely use it, it will just be for some of the vintage look. but will be fuctional if I ever really need it.

[Hamlet]

Your work is impeccable, universal, and you're doing some other fun things with the trailer, so why not do white? Plenty of people paint theirs, and your resto isn't for anyone else but you and your family. We suspect there are fewer and fewer absolute purists out there. Hamlet looks original unless you know the original layout, but that is the way we wanted it. Your trailer will look awesome. And that gas lamp can come in really handy if you want to crank up the temp in the trailer a couple degrees!

[cowcharge]

My ceiling's birch but painted white, I didn't want the whole thing to be wood grain. And I agree it helps with the lights reaching farther into the corners.

[universalexports]

just an update,
I got my 2nd piece of FRP installed, working on sheet 3 today.

[universalexports]

just put sheet 3 up,
I still have to cut the holes bigger for the lights. but it is turning out great.

[universalexports]

well more progress today.

I transitioned from the pebble FRP to smooth Luan, which is what I will use on the walls.

everything seems to fit and be working, (lot of measuring)
I know it looks like a lot of white right now, but a birch dresser with built in AC will be under the rear window, and bunk beds of the curb side, so once I get the birch counter, shelves etc built in a lot of the walls will not even be seen.

new pics.

[schweetcruisers]

Looking good, can't wait to see the cabinetry.

[universalexports]

well I got one more piece of Luan in the front installed today along with the front window brace and table bracket that I refinished.

[cowcharge]

Be careful you don't get purist tears on the hardware, it'll rust.

[universalexports]

small update, I got one more piece on the the side wall, I made a template out of cardstock paper from wallmart, it is as thick as a business card worked great and the paper only cost $3.75
I still have to glue and screw it in place.


template



template on the luan




I still have to glue it in place

[schweetcruisers]

looking good!

[apcayer81]

I really like what you've done so far. I purchased a fair condition 72 Stratoflyte a few months back with the intention of restoring it this spring and summer. Last weekend I went out to check on it as the snow melted and found some new major leakage and will probably end up gutting it. I think I will go with your idea. Nice job.

[janesfaces]

I DIG IT!! I think it's totally awesome!!

[soup]

It very much appeals to the neat freak, germaphobe in me.
Clean, bright, whats not to love?
It will always look bright and happy in there. I hate campers you see on Cl for sale with dark interiors and even darker windows.
I think in the long run should hold up great and would NEVER stain from a leak again!
LOL, jezz, if it did ever leak in like 50 years or so, by the time you noticed, it wouldn't have any wall ribs left at all!
I like it!

[harrison429]

It takes all kinds and that's why it so much fun to see what everyone else is doing. It definitely looks bright and clean.

I think it's interesting how so many people are trying to brighten their trailers up when even with my birch interiors I'm looking for lower wattage bulbs as the light seems so bright inside! I even switched a few of my bulbs to 7 watt night light bulbs! I guess I'm a cave dweller at heart...now where are my sunglasses, this post is bright!

[boandsusan]

I`m confused, or I`ve misunderstood something. The panels that your putting on the walls are luan? Painted white? Or? It does look, clean, fresh, bright and super nice! Great idea and great job too

[lopo]

I have long been suspecting that those who love "original" are pretty much traditionalists by nature. I bought my first Shasta with the idea to do it up really "fun " then I found this great forum of support only to run smack dab into this "original" theme, and felt a lot of pressure to preserve it as it was. Now here's the thing: I could live in a tree house rather than a stately brick home and no one would care, but mess with a Shasta and you'll feel more pressure than a 7th grader in a new school wearing uncool shoes. Just sayin'.

[schweetcruisers]

Feb 11, 2013 9:19:26 GMT -5 boandsusan said:

I`m confused, or I`ve misunderstood something. The panels that your putting on the walls are luan? Painted white? Or? It does look, clean, fresh, bright and super nice! Great idea and great job too

FRP stands for Fiber Reinforced Panel, they are most commonly found on walls in commercial kitchens. I believe Universal is using Luan as a sub-straight for the FRP to mount to.

[universalexports]

the ceiling is FRP (Feber reinforced panel) plastic panel usually for bathrooms and showers etc, it is all plastic, the walls are Luan, a 1/8 inch thick piece of wood with a smooth fiberglass surface or somehting glued to it, the stuff dry erase boards are made of I think, thats what it looks and feels like.

[universalexports]

I got the street side 1st piece up, still have to attach it. but it is getting there

[paigenmarc]

Lopo, you're funny. I'm still of the opinion that you should do what you want to your own trailer. I like the birch, and I like the painted interior. I want one of each! I want to foo foo up the painted one since the birch one is a cowboy theme.

[Deleted]

I think your camper looks great...and in the end it will be exactly what you want. That’s what it’s all about…when you put so much work into these campers, make them what you want. Great work!!