Polishing

First pass on polishing...

The white stripe does not appear original, as a light green hue has appeared under it.

View as of last week before the polishing started...

Black rims, whitewall tires, chrome lugs and trim rings to match the '48 Chevy

At the car show in the above pic, the camper had tons more attention than the pick-up!

New blog...

Well, after running a blog for well over a year on my 1948 Chevy truck, I decided to start one on one of my others favs...my 1957 Metzendorf camper. I have been building and restoring small campers for many years, which is actually why I bought and rebuilt the '48 truck, so I can tow my vintage campers. I came across this Metzendorf camper last year, and knew I just had to have it. Metzendorfs were made in West Farmington Ohio, from about 1957 to 1969, by two different companies. Martin Metzendorf made them until 1966 or so, when, while delivering one in person, which he and his wife did, a tragic auto accident cost his wife the use of an arm, after which he sold the company and the new owners continued to make them for a couple more years. All of the known to exist models, and very little paper data show a 10 ft long body in a couple of styles, aluminum exterior, Amish-built birch cabinets, propane appliances, 110 vt lighting, and on-board water. However, this 1957 is only a 8 ft long body, and no other model has been found to exist in this size. Most of the original documents were lost thru time, and the total number of units sold remains a mystery. So, we are left to assume that this unit must have been either a prototype, or maybe just the first design which was found to be a little too short for sleeping comfort.

As purchased

Not much been changed as of yet. Plans call for complete polishing of the exterior, which has been started, and restoring the birch cabinetry. Flooring is not original, should be Marmoleum, rear bumper has been added, and the tongue modified to allow a higher hitch mounting. The bed is extremely narrow, 46" at it's widest, and had removable extension panels that stowed left of the door opening. It also used stowable table sections that could be set-up to eat off of. Interior width is 75", height is 66" while standing in the drop floor, and the total length is 126". The camper is heavy, with all the cabinets and propane appliances, for it's size...scales at just under 1300#!