The New Camper

So, here it is.  Our new (to us) 1978 Bethany Citation 88 Pop-Up.  My wife has MS and a bad back, and I have a messed up disc as well, so camping on the ground has become tough.  We decided to get an RV.  We toyed with the idea of buying a new pop-up, but I didn't want to finance one.  Then we decided we wanted a hybrid, but they are much more expensive and I don't want to finance.  Eventually we decided to get an old camper that maybe needed some TLC.  This is the first time I've ever owned or been involved with RVs in any way, so I knew nothing about what I was getting into. A little internet research and some ad searching led us to the Bethany.


I stopped out to look at the camper and decided it would be best to talk to my wife before I committed to purchasing it.  Apparently they were using the camper, but the canvas was shot, as was the roof.  There was RTV gobbed on every seam on the roof.  Everything else was 70's ugly, but in good shape.  While talking with the wife I did some research on Bethany campers.  It turns out they have an interesting history.  They began in 1945, as a business venture to fund Bethany International, a Christian ministry.  Bethany continued to make campers until 1978 when they were sold to another company.  More can be found about Bethany's history here.  I also found out they were very well built and worth restoring.  Given my affinity for old and/or odd items, I knew I had to have it.  We bought it for what I believe was a fair price and I towed it home.

I decided to start this blog to mostly document for myself how the project goes, and also for others who may find it interesting.  I also hope it will help anyone else attempting a similar project.  I know the information I find in various forums and websites will be invaluable, so in return for all of that help I hope to add something of value for someone else in the future.