Newbie, doing a full teardown of an 80's Keystone

[mhskog]

Hello All!

I am the proud owner of a 80's Keystone, it has what would be termed "Good Bones" but not much else. I'm going to be modifying it to fit on my 04 F150, and will be getting a full gut job, interior exterior and canvass. I'll be posting the photo's and video's of the work as it progresses. We intend to do most of the work ourselves, we will have some challenges such as work/ storage space and the normal (*&^&&(*@@@ that comes with these sorts of projects. I'll try to keep track of time and money spent on this see if we can get this done on a decent budget.

couple of questions .. is there a VIN or number stamped or plated on these anywhere ?

is the keystone the forerunner of FWC or .. hows that history work?

The Adventure Begins

Matt

 

[JDeanP]

Mine is a little older, but the ID plate is on the rear, to the right of the door. Should be an aluminum plate riveted to the camper.

 

[longhorn1]

The Keystone was the largest of the camper models and was discontinued around 2012-13+/-. What bed size is your 150. Weight of the camper and the camper center of gravity should be 2 of your biggest concerns. The center of gravity should be in front of the rear wheels, and not sure that will happen. The Keystone and Grandby models were designed for 3/4 or 1 ton trucks with long beds.

 

[mhskog]

I've got the 6.5 bed on the supercab, running E load tires, no lift and not against going to airbags if I need to. I'm going to mitigate some weight by removing the water storage, fridge stove top. Probably going to run a single deep cycle battery mounted forward, water storage will be smaller 5 gal containers again mounted in the front of the rig. I've got a 1660 load capacity so I think I should be in the ok zone but won't know till I run it around a bit. I wouldn't be the first guy to have to upgrade to at 3/4 or 1 ton.

 

[Old Crow]

Welcome, Matt!

Looking forward to your build and your photos.

Here's a photo of an early 80's FWC brochure showing the lineup at the time....

(click to enlarge)



Also- Stan posted this "How to find your camper serial number" post back in 2007. (Not sure the practice of writing an S/N on the frame would have gone back to the early 80s but it's worth a look if you don't have a plate)

Good luck with your project!

 

[wuck]

Welcome to WTW Matt!

My serial label was long gone (4th owner), but I had all original paperwork. On a trip to FWC to pick up some parts, they typed up (using an actual type-writer!!) a new serial tag for me with all the original info on it. I didn't stick it to the camper, instead deciding to keep it in a folder with the original receipts.

I did find the serial number at the left front corner as Stan wrote in the posting referenced above.
Don't dwell on half the bedboard missing . . .

One number was scribbled over (oops!) but it did match the number Stan came up with at the factory.
I guess "HX" means Hawk, eXtended cabover"

 

[mhskog]

So went out and snapped some pics, I'm going to guess that the diamond plate is covering where any tag ever was. I'm in Idaho and they didn't register these things till 2009 so once I get it able to load on the truck I'll get it inspected and see what they say about paperwork, all I got on it is a bill of sale.

 

[mhskog]

 

[BBZ]

nice.. have fun.. I am close to finishing a 80 Granby re hab.. took it down to the frame, new floor pack and all..

All of it is very easy to do with proper tools, hardest thing was creating the new lifters and canvas (in progress)..

I decided to go all new siding as well as it wasn't that expensive and the old stuff was pretty bad...

Like you, I am keeping it light, no water tank, no furnace and no fridge..

Cant wait to be done, hoping to get it wrapped up next weekend.

 

[kmcintyre]

I did something like this a while ago and I'd suggest that you take a lot of photos that way you'll know where all the supports, etc. are located if you ever have to find them. I'd add wiring for usb charging, etc. and upgrade all the wiring, etc.

 

[shellback]

Here's a thread on another site of a guy rebuilding a Keystone and narrowing it for a newer truck. http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/four-wheel-camper-rebuild.1053662/

 

[mhskog]

That thread is a major reason I'm going to tackle this project. Did a powow with the wife last night and setup the projects priorities since in her words "I don't want to fix this thing all summer and miss the camping season" So here is my breakdown.

Gut interior of camper down to the studs - This weekend

Narrow the foot to fit into the bed of the truck - Next two weeks

change top lifter to tube style and increase roof height about 4-6 inches - by end of June

rebuild interior / replace fabric top with new design, more windows on sides and smaller front and rear window - end of june

Upholstery

_______________________________

Interior will be going with no Fridge / we will do coolers / ARB we are rarely out for more than a long weekend.

interior most likely will do 1/4 sand able ply very light stain with a poly coating over it

change the top bed from that strange fold thing to pull out

replace cook-top with camping type removable stove

check current furnace to see if it's functional or can be fixed, it's the only appliance we are thinking of keeping. Gets chilly in the mountains around here even in the summer. I want to re plumb all the gas lines with modern lines and quick fittings. Thinking of going with at 10lb propane and possibly mounting it on the outside left rear ?

http://store.adventuretrailers.com/products/10-lb.-Propane-Cylinder-Bracket.html


Led lighting inside and out, all new wiring and control panel capable of running solar as well.

__________

I'm lucky in that the wife sews, I got her a sailrite machine couple of years ago and has been a great machine. So start the tear out tonight should be interesting to see how it goes.

 

[shellback]

Here's a link to my build thread from last year. http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/13966-1979-granby/ I had had 2 truck campers before doing the build, so I knew what I wanted, and what I didn't want.

 

[BBZ]

That thread is a major reason I'm going to tackle this project. Did a powow with the wife last night and setup the projects priorities since in her words "I don't want to fix this thing all summer and miss the camping season" So here is my breakdown.

Gut interior of camper down to the studs - This weekend

Narrow the foot to fit into the bed of the truck - Next two weeks

change top lifter to tube style and increase roof height about 4-6 inches - by end of June

rebuild interior / replace fabric top with new design, more windows on sides and smaller front and rear window - end of june

Upholstery

_______________________________

Interior will be going with no Fridge / we will do coolers / ARB we are rarely out for more than a long weekend.

interior most likely will do 1/4 sand able ply very light stain with a poly coating over it

change the top bed from that strange fold thing to pull out

replace cook-top with camping type removable stove

check current furnace to see if it's functional or can be fixed, it's the only appliance we are thinking of keeping. Gets chilly in the mountains around here even in the summer. I want to re plumb all the gas lines with modern lines and quick fittings. Thinking of going with at 10lb propane and possibly mounting it on the outside left rear ?

http://store.adventuretrailers.com/products/10-lb.-Propane-Cylinder-Bracket.html


Led lighting inside and out, all new wiring and control panel capable of running solar as well.

__________

I'm lucky in that the wife sews, I got her a sailrite machine couple of years ago and has been a great machine. So start the tear out tonight should be interesting to see how it goes.

Nice.. plan sounds do-able... depending on your life outside of the camper.

Floor pack was very easy in my opinion.. lifters were are royal pain to get right..

My wife has 3 industrial machines for sewing for her business and is highly proficient, but.. canvas is taking a lot more time than anticipated and she had to scrap one panel because of some bunching.. take your time..

We basically have the same type of build, no amenities. We use a Gas Buddy propane heater for cold nights and its great

You might find during tear out that you might want to fix some aluminum..my project below

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/16057-picked-up-a-project-90s-granby/

 

[mhskog]

might check out this guys videos if you haven't already pretty good break down of the process, I think we are going to do what he's done and raise the top 4" in or so and put window vents into the front and rear as well.

 

[mhskog]

So tore it down today, it's a pretty sorry sight, the floor is at least three different patch jobs, I'm thinking I'm going to have to rebuild most of the bottom if I'm going to be happy with it.

I did notice they only welded one side of the frame, I thought this was kinda well not what I was expecting. So this is going to be pretty much a down to the frame deal. Well should be fun getting there.

 

[wuck]

I did notice they only welded one side of the frame, I thought this was kinda well not what I was expecting. So this is going to be pretty much a down to the frame deal. Well should be fun getting there.

Resist the urge to weld all sides of a joint, a one-sided weld is part of what gives our campers the flexibility they are known for. Welding every seam makes stuff break! That said, you'll probably find a crack or two, usually above the door.

Looks like the fun is starting

 

[BBZ]

oh man.. that brings back memories.. I got mine home in March and once I started tearing it apart I also realized it was going to be a full teardown and rebuild.. honestly, its been fun and thankfully I have had the time to do it. Enjoy the process and make it what you want.. thats the best part. good luck.

 

[kmcintyre]

How do you put front and back windows in with the panels there? Good luck. I would suggest that your timeline looks great but everyting always takes longer than you think. You are in to it now so I'm sure you'll make it work! I would add an additional fan/vent up front over the bed too (at least the wiring).

 

[mhskog]

Going to go with the Conduit lift system, that should give enough space for windows front and rear. Any feed back as to why not go that way instead of rebuilding the existing panels?