Looking for an opinion on a vintage NCO

[Bos_Trok]

Greetings everyone,

New poster but long time lurker with the bug for a vintage Alaskan NCO, I currently camp out 4 seasons, approx. 100 days a year in an 8' contractor canopy that I built out myself. Very comfortable, but my off roading is tearing it apart. Eventually, will be going to full time camping, at least for a year or two.

Anyway, I have been looking at Alaskans for a different setup, would like to be able to stand, and I don't like anything with tent sides. I like old stuff, so I am attracted to the early models for the aesthetic. I am handy, I don't mind cosmetic restorations, but I would rather not have to tear the skins off and rebuild the framework.

Camper in question, is this lower corner something to be concerned about? Looks to me like maybe it just got lifted badly, or maybe dropped? Is that rusty metal plate something that is supposed to be there? Or maybe been added as a repair?






Another corner looks much better to me.




Thanks for any and all input, I have a few more pics and questions if you all enjoy this kind of stuff!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

My spider sense says you’ve got some structural repairs under the skin. I’d do as complete an inspection as possible.

 

[Bos_Trok]

My spider sense says you’ve got some structural repairs under the skin. I’d do as complete an inspection as possible.

Thanks Sagebrush. I appreciate the reply.

I see you are in NE Oregon, funny, but this camper is as well. Baker City, plus another 30 miles or so north of there. Long trek for me, so I don't really want to waste a trip out there.

Here are a couple more outside shots. Has this thing been painted and now the paint is falling off? I thought the eyebrows over the windows were raw aluminum, these look white to me.

Also, that one venty thing instead of the window, any ideas what that might be for/from?

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Where is it at, I might be able to take a look. It does look painted, and of course the floor pack is painted plywood. Spider sense is telling me there’s a lot of work there, but I could very well be wrong. Have you looked at the rebuild threads in the Alaskan forum?

 

[Bos_Trok]

Where is it at, I might be able to take a look. It does look painted, and of course the floor pack is painted plywood. Spider sense is telling me there’s a lot of work there, but I could very well be wrong. Have you looked at the rebuild threads in the Alaskan forum?

Seller says he is 35 miles out of Baker City, out hwy. 86 and up towards Sparta. No address yet.

I have spent many hours reading all the Alaskan threads, this is a great resource! Also joined up all the FB groups, basically trying to learn all I can about these great campers.

I wouldn't be looking into this one so much, other than the inside looks dry enough to make me think its not rotten to the core. Still, sanding all that paint off the outside and refinishing it will be a real PITA. I also don't like that it has the wrong marker lights, and there are some strange moldings drilled into one side as well. (more outside holes)

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I've owned several Alaskan campers over my life. Some cabovers, and some NCO's. I've never seen one that was more than 30 years old, that the lower corners of the upper half weren't suffering from dry rot. if you want a good, solid one, I've got my 10' NCO, mounted on a heavy duty trailer, for sale. It has a fully adjustable solar panel (150 watts), and I completely rebuilt the upper half 10 years ago. Has Formica interior on the walls and ceiling. Good, very cold fridge, and a furnace. Interior lights are LED. Fairly priced at $2500. Located at Blackfoot, Idaho. Only reason I'm selling is the wife retired, and I'm no longer going alone, and she wanted a bathroom, so we bought a Casita. I've spent hundreds of nights in this camper,. and it's never let me down....Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and California. Since I bought it over 20 years ago, it's been stored inside, out of the weather. Even includes my shop-built 12v evaporative cooler. Does not, any longer, have a 120v circuit. With the solar, it's not needed. We're leaving this morning, and will be out of touch until Monday.
Jim

 

[Bos_Trok]

Thanks for the reply Jim, I can tell you know your stuff, and it sounds like that 10 footer is mighty fine.

I REALLY need a 8' camper, I already have enough trouble maneuvering around in the places I like to go, and having 2 feet of camper hanging out the back of my pickup just isn't an option for me. Not sure an old Alaskan wants to do duty as my rear bumper either.

Thanks again, and I'll keep in mind to look at the bottom of the lower half really closely on any camper I come across.

I've owned several Alaskan campers over my life. Some cabovers, and some NCO's. I've never seen one that was more than 30 years old, that the lower corners of the upper half weren't suffering from dry rot. if you want a good, solid one, I've got my 10' NCO, mounted on a heavy duty trailer, for sale. It has a fully adjustable solar panel (150 watts), and I completely rebuilt the upper half 10 years ago. Has Formica interior on the walls and ceiling. Good, very cold fridge, and a furnace. Interior lights are LED. Fairly priced at $2500. Located at Blackfoot, Idaho. Only reason I'm selling is the wife retired, and I'm no longer going alone, and she wanted a bathroom, so we bought a Casita. I've spent hundreds of nights in this camper,. and it's never let me down....Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and California. Since I bought it over 20 years ago, it's been stored inside, out of the weather. Even includes my shop-built 12v evaporative cooler. Does not, any longer, have a 120v circuit. With the solar, it's not needed. We're leaving this morning, and will be out of touch until Monday.
Jim

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I understand completely. And, it's the lower corners of the UPPER half you need to look at. Try driving a decent sized woodscrew in there. If you can't get it tight, with some force, the wood is cooked. Rebuilding requires complete removal of the skin, cabinets, windows etc. Best to just make a new frame, and marine plywood ends. You can't buy the old Birch plywood liner, so you have to use Luan board, covered in laminate, like Formica. Doing the radiused corners with a double layer requires some finesse....I've got the T-Shirt, and the hat...LOL
Jim

 

[Bos_Trok]

Ah yes my bad, upper half, not lower. Thanks Jim. Lower seems trivial to repair compared the the upper. Unless it sat in a puddle, I doubt I have to worry too much about the lower.

I assume when any water is getting inside through the roof, windows or corner seams, its going to make its way down to those bottom corners and bottom edges, and sit there rotting away the structure.

All the campers I see so far, the owners all love to say they "don't leak" but I can clearly see stains around the roof vents, bottoms of the windows, and/or the leading edges where the wall meets the roof. I would assume that if the staining has made it to the inside paneling, the wood is probably looking much worse in the places I can't see.

Also thanks everybody for all the input, I am not considering that camper I posted the pictures of anymore, I realize also that the whole outside has also been painted, trim and all, thats going to be a mess to remove, along with the questionable structure, hydraulics, wrong marker lights, etc, its just too much work to be worth anything near the asking price.

The search continues...

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I think the worst cause of the corner rot is probably condensation on the inside walls. But I guess it doesn't matter what caused it. IMHO it will be difficult to find an older, more affordable Alaskan that doesn't need a rebuild to be reliable

 

[Bos_Trok]

Thanks again Jim, I think I'll just take my time and try to find the right one.For some reason, it seems like there are quite a few floating around the NW, and I am thankful for that! I still have a great camping setup, so I am not missing out on any action in the meantime.

I know whatever I end up getting will need some work to get to how I like it, (diesel furnace, Lifepo4 battery, hot water, etc.) but I would pay a premium if someone has already done the heavy structural lifting! Then there is always the question on weather or not to flatbed the pickup...