Trinity Camper Build Thread - Serenity

[bluestripe]

In May, we rented an orange, 1972 camper named Lola in Scotland for our honeymoon. We had so much fun that we decided we needed one of our own.

We've named her Serenity, because we are both big Firefly fans and because that's what camping is all about for us. We found her on Craigslist down in Gilbert, AZ, and she's always been a Southwestern bus. Originally bought in Mesa, AZ in the spring of 1973, her original owner evidently immediately drove her out to Ojai, CA, where Trinity Campers turned a 7 passenger "station wagon" into a camper by adding a Sportsmobile penthouse, awning and curtains, plus probably other modifications now lost.

We've got fragments of service records from California, Arizona and New Mexico over the years, which probably accounts for her good bones. Only surface rust in the expected places.

According to the PO, she ran earlier this year, but nothing works now. We'll use this thread to document her restoration.

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Eric & Sukey
1973 Trinity Camper

[Tcash]

You can decode your M-plate.
M-Plate Location

[ajplmama]

Very cool! We're in the early stages of a restoration too and I look forward to watching your progress.
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Alicia

1978 pastel white bay, westy camper being restored
1975 ugly green bay, westy camper for parts
1974 red bay window unknown interior fate TBD

[Gonzo1970]

Good luck on your journey! I'm about mid-way thru mine!

-Gonz
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Sometimes the lights all shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it's been

[bluestripe]

The PO delivered Serenity to us, because, among other things, her tires were shot. So our first order of business was to get her back on her feet. We took all four tires off, sanded off the rust and primed the wheels. We'll paint them later, to match her Pastel White topside. Four new tires and she was standing tall. Until the following week, when one of the new tires went flat! But that was an easy fix for our local tire shop.

It's a long drive from Gilbert to Prescott, most of it uphill.

Fresh new tires on refreshed wheels
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Eric & Sukey
1973 Trinity Camper

[alman72]

great looking ride! I may be partial to your setup.

[bluestripe]

Dang, that's our bus! That's a Sportsmobile penthouse on yours as well. It doesn't have a Trinity campus sticker on it anywhere, does it?
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Eric & Sukey
1973 Trinity Camper

[richparker]

The body and the canvas looks nice, I'm digging the patina. Everyone on the east coast hates you because they can't find rust free buses like that. Have fun and the best of luck to you with your build.
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[wcfvw69]

Nice bus and what a great, rust free foundation to build on. Lots of buses in the Prescott area as well.
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