Rebuild order...questions galore

[rentschlerke]

My Shasta is finally gutted and I am using my spring break (I'm a teacher) to try to put half back together. My question comes in trying to understand how to put her back together. I read in another thread that originally the walls were constructed with birch panels attached, thus the birch panel was pinned between the wall frame and the floor frame.

Soo... A) is it alright to start birch panels on top of floor?
B) there is a strip of wood that the bottom lip of the skin attaches to as a wall, does that sit on the aluminum floor outside the wood floor frame and attach to the floor frame?
C) does the aluminum lip sit under the camper and then attach from underneath?

I just find myself staring at it and wishing I would have paid attention a bit better before I dismantled it. Help!!!

[boandsusan]

I can only tell you what we found and did. We totally gutted ours, leaving only the wood frame and upper outside skin. Our walls did not go down between the wood frame of the walls and trailer framing, on the curb and road sides. Meaning, our birch panels only went to the floor and not past it.So I believe the answer to your question, is yes, your birch walls can sit on top of the floor. Our restore is "72 compact, here we go again". Pics seem to help better than words lol. Have fun!

[thehorsepeople4]

Ah...you are like me. It is so much easier if I take the time to take pictures before I disassemble (but always forget to do so) Take a look here and see if there is something here that would be helpful.

www.cannedhamtrailers.com/

Over 40 videos on restoring a Shasta and a Deville. Lots of step by step stuff and tips. There are a volume of wonderful blogs right here on this site that show complete tear down and build ups with great detail. Good luck and post pictures.

[cowcharge]

I think they built them that way for speed in construction, not for strength, so it's not critical to start your panels below floor level. The only problem might be that, assuming you got all the old paneling out of the crack between wall and floor, there's either a gap there now which will weaken the wall/floor joint when you drive over bumps (if your original wall frame remains in place), or the walls are now 1/4" closer together than they were, which might make for some slack aluminum somewhere (if you're replacing the bottom frame of the walls with the same sized lumber). If you're ripping new frames for the bottoms of your walls (I think that's the "strip of wood" you were asking about that the aluminum skin wraps under), you could rip them an 1/8" wider to make up the difference, and attach the studs on the outside edge, so the "extra" wood on the wall frame replaces the thickness of the old paneling that used to be in the crack (assuming 1/8" paneling)...

[61 Shasta]

rentshlerke, I appreciate your frustration. Not knowing which trailer you have, I really can't help much. However, if it will help at all I am including the URL to my rebuild which show some photo's of the relationship of the floor to the sidewalls. Most times these sidewalls were constructed laying on the floor and the birch panels were attached to the wall structure then the whole thing was put in place and attached to the frame work so the panels ended up between the floor and the wall structure. If you are leaving your walls standing and simply attaching new paneling it don't matter if they go between the wall structure and the floor. Good luck. If my pictures help and I can answer any questions please feel free to PM me and I will try. I am still in the rebuild process so if need be I might be able to get some photo's which would be more help. Good luck.
1961shastacompactrestoration.shutterfly.com/pictures/8