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Post by nebtanhai on May 19, 2013 21:50:09 GMT -5
Notice the bottom left, the dent? That happened this weekend while we spent 2 hours getting off a muddy road we trapped ourselves on. How do you fix this?
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Gone Kayaking
1K Post Member
long live the Vintage Shasta Trailer Forum....we're gone but you are not forgotten!
Posts: 1,600
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Post by Gone Kayaking on May 19, 2013 23:45:06 GMT -5
Ouch! You're gonna have to peel up the skin and see if any damage was done to the framimg and repair that. Looks like you have one skin piece that goes along the bottom third of yours...you should just be able to replace that piece of skin.
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soup
1K Post Member
Posts: 1,768
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Post by soup on May 20, 2013 6:04:09 GMT -5
IMHO, you won't be able to find gold colored, diamond patterned skin to replace with new so repair is THE option. So lets get started. First look up in the restorations section and framing sections for units that are being worked, like yours, so you can preview what you will be dealing with. Next after deciding you are DIY, jack, level, stabilize your camper. Remove bottom trim rail. Remove bottom piece of gold colored skin. Be careful not to bend or rip it at the wheel well area when handleing off unit. It is now you will discover the whole bottom wood frame stick is usually just black dust from rot if it hasn't already been replaced before. You will now need to replace all damaged wood framing from rot or accident. Once that is accomplished you will need to "Bang" out all the dents with a auto body hammer and solid surface or dolly to smooth the skin piece out or smooth best as you can. (Or purchase an old skin from another parts unit) Then reinstall skin and trim. If the bottom frame had never been replaced before and you are now a repair pro you can walk around to the curb side and do that side too, then front and back skins also! Good Luck, have fun, and if you get too frustraited, walk away for a break. But not too long of a break or it won't ever get finished. Soup
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mobiltec
1K Post Member
Restoring The 57 Shasta
Posts: 1,134
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Post by mobiltec on May 20, 2013 9:50:00 GMT -5
Glad you were the one to tell him Soup. I didn't want to be the bad guy LOL... It's not as hard as it sounds. Just a little time consuming and the biggest problem is not what you know, it's what you don't know that will get your goat. Like Soup said, once the skin is off is when the real fun begins. What now looks like a simple repair could turn into more of a reframe job which is not what you wanted to do in the first place. All you wanted to do ws un-bend the metal and here you are doing carpentry now. Then again, it might just be a metal smashing party if you're lucky and find little to no rot....
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Hamlet
2K Post Member
Posts: 2,241
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Post by Hamlet on May 20, 2013 10:17:03 GMT -5
Hamlet's glad Soup did it first, too. But in Hamlet's case, he'd just put the blame on Claudius or another Shakespearean conspirator. On a more serious note... These trailers sit really low (as you've noticed), so if you frequent places where there's a lot of muddy roads, you might want to consider flipping the axle. That won't keep the tires from sticking, but it will keep the bottom out of the muck. Good luck with repairs!
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Post by pathfinder3081 on May 20, 2013 10:46:32 GMT -5
I never really thought about the tires sinking in the muck... I have only been on the "park gig" so far and have rested on gravel or pavement. These things could really turn into a sled in swampy ground.(I'll remember) The main problem I had was the re-assembly.. The trim along the bottom edge and it's contour through the fender well was a real pain. The hole matching through the tin pans and what not. You might find some rot. You may not. One side of my girl was fine the other was not. You can do it though. You might want to wait until the camping season is over for you.. depending on your time of course.. Good luck with it.
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Hamlet
2K Post Member
Posts: 2,241
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Post by Hamlet on May 20, 2013 10:58:50 GMT -5
Ditto what Soup and Mobiltec said. You mentioned the dent at the bottom left. Was the dent on the other end there before, or was it part of the same accident? The skirt boards are very susceptible to rot, so make yourself comfortable (or not) and prepare yourself for more than you planned. The good news is that after you finish, you won't have to worry about a rotten skirt board again. Well, unless you keep dragging it through the mud!
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Post by nebtanhai on May 20, 2013 14:11:09 GMT -5
yeah...I have no intentions of off roading with our little Loralie again...lol! One 2-hour stunt drive is enough for my lifetime. We were really thankful there wasn't more damage. I am hoping it is just an aluminum skirt issue. I may take it to a friend who normally fixes hail damage dents and see if he has some tools I can use to fix her. Thank you for the information...
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