83 Burro restoration

[cda will]

I also have a 1983 Burro I’m restoring. Previous owner started work on it and did the new floor with marine plywood. He used epoxy resin on both sides for waterproofing but not fiberglass. I think that will be sufficient and don’t plan to fiberglass. The interior acrylic shell was partially removed on mine so I’m adding insulation wherever possible. You will notice that there are lots of places between the interior and exterior shells that are hollow and where you could use the expandable foam to insulate, if you want. If you remove the door latch, you’ll see that the door is hollow and a good candidate for foam. I’m using Reflectix to insulate because it is flexible and easy to follow the curves in the shell. I’ve been cautioned, however, that there should be a gap between the Reflectix and the shell so it will be a better insulator. Wiring, floor covering, plumbing, and cabinets will be other projects.

[GWMattson]

The previous owner had insulated all the compartments with foil backed insulation. I removed them so I could work on the floor. But I plan to put them back in after I'm sure I eliminated all the leaks. They will hide leaks and moisture can collect beneath them. I'm a little worried about using expandable foam. I've used it for windows in my house before and had to be careful about putting too much in. It's pretty powerful stuff and spraying it into an enclosed space could be bad. I'm not familiar with Reflectix. Does it have this problem too?

[MyronL]

Had a great time with my first trailer, a very neglected 1981.
Here'a my contribution to this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MVatpw_84M

[cda will]

Well, I’m not sure about your concerns about the expandable foam other than it is difficult to control the amount of expansion without being able to trim it off when it expands past edges. It is routinely used to insulate between walls of older houses and it is also used on bare cement walls. When used on open walls, they generally spray it between furring strips that allows trimming to a uniform thickness where the foam expands above the furring strips. I think trying to fur out the inside of my trailer would be prohibitive.

As far as Reflectix goes, it was developed for use in the space program. It is flexible. The stuff I’m using is two feet wide and comes in various length rolls. It is about 1/4” thick and looks similar to foil covered bubble wrap. As I mentioned, I’ve been told that for it to be maximally effective, a gap needs to be maintained between the Reflectix and the trailer shell. Foam or fiberglass insulation may be more effective but I’m using the Reflectix because of its ease of installation.

[GWMattson]

My concerns with expandable foam come from what I've heard from others. I've been told to be careful spraying it into enclosed areas because it can expand and bend or break things. I never used it for this. I've only used it for open areas such as window frames where it can expand outwards.

Your description of Reflectix sounds like the insulation that was in the interior compartments of my Burro. I think it's very good stuff. I'm definitely going to put it back in when I'm sure that I eliminated all the leaks.

[GWMattson]

Myron, nice job on the Burro. I was especially interested in the window replacement. I just finished up removing, cleaning up, and re-sealing my windows. The windows looked pretty old. I was wondering if I'll need to replace them. I'll find out after I'm done and I take it out of the garage into the rain.

[MyronL]

Regarding window replacement.... absurdly expensive if you order new from Hehr, so I found the best move is to search eBay, or find a salvage yard, or even seek out the nearest trailer sales, repairs shop for used. Big big savings there, just takes time to find the size that fits. In my case, I had to alter the rough openings, but if you're up for that it is really worth the trouble. Found people will also even special order windows from a shop but then stiff them-- never pick them up, so they get stacked out back. It's like finding jewels.

[cda will]

Thanks, Myron. Good tip on finding windows.

[GWMattson]

I just put the floor in, and I'm in the process of fiberglassing it to the shell. Looking in the wheelwells, I see the exposed edges of the floor below the shell. I'd like to cover these up and fill in some imperfections. My first thought was to use Bondo. I think there was bondo here when I took the old floor out (at least it felt like bondo). But I used epoxy fiberglass. I think Bondo is a polyester filler and you get bad results when you put polyester over epoxy. A few Google searches gave mixed results. Some people said it was ok and others said that it won't stick to the epoxy. Does anybody have experience with this?

My other thought was to cut some thin plywood strips to fill in the gaps, glass everything, and cover it with gelcoat.

[cda will]

On my Burro, some holes in the outer shell have been patched by using pieces of old fiberglass shell backed by fiberglass matting on the interior of the shell. Bondo was then used to fill the exterior gap and sanded smooth. I have not yet seen any problems with the Bondo not adhering. If you’re worried about the Bondo, how about just using epoxy resin that has been thickened with various fillers (as used in the West system)? Different thicknesses can be achieved, depending on which thickener is used. The #406 colloidal silica is used for general structural filling and can be worked with putty knife and later sanded if you want. You can probably find the needed fillers and the manual for the West System at a marina or marine supplies outlet.

[GWMattson]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Lots of information on polishing the old FG trailers. I followed the recommendations of Randy Bishop. It really makes a difference!


http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ell-43004.html

Thrifty Bill. I finally followed this link. Lots of good information here. After crawling around the top of the trailer for a while, I decided that it does need some finishing. I'll try the products in your link this Spring. Right now I'm just about done with the floor replacement and sealing. I'm ready to get this thing out of my garage and park my truck there for the Winter. Another week of work on the Burro and I'm done for a while.

[GWMattson]

The previous owner had some great looking decals made for the Burro. I'm going to keep these, and I'd like to add another one. Does anybody know where to get decals like these made?

[SteveV]

There are decals on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Decals-for-...txRF:rk:1:pf:0

You may be able to find a graphics company local to you also that can make them.

[GWMattson]

Thanks for the reply. I want to make a more personalized decal. There's a few graphic and sign shops in town. I'll call around and see who can do it