Newbie

[CindyL]

Hi:
I just joined yesterday, although I have been lurking ever since I found a Burro on ebay that I won on Sunday and picked up today. It turned out to be better than it looked on ebay. However, I need some advice on where to start (aside from a good cleaning inside). It looks kind of dried out, like chapped hands, not bad, but looking needy. The seals around the door clearly need to be replaced and we have not had time to try anything out to see if it works. The lights work a little but appear to have some that need replacing.
Any suggestions on cleaning, etc?

CindyL

[MyronL]

Welcome to the group and congratulations on getting a Burro!!!

Where to start? Well it's hard to see what's up from way over here, you know, but you might start by finding out if there are any water leaks anywhere inside, like from windows, vents, etc. and deal with them. If you have a carpet, check for wet spots. If the carpet seems undesireable, consider replacing it. Check the wheels, tires, wheel bearings and general condition of the frame. Tires dry out, bearings need grease, frames rust, propane lines kink. As to interior cleaning, start with mild household cleaners and bump it up a notch for the stronger stains.

(what "looks kind of dried out" ??)

Lacking specifics, best advice is find out and fix what's obviously wrong. A search should find most issues thoroughly addressed but you'll find there's always room for added discourse. A plus is posting pictures of your problems.

[Gina D.]

Hi and welcome Burro owner! (We are not biased here, are we??? )

I looked at your ebay ad, and it seems LOTS of places inside were painted, but I couldn't tell if ALL were.. if some are painted, maybe the paint is Crazing there. If the glass wasn't prepped correctly, this could easily happen.

If so, sanding and repainting my just do the trick.

[BOBSMITH]

Welcome!!

Glad to have a new member!

[CindyL]

Actually, the ad was deceiving. The inside appears to be original, I think, no paint and no carpet. It is just dirty.
The frame from what I can tell, looks good, although the condition of the hitch mechanism makes me nervous. Since it is pouring outside, it will be a good time to check for leaks. The tires we plan to have checked and/or simply replaced. We towed it a good two hours today to get it home. It is actually is in much better condition than it seemed to be from the pictures on ebay. I was anticipating something gross with an awful stench, but it is really not bad.
The outside is what I most need suggestions for. We are guessing that it sat for several years. There are cracks in parts of the surface, some mildew (or some kind of spotting). What are the suggestions here? I searched through some of the forum but am not sure the priorities of what we ought to do to clean it, treat it, and/or paint it. Or can you paint it?

CindyL

[John & Sandy M]

The outside is what I most need suggestions for. We are guessing that it sat for several years. There are cracks in parts of the surface, some mildew (or some kind of spotting). What are the suggestions here? I searched through some of the forum but am not sure the priorities of what we ought to do to clean it, treat it, and/or paint it. Or can you paint it?

CindyL

Cindy... this is what I did when we brought our Scamp home. May give you some ideas anyway

New to us 1999 Scamp Deluxe 16' check-out... the trailer appeared to have been used for the first couple of years of it's life and has been sitting for much of the last 3-4 years. We camped a couple of days on the way back from the DC metro area where it was purchased to get a little "feel" for the trailer.

>>>Detail cleaned and de-mildewed the exterior with a strong detergent, a white (well worn- won't scratch plastic) Scotch Brite pad and used a bleach solution as needed for the mildew. Removed rust stains with a product designed for bathroom rust stain removal.
>>>Waxed the trailer (used rubbing compound on the front and top as the gel coat was quite oxidized).
>>>Checked tongue weight at 21" factory recommendation=285 lb. and 20" (suspension sag on the Durango)=325 lb. I estimate the weight of our Scamp to be around 2600 lb. based on the weight of a Scamp Deluxe with the wood cabinets listed at 2800 on Ebay. Well within the 10-15% specified by the Dodge owners manual.
>>>The tires seemed to be the original 6 ply bias, showed some sign of "sun rot" and one had some side-wall damage. Called the Scamp factory and they recommended replacement with a Goodyear 175 80 R13 radial load range C (ordered through a local Goodyear dealer... Trailer King... I'm not familiar with the brand but was told they were mfg. by/for Goodyear. I had the tires balanced as the original were.
>>>We were told that the wheel bearings had been repacked the previous fall and I checked temps on the trip back home.
>>>Checked, wire brushed and repainted any signs of rust on the trailer frame (under and on top).
>>>We discovered a leak under the trailer on the return home. Traced to a cracked inlet strainer on the water pump (it appeared never to have been cleaned as it was full of leaves, bugs and lint). Replaced.
>>>Turned on the propane to the trailer (seemed to be the original tanks containing the original propane). Gas smell at the connection of the flex line to the tank. Replaced both with the current design propane lines and soap tested these and every other connection I could locate and all checked out.
>>>Checked all propane appliances for proper function (fridge does work great on propane). Everything checked and most of them appeared never to have been used?
>>>Removed the cover from the air conditioner to remove the hornet's nest. Cleaned the drain pan and did some PM work on the blower. Replaced the acorn nuts with stainless nylock nuts as I have little confidence in the standard acorn nut and road vibration (prefer the cover doesn't blow off when going down the road).
>>>Tail lights didn't work. Replaced trailer electrical connector and added a weather protector to keep it clean and dry.

[CindyL]

Thank you so much! Just the kind of information I needed.
We put the thing somewhat back together again the way it should be this weekend. It really is not bad. I thought the cushions would be gross but they are not bad. We are going to Kentucky in June and I am comfortable using the Burro as it is after it is cleaned up and fixed for safety. When I get back from Kansas next week, I will tackle the cleaning.

Cindy

[CindyL]

Here is a picture of the outside of our new Burro. I also added one of the inside at the time we bought it and what that area looks like now, as we are making progress on it. Outside it got a new hitch and a level door today. Making it match out blue and white '68 VW pickup.

CindyL

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Cindy,
Your Burro looks in nice shape, congratulations on a new chapter in your lives! We always enjoy welcoming folks to the forum, because they bring fresh insight and ideas.
Safety issues should always take first priority! The wheel bearings should be repacked and if your trailer has brakes, they should be checked. Tail and side marker lights should all function well. The hitch, both on the trailer and tow vehicle, and safety chains must be in good shape. Then take care of the cosmetic issues.
Enjoy contemplating your upcoming trip,
Kurt & Ann K.

[CindyL]

Thanks for the advice. We stopped at the autoparts store that was a block away as we towed it home after purchase and replaced the safety chain. Hubby is working on other issues. He installed a new hitch yesterday. We likely will not use it until late July, so we have some time before this to get other things fixed up.

Cindy

[Gina D.]

Cindy, I don't think the inside of your windows are original.. at least, I have not seen one quite like this.

I am talking about the padded area that emminates out from your inside window frame. All the Burros I have seen are fiberglass there.

I wonder if that was an option? Maybe a mod from a former owner to keep the light from squeaking past the window curtains?

[CindyL]

Gina:
That is very interesting. I will have to look again and see if it appears to have been added later. It runs up the ceiling and surrounds the other window too. It is a rippled vinyl that seems to be colored to match the interior. Here's another picture where you can see it.

The hubby just said that he thinks it might be something to keep from bumping your head, because it is foam padded.

Cindy

[Gina D.]

The strip across the ceiling is supposed to be there, tho I don't think yours is original anymore. Mostly, these had a brown carpet up there. The strip hides the seam and provides insulation at the top as it is a single shell up there.

The stuff around the windows.. thats something new to me.

[CindyL]

I went out and looked at it today, again. Looks like something that was original to me. There is a kind of shelf that extents out from the front window. It is covered with that vinyl too. When I lifted a corner, you can see that the shelf is made of fiberglass like to was original to the trailer.

But, I don't know. Clearly, it has been changed from its original form. Someone put in a new floor at some time and the cabinet doors are made of paneling and plywood that could not have been the original ones. It is a '78 Burro.

It's fun working on it. We both putzed around on it this weekend, although I was also pulling up tile and underlayment in the foyer, so I didn't have time to do more than paint those cabinet doors. Hubby (Kevin A) put in a new hitch, painted the stove (It was really ewh!), fixed a few lights, and spruced up the tires.

Cindy

[David & Leslie]

Hi Cindy & Kevin and welcome to this terrific site!! What a great find your Burro is - we know you'll have many wondeful adventures as the years go by.

We LOVE our Scamp , but if we ever found an affordable Burro in decent condition, I'd love to have one 'cuz I think they are SOOOOO cool. Happy trails and we hope to see ya down the road in the future!! L 'n D