Vestibule pole receivers sounds fancier than “a piece of pipe bolted to the side of the teardrop.” But that’s essentially what they are. In my quest to avoid putting holes in the skin of the teardrop, I chose to mount the pieces of pipe that hold the vertical poles of the privacy vestibule on boards that in turn are mounted with holes drilled through the frame of the trailer.
Here’s the vestibule frame in place.
Vestibule Frame
The frame is made of 1/2″ electrical conduit and conduit fittings. I copied the design from Gordon Burwell and have been using it for a couple of years with a white poly tarp as a covering.
I made the first boards from some 1/2″ plywood I had laying around. Two years later, the plywood had de-laminated and completely fallen apart. The only thing holding the plies together was the bolts through them. I decided that the boards really must be replaced before this summer’s long trip, and that the boards should be made of hardwood for strength and painted for appearance.
The new boards are made of 3/4″ red oak, and are primed and painted with a brown gloss enamel that sorta matches the color of the teardrop.
The first boards were cobbled together out of available materials because I didn’t know how sturdy and usable the whole electrical conduit frame was going to be. It turned out to work very well and with the straps I made to hold the top against the body of the trailer, is very sturdy. Mounting a pair of receivers at the top of the trailer would have made the whole thing easier and more elegant but I am still reluctant to make any additional holes in the skin. It hasn’t leaked in 65+ years, and I don’t want it to start now.
The boards are made, holes drilled, and a coat of primer applied. I’m off to the hardware store for some suitable hardware to accommodate the change in thickness. And a quick stop at Joann Fabrics to see if they have some suitable awning fabric for the drape.
Success on all fronts! The receiver blocks are finished, painted, and mounted to the trailer. The new ones are much sturdier than the old, and it looks like the straps over the top of the trailer won’t be needed anymore.
Here’s the forward Vestibule Post Receiver with the vertical post in place.
Vestibule post receiver
Now that the vestibule frame is fixed, I need to make new drapes. More on that in the next article.