Extreme Boler Makeover!

[sjlcu]

I've tried posting pictures but so far am having no luck!! I'm buying a Boler American #5137 in what I think is really BAD shape. All I really know about it so far is that the frame and fiberglass are both cracked. I've only seen pictures....and that leads me to my next series of questions!!

What is the "orangish" stuff?? Is that the ensolite you guys refer to? Is it like insulation? Does it need to be re-covered or scraped off?

Since this is pretty much a gut job - can I do ANYTHING I want? As in can I add a bathroom??

It's just me and I am going to be a full-timer. My needs are fairly simple...I'm fantasizing that I can make the couch end the bathroom and the dinette end the couch/bed?

Who and what do I need? I'm a great worker bee but clueless as to what to do....do I need an Electrician? Plumber? Carpenter?

If I had enough help - could I do the entire thing in a weekend???

TIA~

Stacie

[jen b]

Because I have Burro I can't speak to the ensolite or orangish stuff question, but from the sounds of it, it's hard to imagine a total re-do being possible in a weekend.

My lesson from doing *just a few things!* to the Burro was that everything takes about triple the time as I wished it had. The other thing is that there will be some surprises you hadn't counted on having to deal with. And I was only dealing with some repairs and redecorating, not a total restoration.

[Greg H]

Ensolite is usually White or close to being White. If you take it out you just took out the insulation, so leave it in and paint it. The bathroom in a 13'er is in the front so you would lose the front bed setup. Once you lose the front bed area to a bathroom you have no choice but to use the rear dinette/bed area for everything.

[RSchleder]

Stacie, please take this in the way it's intended--as advice, not criticism. It appears from your post that you are in way over your head. If, as it appears, you can't do the work yourself, the cost of hiring plumbers, carpenters, electricians, will be difficult and EXPENSIVE. These craft people are not really going to be interested in messing with a small job like your trailer and the hourly rate will most likely be prohibitive. So, unless you have some very talented friends or simply want to throw a sleeping bag on the floor, find yourself another/different trailer that you can cosmetically redo and forget the total referb you're now facing! In the long run you'll be money ahead and have a "sound" unit to go full timing in!

PS: a good friend of mine found a 90's Scamp 13' trailer in excellent condition for $3500 and it's ready to hit the road.

[Reid Larsen]

It is very possible that the "Orangeish" stuff is raw uninsulated fiberglass which means that the Boler that you are considering needs even more work than you might imagine. I have to concur with Ron that if your skill set doesn't include electrical, plumbing and carpentry you should look for a more useable unit. Even w/ the afore mentioned skills I have spent over $2000 bringing an older Trillium w/out plumbing and electrical systems back to a full functioning and updated condition.

[DonDeutsch]

It has taken me longer than a 3 days to change the title!

[sjlcu]

Thank you all for your advice ~ it was taken in the proper spirit :-)

I should have said that I have experience with remodeling houses, but not fiberglass trailers!! I do have some very handy friends, but...after great consideration I am not going to buy the boler trailer after all. In another time or another life, I would love to restore one. Now, since I am wanting to full time as soon as possible, it's just not practical. That being said, I am still in the market! I think I love the Lil Snoozy, but again don't know if the time frame will work out.

The boler I was buying is $1,000.00 and located about an hour from the DFW airport in Texas, so if you are in the market, let me know and I will send you the information!

Hope you are all safe from the storms.

Stacie