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Post by joshbronleewe on Jan 12, 2016 18:00:55 GMT -8
Hey everyone,
I'm new here. My wife and I just bought a '61 Mobile Scout in pretty decent shape. It had a leak at some point in the past with water damage warping to some wall panels inside. It doesn't leak anymore (or so we think) but the panels need to be replaced. How hard is it to rip those out and replace?
I'm guessing that some of the framing in the walls may have rot. Can I replace all of that by opening up the walls and accessing it from the INSIDE? I see a lot of people addressing rot issues by pulling the exterior skin as well as the interior walls. I really don't want to have to completely disassemble this camper...
Any advise would be welcomed!
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Jan 12, 2016 18:21:52 GMT -8
Tearing out the walls from the inside is not a good idea. You need to understand how it is put together before you start taking it apart. Unless the Mobile Scout is different from most vintage trailers, the walls are assembled and then put on the frame. So to remove and replace the panels properly, you have to lift or remove the skins to replace them and inspect for and replace rotted framing.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jan 12, 2016 18:37:47 GMT -8
SusieQ.is wise.. It's really not as hard as it sounds to lift the skins. No total disassembly needed. Besides, if it's that old, it'll need new butyl tape anyhow. It's tempting to do it the "easy" way, but the results will not be as structurally sound. DO learn about how these were built, you'll save time, money, and angst in the long run.
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Post by joshbronleewe on Jan 12, 2016 18:50:40 GMT -8
We don't have a space that's protected from the elements to work on our Mobile Scout. We are storing it in our neighbors back yard for the time-being hoping to complete any work on it there. How many days/weeks does it take to rip the skins, address any rotting issues and replace wall paneling and put it all back together?
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Jan 12, 2016 18:58:26 GMT -8
That's difficult to calculate. It depends on the extent of the rot, the hours you have available to put into it and your skill level.
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Post by vikx on Jan 12, 2016 20:08:26 GMT -8
It is SO much easier to lift the skins. You will have a much better build that way and be able to address all the rot.
Timewise, it's hard to guess. If possible, you might look into a covered area to work.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Jan 12, 2016 20:27:19 GMT -8
If you're handy, getting the skin off the front and back lower panels is something that can be done in one morning. It's what you might find that takes time. As you can see from this photo, the birch panel wraps around the wall and then has framing over it.  One of the front:  If you cut away the panel from the inside, the sandwich effect (wall overlapped by panel overlapped by framing overlapped by aluminum) is lost along with structural support. This is what we mean by lifting the side panels to examine the edge board along the bottom. Do it just a few inches at first, if it looks fine put it back.  Wander through the forum threads and you'll find lots of photos and advice. Click on a photo and you will be taken to that member's photobucket where you might find other helpful photos. vikx wrote an excellent book on renovation. You can send vikx a message asking about it. Another member did some excellent videos you can watch at cannedhamtrailers.com Have fun with it. |
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