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Old 05-13-2014, 03:22 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Name: Myke
Trailer: Trail Mite
Washington
Posts: 27
Countdown to maiden voyage...

My family and I will be taking the Trail Mite out for his maiden voyage to the Rally at Taidnapam Park in June!

As I expected, I've been running into more and more stuff that needs repair. So far, I've done the following:
  • Had the axle replaced with a Dexter #9. Went with the 22.5 degree angle and it lifted it up quite a bit. This also allowed us to get...
  • Electric brakes (preinstalled on the axle). This way I can load it up and still tow reasonably with my Subaru Forester.
  • New rims and tires (tires blew out on the way to get the axle replaced).
  • 7 pin connector and brake controller installed on car (Primus IQ)
  • Replaced propane connections and hoses
  • Repaired door hinges (missing springs and ball in hinge).

In progress:
  • Replace the 9x9 ceiling vent. There's a leak that I suspect is coming from there and it's a mess of sealant/caulking all around the vent on the roof. I've got a replacement vent but it's meant for a thicker wall. I'll be using butyl tape on the roof, then screwing through the existing holes into a thin wood frame on the inside (sealing all joints with butyl tape and putting lap sealant on the screw heads).
  • Pulled off all cabinet doors. Some of them were simply boards cut to length, some were a weird plywood with a molded frame. I routed the edges to fancy up the boards and make them look more like the molded stuff. Turned out pretty good. Next up is roughing up and painting all the doors.
  • All the cabinet screws are stripped and rusted, as are the hinges. I've been unable to find hinges that line up with the screw holes anywhere locally, so I'm going to try soaking the hinges in vinegar, give em a quick once over with the wire brush on the Dremel, then paint them with Rustoleum Hammered finish paint.
  • Replace the wonky front bunk legs. The ones on there are super flimsy and not stable at all. I'm not sure if my son will use the bunk anyway, but I ordered the bunk legs and hardware from Scamp. Should be a quick easy installation.
  • Fashion some kind of bunk rail for the top bunk, in case the boy does want to sleep up there.
  • Rivet replacing!
  • Sew some new curtains. The existing ones are horrid.

Future projects:
  • Hook up/install a battery. I have a converter so it should be pretty easy.
  • Build some shelves for the closet.
  • Remove the fresh water tank. I can't imagine we'll be using this unless we go boondocking some time. If so, it needs to be yanked and thoroughly cleaned I'm sure.
  • Fix the city water plumbing. I put hooked up the garden hose and turned it on and water sprayed out of every intersection of the plumbing to the sink. I'm not sure we'll use it right away, but it would be nice to have.
  • Make a new vent hood, possibly with a fan. The existing vent on the side is very small and I can't see how it would do much good.
  • Replace side windows, or at least redo the stuff that goes in the channel. It was all moldy and bunched up. Right now the windows barely open if at all. If anybody has any tips on replacing the channel stuff in a side-sliding window, I'd appreciate it.

All the info on this forum has been invaluable, so thanks to everybody who have gone down these roads before me. I'll post some pictures as I have anything cool to look at.
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Old 05-13-2014, 07:11 PM   #2
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Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
As long as you are safe to go down the road (you are sharing it with others!) have an absolute blast! Make memories every chance you get, absolutely, positively!

Taidnapam is a very nice park and you'll be camping with other all molded towable owners. Take pictures, enjoy yourself.. and as I said "Make Memories!"

oooh, don't forget quarters. The shower house requires payment

I'm already looking forward to pictures
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Old 05-14-2014, 03:02 PM   #3
Junior Member
 
Name: Myke
Trailer: Trail Mite
Washington
Posts: 27
Yeah, I've taken care of the important stuff to make it safe and roadworthy first (brakes, axle, tires, rims). Most everything else is "nice to have"s.

Thanks for the tip on the quarters! I'll make sure to bring some.
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Old 05-21-2014, 07:37 PM   #4
Junior Member
 
Name: Myke
Trailer: Trail Mite
Washington
Posts: 27
So, I managed to get the roof vent off by drilling out the rivets, then using a heat gun and putty knife to pry off the old vent. The old vent came off in pieces. This is what The top looks like now. My plan is to scrape off whatever else I can, then use acetone to clean up the rest.

I'm going to put butyl tape under the flange of the new vent. I'm going to put a 1/2" wooden frame on the inside, stuck with more butyl tape to the hole, then attach the vent by screwing SS screws through the holes in the vent, butyl tape and into the wooden frame inside. I'll then finish it off by covering the wooden frame with the interior flange. Anybody see any issues with this method? Anything to be concerned about by looking at the pictures?
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Old 05-29-2014, 11:28 AM   #5
Junior Member
 
Name: Myke
Trailer: Trail Mite
Washington
Posts: 27
The camper is pretty much road-ready for the rally at Taidnapam now. I got the vent replaced and it's holding up great. Unfortunately, my TV needs a new engine and has been in the shop all weekend. Hopefully it will be ready to go for the trip next week.
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