maximus
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1958 Deville
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Post by maximus on Dec 11, 2015 13:33:18 GMT -8
Hello All! I am new around these part and I still haven't found my way around the forum just yet so forgive me if this has already been posted. The Right side of my 58 Deville is completely rotted... so much so that there is no part of the frame even touching the bottom of the wall... Driving it home was a stroke of luck. I have so Many questions before I get into this too deeply.
A- is there a tutorial to show me how to completely reframe the sides to match the curvature in the case that the wood inside is rotted and disintegrated ?
B- what would brand new aluminum siding cost for the entire deville? just to get an idea... I may be able to salvage some of it
C- If I have to redo the framing on one side... would it be better to just go ahead and do both sides?
D- If i have to redo one of the sides and fix rot in the front back and top, does it sound like I would be Better off doing a complete teardown?
Thanks ALOT!
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kirkadie
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Post by kirkadie on Dec 11, 2015 13:44:41 GMT -8
My answer would be D. It may seem daunting but in the end you will know your trailer is safe and strong. Usually rot has no favorite side so expect to find it lurking in a lot of places.
If I remember correctly someone here mentioned frame problems on Devilles so getting a good look at yours will be a plus.
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maximus
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Post by maximus on Dec 11, 2015 15:04:07 GMT -8
My answer would be D. It may seem daunting but in the end you will know your trailer is safe and strong. Usually rot has no favorite side so expect to find it lurking in a lot of places. If I remember correctly someone here mentioned frame problems on Devilles so getting a good look at yours will be a plus. thanks for the response kirkadie... I just did a walk around the Deville again today in better light, and it looks like Ill be doing some major work on it... :/ s1376.photobucket.com/user/maxl102/story |
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Dec 11, 2015 16:24:24 GMT -8
Take some time to check out the restoration videos at cannedhamtrailers.com. They were created by a member and have helped a lot of people. vikx (another member) wrote and sells an excellent book on restoring vintage campers.
My guess on the cost of skin is $1500-$2000.
If you ever want authentic amber birch walls and ceiling, a tear down may be your best option. If you want painted walls, it all depends on what's left after pulling down the material on the panels.
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kirkadie
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Post by kirkadie on Dec 11, 2015 19:05:35 GMT -8
Skin: looks totally reusable to me. Lots of posts here on cleaning it and repainting. Wonderful appliances!
Ya, so you have some rot, join the club. Everybody here has faced the same thing,and that has brought (bought) patience, new skills, pride, and a mysterious bonding with an object older than many of us and dearly familiar with the rest.
Think of this site as the canned ham humane society.
There are worse things to spend your retirement on, and nowhere nearly as fun.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Dec 11, 2015 19:26:17 GMT -8
I agree, rot comes with every vintage camper. Many of us think repairing them is even more fun than camping in them.
Just move slowly. No need to rush.
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maximus
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1958 Deville
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Post by maximus on Dec 14, 2015 10:06:28 GMT -8
Also, can anyone tell me the best wood to use for framing? I was thinking of redwood lumber but I've heard of some people using plywood or even scrap wood...
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Post by danrhodes on Dec 14, 2015 11:05:47 GMT -8
Also, can anyone tell me the best wood to use for framing? I was thinking of redwood lumber but I've heard of some people using plywood or even scrap wood... If you follow the advice of mobiltec, the framing is really just a spacer, a place to attach the inner plywood and outer walls, so it's not all that important what you use. I think most people just use cheap 1x "white wood", hemlock, pine or fir from a big box store. Once you get it stripped down, you'll see that the wood originally used wasn't really all that great either, with large knots and critical structural areas and splits/cracks fixed with an abundance of staples. |
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Dec 14, 2015 11:27:21 GMT -8
In my opinion, making sure it's waterproof is much more important than the type of wood. Whichever wood you use, you'll be making it 10 times better than it came from the factory.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 14, 2015 12:39:56 GMT -8
In my opinion, making sure it's waterproof is much more important than the type of wood. Whichever wood you use, you'll be making it 10 times better than it came from the factory. And what he means by "making it waterproof" is making the trailer waterproof. Not the wood. If you seal it all up correctly then everything should be good for about 15 years after which you should pull everything and apply new putty tape again. If people maintained their trailers like that they would be like new forever. |
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maximus
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Post by maximus on Dec 15, 2015 14:28:08 GMT -8
Thanks so much for the info! I'll be stripping it down this coming week !
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Dec 15, 2015 15:02:54 GMT -8
One of the best pieces of advice I got from two hard core restoration people on this forum:
Do one section at a time.
You'll be tempted to gut it...don't do it. First, the camper may collapse. Second, you will need the old pieces as your guide.
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Post by danrhodes on Dec 15, 2015 15:58:45 GMT -8
I still have a pile of rotten wood that I kept as I replaced it. More than once, I dug a curved piece or wheel well cutout from the pile to compare, and at least once I needed that piece to copy for the missing rotted opposite wall. I'm not getting rid of any piece until it's fully repaired and the skins refitted (sorry wife).
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 15, 2015 16:27:17 GMT -8
At the end of one of these projects you have a nice pile of firewood. Perfect for the first camp out.
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