mobiltec
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I make mistakes so you don't have to...
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on Jan 28, 2014 11:45:50 GMT -8
Ronnie.
The first word we need to remove from your trailer vocabulary is the word Easiest, Easier, Easy and any other words that might tend to make you lean one way or the other on how to do something. Replace those words with Right or Wrong. There are a ton of wrong ways to go about something and only one proven method which we will refer to as the RIGHT method.
That said, I can't give you any advice without seeing what you have to begin with. Sometimes the best way to go is to rebuild the door. Most of the times as a matter of fact. Even if all you end up with is one original stick. Or none!... If you have the old door, you can use it to rebuild a new one if it can't be repaired. If you have no door at all then you will need to find another door somewhere and rebuild that. Get one that is too large and that way you can cut everything down to size. Too small won't do you any good because you can not add metal frame work. The whole outside of the edges of the door is made from bent aluminum that you will not be able to recreate very well without a couple of different types of hand brakes. If you do seek out another door, make sure it's basically the same type that was in your trailer to begin with.
You can also keep an eye out for the exact door for your trailer as they do come up for sale. There is a link on my website for a guy named Chris who dismantles trailers. These types of little trailer scrap yards exist all over the country. You just need to find one near you.
Hope that helps and good luck with your project....
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soup
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Post by soup on Jan 28, 2014 16:04:08 GMT -8
Welcome to VTT paigect! How to spot rot? IMHO, Personally, if I were the seller and anyone started poking the walls with an ice pick, you just bought the camper due to causing further damage, or a verbal beating or more from me. But that is due to me fixing the rot before I sell. People hide vintage rot all the time with paint on the interior walls and ceilings. The worst part is, some sellers even just plaster new paneling right on top of old rotted paneling. So if there is nothing but new paint on the interior, 9 times out of ten it has rot. Unless the seller has a ton of pictures of the repair work being done. If there is an area of paneling on the walls that looks to be thicker than the rest of the wall panels around it, it may have new panel on top of rotted old panels. Also keep in mind, if it's vintage, it more than likely has some rotted wall studs even if you can't tell from the paneling on the interior. It always rots inside the wall before you can see any on the interior. Again, unless there is pictures showing repairs. Just follow your nose. You can always smell it as soon as you walk into a unit. There is a middle point in repairs where the dank interior all of a sudden starts smelling like the inside of a Lowes store or lumber yard. That middle point is usually after all the rotted wall studs inside the walls are fixed and you have at least replaced half or more of the wall panels. Just because it's old, it doesn't mean it should smell like a wet wash rag inside. Well that and it seems that rot always finds me so I really never have to actually look for it. LOL Enjoy the site! soup
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Post by vikx on Jan 28, 2014 21:44:05 GMT -8
Good advice above.
I call wet trailers "SWAMPY". When they smell wet, they are. Very unpleasant odor and you can actually feel the dampness.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Mar 2, 2014 9:56:43 GMT -8
I think this would be a real good indicator that there is "rot" present....
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lamacki1
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1957 Shasta 1500 - Sundance
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Post by lamacki1 on Mar 2, 2014 10:12:42 GMT -8
OMG!! That is terrible. I know this isn't yours. I so worry about these vintage trailers and what can happen if they are not properly repaired/restored/rebuilt.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Mar 2, 2014 12:28:02 GMT -8
Previous Craig's List ad... VINTAGE 23 foot camper trailer. Appliances are all there and they work. Aluminum in great condition. Small signs of previous water leakage, but roof seams have been sealed and roof coated with waterproofing. DOES NOT LEAK! Original floor and upholstery in good condition. All systems work, but outside lights will need new bulbs, so best bring your own magnetic lights. Toilet and shower are original, and black water tank seems to be OK. All this trailer needs is a few hours and a little cleaning and it's ready to camp! No title, but paperwork in hand to get title. $2300, or will trade for Ski-Doo, ATV or rifles.
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pirateslife
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1969 Shasta Compact
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Post by pirateslife on Mar 2, 2014 14:20:43 GMT -8
That makes for a quick rotted feeling right in the stomach
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Mar 2, 2014 15:35:22 GMT -8
Looks like it should buff right out, though. A couple weekends and viola! good as new!
Good thing there were no leaks....................
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dawn
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Post by dawn on Mar 3, 2014 12:03:59 GMT -8
Well Mobiltec, you have really given me a challenge. I have done everything wrong so far. I purchased on Craigslist, of course, 1968 Aristocrat LoLiner, Had it brought to my residence unseen by me. At the present , I am unable to get into it because of a surgery. I have watched a lot of the You Tube videos, that is what fired me up on this, it's something that I have always wanted to do and when I saw the videos, that is all it took. Now I am in it, I guess. Just wish that I found the forum first. Question, can entry doors be interchange from model to model. Exp. Shasta to Aristocrat, I have not measured yet, but would be easier to look for rather than looking for one exactly, maybe have to have one made. Scratch Sabrina's ears for me. Ronnie Oh my gosh, Ronnie! We too did everything wrong when we bought our trailer and were discouraged to find that out. Never realized we were jumping into a boom, didn't know about glamping, thought our gutted little trailer was already halfway to restored! We wanted a small light travel trailer and I wanted it to be an old charming one. So we paid too much for too little. Not long after we bought it, we were referred to this forum and quickly learned the sad truth. However, I really do love our little trailer anyway and not one bit sorry to have her. We are in the process of putting things together in a creative layout that will accommodate our big dog who travels with us, a decision made guilt-free by the fact that the back end was already gone. We've learned an amazing amount of everything on this forum for step by step restoration and are looking forward to camping this summer, made all the more sweet for the disappointments along the way. You can do it!
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lamacki1
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1957 Shasta 1500 - Sundance
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Post by lamacki1 on Mar 3, 2014 13:10:48 GMT -8
Any 'experts' here that claim that they did it right from the first trailer experience, raise your hands! I bet we don't get many to say yes. It's a learning curve and thankfully Vikx has taken the time and effort to put together this group so that we all can learn together - hopefully before we jump in and thankfully after we do.
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John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 3, 2014 13:38:00 GMT -8
Any 'experts' here that claim that they did it right from the first trailer experience, raise your hands! I bet we don't get many to say yes. It's a learning curve and thankfully Vikx has taken the time and effort to put together this group so that we all can learn together - hopefully before we jump in and thankfully after we do. I'll raise my hand. I bought my first "stand up" trailer from Craig's list, 400 miles away from me "out of state", sight unseen. It was a 1953 Aljoa 13' canned ham. I looked at all the photos, it had set in a field for "forty years" as a hunting shack. It had everything I was looking for, all the vintage parts were intact, it had not been painted inside, , it had a clear title, and it was in my price range. I brought my "flat bed" car trailer to pick it up, because I knew it was a piece of junk. I had to stop several times to re-tape and re-screw things back on that were falling off. My advice to anyone is never follow a vintage trailer down the highway that was pulled out of a field. I had it torn down to the bare frame two days after I got it home.
Just don't kid your self when buying old trailer's. They are "all rotted" to some extent. Be ready to roll your sleeves up and fix what ever is wrong.
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John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 3, 2014 20:47:26 GMT -8
Any 'experts' here that claim that they did it right from the first trailer experience, raise your hands! I bet we don't get many to say yes. It's a learning curve and thankfully Vikx has taken the time and effort to put together this group so that we all can learn together - hopefully before we jump in and thankfully after we do. I'll raise my hand. I bought my first "stand up" trailer from Craig's list, 400 miles away from me "out of state", sight unseen. It was a 1953 Aljoa 13' canned ham. I looked at all the photos, it had set in a field for "forty years" as a hunting shack. It had everything I was looking for, all the vintage parts were intact, it had not been painted inside, , it had a clear title, and it was in my price range. I brought my "flat bed" car trailer to pick it up, because I knew it was a piece of junk. I had to stop several times to re-tape and re-screw things back on that were falling off. My advice to anyone is never follow a vintage trailer down the highway that was pulled out of a field. I had it torn down to the bare frame two days after I got it home.
Just don't kid your self when buying old trailer's. They are "all rotted" to some extent. Be ready to roll your sleeves up and fix what ever is wrong.
OK, so here's some more of the fun story of the Aljoa's first trip home.
We winched the Aljoa trailer onto the car trailer and strapped her down, and off we headed down Highway 395 towards Southern California. One of the first "wide spots on the road" was a very small town called Mono Lake, CA. We pulled off the road as far as we could, and my wife went into the convenience store to get a couple Big Gulps to help us get down the highway. I went back and checked the tie down straps, car trailer hub temperatures, and made sure the lights were working because night fall was coming.
"HERE COMES THE COUNTY SHERRIFF", He does a U-Turn in the middle of the highway, and pulls up close on my right side. You already know what I'm thinking, "what did I do wrong"? My wife comes out and says GREAT! He rolls down his window, and the first thing out of his mouth was, IS THAT THE ONE THAT WAS ON CRAIG'S LIST?
Turns out he's a car guy, we talk about Hot August Nights in Reno, Hemi Cuda's and Hot Rods for half an hour on the side of the road. When he leaves he says let me know when you want another one, all I do is spend every day driving around this back country and there's lots of them out there.
So.......If your looking for a trailer project, just ask your Sherriff, or maybe the Gas and Electric repair guys that are out and about every day for their jobs.
You just never know what's going to happen, when your towing an old vintage trailer.
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Post by vikx on Mar 3, 2014 23:33:56 GMT -8
John, love the Hunt for the "sheriffs" advice!
I won't raise my hand on being completely right on the first build; better now. I'm still not perfect, but try my best. Isn't that what it's all about? Trying your best? Heck, none of us are perfect...
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soup
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Post by soup on Mar 4, 2014 13:45:27 GMT -8
I think this would be a real good indicator that there is "rot" present.... Ten you are too funny! Priceless! LOL Oddly enough, I think I could still fix that!
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Ten
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Post by Ten on Mar 4, 2014 14:50:54 GMT -8
Soup, I was going to write to them and suggest they tow it to your place. Can't hurt it much towing...Worst case, you end up with some more aluminum garage-covering...
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