Kyla
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1963 Kenskill
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Post by Kyla on Jul 10, 2020 7:39:06 GMT -8
Facing the BIG questions on my first vintage trailer restoration:
- What's the best insulation, caulking, wood bleach? (Just for starters.)
- What color should she be? (So important!)
- Black water tank, you say? Does that have something do to with poo? Oh boy.
For answers to these questions and more, as well as the magic wand (process) that transforms this "pumpkin" into a princess (or at least an upstanding member of society), I invite you to follow the blog here:
Oh, all good advice welcome!
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Post by vikx on Jul 10, 2020 9:30:12 GMT -8
Welcome to VTT.
It depends on the trailer what products are used. I try to go with foam insulation whenever possible. We don't use caulk here. It's a patch at best and causes many bad words when restoring a trailer.
Black tanks are sewer tanks. They need to be closely inspected and that goes for the valves and piping as well.
The BIG thing about repairing a vintage trailer is: DON'T GUT IT. These trailers are repaired from the outside in, with the skins lifted. They can not be repaired from the inside.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jul 11, 2020 12:53:35 GMT -8
Welcome and congrats on adding Petunia to your life. First... DO NOTHING to your trailer until you have spent many hours here. Look at mobiltec’s videos, get vikx’s book on restoring and repairing old trailers. This is a good time to just sit in your trailer and dream. Get used to her. Listen to her. Don’t just get rid of those pink things without asking Petunia first. (I am serious) we all do that in our own ways. If you just want to park her in your back yard, you may be able to get away without a lot of rot repair (just put a shelter over her so it doesn’t get too much worse), but if you plan on pulling her or, eventually, selling her, do the stuff that nobody can see first. In the long run you’ll be glad you did.
Keep us posted on your progress. We are here to help you do things right. And we LOVE pictures.
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Jul 11, 2020 17:11:39 GMT -8
Hey Vikx, If you don't use caulk, how do you seal the exterior joints from rain?
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Post by vikx on Jul 11, 2020 19:44:40 GMT -8
New putty is your insurance against leaks. You have to repair the trailer to replace the putty. It goes under the J rail, awning rail and edge rail, on window and door flanges and on any roof protrusions and vents. You must remove these items to replace the putty.
Sometimes a very sparing application of OSI gutter seal insures against leaks but only in certain areas. We NEVER caulk or goop anything on the trailers. As said, it doesn't work and can actually damage the trailer.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jul 12, 2020 6:57:16 GMT -8
I just re-read your initial post. You mentioned wood bleach. I’m assuming this would be for discoloration in the corners and/or under a window or two. This is a sign of water leaks and probably rot. You must take care of that before bleaching. A wonderfully cared for pig can win a first in show, just by being herself. One that has been neglected will never win, even if she’s wearing lots of lipstick.
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Jul 13, 2020 21:48:05 GMT -8
Super helpful. Thanks vikx and Hamlet!
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Post by Teachndad on Jul 14, 2020 5:26:22 GMT -8
Hey Vikx, If you don't use caulk, how do you seal the exterior joints from rain? Hi Kyla, Vikx mentioned Putty tape. It comes in rolls and is grey and sticky. Put it in the fridge for a while to make it easier to work with - it will separate from the paper more easily. Heat on a summer's day makes it sticky. Do a search on "RV putty tape" and you will find it easily just about anywhere on the web. We don't recommend caulking because it dries out and shrinks over time and it's really a pain to remove if you have to do a repair after it shrinks and leaks. People like it (not here) because it's easy to apply. Cheers, Rod
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Jul 14, 2020 7:34:27 GMT -8
Okay, the pink stays. Petunia says so.
Next question: I want to replace the insulation. Why can't I do that from the inside? Taking off the outer, metal skin freaks me out. Can't I just remove the walls? And from there update the electrical and replace the insulation?
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Post by vikx on Jul 14, 2020 10:28:13 GMT -8
No, you can't "just remove the walls". The main reason is that you can not access the lower rot from the inside. The bottom wood is what's holding the trailer box onto the metal frame. In any case, it needs to be inspected with the skins lifted.
If the trailer is not repaired properly and structurally sound, it will not be safe to tow. This is what happens when the body lets go:
<a data-flickr-embed="true"href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/53634851@N03/34821400044/in/dateposted-public/" title="Pink Shasta sister 1138"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4285/34821400044_40b260d31b_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Pink Shasta sister 1138"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true"href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/53634851@N03/35493572412/in/dateposted-public/" title="Pink Shasta Disaster 3"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4238/35493572412_2b49ddcb83_w.jpg" width="275" height="365" alt="Pink Shasta Disaster 3"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true"href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/53634851@N03/35275270380/in/dateposted-public/" title="Pink Disaster"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4262/35275270380_721b3267b6_w.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="Pink Disaster"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Jul 14, 2020 20:33:41 GMT -8
OMG. Thanks vikx.
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Post by Teachndad on Jul 15, 2020 6:13:46 GMT -8
Kyla,
I think once you take off one panel of the skins, you will realize it's not that bad and it's really like getting an X-Ray of your walls and any other part of the trailer. It's time consuming, and tedious and at times frustrating battling with a stuck screw or a stripped screwhead. But, it's the easiest way to run new electrical and the best way to see the degree of rot in your trailer.
You can do this. First, do some research by reading posts on the subject and watching videos on how this is done.
My tip: Use a simple screw driver to start your screws, do not use an electric driver to initially loosen them.
Cheers,
Rod
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Jul 15, 2020 7:35:56 GMT -8
Thanks Teachndad, especially for the encouragement. I'm starting to lose sleep over this. This project was so simple and straight forward in my mind. Now the dominos are falling! Yikes.
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sunnywater
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Post by sunnywater on Jul 15, 2020 8:57:25 GMT -8
Thanks Teachndad, especially for the encouragement. I'm starting to lose sleep over this. This project was so simple and straight forward in my mind. Now the dominos are falling! Yikes. I second everything that has been said and also come from a similar situation as you. We bought our trailer on a bit of a whim and thought we would be doing much more of this: Camping with Connie (Posted from Flickr) Than this: Holding up Connie's wall. (Posted from Flickr) We have no workshop and limited experience (some home remodeling projects but nothing like this). But I would not trade this last year for anything. This group is so supportive, the community is incredible. Some of the best advice I got (Larry) was to think of this not as one big project but a lot of little projects. And for the screws that won't come off? We couldn't live without our Vampliers (screw removal tool from Vampire Tool Co., I like the 8 inch version). Knowing you are building something special for yourself is incredible. Hang in there! Gwen
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Jul 15, 2020 22:41:13 GMT -8
Thank you Gwen! So encouraging. Love the pics, too. One step at a time, eh?
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