oldsbarbara
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Post by oldsbarbara on Mar 10, 2021 20:09:29 GMT -8
OK, so I'm here because I just purchased a 1968 Shasta Loflyte (does not say Loflyte anywhere). I bought it because the interior is wonderfully original and I expected to have to do some repairs, but I didn't realize what the "frown" line on the front meant - should have come here before buying. Hindsight... Now I know that the front wall is collapsing and I'm pretty terrified about what I'm going to find when I open it up. So I'm looking for insight into where to start. Is there some kind of bracing/propping that I need to do to make sure I'm not stressing the rest of the house while I'm assessing? Here's a link to photos on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/82507813@N00/?Advice and suggestions are welcome. I'm here to learn and hope to avoid further rookie mistakes. I haven't touched anything yet and don't plan to until I know more about what I'm up against. She's a lovely old thing. I'm not looking for perfect or glamorous, just functional and sound. Thanks! Barbara 20210306_163950 (2) by Barbara, on Flickr 20210304_131258 (2) by Barbara, on Flickr 20210306_164005 by Barbara, on Flickr
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Post by vikx on Mar 10, 2021 20:39:48 GMT -8
Nice little LoFlyte! I love these trailers and have done several Loliners and Loflytes. Here is a link to one: 65loliner.shutterfly.com/ This one had the typical drooping kitchen wall (not to say yours does, but something to check) Another thing to check is the front spring brackets by the tires. If the wheels and tires have been changed, the tire can rub, causing blowouts. There's an easy fix involving a little cutting and grinding. Take your time and look around here. Ideally, you should have a covered working area. The skins will need to be removed and or lifted so you can see what needs to be fixed. These trailers are very easy builds and you will learn a lot.
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oldsbarbara
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Post by oldsbarbara on Mar 10, 2021 20:52:51 GMT -8
Nice little LoFlyte! I love these trailers and have done several Loliners and LoFlytes. Here is a link to one: 65loliner.shutterfly.com/ This one had the typical drooping kitchen wall (not to say yours does, but something to check) Another thing to check is the front spring brackets by the tires. If the wheels and tires have been changed, the tire can rub, causing blowouts. There's an easy fix involving a little cutting and grinding. Take your time and look around here. Ideally, you should have a covered working area. The skins will need to be removed and or lifted so you can see what needs to be fixed. These trailers are very easy builds and you will learn a lot. So are the Aristocrat and Shasta builds pretty similar? I can see that the floorplan is pretty much identical and wondered if they were similar under the skin. The front wall is the only obvious droop, but I'm sure I'll find more issues once I loosen the skin. I have a covered double carport and can enclose with tarps if I need more protection. Just really nervous about starting. Not my first vintage trailer - that was a 1962 Airstream that we had to do a shell-off floor rebuild. But that doesn't really help me here - two very different types of construction. Thanks for the tips! I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions when I get to work. In the meantime I'm reading up and looking at pictures of everything I can find.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Mar 11, 2021 4:40:16 GMT -8
Welcome!
Along with info you'll find here there are two resources from our members you should check out: Some excellent videos at cannedhamtrailers.com And a great book at vintagetrailerrepairmanual.weebly.com/
I agree with vikx, remove or lift the skin to see what's going on. Lifting the skin is easy but if the wood at the edge is rotted you'll be committed to fixing it because it won't screw back together..
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Mar 11, 2021 10:08:30 GMT -8
OK, so I'm here because I just purchased a 1968 Shasta Loflyte (does not say Loflyte anywhere). I bought it because the interior is wonderfully original and I expected to have to do some repairs, but I didn't realize what the "frown" line on the front meant - should have come here before buying. Hindsight Oh dear, for a moment I thought you had named your camper “Hindsight.”
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Post by vikx on Mar 11, 2021 20:10:51 GMT -8
Yes, Loflytes and Loliners are very similar, at least the smaller low models... As far as I've learned, the front bracket issue happens only on Loliners but something to check anyway. Your trailer is very similar to a Loliner in that there doesn't appear to be any roof protrusions. My Loliners had the same floor plan (front raised dinette, side kitchenette and bed across the back) The LoFlytes were different; both had front kitchens, a side potty closet and rear dinette that made into a bed. I have seen Loflytes with a side dinette but don't have any pictures. We are here to help you so don't be afraid to lift the skins. Take your time studying before beginning. Here's a link to one of the LoFlyes: loflytephotos.shutterfly.com/ It was apart when I picked it up...
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oldsbarbara
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Post by oldsbarbara on Mar 11, 2021 20:15:13 GMT -8
OK, so I'm here because I just purchased a 1968 Shasta Loflyte (does not say Loflyte anywhere). I bought it because the interior is wonderfully original and I expected to have to do some repairs, but I didn't realize what the "frown" line on the front meant - should have come here before buying. Hindsight Oh dear, for a moment I thought you had named your camper “Hindsight.” "Hindsight" might be a good name for it! "Pandora" comes to mind too. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm feeling much more optimistic about my ability to tackle what's under there.
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oldsbarbara
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Post by oldsbarbara on Mar 11, 2021 20:17:52 GMT -8
Yes, Loflytes and Loliners are very similar, at least the smaller low models... As far as I've learned, the front bracket issue happens only on Loliners but something to check anyway. Your trailer is very similar to a Loliner in that there doesn't appear to be any roof protrusions. My Loliners had the same floor plan (front raised dinette, side kitchenette and bed across the back) The LoFlytes were different; both had front kitchens, a side potty closet and rear dinette that made into a bed. I have seen Loflytes with a side dinette but don't have any pictures. We are here to help you so don't be afraid to lift the skins. Take your time studying before beginning. Here's a link to one of the LoFlyes: loflytephotos.shutterfly.com/ It was apart when I picked it up... Mine has a raised front dinette, street-side kitchenette, sofa bed across the back, and ice box and small closet by the door. Identical floorplan to many of the Lo-liners I've seen. Thanks for the links to the projects, they help a lot! I'll check out the bracket issue for sure.
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oldsbarbara
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Post by oldsbarbara on Mar 11, 2021 20:28:28 GMT -8
The interior on this one is really nice and original. Needs curtains but very little else. The upholstery and foam is all intact. A couple of the light shades are missing but everything seems to work. Hoping I'll be able to make the needed repairs without disturbing the interior, but that will depend on what I find. 20210306_164018 by Barbara, on Flickr 20210306_164014 by Barbara, on Flickr Shasta 7 by Barbara, on Flickr Shasta 6 by Barbara, on Flickr Shasta 6 by Barbara, on Flickr
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Post by vikx on Mar 12, 2021 12:03:46 GMT -8
You should be able to do a full build without disturbing the interior. I did an Aristocrat Land Commander that way with just a few patches in the lower paneling. The trick is lifting the skins. Gives you easy access to all the ROT. Here's the link: 67landcommander2.shutterfly.com/ As you can see, there was lotsa rot but the interior was in nice condition.
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WhitneyK
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'67 Shasta Compact
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Post by WhitneyK on Mar 12, 2021 13:15:24 GMT -8
Wow, cosmetically everything appears to be well kept. Shame about the framing, and knowing that a $10 roll of putty tape could have prevented this 20 years ago..... Whitney
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oldsbarbara
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Post by oldsbarbara on Mar 12, 2021 19:40:10 GMT -8
Wow, cosmetically everything appears to be well kept. Shame about the framing, and knowing that a $10 roll of putty tape could have prevented this 20 years ago..... Whitney Yeah, the original owner died and her kids just parked it for 25 years and didn't touch it. So the inside is just as she left it but 25 years of weather exposure has taken a toll.
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Post by Teachndad on Mar 13, 2021 6:58:52 GMT -8
Hello and Welcome!
I have always liked the amount of window space these Loflytes have. The light paneling is a deal maker for me with this trailer. I have seen trailers of this vintage that had the brown paneling and it sucks up the light. I think you lucked out with the whitish interior. It's really trendy right now in kitchens and in general houses. I really think your experience with the Airstream will help you. The repair skills will transfer over to a stick and tin trailer like this one.
I am really curious to see how that base of the front wall looks like once the skin is removed.
I look forward to following your restoration.
Cheers,
Rod
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oldsbarbara
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Post by oldsbarbara on Mar 14, 2021 17:33:57 GMT -8
Hello and Welcome! I have always liked the amount of window space these Loflytes have. The light paneling is a deal maker for me with this trailer. I have seen trailers of this vintage that had the brown paneling and it sucks up the light. I think you lucked out with the whitish interior. It's really trendy right now in kitchens and in general houses. I really think your experience with the Airstream will help you. The repair skills will transfer over to a stick and tin trailer like this one. I am really curious to see how that base of the front wall looks like once the skin is removed. I look forward to following your restoration. Cheers, Rod Thanks Rod! I agree, the light colored paneling and big windows are the big sellers for me too. We popped the front skin yesterday and here's what we found. First of all there is no real framing of any kind in that front wall. No vertical supports at all. The cross member at the bottom is bowed and twisted and the cross member above the overhang is splintered under the dented metal. We suspect that a tow vehicle with topper or camper jack-knifed and hit the trailer. So we know for sure that we need to replace a couple of cross-members, but will need further exploration to determine how much rot there is in the side walls. Need to have solid wood to anchor the new cross members. We plan to add a couple of vertical supports as well. We may not be able to restore to original height - but we should be able to reverse a fair bit of the slump. We don't want to try to aggressively raise it because we don't want to put undue stress on the rest of the house. I'm not after a full-blown restoration if I don't have to. I like the vintage look, battle-scars and all. BUT it has to be structurally sound. 20210313_111123 by Barbara, on Flickr 20210313_123219 by Barbara, on Flickr 20210313_124539 by Barbara, on Flickr 20210313_124533 by Barbara, on Flickr 20210313_125638 by Barbara, on Flickr
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Post by vikx on Mar 14, 2021 19:58:25 GMT -8
Yup, you got ROT...
Loosen the back metal and lift the sides before framing the front. You want to be sure the sills and skirts are in good shape before taking it on the road. I suspect a lot of rot around the front and rear windows as well.
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