It’s spring !

And the Frontier is on the TODO list..

Soon …very soon I will be moving the Frontier to the driveway in front of the garage and start working on the list.  But for now I’ll pre – – build some of the panels so they are ready to install.

Here’s the charging / info panel that will mount below the thermostats and the existing panel.  Powering this on will give me an accurate battery level.  I also made a smaller USB panel to mount near the dinette for charging and powering electronics.   I’ve checked out the wire routing and I can do this.

The Frontier is in front of the garage now and I stared work .  One of the first things was to get the “tuck” tape off two of the hatches.  Yes that was the fix for doors that would not stay closed !  My fix was to install new latches…  done.   And I’ll stick to working on the outside for a bit..  Removed the bush bar Spare tire mount from the van.  It’s getting a new paint job in the shop..  And with a color matching the van.

I can use the same paint to touch up the rust spots on the van.   Oh and the Frontier got a bath…  a good scrubbing for sure..

These photos don’t really show the difference.  Maybe this one does..

Yup looking spiff.   When the weather warms up I’ll do some wax too.  In the mean time I really needed to get the roof and the vents sorted out..

This will be part of that work.  A new Max Fan for the rear vent opening..   And vent covers for the other two.  In fact everything on the roof is getting attention.  It’s taken two days but I got the roof to where I can say it’s leak proof.   New vent covers , New fan, New plumbing vent cover..  and the TV antenna is removed and nicely patched.   Let it rain !

time to investigate more of the secrets inside the cabinets..   First off the mystery Bus heater..  It runs constantly when the ignition is on..  There’s a thermostat on the wall that is suppose to control it.  Not working..  So I took the panel of..  and found this green thing ..

Well it’s an aux heater..   plumbed into the motor coolant lines.  And it appeared to have a small leak !  And the control box  was most likely the cause of the control not controlling stuff..   I thought about it and I really don’t need this heater..  So here it is ..  and the long hoses connecting it are gone.  Now I have a power wire I can use for something else. and more storage.

Nice day today.. So I got to work installing new Led lights..  Then I could get the vent trim back in place.

This new light takes care of the holes left from the TV antenna.   Over the table it could be handy.

This one is just a bonus… wires were handy.  Next the light over the sink..  The lights over the couch and the dinette are remaining the old ones they are cool and work good.. just changing the bulbs to LEDs.   Because of the circumstances in the world and here in BC  going camping is not happening for awhile.. so any more work on the Frontier will wait till other things are done.  I have a list..

It’s May…  the weather is getting warm..  but the camping season will be delayed till the Government opens up the camp sites.  My work on the roof has allowed the Frontier to stay out in the driveway ready to pick away at some odd jobs.  Like the rusty patches on the front of the hood.  And the paint chips .

I matched the paint very well and hard to tell unless you get very close.  Once this job is done I can re mount the guard on the front..

Done!  The real purpose of this is to hold the spare tire.  I’ve taken the dash apart and wired the new stereo properly.  But I still have more wiring to do..  like running lights.

Some things won’t get done..  but new things have popped up like the power converter.  And it had to be fixed..  Luck for me we had a spare..  newer one too!  While doing that the closet floor had to be removed …So all those issues got fixed.  Also the USB / power center got installed .  The whole interior got a good cleaning and all the appliances tested..  Ready to go.

 

 

Now that the painting is done and had time to cure …  it’s time to get this puppy buttoned up…  Spring is here and I need the shop for other things.   And I’ve decided too sell the Acorn without doing anything to the interior.  The decor is a personal thing..  I provide the solid “like new ” trailer and someone gets to personalize  it.

The windows are going in..  and the door is next.

Also the fridge vents are painted and back…

Today was a very nice day..  Perfect for putting the body back on the frame… and we did just that..

Now I feel confident enough to mount the door and adjust it properly.  Once that is done then just need to wire up the running lights and install the roof vent and it’s good to go..

Well and bit of a snag.. the door is not fitting !  When I bought the trailer the door was mounted but hanging down because the floor was cut away on the hinge side..  So there was no way to see the fit..  It’s obvious the door in a newer one and not the original.  The problem is there’s not enough curve to match the door opening.  Now it could be taken apart ..a template made and the curve changed..

Here you can see the gap at the top….

And the bottom too !  When I formed the body I was careful to keep the door frame parallel and straight ..   But the curve is molded into the body..  and the steel brace behind the hinges is pre-bent to the proper curve..  ?  So what to do..   I have an idea..  temporary but will keep the rain out .

Well the Scamp is done !  Outside and for sale.  Looks good with the moons on the wheels.

The ride height is good.   The lights all work as they should.  I’m putting all the cabinets back in place..

So now we will see if someone wants a bit of an interior project..

And yes they did… SOLD  to nice folks from Kelowna

There is not near as much body work needed as was for the Boler.  No pool paint to sand off..   While the body is still laying on it’s side I’m going to fill the holes in the roof and modify the roof vent..

And then with a little help..   The Acorn is back on it’s feet (wheels).

Ya we rolled it inside the shop..  Only a little grunting..  Now I can get the body ready for paint..  That requires filling holes, cutting the side windows bigger, and finish up the roof vent.  I have already fixed the lower skirt in the rear of the trailer…  so we are part way there.

I’m almost ready for paint !  just cutting the openings for the three replacement windows.

Slightly larger radius windows..  Good thing we are doing this now … I realized the holes in the corners needed filling.

This was the only crack I needed to repair.  And I believe it was caused by the weight of the door without any floor or any thing to support it.  But !

There was a hole for the heater that I don’t have..  So I patched it..

Now ready for painting…..

First step is the primer…   Bushed out the places the roller won’t go and all the patches..  so I can see how they look and if a little touch up is needed before the paint.

And there you have the primer… just the first coat….

And moving right along..  After the second primer coat was dry..  and sanded..  I’ve got a first coat of the white & the gray ..  I’m needing more of the whit so it’s off to Kelowna for more..

Still needs a second coat on both top and bottom.. but you get the idea..  Scamp’s were normally all white.. but not in my shop..  I figured the gray would balance the trailer and it’s neutral enough to be pleasing.

And now with the second coat..  the Scamp is not looking shabby ! So on to the interior painting.  I got some really good paint for that..  But first I’ll need plywood glued behind some of the things like the fridge vent covers, water fill and drains and the electrical hatch.  Reason…  no more rivets..  I’m using stainless steel wood screws.  And they won’t hold in just the fiberglass walls.

Now it’s time for putting things back together…  New post

Re-Assembly Time… Page 6

Well it’s December… it’s cold and time to get to work on the Acorn…

Just like “Scrat” here the Acorn trailer is a lot of work…  And replacing the floor was no easy task.  The body is held up by the floor and the floor sits on the frame…  All three must be strong, it’s the integrity between the floor and the body that is key to the trailer’s life expectancy.  The floor completes the “egg shell” .   Now that the floor is installed and glassed to the body on the top side…  I need to do the same under the trailer too.  Only one way I see to do this is to lift the body / floor off the frame and roll it on it’s left side to have access to the whole bottom.  Without the windows and no door the body is light..  but i will need to install some braces inside to keep away any sagging .  First thing to do is build a dolly that will cradle the body on it’s side.  With wheels so I can roll it into the shop.

So I built this dolly…  We lifted the Acorn from the frame ….rolled it over… and!!  It was too tall to fit through the Shop door !  Fine… Got a piece of carpet and we slid the Acorn off the dolly and into the shop.  Good thing it’s not too heavy..

And there we have it..  Looks like it fell over and died..  Nope all is good..  Easy to work on the underside now.

Got up this morning and SNOW…  boy did we get the Acorn inside on the right day !  Not a lot of snow …just an inch..but makes it hard to lay on the ground and jack the body off the frame.  Going to leave it in the shop for a few days to warm up and dry out ..  Seems the tarp was leaking a little but no damage done..

Here’s a small video I made…

I don’t seem to have a lot of ambition around this time of year.. but the Acorn is there when I do…

It’s into February now and I’m doing my best to get this bottom all done…

Here I have all the glassing done.. It’s taken weeks and a lot of resin..  But I got R done…  And then came the decision of what to cover this with…  I want it black..  And i want it to further protect the underside of the floor.  I thought about epoxy truck box liner..  But the price was very high..  This is more area than a truck box..  So it takes two kits..  I settled on good old enamel..  same as the frame.  and it was easy and quick to roll that on..  Two coats and we are done.

Next is to attach a dolly to the underside ..  and  while the roof is easy to get at I want to enlarge the vent to a 14 x 14 normal vent size.  And I want to glass a wood frame on the roof so the vent is raised and some stiffener added.

Here I have the dolly..  taken apart and mounted to the underside..  Mounted only through the holes for bolting the frame.. NO new holes !  When it’s time to put the body back on the frame. I just lift it and remove the four lag bolts and the wheels will fall away..

Now for the body work…   Onward to PAGE 5

Frontier Class B Wide Body Van Conversion, Model XL820

Here it is!  It’s not new.. and could use a bit of love.  I’ve only had it for a day or two..  The love will have to come next spring, it’s getting late in the season..  And please remember we are 38 years old..  A senior citizen in the world of RV’s. So you have to excuse the rust.. and the retro decals.

Where do I start…..  Not expensive  I bought it with cash.. And yes this will mean we have two RV’s..  But this one has a hitch and I can tow my ATV… or a boat… or anything..  It’s very compact for all the stuff it has… 21 ft from the front of that cow catcher to the back of the bumper.  It’s like a LeSharo that you can actually use / drive..   With a real motor !  In fact we had a heart transplant 30,000 kms ago..  With lot’s of new parts..  It now has new tires too.  and drives great

And here’s the door !  Different !  but it’s a design that works… I like it. The Frontier was made in the Vanguard factory Winfield, BC..  And you will see more of the Vanguard version on the roads ..   Rare yes..  They only made these for a few years before the recession hit the RV industry.  It’s hard to find any info on the web for these…  That will all change with this post.

Here’s the interior.. very typical color scheme for the year BROWN !  The fridge has been replaced..  and the lino is newer..  but the rest is original..  And all in working order..  Just needs a good cleaning..

The floor steps a bit lower in the rear of the camper.. and that’s where you find a small kitchen and a wet bath on the drivers side. There’s a extra counter top you can lift up if you need it.  No oven .. no microwave..   Who uses those things when camping anyway ?  We cook outside.  BUT you do make coffee inside in the morning.

Here’s the biffy..  Works for me.. I’m not likely to use anything but the toilet. But you never say never. It’s very clean ..so nothing to do but change the light to LED.

So lets talk about the Van part of this camper.

That’s typical motor home fair ….  except !!  just a 350 motor.  Yup it’s the tried and true good old 350…  but this is duely  ..so heavy duty trans…  and stuff.  And like I said earlier… new motor 30,000 kms ago.. Work done  in Ontario !  It’s been places for sure… This summer it drove out to Sask and back with no issues.  And it just passed a BC inspection.

Look at the interior … it’s almost perfect..  I have not cleaned any of it..   Power locks , power windows, A/C that works..  cruise control, new stereo..  You know I’ll add to that list..  I’m thinking remote locks.. more power plugs…  back up camera…a digital volt meter for battery condition.. just to start..

Nov 17 th 2019:

Today I gathered up some ambition and plugged the Camper in to my 30 amp.  Everything works as it should..  But the extra furnace is  a bus heater that works from the motor heat. And I think works using the wall thermostat.  For sure it powers up when the van is running.    The RV propane furnace works great..  As expected the new 2 way fridge works..  I found the pump and water tank under the sofa..  Tank is empty and there is antifreeze in the water lines…  But just to be sure I ran another jug through…. No problems.  No leaks ! It’s all good and it’s time to put the Frontier away for the winter.

The tarp is extra insurance.  Not really needed but what the hey..  I feel better with it on cause I did not install the vent covers..  One or both of the vents will be replaced in the spring with better quality ones.. The current ones have plastic frames. And I’m thinking a power vent will be a good thing to install.   The Frontier (like most) is wired for a rooftop A/C unit..  I have one, but I don’t think it’s needed.  Going to find out this coming summer.

I’m going through all my collection of stuff for RV’s, And making a war chest for the Frontier for next spring..  Here’s some of the stuff:

What do ya know I have the remote locking stuff…  with two fobs!  I have lots of LED lights , switches, USB charge ports, and a host of other goodies to make life easier while camping.

I’ve had the motor antifreeze beefed up and checked..  Last thing I want is for that to freeze over the winter.  As soon as I get my new GoPro camera I’ll be posting some videos… if we are not buried in snow.  But first one made with the old camera….

And it looks good..  I expect the new GoPro to be even better.  There’s a screen on the back so stuff won’t be missing from the shot.

We were thinking about the sleeping arrangements ..  So I went out and pulled the sofa into the bed.  Not big enough for two.. so the dinette will be used as well.. and what do you know!  There’s room to walk between.. nice  The spare tire was blown… really bad..  So I have a new tire coming.. and because the other six are new this year too.. it will be a perfect match.

Now I have a rim with no tire… And you betcha I got to paint it..  One hubcap is missing …and I’m not crazy about them.. Kinda feel like I would loose more over time…  So I’ll paint the rims instead.

And NOT RV white !  This is my concoction I mixed up..  Half Aluminum half grey… and a dash of black.  Nice!  This is the only wheel I can paint this year..  The others will get this treatment next spring… And here it is with the new tire installed.

And that’s all till spring when the time is right for fixin up…

1982 Frontier Class B+  Page 2

 

 

I did it !

Traded in my much loved 400 quad for a side by side of the same vintage.   A 2014 Polaris RZR 570 trail !   Perfect..  even the nice blue I liked and choose when I bought my Quad.

Nice looking !  I’m very happy to put this in my garage..  The 570 is the perfect size..  Plenty of power but still good on fuel..  AND this is the trail version.. which is only 50 inches wide..  2 inches more that the quad.  That means the it fits on ALL the trails I ride on AND carries a second person.  AND more stuff.

I plan to make a custom box for the back.. with a lid to keep all that stuff dry and secure.  But before I get too much into plans for Pimping this ride..  let’s talk about what I don’t have to change..

This is the loaded RZR 570..  called the LE model.  And it comes with options like power steering, engine braking and nice alloy wheels.  All things I like and would choose.  NOW let’s thank the previous owner for adding the other things I like..  a roof , a windshield,  bush bar, 3500 lb winch, a horn..  and Turn signals?  yup LED turn signals.  The dealer added new tires , belt and a clutch kit … and we are good to go!.   So what else could I possibly add ?   Well lots !  Let’s start with a rear view mirror.  A must have.  and a bag that fits between the seats and holds your lunch…and other goodies where you can get to them.  Then I need my GPS mount and a second 12 power outlet for that.

What about more lights !  I like to have daytime running lights…  safety first !   And below them are the rear lights I will install..  Just in case.  I ordered a nice switch for those..  ( haven’t used the running lights yet )

And once again … just in case.. you never know..  Although highly unlikely…  A Sasquatch light ..

Ok..  it could come in handy as just a very bright light for tunnels and other dark places.  Most people call them a light bar.. LED of coarse.

There’s a nice place on the bush bar for it..   OK that should do it.. Can’t think of anything else right now..  NO I don’t want a stereo in my ATV.. I want to hear the animals as they run screaming..  Actually the motor makes enough noise and I value my hearing.  I will post more in the spring when I install all these goodies..

It’s spring !   And I’m really wanting to get out and put this wonderful machine through it’s paces.  I can carry it in my truck..  I got some nice aluminum ramps for that.   But I really want a trailer to pack it around..  Found the “almost” perfect one..   And here’s a post I started for it..   ATV Trailer.

So I’ve been for several rides now…  I have all the goodies installed and love this ATV..

This is my LED light bar…  and boy does it work well.. already used it on a late night ride.

This is my LED back up light…

And here’s the trunk..  excellent at keeping things clean and safe.

The new dash looks like this now..  moved the horn button… and two new 12v plugs one one the top of the dash for the GPS and the one you see here with a volt meter plugged in..

On one of the many rides.

 

I’ve been thinking of how to do this big job.  Good thing I saved the old floor pieces.   I’m going to use 5/8 GIS ply to build the floor.  And the frame will be the template for the lower floor pieces.  But the first step is to wheel it in the shop…

So I installed the wheels on the cradle and two of us pushed in in easily.  And as you can see the windows disappeared quickly !   Aluminum rivets are easy to drill out..  Still a few bits to remove.

On the cradle it’s a tight fit.. but it must remain that way until the floor is secure.   However I’m going to push it back out to the driveway and see if the pressure washer will remove whats left of the Thinsulate from the interior.

That’s about as much as I could clean off..  not bad.  That glue is tough stuff.  Which is ok..  whatever I stick on there will stay.

I carefully removed the upper fiberglass lip from where the floor WAS ..  So now I can drop the new floor in and it will rest on what’s left of the bottom lip.  Then the top of the floor gets glassed in..

I also very carefully cut out the new front and back floors.  The body came back in the shop..  And with a wire wheel I finished what the wash didn’t..  Real messy so it’s better without the floor.  Then I glued the floors in with PL 9000.

Glue is good.. But next I will glass in the top.  Only then do I think the floor will support the body.

This is working out very good..  After I got two good coats of resin and cloth on the seams… and I repaired the crack over the door… it was time to set the body back on the frame.

And that’s exactly what I did.. Plus I could take the cradle away.  Because now there’s enough floor to support the body.  The fit is very good.  Wow.. that doesn’t happen every day.

Even the “front to back” alignment is good.  This will be a great way to accurately build the lower floor.

You can see I used the 12″ naked rims to roll the frame back under the body..  Lower is better !  Plus this fits under the garage door when I want to move it in or out for more room.  It’s TIGHT in the shop..

But less tight then when the cradle was on the body.  It’s nice to see the trailer straight , supported and back on the frame..  even if it’s temporary.

Jan 15 2019…. A new year !

And I’m back to work on the Acorn after a bit of a break..

Carefully piecing the floor back…  Lot’s of gluing and fitting .   As well I got the fenders back in and glassed in place.  I was going back to work for the spring so I bundled up the Acorn and parked it in the RV carport …  with plans to carry on in the late fall .

Acorn Restore page 4 : Glassing the floor

 

Well this one made it into the shop…

And wont be cut up..

Over all..  it’s not bad.  The main frame is good, only some of the thin metal is rusted through.  And other than a different bumper , there has been no repairs or modifications.  I still don’t like how flimsy the frame is…  definitely relying on the floor for strength.   So that is what has to change.

This is an interesting thing..  It could be ( and most likely was) a space for a porta potty.   But it could be a front table for two.  Instead of the bunk.   Something to think about.   Now’s time to have a careful look at the frame. And make some plans…   This is my plans:

The Plan:

First..  This floor space.. without any support needs more added.   And the longer I looked at the bumper… the more I think it’s fine.  It’s strong.. and that’s important.

This is the rear of the lower floor.. no good like this.. I’ll cut it out and use two angle pieces.

The support for the entrance is..  well gone.   So I’ll build it back with more angle.

Surprisingly the axle is still good.. looks bad but it works as it should.  But I’m still going to use the new 2000 lb axles.  They have the hubs I need for the new wheels.  I will copy what I did for the Boler frame. This will add 2.5 inches in height to the trailer .   These trailers are  much too low in my opinion.

Lastly..   A new  2 inch coupler..  and a jack that fits the hole.  The holders for the propane tank need to be reworked to fit a battery in that space to.

Let’s Get Started:

Cutting and cleaning is the order of the day..  Getting rid of the bad pieces.   The place to buy metal is closed for a few days…  so I’m taking my time to remove the axle..  not easy when they put a weld in a tight place.

But I got it !  The axle and all the bad metal is gone..  Now I’ll do some grinding and cleaning to prepare for the new metal.  and I stoped to make a video…

Well the order in which I do all those mods doesn’t really matter.  So long as they get done..

So I started at the front of the trailer..   Here I’m seeing how things fit.  Yup this works..  Because the jack is tall the battery box can be in front of the propane tank..  Sooo

I made a battery holder !   I also made the seven ears for the body hold down bolts.

And now I have welded in the added rear frame floor supports.  Then we flip the frame over to work on the axles.  Pretty much following the same design as the Boler..  The axles are the same.

One difference …  This time I gave the axles a little camber.  And since the upward angle is 22.5 deg.  instead of the factory 10 deg.  even with the added 3 ” blocking..  we end up lifting the trailer 2 ”

There’s a 2 ” receiver under the bumper..  this will be used for the spare tire.  OR  a bike carrier.

The body hold down ears are done.  Seven of them just like the Boler.

The propane tank and battery holders are done too.

Once I’ve finished the door floor support..   I’ll flip it back over and time for painting.

There… underside is done.. and….

The whole frame is done..  just the wheels , hubs and stabilizer  jacks to clean and paint.   When the frame was dry I kicked it outside so I had more room to clean the wheels & stabilizer jacks.

All done..  took the wheels down to bare metal..  nice !

t

Here’s the finished frame..  with it’s new tires.  This brings the height to it’s full and proper place.  A perfect  15 inches of hitch height.  8 inches of overall clearance under the trailer..  and a 10 ” entrance  height.  That in my mind is as near perfect as it gets.

The final touch arrived …. baby moon hub caps.  Can’t wait to see them on..

One last photo…  This is what the hub caps look like on the wheels..

 

On to the floor…    Page 3  The New Floor

 

Frontier Camper becomes the new Scooby !

Sept 2018:

The trailer frame is almost finished..  The decking is on !

And today I was working on the cradle for the camper.   The decking is 2×8 treated wood bolted to the frame with galvanized bolts.   Very strong and should out last me.

Here’s the cradle for the camper to sit on..  Also 2×8 treated wood.

This morning I got the brakes adjusted and wired up.. and the wheels back on..   Then Dave & I rolled the trailer under the camper..   PERFECT  FIT..

Wow..  I’m getting better with the tape measure.   The balance is spot on too..  About 300 ibs tongue weight.  So it should tow really nice…   And look at the room up front for a quad.

Still a bit more work to do..  but the new Scooby will be ready for Hunting this October.

Update : Sept 11.  2018

I have built the folding  stairs  and installed a hand rail too.

They turned out very nice..  Fold up nice too….

Perfect !   But I didn’t like the way the bottom step flexed…  sooo I installed threaded feet to the under side and ..  no more flex.. nice and solid.

They are very adjustable ..  I will cut a couple of wood squares to place under the feet..

It’s a simple thing .. but it’s sturdy.. and can be removed if the camper was taken off the trailer.   Amazing how it gives you comfort when entering and exiting the camper.

The roof is all sealed up and vent covers are installed.  Ready for what ever weather comes our way.

October 2018:

I will be taking the Frontier (scooby) up the valley on the annual hunting trip..  So I’ve outfitted it all up ..  tested out the front deck..

A full size ATV fits perfectly.   And I remembered I’ve never looked at the canopy…

Well … it’s in perfect condition..  I expect that since it’s stored in the zippered bag.  This will be handy for any bad weather..

 

June 2018:

I know I’ve said this before.. at some point.. but this one fell into my lap..   not literally that would hurt..  but I was looking but not very hard for another Boler style trailer to restore.  I so enjoyed the 73 Boler project that I said (loudly) that I would love to do another..  Well the little trailer god was listening.   The ad for this one popped up on my phone while I was in Vancouver..  Someone had gotten in over their head trying to fix the leaks in their Acorn trailer.. and just wanted it gone  BUT  to someone who would love it and fix it …and that understood these little trailers.   Hey THAT’S ME.  and he agreed..   So I had to plan a long drive .. to get it .. the next week.  7 hrs to Vancouver then a ferry ride.. then another hour up the coast .  But most fortunately the Acorn was just down the road from my Bother’s place..  So he went and had a look for me.  Big job to fix this one he said..   Don’t care I said.   So here it is home with me ..  intact.. and with BC registration too !

Yes I did remember to take a photo just after loading it on the trailer.  The fella behind the trailer is / was the owner.  It’s making the trip home on a trailer because ….  the body is barely attached to the frame..  and there is no lights ..  AND it’s a long trip.  Funny the other project Boler had to be ferried home too..  but it was the frame that was toast..  this frame looks good.

Interior ! not so much.  This is where the work will happen..   So… the story as I understand it ..   This trailer came from Arizona.. dry climate.  When brought back to the BC coast .. wet climate.  All the rivets leaked and damaged the Thinsulate wall covering.. and the plywood floor.  A good argument for using bolts not rivets to attach the cabinets to the walls.   Too bad about the wall finish.. now I will have to glue carpet.  And build a new floor.

The first thing I did was to pull all the parts out from inside .. so I could see what I had.  It’s all there ! and in good condition.. And as a bonus the cupboard doors are oak !  Perfect !  So i put things back.. sorta in the places where they go.

Because the body is loose from the floor.. there is nothing holding the door up.  so it’s sagging ..  and it cracked the fiberglass over the door..

The boler had a similar crack over the rear window  because the frame had sagged.   So aside from that the body is great.

I’ve tarped the trailer now to keep the rain out..  and this will be a great project to start in the fall.

IT’S TIME !

Now it’s November..   And I need to get started on the Acorn.  I’ve been thinking and planning how to fix the floor.   How do I support the trailer and make everything true and level.   IT’s ROUND !  Then it came to me..  The one thing that’s level is the joint between the top and bottom…  and the aluminum trim the covers it.  So I build a cradle that supports the whole trailer on that rim.  As a bonus we can lift the body off of the frame,

Here you can see we are doing just that..  and have the frame half way out the front.  This was also made easy by the fact that there is NO floor..  no wheel wells..   The body was attached to the left front corner by a few feet of floor..  That was all..   Sooo  looks like I’m building a whole new floor.  I sorta knew that from the start.

Meet the frame !   A lot like the 73’s frame.. but without the repairs.  And there’s a bump out up front for a potty..  Interesting..   There is still a very slight sag in the left rear frame tube.  We are going to see if we can tweak it with chains and a porta power ram.  I’m going to clean the frame good and check for rust holes and cracks..  but it looks ok.   So maybe just a few extra pieces of steel and new axles.

It’s time to divide the post up into the different stages of work.  This trailer will have 6 more pages..

Page 2 The Frame

Page 3 The Floor

Page 4 Glassing the Floor

Page 5 The Exterior

Page 6 The Re-Assembly

Well it’s late March.. and I’ve done the house reno’s .  The snow is gone..  So it’s time to get the Boler done..

I emptied the trailer out …everything back in the shop.  These are the yucky cushions..   Off the landfill.  But I have to keep the plywood base for the upper bunk.

In good condition too !   New upholstery is being made as I write here..   The table …  apparently  it will remain red for now.  So I don’t need to work on that..

Update:    It’s taken awhile to rework the cabinets..  So the stove fits..  The fridge fits..  And I managed to get a drawer to fit in there too.   New wood glued inside for strength as well.   They are all filled and primed now..

The interior ( that’s visible)  is painted grey..  I had to make two new hatch covers.. and two more door fronts too..

Here’s the door fronts..  We decided to go with the harvest gold to match the sink and stove.  I like it.   And I got the color SOOOO close.

The stove top is two tone..  so we went to the DARK SIDE..   With the wood floor and the blue cushions..  this trailer will look sweet !

Here is the primed kitchen with it’s new features.  Extra shelf on the left.. and a drawer under the stove.   Also extra wood added to make it more ridgit.   I’m painting the high gloss off white tonight..

May 1 st  week…   Last push.

Before the Boler goes home to Edomonton.    The Cabinets are all ready ..  And I’ve installed them back in the trailer..  The water tank and lines and the hand pump is in and working good.

I’ve got the wiring all done too..  The Coleman Power panel is working good.. It couldn’t go where I wanted.. so it’s below where you sit.

But that’s ok..   I could not get the speakers working good for the stereo..  so I’m leaving that for Dallas to fix..

Still to do this week is the fridge,  Bunk supports,  a drawer for under the stove..  Today we install the hitch on the Rav4  and take the boler for a run..

YES !  took it for a highway run and it’s perfect..  tows great..  Lot’s to do this week..   but I got it all done by Saturday morning..

Here’s the finished closet..

And the finished Kitchen..    And here’s a short video..

 

I’ve had a few reports back from the first road trip ..  The spare tire mount bent down and clearly the old metal I used on the bumper was not strong enough for all the bouncing..

This will need to be fixed in the summer when the Boler comes back for camp..

Here’s the latest photo of the boler with the new cushions…

But this brings to a close the Boler project..   It gone to it’s new home now..   But did come for a visit to our group camp this year.

Here it is after a long trip to the Yukon and then back here..  They love it..

But Wait ! there’s more !

I have found another Boler  (type) trailer for sale cheap..   A US made version of the Boler called an Acorn / Scamp.   So I’m starting a new post ( of coarse)    1979 Acorn Trailer

This will include the new vinyl flooring and some of the wiring:

But mostly I’m doing the fun part..  Lights !

Like these LED stop / turn / tail lights.  These are a boler must have.  I’ve been fighting with the door..  it used to fit better..  turns out my new door gasket is to thick..   so I took a knife to it and “pared” things down..  a lot !  fits now and closes the way it should.  Will need some foam gasket to fix a few gaps.

The Devil is in the Details !

And I got this right.  New handle …new keys…  and a lucky key chain.  I almost forgot the plate holder for the back..  So I did the restore on it and ….

Looks great!  This plate holder came off the Colman tent trailer that is donating many things to the boler.  I should turn my attention to the inside flooring..  There’s work to do in there.

I’ve filled the holes in the floor and used the latex caulking on the seams of the interior cushy wall cover..  And with help I got the front and rear windows in.

The lock strip was the hardest part of this..   But got-R- done .   Just a few more things before installing the flooring.

Like this fresh water fill.   And the power cord hatch..  and the sink drain connection.

Of which I think I better label so no one  hooks water up to it..  That would be messy.  This is for hooking a hose up.. and draining into a bucket..  or your friends tent..  or use your own ideas..

Had a bit of a fight with the glue that was recommended by the flooring store..  Ended up mostly using contact cement. ( they said do not use contact cement) but it works great..   so not sure why I wouldn’t use that ..  given the fact that there is all these weird surfaces.  However !  It looks great.. and should be easy to clean.

Work on the boler will have to take a bit of a break for a few months.. There is a strong possibility that we will be moving.. so I have to clean out the shop for viewing.  And that was just the kick I needed to get the trailer to lock up.. and back on the frame..

Got a lot more done today..   and this is what it looks like now..  still need the frame under it.. but that’s happening tomorrow.

Body Meets Frame !

And it’s a perfect fit !

We put foam canopy tape on the frame… everywhere it touches.  Bolted down with galvanized bolts..  So it could be lifted off again.  And those are not through the frame.. beside the frame.

And this is all you see.. inside the cabinets.    Way better..

And the rear bumper is a perfect fit ..with the spare tire close .. but not touching the back of the trailer.  Now I’m wiring the running lights so it can be towed  around..  Oh and I have naked 12 ” rims on to keep the trailer low..  so it fits through my 7 ft high door.  It will end up being 4 ” higher with the proper wheels.

Lights  ! Camera !  just a bit of Action !

Pretty lights..   Yup got this part done…   and then it was out the door..

With the 12″ rims only ..the trailer fit nicely out the door..  and then the real wheels went on..   and I towed it over to the other driveway..

But not before a photo op..   I like the ride height..  So it’s tarped  to keep the weather off, and all the bits and pieces are inside..

The next page will happen when I get back to doing the interior..

Page 6  The Interior :

 

More fun then sanding..   Painting:

I have chosen to go with paint that I’m very familiar with.   Paint that works good on fiberglass..   I can roll it or brush it and it’s very glossy.

Yes it’s boat paint!  How fitting for the boler.  A few years back I chose this paint for the Bazooo 6×6 .  Because the body was fiberglass.   This time I have the sand-able primer too..

And here’s the primer on.  Took most of the quart.. so now I’ll have a good idea how much two finish coats will take.  This primer is great at covering everything.  I found a few holes I missed ..so I’ll fill those and touch up the primer.  Needs 24 hours drying time and then a fine sanding.

The front of the trailer looks like new !  Tomorrow I’m going to apply the first coat on the top half..  Off white.

Very little difference in the off white from the pure white.  And that’s good..  cause I want it to still look white.  And shiny too !  Tonight I’ll put the first coat of beige on the bottom.

But there was a debate for the bottom color..  I was favoring blue… but the person who will use the boler liked the beige. She wins and now I like it too.

Ya. it’s kinda retro looking..  And classy too.

Soon I will have the second coat on the bottom..  then I’ll bring the door inside and paint it.

And while the paint cures….   I’m thinking of the lighting…  Ya the electrical will be covered in a new posting ..further along.  But I have finally collected all the lights.

Ta Da..   All  are LED’s !  and things of beauty..   Those 7 ” tail lights are hard to come by.  The interior lights all have the switches on them..   We all know that LED’s in your home save money…  in a RV they save your battery.  Back to the paint thing….

I’ve actually got the painting on the body done before new years.  And I’m super pleased with how it turned out.  I went back to using a foam roller for the last coat of Beige bottom paint..  And wow nice and smooth.  I’ll buy more foam rollers for the cabinets.   The door is primed and ready for the off white.

And here is the second coat of finish on the inside of the door.  Looks like it just came from the factory.  Once this is done both sides then I plan to install the roof vent and the door..  and wheel the body outside ..still on the dolly.  This will make room in the shop for the interior parts to be repaired and painted.

Here’s the vent all cleaned up and ready to install.   PROPERLY with butyl tape.. not silicone.   And no rivets..  I’ll be using Stainless Steel screws.

Change of plans.. I now have Dave here to help with attaching things.  Need a person on the inside and on the outside.  So I would like to finish to the point where the body is sealed ( won’t leak ) and put it back on the frame too..  Because when it goes out it’s gonna get cold..  So the boler will be complete except for the interior cabinets.  And for this next step I will start a new page..

  Exterior Re-Assembly Page 5