rc3
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1963 Boles Aero 310-B
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Post by rc3 on May 20, 2024 12:18:04 GMT -8
Hi! This is my first post on this forum and I am happy to share that I am beginning a restoration/repair project on my 60's Boles Aero. I just learned that it is a early 1960s model 310-B. I originally was intrigued by this model by the wrap-around window which is still intact (although with some slight cracking). I thought this was such a novel design I was inspired to put some elbow grease into getting it back on the road. The interior is mostly ruined by moisture and mold. There was a tree branch hole in the roof that let rain in for many years. The floor is disintegrated in the rear half. I am going to try to save any fixtures I possibly can, and any wood bits that aren't rotted. The frame is in great shape, just surface rust. The trailer was in California its entire life I believe so likely has not seen road salt. The wheels hubs spin nicely although the brakes lines are corroded and broken. The exterior is in good shape, minues some bad patch jobs, a couple missing window panes and a few dents. Here is a list of things I need to do, all of which I have questions about as this is my first time working on a trailer. I will probably follow up as I get to each item but I thought I would generally outline the project: -CA registration -new glass pieces and new window seals, refinish fasteners and reseal windows -power wash outside -pull out dents -replace/ or refinish all the screws holding in windows and accesories on exterior -fix holes on exterior -fix holes in roof -water proof roof -water proof interior -replace subfloor -repari/replace leaf springs -repair/replace brake system -replace electrical for towing -new wheels First phase is to gut the interior and create a roadworthy, waterproof and restored "shell" with a new subfloor. Next the interior will be redone. I aim to match the original layout as I think the old designs had some genius in the proportions and layout, but do so with new material and new finishes in a modern way. Here are some inital pictures the day it was dropped off by the seller. Thanks for reading! Here is the model name I got from another user on this site "Chelsea" who had an interesting blog on restoring their 1962 Boles Aero. Up until now I didn't know the proper model name of my trailer.
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Post by vikx on May 21, 2024 10:26:30 GMT -8
Quite the trailer! Congrats and welcome. I'm not sure on this model but Boles are usually repaired from the inside out if they are riveted. If not, then they are repaired from the outside in with the skins off. It's hard to tell if the trailer is screwed or riveted from the photo. I would do a lot of research before doing any tear down and find out just what you have and what others have done.
On the roof, it's best to replace on an older trailer. Pin holes can cause a lot of damage and roof coatings simply don't work or last. You can get aluminum from a truck repair shop, usually 102" wide and any length. More research.
Keep us in the loop, it's a trailer well worth repairing.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on May 21, 2024 11:32:12 GMT -8
RC welcome to VTT, sorry no one has welcomed you and provided answers to some of your questions. Only a hand full of people on this site have firsthand experience with Riveted Skin trailers. VTT is mostly about "Stick and Tin" construction and canned ham trailers.
Adding a For Sale, Trade, Wanted to Buy section would be a nice addition. It's been discussed many times. Maybe at some point it will be reconsidered.
99% of your Boles Aero is generic trailer parts of the period that it was built. I would recommend that you start attending the many vintage trailer rally's that are held in California. You are living in the hot bed of Vintage Trailers. You can network with other owners of the same brand and model to exchange ideas, questions, and parts. Owners know where "parts trailers" are located. It's a very helpful hobby, and owners like to share information.
Please be careful of the unique anodized skin on your trailer. It's unique to Boles Aero. The gold anodized pebble finish aluminum is also unique. They are both very difficult to source. Don't just start hammering on the skins.
I would bet your rear subfloor was ruined by the leaking bathroom plumbing and shower fiberglass.
It is true that your riveted skin trailer will be rebuilt from the inside unlike 99% of the Stick and Tin trailers on VTT. Please do not just gut your trailer. Take your time to DE-CONSTRUCT the interior. Take measurements, take photos, record everything, even the stuff you will be reconfiguring. You will need this information when you start putting it back together. There are NO Shop Manuals for reference.
CA Registration, DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO YOUR TRAILER until you have obtained your new CA Title and current CA registration. Your CA coach registration is about $150/yr. The Title is about $50. It's very likely that your trailer has expired registration on the records. The "past due registrations" and the "penalties" stay with the trailer for seven years. You could be hit with more in delinquent fees than the trailer was worth. Make sure you do the registration step before you take the restoration step.
IMO, never go through the DMV with something difficult like a old trailer, pay the small fee to hire a provet registration service. They are listed as VIN# varifier's, they will sometimes come to you to classify the trailer. They charge a fee from $35 to $60 plus the CA DMV fees. It's worth it to deal with someone that wants to help you through the process, unlike the DMV.
Does your Boles Aero have Hydrallic brake system? It's actually a hydraulic parking brake. Not a Hydrallic surge brake. I would eliminate it and install electric Dexster brakes that will work with a modern brake controller. They work well and are very trouble free. Just use chalks when parking.
I would recommend the screw type stabilizers be installed under your trailer, nothing is nicer or handier.
Your vintage leaf springs are very likely better steel than anything you will install today. Just have the springs rebuilt and be sure they replace the main leaves with the spring eyes. Every town that does semi-truck repairs will have access to a spring shop. Do not purchase off the shelf springs.
Make sure you purchase "trailer weight rated" wheels and that they have the correct hub center hole opening. Tandem axle wheels/tires have to take lots of side load abuse in turning and during backing. Dexstar is the wheel brand. Etrailer, and VTS (vintage trailer supply) are good sources. ETrailer has free shipping on a $100 minimum order which will save you plenty on shipping wheels. Buy quality tires that are correctly weight rated. Many trailer tires are only speed rated for 55 MPH. Always make sure when replacing parts that you leave yourself a safety cushion There's nothing wrong with running 70 MPH "rated tires" on a trailer that will be towed at 55 to 60 MPH. When your towing on Hwy 166 from the Central Valley to the coast, and it's 125 degrees out you will appreciate the safety cushing you used in purchasing your replacement parts.
Amazon is a good source for a eight foot long "molded end" seven-way chord with a plastic terminal box. Mount the terminal box under the trailer (it won't melt from your aluminum skin reflection) and the eight-foot length will be plenty for any style of weight distribution hitch you might use now or in the future. Good time to replace the old break away switch.
Your trailers frame was built by Zeman Trailer's in Whittier, CA for Boles Aero. They are a very old company and still in business today making heavy duty construction trailers. I mention this because you will find the Zeman numbers on the trailer tongue and it might confuse the registration process. The bare frames were delivered to Bole Aero for the rest of the trailer build in Burbank/Glendale. I had a 1967 Bole Aero Miramar before I found my current Spartan trailer to restore.
You missed a good opportunity this past weekend to visit with other Boles Aero owners, network, and walk through their trailers. It was the annual Pismo Vintage Trailer Rally.
Your trailer is very closely built like Airstream, Boles Aero, Spartan, SilverStreaks, Streamliners, Argosy, Curtis Wright, and a handful of others. Most of the "Chatter" of these brands is on Face Book.
Next chapter is next week. JOhn Palmer
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Post by vikx on May 21, 2024 11:48:04 GMT -8
As Teachndad stated in a previous post, we indeed have a for sale/trade/wanted section. It is restricted to Jr. members and above. This is to prevent scammers flooding our section with erroneous "sale" items...
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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 May 21, 2024 20:45:36 GMT -8
As Teachndad stated in a previous post, we indeed have a for sale/trade/wanted section. It is restricted to Jr. members and above. This is to prevent scammers flooding our section with erroneous "sale" items... I apologize, I misspoke. The VTT does have a For Sale Section, it's just that "it's inactive" with two-year-old posted ads. It's a resource for member's only if we become more active in posting and asking questions. It has to be current and active to be of any benefit to the buyers or sellers. Just an opinion, John Palmer
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rc3
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1963 Boles Aero 310-B
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Post by rc3 on May 22, 2024 6:48:49 GMT -8
John, and VikX, Thank you for all of that information. I did not realize this forum was mainly for stick and skin trailers but It seems like there are many knowledgeable people here in general and there is a decent amount of crossover on frame, brakes, utilities, etc.. You answered many questions I had thought of but had not even written down yet, especially pertaining to the brake system and frame. I will try to get the registration and title sorted out first thing. There is no title currently. There is one placard on the trailer but I think the main placard with VIN information had fallen off. I will take some pics today and investigate. I know the DMV is tough, and I will likely go through a third party as you suggest, to work through not having a title. I dont think this has been registered in more than 15 years at least.
Im sad I missed that vintage trailer rally, I do need to get tapped in with some local trailer owners. A parts trailer would be awesome to find since I need to replace some of the exterior utility vents and maybe some aluminum skin here and there.
I will post more follow up... soon.
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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 May 22, 2024 8:04:15 GMT -8
The Central Valley is a big place at about 300 miles long. But it is the core of the Vintage Trailer hobby. I know of at least five guys in the southern end, near Bakersfield that would be great resources for you. You can find the Vintage Trailer rally schedule at the Vintage Camper Trailers magazine site. They post the national rally calendar and keep it updated with information they receive.
The VIN# should not have fallen off, it's stamped into your frame rail on the passenger/curbside of the frame tongue. You will find it. If this trailer does not show any DMV registration activity in the last 15 years your golden, as it has fallen off of the DMV tracking system and any past due DMV fees disappear. Note, you are not looking for a modern 17 digit VIN#. That universal DOT vehicle identification system did not start into the early 1980's. You are looking for a Serial Number that will be used for the DMV identification number. It's not in your best interest to accept a NEW CALIFORNIA ASSIGNED VIN NUMBER blue sticker registering your vintage trailer as a 2024 trailer. You have a vintage trailer make sure the new title states exactly the brand, model, year, and size trailer you have. You might have to supply the DMV with the documentation to prove this information. The privet registration is a much better route.
Good luck with your project.
John Palmer
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rc3
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1963 Boles Aero 310-B
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Post by rc3 on May 22, 2024 21:55:30 GMT -8
I checked the frame rail in the location you mentioned and found the Zeman number I believe, you can make out "Whittier". From my research I think the Aero serial number was riveted to the right of the door closest to front of the trailer, and this is where I mentioned it looked like something fell off or was removed...directly adjacent to the door knob and below the handle. On the back of the trailer there is this California division of housing ID. Could any part of this count as a serial number for registration purposes? The license plate was not from this trailer, it was just put there to transport by the seller to avoid attention from the CHP... although the registration was from '88 so i dont know how helpful that would be. And where the trailer was purchased, im assuming... Im hoping there is a way to still register, aside from having a new VIN provided... I will look into it more.
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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 May 23, 2024 6:52:35 GMT -8
LOL, the fun part is the journey, just look at all of the useless Boles Aero trivia you have learned in the past week. Things you never even thought about previously. Just have fun with the search and see where it leads you.
The Zeman number is the frame manufacturer, not the number that was used by the DMV for registration purposes "I believe". I mentioned it previously because it can be confusing. Spartan did not use the serial number that was stamped into their frames for registration, it was on the front door jamb held on by two very small screws.
By chance have you searched the interior of the trailer for any old registration paperwork that might give you the registration number?
The missing tag below your front door handle I do not believe was the serial number tag, I coluld be wrong, ask other Boles Aero Mira Mar owners to confirm. It could have been mounted inside the front door on the trailer door jamb.
The California Housing tag does not have any of the information you need. It was just another way for California to fleece money for vehicle owners under the "guise of safety".
John Palmer
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rc3
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Post by rc3 on May 23, 2024 7:52:34 GMT -8
Every good project is half useless trivia and half enriching learning experience! Luckily I am also a fan of useless data! I have a picture of another Boles Aero serial number. This is why i think it goes in that blank space by the door handle. Ive seen the same tag there on other trailers. I feel like someone removed it on purpose, for what reason I have no idea.
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rc3
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1963 Boles Aero 310-B
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Post by rc3 on May 23, 2024 7:56:16 GMT -8
One of the coolest things I have found so far are the original HEHR window service manuals and gaskets on this website vintagetrailergaskets.com/42-1966-1986-airstream-gaskets I took pictures of all the window model numbers stamped into the frames to cross reference with the service manuals to download all I need from the site and spruce these guys up. Will need to have some replacement glass made also but only for 4 panes luckily.
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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.
Posts: 1,706
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Post by John Palmer on May 23, 2024 9:34:40 GMT -8
One of the coolest things I have found so far are the original HEHR window service manuals and gaskets on this website vintagetrailergaskets.com/42-1966-1986-airstream-gaskets I took pictures of all the window model numbers stamped into the frames to cross reference with the service manuals to download all I need from the site and spruce these guys up. Will need to have some replacement glass made also but only for 4 panes luckily. Please note that 99% of the seals shown on that page are generic "peal and stick" foam weather stripping that anyone can get on Amazon. IMO, it's always a better, and longer lasting repair to seek out the actual reproduction "extruded formed seals" that are unique for each brand and model of window. Leave the Peal and Stick stuff as a last resort. John Palmer
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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.
Posts: 1,706
Likes: 600
Currently Offline
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Post by John Palmer on May 23, 2024 9:43:52 GMT -8
That's exactly what you are looking for. The 260 is the model number denoting that it was 26', and the "E" is the floorplan number.
You're going to have a tough time finding or figuring out a substitute Serial Number tag. It's strange to me to see that the tag was only "Pop Riveted" on in that photo. The DMV, and/or the CHP inspection station would not be impressed as the tag could be easily changed using only common Pop Rivets. At some point someone that is authorized by the state will be inspecting that tag during your registration process.
Just make sure you get this all sorted out before you spend time and money on the trailer.
John
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John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
Posts: 1,706
Likes: 600
Currently Offline
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Post by John Palmer on May 23, 2024 11:29:40 GMT -8
One of the coolest things I have found so far are the original HEHR window service manuals and gaskets online. I took pictures of all the window model numbers stamped into the frames to cross reference with the service manuals to download all I need from the site and spruce these guys up. Will need to have some replacement glass made also but only for 4 panes luckily. Make certain that you obtain replacement panes that are the "same thickness". It's common today for glass companies to use what they call double thick glass (it's a term not actually Double Thick) and it will not fit into your extruded aluminum frame channels with the proper window seals. ACE Hardware is a good source for the original "thin glass", just do not tell them it's going to be installed near a door, because it's not safety glass. IMO, never use Tempered glass because if you get a rock chip it can shatter into a million pieces which are difficult to clean up. If using normal glass and you get a rock chip and a cracked window while on a trip, you can do a Temporary Repair by just using some clear box tape until you get back home. John
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rc3
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1963 Boles Aero 310-B
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Post by rc3 on May 27, 2024 10:29:02 GMT -8
Thanks for the tips on the glass John. I was thinking of taking a sample piece with me to make sure it matches exactly. On the gasket website I also see a very in depth flow chart of all the types of gaskets used over the decades, I thought that was pretty interesting. And best news is I think I found my serial number! On the top of the frame on the drivers side behind the propane tanks and before the body of the trailer itself - Here it is! Its only 5 numbers which is weird because other examples I have seen have 6, but It seems pretty clear to me! The other weird thing are the other seemingly random numbers around it, like someone got crazy with the stamper. Also started deconstruction and Im finally grasping the way things go together. Seems like floor, walls, ceiling then cabinetry.
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