I did not listen, I bought a vintage trailer..... (long)
Jan 31, 2018 3:53:03 GMT -8
MarthaS likes this
Post by larryb on Jan 31, 2018 3:53:03 GMT -8
Our project:
link
larryscottyhilander.blogspot.com
I wanted to tell you about our experience rebuilding our 1975 Scotty Hilander. Although it sounds like exaggeration, it is a story of excitement, fear, tears, anger, conflict (marital discord), joy and relief. It could have been a reality show. I think it might be helpful for those prospective owners without great electrical, carpentry and other skills to learn from us or at least be prepared for the significant challenges they face.
A bit of background about us. Over the years, my wife Susan and I have renovated a few houses, wired boats and generally messed around. So, I would say our technical skills are a bit above average but not great. We had never heard of a Kreg jig, jalousie windows or a plate joiner before this project….. but we do now (we have a lot of new fun tools that is for sure)! We had never thought about rebuilding a camper until we began considering retirement and thought a trip around the country sounded fun.
So, against our better judgment we purchased the Scotty from someone's back yard, hopes high for a six-month project (yea, I know that was entirely unrealistic). It was November 2016. Our plan included a cross country trip in August 2017. That did not happen.
Before I go on, I need to say that this forum and the vintage trailer community online is incredible and we would have never completed this project without your help. Every single question was answered quickly and with more patience that I might have had. Private messages were responded to as well. Mobitec's videos allowed us to understand the process although many times our efforts did not seem to have the artistry that he clearly possesses. Every single vendor answered questions and provide support as well as good products. Thanks to Robert at Vintage Trailer shop for the window assistance and Vintage Trailer Supply for seeming to have everything I thought no longer existed.
The end of the story is that the trailer is 99% complete. A few details, some clean-up, an appraisal and then insurance so we can make our first trip in March. We were able to get a title! I am calling it a rebuild (rather than restoration) because we made modifications to allow us to really use it.
We spent a few weeks wondering what we had gotten into and reading and watching everything we could. I started a notebook. You guys made it look easy but of course, it isn't. Mobiltec says he makes mistakes so we don't have to but it did not keep us from making many. Unless you possess a very high level of skills, you will as well. It took me some time to emotionally recovery from some of them.
Advice about the process of tearing down and rebuilding is very important and I recommend listening to them. The process is sound and I am fairly confident that our trailer is strong enough so that we will not be like those nightmare pictures of everything on the street.
Another thing I learned is that it is important to use outside resources for some of these tasks. I found a great welder who helped with the frame (although it is still not square) and have a friend who is an electrical engineer and another who can fix anything. For example, it never occurred to me that the skin would require so much force to make that famous Scotty roof curve.
This was a weird project because at each step there are new techniques to learn, tools to get and things to screw up. Even more strange, by the time we learned how to do one thing, we were well on our way to being incompetent about the next step in a seemingly never-ending process of fear, failure, success and relief. And a few tears.
Did I mention I am a semi-retired mental health professional? Did I mention marital discord? I have learned quite a bit about my partner and me, not all good. While we have worked on many projects together, the intensity of this did challenge us. We are still together, no worries there. But, at times we had very different ideas about what should come next, when and how to work. At some points, my energy was low or I was frustrated and she was gung-ho. At others times, our ideas about the quality of the work led to disagreements. Some people are a bit too perfectionistic when it is not realistic - wonder who that is? The bottom line, if you work on this project with your partner, there will be "feelings".
Another observation - I read this but did not really believe till much later. These things were not all that well built in the first place and were certainly not totally square or level. Sometimes, cutting a straight line (when we could) was fruitless because the original was not straight or plumb. So it has been a constant cutting, fitting, trying, failing and trying again. We always got it together but always not perfectly.
Which leads me to my newly developed phobia of water/ leaks. I am now obsessed with making this thing waterproof. After all, the camper we bought was totally rotten. I find myself dreaming about where and how it might leak.
And now the thing I am most afraid to mention - caulk/sealant. I know it is highly frowned upon and using it is going to possibly make my future frustrating and more difficult. I am not recommending using these products, I can just tell you that given our level of skill, this trailer would not be waterproof without some help. We used it sparingly but we did use it to insure a (hopefully) dry trailer. I feel guilty and will have to repent, somehow. Please forgive me vintage trailer gods.
So, sixteen months later, we are just about ready to go. As this project came to a close, I wonder where all the time has gone and what I will do with my time. I have even caught myself looking at other trailers! What have you all done to me? I don't think that will happen but I think I could do better - that is the fun and challenge.
Of course, I read the threads about not doing this and I did not listen…. Many of you will not listen or think it is exaggeration. I would not tell anyone not to pursue this dream/folly. I also don't think it is possible to be fully prepared for what this project takes. A certain amount of denial is necessary and useful.
With decent preparation, this community, vendors and personal resources, and a great partner, it is possible for the average person to look out at their garage and see ….. a 1975 Scotty Hilander.
Thanks again to all of you for all your help. I will stay around.
Larry
link
larryscottyhilander.blogspot.com
I wanted to tell you about our experience rebuilding our 1975 Scotty Hilander. Although it sounds like exaggeration, it is a story of excitement, fear, tears, anger, conflict (marital discord), joy and relief. It could have been a reality show. I think it might be helpful for those prospective owners without great electrical, carpentry and other skills to learn from us or at least be prepared for the significant challenges they face.
A bit of background about us. Over the years, my wife Susan and I have renovated a few houses, wired boats and generally messed around. So, I would say our technical skills are a bit above average but not great. We had never heard of a Kreg jig, jalousie windows or a plate joiner before this project….. but we do now (we have a lot of new fun tools that is for sure)! We had never thought about rebuilding a camper until we began considering retirement and thought a trip around the country sounded fun.
So, against our better judgment we purchased the Scotty from someone's back yard, hopes high for a six-month project (yea, I know that was entirely unrealistic). It was November 2016. Our plan included a cross country trip in August 2017. That did not happen.
Before I go on, I need to say that this forum and the vintage trailer community online is incredible and we would have never completed this project without your help. Every single question was answered quickly and with more patience that I might have had. Private messages were responded to as well. Mobitec's videos allowed us to understand the process although many times our efforts did not seem to have the artistry that he clearly possesses. Every single vendor answered questions and provide support as well as good products. Thanks to Robert at Vintage Trailer shop for the window assistance and Vintage Trailer Supply for seeming to have everything I thought no longer existed.
The end of the story is that the trailer is 99% complete. A few details, some clean-up, an appraisal and then insurance so we can make our first trip in March. We were able to get a title! I am calling it a rebuild (rather than restoration) because we made modifications to allow us to really use it.
We spent a few weeks wondering what we had gotten into and reading and watching everything we could. I started a notebook. You guys made it look easy but of course, it isn't. Mobiltec says he makes mistakes so we don't have to but it did not keep us from making many. Unless you possess a very high level of skills, you will as well. It took me some time to emotionally recovery from some of them.
Advice about the process of tearing down and rebuilding is very important and I recommend listening to them. The process is sound and I am fairly confident that our trailer is strong enough so that we will not be like those nightmare pictures of everything on the street.
Another thing I learned is that it is important to use outside resources for some of these tasks. I found a great welder who helped with the frame (although it is still not square) and have a friend who is an electrical engineer and another who can fix anything. For example, it never occurred to me that the skin would require so much force to make that famous Scotty roof curve.
This was a weird project because at each step there are new techniques to learn, tools to get and things to screw up. Even more strange, by the time we learned how to do one thing, we were well on our way to being incompetent about the next step in a seemingly never-ending process of fear, failure, success and relief. And a few tears.
Did I mention I am a semi-retired mental health professional? Did I mention marital discord? I have learned quite a bit about my partner and me, not all good. While we have worked on many projects together, the intensity of this did challenge us. We are still together, no worries there. But, at times we had very different ideas about what should come next, when and how to work. At some points, my energy was low or I was frustrated and she was gung-ho. At others times, our ideas about the quality of the work led to disagreements. Some people are a bit too perfectionistic when it is not realistic - wonder who that is? The bottom line, if you work on this project with your partner, there will be "feelings".
Another observation - I read this but did not really believe till much later. These things were not all that well built in the first place and were certainly not totally square or level. Sometimes, cutting a straight line (when we could) was fruitless because the original was not straight or plumb. So it has been a constant cutting, fitting, trying, failing and trying again. We always got it together but always not perfectly.
Which leads me to my newly developed phobia of water/ leaks. I am now obsessed with making this thing waterproof. After all, the camper we bought was totally rotten. I find myself dreaming about where and how it might leak.
And now the thing I am most afraid to mention - caulk/sealant. I know it is highly frowned upon and using it is going to possibly make my future frustrating and more difficult. I am not recommending using these products, I can just tell you that given our level of skill, this trailer would not be waterproof without some help. We used it sparingly but we did use it to insure a (hopefully) dry trailer. I feel guilty and will have to repent, somehow. Please forgive me vintage trailer gods.
So, sixteen months later, we are just about ready to go. As this project came to a close, I wonder where all the time has gone and what I will do with my time. I have even caught myself looking at other trailers! What have you all done to me? I don't think that will happen but I think I could do better - that is the fun and challenge.
Of course, I read the threads about not doing this and I did not listen…. Many of you will not listen or think it is exaggeration. I would not tell anyone not to pursue this dream/folly. I also don't think it is possible to be fully prepared for what this project takes. A certain amount of denial is necessary and useful.
With decent preparation, this community, vendors and personal resources, and a great partner, it is possible for the average person to look out at their garage and see ….. a 1975 Scotty Hilander.
Thanks again to all of you for all your help. I will stay around.
Larry
