A Project Begins

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The attached photos represent the exterior conditin of the trailer as I found it in a salvage yard. And the project began. More to follow, Fx.
<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3db3fa7e03e2eACQUISITION OUTSIDE.gif/>

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:omy Oh man, you've got your work cut out for you.

I know it is all fixable though. I repaired a canoe that fell off a car and hit a guard rail. When it was done you could not tell it had ever had a hole in it the size of a basket ball. It was as strong as new as well.

Keep us posted as you make you repairs. Show pistures as you go.

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Wow, Charles really did a number on this one before he sold it. Course I thought his was a Casita. Frank, are you doing the fiberglass repair yourself? Is all the stuff still inside? (yeh, I know, I'm just a little nosy)

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Yes, I have been doing the fiberglass work myself. Over the last thirty years I have been involved in racing sailboats, and the need to correct fiberglass dents, (always caused by others, naturally) has been included in this avocation. Glass is one friendly medium to work with. Remember DRY, CLEAN, and MODERATE Temperature and the modern resins and hardeners make it idiot proof. Tho I can still find a way to spill the resin bucket or allow the errant drip to find my body hair. New words are often then expressed, women and children beware.
The interior pieces were all in place, or close to it. The cabinet doors were distressed and the flooring in general had suffered from water, both before and after the accident. Don't know the previous story of trailer or about accident. The salvage yard had acquired trailer from insurance company for storeage charges over two years ago and were very glad to free up the space. No serious frame damage only one rear fram member bent downward, no side twist or cracking. Will send more photos of work and findings, Fx.<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3db469e9dfa80INTERIOR-3gif.gif/>

By the way don't blame Charles, this tree had indications of red surface coating. Besides only sociopaths don't learn from their mistakes or actions. So you won't be committed always do a new bizarre act, and let the public try to catch up.

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and its as good as new Frank....

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Frank>>don't blame Charles, this tree had indications of red

Could have been one of those sneaky Red Oak trees.:) :)

Keep us posted of your progress Frank!

What year is the Scamp?

Also, just curious here ... but does the trailer have an actual title ... or do you have a salvage title.

I'll bet you'll have it back on the road in no time!

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I'm moved to say what I say to people who have just adopted a pet from our local animal shelter: You just saved a life!

Way to go, Frank!

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To Charles, the possibility of "sneaky red oak", didn't occur to me. My thoughts were more like Dodge Ram red, both for the vibrant color, and the height of collision hard point damage. The title is a regular trailer title, since it was sold to yard as settlement of claim, (storeage fees,) not a totaled-wreck.

Having followed both the Casita and Scamper Yahoo sites, I was familiar with Charles eloquence about his waxed bottom, and reasons for same. When my initial appraisal of damage showed the floor being more like dust than structure, I copied within the format of the Scamp design constraints and using both 3/8 exterior and marine plywoods I applied fiberglass cloth to all bottom surfaces. the cloth was filled with two coats of resin till all mesh pattern disappeared. The two layers of 3/8 ply were then bonded togeather with a filled resin mixture and mechanically fastened for curing. The new floors were bonded to frame with heavy duty construction adhesive and hardened screw fasteners designed for applying sheathing to metal framework.

I can now wax my fiberglass bottom and have the glow of wood reflecting in my satisfied eyes. Time permitting that is.

My main thought was to eliminate the chance of water penetrating the wooden floor structure, so all edge grain was soaked in resin, all trailer side to floor joints were tabbed both top and bottom with 8 oz. tab-matting. After the bottom tabbing was completed a slurry of resin, heavy filled with Cab-o-Sil, was applied between trailer glass sides and the floor. It was leveled to floor, before top, (inside,) tabbing was completed. The weight of plywoods and fiberglass is within striking distance of the original fiberboard with resin coating weights.

The atached photos represent the last of suprises found during de-construction. Notice the care of electrical circut breaker installation. This is how I found it when removing the sink cabinet. The pictures of entry floor damage was caused by the lack of drain tube routing for closet mounted airconditioner. The condensate was allowed to pool against the outside vent, or run down the inside of exterior wall, traveling both to the lower storage cabinet and between closet wall and entry floor soaking the carpet and attacking the floor materials. Enough for now, more to follow, Fx.<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3db499b882750INTERIOR-6gif.gif/>

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Please don't be shy with postings on your progress.There are many of us attempting to perform much less complicated restorations on a variety of trailer types that are following your progress with great interest.In fact from past experience sometimes the visual clues presented in projects such as this give the incentive to try something a bit beyond the norm.Thanks

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With all the interior and flooring out work on the bent frame member was finished. Simple hydraulic jack and chain procedure until original vertical alignment was held. Then wire brush all frame members of loose scale, tedious, and recoat with RustOleum.

As previously stated all flooring materials coated with fiberglass layer on bottom side. Then first 3/8 ply was attached to frame with construction adhesive and mechanical fasteners. Next second layer of 3/8 ply was attached to first, (overlapping seams,) with mixture of thickened resin and mechanical fasteners. All edges were liberally coated with resin and all seams for both layers were glass/resin taped. this brought the new sub-floor up to the original 3/4 thickness of particle board. The final flooring material will be parquet with strip edges so main floor area was not top coated with resin, except for edges and at door entry area. More to follow, thanks for your followups, Fx.<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3db5179341273FRAME-FLOOR gif.gif/>

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Man, Frank ... you should consider starting your own molded Fiberglass travel trailer company!

I also know now where I'm going next time a tree jumps out and smacks me ... we don't live that far from you!

Sounds like you've got all of the bases covered. I'm enjoying watching the project unfold!

PS I'm sure you've thought of it, but make sure you coat the edges of all the dump valve and gas line holes through that beautiful new best of both worlds floor before you run the lines!

A frame-off restoration! Wow! Take a bow!

It will be better than new when you're done!

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Charles,

Thank you for the thoughts on any fittings or lines going through the floor. My practice for these is to drill an oversize hole, tape the bottom side shut, and fill with a medium viscosity resin mixture. This allows penetration into surrounding structure, then when cured I drill the correct size hole through the resin and run lines with caulking above and below. I become anal with wood and water, once is enough. More pictures of the basement storage compartment I built behind axle to follow, Fx.

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Now that evening has fallen I can spend a few moments bringing the last photos of finished work to the forum. The finished sub-floor is installed front to rear. All side cabinet floors have fiberglass tops and bottoms, I don't like water damage. And I even have accomplished a fun task, the Scamp basement.

After haveing looked at the right rear storage area or loss thereof when the water tank is installed I built a lower compartment to house this tank. The basement starts at the rear floor step-up and goes across from the inside of each frame rail, and back to the left/right angle member. The total compartment is nine inches deep, forty-five inches wide and twenty-two inches long. The water tank area is the same depth and width but is only fourteen inches long. A divider seperates the water tank area and the floor then slopes upward to the rear angle member. This angle gives adequate ground clearance for backing, before the tires start to climb, unless I really off-road it. The basement bottom is actually higher than the bottom of the axle housing in a normally loaded condition. I will have access to run plumbing for both water feed and supply lines inside basement and up through setee cabinets and then to destinations. The area between tanks will allow for the 12V supply pump to be mounted. The capacity is two six-gallon tanks, that can be removed at any time. I will use shut off valves on each for control of water use.

The construction of basement was steel angle material with glassed, both sides 1/4 plywood, assembled and then all glassed togeather after fitting into frame. The fitting was done before the rear step-up floor was installed. The access is by a drop in finger board that is twenty inches wide and twenty two inches long. The outside bottom was heavily coated with the aerosol truck bed liner repair coating material, just in case.

Now I have to complete the interior redo before new photos, Fx.<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3db5ee9ebf51fFIN-FLOOR-BAS-gif.gif/>

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Hey mom, dad:

... can Phrank post :cblob BIGGER :cblob photos of his phenominal phix?

This looks like one SUPER project.

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Frank,
When you're finished with this fabulous project.
Could I bring my Burro over so you can put in a basement?
What a great idea!!!!!

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Pjanits, aka "Pete"

I was lucky in that the floor had to come out allowing adequate access to the frame for installation of the basement. This would have been a bugger of a job otherwise.

The visual picture of area used is from behind the settee step-up at rear of Scamp going left to right forty-five inches, the water tank compartment extends towards rear fourteen inches, with the balance of basement sloping upward toward a left/right frame member for a total of twenty-two inches from front of basement to rear of same. If you are interested in the possibilities, let's talk about the frame design characteristics you have.

I have a question for you. How did you actually acquire a Burro? I followed over the last two plus years the sad legal saga of that companies ownership and its' business practices. Most respondents were disappointed in what they received, if anything. It looked like the next generation design with modular interior used in a pre-stressed manner for structural integrity. The best always, Fx.

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Frank,
My Burro is an 1981 13'. I lucked out by finding it for sale locally.
The factory in 1981 was in Plymouth, Minn.
So all the current problems are moot to me.The quality was excellent.
By the way the floor is wood, but coated with fiberglass on both sides, after 21 years no soft spots!!!
Yes, I agree, that the design is an improvement over the original,no rivets to deal with and the inner shell gives the option of adding insulation(which I do not have but have been thinking about using foam once I have wired everything to my liking.)
If I had money I would buy that company and add a few more improvments and sell a really dynamite trailer.
But alas! I have no money, hence the used Burro and not a new Casista 17'

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Pete,

Before you use foam, please check the foil with bubble insulation sold by the big box stores, (Home Depot and Lowes), it is used for pole barn type buildings and comes in roll widths from 24 inchs to 48 inchs. The thickness is approximately 3/8" with foil both sides. This is very near the insulation used in my Scamp from factory. Very flexible, easy to cut, and apply with water based contact cememt. Your then use foil tape to seal seams. Good luck, Fx.

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Frank,
I don't think that will work on the Burro, my thoughts on the foam was to get it between the outer and inner walls ( yes I have two walls- that's why there are no rivets). The factory adds sheet insulation when bonding the halves together, once they are glassed togther there's no going back.
<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3dbf0bc054590Untitled-7[1].jpg/>

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Oh, Pete
I do love that Burro of yours. Do you only sell too friends too? I could be a friend.

PS, dont tell Surfside I said this.

AND
Hi Frank, It's me again.
I don't think the production problem of Burro was a problem until around 98, and then it depended on the person putting it together. There are some great Burros out there.