To re-do or to not to redo, she questions

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Reading all this modification stuff has my creative juices flowing. However, before I jump in and start making major changes, I wanted to find out what you all think about the value of vintage versus custom. :r

The 1977 Trillium 4500 I just bought has been described as "mint." I know it has a few minor mods but nothing too serious. So, as I pondered my possibilities (hardwood floors? bathroom? basement?) I wondered if it might be a bad idea to change too much.

Is it better to just slipcover a few things and repair the wear and tear stuff or is it better to keep as much as possible vintage? I am thinking about resale value a little but more about the relative rarity of a close-to-factory vintage trailer. (I think resale value right now seems to depend more on features and overall condition, so I am not overly concerned about that.) I am torn now between the customization possibilities and possibility of preservation.

I know I can't live with the current color scheme, but most of that can be changed with slipcovers (which also serve to protect the original plaid upholstery). I would like to lighten the load a little by removing particle wood wherever possible and such. I would like to have this be the "perfect" home away from home (or even "home" for long periods of time) so I'd like to make it feel like "me." The outside is fine, though I am itching to customize it in some way.

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Hi JR, My "two-cents worth" are that you should make it comfortable to fit YOU. Who would you be saving the vintage look for anyway? All your ideas sound great. Go for it! :cheers

Nancy

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Hi JR ... from strickly a collector's standpoint, I don't think there would be any premium paid for factory "stock" condition for a 30-year-old rig ...

Admittedly, most of us here are a little crazy ... ok, completely looney-tunes ... about molded fiberglass trailers ... I don't think I've ever seen or heard of a "point" system used to value vintage trailers, similar to folks who collect antique cars.

Now, vintage Airstreamers are a different breed ... did you know that Airstream purists refuse to replace a popped-rivet with anything other than a factory-stock period rivet? Several cottage industries have sprung up to manufacture and sell "vintage" Airstream rivets.

My molded fiberglass rigs, however, are usually 100 percent "stock" trailers ... and I pride myself in that ... but only because I'm too lazy and not creative enough to make all the fabulous modifications that others detail here on a daily basis.

Nope, all I know how to do is hook up one of these fabulous fiberglass rigs and go camping.

So, as others have said, feel free to customize to your heart's content (unless you are lazy like me ... then just go camping!)

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Orginally posted by JR Holland
I would like to lighten the load a little by removing particle wood wherever possible and such. I would like to have this be the "perfect" home away from home (or even "home" for long periods of time) so I'd like to make it feel like "me." The outside is fine, though I am itching to customize it in some way.

this part right here of your statement says you [b]need to change it for yourself. I (who's trailer is in pieces) say go for the unique, the unusual and one just for you. :thumb

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And just what I was hoping to hear. I doubt my Trillium is going to end up in the Smithsonian one day anyway. Unless it is a fabulous custom piece of folk art!!!;) I like functional folk art!!!

I guess I need a project. I just finished getting my townhouse all spiffed up and I am selling it. Very little I have stays "factory" for long. For a while I was redecorating my cubicle every two months: jungle theme, Zen, cottage garden, etc.

I think the modification potential is what most attracted me to the egg anyway.

Hmm, ponder, ponder, ponder....:thumb

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Hi JR
You gave the answere your self.Fix it up to your livestyle.Your the one thats using it.
When I bought mine the owner said please don't change it.The first thing I did was change it.I don't regret it one bit.:wave

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I dare say there are few (if any) of us who would try and preserve old cushions! Not me, anyway. And who wouldn't choose real wood over beaver board?

As far as versatility: I just said that same thing the other day to someone. Since this board started up last fall, I have learned so much about the possibilities. The versatility of these trailers never ceases to amaze me. The only problem with all these ideas is that I'm beginning to think I need two trailers: One to camp in and one to customize.

It took me a while to get mine to where it could roll at a moments notice and now I'm not willing to mess it up. I need it to stand ready just in case the opportunity arises! When I'm not able to go camping, then fooling around with the trailer is the next best thing. Ergo, the need for two trailers!

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8 sounds good to me. one for fishing , one for canoeing , one for boondocking , one for oooooo'a and ahhhhhhhhhhhs,one for the kids. one to rehabliate, one for winter , one for summer
ummm maybe 8 is not enough
Please dont eat they dasiys or trilliums
Al
Cheaper by the dosen maybe lol

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Al, Suz,

This reminds me of a very wise woman I worked with years ago. She and her husband were very busy career folks with two kids. They loved to ski and camp and all of that. She kept a set of bags packed for each type of activity. All they had to do was put the right bags in the conversion van and off they'd go. Upon their return she would not sleep until all was washed and repacked for the next trip. (ok, I'd wait until the next day to repack :zz ) I guess she had the right idea, but the wrong vehicle. Her $55,000 van was too expensive to have one for each activity, but with several trailers....:chin

I'd love to have one with a permanent double bed, dinette and small bathroom for solo travel and a second with the bunks/double bed configuration for bringing along friends and family.

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I thought I'd share with you my opinion about reno's vs. resto's

Both renovations and restorations are intended to improve the 'value' of the item.... in this case, a trailer.

In my option, 'value' is in the eye of the beholder. If you're never intending to pass along your trailer for profit, then 'value' is whatever will increase your appreciation for your trailer.. If you're intending to sell the trailer for profit, then 'value' is whatever will increase the selling price of your trailer.

In my case, I'm not intending to sell... I bought the egg for me, so I'm renovating for me. :-) Starting with a thorough gutting of the dinette and installing an improved permanent bed/doggie kennel. :-)

JR - Have a great time renovating (as this appears to be the direction you're heading in). it's soo much fun just trying to decide what to change next! The possibilities are endless! And with this crowd, the ideas just keep popping up. :-)

~ Melanie

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I was at first intrigued by the kennel idea. Then I remembered that my dog runs the place.

A few years ago on a tent trip we were camping at Bar Harbor, Maine. We had a really rainy night and I guess I had not adjusted the rain fly well. I woke up and I could not feel my legs. Then I realized that I had 70 lbs of Husky/Shepherd curled in a ball on my stomach. The tent was full of water and I was in several inches of water from the top of my legs down. The dog had climbed on my stomach as a human life raft. She was the only dry thing in the tent.

I guess I should take the same view of the trailer that I did of my house. Some people told me to paint the rooms all neutral because it would maintain the resale value. I did what made me happy. The first potential buyer offered me a contract at my asking price within 24 hours -even before the place went on the market. They actually said they liked what I had done to the place. If I do it well, and I have to sell someday, someone else might like it. If not, hey I got me a trailer!!!

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The other day, while sitting on the floor of the trailer, scraping carpet padding off, (whew) I was hot. sweat dripping hot. even with a fan. outside it was cool. occasionally I could feel a nice breeze coming in the door. ? idea!! if the bed was up high I could feel the breeze in through the window, and give more under bed room for stuff (or dogs). Has anyone thought of this, but Pete. (His is kind of like I'm thinking)

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I had been thinking of raising the bed for entirely different reasons (storage). As long as you pay attention to weight ratios and such it seems like a good idea.

I was watching Christopher Lowell on Discovery channel the other day (yup, this is what I do when I go to fancy shmancy hotels, watch decorating shows on cable!). He did a guest room/office with a huge desk that had a rollaway bed under it. To build the bed he did a rectangular box at the bottom, then put a structure on top that I can only describe as a very short table. Basically a bed shaped sheet of plywood held up by two short supports that ran widthwise.

here is my really bad rendering. The dots represent spaces, they were necessary to keep it from changing when I post it.
____________
....l ......... l ..
____________
l___________l

Seems to me you could put folding tables and chairs under the bed this way and still have room to cut cabinet doors into the rectangular base (or just use the dinette area as a base with a sheet of plywood and a little platform on top. Under the short flat areas you could store folding camp chairs and such. All you'd need is something to keep them from sliding out while towing.

In a bed like this I'd recommend supports at the foot and head of the bed too. In his version he had big square ends on the foot and head of the bed for support.

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I wish I could find that bed Pete (I think it was Pete) did. it sounds like I didn't like he's, but I did. But now I can't find it. It was something like a really tall table. only a twin, but it was good. :yep

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Hi Jana and JR, :wave

The raised bed idea is actually the mod that I'm working in right now. our project, when finished, will elevate the bed base to the height of the table top. We're going to use the underneath space for doggie or storage (which ever happens to be with us at the time.)

Keep in mind that the trailer we bought was destined for a gutting.....

Here's the plan and what we've done so far:


Prep work:
1. removed entire dinette, including the seats and the table top (done)
2. marked off height of table bracket (under rear window) all the way around the new bed area (done)
3. scored, scraped, and peeled back insulation foamy stuff to expose fibreglass shell (done)

ledge for bed:
3. fabricated curved wooden 'ledge' bracket for new bed (basically the same as the ones the seats are attacked too, just higher up the wall)
4. drilled through shell (yes, this was a bit scary at first, but we need to do some future bodywork anyway) and secured the new brackets using epoxy and screws (done)
5. lay down 2 layers (top and bottom) of course fibreglass and epoxy to thoroughly secure the ledge to the shell (half done)
6. remove the screws and fill the holes with epoxy (half done)

the rest isn't started yet...
7. build some support legs (metal, welded) that will rest on the frame of the trailer
8. build a bed-base support to hold up the plywood
9. cut plywood into a couple of pieces (so that it can fit through the door for installation)
10. buy a foam mattress, hack it to fit the curves, hack it into two sections to get it in and out easily, sew new matress-cover side-panels to fill in the holes I just made.
11. grab a sleeping bag and take it for a test drive!

Since we're planning on attending the Cache Creek camping trip in early august, we still have lots to do! :-)

This is my website for this reno project. I haven't posted pics in a while... I probably should. :-)
http://geocities.com/gregnmel/spring03reno01.html

If you're curious, The only part my husband is doing is the welding. I could weld too, but he thinks that's 'man-work' and I don't want to be better than him at EVERYthing. Hee hee hee.

~ Melanie

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That sounds like a lot of work. I thought to just extent up with the wood already there and not do a section again, but yours is probably more solid.

I started out planning a full queen up all the time, but a girlfriend that might go with me occasionally kept saying we might want to play cards. (what's wrong with outside? it might rain you say. awning room, I say) well anyway I think I'm doing the twin with table for permanent then have a fold section to make it queen. I don't think I'm doing it as tall as yours, but I might :) I've got it all in drawings.. I'll see if they will post.
<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3ebf093137541Picture1.jpg/> with the table out tan thing on left is a shelf above the window.
<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3ebf0952a39c0Picture4.jpg/> with just the board pulled out from under matteres
<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3ebf09796ee42Picture6.jpg/> with matteres flipped over and out - bed now close to a queen or king. about 75x73 everytings a snug fit, but I don't think it will feel tight. (I hope)

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:bed
Hi Melanie, when you cut your foam get rid of the axe (hacking) and use a electric carving knife....cuts like butter you can pick one up at yard sales for 2 bucks or so.

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I think I just did your mod, JR Holland. well close to it any way. I was trying to create a bed in a hurry. went to a second had store and bought three 2 ft wide doors. used two for the legs running from the wheel wells back with some boards to keep them on their edge. used the third with a 36 inch one I already had for the top then add the mattress and I'm done. I haven't thought out how to get to some of the storage yet, but I've got a bed, just in time for powwow. I probably shouldn't have all the storage behind the wheels anyway, I'd just pile it with stuff and get her too heavy. :)

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I'd love to hear how it works before I actually try it. Enjoy powwow.

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While working on the bed, I noticed I kept bumping my head but only in certain places. (yes I'm a tall ol' gal, but not that tall.) Not by the door or in the middle, but in between. weird. then I noticed the standing water on the top. Hummm? :conf I got the two walls I had taken out of the trailer and tried to put them back. no go. the ceiling had dropped about 1 1/2 inches in the curve area before the ceiling went up in the middle for height. so the walls are reinstalled, with some muscle help from Tom, until I can do something else. I've heard people ask if this cabinet or that cabinet is needed, and now I say, If they go all the way up, probably.