Hello all, I am new to slide-in campers, and new to a Barth slide in. I ask myself.... "What have I done!" Last fall I saw an unknown to me aluminum camper on Craigslist. I emailed with a few questions, but was never able to set up a time to see it...and then the snow came. I maintained a feeble attempt at contact, and just this week got an email from the owner. I went over today and looked it over. It is in "Needs restoration" condition. Sadly, there was an old puncture to the roof that was patched with tin years ago. the patch corroded away, and as the camper sat for years outside, water was getting in. the mice must have had a hard time dealing with the humidity.

It seems to have all the original appliances except the toilet which was removed years ago.

I found the spot where the ID tag USED to be. It is gone, but I can see faint images such as BARTH and Date of Production... Unfortunately, there is no ghost image of any of the numbers. Were these campers stamped anywhere else inside?

There is a tag near the back door that references appliances conforming to 1968 standards.

The wood floor of the camper near the door is rotted. Inside the bathroom, the ceiling is rotted and sagging.

All the windows seem ok. Something about this camper just made me want to rescue it. I have a 1988 Chevy one ton crew cab 4x4 with 6.2 Diesel. Would this camper be suitable for my truck to haul without making it work too hard? I like to cruise at 60 to 65mph.

I will try to attach some pictures of the camper (Which I actually got from this site, oddly enough it was pictured here some time back.

My thoughts on it so far are that I don't need a stove or bathroom or heat, and would be using it to attend antique motorcycle meets and Crosley meets. I am thinking that if I removed the bathroom, and the closet/heater area, I could extend the lower bench/sleeping area so my 6'3" self could sleep on the lower section. Is this sacrilege? H.

Pictures of my new Barth.

Welcome to our site.

Do you happen to have a VIN# for the camper shell?

here are a few more images of this camper that was hanging out on the upload site.

Shells are like trailers - no VIN just a Bill of Sale. They are not vehicles subject to title laws. It may have a serial number somewhere.

The only tag I found was actually the place where the tag USED to be. It was on the left side of the camper outside.... in front of and slightly below the side window of the upper sleeping area. I can see ghost images of enough of the text to tell that the tag listed the manufacturer, the ID number, date of manufacture, and possibly weight? Is there any other place these guys were ID numbered inside during build?

How much does this fellow weigh? Thanks. Hal

quote:

Originally posted by BHal:
Is there any other place these guys were ID numbered inside during build?

Hal, look for a number written on the bottom of any cabinet drawer or frame. The cabinet builder labeled the cabinets for what unit they were to go in.

Nick

It should be here...

If I remember correctly, mine has the door opening in the other direction. (It is late....) There is no tag in the location shown in the sample, and no holes indicating a former tag. Here is a picture of where my tag used to be. Hal

Congratulations on your purchase! if there is anything that you need, let us know and we'll try to help you out. I've got some, not all, of the manuals for several of the older appliances. Good luck and keep us updated on your progress Hal.

Thanks for the moral support! I will need it! I have been pining over an Avion slide-in sitting in a guy's back yard for some time. I have come to the realization that he will never part with it. Then I found this one. I like it. Fortunately, the aluminum seems to be decent..... I am no sheet metal worker. However, the wood inside..... ouch. But, I am a shop teacher, so it is within my capability. It all comes down to time... I guess the procedure is to document it as found with photos and sketches and notes, and then careful removal of the interior. Will it hold its shape with the interior removed? What is a good material for the floor? Should I use rigid foam insulation, or fiberglass? So many questions! Hal

quote:

I am a shop teacher

shop classes can become very interesting, too bad the term is almost over

If you find yourself short of power with the 6.2, add a turbo. That will help performance and allow you to go up really big hills our west.

quote:

I have a 1988 Chevy one ton crew cab 4x4 with 6.2 Diesel. Would this camper be suitable for my truck to haul without making it work too hard? I like to cruise at 60 to 65mph.

I highly recommend The Diesel Page, dedicated (mostly) to the GM 6.2L, 6.5L, and 6.5L TD.

Well, my friend helped me recover the Barth from the owner's back yard, where it has sunk in for many years. We got it home safely. It took a lot of blocking, jacking, etc. My wife made some seriously strongly worded comments, such as "It's ugly, it looks like something out of Deliverance.....get rid of it!"

I will use all my charms........I'll try hard......but it may have to go..... Anyway, here are some pictures. Maybe if I get it behind the barn, it will be "out of sight, out of mind". Sure. Hal

That looks better than I expected from the pics of it on the ground. You should be able to clean those cabinets up pretty well. Ours looked really rough when we first brought the trailer home. Sherrie stripped them with Jasco and refinished them and they look good now.