|
Post by brokevet on Mar 9, 2013 20:56:55 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by universalexports on Mar 9, 2013 21:43:25 GMT -5
never heard of anyone doing it that way, the ones I have seen, people remove the roof, walls etc. until their is just a floor and frame. then do a from the ground up rebuild. but I guess anything is possible.
|
|
Hamlet
2K Post Member
Posts: 2,241
|
Post by Hamlet on Mar 9, 2013 21:44:15 GMT -5
I don't know that anyone has ever tried this. If the floor is rotten all around the edges, then the board that runs around the edge is probably going to need replacing as well. Vikx, Soup, Mobiltec, and others who have lots of experience with frame-on restorations are going to be your best bet here. Hamlet would only be able to suggest carefully taking off all the skin, deconstructing the top and sides, fixing all the damage and rebuilding from the repaired floor up. In the long run, it may be easier and less time consuming to take it all apart. Good luck!
|
|
cowcharge
1K Post Member
I suffer from Shastasomiasis.
Posts: 1,471
|
Post by cowcharge on Mar 10, 2013 9:30:33 GMT -5
It looks like you have half the skin off already, so might as well go all the way... But that said, I rebuilt my entire floor, wall bottoms and rear corner frames from the inside by only opening up the bottom seams, and it wasn't that hard. Use some "t" braces under the ceiling to keep the walls from sagging.
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 10, 2013 17:23:46 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 10, 2013 17:27:08 GMT -5
Is that metal strip that screws on where front and sides come together expensive? Mine could all be used again. But it is brush painted with grey house paint. I would have to strip it all.
And awning rail. Is that hard to find? Mine is all bent up.
|
|
Hamlet
2K Post Member
Posts: 2,241
|
Post by Hamlet on Mar 10, 2013 18:02:07 GMT -5
No, the aluminum J-rail is not expensive. You can order it online, or (better) from an RV repair place, if you have one near you. Lots of people have unbent, straightened, polished and reused existing rail, but it's a fair amount of work, even for a really small trailer. Awning rail can be procured from the RV repair as well.
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 18, 2013 6:16:34 GMT -5
I drove the trailer out from under the camper. I took off the bottom piece of skin on both sides. Disconnected pipe and wires. I replaced the Curb side framing already. Still need to fix some of the street wall. I pulled the nails and took off aluminum cleats holding wall to floor. Took a jack and a 5 foot piece of 2 by 4 and jacked up where ceiling meets wall inside. Lifted it enough to put two small pieces of 2 by 4 under wall frame on all four corners. Then I slid 10 foot 2 by 8's across the floor under the walls. Then jacked up each corner again and set it all on these 2 by 8's. I squared everything. Screwed walls to the 2 by 8's. Screwed some cross braces to the walls and 2 by 8's. Then with some blocks. A floor jack. And some Black and Decker Workmates... I lifted it all until it would clear the wheel wells. Then hooked up my van and just drove it out from under the camper. s1285.beta.photobucket.com/user/brokevet/media/P3170381_zps39c82ca6.jpg.html?sort=3&o=7Now to do the floor. I will take off all the wood. Clean and paint the frame and inspect everything. I will get rid of the sheet aluminum belly pan. I heard it traps moisture. What should I use in place of it? I am going to use foam insulation. 2 by 2's and 2 by 4's for the framing. What plywood is the lightest? I was thinking of doubling Luan. That would give me 11mm of deck. I could use extra 2 by 2's in the walking areas.
|
|
Hamlet
2K Post Member
Posts: 2,241
|
Post by Hamlet on Mar 18, 2013 11:32:56 GMT -5
Brokevet, no disrespect intended at all, but you might want to rethink the 2x2 and 2x4 framing and doubling luan for the floor. These trailers were designed to be lightweight and simple. The original framing does not need "beefing up" unless you are planning to add something heavy to either the roof or a wall. We added an extra brace when we installed the on-demand water heater on the wall in Hamlet's closet/bathroom.
Hamlet's original subfloor was plain old 5/8" plywood, and that's what we replaced it with. Don't know about the belly pan, ours didn't have one.
The rigidity and strength in these trailers came from how the trailer was put together, not the size of the wood used for the frame. The subfloor was bolted to the chassis, then the walls, complete with paneling, were put up. The whole thing was VERY flimsy until the cross "beams" on the roof, front and back were added. Extra braces were added for the roof vent/fan. Then the birch (or paneling) on the ceiling. Additional strength was obtained by the addition of the cupboard walls and benches.
The result was a strong, stable aluminum-covered wood box. There will always be the threat of water intrusion into areas around seams and windows. Nothing but vigilance can prevent the same problems with a rebuild as the originals had.
Good luck, whatever you decide to do!
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 18, 2013 12:37:14 GMT -5
My floor has a 10 foot 2 by 2 on each side. A 7 foot 2 by 4 front and rear. I will replace these plus the 2 by 4's in the center just like stock. At my home Depot. 6 sheets of Luan is $51.60. 3 sheets of 5/8" Plywood is $86.94. I was trying to save money. 5/8" is .625. 11mm is .443. That is thinner and lighter. But is it strong enough to walk on?
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 18, 2013 16:56:15 GMT -5
Down to frame now. s1285.photobucket.com/user/brokevet/media/P3180391_zpsa3a43d73.jpg.html?sort=3&o=7The factory installed 11 Carriage Bolts to hold the floor on. Only four were left. Took the grinder and took the heads off. Then punched them out through the bottom. Then stood the 7 by 10 floor up against a tree. See the bottom is the same aluminum as the roof is. I went locally to look for something for skins. 19 gauge is what I have. 40 Gauge is all I can buy. Will make it heavy.
|
|
Hamlet
2K Post Member
Posts: 2,241
|
Post by Hamlet on Mar 18, 2013 19:56:14 GMT -5
Hmm, thought we'd replied to your other one. Sorry about the 2x4 thing, when we went to look at pics, the site was down for maintenance, so we didn't realize you were talking about the floor (duh).
Not sure about the luan. Our concern would be whether it'd be stable enough to handle bumpy roads, etc, without disrupting the rest of the trailer. You can get the lighter weight aluminum for the skin (pre-breaked) from an RV repair place, and others will have some other sources. You did the carriage bolts right. We wound up with a trip to the ER and a hand full of stitches!
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 18, 2013 20:30:53 GMT -5
Skins here are 8 feet not the 12 feet I want. And they are painted. I want mill finish where it looks like aluminum. But 40 or 60 Gauge is too heavy and that is all anyone here knows of. I am in Florida not California.
|
|
vikx
3K Post Member
Posts: 3,556
|
Post by vikx on Mar 19, 2013 0:21:46 GMT -5
One thing about the mill finish: it's not MILL. Mine came with some sort of coating on it; it will have to be stripped to match the original skins...
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 19, 2013 21:13:39 GMT -5
I can get rolls of 3 foot wide Mill finish Aluminum here. But that will leave a little piece somewhere.
|
|
|
Post by schweetcruisers on Mar 19, 2013 21:47:55 GMT -5
Skins here are 8 feet not the 12 feet I want. And they are painted. I want mill finish where it looks like aluminum. But 40 or 60 Gauge is too heavy and that is all anyone here knows of. I am in Florida not California. Just an FYI the skins are only painted on one side, request that they run the skins upside down. The gauge is probably .040 which is about thick as a beer can, the higher the gauge the thinner the aluminum is, I think mine was .026. Check this site out, this is how I found the place to make my skin, just scroll down to Florida, Some links are out of date. www.texasrvtravel.com/rv_maintain_parts.htm
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 20, 2013 19:04:05 GMT -5
The aluminum is not gauge I find out. It is thousandths of an inch. So it is .040 or .060. I cannot bend the .060 stuff. It would be good to build Horse Trailers I guess. I will have to get the .040 stuff and make my camper weigh 400 pounds more than it did. I was trying to make it lighter.
|
|
mobiltec
1K Post Member
Restoring The 57 Shasta
Posts: 1,134
|
Post by mobiltec on Mar 21, 2013 17:16:26 GMT -5
The older vintage trailers were made with .019 and the new stuff that I buy is generally .024 or .025. I can just order it made with the paint side down if I want.
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 21, 2013 18:47:00 GMT -5
That Would be nice in California. But I am in Florida 100 miles from a city.
|
|
mobiltec
1K Post Member
Restoring The 57 Shasta
Posts: 1,134
|
Post by mobiltec on Mar 23, 2013 23:30:27 GMT -5
That Would be nice in California. But I am in Florida 100 miles from a city. My metal guy ships if you are interested. Do you get any type of shipping where you are such as UPS or FEDEX?
|
|
|
Post by joecamper on Mar 25, 2013 15:15:26 GMT -5
I am still curius as to how you blocked up the body to roll out the floor and frame. Very clever I like it but I am unconvinced it was that much more work the other way than what youve got yourself into anyway.
JUST A observation I like your enthusiasm and your obvious ability to think outside the box.
What did you use to lift A tree or what LOL
|
|
mobiltec
1K Post Member
Restoring The 57 Shasta
Posts: 1,134
|
Post by mobiltec on Mar 25, 2013 20:57:30 GMT -5
"the higher the gauge the thinner the aluminum is"
Never heard of that with thickness of sheet metal. Only wire. I have been talking hundredths of inches.
|
|
|
Post by schweetcruisers on Mar 25, 2013 21:16:29 GMT -5
|
|
mobiltec
1K Post Member
Restoring The 57 Shasta
Posts: 1,134
|
Post by mobiltec on Mar 26, 2013 13:31:35 GMT -5
I'm just glad I'm not an engineer. I speak in hundredths of inches. According to this chart, the standard of today is 22 guage. The metal I buy is about .025 inches thick. The metal of yesteryear is about .019 inches. That's my story and Im sticking with it. I have never claimed to be an "expert" on any of this. Matter of fact I state that in many of my videos. I only do the videos to help out people who are just as perplexed as I was in the begining. As you can see by watching them, I have NO advertising on my vids. So I make no money posting them. I do have a donation button on my website to help out with the costs but the donations are few and far between. If I had advertising on my videos I would be earning approximately $250 to $300 per month on them. I get over 10,000 views per month on You Tube and You Tube consitantly bugs me about "partnering up". That means that you start to get paid for the ads. I just don't want anyone to think that I know what I'm doing. I've just had a lot of experience and tried just about everything. Even though I deal with a huge RV Metal Manufacturer, this is the first time I have heard of metal being discussed in this manner. Thanks for the Chart Schweet....
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 28, 2013 17:38:52 GMT -5
Been mowing, and fixing fences, and mulching around bushes. I got enough scratch together to go to buy 3 sheets of 5/8" Plywood, 2x4s, 2x2s, foam sheets, and sealer sheets for the bottom. I got all I need to do my floor now!
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Mar 30, 2013 20:37:54 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Apr 2, 2013 17:36:56 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Apr 2, 2013 17:39:27 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Apr 2, 2013 17:40:34 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by brokevet on Apr 2, 2013 17:41:36 GMT -5
|
|