nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 27, 2014 9:58:39 GMT -8
I have read here and elsewhere that body filler is always a bad idea. But judging from the photos many of you have posted, some of you are either using filler or replacing almost all the siding on your campers. Or everyone is finding near perfect campers to restore. So any thoughts? Does filler last only a few years? Are some fillers better than others? I would consider campers that have minor patches of filler if you've all had great results with it. But on cars I've had mixed results over time. Thanks in advance for your input. Example, not for sale, from online. Hard to believe no filler is used to get these results.
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Mar 27, 2014 10:09:10 GMT -8
I'm one of the ones who isn't afraid to use Bondo. For one thing, these trailers don't "rust", so the most common failing of Bondo in cars, the rust coming back around the Bondo, can't happen.
I moved my water tank filler and had to close the old hole, so I used an auto-parts-store aluminum screen patch and Bondoed it from both sides. Some folks will say it will crack or fall off due to vibration or thermal expansion of the aluminum. All I can say is that it hasn't happened on mine so far.
I probably wouldn't use it to fill little dings, though. Then I'd be afraid of it falling out because it only has adhesive attachment to depend upon (or I'd want to drill a hole in the dent for the Bondo to key into). But for holes where you can sandwich Bondo on both sides I wouldn't hesitate.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 27, 2014 12:20:49 GMT -8
Some folks will say it will crack or fall off due to vibration or thermal expansion of the aluminum. I wonder about that myself. But judging from the photos I'm seeing on this forum, people must be using filler on dings ands scratches. I wonder how that holds up over a bouncing road or when pounded by a 60 MPS wind?
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Mar 27, 2014 12:33:47 GMT -8
From being on this and the old forum for several years, I suspect that red one has new skin. I suspect virtually all of the trailers you see that look THAT good have new skin.
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txoil
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Post by txoil on Mar 27, 2014 13:22:06 GMT -8
It's all in how much $$$ you wish to spend. On our camper, the skins were in marvelous shape, but there are a few small imperfections in the 54 year old aluminum panels. I used no bondo, just prepped and painted. We spent the bulk of the money on our restoration on interior parts, wiring, formica, chrome plating, etc. Granted the show quality trailers are usually re-skinned.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 27, 2014 13:44:19 GMT -8
I haven't found anybody yet who has said..."I used bondo on dings and dents years ago and it's holding up great". But in fairness, admitting to it is like admitting to plastic surgery. Know what I mean?
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Mar 27, 2014 15:36:04 GMT -8
I'm thinking of getting The Bruce Jenner Laryngal Shave. Or another solar panel. Haven't decided yet.
My repairs go through the skin from both sides, they're not shallow dings with not much for the Bondo to hold onto. But they've been outside in direct south-facing sun for three years with no problems so far, from minus 10-ish to 100-ish. Haven't towed a lot, but certainly been through the temp changes.
I don't think any fault lies in the product itself, just in knowing when it's right or not. Bondo has its uses like everything else, and it's marvelously easy to use and versatile. That's all plastic body fillers, not just Bondo (no affiliation with any bondo-with-a-little-"b"-in-the-generic-sense-maker).
If I was gonna try to fill little hail-sized dings, I'd probably try JB Weld, or something else designed to really stick to aluminum.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 27, 2014 19:20:56 GMT -8
I'm thinking of getting The Bruce Jenner Laryngal Shave. Too funny! My problem is this...once a camper for sale is painted and the body work is done, I'll never know how it was done or if it will last. I've seen filler on a car start cracking after a few years. And that's much heavier gauge metal. About a year ago I bought a camper covered in 5 gallons of house paint. As I stripped it off, it came to me the risk I was taking. Who knows what was under that paint? I got away with it, but that was a cheap camper. Under a good paint job, on a high priced camper, taking that gamble could end badly. That's why I was wondering if anybody used filler and was really happy years later. I guess life is filled with gambles.
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Post by vikx on Mar 27, 2014 20:36:25 GMT -8
We use Bondo for dings and dents. So far, the trailers have held up but not sure how long. The worse was a large hole where I installed an outlet. Still a tiny crack above. It's been in the Calif sun and freezing temps and still holding after two years. Owner keeps a close eye on it.
Since new skin is so expensive, sometimes one has to fill a bit here and there. Mine are not "years" later, so not able to say much more.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 27, 2014 21:02:44 GMT -8
With new paint jobs currently running into the "thousands of dollars" for material and labor, why not just replace a bad panel for "a couple of hundred dollars"? Seems like a logical solution to the problem.
I'm even finding that you can install new skin "cheaper than painting", the original skin.
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Post by vikx on Mar 27, 2014 21:06:42 GMT -8
Agreed John. We are trying to paint our own. Such a huge learning curve but fun as well. I've got two needing all new skin, it's going to break the bank.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 28, 2014 4:50:13 GMT -8
On the east coast we have the added expense of shipping a new skin. I read it can double the cost. And I agree about the cost of a paint job is so high that filler has to be done sparingly. The question is, how much is too much.
Thanks for the input from those who have some experience with it. It sounds like a little here and a little there seems to be holding after a year but beyond that point is anybody's guess. I wonder about filler on such thin metal being pounded by wind, sun and freezing temps.
I spoke to somebody selling a camper that "has it in place". The warning bells went off when I heard it.
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Mar 28, 2014 5:48:08 GMT -8
I dunno if I could have found skin with the complex break pattern of my '76, but I know I couldn't afford it if I did.
Mine also has rigid foam insulation in contact with the skin pretty much everywhere. I bet that helps deaden vibration a lot.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 28, 2014 6:40:51 GMT -8
I dunno if I could have found skin with the complex break pattern of my '76, but I know I couldn't afford it if I did. Mine also has rigid foam insulation in contact with the skin pretty much everywhere. I bet that helps deaden vibration a lot. This video half way down the page has a place that makes the skin in CA. They do a lot of styles but shipping would be expensive, I'm sure. www.cannedhamtrailers.com/I also wonder at what point a vintage camper stops being a vintage camper? Replace the skin, most of the birch inside, maybe add a frig in place of the ice box, replace the formica, flooring, and put a microwave in place of the oven and is it still vintage?
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 28, 2014 8:16:47 GMT -8
When you "see a vintage trailer", you will "know it's a vintage trailer". I does not matter if you see it from the highway sitting neglected in a field, or driving down the road to a vintage trailer rally "with much of it replaced". If you repair/refurbish/rebuild/restore or what ever term you select, make sure your work is well done, and safe to tow because these rebuilt trailers are going to be used for another fifty years.
Without any doubt, it going to cost you many times what you paid for the trailer to bring it back to original condition. Car Guys already know this from their car restoration experience. IMO, the most important choice is choosing the correct trailer before you start dumping time and money into it. 1950's trailers are going to give you a much better return on investment. That's why they cost more to purchase, they are harder to find, and are in much higher demand (resale value) when you finally sell it.
And finally, there's nothing wrong with body filler. The trick is to know "when, where, and how" to use it.
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