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2001 Eagle 4 Wheel Camper- Refresh


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#1 jlhois

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Posted 12 April 2019 - 05:28 PM

Purchased a used 4-Wheel camper a couple years back with the intention of doing some re-furbishing and customization for our needs.

We are more of a backcountry camping family, 4 humans and a dog, away from shore power. However, in the last couple years the purchase of the camper has lead to some longer family road trips and the occasional RV camp in a national park had done us good.

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Very much appreciate all the members who contributed to this site as it has really provided a good base so I can move forward.

Here is the task list and I will try to keep some posts coming.

The only changes made so far have been maintenance and small upgrades. Replaced lights with LED, painted exposed based with “Rhino” lining, replaced all screws on the trim and re-sealed.

1. New furnace...The old Atwood went out and no “easy” replacement. After some conversations with the 4-wheel folks I decided to go with Propex. Karl at Westy was a lot of help. My wife needs heat! Unfortunately, old space would not work with either propex size. It was the heater that lead to all the work!
2. New base for camper, the Ford required about 5” height adjustment to fit camper...Complete with slide out storage.
3. Portable solar
4. More efficient battery monitoring/charging.
5. Simple/safe shore power access.
6. Relocation of water.
7. Flush mounted sink and water pump.
8. Removal of countertop stove. Go with portable two burner stove. Two gas line locations to allow multiple places to cook (make coffee with bed rolled out). Add line to cook outside.
9. Fan-tastic vent
10. New cabinets and extend all the way to wall.
11. New couch/bed.

Along with these changes I plan on cleaning up and updating some of the cosmetics of the camper.

1. Remove old flooring/carpet.
2. Remove plastic covering on panels. Replace all the “brown” screws and trim.
3. Seal/Paint everything and new flooring.

Hopefully I van contribute to this forum and please don’t hesitate to show me what I am messing up. Always wanting to learn a better way to do things.
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#2 jlhois

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Posted 12 April 2019 - 06:43 PM

Some pre-photos

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#3 jlhois

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Posted 12 April 2019 - 06:51 PM

The tight heater space was the crux of my issues.

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#4 ski3pin

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Posted 12 April 2019 - 08:01 PM

Looking forward to seeing your project, thanks for sharing with us. :)


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2003 Ford Ranger FX4 Level II 2013 ATC Bobcat SE "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln  http://ski3pin.blogspot.com/


#5 Edgewood

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Posted 12 April 2019 - 09:35 PM

Also subscribed. My Eagle is a couple years older than yours.

Your model is exactly alike to mine, right down to the linoleum floor pattern.

 

One of the modifications I have done was to remove the couch and replace it. I made three base boxes from birch wood. One box went in the empty space under the front window. Another, longer box went next to it extending towards the door. The third box is directly to the right of the door. There is a 16" inch space between the side boxes where I mounted a swivel table.  Because the three cushioned tops are separate it is much easier to access the storage space below. I did not replace the couch back rest. I prefer to lean against the front or back camper wall so that I can have my feet up and have a little view.

 

I would like to replace the stove cabinet side in the future.


Edited by Edgewood, 13 April 2019 - 01:09 AM.

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#6 jlhois

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Posted 17 April 2019 - 06:23 PM

Also subscribed. My Eagle is a couple years older than yours.
Your model is exactly alike to mine, right down to the linoleum floor pattern.

One of the modifications I have done was to remove the couch and replace it. I made three base boxes from birch wood. One box went in the empty space under the front window. Another, longer box went next to it extending towards the door. The third box is directly to the right of the door. There is a 16" inch space between the side boxes where I mounted a swivel table. Because the three cushioned tops are separate it is much easier to access the storage space below. I did not replace the couch back rest. I prefer to lean against the front or back camper wall so that I can have my feet up and have a little view.

I would like to replace the stove cabinet side in the future.


Interesting concept. Any pics of that?

Right now I plan on a long L-shaped box. I am relocating the water tank to front of camper. Losing a little space but i hated where it was, next to propane storage. My thought was to replace the long bench with a slightly taller one. Not replace back as well. Would like to add a hinge to the top of the box that would have legs and fold out and support a bed. We will see. Need to get my water tank in so I can start measurements.
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#7 jlhois

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Posted 17 April 2019 - 06:29 PM

Slowly deconstructing...

There were about 6 million staples in the old stinky carpet. It is taking me more time to prep for paint than taking everything out.

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#8 jlhois

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Posted 17 April 2019 - 06:33 PM

The plastic covered panels have been another wonderful task....

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Over time almost every corner had started to peel back. Tried several different options to remove (scraping, sanding, paint/varnish/goo off) and nothing worked until I got my hands in to a heat gun and a 5-1 tool. Tedious but getting them done. Hope to have all the plastic off by end of week with a little extra time working on it each evening.
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#9 Mark G

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Posted 18 April 2019 - 12:03 AM

I didn't know I could put my Eagle on an F150.  How's that work for you besides lifting it up?


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#10 WyoIDI

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Posted 18 April 2019 - 01:16 AM

Wow, it's crazy how similar your 2001 is to my 1992 Grandby, almost identical inside except the dimensions.  Makes me feel like my camper might not be that old after all haha.  Good luck with the rebuild!


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