1960s 13' Comet Travel Trailer

Update time:

$800+ later and the trailer FRAME is roadworthy, at least.  It got new brakes, new tires, all new 7 plug harness, all the lights are functional, a new safety chain was welded on, and the underbody was inspected.  I also had them seal the roof (yes, with goop), install the Fantastic Fan, plus the Maxxair hood. 

First, a pic taken the day I brought her back from the trailer shop:


The door window managed to fall out on my 2nd trip home from the trailer place- which made me SO happy (not!).  The light grey U channel holding it in place disintegrated, so the lower glass fell out of its sliding frame.  Luckily, the old aluminum screen (without a spline holding it in place, btw) managed to catch the glass and prevent it from falling out of the actual door and shattering.  It was pouring down rain, of course, so I quickly threw together a 'ghetto' repair using a sheet of titanium, duct tape, and a black garbage bag.  Here's the ugly-as-sin results, lol:



I probably should have taken the photo BEFORE I taped it up.  Oops.  LOL  Can anyone possibly help me locate replacement seals for my door?  I need those black things, as well as this flimsy light grey plastic U channel that the glass itself rests in.  Help?

The windows themselves will need all new seals- can anyone please tell me what kind of seals I need?  Here are some pics:



See the seal that's rotted away at the very top of the window?  I need to know what this is and where to find it...



I also need to locate the seals for the BOTTOM of these windows- there are remnants of some kind of seal there, but what kind it is/was, I have no idea.



There is some kind of grey stuff holding each window in place; over the last 40-50 years, it's shriveled up and pulled away from the window (it's worse on the other windows).  I need to find a replacement so that I can ensure no more windows fall out!!

I mentioned that the trailer frame is roadworthy- that's true enough, but the CAMPER itself is far from it.  I was inside it during a heavy rainstorm, and started poking around.  The entire front of the thing is more or less rotted away under the sheet metal, and the back end is just as bad.  The sides are iffy, too.  There is NOTHING holding the windows in place, except the sheet metal.  One of the kitchen drawer supports has pulled away from the rotted wood, and my cute lil' kitchen curtain rod fell down because there's nothing but wet sawdust for it to screw into.



I got curious and pulled away that crusty old vinyl...and saw this.  (Pic is of the left rear corner)





The pics may not show it, but water was literally POURING down the inside of the wall.  I haven't sealed the windows, rear & side seams, lights, and J rail, as I plan on removing it later and using either U channel or a combo of U channel and wood to redo the framing.

The front of this thing is even scarier:



Guys, there is something ALIVE on that wood!


I don't know what that is- some kind of slime mold or fungus?  But it's gross, and it's in my galley...YUCK!  (I nuked it with bleach and Lysol and it's still glaring at me.)

The guy at the trailer place said this camper was easily worth 15,000+ if it was done right (which I am starting to question at this point- does that even sound legit to any of you??).  I plan on shoring it up enough to make an 800 mile drive to Houston this winter, where my uncle (who has rebuilt tons of RVs, campers and trailers), his sons and I will tear it apart and completely redo it from the frame up.  It needs new wiring, the plumbing leaks (of course), I think the freshwater tank leaks, the city water inlet needs to be moved, the gravity freshwater tank inlet is broken, and there's that minor matter of all the wood being rotten.  Totally not a big deal...right?  hahahaha

Well, you are really lucky to have an Uncle who will rebuild this trailer for you! It really needs it. The rot you've found is just the beginning.

Unfortunately, "goop" on the roof does not prevent leaks. It is a nice money maker for the RV shops, people think it "seals" but it is used to reflect UV rays and can cause roof metal damage. If you can't remove the goop, new metal is recommended for the rebuild.

Most windows don't leak that badly. They will all need new RV putty as will the J rail/edge trim. You might be able to get some of the seals thru Vintage Trailer Supply, measure the grooves very exactly.

As far as worth, if it is to you, then that's great! Resale value may be different. A 15K price tag is hard to get these days on all but the nicest restorations.

And congrats on learning to back. It will get easier every time...

All you need is WINGS!!

Sounds like it's going to be a wonderful little trailer. If the pipe you're talking about is to drain the sink, I'd replace it with a more flexible hose type. Also absolutely agree about removing the trap-overkill and annoying in a small trailer.

As said before, we're here to help. Looking forward to that.