13' burro remodel with pictures - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-18-2013, 08:34 PM   #1
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Name: bret
Trailer: Burro 13'
New York
Posts: 23
13' burro remodel with pictures

Day 1:
- Removed Shell from trailer and set on blocks.
- Gutted interior of refrigerator, water tank... basically everything...
- Started the process of removing rotten floor (need advise on cutting the floor away from external fiberglass shell as the floor and walls are joined with fiberglass, i am thinking grinder or dremmel). The interior shell was just screwed down to the floor and not fiberglassed in place.
- Removed front and rear windows ( I am planning on running long planks from front to back through the window openings to support the shell so i will not need to support the shell from the bottom. This way i can completely remove the old floor).

I am also looking for suggestions for the new floor. I assume i will need to install the floor in 2 or more sections due to the lip on the exterior shell that the wood needs to slide into. I am looking for advise on materials, how they installed the floor in sections, and how they joined them together keeping the sections from sagging.

I look forward to reading suggestions.

End of day one... Day 2 should be fun...

Iphone pictures uploaded upside down... sorry for the head tilt...
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Old 05-18-2013, 10:00 PM   #2
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Trailer: 1975 13 ft Trillium
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OUCH, my neck is soooo sore....
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Old 05-18-2013, 10:28 PM   #3
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Name: Norm I want to thank all the Kings horses and all the Kings men
Trailer: 73 Scamp 13'
Oregon
Posts: 57
Wow you're off to a good start! The shell looks really clean too. I'm sure you'll have a great time restoring it.
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Old 05-19-2013, 07:13 AM   #4
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Name: Vanessa
Trailer: UHaul
California
Posts: 169
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Whew...my arms are killing me!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Mager View Post
OUCH, my neck is soooo sore....
Yea Doug, I had to lift the entire monitor and flip it upside down to view. Time for a flat screen...

Nice Work Here!..I wonder if the uHaul floor will need to be removed like this. On mine, I noticed my shell sits on top of the plywood and the plywood is sandwiched between the shell and the trailer.

Look forward to your rebuild and will be taking notes. Thanks for posting!


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Old 05-19-2013, 07:18 PM   #5
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Name: bret
Trailer: Burro 13'
New York
Posts: 23
Day two of project:

- finished removing the entire floor from the shell. The plywood between the fiberglass sheets was nasty. It was either crumbly dust or wet and spongy. This did make it easy to pull out of the gap where the shells meet the floor. I did have to use a grinder to cut the top sheet of fiberglass to separate the floor from the outer shell. The glass was quite thick in the front area. After some extensive cleanup, I cut two d shaped patterns for the front and rear sections of flooring out of cardboard.
I plan on cutting those out of marine grade half inch plywood. I am still undecided if I am going to coat the sheets with fiberglass before I put them in place or after. ( any thoughts?) I have learned that some people have done both,while others just coated plywood with a rubber sealer and then glassed them together after. I also removed a decent amount of bondo from around the wheel wells. I am not certain if someone tried to seal the wheel wells at some point, of if this was done when it was originally put together. I plan on using fiberglass and sealing up the entire wheel well area where this bondo was failing to seal that area.
Did not take pictures today, I will take some when I get back to it.
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Old 05-22-2013, 03:57 PM   #6
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Trailer: 1983 Burro 13 ft
Posts: 45
Burro floor replacement

Hi, Bret. When I replaced my Burro floor, I prepped the new ply floor like I previously described to you. Before I put the new ply pieces in place, I rolled the frame back into place without the axle and blocked it up near its final position to aid in supporting the new floor. Once the new wood was in position, I blocked the frame up into its final position and squared the coach up with the frame. The coach itself was still supported in five places....all four corners, and the fifth between the wheel opening and the door. I then made certain that the door opening was plumb and equal width at the top and bottom. That coach body can flex a LOT without the frame. Once everything was square I applied fiberglass tapes to all the joints in the floor underneath the trailer. Where the joints crossed frame cross members, I just wedged the new floor up enough to get tape and resin between. When that dried, I dropped the coach down onto the frame and drilled new bolts up through, using the original bolt holes for a pattern. I mixed some epoxy resin and from inside the coach poured all the exposed floor joints as full as possible. The tape underneath kept things from running on through. Pour some into those new bolt holes too...it soaks into the wood. When things dried, I put new 1/4" stainless carriage bolts down through with flat and lock washers underneath, securing the coach to the frame. I used my old, one-piece linoleum for a pattern and cut another piece of 1/2" ply for my interior floor. Mixed up a large batch of more epoxy resin and poured it all over the bottom (bolted) floor, then dropped the new interior plywood into place and weighted it down with some concrete blocks and let it dry.
I fiberglass-and-resin-taped the perimeter of the fiberglass to the new
floor underneath and especially around those wheel wells where you undoubtedly saw raw wood exposed originally.
I had some sort of hard ceramic-like goop in those wheel well areas too. Too hard for Bondo....more like ceramic of some sort. It had NOT adhered to the smooth fiberglass. If a place looked like it a water opportunity, I covered it with glass tape and epoxy resin. ps...I have more invested in epoxy resin than I have in the new Dexter axle with brakes. pps...my original Henschen torsion axle was toast. Rubber was completely collapsed.
Something I should mention: I plated the frame in the bend areas where the frame exits the coach. It wasn't broken, but seemed to flex in that area from road shock when towed.
Now, tell me how to post pics on FGRV and I'll post before, during, and afters of my Burro.

Hope this tirade helps....you have my number.
Best...
Mike in WV
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Old 05-26-2013, 03:18 AM   #7
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Name: bret
Trailer: Burro 13'
New York
Posts: 23
uploading pictures

So, to upload pictures... When you click on reply you will be given a simple "quick reply" box to enter your text. On the bottom of the quick reply box there is an "advanced" button. When you click on this it will give you a reply box with more options. In the message box there will be a small button that looks like a paper clip. When you click on that a pop-up box will start to load (sometimes it takes a bit for this box to load). This pop up box will give you the option to browse for files on your computer to upload. Once you select the files you wish up upload, it takes a couple of minutes for them to upload. It looks as if nothing is happening, but sometimes it takes a while depending on the files sizes. When they are uploaded you are then given the option to select the ones you wish to post to the thread.
Good luck, I would like to see more pictures of your project.
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Old 05-26-2013, 03:38 AM   #8
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Name: bret
Trailer: Burro 13'
New York
Posts: 23
Update on floor restoration:
Due to the flex of the shell when lifted off the frame, i bagged the cardboard template idea. Too much flex to cut a pattern. I decided to lay the plywood on the trailer frame, slide the trailer back under the shell and then lower the shell onto the plywood. In this way i was able to ensure i had the proper door spacing and shell alignment in place. I then traced the outline of the shell around the exterior with the intention to then move that traced line a half inch in so it would then slide into the gap between the two shells. A bit fiddley, but did the trick. I did the front and back independently in this way. I also made the decision to use non-pressure treated plywood to lessen the VOC impact. The volatile toxins released from the pressure treated wood is something that my girlfriend and i are not interested in breathing in while we enjoy the trailer. Instead we went with a lower VOC standard plywood. I am planning on using a low VOC exterior asphalt fence paint to "seal" the bottom after i tape all the seams. I am also planing on laying down thin strips of ice and water shield on all the cross braces of the trailer before i lower the shell back into place. Will be using galvanized carriage bolts and Boat Life life caulk to fasten the shell to the trailer. I will be doing more work today and will post pictures of the progress.
Thanks to everyone who has helped with suggestions. It has been very helpful.
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Old 05-26-2013, 05:19 PM   #9
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Trailer: 1983 Burro 13 ft
Posts: 45
Following Burro Brets directions.....

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ID:	59583Thanks, Bret....here goes nuthin'.
First, the "before"....and if all goes well, then, the "after."
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Old 05-26-2013, 05:50 PM   #10
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Trailer: 1983 Burro 13 ft
Posts: 45
OK, now the after

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The goal was to make the Burro leakproof and as light and easy to tow as possible. Since those pics were taken, we've added a 5 gal. potable water cooler, curtains, porta potti, and our Coleman camp stove mounted via clips in the original stove location. We've towed it roughly 2k miles since the rebuild without any problems. I tow with a '93 Toyota, 4 cylinder, 5 spd. 4wd pickup....between 55 and 60, and average +-20mpg overall with a mix of mountains and flatlands from WV to northcentral Virginia to visit kids and grands. (mid-grade fuel is good for about 2mpg over regular) I'd guess its empty weight at 800 pounds with just the above-mentioned stuff....maybe less. The old wet floor had to weigh a couple hundred!! Bret, while your frame and axle are out, measure from the coupler to each spindle. Betcha its off quite a bit. Mine was over an inch out.

Best wishes to all FGRV'ers
Mike in WV.
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Old 05-29-2013, 07:03 PM   #11
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Name: bret
Trailer: Burro 13'
New York
Posts: 23
Nice work, thank you for shareing your knowledge and pictures!
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Old 05-29-2013, 08:07 PM   #12
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Name: Linda
Trailer: Burro 13'. 1982
Montana
Posts: 286
Hi guys! Since you both have worked with the guts of little eggs (I have 13' Burro), I'm wondering if you could answer some questions. 1) the PO replaced the carpet and covered up the holes for the table. Short of tearing up the carpet, is there an easier way to figure out where the wholes are? 2) I'm attaching a picture of the three way switch for the refrig and not sure what else......which setting should I use for propane/refrig and stove? How do I cool the refrig by electricity? 3). My refrig has no adjustable shelving.....any ideas on where do get some?

If I'm not plugged in at a camp site, will using that switch somehow allow me to get power to the a/c, lights, power to refrig?

I appreciate any help!!
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Old 05-29-2013, 08:12 PM   #13
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Name: Linda
Trailer: Burro 13'. 1982
Montana
Posts: 286
Forgot to explain picture 3........the air vent in the roof is missing the screen and the lift piece. If I open the lift door, I'll get a swarm of Mosquitos.
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Old 05-29-2013, 08:18 PM   #14
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Name: Linda
Trailer: Burro 13'. 1982
Montana
Posts: 286
Mike......did you have to do any modifications to install that regular matress???
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Old 05-30-2013, 09:59 AM   #15
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Name: Jim
Trailer: Scamp 13(sold!) & TDI tugboat
Ohio
Posts: 121
Linda, the instruction manual for the Dometic 211 fridge can be downloaded from this page:
Fiberglass RV - Document Center - Refrigerators

Print it out and keep it in the camper, along with any other "how do it work" info for things like furnace, inverter/charger, etc.
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Old 06-03-2013, 08:52 PM   #16
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Name: bret
Trailer: Burro 13'
New York
Posts: 23
I removed all the gas fixtures and lines. I am staying away from gas and opting to put in a 12v system that will be independent of the 110v service. I will cook with gas outside and will be using a cooler in place of the fridge. Will be keeping the sink and hooking it up to 12v pump to small 3 or 5 gallon tank.
As far as your floor, I do not have any better way for you to look for the way the table mounted other then ripping up the carpet.
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Old 09-10-2013, 06:02 PM   #17
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Name: Linda
Trailer: Burro 13'. 1982
Montana
Posts: 286
Just wondering........did you keep the table? Or is the bed "permanent"? If it is, where do you eat? Outside?
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Old 09-10-2013, 06:05 PM   #18
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Name: Linda
Trailer: Burro 13'. 1982
Montana
Posts: 286
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADK burro bret View Post
Day 1:
- Removed Shell from trailer and set on blocks.
- Gutted interior of refrigerator, water tank... basically everything...
- Started the process of removing rotten floor (need advise on cutting the floor away from external fiberglass shell as the floor and walls are joined with fiberglass, i am thinking grinder or dremmel). The interior shell was just screwed down to the floor and not fiberglassed in place.
- Removed front and rear windows ( I am planning on running long planks from front to back through the window openings to support the shell so i will not need to support the shell from the bottom. This way i can completely remove the old floor).

I am also looking for suggestions for the new floor. I assume i will need to install the floor in 2 or more sections due to the lip on the exterior shell that the wood needs to slide into. I am looking for advise on materials, how they installed the floor in sections, and how they joined them together keeping the sections from sagging.

I look forward to reading suggestions.

End of day one... Day 2 should be fun...

Iphone pictures uploaded upside down... sorry for the head tilt...
Sorry....my question about the table was for you......
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