nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Apr 19, 2020 9:39:17 GMT -8
Buy the piece with the S-lock on either end and make it a little bit long. Then trim the original lower piece (Front or rear) to fit in the S-lock. If you’re concerned about getting the cut straight, trim the lower part of the front panel instead.
You’re doing the right thing not trying to save if your roof.
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Post by vikx on Apr 19, 2020 11:59:39 GMT -8
There's two ways to do a new roof. First, you can buy the seamed roof a little too long and overlap at the front and rear. No Pittsburg seams or S locks needed. You will have overlaps as you have now. A non seamed roof is not as flexible as a factory seamed roof and tends to ripple. I like the metal textured or matching the side original pattern. The other option is to run the roof down past the windows. Most trailers have short pieces of skin on the sides of the front window. Some have these short spacers at the back as well. Measure from back window and over the top to front skin pieces. Order two Pittsburg seams at each end to your measurements. (your roof needs to be a little below the top of the window) Order two side pieces with a Pittsburg on one end a 3-4" longer than you need. These pieces slip up and into the roof seam. You can adjust the length to fit by cutting the non-seamed end. Starting at the back, fit the new roof to the rear skin. The skin should slip up and into the roof seam. The roof will lay up and over the top down to the front window. After you've formed the metal to the trailer and secured it, you can then adjust the two front spacers to fit and finally add the lower front skin. Here is my 57 Shasta with narrow spacer pieces at the window. 002 d Butch windows (3) by vikkx, on Flickr This Cardinal has wider spacers. 001 1959 Cardinal (3) by vikkx, on Flickr I hope this gives you some ideas.
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tpcm5000
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Yellowstone 1966
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Post by tpcm5000 on Apr 19, 2020 12:23:10 GMT -8
Ah got it, that makes sense now. Thanks nccamper, thanks Vik.
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Post by vikx on Apr 19, 2020 20:38:29 GMT -8
You're welcome. To thank us, just hit the "like" button on our posts. It's easier than writing a thank you.
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tpcm5000
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Yellowstone 1966
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Post by tpcm5000 on May 14, 2020 17:34:22 GMT -8
I am striking out on finding skin for my roof. Couple sheet metal shops saying sheets over 4’ wide do not exist. Sources mentioned in other posts are out of business or on the west coast so shipping is out of the question for upstate NY. Unless anyone east has a source I should consider. So, I am down to a local tractor trailer repair shop like others have recommended. Bummer is, to get a single sheet to cover all three panels is starting at $500. So how crazy would it be to simply replace the center panel as it would be half the cost? See below, I am calling the extent of the goop the center panel, though, I am guessing there could be a factory seam(s) under the goop and actually 2-3 panels. With this approach I could redo the front and rear overlap roof seams, where the goop ends, as the front and rear corner panels look in good shape. As this is how the roof was originally engineered, and if I follow instructions others have posted on redoing the seams, might I end up with a sound roof after all? I don’t want seams on the roof, but feels like I am running out of options. Guessing there are pros and cons? full roof by Tom Myers, on Flickr roof corner by Tom Myers, on Flickr
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Post by vikx on May 14, 2020 22:25:37 GMT -8
RV roofing is available in wide widths. Truck roof skins are up to 102", maybe more.
Yes, you can replace the center piece. Putty the seams and screw into a new (or perfect) rafter. Then coat as described before paint. Be sure the metal is .024 or thicker and aluminum.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on May 15, 2020 4:23:00 GMT -8
If at all possible, I'd replace the entire roof.
vikx knows more than I ever will about replacing a single panel, but why take the risk of it leaking if it can be avoided?
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CorvettCrzy
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'58 Corvette, '64 Franklin
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Post by CorvettCrzy on May 15, 2020 10:45:24 GMT -8
Don't know if you've checked but the only "east coast" supplier I am aware of is Atomiccamperpart.com I am planning on taking a trip down there once I find a suitable trailer. I did look into having it shipped last year (when it was CH Camper - you had to set up your own shipping) I put in a practice order and I got a screen for trucking suggestions, after which I received emails from companies with quotes. I didn't follow up on it then but I got the impression that pricing may be somewhat flexible.
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tpcm5000
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Yellowstone 1966
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Post by tpcm5000 on May 17, 2020 12:38:44 GMT -8
Still searching for a decent price (something I can pick up I am assuming will need to be the case) 8X .030 AL to do a continuous roof. My fallback is still to do just the center panel and do overlap seams on the roof at the corner panels. roof_off by Tom Myers, on Flickr One complication with doing all three panels, a continuous roof using the spacer technique as Vik suggested: ViksShastaWithSpacer by Tom Myers, on Flickr is that my trailer's front and rear middle panels are a corrugated metal, and painted gold. They are in good shape and I can probably get away with using them as-is. The rest of the trailer is all smooth white panels, as will be the case with roof: roof corner by Tom Myers, on Flickr I can still do the spacer method and bring down to the window, but I will end up with a different textured metal halfway down the middle panel even if I paint part of the new continuous panel gold. Also concerned if I can only do an overlap seam, if an overlap seam on a corrugated metal is a good idea? I still want the option of a continuous panel, covering the roof center and roof corner panels, so hoping for guidance on approaches, pros and cons.
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Post by vikx on May 17, 2020 21:39:35 GMT -8
I would use Pittsburg seams when you can. The overlaps can fail, altho any seam can fail if not taken care of.
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preacher
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We have finished the restoration/remodel of our '68 Frolic. We hope to see you on the road.
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Post by preacher on Aug 2, 2021 5:21:26 GMT -8
I'm a newbie, so take this for what it worth. I'm redoing a '68 Frolic. It has a roof like what is being discussed in this thread, galvanized middle section. The roof appears to have resisted leaks. Rafters, etc. are sound. Mine had the fibered aluminum roof paint on it. It is the stuff that gets painted on old metal roofs (houses, barns, etc. It ends up being 1/8 - 1/4 think. It doesn't sand it is impervious to paint remover. What does work is heat gun. Removing it isn't hard. It just takes a while. I used a 3-step approach: - Heat and scrape.
- Wire brush on an angle grinder.
- Wipe down with mineral spirits and a scrubbing pad.
I'm getting some of the proflex that vikx recommends to use on the joints where the galvanized metal overlaps the aluminum. While I'm a newbie on trailer restoration, I am an old-hand at human nature and get-r-done building maintenance. I don't think the assumption that a coating of goop indicates a number of leaks. That assumes that the person who decided to apply the goop was thinking clearly. More likely, the "thought" process went like this. "It leaks somewhere. I don't know where & don't have time to find out where (Keep in mind that Bubba has no idea about how the trailer is put together.). If I put roof paint every where (In my case, including the vent cover, the bathroom vent and the j-rail.) then I'm sure to get it on the place where it is leaking. Grandpa has most of a 5-gallon bucket left from when he painted the barn roof, so . . ." Uninformed people tend to do what is "easiest" not what is right.
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WhitneyK
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'67 Shasta Compact
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Post by WhitneyK on Aug 15, 2021 8:53:07 GMT -8
OR..... the underside of your roof could look like mine. "Snow Coat, that's the thing to use on these old campers" was what I was told by the PO and was used on my 67 Compact roof. Still leaked like a window screen. Looks like the old roof vent hole was patched by screwing down a piece of swimming pool wall. As always, just my opinion, didn't say it was a good one... Whitney
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Post by vikx on Aug 15, 2021 10:03:51 GMT -8
The metal rot above is typical of roof goop damage. When in good condition, all is good. When it fails (sometimes in less than 6 months), water creeps under the coating and causes extensive metal rot. Can you spell NEW ROOF??
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