Category Archives: R V’s

Yup I fix up these things too

1988 Bigfoot Camper Page 2

Décor Ideas..   Fixing Ideas…  Things to change..  

Here’s the post for that stuff..  My mind just goes crazy with what I can do..   And aside from replacing the missing cabinets,  There is way more I’m thinking about..   Everything from adding lights and vents..  to redecorating the kitchen !  I could turn this camper into a very nice place to spend time..

I was at the building supply store getting a tarp..   While there I had a look at the formica laminate samples.   So let’s start with some décor ideas shall we.  Brought a bunch home and looked at them with a door, a cushion and piece of paneling.  And these samples jumped out..

And this photo is not a good one for the true colors.  So I went out to the camper to look again..

I put the laminate sample on the table ..  and .. wow.. yes that works..  WAY classier than the white.  And the same goes for the kitchen counter top..  And that little swatch of yellow..  It’s a close match for the Harvest gold sink and stove that will go in the boler.  When I see it next to the oak cabinets and the new counter top I like it a lot..  That’s a solution to the partially painted walls in the kitchen..

Yes !  it is.  I’m thinking this color is perfect for all the walls and the cupboard fronts in the kitchen..  only..  maybe.  Plans change.  But I got a liter of the paint to try on one of the boler cabinet doors..

 

This larger sample gives a better idea of the look.  It’s a very nice “earthy” warm yellow.  The black & stainless steel appliances will look good.  I need to find  some lino for the floor that is light color and ties it all in.

Now for some changes…  Functional changes.   The Hood over the stove..  looks like this..

Someone wrapped the front in polished aluminum..  ok.. I get it .. but moving the switches over to the monitor panel..?   And using the water pump switch as one of them.. naw.  not for me.  And! do you notice something missing from the monitor panel ?  YA  all the labels telling you what is what..  Soooo I’m changing the whole shaboo.. for the hood from Dave’s old wrecked Award trailer..  It’s got the monitor panel and clearly marked switches right up front..

Nice eh !  There is however too many lights and switches..  I’m not sure yet if the camper has two holding tanks or one..  and the fresh water tank I’m getting from Dave has no level sensors on it..  That could be fixed if I can find a source for them.  And the battery level ?  With only three lights !  Well you all should know by now that I prefer the digital one.  I’ll do a bit of modifying to suit my needs . And paint it black too..  All appliances will be black.  I’m thinking of swapping out the range for the one from Dave’s Award parts trailer.. It’s a newer stove with a piezo lighter and it’s a nice black finish too. With a stainless cover for the burners.   Nice!  I had a look in the dump valve box ..  found a few things I thought were missing.. and could plainly see that this camper has a grey tank and a black tank..  So the monitor panel makes sense now.  I will just need to figure out which wires read which level.   The Bigfoot was moved to storage at a friends place for the summer..   His place flooded this year .. and the river was about 6 inches up the belly of the camper…  So some water got in the door..  It seems ok though..  other than some silt nothing bad happened.

Sept 2018:

It was time to bring the Bigfoot home for the winter..   The nice stands were available now that the Frontier was on the trailer.

I gave it a bath …and it’s looking great.  This is a good place for it to spend the winter.. and in the spring this is a good place to work on it too.

1988 Bigfoot Truck Camper

Intro…

Yup..  I couldn’t resist..  it’s just the way I am.. But I’m a bit fussy as to what I take home.  These are some of the most desirable truck camper out there..  And still being made..  Here in the Okanagan.   Two piece fiberglass construction. They are not prone to leaks.. or rot like the wood frame ones.  Plus they are better in the cold weather.  Because if this they hold their value.  So when I was offered one (that needs some love) at a low price that allows for money to be spent ..I jumped on it..

The truck it was sitting on got sold early this fall..  so there it sat on the jacks.  This is the same place the boler came from..  But doesn’t need the same amount of work..  It’s just the interior that needs help..  Exterior just needs a bath.

Yes I now have 2 Campers !

The Frontier camper is almost ready to go use..  very little work needed.   This however is a bit more of a project..  And it’s not just a good cleaning.  So next spring we will use the Frontier and enjoy it.  When I get this camper all done we may want to use it instead and sell the Frontier.  We’ll see.

For now I brought it home and we will keep it on the trailer for the winter.  This is a big camper..  11 1/2 ft !   and heavy.  Still no problem for my truck.   Bigger means it’s roomier inside..  a full bath with shower.. large dinette.  and a good size kitchen.  The bed is a full queen too. There’s an awning on the side.. Frontier has one too.. Basically this camper has all the stuff you would expect to have in any RV.  All nestled on the back of my truck.  Turns the truck into a small motor home.

The good …the bad..  and the work.

I made this comparison photo..  to show how messed up the interior is

 

Yup..  it looks bad for me .. but I’m not afraid of a bit of wood work.   The table and the cushions are there.. and in very good condition..  I’m actually able to tweak things a bit..  But I like the way it’s laid out and will copy it closely.  Same with the kitchen cupboards..

There’s a bit missing here too..  Again I do see this as an opportunity to change the counter top.. and add a cupboard to the bottom.  Because some of the paneling is missing.. I’m tempted to do a bit of painting ..  Also the floor has been added to for more stiffness..  so new flooring is in order too.  I could make this camper real classy.. Here’s a photo from the web of what the kitchen looked like from the factory with just a few personal touches.

They did a nice back splash !  Let’s see how I do..  So many possibilities..   It’s going to be nice to do this kind of work.. no wheels , no motors..

And what about the LOU ?

It’s called a wet bath.  And needs a good cleaning.. but not much else.  so long as everything works.   However look at the sink..  it’s hiding under a piece of foam?  Not for long.  I’m sure there are some repairs needed here and there..  I’m making a list of parts needed.  It’s just things like drawer slides..  better ones.  New LED lights, I’m going to replace both faucets as well..

Venting..   It’s a problem with the older Bigfoot’s.  Of coarse the windows open.. but you can’t leave them open cause rain can get in. The only roof vents are the bathroom one and the escape one over the bed.  Again you can’t leave them open.  The bath one is inside that tiny room anyway.  So I will need to install a roof vent in the middle that will have a vent cover.  I’m thinking of building a winter cover for use on the escape hatch..  so it too could be left open without worry.

Leaks !   I found two leaks..  One is where the awning is bolted to the side of the camper..  A little bit of water from the snow melting on the roof is running down the side and finding it’s way inside.  The other was dampness on the top of the propane cabinet..  I could see that the caulking outside on the top of the door was pulled away from the wall..  I fixed that.   Now let’s not be too worried about these leaks..  because there is no framing in the walls..  just foam and the fiberglass shell..  but it does effect the wall finish..  So.. I’m going to have to tarp the camper for the winter..  And we are going to put an electric heater inside to help dry things out..

I have chosen a power vent to install on the Bigfoot.  and included it in a rather large RV parts order..

This is a new product and it has great reviews.  It has it’s own rain cover !  so you don’t need to buy a separate cover.  A 4 speed fan that only vents..  but that’s ok.. it’s all that is needed..  and the price is great too.   I also was thinking of how to keep the water off the windows..   These campers don’t have gutters.. the water or melting snow .. just runs off where ever..  cause the roof is curved.  They make drip guards for doors.. and you can buy them in any length.  So why not install them over the windows ?  Yes!

And I thought perhaps it’s time to make a video….

Today I also when to my friend Dave’s RV graveyard.. to see what could be used for the Bigfoot..  Lots of great stuff..  Some of the cupboard doors, paneling..  and the hood vent ..

I’m now going to tarp the Bigfoot for the winter.. and not venture out there much..  I said that about the Frontier camper too… but could not help myself.. I was in there lots thinking about what I’m going to do.  So I’m sure the same will apply to the Bigfoot..  Yup I’m very sure.   And on that note it’s time to start a new page / post for all my ideas..  fixing , changing, and even the décor..

Bigfoot Page 2

1973 Boler Trailer #3 The Body

The Body:

Here it is..  in the shop.   The dolly I made worked great.  Rolled right in..  Now we’ll let it thaw out a day or so..  It snowed and it’s cold out.

Naked Boler !

All the windows and lights..  and everything has been stripped off the body and now I’m sanding and repairing.  I tried using paint stripper on the pool paint..  Nope not working..  the sander is the only way that crap is coming off.  This is going to take a week or so..  I hooked the shop vac up to the sander ..so I’ll have less dust.

About half done now..  and found some more ouchies..  But there were fixed properly.

God only knows how you can do this to a nice little trailer.. but there you have it.  There’s repaired damage to the left front lower corner too.  Most likely a jack knife situation..

Here you can see the difference the sanding is making.  I have finished sanding the top half of the body.  I’m in the process of filling the unwanted holes and the repairs.  Here’s a new video…

The crack repair turned out good.

I put a coat of primer on to make sure . It should never crack again.  Because I will have the supports for the upper cabinet.  Now to start the bottom half..  less fun cause it’s down low..

I started at the back..  and by fixing the bottom edge.  It was jagged and uneven.. so I trimmed a bit off..  Looks good now.. This process needs to be done all around the bottom..  Plus!  the paint was harder to remove on the bottom half. I’m using a big sander with 80 grit to get the pool paint off.. then finishing up with the small sander..  which I need to fix now..   I need a part so I’ll clean up and work on the door..

Here’s all the bits and pieces..  nothing to fix here.  The door worked ok..  even locked.   So just the hinge pins and the inside and outside handles are replaced.  And as for the door !

There you go..  it’s in great condition.

Nov 19 2017:  

I had to go to Kelowna ..so I paid a visit to the fastener store and picked up the stainless steel bolts and screws I would need.  I also picked up a metal polishing kit.. and couldn’t wait to try it out.

Wow..  with a bit of work I now have very shiny hinges.  I did them all.. cause I can !   Here’s the latest video I made ..

Dec 10 th 2017:

Progress has been a bit slow as of late..  lots of distractions.  Also sanding the hard pool paint off is an exercise in patience.  I’m getting there but it’s going slow..  and some days I just don’t want to do it at all..  Today I’ll make a good effort.  Determined to get the last of it off the bottom of the boler.  Then there are a few holes to fill..  a final sanding and I can start with the painting.

This is some of the work I’m doing on the front of the trailer.  I had to reconstruct the opening for the frame. It was in the wrong place.. and I want the front to look proper..  no holes all over.  There was also chunks missing out of the bottom..   So I’ve got that all rebuilt with layers of fiberglass.. and a bit of filler.  Now the bottom edge of the trailer is uniform and smooth.

Here’s the same area with primer on it.  I’m cleaning up the shop and the trailer to get ready for the painting..  I’ll start another post for the painting…

Page 4  The Painting:

1981 Frontier Camper

Made in Canada..  EH

I was atending an estate sale at a rural property and just looking at stuff..   The camper in the shed caught my eye, and the wheels in my head were turning. I had thought about a camper when I was hunting with my friend Dave and his Brother this fall.  Truck campers are better on the rough roads.. These are places I would never take our fifth wheel. And these are the roads that take you to some very beautiful camping spots.  Free ones ! So the thought of having one just for those weekend getaways, camping / atving trips would be great.

Meanwhile back at the farm…..

Hiding in the shed.. this camper has been kept dry and safe for many years.  So I had a closer look..  And it was in great condition for it’s age.  So I made a low offer and they said sure.. need it gone the property was sold and everything needed to go.. So now I own a camper !  While I was there a friend from the ATV club came and said ” that’s good deal” and I’ll help you get it out of there and home..  Little did he know how long that was going to take. Well it took five hours to load it up..

Because of the low roof.. and me not really wanting to take the canopy off the truck..  I went and got the “landscape” trailer.  The deck was low so not much jacking / lifting needed. ..  However we had to extend one jack out because the trailer is wider than a truck.  Soooo  like I said ..long time  but I got it home before dark.

Frontier Camper

Look a new Scooby !

Dave’s old hunting rig was a camper on an old trailer frame so it could be towed.. They called it “Scooby” .  A lot of dust blew off on the way home from the years in the shed,  but not enough.  Other than a good bath..  there is only a few things to fix.  And if I’m gonna have a camper this one ticks a lot of boxes for me.  A bathroom  YES, hot water tank,  upper bed with headroom, no leaks,   bonus canopy on the side…  and it appears to have been looked after not trashed like some campers I’ve seen…  Plus it was stored properly so I can assume that everything works.   9 1/2 ft is the perfect size too.  I would just need a short hitch extension to tow my quad on the utility trailer.

None of the lights are broken..  one jack leaks, but works..  My friend that helped me gave me two spares.  The two 20 lb propane tanks are old ..  and there’s a crack in the right front window ..  All easy fixes.  They could not find the keys.. so I’ll have to change the dead bolt.. The staining you can see on the right rear corner is from the leaky jack.   Degreaser will take care of that.   The decals and stripes are like new !  It says the weight is 909 kgs.  That’s 2000 lbs,  no problem for my truck.

Nov 5 th 2017: Interior Tour…

Well what does it look like in a early eighties camper.. BROWN !  Lots of it.. and wood too.

If your into wood and brown carpet.. then this is your place.  I kinda like the retro feel ..  just not the carpet.. I think it’s a bad idea in any RV..  But there is lino under the carpet..  and yes it’s brown too.  Still better than carpet.

At least the counters and curtains are white.  That fridge is in perfect condition.

Nice stove with an oven..  They don’t make a four burner anymore. please excuse the dead flies.  I’m not cleaning it till spring.

And gadgets !  Who doesn’t like gadgets ? I’ll be moving the thermostat over a bit to make room for more gadgets.  And that wallpaper is very familiar..  Fugly but familiar.  I can live with it.

That’s a bunk above the dinette..  that’s also a good cupboard when the bunk is closed ..  cool idea.  There is lots of storage in the camper..

And how about a nice sink.. with a hand pump ?  What for.. there’s power and a pump.. AND I found a battery!  I was thinking this old of camper would use a second truck battery.  Nope.  Has it’s own.  Bonus!  And just like any good RV when you plug in to 110 v it charges the battery.   But not the one I found.. very old and very dead.

Lots of room up top.. and a very good ” proper” mattress.  Nice size opening windows for that important breeze in the hot months.

And no tour would be complete without a peek at the LOU.  A bit tight but all campers are.  No shower in this one.. Never use it anyway.  But having a toilet in the middle of the night is a blessing.

Beddy Bye Time…

Today was cold but dry.  and I got the chance to tarp the camper for the winter.  But before I did that I could not resist running power to the camper and see if it has life.  You bet it does !  only two burnt out lights..  I could hear the inverter working it’s magic. And I tested the pump..  But I did not try the fridge because I wasn’t sure how to turn it on ?  Oh well in the spring I’ll go through all the stuff..   For now I’m making up some blocking for it’s winter resting place…  so Dave can have his trailer back..  No Scooby.

Plans for the spring:

Can’t help myself..  gotta think about my mods and repairs.  The roof needs to be resealed.. that’s a given.  This camper shows no sign of leaks and I’m keeping it that way.  Since the one piece aluminum roof has been ( for the most part) kept out of the weather.  I’ll presume it’s still got all of it’s integrity.  Looks like the vent lids were replaced at some point.  But the two plumbing vent caps are crispy critters.  And the big escape hatch lid is showing signs of it’s age too.  So a parts order will include those.  Plus as always I will install vent covers on the three vents. The fridge vent is metal and still good.  The only other concern is the two front windows. I know one has a crack so it needs a fix.. I’m thinking I’ll remove both and have new tinted glass installed, then reseal them.   That should keep mother nature at bay.  Now for the “could live without.. but I want it anyway” stuff..

This is the panel I made for our fifth wheel.  I won’t bother with the stereo.. but the other gadgets are very handy.  A 12v power outlet, a dual USB charging port, a digital volt meter and a switch to turn them off.  The kind of camping that I’ll be doing is far from power, so knowing the battery level is important.  Charging my phone is too.. even though I’ll be far from service.. It’s my camera.  Changing the lights to LED will save power too.  so that will be done.

Nov 6 th 2017:   Today I moved things around ..BOLER  into shop,  and the camper into position where it will stay for the winter.  I thought I’d replace the leaking jack..  the oily corner of the camper was bugging me.

Not any more.. I wasn’t going to mount the clean jack to a dirty camper..  so It now looks like this.  Nice!  Tomorrow I make some horses to hold the camper.

Hate those Camper steps !

With a passion..   so my brain went to work and I thought of this idea.  I see it on new campers..  regular RV folding steps.

So I got on Paint and put my thoughts to paper.. well screen.  A light weight platform and folding steps.  Why not !  Gives a place for a tool box … and a railing / handle.  We need these things as we get older.  Those accordion style steps are killers.

And That’s That:

All put away for the winter.  Will start a new post in the spring..

But I can’t resist doing a few small jobs.  Like the hot water tank cover was very rusty ..and that bugged me like the jack.

See..  It’s nasty looking.. when the rest of the camper is not that way.  SOOO.

I made it all pretty again.. close match color too !   I have an order coming for RV stuff..  The vent covers, new interior switches, LED lights and little bits needed to make the camper perfect..

Nov 22 2017:

All my parts came.  And I stashed them in the camper.  Who knows I may feel like doing some of that work before spring.  Just not the roof stuff.   Yesterday I was showing the camper to my friend Dave.. so we plugged the power in and tried a few things..  Also turned on the propane and lit the stove..  and fired up the furnace and fridge.  All is in good working order..  I switched the fridge over to electric and left it overnight to see just how good..  The freezer was ice cold this morning.   The furnace started to warm the camper up nicely too.  Wow..  we have a winner.

Just couldn’t leave it alone…

So I made up the “panel”  .. yes the one …or version of.. what I like to have in all my campers..  12 volt power..  USB ports.. and a nice easy to read volt meter..   All on a beautiful gold panel..  ..

And here’s the gadget center…  installed but not hooked up to power yet. I’ll do that when I change the light.

Update:  Summer 2018

When our fifth wheel came out of the RV port..  the Frontier camper went in..  and that was 4 months ago.  Other than installing some LED lights and doing some cleaning ..it’s been left alone .   When we moved it I use my truck.  It was realized that this camper is just a little bit too wide for the tailgate opening of the truck.   So I’ve come up with the idea of making a new “Scooby”  ( that’s a camper set on an old travel trailer frame) Like I mentioned earlier in this post.    Now you can tow the camper !  I was given a free 18 ft trailer that was damaged and had leaked.

It’s been sitting for many years… So we stripped all the useful parts and wrecked it to the frame.

And that I brought home … with the floor still attached ..  But we removed that too.   It’s the perfect size for making a scooby.  I have flat deck registration and a plate for it so we are set.

Here I’m working on the mods to the frame to make it camper friendly.   The camper will sit 12 inches forward of the rear bumper.. so I’ve meshed in on either side of where the rear step will go.  And I’ve added 13 inches out from the frame for fenders and to better fit the width of the camper.  Plus a few more cross pieces to better hold the deck.

Here’s my right side fender..  all done even painted..  in fact I’ve painted most of the frame now..

A complete change of color..   Gloss black is the new choice.   The wiring is done too..

With a new box , brake a way switch, but used good salvaged wire from the wrecked out trailer.   I’m thinking I would like to start a new post for the continued work on this project..

Page 2  Frontier Becomes Scooby:

 

 

1973 Boler Trailer #2 the Frame

Oct 20 th  2017:

The Frame:

Yesterday I started the process of lifting the body off the frame..  Not too hard to do…   I’m working alone.  Just need a floor jack and beams..  After taking out the rusty screws.  It started raining heavily so I had to quit.    Today I’m back at it…

Had to remove the wheels so I could lower the frame more to clear the wheel wells.  So I put two 12 ft 4×4’s under the frame and pulled it out with the tractor..  All went well till I bumped one of the jack stands and the body almost fell to the ground..  But I sorted that out and ..  the frame came out and the new wheels went on.   One of the old wheels had a leak..

And there you have it… one SAD boler frame.  Yes it’s light..  but it’s very flimsy too.   Never mind the rust..  it’s cracked behind the left wheel…

Apparently this is common..  and it’s only one of the reasons why you want a new frame.  Usually the tongue has broken too and someone fixed that..  wow

Look at that ! they even jammed a piece of wood in there..   Let’s just say that this was not a “road worthy” frame..  and build a new one.   However first thing I want to do is construct a cradle for the body so it won’t have to sit on those jack stands any more.

Done!  I built it to hold the floor and the two ends.. My wheels are a bit wimpy but it’s all I got .. and they should help when I need to move it into the shop..   Now I stare at the frame and wonder where to start.  Some have built the new frame on top of the old one..  so as to get things aligned properly.   One thing I need to figure out is just how different the suspension will be.   The factory axles are Dexter Torflex.  And still available..  but costly to ship.  I bought the ones from Princess Auto..  made by the same company but they say 22 degree angle..  and the boler axle should be 10 degrees up and pointing forward..  A strange thing for sure.. but successful.  However the old axle IS the same as the new one at 22degrees.  Soooo I will flip the new ones ( they don’t say you can’t) and I will mount them an inch lower..   not much of a gain in height.. but still something.

Here’s the old and new..  for comparison..  The mounts are different ..but then the whole frame will be anyway.

One thing for sure ..this sag won’t be there !  That’s the new frame tube on top..  I’m kicking the old frame outside .. and cleaning up the new pieces..  everything is measured and the plans are drawn.   Here’s the first frame video…

Well I did kick the old frame out and made a jig on my saw horses to build the new frame..

The debate still goes on which way to mount the axles..  I’m tending to favor the rear configuration..  it will lift the trailer by 4 inches.. but I’m thinking that’s good.. cause I saw damage to the old frame from hitting things.  There was about 8 inches of clearance under the trailer.

Oct 22 2018:    I’ve decided to have the arms up and leading the axle.  And for a bit of extra height I’m adding a 1- 1/2 ” block between the frame and the axle.  I should be within 1 – 2 inches of the factory height.  This makes the door sill proper height.. you won’t need a step.  And that’s the way boler’s should be.

I now have my four cross pieces welded in place .. That’s four more than the old frame had.  The frame has been squared and corner braces added

The C – channel I used is from the Tent Trailer frame… light but strong.  I’m cutting the tubes to build up the 6 ” drop for the floor pan.  but since I’m working upside down it’s up…

I will cut the door opening after I have the frame braced.  Oh..  and the old frame is no more.. I cut it up to use some of the better pieces.  Would have been nice to keep it intact so I could show a side by side comparison..  but I don’t want to buy metal.. ya I’m a bit cheep.  Re-use and Re -cycle.. that’s the way I roll.

It’s coming along nicely..  There’s the door opening.  Used some bits from the old frame for this too.    Lot’s of welding going on here..

Got to have a place for the propane tanks..  And a battery in front of that.  Plus all this helps brace the frame.  The down side is the weight..  I plan on weighing it when I’m done..  and I expect a few hundred pounds more.  The up side is that this frame won’t need the body for support..  So the body is simply carried.

Here’s my new rear bumper..  it’s a work of art using pieces from the old frame.   Also it’s longer to protect the width of the trailer.  still needs a spare tire mount and the rear stabilizer jacks will be mounted too.  I will make this slide into the frame and bolt in place.  If I welded it that would make it harder to roll the frame under the body.

Oct 30 th 2017:     It’s looking like I’ll finish the frame earlier then I thought.   I got all the welding done.. cleaned up … and painted the bottom of the frame today..

Here’s the axles on..  and the two supports for the floor..

And now most of it is shiny black.  I turned the heat up to dry the paint better too.   Then I thought of a way to estimate the weight of the old frame. ..  by weighing the bits.   I estimate it to be 230 lbs.  + / – 30 lbs.   But at least I will know how much heavier the new frame is.

Nov 1 2017:    Well I rolled the frame out of the shop.. parked it next to the body..  I’m so nervous thinking I got the sizes wrong..  But it looks like a fit .  I want to take it and weigh it to see just how much heavier it ended up being.

And off to the scales and the landfill.   And wouldn’t you know it !  Lighter than expected !   330 lbs on the nose.   That’s approximately 100 lbs more than the old rusty frame.   Right on target..   I’ve still working on the rear bumper.. but the frame will stay outside now..  Like any good trailer.. :).

It’s done now on to the   BODY #3

 

 

1973 Boler Trailer…

This Post will have 7 pages: 

Introduction:

This summer a few of us were “talking projects”..  and what was worth the time and money.  The boler trailer always topped the list.  I said I should just do RV’s .. because I have lots of parts and a resource for new parts.  Well I bought one..  cheap enough to spend some bucks on it.  First I need to get the LeSharo RV running before starting on the boler.  And then I park it till spring.  but let’s get the blog going anyway.

And this is mine..  a bit of a mess.  been stored for many many years.  But it’s mostly there.  It will likely need work on the frame first..  and then the body has way too many holes..   I plan to strip it down to the shell and start over.. The list of things to do is long..  however this trailer is still in good condition for it’s year.  And so we begin..  with a video..

There’s a few things I forgot in the video..  like new suspension as well as wheels..  So it’s going to be like pulling a new trailer.  Plus this is like a blank slate for colors and décor.  We are already talking about those things..  And I’m thinking of ways to incorporate some of the parts I have.  Also how to bring it up to date with things like LED lighting,  power monitoring and better fabrics.  All while trying to keep a bit of “nostalgic” ness to it.  But the frame on these is always been the weak part.  So if it’s never been replaced then you have to start there.

Frame: (problems under there)

How fortunate that there are lots of folks who have built new frames ..and shared their designs on the net.  So I’m taking their ideas… and my ideas, and making a whole new frame.  I’ll be using the main part of the Colman tent trailer frame that I was about to use for a new utility trailer.

This ( above photo) is a beefier frame  2″ x 3″ box steel compared to the factory boler frame 1-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ box steel.   As well the bigger frame is bent not cut and welded to the angle for the hitch.  I plan to add a third piece in the middle and have the hitch mounted to that.

I like this frame,  mostly the body mounts.  But I will add a few more pieces..  Adding a little weight here will not matter.. just means no problems down the road.  The original boler design was to have a light frame and use the combination of a fiberglass / plywood sandwich floor to ADD strength to the frame.  So they both need to be in good condition to work.  Over time things would sag..  and weaken.  And that’s the case with the frame under there now.

Yes I crawled under to see what’s up and shoot some photos.  Above is the rear floor.  And sure enough the left side has sagged.  Someone welded a angle brace … but that’s not a fix.  I’m surprised to see no other framing … just the two little beams.

 

And here’s the middle floor .  ( where you stand and walk ) again it seams like no support..  That plywood / fiberglass is very strong !  It does not flex when I walk on it.  And I really doubt that rusty bent piece of angle is doing much.

So looking toward the hitch it’s obvious that the frame was repaired.  Long time ago judging by the rust.  All these problems and the torsion suspension is very much wore out..  That’s why it came home on a trailer.   I know I said I would not be starting this project for a while…  but I’ve got a little spare time and just can’t leave it alone.  I lifted the whole trailer off the ground.

Supporting it with my jack stands.  Interestingly this took the sag out of the frame and show me that the whole back of the body was not tight to the frame anymore.  Wow..

This is the floor under where the dinette cabinet was.  The body is attached to the frame with these screws and washers.  They were pulling out of the frame !  So when I lifted the rear they popped up..  This is NOT how I do things..  Those skinny little screws are most likely rusted and at some point would fail.  That is why my frame will have mounting flanges and carriage bolts to mount the body.

Yes I had some fun removing stuff from the interior.

All the cabinets have to come out anyway..  They need repairs and will be repainted.   May leave the closet alone.. it’s mounted very nicely with cap bolts.   The rust that you see ..  I believe was caused by moisture inside the trailer.. not leaks.  If you close these fiberglass trailers up, then they condensate inside..  best to leave vents and windows open a bit.

Well everything is out..  Real easy to get at the mounting screws now.  It can sit like this till I’m ready to tackle the frame.  I got new suspension on sale..  so that’s another big part of the frame.

These will be joined with heavy angle iron before becoming part of the frame.   For this blog I’m going to divide the work up into three more parts / pages.   Most of my projects have more than one page ..cause I don’t like long posts.   Next page will be the Frame.  Then the Body..  and finally the Interior.

#2 The Frame:

 

70’s Coleman Tent Trailer.

Aug 16 2017:

It was free… and you know how that goes..  It was also broken..  So.. time to make something different from the old girl.   I’ve done it before..  made a nice useful trailer out of a old funky one..  I wish I took a photo of the Coleman before I took it apart.. But I forgot…    So the photos start with a stripped down trailer (frame) ready for some decisions on what to make.

But let’s talk about why I took it apart !

Why not just fix it up..  nope.  where do I start..  How about with the broken lift mechanism.  We had to hook up our portable winch to pull on the four cables that lift the roof.  The treaded block that is pulled along the crank rod was stripped.  And it was easy to see why..  The roof was so heavy from water leaking in and soaking the foam and wood that even our 2000 lb winch needed help.  so we went from corner to corner lifting and blocking … then taking up the slack with the winch ..  till the roof was up.   The roof was a mess.. and the canvas was ripped and things were just bad..  So I stripped the canvas off..  and removed the roof..  that darn thing must of weighed 1000 lbs !  It’s taken me two days to get the Coleman down to just a frame.  A pile of aluminum,  a pile of wood and a pile of steel.   And I’ve gained a few parts..  stove, sink, furnace, power panel with 30 amp cord, roof vent, ice box and two sheets of plywood..

She was big as tent trailers go..  11 ft long.  with the fat 10″ wheels.  and brakes !  All aluminum & steel.

What a great blank canvas for a trailer !  I will need to spend some money though.  new tires / wheels so that I can use the one good one as a spare.  Also a new 2″ hitch,  and treated deck boards should finish it of nice.   I plan to move the rear bumper in so that the deck is 11 ft long.  That balances the trailer better.  And I’ll trim the sides in flush with the wheels..  that makes the width exactly 6 ft.  The plan is to build it similar to the tandem  trailer I build and have been using for a few years now.

Love this trailer..   this has  worked very good.  But for the little guy I will do solid sides with stake pockets so you can add height.  Oh and same height all the way around not raised in the front

For now I have to put this project aside to do other stuff.

Sept 9 2017:

Well I can’t work on the LeSharo till I get the motor hoist back..  So I got the new driveway done..  and now I’m thinking I’ll tackle the new trailer.   I’m off to PA to get two new wheels for it..  I have new lights and a new 2 ”  coupler..  so I can get to work.

I removed some of the crap .. like the propane tank holders, chains and the wiring .  And today I stripped the frame of all the stuff that I don’t need …and some stuff I’ll change

Now I can pick it up..  so I put it up high on the saw horses.  Oh and it’s upside down for a bit till I get a few things done.  First thing is moving some of the cross pieces.  One by one I’m spacing them out more evenly.

The brakes got put on this project .. when I bought a Boler project..   I will need the frame for that..  so.. nothing more to see here..

So see how I use the frame on the Boler !

1986 Winnebago LaSharo Motorhome

I saw this for sale cheap…  and I was only sorta interested..  sorta !

So I threw it out there on the family page.   I did so because many of them were looking at smaller RV’s.  And this is the same size as a long pickup.  but it has a lot of RV stuff in there.  Including two full beds.  So what to do !  I went and had a good look..  the motor runs but knocks so bad you don’t really want to drive it.  The roof leaked at some time and damaged the ceiling panels..  But that’s not a big deal in this RV cause the frame is all steel.  The rest is in good condition for it’s age.  I paid the few hundred bucks and had it towed to Peter’s shop..  The plan is to explore the motor fix later this summer.  Here’s a video ..

These Motorhomes have an endearing following:

And it’s easy to see why.  The four cylinder motor gets very good gas mileage ..  but is under powered for this size vehicle.  It’s front wheel drive , therefor it’s low to the ground… No steps !  In fact it’s the lowest entry of any RV.  The layout inside works very well.. and makes good use of the space.   Here’s a new video that better shows that..

I made the forward bed down just to see how that went..  great bed.  Also I wanted to see how much of a job the ceiling would be..  and it doesn’t look like that big of a deal.   Looks like the factory ceiling was paneling covered with fuzzy headliner stuff..   Ok .. I get that..  but that headliner did not do well with the constant rubbing of peoples heads on it..   Plus it was glued to the paneling..  30 years of rubbing , heat… cold.. nope . did not do good..  I’m thinking just smooth white finish is best.

Aug 2017:

I found a complete drive train for the LS..  running motor … not working transmission..  33,000 miles on it  AND  it’s here in BC .  just a 7 hr drive away..

Update: Aug 2017

After I sold the Empress motor home ,  I had the money to buy the motor from the fella down at the coast..  And how lucky I was that he was coming to Grand Forks to buy a car..  So he delivered the motor ( complete with transmission and front drive).  What a great deal..  Even though there is a few years difference the motors are identical.  

Also as a bit of bonus..  he discovered that the reason for his transmission not working was a broken wire connector.  So I have a spare transmission too.  I will also have both spare ECU’s for the trans & motor.  I could just do a quick swap of the motors.. but I would like to clean up the new motor and replace some of the gaskets..  check the seals and set the valves..  All easier while outside the LS and in the shop.

Aug 10 2017:  The LS is now in my driveway facing the shop door..

Today in the cool morning I have removed the front fascia and bumper..  and sizing things up..   wow there is a lot of hoses to keep track of..  Going to have to lift the front quiet a bit to get under there..

I have the new motor apart from the transmission now…  sure don’t like the right side motor mount..  not enough room to swing a wrench.   Seems every bolt holding the two together is a different length !  curse the French.   And speaking of bolts !  are they metric.. or SAE..  seems a combination of both ?

I was using a 5/8 socket on the motor bolts ..  so I’m confused a bit.  So now to mount the motor to the stand and park the transaxle outside out of the way.

Sept 25 2017:      I had lost the use of the motor hoist for a few weeks and while waiting I got some other things done..  Also needed the new gaskets for the good motor so got them ordered and here.  This week is time to get R done.  The goal was always to get the LaSharo running good before winter sets in.. and then I’ll park it till spring to work on the interior.

My nephew is a mechanic and he will come help with the swap..  He’s done many motor swaps.  My next step is to pull the existing motor out ..  get the two side by side and change over the best parts..   Then I want to power wash the motor compartment.

So after much cursing and sweat..  the motor is out and I washed the whole thing down.  Nicer to work without all the yuck.   Now the good motor needs a bit of work and then in it goes.

The old motor is probably re-buildable …or at least some of the bits are useable..  Need to get it on the motor stand and see…

Here’s the new motor in..  Took 4 hrs and lots of patience.  And that’s just bolting it to the transmission !  now I need to hook up what seams like a hundred things.  It better run… cause this is not an easy in / out sorta thing.

Oct 10 2017:  Thanksgiving !

And I’m thankful that things are moving along with the re- hooking up of motor stuff..  I took a little break and went camping / quading with friends..  But this weekend I’m back at it scratching my head over the hose and wire puzzle.  Got some great help from my Facebook  LeSharo friends..

RUNS !

Yup .. it fired right up..  it’s now the 15 th of Oct.. and I have it all together and the coolant in there too..  I drove it next door and parked it for the winter..  SO will continue with renewed vigor in the spring..   Will start a new page for that..   And now I’ll focus my attention on the boler..

Page Two.

 

 

1987 Empress MotorHome

Fall 2016 :

Another  “almost free”  RV..

I say almost.. because there is always something that needs money thrown at it.   The “free”  fifth wheel I got a few years back needed the whole roof replaced..   BUT  when you start off at zero dollars , it’s easy to spend a bit to make it right again.

wp_20161123_001

Also I’m working for this one..  I have been and will be putting in hours of work to clean up and help dispose of  “stuff”  for a good customer of mine who is charged with the task of helping her friends who have got to a care home.  That’s the trade for this lovely unit.  Plus they need it gone in order to sell the property.

empress1

This is what we found..   This is a 1987 Tripple E  class C  motorhome.  27 ft Canadian built.  very good quality.   It has been parked there in the yard for 4 years now.  I was told that he started it a year ago.. no proof of that..   When we pulled the cover off the air cleaner I found old rotten sunflower seeds stashed in there..   So Dave & I  jumped it and poured  some gas down the carb.. with a bit of coaxing it started.  So it runs !   there is just 100,000 kms on it so it should be good.  All the batteries are dead.  I have replaced the motor battery, and in the spring I’ll replace the camper battery.

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It’s Blue !   a very typical color scheme for that time..   Needs a good cleaning both inside and out.  But it’s overall condition is good..  There are a few repairs to do inside..   just the oak cabinet doors coming apart..  no big deal easy to fix.

The floor plan is interesting..

floorplan

This unit has the twin beds in the back.   And the usual large bed at the front..  plus the dinette makes in to one..  That’s ample sleeping..  The rest is typical and very functional.  This unit also has the shower on the other side of the hallway.  Both bathroom and shower doors open and turn the hallway into a big bathroom.  cool idea !

The Plan:

Well we think we’ll keep it for now..  even though we have a good RV.  This one would be better for short weekend getaways..  Plus we can loan it out for family camping.   For now I’m going to empty out some stuff, test all the systems…then tarp it for the winter..

Testing  1 2 3 ..

The first thing to do was take the deep cell batteries out..  I found the recite for them..  2006.  So they are ten years old..   They are not as dead as I thought..  still had 6 volts in them..  and the water was mostly gone..  so we have topped them up and they are taking a charge now.  I powered the MH up with the 30 amp power plug..  So far all the lights work, the fridge is working too ( that’s a big one). The AC unit fan won’t turn..  wants to . but something is blocking it..  So it’s up to the roof to see what’s up..  and sure nuff…  the wasps and the stink bugs had built a city.   All clean now and the AC works fine.  Tested all the gas appliances today.  everything works as it should.. Value is climbing..

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Under the left rear bed is home to the water tank..  and the bus heater.  works just like the dash heater ..  hot coolant provides heat while you are driving ..  great for those “off” season trips.  The water pump is also here..  Very convenient and easy to get to.  However very messy , quite the tangle of wires and water lines.  I don’t like the way they did the drain for the  water tank, but it may have to be there.  One great thing about this vintage of RV is that the plumbing is all above the floor..  most of it you can see.

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Here’s one of three cupboard doors that need to be glued back together.   This is not surprising after thirty years.   The list of repairs needed is small..  I’ve ordered the bits needed for the repairs..  new vent covers, a new porch light..  It’s not much.

Now there are some things that are “optional”  repairs.  Like the bathroom sink..

And the blue counter !   SAY WHAT..  who thought this looked good ?   I’ve got a little stainless steel bar sink that would be better in here..  and while I’m at it I’ll replace the counter with something neutral.   As well some of the curtains are faded and looking a bit ratty..  An LED light or two would be nice..

Since I was into all the cupboards and compartments I decided to run antifreeze through the plumbing.  Just to make sure.   I was dismayed when water came out first !  Not good..  and sure nuff there was a leak under the bathroom sink.  The faucet .  These are cheap plastic faucets..  Now for sure I’m installing a new sink ..and faucet.  At lease I’m assured there is antifreeze in the lines now.

As for those batteries.. well they aren’t doing well..  even though they took a charge they are not coming back to full power..  so I’ll recycle them and in the spring I’ll buy a new battery.

A small project:

empress11

See this lamp !  It’s fugly,  It’s loose,  and it has one of those 12 volt bulbs that looks like a 110 volt 40 watt bulb.  ?  Nope..  no good..  I’m rebuilding it with a LED bulb.. no weird bumps, and the switch will be down on the base where you can see it.  But what I’m tempted to do (in the spring) is add a raised part to the back against the wall.  On it would be a 110 volt plug ..  (for an alarm clock ..or what have you)  and two reading lights.   No more lamp.

Hibernation Mode:

wp_20161130_003

The parts came and we had our first snowfall..  but it melted !  So I was able to get the vent lids and Covers installed..  And now the Empress is covered for the winter…  this blog will continue in the spring when I get to work on it.

It’s Spring !   April !

And of coarse the snow is long gone..  and the Empress is on the list of many things to do..  The tarp is off and I bought a new deep cycle battery for it..  Plus new curtains have been ordered for the bedroom.   Time to get to cleaning & repairing.  !

This is the largest battery I could get.  There is room for two.. but they are pricey.. so one for now.

We have spent two days cleaning and I’ve repaired a few things on the list.  The fridge cleaned up great !  no broken parts and it works on power perfectly.  I even fixed the light… with a LED bulb.  The broken cupboard doors have been re- glued …

Everything has been vacuumed and washed.  I also took time to clean out all the outside storage compartments.

Like this generator cabinet.. one of four cubbies.  Cleaned and carpet added.

Even took the time to install a rubber floor in the entrance step.  I’ve ordered a new sink & faucet for the bathroom.  The plumbing is next.

April 24 2017:

I removed the toilet and the bathroom faucet.  hooked up the new faucet, and plugged the toilet line.  Then I pressured up the water lines.. I wanted to confirm where the leaks are..  Turns out to be the toilet valve ( not the tee) .  so I replaced that..  the hot connection to the faucet was leaking too..  easy fix.  And that takes care of the plumbing!  So I removed the vanity top.  and I’m gluing new formica on top.

And the night stand at the same time..  much better (neutral color) .  And so this is what the vanity top looks like..

With the new faucets and I have polished the sink so it looks way better. Ready for installing… which is not easy..  I have to use a mirror to see the screws… and bend my body in ways that hurt…

May 2017 :

Turns out it was easier to put the counter back than take it out..  I repaired all the plumbing leaks and put the bath back together now.

Looks much better.   Remember what I said about free is not really …  well because the Empress was not winterized properly .. I’ve had to replace all the faucets, the toilet valve and a few fittings.   We have replaced the curtains in the bedroom..  They are thicker and make the room better for sleeping.   I have also changed the top of the night stand..  added a few goodies too.

Now we have a LED night light , clock with alarm, a better 110 plug, a voltage meter and a USB charge port.   So now we are good to go..

I still have a few more things to do..  they are outside.  Like re- sealing the roof.  That will be done after we get back from a shake down run this May long weekend.  But I did re seal the hot water tank ..  and clean the remaining moss from the higher surfaces.

The curtains are all back in and clean..  In fact the whole interior has had a wash..  and is smelling so much better.  I have tested all the propane systems ..  and all is good.  The other day I coxed the motor back to life with some gas down the carb.. it’s been idle since October.  The I took it out for a good drive.  After putting in some higher grade fuel..   the motor settled down a bit..  still an exhaust leak up by the motor..  but we can live with a little extra noise.

May Long weekend:

Well we made it 1 1/2 hours up the north fork valley to a rec site for a weekend of R&R..   Everything worked great..  even towed the utility trailer with the quad in it..   Only one thing happened unexpectedly … the window on the door came loose..  So I need to fix that..  We got to try out all the systems.. even the furnace.

What a great time..

July 2017:

So the plan was to sell the Empress after family camping ..  use it there and then Let Go.   How ever just three days before that someone approached me wanting to buy it right away..  so I did..

BYE Bye..

 

Ideas & Dreams of the Ultimate RV

Sept 2014:

Ultimate RV ?  Well yes.. but that is subjective.. what’s cool to me may not be cool to others.  When you go to the RV show to check out the latest, you can see a lot of new things that the manufactures have done to “improve” the RVing experience.  But it’s the décor in them that seems to be the focus.  All that is so much fluff to me.. I’m a practical guy..  I want function.  I want a big roomy bed.. I want a bathroom that you can sit on the can and not feel like your in a telephone booth.  Seriously if your going to tow around this big trailer than make it big where it counts. Remember these are just my thoughts and opinions on that… But if I’m going to be critical then I should have a solution.. Right !  Well  I did that and came up with a trailer design that I could build on the old Award frame that Dave has..  Balanced and simple.. big where it needs to be and still light weight. These are my drawings…

Better Award
Better Award

By preserving the things that make the Award trailer such a pleasure to tow.. but eliminating the faults the are the construction problems .. we make a great trailer.

Things to keep:

  • Light weight frame & independent torsion suspension
  • All plumbing & wiring above the floor and accessible.
  • All heavy stuff over the axles.
  • Curved roof and roof ends for less wind resistance.
  • Low entry.. (one step)

Things to change:

  • Treated wood framing
  • Aluminum skin on walls
  • Steel reinforced floor to bare the weight of the walls
  • Roxul insulation
  • One piece rubber roof .
  • Larger Queen bed
  • No tub or shower.  (never use them)
  • More kitchen counter space
  • Large pantry
  • Larger Fridge

Ok But but but …. what if you don’t want a big trailer.. or the truck to pull it.  What if storaging your RV is an issue.   That’s where the “cute” RV’s come in.

Boler’s

Classic Boler
Classic Boler

If only someone was still making these.  Well there are a few offerings out there.. mostly in the USA..  And if you have one… you are sure to get top dollar for it .. no matter what the condition.

Trillium’s

The Trillium
The Trillium

Very much like the Boler.. just a little bit less rounder.. Still rare and pricey to buy.

now I showed you these two because they are close to what I believe to be truly the lightest RV’s minus a bathroom..   that doesn’t involve a tent. so it’s just park ..open the door and enjoy..   They are very simple.. two fiberglass shells put together like an egg.  very little wood involved.  Reminds me of the way boats are made !

And that’s where this post is going…  the “what if”  here..

What if:  your little fiberglass RV that’s built like a boat could float like a boat… wheels and all.

What if:  no wood was used so rot & weathering is no longer a problem.

Think about it..  a lake now becomes another campground..  We like it when we camp near water… it’s peaceful and relaxing..  why no on the water.. ?   I’m not the only one thinking like this.. I’ve recently found on the web a few dreams of others.. like me.  Here are two:

Sealander:

sealander
sealander

Here’s the German’s at it once more…  ok cool looking little trailer..

This is not a misstake
This is not a mistake

It really does float!..  and obviously they have a prototype..  Hmm now we are getting close.. but I doubt you will see one of these on this side of the ocean.

Another offering:

what ?
what ?

This is just a concept.. but it’s much closer to a useful one.  and there are some good ideas “onboard”.   A tad large as well..  If I was to have a list of what I think should make up one of these “dual purpose” RV’s it would go like this.

  • Single axle, no more that 3000 lbs
  • Electric outboard for power
  • Solar panel charging
  • Sleeps four,  galley & potty
  • Walk out front “bow”
  • Still have trailer door
  • Not more than 16 ft length

If you use the two piece body construction .. I think all these things and more are possible.   How about the don’ts..  in RV construction..

  • dark colors , particularly the roof… ever parked a black vehicle in the sun ?
  • Lack of windows…  need light and fresh air ..
  • the need for six steps up to the door ??  what are we building a tree fort?
  • Rear kitchens.. too much weight on the back..  moving the axles back does not improve the towing..
  • Sandwich wall sides..  or what they call hard wall.  if it leaks it’s not fixable..
Stay tuned more to come…

 

 

24 ft Jayco Trailer

May 2013:

Here I go .. but not so crazy this time.. at least I think so..  As you may know.. I had a very good offer on the GMC motor home and we realized the lack of use it would get so ..take the offer.. and off the GMC went.  No RV but a whack of money in the bank…Good  Suited me fine, if the guys at work bought one I could borrow it.. But nether of them were really keen on that.. Oh well..  But I was always scanning the ads for ..well everything.. even RV’s and I saw this trailer for sale ..Christina Lake… hmm close enough to have a look.. Dave & I did just that.. And to my surprise it was the best trailer I could have ever hoped for.. So I threw out a low offer and they accepted !   Wow.. What a deal..  This is a 1990 Jayco J-Series 2450.  With the best floor plan I’ve seen.. better than what I saw at the RV show last fall…and those were new ones.. For 23 years old it’s as sturdy as the day it left the factory.. No signs of ever leaking.. and we know were to look..  Completely original inside & out.. No damage at all.. So home it came.. 

 We used Dave’s Avy because I don’t have a brake controller yet.  We did have to stop at the bottom of Fife Road hill just to make sure the bearings were ok and give the tail light bulbs a twist to get the connection better.. This trailer has not been towed for a few years.. but used as a extra home.. I was worried about the tires making the short trip..  They are rough.. and the spare is used on one side.  But it all went ok .. in fact even without a proper equalizer hitch it towed great.. Wow very positive.. I believe this to be a good size trailer for our Avalanche’s to handle without worries.  

Now it’s home have a good look test some things out .. make a list….

It’s not without issues… mostly outside.. that is where the weather has worked it’s magic over the years.  The obvious things are:

The Tires: Bad enough that four new ones have been bought and the spare will return to it’s holder on the back..with a new cover. This gives piece of mind when traveling.. most likely the last tires I’ll buy..

The Awning:  We could see cracks in the fabric.. and sure-nuf it’s dirty, wet and there is wasp nests up there..and they damaged one part.. you can see in the photo.  too bad because it’s a nice one..or was.  it’s a 14ft one..the plan is too install the 18 ft one from Dave’s old Award trailer.. it’s still good and that will give us one that covers the whole lenth of the trailer..

The Fridge Vent Cover:  It was toast !  Cracked and on the verge of being a leak..  We’ve replaced it with the one from the Award.

Note Here.. that we are wrecking out Dave’s old Award trailer.. it has already donated parts and pieces to other’s including the fridge that went into the GMC..  Going to be handy for a few more goodies..

 

The 30 amp connection box door:  It’s cracked and won’t close anymore.. See above photo..  I’ll have to buy a new one.

The Range Hood Vent:  It was / is missing the flap that keeps the critters out.. The Award had a good one..

The Bathroom Door Latch:  The only thing (for now)  in need of replacing inside..  The Award has a good one.. 

The Not Bad Stuff !

The pump and the water tank are under the bed and accessed by this door on the rear of the trailer.. Handy for repairs and winterizing !  Just remember to turn it off at night !  Check out the carpet color.. yup same as our Award trailer.. Dusty Rose.

This is the most desirable feature of the trailer.. a walk-around bed.. no more crawling over each other..  There’s a 60″ wide mattress there now but a bigger one will fit..  Opening windows on three sides ..Sooo good cause we like fresh air.. And I’d like to point out that those windows are my favorite louvered ones.. when they are open the rain can’t come in.. Why don’t they still use them ??

A kitchen with everything you’d expect. Double sink, 4 burner stove with oven, two door fridge.. lots of storage, and the all important counter space for the coffee maker.  all the upholstery and window dressings is in perfect condition. Every light works ! And yes the clock too.. One of the first things we did was to plug the power in.. The A/C works great.. The fridge got cold ! The info panel works ! A quick clean and we are moving in..

Ahh the Bathroom.. There’s a tub /shower that I could actually use !  And you can brush your teeth and crap with the door closed ! It’s a bit bigger than what we had in the Award.  It will work just fine. 

Now We need to test the plumbing:

NO leaks ! I put some water in the tank and the pump fired up and flushed the left over anti-freeze out of the lines… But the pump would not shut down after the pressure was up.. We put our pressure gauge tester on the pump and it would go to the 32 psi like it should.. so Dave lubed the sensor up and adjusted it and boom worked as it should.. So then I hooked up the city water and that was good too.. NO Leaks !  Not even the faucets..  WE HAVE WATER.. 

Let’s Check the Propane !

The trailer came with two 20 lb tanks.. they don’t look old but one is out dated .As well one was empty the other feels like it was half full.  It’s a simple and typical trailer system.. The stove lit up perfectly and the furnace fired up and the heat was coming out..  no problems .. The hot water tank was a little more work though.. The main burner worked but the pilot would not light.. Due to some critter making a home in there .. the air hose evicted the little guy.. Now the heater works perfectly.. So all is good with the propane.. will need at least one new tank though.

The Shopping trip !

During our trip to Calgary and Edmonton I stopped at several RV parts stores and bought all the necessary bits & pieces. Including: two Max Air vent covers.(we like to leave the roof vents open).  Spare Tire cover. ( cause I’m a neat freak). New sewer hose & fittings. New Electrical cord door.  New Water tank fill door. (old one looks gross). New Tail Lights.. ( just like old ones but not broken) . Some RV caulking / sealant..  And a few other bits.

Time To get Started : 

The first thing I got done was to change out the tail lights. Easy when you use the same but newer..I then sealed them with the new stuff.   Next I need to get up on the roof and clean up the old sealant.. But it started to rain. So… I’ll talk about some of the things I plan to do.. 

Cleaning the Exterior :  

 

So in these two photos you can see what Mother Nature has done to the caulking.. Yup things are growing.. in the top photo I went to town on a part.. a little too much.. started to remove the paint Yikes !  I’ll have to be more careful.  But it’s how this trailer will be after a good bath..Then I’ll use the new clear sealant and cleaning will be easier. But first I’ll need to fix up the roof..

The Batteries :

The way they had it was with the extra battery in under the dinette seat.. I’m not fond of having batteries inside.. The battery tray you see in the photo will only hold one battery.. So the plan here is to remove the rear cross piece and weld four of them back to the trailer frame so the two can sit side by side.. That works better.  These are large batteries which makes camping without plug-in power for a week possible. Of the two batteries that came with the trailer .. only one was good..   

The Bath :

The weather kinda turned for the worst here.. So I decided to use the shop at work to do the roof and the cleaning.. so tonight I towed the Jayco over there and gave it a bath.. I used degreaser on the harsh spots.. Rust jelly on the rust.. and the whole trailer got a wash with “Super Clean” my favorite RV cleaner.. It is of coarse diluted half & half.. Brings the shine back to the siding.. 

 Fixin.. the Roof:

 Well I got the whole roof all re-caulked.. The sun had curled some of the roof coating.. See photo below..

 Although it had not leaked yet it would if left this way.. I also got to reattach the fridge vent cover.. in a better way.. While I was working on the roof Maureen was inside giving the Jayco a wipe down and vacuum. 

Some New Parts :

While in the shop I replaced the power cord door and the stove hood vent. 

 Now doesn’t that look better.. works better too.. 

Also while in the shop I did a very thorough cleaning of the windows.. The louvered windows are great but they are tricky to clean and the opening mechanism needs some lube now and then..  Then I brought it back home..

In this photo that brown spare is still on the rear of the trailer..  The proper white spoke is back now and I’ve since painted the spare RV white…

 Cleaning The Awning:

The Norseman Awning has some good features.. So maybe thinking of keeping it.. I’ll see if it can be repaired. So I gave the awning a MUCH needed bath..  Looks way better but those tears bug me..  Mostly (We Hope) the awning is needed for shade not rain.. So I’m thinking just use it this year.

 Wheels & Brakes:

  Finally got the trailer over to Peter’s to change over the tires and do the service on the bearings and brakes.  Everything looked in good order.. except the wiring connection to the brakes on the rear wheels was corroded, and needed to be repaired. No wonder it seemed like there were no brakes…only half were working.   We installed new grease seals and repacked the bearings. And of coarse mounted the four new tires. The spare was still good and two of the old tires are worth keeping. 

Fixing The small Things:

There were a few things that needed fixing inside.. The fridge light (fixed) , The bed room door was of it’s track  (fixed) I installed a new (closable) heat vent in the kitchen.. they had taped a piece of cardboard over it !

I have also changed out three of the lights for LED ones that I had.  Just the ones we think would get left on to see in the dark.. The hall light, and the two over the head of the bed. I have more should we decide they are better. They certainly use less power when your running on battery alone. 

The messes are done.. including cleaning the two roof vents.. and they now have the covers installed on them so they can be left open.  Time to move in..  Now that all these things are in good order.. the Jayco looks much newer that it is. It truly does not seem like a 23 year old trailer. It’s clean and everything works as it should.

I’m just putting the finishing touches on some of the exterior now.. Painted the hot water & furnace covers, they were grey and looked out of place.. they are now RV white and look like they belong.. 

 I’ve also welded the spare tire carrier to the bumper.. it was clamped and had a mechanism for folding it down ?? I could maybe see the need for that if it was in front of the access door but it’s not…so it’s much stronger now.. And the bumper got a new Brown paint job. This was the factory color for the frame. I also repainted the step and I’m in the process of painting the Hitch end too.

I’ve now finished the trays for the two batteries. And everything got a new coat of brown paint.. Just need to put things back and we are done.. Time for a “Shake Down” run..

The Jayco spent some time in the Franknport but mostly it’s been in the driveway and being used as a spare room.. It’s been hot and when we used the AC it worked great.  And I’ve been running the fridge for weeks now and that’s working great too..  We are looking forward to spending the first week in August in the Jayco.. That will be it’s second trip.

 2015  Many Trips:

in the Jayco now.. three years to the family camp..  Now has new awing Fabric installed on the frame. We got a foam topper on the bed so it’s a bit more comfy… This spring while testing things after winter storage.. the fridge decided to give up it’s duties.  A newer one was found and we are good, everything works as it should..

Sadly though a Fifth wheel 31 ft Challenger has come to live with us.. and it’s time to move up.  bigger newer and Deluxe!  So the fate of the Jayco is unknown for now.