“A Happy Place II” - A Classic, 1984 Sunline T1750, 17ft Travel Trailer Camper

[bdichristina]

We found this classic as a diamond-in-the-rough. She had been sitting in the original owner’s backyard under a tree for about 12 years. Surprisingly, there were no leaks, no water damage and she didn't smell! We brought her home and the rebuilding process began. We had only six weeks to get her ready to camp as we already had a trip planned. Needless to say; we didn't do much else than eat, sleep and work on the trailer for a month and a half. Though the results speak for themselves, the aggressive schedule is nothing we would want to do again any time soon.





Chassis - With safety in mine, we started with the chassis. The wheels were from and Aries K-Car and the passenger car tires were mismatched and rotted. Two leaf springs were broken and all were loose and sloppy on the hanger. The umbilical had been repaired and taped in several places. The cracked, battery box sat on rotted plywood. The propane tank bracket had come apart at the tray. The frame was in great shape, but had surface rust.











- New leaf springs & bushings
- New equalizer hanger, shackles and bolts
- New brake pads on the electric brakes
- New brake-away switch
- Repacked the hubs
- New umbilical and plug to the tow vehicle
- New battery box
- Rebuilt the propane tank mount
- New propane tank cover
- Wire brushed, primed and painted the chassis rails & A-frame
- Painted the stairs
- New mag wheels & center caps
- New tires (one size up from spec)











Roof - I wanted to make sure the aluminium roof was sealed tight before working on the inside. The original owner was very good about roof maintenance, but there were years of dry, cracked sealant and the vents were quite brittle.







- Stripped all the old sealant and hardware off the roof and resealed the seams
- Removed, stripped and painted the gutter strips on each side
- Primed the surface with a fish oil based primer followed by several gloss-white top coats
- Installed new vents and hardware









Outside - The sandy tan color from years past was faded, filthy and anodized. The stripes were cracked and peeling. Most all the lights were broken and the sealant was dry and around the hardware.









- All the old hardware was removed including the lights and the corner moldings
- The old peeling stripes were removed (except the “Sunline” logos)
- The body was scrubbed, sanded smooth and painted bright gloss-white
- New stripes were painted (not stickers)
- The corner moldings were stripped and painted and re-installed with new screws and sealant tape
- The hardware was all replaced or painted and re-installed with new screws and sealant














Windows & Doors - All the windows work perfectly and all the glass and screens are intact. We found no leaks at all on any of the windows including the emergency exit, so we left the factory seals undisturbed. We replaced a few missing or broken handles and hung new curtain rods. The door was a different story. Thought the hardware was in good working order, the bottom of the door itself had rotted terribly due to a leak in the window seal. The rock shield as well was in poor condition and was coming apart.








- The door was removed from the trailer and the hardware and window was removed
- Replaced any and all rotted wood in the frame
- Sanded, primed and painted the door skin
- Installed and sealed the window and hardware
- New door catch and awning wheel
- Replaced the screen door slide and latch
- The rock shield was disassembled and the skin was sanded and painted
- Reassembled rock shield with new beading, fasteners and the name of the trailer












Hot & Cold Running Water - All the water lines has split with age. Rather than repair each line, we decided to replace all the lines and connectors.







- New city water hook-up
- New hot and cold water lines and connectors throughout
- New kitchen faucet, drains and trap
- Replaced the old gas water heater with a gas/electric/DSI heater from a much newer camper







Lighting and Electric - I went over all the electric lines before plugging her into shore power. The 110v wiring was intact, but the outlets were old and warn. The 12v wiring was also in great shape, but wires seemed to be strung haphazardly (from the factory). The 12v converter checked check out as well including the battery charge function, though I found some of the connections to be quite tarnished. All the lights had cracked or broken domes and some had bulbs missing.









- Ran a new 110v line on it’s own circuit from the breaker box to the new water heater
- Replaced all the inside 110v outlets with new GFI receptacles
- Installed a new weatherproof box on the outside with a new GFI receptacle
- Rewired the shore line into the breaker box and cleaned all the connections
- Cleaned all the connections to the 12v converter
- Wire tied and strung the 12v wiring up and out of the way
- Rewired the new tow umbilical to the 12v fuse bank and replaced all the old fuses
- Removed, cleaned and painted all the light fixtures and installed new dome covers
- Replaced all the interior incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs













Appliances - The original refrigerator was missing. The stove was dirty, stained and rusted, but the oven was clean and unused. The range hood fan was working but not moving any air. There was no air conditioner.




- A large, 110v dorm refrigerator/freezer was installed
- The stove/oven was removed, cleaned, stripped to bare metal and painted with high-temp paint
- The range hood filter was replaced and now moves air perfectly
- A room-size air conditioner was mounted on a custom made, cantilever insert for the rear window
- Installed a smoke/fire alarm












Curtains and Cushions - The curtains were made out of what looked like bed sheets. The seat cushions as well appeared to be covered with bed sheets. However the cushions themselves had been covered in plastic before the sheet-covers were applied, so the foam was in perfect condition.








- New custom made curtains with tie-backs
- New custom made seat covers with color coordinated piping
- Matching custom made seat pillows
- Matching custom made upholstered shelf over the door with a head bump cushion
- Matching upholstered air conditioner window insert










Interior Walls and Ceiling - The paneled walls (without groves) had been painted years earlier, but was in dire need of a fresh coat of paint. The vinyl panel ceiling had an accumulation of years dirt, but was intact and free from rips and tears. The very front, curved panel had de-laminated and had damage from what looked like something banging into it often.




- Several fresh coats of a high quality, semi-gloss paint was used on the interior walls in a neutral color
- The ceiling was cleaned to a sparkling white
- Replaced the damaged, front ceiling panel and painted it to match.











Cabinets, Drawers and Doors - All the cabinets, drawers and doors were in real good condition, though the hardware was quite worn and a few handles were broken.

- New cabinet handles were installed
- New cabinet stays were installed
- Non-slip liner was installed in all the cabinets and drawers

We scrubbed this beauty clean and have maintained her as such ever since. She tows beautifully and is a perfect for a mid-size SUV or pickup. We had a ball camping this little sweetheart for two summers before starting a new project unit (another Sunline). Unfortunately, the time has come to let her go. It is going to be difficult, but she needs to be paired with some who can enjoy what she has to offer.

Quite a transformation don’t you think?




Some of the fun we've had:

[Tweety]

WOW!!! What an amazing restoring job you've done! Thanks for posting all the pics

[Sunline Fan]

That is quite the transformation! You definitely addressed all the problem areas thoroughly.

So, are the K-car hubcaps included??

[dtstanton]

Beautiful job!

[Poppy & Nana]

You should see what they have done to the second Sunline!!!!!

Whoever decides to purchase any of Bob & Kathy's "re-do's" will be getting a Sunline that will last them a good long time!

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by Poppy & Nana

You should see what they have done to the second Sunline!!!!!

Well, it's a '97, so I'm all eyes.

[happytocamp]

Yes- pictures of the new re-model would be greatl!

[bdichristina]

We are at the Nick's Lake "Meet-N-Greet" with the '97 (A Happy Place III). If anyone wants a look, we are on site C45. I'll do a write up on what's been done to this one when we get home. As well, we'll be listing "A Happy Place II" for sale (a little tear here), so we can make room for the next project. Hint; the next one is 38 feet long.

[happytocamp]

Looking forward to it!Enjoy the weekend!

[OhhWell]

That is the way to do a restoration. Man, it sure is refreshing to see a window air conditioner added in a removable panel instead of the usual cutting a hole in the camper or taking a window out.

Hopefully you will find a buyer that appreciates work well done. I may not have seen it but how much are you asking?

[JohnB]

Bob and Kathy,

WOW!!! Outstanding work! I have seen bits and pieces of this project but never the whole thing. You are both every handy and good at fixing, well most anything...

Thanks for sharing and looking forward to seeing previews of the Happy Place III! I missed seeing the first stages of your handy work inside 2 years ago at the M & G in Western NY.

H'mm, Did we miss the Happy Place I redo?

John

[noralee]

wow! great details, so helpful to see what you've done. thank you.
how did you get your stovetop looking so nice? was the alum top/repaint done by a company?
i redid the burner grates with a high heat paint, black glossy and it's making marks all over the top of the stove, also repainted. the top originally looked how yours did originally. nice work

[marcom13]

Hello,
Well I'm probably the newest member and I have availed myseld of info and have plans for my 1989 T-1700 but after seeing the incredible job you have done, I believe I need to reset my goals from comfortable to fantastic. I never would have believed all that you have done, could be done. Amazing work, thank you for sharing all this!
Emmett & Kathleen

[Sue Ellen]

Hi There, is your camper that you described still for sale? Thanks, Sue

[bdichristina]

Hi Sue Ellen. Sorry but this little beauty has been sold. She went to her new home last weekend. We will be posting our 1997 Sunline T-2553 for sale though.
The 2553 has a rebuilt new roof with new vent covers and antenna. Bedroom has been re-built from the floor up with all new walls, new lighting, extra outlets and custom cabinets. All the valances have been recovered to match the new curtains. The bathroom has a new shower door, new toilet seat, new faucets and shower head. All the original upholstery in the kitchen and living room area has been removed, cleaned, and re-installed. New curtains have been made for this area as well. The appliances all work throughout the unit. New tires and rims, new gas/electric hot water tank have been installed. There are many little improvements that have been done to this camper. If your interested, please contact us for more details.

[apackoftwo]

This is incredibly fabulous! BRAVO!!

[Carignan]

Do you know what your camper weighs? We have just bought the same one and can't find the weight

[Steve Collins]

Originally Posted by Carignan

Do you know what your camper weighs? We have just bought the same one and can't find the weight

In the files area there are brochures and specs for most every model year of Sunline. Find the one for your year, and the specs, including dry weight, will be in there.

We spent a lot of time and effort years ago accumulating this information so that it would be readily available whenever anyone needs it. It's all right there waiting for you to read it.

[bdichristina]

According to the information I had when I owned this one: the axle weight (empty) is 2050, the tongue weight was 265 and the GAWR (maximum loaded) was 4200. Hope this helps.

[Randy1974]

What did you use to reseal the seams on the roof? What brand was the primer and paint that you used on the roof?

Thanks Randy