'74 RoadRunner New Member

Thank you for the kind words and warm welcome. Would you mind if I ask a couple of questions?
Is the reason somebody does a full frame off restoration to keep the vin of the trailer? And to keep it vintage?
What is the downside of having no template? Is it because you’ll lose the retro/vintage restoration?
Do the majority of people reuse the skins?

Thanks!!!!!

Update!

The first roadrunner trailer I purchased last week was already gutted. It didnt have anything but the kitchen sink. Due to the extensive mold/rot, I tore it down to the frame and being naive did not keep the skin.

Today, a seller on another Roadrunner I had contacted earlier called me back with and sent pictures of the inside. Long story short... I now have 2 trailers. This one is in MUCH better condition... although it will still require a lot of work. Now, rather than a playhouse I hope to fully restore it.

here are pics.

Aha! Now we know where the legendary kitchen sink” wound up.

To answer your first question:  We here at VTT NEVER mind when someone asks a question.  There are probably several reasons that people do frame-off projects.  We did our ham-style Shasta Compact to return it from, a rotted, broken mess when we bought it, to a better and more useable version of what it was when it was new.  We raised the front of the roof several inches to accommodate my hubby’s tallness, turned the large closet into a potty/shower room and shortened the benches to make a full size bed and add a closet on one side and a two drawer chest closet or the other.  The best part, aside from the trailer fitting our camping style perfectly, is that unless you know how it was originally set up, there’s no way to tell that it didn’t come off the production line that way.  

Some people do frame offs offs just to make sure all the rot is taken care of and the trailer is safe.  They may or may not choose to keep the “vintage” look. It’s a personal decision.  If there are too many changes (especially with the ham style ones), the resale value will be affected negatively, but resale isn’t important to a lot of folks who just want to camp.  Some folks have given their toaster style campers a more 50s flair by using birch paneling rather than the faux wood or veneers that later campers used (and they have turned out beautifully).  Some paint the entire inside to give a “lighter” feel. 

All of this is OK.  

Not having a template just means a lot more planning if you want to keep the trailer as original as possible.

Yes, most people probably re-use the skins.  They tend to be the most expensive part and most of us, especially if we do a lot of off-piste camping, don’t mind a few dings.  They give the camper character.  That being said, Hamlet’s skins weren’t salvageable, although we tried.  New skins, ten years ago, came to around $1800 and because we didn’t have the facilities to paint (nor the skill to give new skins the justice they deserved), we wound up spending another thousand or so on a paint job.  A lot of money, but after ten years, dozens and dozens of trips and thousands of miles, we don’t miss the money at all.

I apologize for my ridiculously long answers to your brief questions. Sometimes I wish my life was black and white rather than all shades of gray.