Restoring Our 1972 Boler American, Annotated pictures Options

[April Wilcox]

Hi Tony,

This thread might help you out...

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...erator&st=0

Congrats on getting a FG trailer!! YAY!

[Roy in TO]

I'm a newbie on this forum having spent the past two months researching fiberglass campers. Two days ago I purchased a 1973 13' Boler. Yippie!
...
Question: Is yours a retrofit or did it come with the trailer?

Welcome to FGRV Tony,
Congratulations on your new trailer! The short answer to your question is both. The fridge came with the trailer but it was a retrofit by the previous owner that I modified to make it work a bit better.

The fridge is a 3 way Dometic RM182B originally used in the VW Westphalia campers. Though no longer in production they can be found used. The VW's don't seem to last as long as our fiberglass trailers, the fridges outlast the VW's.

Here is a link to how I modified the original retrofit install to obtain better venting. If you get one of these fridges. Place the lower vent as close to the floor as possible. My propane guru even suggested putting the vent in the floor as was done in the original Westphalia installation. I had to work with an oversized precut hole that I did not want to make it any larger nor did I want to patch the existing hole. Good venting maximises your fridges efficiency and cooling ability.

[Roy in TO]

Once the majority of the door problem was completed, I proceeded to fix and refinish the floor and replace the floor covering.

Here are some before and after pictures.


 Carpet.jpg ( 48.44K ) Number of downloads: 91
 Lino.JPG ( 79.83K ) Number of downloads: 101
 Finished.JPG ( 24.95K ) Number of downloads: 109



Here’s a link to my full post on Fixing a Floor.



I hope to be able to compose and post my axle swap soon. That involves raising the trailer and changing from a leading arm axle to a trailing arm with electric brakes.

[Roy in TO]

The summer of 2008 finally provided the opportunity to change out the old leading arm axle and replace it with a new trailing arm axle with electric brakes.

Full details of the axle swap can be read here.

Pictures before.
 BeforeC.JPG ( 36.64K ) Number of downloads: 37
 BeforeS.JPG ( 33.23K ) Number of downloads: 28


And After
 final_curb.jpg ( 73.41K ) Number of downloads: 68
 post_height.jpg ( 35.81K ) Number of downloads: 52


The trailer feels and sounds like it has less resistance towing now that it is a little higher. That might have something to do with one wheel not being severely out of alignment. Things no longer fly around on the inside while towing. I can definitely feel a big difference in stopping with the electric brakes. I am not as scared about having to stop fast while driving. It is a major reduction in stress.

The Dexter # 9 Torflex axle with brakes cost a little over $400 CDN including taxes from CERKA in Milton, ON. Installation $300 CDN, 3 new tires and rims about $300 more. Total cost was just over $1000 CDN plus a few hundred hours of researching, measuring and planning. That should keep our trailer towing smoothly for the next 15 to 20 years.

[james kent]

"I love it when a plan comes together" [Finally]
The "A" Team

[Rick G]

Hi Roy in TO,

I am going to be changing my axle on my 74 Boler this spring, so I was very interested in your thread. Great job on the renos, by the way, a lot of work. But what caught my eye was one of your interior pictures of your furnace grille. It looks exactly like the Wagonmaster 6000B grille that I am searching for, as mine is unlovely and broken (I ran a separate thread in the fix-it forum recently but so far it looks like I am going to have to get one made from scratch). Would you know where to get a front grille plate like that, by any chance?

Thanks,
Rick in Edmonton

[Roy in TO]

Thanks Rick,

PM sent on suggestions for the grille.

[Roy in TO]

Well we picked up the trailer from storage this weekend and took some pictures of the last few things we did last year. For the first time since I started this thread this post brings us up to date on the restoration. Here are a couple of shots of the interior.

The ensolite was reglued everywhere it was loose then primed with Kilz. The seams were caulked and seam tape applied over the gaps. The whole things was then painted with one coat of "One Shot" sign paint. Added a backsplash, front and rear end cabinets, replaced the doors on the upper kitchen cabinets.

Before the day we bought it:
 kitchen_and_couch.jpg ( 22.17K ) Number of downloads: 261


And what it looks like now:
 BackSplash.jpg ( 58.52K ) Number of downloads: 329

 Rear_Cab.jpg ( 99.58K ) Number of downloads: 318

[Raya L.]

Ooh, nothing like a nice, juicy set of "before" and "after" photos

I love the Kleenex built into the overhead cabinet! When you mentioned it earlier, I pictured the Kleenex coming out the side, like in hotel bathrooms. But your way is brilliant! How does that work on the inside? Did you make a partition/holder for a certain sized box... or?

Also, can you tell more about the quilted backsplash? Is that stainless steel, or... do I remember you saying it was plastic?

And the last one for now: Is that a standard kitchen sized cutting board that fits into the sink? Or did you customize the size?

Again, very nice!

Raya

[Roy in TO]

Thanks Raya,

For the Kleenex, I put two small angle brackets spaced an inch or so wider than the box on either end into the 3/4" brace facing upwards. Then I took a piece of the (1/4" inch or so) flat white elastic used for sewing and tied it onto the brace closest to the wall. I dropped the box of Kleenex in place, snugged up the elastic a bit and tied it to the hole of the brace closest to the door. That should handle just about any changes the tissue paper manufacturers come up with.

The backsplash is plastic from Home depot, meant for walls and ceilings. The "J" channel that comes with it for finishing is a little finicky and does not want to stay put. That will be one of my little projects to tinker with this year.

The cutting board was standard from a dollar store. All I had to do was round the corners with a sand paper disk on an angle grinder to fit. Then I took some wet fine sandpaper to smooth the rounded edges a bit.

[Roger C H]

Roy in TO:

That before picture is enough to give me the willies. Yikes! What is that black stuff on the walls? Mildew?

You did a great job of restoring your egg. You should be proud.

[Roy in TO]

That before picture is enough to give me the willies. Yikes! What is that black stuff on the walls? Mildew?

I'm not sure Roger, something biological and it was everywhere. I was a little aprehensive about wanting to send samples out for testing to find out for sure. I did not want the trailer to be condemned as a biohazard. All I know is that so far it has not returned. So our efforts have paid off.

Thank you for the compliments. Another 3 or 4 years and I might have it finished.

[james kent]

'Another American'. Go take a look at "Marty and Cheryl's Boler" in th Picture section over on the Bolerama site. Interresting roof rack and a brand new paint job.

[Roger C H]

Here are some uses for lichens:

http://www.lichen.com/people.html

[Roy in TO]

Darn, I wish I knew we could have eaten the stuff, we were starving by the end of the day when we picked up the trailer. Might be time to learn some survival skills. I thought were were starting off on a new life of Glam-ping. Then again, maybe lichens are gastronomically up there with the likes of truffels. OTOH with only being able to afford to buy a trashed trailer, we would not know about the finer things in life.