Wall attachment to trailer frame

[podmo]

Hi, all:

I have a '72 Compact with a lot of rot on the wooden sill that appears to hold the walls to the frame of the trailer. I can push a screwdriver right through them in some spots. I don't have an enclosure that would allow me to remove the skin or walls to work on this.

Can anyone suggest a way that the sill might be replaced a section at a time without tearing the whole trailer apart? Would the remainder of the structure provide enough support to hold the rest of the wall together while a portion of this lower sill was removed? Could this be done one wall at a time from inside the trailer?

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. The camper is useable, as is, but I envision the whole thing just crumpling off of its foundation someday like an old barn.

Pest wishes,

Podmo

[dawgpound]

Yes you can do 90% of the frame repairs from the inside. There will be times that you will need to "Peel Back" the skin. This will make it easier to make the repairs in the corners.

Here are 2 photo albums of my projects. The skin stayed in place when I rebuilt our Compact. However, because of the prior work that the previous owner started, I had no choice but to do some serious peeling back of the skin.
picasaweb.google.com/Tearjerkers2004/1971ShastaCompact#
picasaweb.google.com/Tearjerkers2004/1970Starflyte
picasaweb.google.com/Tearjerkers2004/StarflyteUpdatePictures

I too, do not have a nice dry place to rebuild my vintage trailers. I have to rely on tarps and good weather, until I can get the trailers "Dried In".

[podmo]

Great pictures and great advice. Many thanks.

Pod

[cowcharge]

No shed here, either. I replaced both pieces for wall and floor from the outside by peeling up the bottom edges of the skin. Did them in sections, from rear corner to wheel well, wheel well to door. The problem with only peeling back one section of skin at a time is you tend to get creases in it from trying to get that last half-inch of space to keep from slitting your wrists on the aluminum, unless you undo the whole length of skin at once. And make sure you jack the wall back up into its non-saggy position before you mount the new wood. Don't depend on the studs over the wheel wells to support the whole wall in its proper position.

[sailbird]

How are the outside walls attached to the frame. I don't seem to have rot, but I can see through to the ground!

[boandsusan]

Our 72 had treated 2x4`s attached to the metal frame with bolts. The wall framing was attached to the 2x4 with screws. If you can see thru to the ground (walls separated from flooring), its rot imo.

[vikx]

Yup, what Susan said...

[sailbird]

It is the outside skin that does not seem to be attached. I also see no screws nor any indication that there ever were any!

[dawgpound]

Sometimes spiral nails were used to attach the framing to the floor, as well as the roof, front & rear walls to the side walls. Short staples were used to attach the skin to the framing.

Hope this helps,
Ross

[vikx]

If the skin is loose, the wood is compromised, no matter the fasteners.

I agree: Most of the time, the older trailers used Dreaded Twisty Nails, some staples, others, nails.