1982 Hawk rebuild

P8 Camping · Feb 25, 2021

Well, I finally worked up the nerve and started on the canvas last night.

Very time consuming but a lot easier than I thought it would be so far. Everything is just stuck together right now. Sewing will hopefully happen over the weekend.

P8 Camping · Feb 25, 2021

r_u_low_key said:
Hi P8,

Great build, I just picked up an 84 Grandby in similar shape and plan a similar restoration/remodel.

What adhesive did you use to bond the diamond plate to the soffit material? I also see you narrowed just the passenger side of the camper, any particular reason for doing just one side vs. a little off each side?

I used "FRP glue". Its just about perfect consistency and the little diamonds made a popping sound as you squished it down.

As far as the narrowed part... at the time, before I really knew what I was getting into I didn't notice it. I mean, I did...but I didn't really think much about it. It made itself more obvious to me after I got the siding on and now it glares at me in my sleep. My plans are to mount a 270 deg awning so on the "thinner side" so I think overall, it will end up balancing out once complete.

The previous owner chopped up one side to fit in his truck. This was not intentional. I'm just kinda winging it and feel like I should have corrected it but now I'm stuck with it so I'm making the best of it.

Living The Dream · Mar 6, 2021

P8 Camping said:
Well, I finally worked up the nerve and started on the canvas last night.

Very time consuming but a lot easier than I thought it would be so far. Everything is just stuck together right now. Sewing will hopefully happen over the weekend.

Canvas1.jpg

Canvas2.jpg

Canvas3.jpg

Canvas4.jpg

Canvas5.jpg

Canvas6.jpg

That looks familiar! And great! Awesome stuff! Keep it up

BBZ · Mar 10, 2021

Looking Good! You are making quick work of this project, can't wait to see the finished product!

P8 Camping · Mar 12, 2021

Thanks Tim. I watched your videos several times and they were crazy helpful.

This was the most complex and frustrating part on this build so far. The sewing is done, and I am very happy...
Looking back, it really wasn't that hard, it was just unnerving going into it without ever using a machine before.

Living The Dream said:
That looks familiar! And great! Awesome stuff! Keep it up

Thanks BBZ. I've been trying to do a little every day. Some days I get a lot done, some days I only get a piece of trim up.

BBZ said:
Looking Good! You are making quick work of this project, can't wait to see the finished product!

P8 Camping · Apr 27, 2021

Hi all!

A lot had happened since my last update. I got the canvas complete. It turned out "ok", not as tight as I have seen in others builds but good enough for me.

Putting the 4 big pieces together were where I had the most problems. There is just so much material and even with 3 people, I still ended up having some super wavy seams.

But...I found a clever way to fix/hide it.

Here it is being fitted to the camper before we closed up the last seam.

P8 Camping · Apr 27, 2021

And here we are after it's been mounted.

I ended up re doing the supports with EMT. It's been about a decade since I've bent any pipe and I'm sorry to say, this took me more tries than it should have...but I got it...

P8 Camping · Apr 27, 2021

So with the outside done, this is what I had on the inside. I was in a little bit of a hurry at this point because my dad and I wanted to take a trip to Oregon to visit his father. Big trip going to Oregon from Texas so my goal was to make it uber comfortable while building it out as quickly as I could. I fully plan on going back and changing/rebuilding a lot of things, if not all of the inside.

My power came in the mail and I did a little playing with it.

I messed around a little with some couch ideas.

I also messed around with an idea I have for running a 12v AC unit. Being in TX, this would be a game changer for me for summer camping. I went through a lot of ducting ideas and whatnot, the last picture is what it looks like from the inside the camper. Before everyone starts asking me all these questions about this, I have yet to get it to work how I want and I am still very unsure it will work, still playing with it. I'm not going to answer anything until I know this is feasible. I will probably be reworking it all in the near future.

P8 Camping · Apr 27, 2021

Got some good comfortable mattresses. These were expensive but looking back, it was well worth the cost. If you aren't comfortable at night then the whole trip goes to crap really quick.

I found some cheap jack stands that were never used for cheap on my local Facebook Market Place.

And got her loaded up.

P8 Camping · Apr 27, 2021

I had a old ladder from a roof top tent I used to have and rigged it up for a ladder for the camper. It works alright and looks a little redneck but it works me.