In April, 2025, I got a chance to bring the Pathfinder out of hibernation.
I was excited to get it home and play house! There was a good chance it sustained water damage over the winter and early spring months due to melting snow and spring rains. Most vintage campers leak at some point. I was anxious to take a look.
The Pathfinder already had damage from its past life. There was clear evidence of that - a couple of foam-patched vent openings in the ceiling, wrinkled wood resembling the puckered skin one gets from staying in the bathtub too long, and one little soft spot right below the bottom, left corner of a window. All of these areas were dry. I was just hoping there wasn’t anything new!
Well, I brought the Pathfinder home and parked it in front of the house. It looked good from the outside - like a little ray of sunshine!
All winter, I dreamed of what I was going to do with the Pathfinder once I got it home again - fix the screen door, hang curtains, put new flooring down, extend the bed platform, and basically get it camping ready! And then I’d dream about future adventures and flyfishing outings.
During the winter months, I spent time making curtains for each of the seven windows with reclaimed fabric I picked up at the local thrift store. When I hung them up, I was excited to see that they looked just as I imagined.
The first fix-it job I tackled was fixing the screen door. The bottom panel of the screen was torn and coming apart from the frame, with several layers of duct tape serving as a makeshift fix. I removed all the duct tape and sticky gum residue, and then cut a new piece of screen. I then used screen door spline and a spline tool to install the new screen piece. What a nice transformation!
Next, I put down carpet tiles. I purchased 2’ x 2’ assorted carpet tiles from a big box DIY store. I cut them down to 12” x 12” and began to lay them atop the existing linoleum, patchwork quilt-style. I chose carpet tiles because they are easy to install and easy to repair or replace in the event of spills and stains.
The '59 was previously fitted with a full-size bed platform. I wanted to extend it to a queen.
I planned out the extension frame, then purchased the necessary wood and screws. Then I built it! And it fit.
Next, I unrolled two yoga mats on the platform and then added our Fuli futon mattress right on top.
A quilt and pillows finished it off. Snug as a bug!
I had to try it out! I reserved a campsite in a county park nearby, loaded my dog, Angus, into the truck, and drove over to the park. We just hung out for the day. It was a great learning experience with plenty of practice hitching, backing up, and towing.
As I was sitting in the camper, I started poking around, investigating some of the old damage. The ceiling was high and dry, as were the wood panels around the back window. But then I looked closer at the dark spot by the small window above the countertop. I poked it. It felt soft. I poked it some more...and my finger went through the plywood. Uh-oh, that’s not good!
Some folks would have just left it alone and waited until a professional could take a look.
I started rootin’ around and uncovered...you guessed it...rot from water damage. This rot and the leak that caused it were going to have to be addressed by someone with significantly more knowledge and experience.I dug out all the soft, damaged wood and cleaned it up.
Aside from that, there wasn’t much else I could do.
I returned home and decided to conduct further research. I watched even more YouTube videos of people who have done renovations, and then I turned to a couple of social media groups I follow. Most of the folks in these vintage camper groups are genuinely helpful and knowledgeable.
I asked a few questions and got some beneficial information. Best of all, I made contact with someone with extensive experience in skin-off renovations of vintage campers. Thankfully, he is within a couple of hours away. We met up so he could take a look at the Pathfinder and assess the visible damage. We had a consultation, and my husband and I just returned from a follow-up trip to his shop. We now have plans to deliver the '59 for renovation!
Although we wish we could have camped in the Pathfinder at least a few times this summer, we feel fortunate to have found someone who can give it the knowledgeable attention it needs to be leak-proof and structurally sound. We look forward to documenting the Pathfinder's rebuild adventure. In the meantime, I’ll pack away the curtains, bedding, and camper comforts until our little yellow toaster on wheels is returned. Stay tuned!
All photos by Paulette Rodriguez
