Camper Rehab: A Guide to Buying, Repairing, and Upgrading Your Travel Trailer

Create your dream getaway on wheels with this all-encompassing companion to choosing and restoring all types of classic camper trailers.

From Airstreams and Apaches to Shastas and Winnebagos, vintage campers have an undeniable appeal! But how do you know which one will work for you? Or if the one you have your eye on is a good deal or a money pit? Before you get too far down the road, picturing it bouncing along behind the family car, arm yourself with Camper Rehab, the comprehensive guide to all things camper.

Campers are not quite homes or cars. They have their own unique systems and demands that make fixing and upgrading a challenge. Even if you are fluent in DIY, campers might seem like a foreign language. Consider Camper Rehab your Rosetta Stone:

• Explore camper options: Whether you're considering a fifth-wheel, teardrop, pop-up, or other style of camper trailer, this book runs through all the popular choices.
• Buying guide: Camper Rehab walks you through the process of evaluating a potential purchase, identifying which issues are fixable and which are deal-breakers, as well as how to spot hidden problems.
• How-to tutorials: From basic troubleshooting to electrical and plumbing projects, replacing interior surfaces, and clever decorating ideas, there's no shortage of how-to information.
• Special considerations: How do you work with painted aluminum siding? What's the best way to re-caulk camper seals and seams? How can you re-align a camper door? Even those handy with automotive DIY are sure to learn a thing or two!
• Visually driven: You'll find detailed illustrations as well as extensive color photography to help you get your travel trailer into shape for your next big--or little--adventure.

Chris Peterson is a veteran home improvement and design author. Among the many books he has written are 5-Gallon Bucket Book, Building with Secondhand Stuff, Manskills, four books in the Ideas You Can Use series, and many books in Cool Springs Press's BLACK+DECKER Complete Guide series. He has also co-authored numerous home design books with noted media celebrities. He lives in Ashland, Oregon.