Okay, On my way to a total makeover

[neauone]

I began working on the scamp at the beginning of the Month of September 2013.
As you will be able to see from the photos there is plenty of wood rot, happily there is little rust to the trailer itself except in one area.
I believe I can attach a piece of metal to the frame to compensate for the rusted out piece and I will be fine.
I purchased some rust remover as well as a wire brush and some mineral spirits to clean the metal off.
Tomorrow I will finish taking all the rotted wood out and I expect to cut a templet out and perhaps install a new floor this weekend.
So fiberglass and Resin are on my to do list.
Because I will not be using the former fiberglass closet or sitting areas, I may cut them and attach them using fiberglass to the underbelly of the Scamp as a extra measure of protection.
I'm also thinking of taring the underbelly as well, but I'm not sure at this point which one I will do. The taring seems to be easier by far. Let me know what you think

[David Tilston]

Umm... The closet holds up the roof.

[neauone]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Umm... The closet holds up the roof.

I'm going to install something similar to the closet for both support and storage

[MyronL]

You sure have your work cut out for you, Guy. Many here have been there. Keep us posted, take many pictures. Good luck ---Have fun with it.

[peterh]

Guy, we bought a Surfside that was, sadly, in much worse shape than we anticipated, and are in the process of doing a complete tear-down and re-build, including a new floor. Lots -- lots -- of work.

In the process we removed everything from the inside, right down to the fiberglass, and will soon be building new cabinets and counters, which means we had to make new supports for our trailer sides and roof.

I built new rib/formers that support the sides of the trailer. There are five of them: Two full-length, extra-deep (7-1/2") ribs, one on either side of the door, one full-length rib on the street side to one side of (what will eventually be) our front dinette, and two short-ribs that sit over (but do not come into contact with) the wheel well.



These are positioned so they'll hold the side contours of our trailer in and support the roof, but also provide connection points for our front door hinges (the "wings" built into that first rib on the left), screen door hardware (between the first and second rib, a (curb side) refrigerator cabinet, overhead cabinets, and (street side) kitchen counter. The holes I've cut in them make them lighter, but also prevent the boards from warping and provide spots through which fiberglass cloth loops can be run to tie the rib to the wall.

The picture was taken after they were glued into place (using either clamps, as you see on that first rib, or shell-penetrating screws that were later removed and Bondo-ed over), and before using fiberglass mat to tie the ribs anf hinge wings to the wall. Once the mat was in, I cut the excess mat from the holes and threaded additional 1" strips of fiberglass cloth through them to the shell to further strengthen the connection between shell and rib. (Massive over-engineering, that last step.)

I also added some fiberglass stays to strengthen the roof.



These are made from lightweight 1" PVC irrigation pipe that has been cut in half and fiberglassed to the roof. They're very lightweight and don't look like they add much, but the look is deceiving. They add substantial strength and made the roof much more firm and resistant to warping.

That last stay is in the process of being installed, and is being held in-place by a telescoping tent pole and broom handle while strips of fiberglass on either side of the temporary supports hold it in-place. You start by supporting the PVC half and lifting the roofline up as much as you can with the telescoping supports then fiberglassing the center portion into place. Once that's set solid, do the ends (as shown), then after that has set solid, cover the whole piece of pipe with a 6" strip of mat centered on the PVC pipe and ticked tight to pipe and shell.

[neauone]

I am totally blown away by the supports you have made as well as the pvc you have used to strengthen the roof. Is there any way you could send me info on how you made the braces. It looks like you may have wood cutting tools that I don't, however I have a friend who has them just down the block who could help me. I know that once your done, not only will your project be rock solid but I'm sure the interior is going to be lights out fantastic. Keep me up to date, likewise I will add photos and maybe even a video or two on my adventures. Lately I raised the Scamp off the floor so I could work beneath it to remove any rust and add a rust preventative or tar it. Not sure which way I will go.
Thanks for the pictures, they are great.
Guy

[peterh]

Guy, I'll eventually put a post together that fully explains the process, but the tools are very simple. The most exotic are a saber saw (a hand-held jigsaw) and blades, and a 3" hole saw, followed by a door lockset drill kit (for installing a doorknob or deadbolt). Beyond that, a power drill, drill bits, two saw horses, measuring tape, cardboard, pen and paper, a level, utility knife and scissors, and a nice, straight 2x4.

Other than the 3" hole saw (which is a common tool for plumbers and electricians), all are tools you likely have, can buy inexpensively, or borrow . . . and you can skip the 3" hole saw and just stick with the lockset drill kit if you like. The lockset hole saws are all you need for the narrower ribs I installed everywhere except around the door, and you can use a saber-saw to (carefully) cut the 3" holes for the screen door frame pieces.