The 68 Frolic

 One of the upgrades I'm making on the camper is installing a refrigerator in the space where there used to be an icebox. The little (1.7 cubic foot) refrigerator is a 3-way unit. As strange as it seems, the interior of the little box is cooled by means of heat. Here is an article that briefly explains the process,  https://www.rvrepairclub.com/article/how-absorption-refrigeration-works/# , though it still seems pretty mysterious to me. The heat source is a propane flame, or a 110 or 12-volt current (thus 3-way). What is clear is that getting the heat away from the unit as efficiently as possible is important. A lower and upper vent utilizes convection to cause the hot air to flow out the upper vent and draw cooler air into the lower. These vents have to be properly aligned with the unit, so this is another time when interior decisions have to be made before exterior work can be completed. The little frig actually requires less cabinet space than the icebox it replaces, so I w...

 Here are some pictures of the new dining area. The seats just have a coat of primer on them and the table is just a prototype. I plan to make the real table out of butcher block. Kathy may put some cushions on the seats. The other pics show some progress on the outside.

 I've told you about the "before you can do that, you have to do something else" nature of this project. It can be frustrating, but, on the other hand, when you see different elements of the project come together, it's quite satisfying. I'm dealing with two things on this project that have been recently controlling what gets done and in what order they get done. These vintage campers are built from the inside out. So when rebuilding one you can't just finish the exterior and then proceed to work on the interior protected from the weather. We are modifying this camper to make it the way we want it. Purists would say I'm ruining the little trailer, spoiling its "vintageness." To which I reply. "No, sitting in a backyard in Mt. Nebo WV was ruining it. I may not be restoring it to the standard of an aficionado of vintage trailers, but I am making it into something that my wife and I will enjoy (though Kathy is still not completely sure). If ther...