Burro Inspection - Home Assembled

[Mitchell]

Hello again,
I am going to look at a 198early Burro tomorrow. It is a home assembled model. Is that possible?
I would like to know what to look for as far as avoiding disasters.
I already know that there is no propane tank and that the hose to the stove has been cut.
It is currently licensed and tagged, but has not been on the road for a couple of years.
Any help in this regard will be appreciated.
Mitchell

[Donna D.]

No matter what the brand of trailer, it's suggested to print this form:
Buyers Checklist from our Document Center.

Yes, Burro sold kits for home building. Hopefully, a Burro owner will jump in and give you more info.

Good luck in your search!

[Gina D.]

Buyers Checklist at your service!

Yes, Burros were sold as a kit as well as finished units.

I would check carefully, all the appliance installations, as well as all the interior fittings (Doors, tanks etc.) These are the things the buyer put in. Basically, you got the frame and the shell, the buyer put all the fittings in.

Also double check the title. It may have been a factory model that had title issues along the way and it was registered as "Homemade" at some point. I am not sure if this is how all the kits were titled.. it may be the same thing.

[Mitchell]

Thank you Gina D. and Donna D.
I will use the list to aid my inspection.
The current owner states to have purchased from original assembler.
The trailer has a plate and current tags, so I am fairly confident in that it can be registered and licensed in my name.
I am expecting there to be a lot of refurb.
I guess if the bed and dinette are useable, it'll work for me from the beginning.
I probably won't be able to check the water tightness though, other than inspecting visually the seals.
How do I know if the suspensions bands? are okay?
Thanks again.
Mitchell

[Gina D.]

it's a simple test.. take a friend.. one of you go inside and jump while the other watches from the outside. If there is give and bounce, you are probably OK for awhile. (At it's age, I would expect a new axle in the near future tho)

If it just sort of lays there and has no bounce.. it's dead, or near dead.

You can see at the wheel wells too. If the trailer sits low and it looks like the tires are up far into the wheel wells.. it's kaput.

Some smart axle guy here can tell you what is "Good" for space between top of tire and wheel well.

[MikeCM]

Mitchell, check the frame in the front right where it bends to meet the camper, look on both sides of the frame, inside and out. Many Burros have a cracked frame, (mine was cracked on both sides didn't see it until I had it home). Also look for soft floor, leaky windows, etc.

Mike

[Mitchell]

Hello,
I viewed the 13' Burro today. I really would like to get it, however it needs a lot of refurbishing and redoing what previous owners have done without much care.

One question that comes up on the outside is the molding that covers the seam from front bottom up and over and down the back. It is u-channel of some sort and the metal is completely rusted through in many places.
If it is able to be purchased?, how would I go about bending it to follow the curves of the shell?

Another is regarding the flexion I observed in the fiberglass when I hung the spare on the bolts in the rear. does this normally need to be reinforced?

There is too much to talk about considering I don't have it. I may still do it. I tried to be polite, but may have injured the feelings of one of the couple who currently owns it. I hope not.
On the upside, the trailer tongue, jack, wiring, and tires are all almost new. The trailer is reinforced at those two junctures where it bends to meet with the shell.
Thanks.
Mitchell

[Patty S.]

Hi Mitchell,

When I purchased my U-Haul, it was campable, but I put a lot of time & money into it to modify it to what I wanted it to be. A U-Haul is very similar to a Burro. I bought it sight unseen except for pictures emailed to me. I knew it was kind of a mess (holes in the fiberglass, a faded paint job, etc. I installed a fantastic fan, had it painted, installed new carpet on the ceiling, etc. I fell in love with it & knew that I would not be sorry if I bought it. It is awesome that these campers are relatively easy to fix. I have had the camper fiberglassed to fix the handiwork of previous owners.

The channel is called trimlock & can be purchased.

[Rozanne G]

I replaced the seam material on my Burro and it was an easy job. The roof material was also worn through and rusted with only the staples showing. I ordered new trimlock from J.C. Whitney and was quite happy with it. The new trimlock ,in white, brightened the exterior quite alot.
We are extremely pleased with our Burro. We have put in time and money (the big frame repair!) but it is a comfortable camper,an easy tow,and certainly draws a lot of interest.

[Mitchell]

Patty S. and Rozanne G.,
Thanks for the info.
Could you possibly give me the part #s for the trimlock?
I tried J.C. Whitney and search came up empty.
I tried Google and only one pertinent result "out of stock."
Mitchell

[Mitchell]

Hello,
Well, I am going to pick up the Burro first thing in the morning.
I really will need to get the molding if I can find it. Patty and Rozanne, what dimensions trimlock did you use?
I am going to try to clean the upholstry to remove odor right away so I can use it for a few days week after next. Any recommendations for fabric/vinyl back?
ttys
Mitchell

[Patty S.]

Way to go, Mitchell!!!! Congratulations...You're going to love your camper. I have not replaced my trimlock yet, but I'm planning to sometime. I also plan to install some vinyl flooring.

I believe there is a Burro manual in the document center on the left side of this website.

Again, congratulations!

[Rozanne G]

Patty S. and Rozanne G.,
Thanks for the info.
Could you possibly give me the part #s for the trimlock?
I tried J.C. Whitney and search came up empty.
I tried Google and only one pertinent result "out of stock."
Mitchell

I believe the trim I used is called "Fairchild Flexible Interior/exterior Trim". It comes is a few colors. I don't remember the size I ordered, but you should be able to use the J.C. Whitney product guide. I will look tomorrow for the packing slip to verify but whenb I went to the site it looked like the same stuff.
Congrats with your purchase. Our Burro was also a kit version and while there is a descrepancy with the alignment of the interior shell when it comes to the kitchen counter it is a great little trailer.

Rozanne

[Patty S.]

Forgot to tell you, I used foam upholstery that you spray on, let it sit & wipe. Cushions smell good & they cleand up pretty well. They sell it in the automotive aisle at Walmart.

[Gina D.]

You can usually find Trim Lock (Brand Name) at any auto upholstery shop. Pick it up locally instead of ordering it.

I just bought 20 feet of it today for a project at work. It was all of 24 bucks.

[Pamela H]

You can usually find Trim Lock (Brand Name) at any auto upholstery shop. Pick it up locally instead of ordering it.

I just bought 20 feet of it today for a project at work. It was all of 24 bucks.

Trim lock>> is that the stuff that you can seal the seam outside with?

Pam

[Mitchell]

Hello,
I have the Burro (tito) in the driveway. It is just cute even with the caulking all over the outside.
I did get the first must fix news when I got home. I was pulling the original carpet and pulled the piece at the back just above the rear storage where the bolts for the spare tire are sticking through.
I found separation at the seam around 20" or so.
I am thinking of using that Formula 51? that the boat shops sell rather than fiberglassing. The Formula is a type of bondo, but I believe a bit more plastic.
Any opinions would be valued. I am going to try and do this in the next couple of days one way or the other (glass and resin). If I glass and resin, I will have to research on technique as I have only done this once many years ago.
I would also like to figure a way to add some more support in that rear section so the spare does not cause a future problem. I think this happened two owners ago. I was told he had a storage box mounted back there. It might have been too heavy.
The rear window definately needs new rubber. The outer seal although caulked along the top, may be okay, but the vertical strips separating the panes from the slider and the inner perimeter rubber have all shrunk beyond the ability to seal.
Any knowledge of where and which types to get would also help me to get this project in full gear.
All of the cushions will need to be redone soon, and there are a couple of pieces missing and others that appear to be not made just right. I will probably have to wait until I am fortunate enough to see one of your Burros to figure out how it is all supposed to be.
Oh yeah. On a previous discussion, I received great information about the trimlock molding and I have located a couple of companies that have it. Also, I will go to an auto upholstery shop today to see what they have. My Burro has a trimlock with 2 tabs on the inside and I was wondering if anybody elses has 1 tab on the inside of the trim.
I hope covering this much in one post is acceptable. Please tell me if not.
Thanks.
Mitchell

[Donna D.]

I hope covering this much in one post is acceptable. Please tell me if not.
Thanks.
Mitchell

It's fine Mitchell, the only thing I did was take the SIZE out of it... so big it was making my eyes hurt.

I'd suggest if you have questions, to post one question per topic, otherwise things get all tangled up and you may miss the answer you seek. Plus it creates problem for "Search."

CONGRATULATIONS on the new-to-you trailer too by the way

[Frederick L. Simson]

Trim lock>> is that the stuff that you can seal the seam outside with?

Pam