Done...

□ Frame welded and reinforced ($100)

□ New Coupler Welded on ($50)

□ New Jack installed ($40)

□ New Safety chains installed ($15)

□ Flooring reinforced and replaced ($50)

□ Laminate flooring installed ($10 amazing surplus deal)

□ Front top bunk has been removed

□ Bottom bunk turned into two seats and cafe/game table ($21 for pedestal parts, had table top)

□ New foam cushions cut for everywhere ($120)

□ Fabric purchased for cushions and curtains ($50)

□ Exterior puck marks filled and primed to match finish ($50)

□ Headliner removed and replaced with auto carpeting (very light gray) ($20)

□ All storage covers and cabinet doors sanded and primed ($5)

□ Bargman L-400 Door lock rebuilt, re-keyed, and reinstalled. ($15)

□ Window frames sealed ($5)

□ Roof vent gasket replaced. ($10)

□ All exterior lights replaced and rewired ($65)

□ One window pane purchased, and installed had to cut radius corners ($2)

□ Repack bearings ($5)

□ Cost of the Burro ($300)

Total so far $937 (not counting labor)

Four nights so far in MY Burro Priceless

Before next trip

□ Replace three tires ($?)

Winter Projects:

□ Replace plumbing and gas lines ($?)

□ Remove ice box and install fridge ($0)

□ New faucet ($45)

□ Test and/or fix furnace. ($300?)

18 months in and loving every minute of it.

Mike

Pic's.............................. Priceless!

Pic's of Rehab are always great to see! Then we can all ewww and ahhhhh over your hard work. Before and afters help others in their re-hab. So far your investment sounds like a great deal and I think all your hard work will pay off for many years to come.................

I knew I world be asked for pics, unfortunately it has been dark whenever I have been home. I will get pictures and post as soon as I can. Thanks for the needed kick.

Mike

Your Welcome .

Sorry Mike, I am a visual person. I like to see what your talking about. I am sure others where wanting to be lookie lou's too, but where just being nice and waiting. Sounds like you have done a ton of work on it. Would love to see pic's of that flooring you got for such a great deal. Speaking of Deal, have you named the trailer yet? Cause the word deal needs to be in the name, the price you got it for and all the other great deals you have got, your one lucky Burro owner.

Yes Pictures please, I have found an abandoned fiberglass trailer, trying to find an owner. I need pictures to spur me to action

Nice Mike. I remember when you snagged that deal of the week....

Taylor,
"...Trying to find an owner."? Are you selling or keeping the trailer you've found? If it's available, I'd like to know more about it. Thanks.

RJ

Pictures as requested so far:

Front of Camper when I first saw it (19 months ago):
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Front of Camper today:
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Passenger side on the way home:
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Stopped at the car wash for a power wash
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Passenger side today:
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Headliner as purchased:
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Replacement Headliner:
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Original Wet Blue Carpet:
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New Laminate Flooring:
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Original Front View with Bunk:
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New Front Dinette with Game Table:
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Original Rear View:
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New Rear View:
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Update:
Total so far $1099 (not counting labor)

Six nights so far in MY Burro Priceless

Before the last trip

Replaced three tires ($162) Made all the difference in the world, nice smooth tow, love the new radial trailer tires (instead of the passenger tires that were on it).

Mike

Robin: No name yet but thinking hard. I like the idea of including "deal" in the name.

Mike

Wow!

Makes me think of "Sweet Deal"

That trailer is begging you to change your avatar!

Raya

Excellent! LOVE the game table!!

I've been trying but the new avatar doesn't show with my postings. Must be doing something wrong.

Mike

I'm seeing your new one Mike. So will you if you dump your cache. Currently the old one is cached on your computer.

Thanks Donna, knew it would be something silly.

Aha, now I'm seeing the new one too. Thanks, Donna.

I always love photos with 13-ers next to bigger trailers - they always look so ridiculously tiny, and it's such a contrast to see just how much BIGGER they get to add a few more luxuries.

Our Roo is larger 23 foot vs. 13 foot, but the only extra luxuries are a full bath, microwave, tv, and air conditioning. However, it does have far more sleeping capacity ( 3 queen beds and 2 twins). Its all about sleeping capacity with three teenage sons, and their friends. We had the smallest try and sleep on the front bed in the Burro, he preferred to sleep out in a tent (where he could roll).

On my last weekend trip I pulled up next to one of those 40 foot buses with about five slide outs. That was quite a sight, both my truck and Burro were completely hidden. The bus slept two, so I guess they must have had a few "conveniences" that I am missing, I just can't think what I forgotten that I need for camping.

Mike

Can anyone help ... I can only see 3 of the pictures in this whole topic area, but I'm assuming there's a lot more .. any ideas why I can't see all of them? Thanks. Love the games table in the camper!

PM sent

Hi Mike,
Nice work... I'm renovating an '85 Uhaul CT-13... very similar... I am looking at your headliner and it looks much more like the "stock" material... I don't want to put carpet if I can find something lighter... can you tell me what you used and where to find it?
Thanks and good luck.
Dale

Dale, I used an indoor/outdoor carpet, glued in place with contact cement. I found it at a local surplus store. It is much lighter and thinner than any normal carpet. I think it might be very similar to automotive carpet. Walmart sells a similar weight carpet roll in the auto section, unfortunately only in a dark grey.

I liked it because it was so light compared to the original brown shag, the new liner is grey but close to white/beige.

Dale consider adding reflectix insulation under the headliner, I had it at the house and forgot to install, kick myself every time I look up.

Mike

HI Mike,
Thanks for the info... I did consider adding the reflectix as a first layer, but I think it might make the edge too thick, or look "lumpy"... I do plan on making inserts out of it for the windows.
I will look for a thin indoor outdoor carpet... I thought there was a specific product... I've seen on walls as a sound treatment. I'll post if I find it. Right now, I'm trying to seal all the leaks before I start installing the new stuff. Photos as I progress.
Best Regards
Dale

Dale what kind of leaks are you chasing? Window related? I had a few places where I thought I was getting leaks from the window frame seals, (and I may have been). I scraped out some of the butyl from the outside and used plumbers putty to make a smooth seal. But still had a lot of moisture, I sat out in the burro during a heavy rainstorm and noticed that the water was pooling in the bottom of the windows (front and rear). I pulled the lower track insert and found a lot of dirt build up. I could not see this buildup until I pulled out the plastic insert. After I cleaned the track and drain slits, I slid the plastic insert track back in. I have not had any leaks since. I had used the plumbers putty as a quick fix, as I knew I wouldn't have time to pull all the windows and get them back in. That was 20 months ago, and no leaks so far, so pulling the window frames is on the bottom of my priority list.

Not sure on the headliner depth on a u-haul, but on the burro there was plenty of depth for both reflectix and the thin head liner I used. I think it may have come very close to flush. Oh well there is always next time. The added insulation would have really helped up here in the northeast, but not to the point where I would pull the headliner off and start over. I'm sure there are many products that could be used, I just hated the shag carpet look (and after 28 years mine had somewhat stale and musty smell).

Good luck with the leak remediation, and I am looking forward the progress via pictures. I like the look of the u-hauls and that would have been my first choice, but any fiberglass egg is rare up here.

Mike

Hi MIke,
Well I finally got my trailer back from DJM in Hammond, LA... DON'T EVER USE THEM!!
They gave me an estimate of $50 per window to seal... they said they would take them out and use butyl putty to seal...
After getting a price of $110 per side window from Sunview, I decided that I would replace the sides and have the pros seal the front and rear. After keeping it for two weeks, they said that the rear was not able to be sealed but the front was done... I showed up there to pick it up and the guy was squirting silicone around the front window and had not removed it... I removed the inside frame and left it there... The following week I went to retrieve it and they had the front sealed. I had purchased some rubber/felt v-notch track for the windows from Perfect fit to seal the track for the sliders and they charged me $100 to install it in the back window plus $150 for sealing and "shop materials".
When I got it home, I got the hose out and tested it... the front is sealed but the rear and sides (with the new rubber track) also leaked...
At that point, I removed all the windows but the front and placed my order with Sunview in BC 250/494-1327. They only charged me $110 for the rear window (same as the side sliders).
After a conversation with Larry at Sunview, I followed his recommendation to get a solid rear window as opposed to a slider... He said that the vacuum at the rear might draw water in and I just want to have confidence of a dry bed... I bought some butyl tape and will be re-bedding the awning rails and am going to replace the marker lights with LEDs and rebed while I'm at it. The round tail lights are another source of water... they have the rubber grommets so I will be replacing them with a set of LED round lights with built in flanges, so I can seal around them and tighten them down to the body.
In the scheme of things, I'm glad to be replacing the windows... the 26 year old gaskets would have been very difficult to pull and seal on the side windows since they didn't have a frame like the front and rear... all three new windows will have a "sandwich" of an inner and outer aluminum flange that should make installation and sealing easier... the main thing will be to sand the gelcoat and clean clean clean with acetone, MEK, or both before applying sealant.
I have called the credit card company an am going to dispute the charges from DJM.
I already have the Avanti AC/DC fridge, new tiny window unit AC, microwave, foam, and upholstery on hand, but couldn't proceed untill I was assured of a weathertight platform.
Oh, I also got a new converter and fuse panel.... and a set of new hubs from Uhaul.
Lots of projects to complete before July.
Best Regards.
Dale

I can't say more until I get my heart started again. OMG!!

Good on you for getting your egg OUT OF THERE and disputing the charges.

Raya

I like your style. nice work on the burro

Dale, that sounds like a nightmare, glad to hear that you found a solution (I would have gone with the new windows too). You have quite a list of projects, I look forward to seeing pictures. Where are you planning to install the AC? Are you replacing an icebox with the fridge?

Mike

Thanks Phil, now if it would just stop snowing up here I could get out there and work on a few more projects. The snow is stacked up above the frame.

Mike

It always amazes me that repair shops just start squirting silicone, guess they think a quick fix is best for repeat business?

Our larger camper (a Rockwood Roo) had a front bunk leak. I brought it in for warranty repair, two squirts of silicone and they said it was all set (1.5 hours each way to the dealer). Leaked the very next trip, so back it went. Three weeks later it came home with a brand new front bunk hatch. The new one was a completely different design that pushed the water out instead of pouring in. All three bunk hatches also had new seals all around. Huge difference when they do the job right.

Mike

The weather has finally turned nice here outside New Orleans (and hasn't gotten miserable yet) so I was inspired to tackle the project in earnest while it is in its really raw state... I went in with a power washer, shop vac, and heavy duty detergents, bleach, and mold chemicals. I presprayed through all the cracks and crannies including the holes where the marker lights were and any crack behind any seat or storage area.
with the shop vac removing the gallons of unmentionable that flowed out and down to the low end as I powerwashed... After sitting in the fresh air for a few days and drying out, the camper finally has lost it's funk, but not it's mojo, if you know what I mean.
Glad to have this done... once I begin installing the new electrical, I won't be going in with the power washer again. I pre-sprayed the overhead carpet with "spray and wash", scrubbed in with a brush and power washed off... The camper really feels so much nicer. The new windows have been shipped and the cushions are at the seamstress... The plan for the AC is to go under the sink. I had a custom door made hinged on the bottom, so it can hang open 180 degrees when running and the extension cords can be stored in the "hard duct" space when underway.
Pics as I progress... I guess I should start a thread on the project.
Thanks to everyone for your inspiration and ideas.
Dale
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Thanks for all the info on working on your eggs. It is fun to share the excitement and pleasure you must be getting as your eggs become fresher.