Wood interior in a fiberglass trailer?? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 04-11-2014, 08:42 PM   #1
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Wood interior in a fiberglass trailer??

Hi,

I'm new here and am looking for some advice. I recently came across a Trillium trailer (looks about 20 years old) and am hoping to approach the owner with an offer to purchase. Thing is, I don't like fiberglass interiors - walls, units etc.. Is it possible to change it to a wood panelled interior?? I have no idea so would appreciate any advice at all. Many thanks, Ciaran
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Old 04-11-2014, 09:15 PM   #2
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to the Forum Ciaran.

There are many Trillium owners on here
that can give you some pointers.
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Old 04-11-2014, 09:19 PM   #3
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You might check this out.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ium-58441.html
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Old 04-11-2014, 09:26 PM   #4
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You could simply try replacing the flooring with pergot type wood grain flooring. Then replace the cabinet doors with oak doors. By the time you add curtains bedding and upholstery you will hardly notice what little fiberglass is still showing.
Below are a few pics of a trillium we did a few years ago, the oak is bare, and unfinished and the trailer is mid rehab. Sorry no pics of it finished.
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trillium unfinished 025.jpg   trillium unfinished 037.jpg  

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Old 04-11-2014, 09:40 PM   #5
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wood interior?

Thanks so much for your response - looks pretty cool what you've done to yours. I've attached a photo of the type of wood interior I would like to install in this particular Trillium - what do you think?? Is this look possible in a Trillium??
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Old 04-11-2014, 09:52 PM   #6
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Great - thanks!
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Old 04-11-2014, 10:14 PM   #7
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I don't know if you can still buy it or not , but they used to sell graining ink which was used over paint to make an authentic looking wood grain effect.
I did kitchen cabinets with it 30 years ago and they looked really good.
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Old 04-11-2014, 10:23 PM   #8
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Ive given some thought to adding some wood inside my ParkLiner, to cover the carpeted walls. I have the varnish they used on my cabinet doors... thought of pine wainscoting that they sell at HD.

Someone had a link for an old trailer that was all done over inside in wood and was amazing!
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Old 04-11-2014, 10:29 PM   #9
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Look up 'wood veneer'. Wood is cut into sheets so thin, it's like a heavy paper. You can see the wood grain and everything; it looks like real wood because it is real wood, only a very thin layer. You could glue sheets of veneer overtop the fiberglass (where it's flat, at least) and then coat it with polyurethane.

Note: I haven't done this, but it seems entirely possible to me.
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Old 04-12-2014, 05:26 AM   #10
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Throw enough time, effort and money at something and you can do practically anything. But, is it practical? You're going to find these trailers are so small you'll spend most of your awake time outside... and there's plenty of wood there.

We're all getting ready for camping season to start. I can't believe the number of posts that I've read over the years where new owners had these fabulous ideas and tore into... and missed an entire season because the trailer was NO longer useable. I'd say change out the doors, you can do that one at a time... and USE it before making massive changes. YMMV
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Old 04-12-2014, 05:27 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Geartos View Post
I recently came across a Trillium trailer (looks about 20 years old) and am hoping to approach the owner with an offer to purchase. Thing is, I don't like fiberglass interiors - walls, units etc.. Is it possible to change it to a wood panelled interior??
You did not say which model Trillium. The 1300 and 4500 FG cabinets are structural and glassed in. If one of those, I would not advise it. You can modify a number of things to give you more of the wood look. Floors, doors, end cabinets etc.

OTOH a Trillium Jubilee, Sportsman or 5500 are more suited to your desired interior.

Why not keep an eye out for another make that can be more easily modified to suit your decorating tastes.
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Old 04-12-2014, 06:58 AM   #12
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Wood details - doors, cabinetry, a panel here and there - go a long way toward softening the look of the interior.

My $0.02: Another consideration with paneling the interior walls is the added weight. If fuel economy when towing is a concern, then the lighter the better.
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Old 04-12-2014, 07:00 AM   #13
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Another concern I would have about redoing an entire interior in wood would be that of added weight. You might look on the Scamp spec sheets at what happens to their dry weight when the wood interior option is added.

For more "How To" help of wood interiors you might browse some of the sites for those that restore older conventional build trailers, aka "Canned Hams"



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Old 04-12-2014, 08:17 AM   #14
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As others have said, the interior of these trailers , with all the curves, do not lend themselves to a panelled interior. It can be done but the time and skill involved is high. Simple changes to "make it yours" can really change the looks of the interior and if done right can actually reduce the weight. My cupboard doors on my Ventura came in around 60-80lbs while the replacement pine doors were about 1/3 the weight and look alot better. My trailer has straight walls and square corners and originally came with tacky wood panelling but has been now done in pine. The process in my trailer was very straight forward as it had wood strapping fiberglassed in to accept the panelling.

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Old 04-12-2014, 04:26 PM   #15
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We also did a project 13 which we called "Shelly"(started with an empty shell) replacing everything with wood and conventional countertops with no significant weight increase compared to a comparably equipped Scamp standard....
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Old 04-12-2014, 06:14 PM   #16
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Looking at the Scamp factory spec sheets, as I suggested, indicates that a 13' scamp will gain approximately of 100 lbs total weight and a 20% increase in hitch weight with the wood interior option.

The OP was asking about adding a complete wood interior, including full wood walls and ceiling. Without what expertise the Scamp factory has amassed in building as lightly as possible, I would hazard a guess that a home built wood interior could easily add upwards of 250+ lbs to an interior.



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Old 04-12-2014, 06:55 PM   #17
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Thanks for the help
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Old 04-12-2014, 07:00 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by floyd View Post
I don't know if you can still buy it or not , but they used to sell graining ink which was used over paint to make an authentic looking wood grain effect.
I did kitchen cabinets with it 30 years ago and they looked really good.
Thanks so much for all your help Floyd - really helps - appreciate it a lot..
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Old 04-12-2014, 07:04 PM   #19
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Wow - nice! Thanks for your help - I'm learning a lot here!
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Old 04-12-2014, 08:36 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Miller View Post
. Without what expertise the Scamp factory has amassed in building as lightly as possible... a home built wood interior could easily add upwards of 250+ lbs to an interior.
Bob, I'm not convinced that Scamp's primary objective is to build their trailers as light as possible - but rather to build them reasonably light while keeping materials cost as low as possible. After all, they are in business to make money. Witness the amount of particle board they use - which is cheaper, heavier, and less durable than the real deal.

I think a home builder - or renovator - could easily produce a lighter trailer than Scamp, even when maximizing the use of wood, through thoughtful design and careful selection of materials. (see Floyd's post). I don't have before and after weights for my Scamp renovation, but I can testify that the presswood bathroom and cabinet doors I pulled out weighed a bunch. The poplar boards and 1/4" birch ply I used to rebuild the interior was light in comparison.
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