jannica
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Post by jannica on May 16, 2014 14:30:28 GMT -8
So, I was planning to order a new roof from Hemet Valley RV for my 1961 Shasta Compact, and now I'm considering going all out and ordering all new skin. Does anyone happen to have measurements for the 1961 Shasta Compact that you have used for ordering new skin? I have asked 61 Shasta in another thread, but I figured I should pose the question to a larger audience in hopes of finding someone who can assist. I just want to be absolutely sure I get the measurements right so I don't end up short. Also, I'm considering keeping the top half silver instead of painting white. Would this make the camper hotter in the summer or would it not make a difference? I was inspired by the camper below. It looks so cute with the top half silver, the white stripe, and the bottom half painted pink. I'm considering painting the bottom half of mine a grayish purple. I love purple, what can I say!   |
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on May 16, 2014 15:15:40 GMT -8
Just curious why you would not just measure your trailer for the replacement size?
I would not trust any measurement from another trailer, or even the "opposite side" of your trailer to buy replacement skin. Measure it twice, and leave about three inches extra all the way around when ordering. A few extra inches will not cost nearly as much as a few inches short.
I would also order new skin for the door, and not count on using the skin you cut out of the wall.
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jannica
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Post by jannica on May 16, 2014 15:25:24 GMT -8
Thanks John. I've already measured it myself, I just wanted to see if anyone else had measurements of the same year trailer to compare mine to. You're probably right though, even the same year and make trailer might have different measurements! I noticed that mine sticks out a little further on one side in the back...weird. Thanks for the advice on the door, I wasn't sure if that would work or if I should order a separate piece.
Any thoughts on the effects of leaving the top half unpainted? Just wondering if that would make it hotter inside..
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on May 16, 2014 15:39:30 GMT -8
Ditto, John. And absolutely order extra for the door. When we got all new skin for Hamlet, it came pre-primed, so we didn't have the option of the shiny for the top. It looks great, but it will oxidize over time - sort of a maintenance nightmare. I doubt that it would make a lot of difference as far as temp inside the trailer goes.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on May 16, 2014 15:40:29 GMT -8
Thanks John. I've already measured it myself, I just wanted to see if anyone else had measurements of the same year trailer to compare mine to. You're probably right though, even the same year and make trailer might have different measurements! I noticed that mine sticks out a little further on one side in the back...weird. Thanks for the advice on the door, I wasn't sure if that would work or if I should order a separate piece. Any thoughts on the effects of leaving the top half unpainted? Just wondering if that would make it hotter inside.. I'm not an engineer, but it's my opinion that "how you insulate it" will have a greater difference than "the color, or the finish". For example, you can hold a Styrofoam coffee cup and not burn yourself even if it was painted black. Dark colored motorcycle helmets are not hotter to wear than white motorcycle helmets, due to the insulation.
I have a 1958 Mallard that was skinned with clear coated "pre-polished" aluminum metal from Hemet Valley, and it is not hotter inside. But it does have 1 1/2" of Styrofoam in the walls and the roof.
I would also consider using a pre-polished rock guard skin on the lower front. I'm very happy with the finish durability so far.
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jannica
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Post by jannica on May 16, 2014 15:46:20 GMT -8
Thanks John! Yes, I was looking at the pre-polished aluminum on the Hemet Valley website and thinking of ordering that. It's so shiny and would look great on Junebug!
I would also consider using a pre-polished rock guard skin on the lower front. I'm very happy with the finish durability so far.
Do you mean the diamond plate rock guard? Or is there a certain kind of aluminum that matches the rest of the skin for the rock guard area? If there's something I can get that matches vs the diamond plate, that would be really cool. |
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on May 16, 2014 16:04:35 GMT -8
Thanks John! Yes, I was looking at the pre-polished aluminum on the Hemet Valley website and thinking of ordering that. It's so shiny and would look great on Junebug!
I would also consider using a pre-polished rock guard skin on the lower front. I'm very happy with the finish durability so far.
Do you mean the diamond plate rock guard? Or is there a certain kind of aluminum that matches the rest of the skin for the rock guard area? If there's something I can get that matches vs the diamond plate, that would be really cool. Everybody has their own idea of what "looks cool", it's not my trailer, LOL.
To me, the diamond plate finish has been "over done", and also has the industrial look.
Hemet Valley has a textured pebble "bubble finish" "pre-polished" skin that matches the polished smooth skin. Call Steve, and have him mail you a sample of each style of skin.
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Post by vikx on May 16, 2014 21:12:14 GMT -8
I agree with John on the diamond plate. Something a little less "in your face" would look nice. Haven't used a rock guard on mine, but some of them could use one. LOL.
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jannica
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Post by jannica on May 17, 2014 6:23:19 GMT -8
Ditto, John. And absolutely order extra for the door. When we got all new skin for Hamlet, it came pre-primed, so we didn't have the option of the shiny for the top. It looks great, but it will oxidize over time - sort of a maintenance nightmare. I doubt that it would make a lot of difference as far as temp inside the trailer goes. Do you think it will oxidize even with the "pre-polished" kind? Sounds like it has a clear coat as John was saying so I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. |
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on May 17, 2014 6:50:49 GMT -8
Ditto, John. And absolutely order extra for the door. When we got all new skin for Hamlet, it came pre-primed, so we didn't have the option of the shiny for the top. It looks great, but it will oxidize over time - sort of a maintenance nightmare. I doubt that it would make a lot of difference as far as temp inside the trailer goes. Do you think it will oxidize even with the "pre-polished" kind? Sounds like it has a clear coat as John was saying so I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. It has been my experience that the "pre-polished" skin from Hemet Valley has a "clear coat" on both sides. This will prevent aluminum oxidation, but it's also important that if you paint either side, you HAVE to sand it for paint to stick. I sand it to 320/400 to give the paint "some tooth" to adhere. The down side with the coated polished skin is you cannot "sand out and buff" a small scratch due to the coating. I have about six months of outside exposure on the 1958 Mallard trailer with pre-polished, and so far and it's holding up well.
On an other trailer (a 1953 Aljoa) I had them roll the brake pattern on the backside of the normal Polar White painted material. This gave me a "Mill Finish", it has set outside for three years and the clear coat has held up great. It's an option that I would "do again".
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jannica
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Post by jannica on May 17, 2014 7:04:21 GMT -8
Thanks John, that's really helpful. I am planning to paint the bottom half at least, so I will keep that in mind when I get ready for that step. Glad to hear that the clear coat helps to prevent it from oxidizing. Due to the humid and rainy climate in Houston, I'm keeping my trailer under a tarp and then a cover on top of that at all times. Once I'm done restoring, I plan to store it under a carport with the cover on it as well when I'm not using it. Hopefully this will help the skin to look beautiful longer.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on May 17, 2014 8:13:00 GMT -8
John's right, with the clear coat, you won't need to polish. Jump in and enjoy your shiny trailer!
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61 Shasta
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Post by 61 Shasta on May 17, 2014 18:52:58 GMT -8
After reading the above, I guess I only have one question. Why order extra for the door? When I installed my new skin, it was a simple matter to cut out the door opening and utilize the skin from that to fab my door. Everything matched and it lined up perfectly. Just curious.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on May 17, 2014 21:56:13 GMT -8
After reading the above, I guess I only have one question. Why order extra for the door? When I installed my new skin, it was a simple matter to cut out the door opening and utilize the skin from that to fab my door. Everything matched and it lined up perfectly. Just curious. Your absolutely correct, you MIGHT not need the extra metal.
But taking a chance to save twenty bucks, on a two thousand dollar purchase is not worth the chance of coming up short, IMO. If you needed to place a reorder, you would have to pay for the second "set up charge", and "pay for the extra boxing, and shipping" on a small piece that could have easily been placed inside the original order.
It really all depends on how you skin the new door.
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jannica
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Post by jannica on May 18, 2014 11:40:49 GMT -8
Yeah, I'd rather be safe than sorry and avoid having to pay another set up fee and shipping. If I was able to get my new skin in person it wouldn't be a big deal, but the shipping cost is half the cost for the new skin unfortunately.
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