where to start with my rebuild

Here's what I tell newbies when they start:

When restoring or repairing a vintage trailer, you must start from the OUTSIDE and work your way in. You must leave the cabinets, closets and other interior items in place because they provide the structural integrity of the trailer. 

In order to safely and properly repair rot or water damage in a trailer you need to start with removing the skins and shoring up the frame while it is still supported by the interior. You also need to check the boards that hold the body to the frame which are called skirt board (this one is the bottom board of the trailer body) and the sill board (which is attached to the frame to nail or screw the body to) as these are likely to be rotted also. 

Here is a thread that tells you the names of the trailer frame parts: vintagetrailertalk.freeforums.net/thread/1093/vintage-trailer-framing

But before you even remove a piece of skin, paneling or anything else please, please check out these following two resources that are available from members of this forum who restore and repair vintage trailers for a living. They have been a complete life saver not just for me, but for many others. You have no idea of what can happen if a trailer is not repaired correctly, but one thing is you can be driving down the road and the entire body of the trailer will come off the frame like this one did:



The first resource is mobiltec. He makes videos and posts them on YouTube of his work sharing how to do everything on a trailer from start to finish. His website is: www.cannedhamtrailers.com and I recommend you watch this video first so you better understand why these things have to be repaired from the outside in: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdpZgSD1JM . He does all these videos for free to help others who are interested in vintage trailers, but he does appreciate donations from his website if you feel he's been a help and are so inclined.

Next is a wonderful repair manual put together by another long time member that restores trailers, whose forum name is vikx. You can find the manual here : vintagetrailerrepairmanual.weebly.com
My husband doesn't do computers so this manual has become very important to him as we work to do a frame off restoration of our 57 Westerner Deluxe travel trailer.

So to summarize, start with mobiltec's videos about removing the skin and repairing the framework. Then the floor will figure into that area most likely also. If I have any of this wrong then I'm sure mobiltec or vikx will pipe in and set you straight. I'm super glad you asked about where to start before just tearing into it, some people have had to tear out work they did because they were doing it wrong.

The best advice I ever got was LEARN what to do first, then take one bite at a time.

Post a few photos. It's the best way to get specific advice.

By the way, I wish I had the advice above before starting my first camper. I think this is the first time I've given three "likes" in a row.

Hi, would like to jump in here as this is where we are too. Introduced myself recently tackling a 62 traveleze. Still working on a carport so the trip home is a couple weeks away still. Thanks viks for the summary. I plan on taking off the trim, windows etc. exterior and then the water tank, water heater and misc plumbing I'll be replacing and then starting outside in from the rear, where the most obvious rot problems are. I have a couple questions. On the side skin there is a seam above the wheel well. If I detach below that will that joint separate or should I just fold it up if the upper part appears ok? 
Also, under the floor is that old fiberboard kind of flopping around. Most is intact except a couple areas near the edges. Should I cut all of it away between the frame areas to see the plywood and if the floor can be saved just reseal it with Henry's or something? Thanks. 

Roadtripper, the seam will come apart. The way that type of camper is skinned is from the top down. So, the top skins are attached at the top and edges and the Pittsburg "lip" stapled at the bottom. (trailers are framed so that there is wood behind) The next piece of skin is inserted up and into the Pittsburg groove and stapled at the sides and lip. This continues until the bottom piece is in place.

On the belly, you can probably patch the floppy places. You'll know more when you start the teardown. It's hard to know until you figure out if the upper floor is bad. I'm guessing you'll find a few surprises...