Corona Travel Trailer

[darrellandmelissa]

We picked up one of the new Corona Travel Trailer kits cuz it was on sale. Then we "happened" into another one. Since I have two, now I can build it two different ways.

So today I started on the first of them. The instructions are correct in that you really SHOULD do steps one through six in ONE SITTING. You'll need a LOT of clamps and a LOT of masking tape to do it. AND I'd suggest at least FOUR things you can use for checking right angles that can be clamped too. Makes it a lot easier.

It may be nice to have an extra pair of hands handy too. GRIN!

If anyone else is building or has built or intends to build one of these I'd like to hear your views and ideas as well. I'll keep ya posted on our experience.

smiles,

Darrell (and Melissa)

[havanaholly]

Well of course I want/ intend to build it, having acquired a kit. I would love to know if the wheels turn, or if I shall need to hunt down a hobby shop for a pair of axles & 1:12 scale tires.

[darrellandmelissa]

Holly,

Start a huntin'. LOL! No, the wheels don't turn. In fact they aren't even real wheels. Just circles of wood. Thin. Have to glue three together into a sandwich to make each "wheel". Kind of disappointing. But there are some woodcrafting catalogs that have wooden "tires" complete with treads and all that I may order. They come in a package of 20 so maybe I can share them with others who have the need. The wheel you need is approx 2" in diameter and I'd GUESS (since I haven't glue them together yet, around a 1/2 in thick. The ones in one catalog cost $10.50 for a package of 20 (plus shipping I'm sure) and are 2" diam and 3/4" thick which may work fine. Another source sells them individually for 45 cents. Still have to have the axel and hubcaps. Has a 3/8 in. hole we may be able to rig an axel dowel to. I'll let ya know.

Another thing is this model has a trailer tongue, but no little crank and "small" wheel, so we may need to add one of those too. I'm making mine like a trailer so there will be no pop open awning and countertop side opening. I'm sealing that seam with wood putty and just having the regular windows there. I'm also going to add dual "propane" tanks and a regulator and hose going into the trailer.

The inside is a blank canvas, and I can think of a million ways to "finish" it properly. I will note that most travel trailers had all the furnishings "built in" so that's the way I plan to do mine too. Living/seating area, dining/kitchen area, sleeping area, and a way too small bath area. Oh and the sofa should be able to "convert" into a bed as well. It has only been in recent years have RV's had regular "movable" furniture. And even those still have many things "built in".

The kit is basically just a "shell" leaving the innards of it to your imagination. I have two kits and two different ideas so I'm going to do them both. It'll be fun to see what you do with yours.

Darrell

[doetexas]

Hey Darrell,

If you get those wheels I'd be interested in enough for two trailers...I ordered mine from miniatures.com......I have an idea of something for my daughter for one of them. She played peewee league softball (still plays @ age 28!) and one of the most memorable things about her softball was the one time her team made it to state competition. We drove all the way to Lubbock, TX from Texarkana, TX. So I'm gonna do one of them in a "Goin' to State" theme as a gift for her when I finish it. Of course I gotta have several girl dolls in softball uniforms and various snacks (specially bananas...coach had a thing for bananas to replenish potassium after a good sweat) and some 'girly' things. Have no idea what I'm gonna do with the other one...they were just so dang cute, I got two.

Doe

doetexas

[doetexas]

Hey, maybe we oughta make it a team effort when we build these things??

Whatcha think?

Doe

[havanaholly]

Ooo, I'd also need enough for two trailers, at least. Please, a link and/or catalogue info?

It has only been in recent years have RV's had regular "movable" furniture.

All ours is built-in.

[darrellandmelissa]

I found a cheaper source for wooden vehicle wheels. Look here... http://www.cherrytreetoys.com/store/prodin...tem=82&dept=276

And if that link doesn't take you directly to the wheel, go to http://www.cherrytreetoys.com then to "wood parts" then to "wheels" then the two inch wheel is on page three I believe. There is also a smaller wheel that should make a good "hitch wheel" there at http://www.cherrytreetoys.com/store/prodin...tem=82&dept=276 and it's 1/2 in. diameter.

Doetexas, I think sharing what we do is a great idea. Your idea of the "going to State" theme sounds really good. My first one is going to be built a lot like an "airstream" on the inside with all built in stuff. I'll leave it up to Mel to decide what to "take along" on the trip since she's so much better at that than I am.

smiles,

Darrell

[havanaholly]

Darrell, Mini thanks for the link, I bookmarked it

My first one is going to be built a lot like an "airstream"

I had also planned to one as an Airstream-type, we saw one that was about 30 years old and had the orange, green & yellow color scheme.

[IrishMist]

Here's another vote that the wheels need replacing.

Has anyone found a good link for pics of the interiors/extiors of actual 50s/60s trailers? Most of what I've found are sites where people have refitted them. I'm looking for cheesy actual pics from the time....like maybe advertising pics?

And does anyone know approximately when they will announce if it is really going to be a contest?

Carol

[LisaN]

A really good source for rubber, realistic wheels is Hobbytown, USA. I have one nearby me,(next to the Joann's) and I bought two inch diameter wheels for my concession trailer.

I didn't know HBS was having a contest--another one??? Wow, will have to check with them.

I would love to do the trailer for my town, Inchberg. That could be the living quarters of Mel, who owns Mel's diner. I have lots of great ideas on how to make it look 'lived' in.

I would love to join in the build--now all I need to do is order the trailer. i will try to find the link for Hobbytown--they also have the plastic pipe to make the axles with that I used for my concession stand trailer.

[LisaN]

Got the approval from the head mini man in charge(my hubby <_< ) and he came up with the idea of a small trailer park...which I have to admit appeals to the sense of humor I have...one trailer kind of dingy, another one 'house beautiful' etc. with landscaped yard and grill, the other one painted a gaudy color with dingy truck on blocks besides it... :lol: this could be fun.

Does anyone know if HBS bought these because they don't make them anymore? a closeout sale by corona, perhaps?

[nuttiwebgal]

its a brand new product I believe!

trailer park sounds fun!

lol

nutti <_<

[havanaholly]

Rockler carries 2 1/2" diameter "rubber" tires for less than US$6 for 10 or more, they come with axles. Oh, joy! Oh, rapture!

[prariegurl]

I have been doing a lot of research on vintage trailer interiors, and I have found that is not necessarily true that all furniture was built in. Many trailers up through the 50s simply used the type of furniture that you would find in a house. I have two books, "ready to Roll" and "Trailer Travel". The first book is mostly modern photos of mostly stock trailers or trailers that look much as they did when new. "Trailer Travel" contains reprints of ephemera (library talk for things lie advertising and promotional materials--in other words things that were published that were not books). Both books show trailers with dinettes, chairs, sofas and end tables that could have been purchased at any furniture store. It seems that storage pieces like dressers and cabinets were nearly always built, as were beds. Trailers with all built in furniture did exist, but not exclusively. If money is tight, or you just want to check them out before you spend $50 or more on books, try inter-library loan (can you tell I work in a library?)

Those two books are the best sources I have found in print. Online I have found tincantravelers.com, but it is hard to find good interior photos, however the trailers are all at least 25 years old, but not necessarily all original.

My trailer will be a 50s pink flamingo theme.

Thanks for the tips on wheels and axels--the die cut wheels bothered me!

[William]

<_< Hi:

I have seen the trailer and really didn't care for it so I purchased a early airstream from 3000 Toys, It comes complete with nothing to do to it and is furnished inside. Has tanks , hitch , rubber tires , door and a roof that opens and closes.

[Deb]

Got the approval from the head mini man in charge(my hubby <_< ) and he came up with the idea of a small trailer park...which I have to admit appeals to the sense of humor I have...one trailer kind of dingy, another one 'house beautiful' etc. with landscaped yard and grill, the other one painted a gaudy color with dingy truck on blocks besides it... :lol: this could be fun.

Does anyone know if HBS bought these because they don't make them anymore? a closeout sale by corona, perhaps?

<wicked giggling> I like your sense of humor!! The first thing I thought of when I saw those trailers was that they'd be perfect for a Michael Garman "Magic Town" style of decor. Your trailer park would be absolutely killer and a whole lot of fun to put together. I'm laughing just thinking about your description and can see it all the way down to a trash can overflowing with beer cans beside the truck on blocks. I can't wait to see what you do with it all! How many trailers will there be in your park?

Deb

[LisaN]

In my vision, I see......lots of trailers. But space is limited, and my grumpy hubby will have much whining over 'space' as if that ever was a problem before! :lol:

Probably just two. I want to put one together, and do it as realistic as possbile. We go to alot of RV and motorhome shows, here in Va., and they have everything from the retro airstreams to rolling palaces with wine cabinets and crystal chandeliers. You might check out the travel channel for tips on furnishing this trailer, because they do alot of shows on motorhomes, etc. Chris belongs to a couple of these rv clubs, so he gets all kinds of tips from the people who travel all year round.

Don't forget the beer cans and the tv sitting outside, with the coleman cooler, and a hound dog, underneath the awning. Also, nascar stickers all over the broken down truck, with a big boat next to the trailer that costs more than the trailer and the truck put together! Alot of people's homes here in the country are 'down on the rivah' as they put it, and so a trailer or shack in the city suffices until they go 'down to the rivah' on the weekends. I know, they almost run over me to get there starting Thursday. :o

I too, was thinking of a gaudy pink and silver, with lots of cabana lights, pink flamingos, and a tire in the yard, and the inevitable oil barrel to burn trash in. Making stuff messy is more fun than making it perfect. Wicked grin here. <_< ;)

[darrellandmelissa]

Oops! I ran into a little glitch on the trailer. Read this and you may avoid the little devil yourself.

There are two VERY thin sheets of wood veneer to cover the curved portions of the trailer. One for the front and one for the rear. I spent several days installing these, using wood putty to hide all the seams once I had the basic shell done. After three trips to the wood putty and sand paper drawer, the rounded portions were perfectly rounded, the flat parts were flat, and not a single seam showed anywhere.

So I wanted to prime it so that whatever surface I decided to add or whatever color I wanted to paint it, everything would stay put. And therein lies the problem. The wood veneer is SOOOO thin that ANY little bit of moisture (like primer) makes it warp. Now my curves are no longer perfect and there are gaps between the curved roof parts and the sides. It MAY flatten out when it dries completely and a little wood putty and sanding MAY fix it. I'll let you know.

Anyway, I have TWO ideas to help avoid this problem on the next trailer. :lol:

Solution #1

Use a spray sealer and totally seal BOTH sides of the veneer sheets BEFORE ANY ASSEMBLY involving them. My thinking is, that way they will not be able to absorb moisture as easily, and therefore wouldn't be as likely to warp.

Solution #2

Scrap the veneer entirely and make the curved part a different way. There are eight sticks of wood that are glued to the frame in stategic locations to support the veneer. I say make MORE of these sticks and glue many of them all the way across where the veneer would be to build a complete (almost curved) wall. Use a dremel to round the points on the edges of these boards to make it more smoothly curved, then add my beloved wood putty to fill up all the cracks. Will be stronger. Won't warp. AND I'll have two sheets of wood veneer that's BOUND to be useful for hundreds of other mini projects. (tables in 1/4" scale?)

#2 was how we made the curved top in our casket. And as you can see, you cannot tell by looking at it that it took about 15-18 (can't remember the exact number) coffee stir sticks to make the lid. Looks like one smooth solid piece. And that's what I think I need to do with this trailer.

Now if we can get corona to at least add wooden wheels. If WE can buy them for 45 cents, they could probably get them for about a quarter or less by buying so many. GRIN! Or they could make 'em.

But I still like the idea of this kit and am enjoying the challenge of making it look good. Besides, I love learning new things, and like this, EACH new project teaches me SOMETHING. ;)

Darrell

[nuttiwebgal]

hmmmmmm....Oh Darrell I do believe you are holding out on us!

all this talk of trailer and how you did this and that.....well what about a peek!

:lol:

the eyecandy patrol has issued a warning!

photos soon plzzz

nutti ;)

[doetexas]

Well, I sure am glad to see I'm not the only one who has plans for a travel in the near future!!!

William said, "I have seen the trailer and really didn't care for it so I purchased a early airstream from 3000 Toys, It comes complete with nothing to do to it and is furnished inside. Has tanks , hitch , rubber tires , door and a roof that opens and closes." ----- But - but - but.... William, you didn't get to build it yourself!!! :lol:

LisaN if you put the TV outside (or inside for that matter) don't forget that it needs to be on a TV tray (anybody remember those?---I think we actually had a TV on a TV tray at one time when I was growing up)

havanaholly ---- definitely need to have rubber wheels.....count me in if you buy any and want to sell what you don't need.

Sure need to have this be a team effort, don'tcha think???

Later,

Doetexas

[LisaN]

;) Doe, Thanks for making me remember. We had a tv on a tv stand too. AND ate on the tv trays in front of the tv! :lol: When we went camping, my mother put her electric-- frying pan on the picnic table, and her cooking utensils, so she'wouldn't stink up the rv,' as she put it.

Also outside, there should be a big, deluxe, stainless steel grille that has to be hauled about on the back of the broken down pickup....and the grill should cost more than the truck!

I'm looking forward to this project.

Melissa, have you thought of using contact cement and wood veneering in small strips, from Wood crafter's? This wood stripping veneer has a glue on the back, and all you do is cut it to fit the floor and iron it on. I used this stuff for my shabby chic boutique and Mr. Bannister's Doll Emporium. But I'd love to try your method--it sounds cool. Maybe if the veneer is too thin, it should be scrapped and something else used instead. This kit sounds like it isn't for the faint of heart!

[hydroped]

Darrell,

Thanks for the heads up on this thread - I didn't even know it was here. Great tips on the warpage of those thin veneers too! I haven't primed mine yet but other than that it's all assembled. I think I'll wait to do any priming there till after you post to let us know if the wood straighened out when it dried.. or if I can find a textured cover I may try to skip priming those areas all together and see what happens.

For me it went together like a dream! - I got most of it done in one afternoon and the next day applied the vaneer (venner.. I can't spell it). It's the easiest and quickest kit I've ever assembled.. of course I didn't think about there not being a small wheel on the front and I may still go back and replace the tires - that should be fairly simple to do and I do like the idea of them being the better tire. Now it's waiting for me to decide what to do with it next. I do wish I'd had wallpaper on hand before assembly so I could have sandwiched it between the outer shell and the inner shell. I have one sheet of a sort of 50's looking stuff that would have been ok to use.. but one sheet isn't enough and I couldn't make up my mind if I want to go true to the 50's, 60's styles... or go bohemian and deck the place out like a palace on wheels lol. Anyway I'm headed up to the mini shop next week hope I find some good flooring and wallpaper to use!

-David

[darrellandmelissa]

nutti,

No reason for pictures yet, because I've only shoved the shell together. As David said, it's really EASY to build. I only ran into this particular warping problem because I didn't plan on it happening. My pictures would look exactly like the pictures in the instructions. So just look at those, and redraw the last one to have big bump or two across the curved part of the trailer. A big one and a little one in back and a couple of little ones in front. There ya go. SMILES.

David,

While it did straighten out SOME it did not straighten out completely. If yours is already together, I'd "suggest" you find a "spray on type" sealant and use it in small doses on the veneer parts. That SHOULD not be enough to cause it to warp, though it'll take a few passes. Many glues have moisture too so it COULD warp if not sealed even gluing a metal cover to it. I strongly suggest you find a way to prevent moisture to contact those sheets.

Lisa,

This isn't the floor of the trailer. It's the curved roof parts that use the veneer. IF we were putting it onto a flat or solid surface there would be plenty of contact area and I don't think it would warp. But as designed, there are only the edges and a couple of strips of support. Most of the veneer has only AIR to attach to. With nothing to hold THAT portion down except for a very thin strip along the edge once it gets wet it will warp. But as I said, there ARE a couple of solutions I mentioned above that should take care of the problem if you know about it ahead of time. I just didn't think about it enough before slopping on the primer. LOL! My bad! But good for all of you who haven't made it yet. Don't be alarmed. It's not hard to build at all and I certainly didn't mean to give anyone that impression. I'm just such a perfectionist sometimes that when someothing doesn't go the way I expected it to, the SHOCK of my short-sightedness bothers me so to save anyone else the same shock I look for an answer and pass it along.

smiles,

Darrell

[havanaholly]

I always appreciate a good "heads up", Darrell. Mini thanks.

[hydroped]

Darrell,

Great idea to use a spray on sealant. I think I have some from when I was doing portrait painting. It may take several coats to do the job (I'm thinking possibly even 10 or so) but light coats, dried between sprayings - what do you think - would an artists sealant work?

I was thinking (before you mentioned spray on sealers) that I might be able to use a 3M spray on adhesive on that curved part. I've used it before on boxes to adhere leather to them. I like the way the stuff tacks up and grabs quickly but spray on sealer sounds like it might just be the ticket.

-David