But work is starting early on the dash and things around it.
Mostly cleaning the dust & dirt. I have to admit that this work will be easier without the window in the way. The steering wheel will have to come off so I can get the metal dash back out.
As you can see it’s got some rust and needs a paint job. I made a video about the process .
I put the trailer aside until I picked up the gantry from my friend. I will need that to flip the heavy frame.
Here’s the gantry pieces in amongst some of my stuff. The jeeps are in the way for a bit, then I will set this up.
Meanwhile the trailer has been enjoying this space, and providing a place to store the new metal.
Well you obviously put the new one on the Jeep you are keeping. And make one good window out of the other two for the Jeep you will sell.
The looser goes to the window that was on the 95 Jeep. Hard to see through all the cracks, dented on the top and rusted on the bottom. This Jeep will inherit the white window from the 92 Jeep (the keeper). It will need to be painted black, and there is only a bit of rust to fix. Even though it’s got cracks too..they are not near as bad.
Every Jeep I looked at ( even the $7000 ones) had cracked windows. I hope this is not a bad sign because the new window frame and the new glass is $500. And I will have to paint it white. This is all well and good since the soft top is in great shape a new window means the top half of the 92 Jeep needs nothing done. Now removing the Torx head bolts from the hinges is not fun! On the white 92 Jeep we had to drill out all but one of the eight bolts ! On the 95 I just drilled them all. Meanwhile on the 92 jeep the amount of crap between the window and the dash was amazing. three old lighters, paperwork, cigar butts and one old air freshener. That window has never been folded EVER ! The right side hinge is seized, and it was rusted bad on that side behind the dash.
That wasn’t the issue with the 95 Jeep (seen here without the window). The white soon to be black window needed some interesting work done to get what was left of the Torx bolts out.
When you start drilling out the bolts, and putting pressure on the drill. Oops ! The threaded plate falls off of the tabs holding it up behind the holes ! Now what ?
The only thing you can do… cut an access hole so you can retrieve it. What do you know… now I have easy access to the other two bolts on the side. I used heat and vice-grips to remove those. As for the ones in those fancy plates.. use the bench vice to hold the bolts and turn the plate.
Just weld the patch back in place and there you have it. The hinge covers this bit of ugliness…. no worries. Today the cowl seal and the inside mirror came. The new window should be ready today as well.
And the window that goes on the 95 Jeep is coming along nicely.
Oh great ! My new window is having delays. And in 5 day’s over a Long Weekend the 92 Jeep has to go to the mechanic. I won’t have enough time to paint it and re install it. Not wanting to drive the Jeep without the window I’m going to have to put the (now black) window back in place. Geez ! Oh well more practice with the windows. And learning how to work with the soft top.
Won’t bother with the wiper blades.. Because it’s coming back off later. I finally got my new window back. Nice new glass and gaskets. It was only primed so I need to paint it white.
And that means masking off both sides. But it’s turned out great. The 92 jeep is stored at the mechanic’s shop. And I’m busy for a week, so when I bring it back here the window swap will happen for the final time. I decided to order new hinges for the 92 Jeep because I can’t get the right side one to free up. That’s the way it goes when the window has never been folded down for 30 years. I needto be able to fold it down. So this means drilling out more torx head bolts. The 92 is back home now and as soon as the hinges arrive I’ll finish this job.
The new hinges are here, but you need to remove the old ones. There’s where my troubles started. There’s nuts behind the four lower bolts ! So I need to pull the dash out to get behind there. The weather is supposed to turn nasty so I can’t (or don’t want to) leave the 92 Jeep outside without a window. Time for plan B . I put the black window back on the 95 jeep and move the top into place.
Then I switched the Jeeps around so the 92 Jeep was inside where i can take my time. It was easier so I drilled all the bolts out ! The new hinges come with nice new bolts with hex head instead of torx.
This is a great opportunity to clean the rust and treat it before installing the new hinges. And as a bonus… I can clean the years worth of dust and dirt from behind the dash. The metal dash backing plate could use a little help too.
I was hoping to save this kind of work for the winter… but I’ll be doing it now while the access is easy. I’ll document that work in the 92 Jeep page 2 post HERE .
When the first Jeep you buy is looking like a real money pit… Then you just go get a different one ! Just make sure you pay less… then you have more to spend and you feel better. But it’s more than that.
What do I mean MORE. Well let’s see… I drove it home 178 kms on the highway (not towed). You learn a lot from that. And it did great ! I like to drive automatics.. Really ! Clutches and 5 speeds are over rated. And another thing that’s a big part of the “Jeep” experience is the open air… so a soft top is a huge bonus.
“Unmodified” .. I don’t want to repair or remove someones bad ideas. This one still sports the “jeep” rims, steering wheel and mirrors. Even those ugly “bumperetes ” are there… bent but there. Same with the front bumper.. bent but there !
Even the interior looks like it’s 30 years old(seats for sure). And we are talking a cassette player ! Wow so 90’s. And what’s with the blue light? That has to go bye bye.. Those are A/C ducts under the dash, Factory ! You don’t see that in many old Jeeps. And look the jacking tools were still in the holder under the hood.
And I had some time with not much going on SOOO…
I made these look “newish”
You know there is the “good stuff” too. still got the good inline 4.0 L six motor. And it runs great. There’s factory A/C if I can figure out how it works. I like the half doors better than the full doors.. and these don’t need work. There is one very good modification the manual pull ( red button) to lock in the 4×4. Deleting the vacuum operated one that is prone to failure just when you need it. The hinges on all three doors are good and NOT loose. I attribute that to the half doors. They weigh less than the full doors. The spare tire carrier is ready for the spare. The fender flairs and running boards are NOT painted and in great condition. The tires are new, and the proper size. The top is only three years old and in great condition. The cost of the top and the tires add up to what I paid for the whole Jeep. These are the pluses. What about the bad things ? Well let’s have a look first. I’m sure more will be found by the mechanic on it’s soon to be visit. But what are the things I’m know about. Leaking transmission ( somewhere). Leaks in rear diff ( input and axles). A vibration at 70 km/h ? ( don’t know where). Right side front window hinge is seized. Lots of small things to tinker with. Like some of the gauges not working. All fixable, and worth fixing.
This was the window that came with this Jeep.. now painted back. See the post about the windows HERE. I had to learn how the soft top goes down and back up. in order to remove and replace the front window. Not hard at all. I also (as part of the window thing) had to fix the roll bar pieces that go above the doors and hook up to the window. Today I was washing our vehicles .. so I decided it’s time to remove the “crispy” bra on the front of the Jeep.
Looks better now. Boy that bent bumper bugs me ! I want to build a new one. Then I gave the motor compartment it’s much needed bath. Here’s a before photo (yes I remembered).
I’ve seen worse.. the idea was to get rid of the caked on dirt and oil on the engine. Here’s the after….
Again it’s not a profound difference. And overall things are looking good under the hood ! Ready for it’s date with the shop..
Okay… now I know what’s needs fixing from a professional. Lets go from front to back. So first on the list is new ball joints for the right side. Then there is a main rear seal on the motor. A leaking seal on the transmission. And the trans needs a service. now here’s a big one. The whole rear axle needs replacing. Too many issues to list. And finally the welded patches on the rear most of the frame for the spring hangers need to be re- done. So what now ? A welder is going to have a look if he could fix the rear spring mounts. So we will see about that. I could swap out the rear axle from the 95 (if the ratio is the same) . I could pull the trans and take it to a transmission shop. and then I can change the rear motor seal. I would get the shop to replace the ball joints because I don’t have the tools for that. The debate still goes on about which is the better jeep to spend the money and time on.. I like the 92 my Son likes the 95.
Here is the frame problem.. What a mess with the welding ! This is the rear of the frame and that is the rear spring hanger. And this is a common place for the rust to happen.. They make new (weld in ) frame sections for here. So a fix is possible.. and good.
I just solved one of the big problems. I found a used but good rear axle that’s a perfect match. Only a leaking pinion seal.. I can do that..
No other leaks. Came from a jeep that had a bad frame.
Here’s a new video I just made..
Well due to a problem switching the windows the 92 Jeep is now the one in the shop. Had to remove the dash to get to the backside of the hinges. So I guess I’ll be working on the dash and things behind it.
Five thousand screws later I have the dash apart. Now is a good time to start a new post cause things are going to get serious !
Parts for the doors arrived today.
Except the gaskets and window channels. The Jeep is ready to go to the shop in two days. so I’m picking away at the doors. I removed everything except the window regulator. Those four Philips screws will not budge. There’s no repairs needed so I’ll leave well enough alone.
Same with the hinges. Not going to chance damaging the torx bolts. The hinges get the red paint anyway. After washing the mud out and doing a few repairs I have started the painting. Satin black for the door frames.
Sampled the regal red from the spray can… not thinking it’s dark enough. But we’ll let it dry and see.
The Jeep is off to the shop now.. and another thing we’ll see is what they find wrong.. That was the longest drive today.. and I have some thoughts.. I think the clutch needs adjusting. Wanders a bit on the road . So maybe a wheel alignment. Well it turns out that there is lots wrong ! The transmission has NO 4th and 5th gears. That’s bad. One front bearing needs replacing. The power steering is leaking because it was poorly installed and buggered up.. So that needs to be replaced.. And of coarse we knew about the exhaust system.. And lets ad to that a new front window and a new rear window… The cost is starting to get crazy. However I have been told by “Jeep guys’ that a fixed up Jeeps are worth it. And the only thing that would halt spending money on the Jeep would be a rusted out frame. So we shall keep on with it…
Back to the doors… with the extra room in the shop I started working on the driver’s door. Welding the cracks that all Jeep doors apparently have and fixing the rust. Then this happened !
Tap tap with the body hammer and a rusty spot became a holey spot. No worries I’ve welded a new plate on there. And the doors have the new paint on the parts where gaskets go. I finally made a new video..
And this reveals the plan to sell this Jeep and switch to the 1992 Jeep.
So let’s have a look and talk about the second Jeep. A few years older (92), but it’s in very good condition.. But most of all it’s 99% factory original. With the only modification being the popular manual 4×4 axle engagement. Best of all it comes with a full soft top (that I wanted), half doors (which I also like ) and it’s an automatic, which I very much like. Sneak peak…
This one cost less than the 95 YJ.. It runs and drives. It too has almost new tires. A/C, trailer hitch and the spare tire mount I wanted.
The body has rust holes, and there are some leaks to fix and some electrical stuff. Not lifted ! The good old 4 L inline six too. Runs great !
That Bra is ratty and is coming off. As you can see the windshield frame is rusty so the new window frame and glass will go on here. This is the Jeep I should have bought first time.. but it wasn’t for sale then. So I will correct that by selling the 95. By the way does this photo look familiar ?
Ya.. This is the year of YJ Jeep they used.. Those are the factory rims painted red. Interesting I live in Drumheller. Don’t worry I’m not thinking of that paint scheme. It’s just a white Jeep with a blue splash. Quite likely it will stay that way.
Enough about the new Jeep.. It will get it’s own post here:
Back to the 1995 Jeep.. Well work on the doors is complete, and they are back on the jeep. Next up is the Jeep front window switch-a-roo. And because it involves both Jeeps and it’s own unique work it warrants a new post: Jeep Window Post
I’ll get back to the 95 Jeep after the window fiasco. The plans are to install the back painted window on this Jeep and the top back on . See what the newer wheels and tires will look like on the 92. Not sure yet what other bits we will transfer over. And the debate over which jeep is best also continues.. That means there is a lull in the work.. However I am fixing the power steering leak.
Done ! Now this Jeep can live outside for now.
Cleaning is first on the to do list.. The motor and under the hood was very dirty. So much easier to see what you’re doing without the dirt.
trust me this is way better then what it was. I forgot to take a “before” photo. Not much to do under here. The leak in the power steering reservoir , a new belt and could use an oil change.
OOPS ! we had a little mishap. As part of the cleaning Ben and I took the hardtop off.. And it was heavier than we thought it would be. and … we dropped it on the tail gate and broke the rear window.. Darn.. One more thing for the auto wrecker list.
I removed the passenger door so I could do the repairs. AND clean the caulking off the vent window.
WHY ? Was it leaking ? What a pain.. I did get it all off and the window works again. I’m going to take the door completely apart, and rebuild it.. And I have some new parts for the doors coming. I like the full doors so we will fix them up like new. Let’s see now, doors off, top off and now the seats are out too. Time for a bath on the inside.
And boy is it needed ! Years of mud and dirt. It will look different tomorrow.
B
Much better ! Now we can see what’s under the dirt . Also… A topless jeep is kinda cool..
I’m trying a product I bought years ago for turning rust into primer. Can’t remember what project it was.. But it works. I’ve soaked a few of the rusty bolts and screws in it and wow do they look different.
These were very rusty seat bolts, and the screws that hold the mirrors on. So I used it on the front bumper, let it dry and painted it semi gloss black.
Now it’s time for some new tires. The ones I chose are multi use , trail , snow, mud and the good old road. So I had them mounted up and now I need to freshen up the semi gloss black on the rims. These are not the big fat tires that were on the jeep, but a much more reasonable size. In fact close to the factory size. There was some rust on the rims … I treated it and repainted them .
Looking good where the rubber meets the road. Next I’m painting the seat frames, and they will go back in so we can drive the jeep.
And here we are with the new tires on. Some nice new center caps to fancy things up a bit. Today my new windshield frame came. The old one is rusted through and dented up top..
This will make it so a new window can be installed without worry. Putting the seats back in today. Ordered a new steering wheel too. In a few days the Jeep is going to a shop to have some work done. They will install new tail pipe, a new belt and fix the leak in the power steering. Also we will see what needs to be done to pass the safety inspection. While in the shop I’ll rebuild the doors and paint the window frame to ready it for new glass. We’ll start a new page for that work..
I took some of the proceeds from selling my ATV and bought this Jeep. More suited to Alberta adventures than a quad.. And in my long standing tradition of rescuing sad things.. This definitely fits that .
It has a tow bar that I used to bring it home.. 2 hours away in Red Deer. No Problems.. The price was good and allows me to spend a bit of money, mostly on new tires.. but there is a few things that need attention. OK a lot of things. The power steering tank has a leak, parking brake needs work. Exhaust is leaking. Door hinges are worn. One door latch is broken.. I’ve ordered a whole new set. 235,000 kms in 28 years… not bad. The motor runs great and so does the 5 speed trans. 
Good brakes too. A lot of the work is cosmetic. Like the paint , the drivers door panel is missing, and I need to clean up some wiring. He had a winch that plugged into the front and back hitches… and then power plugs too… All wired to two batteries and control switches for charging.. NOPE.. That’s coming out..instead I’ll put a winch on the front and wire it to the battery under the hood.
OK That’s thoughtful. and it is needed if you are going to have two batteries… He was winching himself or his buddies out of a lot of mud holes.. I won’t go into any mud holes . So I can take this away AND ..
This mess as well. WOW wires everywhere.. I get the switch for control over where the power goes.. Just don’t need that. Do need the light bar switch.. Don’t need the siren switch …. Yes there is a siren under the hood. No It’s not staying there.
Yes the light bar works ! And it’s staying.. That’s a nice tow bar .. I’ll keep it but the wiring for the lights is a mess and needs gone.. If I need to tow I’ll use my tow lights.
Well with Ben’s help we got to the job of cleaning up the wiring mess. And fixing the loud exhaust. Found a wire off the output housing. Sure enough the speedometer was unplugged.. HMMM One has to wonder for how long ? It was ripped off by something… Therefore broken, so a new one is ordered. Work is started on the jeep now to get it “road worthy’ Let’s start another page for that..
The big change will be the sides. Instead of 2 ft high removable ( and floppy) sides with heavy planks. Which reminds me … I took 500 lbs of rotten wood to the landfill today, from the trailer. YES I have to put the deck back.. But it won’t weigh that much. Oh ya… sides.. I’m going to have welded 12 ” high sides. The same height as the fenders. Just like this:
This was an 18 ft trailer I built from an old travel trailer. This is what I like .. Adds strength to the frame. And I think the new trailer suits this better than tall sides. Then we need a wind gate or ramp, tail gate.. call it what you want.. Look at the 12 ft ATV trailer I bought new, had a great one. It hinged 190 degrees to lay flat on the deck for when you traveled empty.
This worked ! Bye the way we like to call these wind gates because the mesh lets the wind pass through. Ya ! Notice this trailer had the low rails too. I never thought they had to be higher. These are tried and tested things that I know work well.
I’m starting to collect the parts and pieces I need for this trailer build. One other big thing this trailer needs is new tires.
Those are winter car tires on there ! Nope.. Not sure I want to explain why trailer tires are better on a trailer .. Lets just do the right thing shall we. Now these 15 ” tires take up a lot of room in the fenders. I’m concerned they will rub if you put weight in the trailer. Soooo I have ordered a whole new set (five so I have a good spare) of 14 ” wheels and tires, with galvanized spoke rims. That should work good and look good too. The tongue of the trailer is quite long.. It adds a woppin 66″ ( 5-1/2 ft) to the length of the trailer. Making it 17- 1/2 ft from hitch to bumper.
That’s a lot of extra space! I’m wanting to claim a bit of that for more deck space. 20 ” more to be exact. The box you see ( in the correct position) will be right in front of the extended deck, and will hold the winch, battery charger. And if the battery fits too , great ! Otherwise I will make a battery holder in front.. My 6 ft ruler marks the front of the deck. There’s lot’s of room. Plus I’ll get a different jack and move it to the mounting hole in the new A frame hitch.
Today the new wheels arrived ! They are going to look very sharp with the color I have now decided on.
These are 205/75R /14 Radial trailer tires with a 1680 lb load range C- rating. That’s 6720 lbs for the 4 tires. The axles and springs are rated for 7000 lbs. The trailer weighed in at approximately 1900 lbs BEFORE I removed the 500 lbs of wood… so a good guess for the finished weight would be in the 1700 lb + or- a bit. That puts how much you can load the trailer is 5000 lbs. COOL ! Good trailer..
Now did I say something about color ? Yes .. I’ve put a lot of thought into that subject. And I want it to be classy. I have settled on a dark red. Tremclad has a red called “Regal Red” and I like it.. Plus I can buy it right here in town.
Here’s a swatch. All the ideas are falling in to place and I haven’t found a reason to change anything yet.. Except ! As a bonus I was digging through my stashes and I found an A frame jack. In working order.. but it’s missing the foot. I need to make a foot for the travel trailer too.. so I can later.
So I cleaned and greased it and gave it a paint job. Works perfectly !
I’ve found a source for a bit of metal. Good trailer building metal. Some angle iron and 2 ” square tube. But I need to go get it an hour away. Therefore I need the new trailer… so I wired up some temporary (but new) lights
And I installed the new wheels.
To go down one size to a 14″ wheel was a good choice. I now have a comfortable amount of clearance in the fenders AND it only lowered the trailer by 1- 1/2 ” . And that’s okay ! I got to test the new wheels out ! Went to Just north of Calgary to but some good useful steel .
This trailer was proving it’s usefulness … carrying 20 ft lengths of angle and 2″ square and one 3″ c- channel. No problems ! So the trailer is in the shop, and I’ve got lots of metal to work with. Between the trailer and the 20ft metal there’s not a lot of room to get around. I’m going to move the lift table over a foot and a bit. That should help.. Plus I’ll cut the metal into the sizes I need and the rest I’ll cut in half for storing . And then the building will start after the Jeeps are out of the shop. SOON.
Something more reasonable this time.. Won’t take six months to complete… but I could take my time !
Perfect… When I saw this one for sale I just had to have it .. 12 ft X 6 ft .. 5000 lb capacity ( small car).
Needs some love for sure.. Those sides are toast.. And that’s not all. Needs new deck, wheels, wiring. hitch. lights ( although these do work) And a paint job. In other words.. just my kinda trailer. BUT ! I towed it home two hours at full speed.. with no problems. I won’t start on this till the fall ( that’s a lie). Here’s a video tour…
My Avalanche was going in the garage right away.. But a trans cooler line broke and leaked all the oil… so I had to use the Buick to fetch the trailer.. Not a problem, the Buick can tow 5000 lbs and the trailer as it was weighed in at 1800 lbs. But the Avy will not be fixed till the 8 th of August… so A bit of delay. So yes I’ll start work on the trailer..
I want to save all the metal bent or not.. So I’m using a cut off wheel to cut the rusty bolts holding the wood on.
Getting there.. And so is the outdoor temperature ..it will be hot today. Most of the bolts were so rusty there was no way you were using a wrench. I think I’m just in time to prevent some bad rust against the fender walls.. Lots of dirt and duff was trapped there.
And now for the floor.. Great idea to throw OSB sheets over the rotten decking.. Yup ! Now it’s falling apart too ! I think I’m going to need a shovel not a crowbar.
How about some nice pressure treated 2×6… Yup that should do it. However that’s a much later thing. Hours of sweat later and….
We have a clean frame and the parking area too ! For now it all that rotten wood went into the other trailer. So hiding under all the old wood is a nice sturdy trailer, with 3500 lb drop axles, 10″ brakes. And 4 leaf springs.
All designed to keep the trailer low, and pack some weight. Nice… that’s the way we want it. As you have seen looking at these photos what’s left of the paint is copper color.. The registration shows yellow ? Well it will be neither when I’m done.. I should mention that the frame is made of 4″ x 2″ steel tube, cross pieces too. No damage or bends either. So I have an excellent foundation for a very nice flat deck trailer. Do we just give it a new deck and a paint job…. NO. We make it better than it was. Make it safe to tow , and reliable with proper trailer tires, new hitch, brakes that work! LED lights.
I really want to reuse the angle pieces that were the support for the sides. But boy is the one long (12 ft) piece bent up bad..
Hard to see just how bad in the photo… I’ve been hammering and jumping on these for hours.. I may be able to straighten them more when I weld them in place.
Better view of the bent-up-ness of the one.. I need to get them looking better… Buying this much metal is very pricey. I’ve got the upright pieces from the side to.. ( not bent).
Those “fold overs” are from the factory… they were at the top. I’m not asking why… These are approximately 24 ” long , and the new pieces I need will be 12 ” … So there’s lots to work with. Not so with the long ones.. Need every bit.
Alrighty… Time for a new page, about the PLANS!
Let’s see.. the bathroom floor, the pantry, the edging on the countertop, floor vents and my favorite… charging station !
So with a wave of the magic wand… The bathroom floor is done ! I should have taken a before photo. Trust me it was bad. And the vent cover was rusty. It’s a cozy bathroom, but you can close the door. While I was in a lino gluing mood ….
I replaced the pantry floor too. Who knows why the laminate did not go in there. But that’s ok… we fix. Plus a good size piece of that lino came with the trailer. I have enough to line the pantry shelves. Did I say “charging station” Yes I did and there is the perfect place.
Behind one side of the dinette is a shelf.. Presumably for a TV. With power and coaxial hook ups. I’m surprised there is no phone jack ! Ah the 90’s.. We don’t need this stuff…we need charging stuff. So I’ll wave that wand again….
And there Ya have it. USB and 12v auto plug.. Plus 12volt read out ! The wood frame was needed to make room for the wires. This brings the trailer into 2023 … Now let’s have a look at the pantry.
It now has shelves ! Deep ones.. Wow I’m almost done… now for the elephant in the room.. trailer. The non working fridge is being replaced. 
Old and new.. It’s impossible ( nearly) to find the same exact size fridge. But here’s a cheep fix.. Won’t be any problem fitting it into the fridge cavity. However I’ll have to figure a way to make it stay there. Again Done !
Looks like it’s always been there.. This should work just fine for us. It cools down way faster than a RV fridge. I’m not tossing the RV fridge yet.. If there is a way to fix it I will. There is just a few little things to do … One of those is the one vent cover I have. I decided the bedroom needs it most.. So I got that done today.. And we did a good cleaning too..
Packed and off to BC for our Family reunion. Tows so much better with a new hitch and the air suspension fixed in the Avalanche. We decided to park the trailer in Grand Forks at my Brother’s place.. Can’t see using it till next summer..
Sooo I took that other tank out !
It’s been in there a while… cause the carpet is sorta clean. Look at how much room I’ve got ! But I don’t have time right now to do all the work I need to do in this space, but here’s my plan. I’m replacing the water tank fill, hose, vent and outside fill station. Replacing the city water connection with a new one.. Those are the holes in the outside wall that you see. I’m replacing the tank drain to the outside wall but NOT under the trailer. The old one leaks, and it’s not convenient.
Here’s my stash of parts needed, old and new. The new fill station has a nice door. I’m not messin with the factory pipes… unless they leak when I test the system.
So.. what a mess. I’ll explain some of the things you can see in this photo: Next to the tank is the drain… The valve is hard to get to never mind not working. I’ll plug that hole in the tank. Where the water feed comes out of the tank there is a tee with an little chunk of the garden hose still there. That will become my new drain. Next (with the green hose) is a bypass to close the tank off and pump antifreeze through the water lines. I found no sign of that being done. Yes I’m worried ! The tank fill and vent line will be quite short. Let’s hope that once I got these things done and put some water in the tank … I don’t have any leaks in places where I can’t fix. First I will low pressure the lines with air through the city connection. Less messy ! But sometimes hard to hear the leaking air.
The air test put my worries to rest. All the lines were full of water. And out it came as I opened each faucet and flushed the toilet.
I could not hear any leaking air.. But it was only 25 psi.. I’m thinking the family I bought the trailer from did use the water system. They did go camping this year so it’s quite likely they flushed the anti freeze out.. Both tanks had about 2 inches of water in them. I will know for sure once I install the fill hose and put some water in the tank, run the pump…
Here’s where my new tank drain is now.. Handy ! Ok now the water tank fill is done. I put about 8 gal of water in the tank and turned on the pump. Found a tiny leak where I had attached the city water to the pump. Fixed that and no leaks ! I win !!
Here’s what things look like now. So I will vacuum under the bed good and put the bed back. So with the plumbing back in working order it’s on too some other things… Maybe a new page…
Yes there is a bedroom door ! And that’s a 14 ft awning.√ Has a full bathroom with tub. √ Dinette up front, just the way I like it with the heavy stuff in the middle. Towed it home from west of Edmonton without any issues. There is a few small repairs and wheel maintenance to do before heading to BC in July. Today I managed to fit it up on my garage apron !
Not easy because of the slope. But it’s a handy place to do some work. Just open the garage door. First I replaced the bedroom door latch. We did not have a key but I had another one in my RV junk, so I swapped it out. Next is the wheels, brakes and bearings. One side of the trailer at a time.
They are in good condition. And lots of grease in the bearings. However there was something I always expect to see…
Broken brake wire ! And those crappy connectors… Not on my trailer.. I used heat shrink connectors on those wires and loom to protect them. Thankfully I did not have to remove the brakes. Just blew the dust out and we are good. Re greased the bearings and painted the drums.
New shoes ! Now we are Rollin ! Now for the other side. Oh and I’ve been doing other things .. like trying to get the fridge working.. GRRRR. I bought another control board and it’s the same problem. So we are thinking about the options. Will talk about that latter.. Another thing I did was paint the propane tank holder and the tongue/ hitch.
Everything here is in good order except the brake away switch. New one coming. Oh one other thing missing here is the clamps for a equalizer hitch.. Tomorrow I go get the whole setup. That will help since the tongue weight is 4 – 5 hundred pounds .
Got the new equalizer set up. A real good deal to.. However had to drive 2.5 hours north to pick it up.. worth it ! Here’s the clamps approximately in the right place. Next Brake away installed with loom. And the chains back looking new..
This is on the rear of the trailer. Shading the bedroom window ! I’m quite sure we will like this. Today I got the right side wheels all done and the new wheels installed. I used the canopy to shelter me while doing that.. Sure-nuff there plenty of little holes where the fabric meets the trailer. I figured that.. The future holds a new fabric.. maybe next year.
Well I don’t think I got a great deal on this trailer given that the fridge could end up being DOA. I took a chance… and it didn’t turn out good.. So.. we are going to try something new. But not costly like a new RV fridge would be.. I really like the 12 volt Truck fridges.. but they only make small ones. We are going to put a mini 110 volt fridge in place of the Domedic RV fridge. It’s only slightly smaller .. still has a separate freezer. And cost just $300.. Yes one tenth of the cost of a RV fridge. Here’s the thing. We really only camp where there is power. And where there isn’t we still own a generator. So lets give it a go.. The trailer really does suit our needs in every other way. And I can truly not find any sign of a leak. After 31 years that’s amazing. The floor plan is so near perfect for the way we use a trailer. Here it is…
Could have done without the second door.. But it’s there and it has a good screen door. Got a lot done so I thought I’d paint the two steps. They are in great shape and work perfectly… So why not make them look good too.
There’s even a non slip strip on them.. Nice ! Now we are going to take the mattress outside ,and I will start the inside work. The plumbing is mostly under the bed.
And this is where things get interesting .. Someone didn’t think they had enough water storage. So another tank was installed. Well we wont need that much. The angled one is the factory one.. How do I know ? Because it has the water level sensors, and the drain. Plus the other tank is hooked up to the factory water lines with garden hose ! I’m taking it out. By the way carpet under a tank is ok but under ALL the plumbing is not. There was a leak in here at one time there is water stains, and of coarse the carpet is gross. Since the hot water tank is missing I would suspect that was the leak. So it’s taken me most of the day poking around and a trip to the COOP for parts, but I now know what to do with the mess.. But let’s start a new page for the plans and the fixes…
Fairly soon the Surf Side will see the light of day. As soon as some parts get here and I get the door back on. I have fixed the Bargman door latch, but I need a better key made
I built up welds and re shaped the latch to the original shape. May need some adjustments after I install it. I did not like the hinges I bought months ago ( loose pin) and they are too small. So I order a new (bigger) set. New curtains are being made with a reflective liner.
Adding a bit of color is a good thing. It’s Slowly coming to completion.
One more change I made was the spare tire holder. I got a new one that is higher on the bumper because I was worried the spare would touch the ground. Now I’m fighting with the door fit a bit … I did get the Bargman latch re keyed with two keys.
Yup.. Dog gone Door.. Fitting these is hard.. I’m getting to the point where I give up.. You get the hing side lined up perfect.. you get the gap around the door to be even … And then the latch side will not line up and the bottom is out too much. Gerrrrr. I Shimmed the door hinges and got a better fit.. So I’m happy again.
And out on the road.. tows great no issues except the front curtain rod bounced off ! You have to make sure there are no loose things …
99.9 % done.. Just a few little details.. But it’s going to live outside now. And it’s up for sale.. To be replaced by a bit bigger conventional trailer with a bathroom and a bedroom. I will start a post for that trailer…
The 3/4 birch plywood is perfect for the doors. My fancy catches need that much thickness to work. So I got busy one day with the table saw and the chop saw .. and got it done.
They are a good size too. Glued and screwed so I don’t think they will ever come apart.. Total over build !
Let’s not mention the fiddling to get the slides and the latches to work good.. And now came the time to paint them ? What color ? We brought a blue cushion in and thought about it for a minute. White.. My original color ( or non color) If we don’t like the look they can be repainted..
In a week or so we will know if it looks ok. I’ve now installed most of the doors, and painted the drawers.
Hmm I think we can live with the white for now. But it’s gonna show dirty finger prints.
The closet door looks great . What I’m up to is not all doors and drawers.. The electrical needs to be finished too.
So it was also time to get this done and working. The three position switch with the red labels, chooses between the 110 battery charger and the 100 watt solar panel charge system. Below that is the power for the diesel heater. To the left of that is the touch dimer for the main lighting, and it has a remote on the bed side of the closet. Then far left is what seams light something missing. Nope.. the fuse panel is back there and it will show a red light for a blown fuse. And with this all done I installed the fridge.
And yes the light goes out when the door is closed. Remember there is no propane in this trailer.. The fridge is cooled with a 12 volt compressor. You can leave it running while driving without fear of a fire. This is what my finished drawers look like..
Progress is a bit slow these days. But I did get the solar system installed and working.
The flexible panel fit nicely on the bug screen, (that I rebuilt ) and even inside the garage it’s putting out power.
So If I need to use it Just raise the cover..
I’m picking away at the last details as I find time. I’ve ordered some Geocell sealant to use around the windows and other outside things. I finally took the trailer off of the jack stands and down on it’s wheels.
Having the axles set at 10 degrees up instead of 22 was perfect. With the trailer level the hitch is 16″ high. And the wheels have lots of room in the wheel wells. The only concern is the spare tire.
Kinda close to the ground ! This may need a modification. So I ordered one that goes straight up from the bumper and higher. I’m waiting for that and a few other things that will complete the trailer. So lets start a new post about the last details.
And let’s not forget a place for the lighting too. I just can’t let those window frames go without using them to attach shelves too. They are perfect for this.. with the added bonus of providing a place to mount lights and run wires.
And just like the bottom of the kitchen overhead cabinet.. These are hollow too. This construction is strong and light, and you will never see the wiring for the lights.
These are the under cabinet LED lights I bought. And they are controlled by the fancy touch dimmer you see on the face plate for my electric panel cover. Plus! there is a wireless remote that I can mount on the closet wall above the bed.. or carry it around. Four of these lights will be under the rear shelves. Two of them will be under the front shelves …with..
These two LED reading lights. They will be independent of the flush mount lights. Meanwhile at the rear of the trailer.. Here’s the shelve across the back done.
The top is already cut. It will get shelve liner glued on then fastened in place ( after the wires are run ) .
And of coarse I cut the holes for the lights. Gimp in the corner too. I’m getting really good at fitting the curves. It did not take long to build these shelves, because they are so simple.
And there you have it ! The wood trim that makes a lip is made from the flooring. All that’s need now is the gray glued to the top peice and that nailed in place. Here’s the underside.
This is how you do it.. These will be on a dimmer and a remote. On to the front shelves. It’s taken a while to get those done due to other things needing attention. Ok mostly done now.
Still got to put the edging on.. I need to figure out the solar panel wiring . And that means I need to get the solar panel installed. Meanwhile I’ve been building drawers and doors. So let’s start a new post for that work.