theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
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Post by theresa on Aug 24, 2019 16:07:22 GMT -8
Hey all... LONG time no see!!! I've had a long hiatus from working on my trailer... life got in the way. I'm back at it now, because my husband wants the garage back for winter! I've got both walls rebuilt, I've got almost all new birch panels put on. I started buttoning up the back, thereby cutting off my entry point to the trailer. So I decided to temporarily attach my skins so I could cut out my door using the skins for a template. My skin on the door side, lower section, doesn't fit back! It appears that in the rebuild, my camper grew by about an inch in length. So if I line up the skin in the front, it's short on the back. And vice versa. I'm WAYYYYYY too far along at this point to do anything to shrink it up. I can't see any conceivable way that I made it too long, but clearly I did. Any suggestions on ways to remedy this?? I'm at a loss and completely defeated!
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dragonwagons
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Polish
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Post by dragonwagons on Aug 24, 2019 17:47:43 GMT -8
Steve at hemet valley rv www.hemetvalleyrv.net/Sounds like brand new skin is in your future The roof won’t fit either if the sides don’t. You cold add a splice but, not recommended. I did add a patch over my ripped skin at the top door corner and another across the bottom of the door but it looks more natural being at the bottom. |
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theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
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Post by theresa on Aug 24, 2019 18:11:49 GMT -8
Steve at hemet valley rv www.hemetvalleyrv.net/Sounds like brand new skin is in your future The roof won’t fit either if the sides don’t. You cold add a splice but, not recommended. I did add a patch over my ripped skin at the top door corner and another across the bottom of the door but it looks more natural being at the bottom. Yeah, I don't have any intentions of buying new skins... that's the absolutely last resort. I do have to buy new roof skin, so that roof won't be an issue...it's just getting the front and back to get enough to fold over to seal it. |
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dragonwagons
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Polish
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Post by dragonwagons on Aug 24, 2019 18:28:35 GMT -8
The curb side should be easier i would add a patch where the splice is by the door make a patch the is the extra width you need. I am still assuming you are ok top to bottom dimensions. The street side is a little more difficult. On mine the lower piece is all one piece of metal. I would look at where the vents are placed and think of adding patches at those point to minimize the amount of area that you will need to patch. Cut into two and add a patch big enough to lengthen the skin that extra inch. No real easy way around it.
you might also call hemet valley and ask if the could make you a joint that you could install to extend the two pieces. That is after you cut your existing skin into two. My Astrodome has a coulpe slip type joints from the factory, but they are made so the front and the back halves are almost touching. If that piece was just made with more width it would help solve your problems. Sorry if the ideas in my head are not coming through in text. I can post pictures but it takes me a very very long time and a different computer.
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kirkadie
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'69 Serro Scotty Hilander
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Post by kirkadie on Aug 24, 2019 19:06:48 GMT -8
Hey, chin up.. no disaster, only a minor setback. It's the door side right. So doesn't the door split that lower piece into two pieces in reality? And if I'm reading your description right, you haven't cut the door opening out yet? So is there any reason you can't attach the rear section lined up with the back of the wall and the front section to the front of the wall.. you'll end up with a door opening 1 inch wider than original, but the door frame, where attaches to the wall should be wide enough to cover the 1/2" gap on either side of the door opening between what was original and what you have now. You then could cut the correct size hole in the wall, and the extra uncovered wall material would still be covered by the door flange.
Or am I missing something here about how that bottom piece of skin fits. Have you measured the length of both sides of the trailer? My Scotty was 3/4" longer on the street side than the curb side when originally built. Since I rebuilt from the floor up, and made both sides the same size I was freaked out too, but my problem was too much skin on the curb size. |
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Post by vikx on Aug 24, 2019 19:19:12 GMT -8
I would add a piece at the door, above and below. I use butyl putty to seal the skin and sometimes a little gutter seal, depending on the skin pattern. You don't need the pieces to have a pattern because the eyebrow will cover the upper one pretty well.
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Post by danrhodes on Aug 24, 2019 20:14:43 GMT -8
As I recall, my skins were a bit of a tight fit. I removed 1/8 from every dimension and found I still needed some ratchet straps and some bar clamps to get everything lined up. I'm guess some loving nudges will get this to line up....
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debranch
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Wee Camp
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71 Shasta Compact
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Post by debranch on Aug 25, 2019 4:03:03 GMT -8
Just another thought...…….
You could also shave a little bit off each end to help it fit better. Do you have the front and back walls on, if not it shouldn't be to difficult to do. Draw a line using your skin as a templet to use as a guide for you jigsaw and then a belt sander to clean it up. you may have to use the skin to recheck it till you get it fitting the way you want it. You would rather do that then take off to much...…. Debra
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theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
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Post by theresa on Aug 25, 2019 5:08:44 GMT -8
Just another thought...……. You could also shave a little bit off each end to help it fit better. Do you have the front and back walls on, if not it shouldn't be to difficult to do. Draw a line using your skin as a templet to use as a guide for you jigsaw and then a belt sander to clean it up. you may have to use the skin to recheck it till you get it fitting the way you want it. You would rather do that then take off to much...…. Debra The back and front panels are all on, so there's really no way to shave it down.  |
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theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 347
Currently Offline
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Post by theresa on Aug 25, 2019 5:10:46 GMT -8
I would add a piece at the door, above and below. I use butyl putty to seal the skin and sometimes a little gutter seal, depending on the skin pattern. You don't need the pieces to have a pattern because the eyebrow will cover the upper one pretty well. This sounds like the easiest and "almost" seamless solution. Hopefully the top skin fits and I only have to slice the bottom. I had to rebuilt most of the bottom (front and back) with no real template as there was a LOTTTT of rot, so I'm guessing that's where my extra length came in. |
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Post by vikx on Aug 25, 2019 22:02:40 GMT -8
Remember, if you splice the bottom and not the top, the skin above the door my ripple. Try to test fit first.
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theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 347
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Post by theresa on Aug 26, 2019 17:37:12 GMT -8
Remember, if you splice the bottom and not the top, the skin above the door my ripple. Try to test fit first. Definitely plan to do lots of test fitting! Thanks.  |
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Post by winneywhitestar on Sept 6, 2019 2:52:00 GMT -8
Theresa, I live in Saco, Maine. I too need a new roof. Where are you getting yours? Helmet RV? Mine is galvanize metal. PJ (WinneyWhiteStar)
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theresa
1K Member
from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 347
Currently Offline
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Post by theresa on Mar 28, 2020 9:52:45 GMT -8
Theresa, I live in Saco, Maine. I too need a new roof. Where are you getting yours? Helmet RV? Mine is galvanize metal. PJ (WinneyWhiteStar) Sorry I'm just seeing this! I plan on getting my roof skin from a tractor trailer repair shop. That seems to be a great alternative for some folks are there are quite a few right in Maine. |
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