My Boomerang 1971 Compact Jr. - Page 4 - Fiberglass RV
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View Poll Results: What color should I paint my Compact Jr.?
Brilliant White 1 2.44%
Navajo White 10 24.39%
Silver Gray 2 4.88%
True Black 1 2.44%
Firetruck Red 1 2.44%
Pepto-Bismol Pink 1 2.44%
Safety Orange 2 4.88%
Lemon Yellow 3 7.32%
Forrest Green 1 2.44%
Cyan 3 7.32%
Dodger Blue 2 4.88%
Lavender 1 2.44%
Majenta 1 2.44%
2 Tone with White on top (explain which combo in a post) 4 9.76%
Partridge Family Bus 3 7.32%
Something I didn't think of (explain in a post) 5 12.20%
Voters: 41. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 08-25-2013, 10:14 PM   #61
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Trailer: Boler (B1700RGH) 1979
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Quote:
Originally Posted by francene View Post
Why are there caster wheels at the rear of the trailer frame?
Wheelie wheels! I hadn't even noticed those...

They roll on the ground instead of stuff dragging and getting damaged if pulling through situations such as a steep driveway entrance where rear clearance proves to be inadequate.

Right, Frederick?

Quote:
Originally Posted by francene View Post
... I don't get the shower pan feature, though. Please explain.
Sorry Frederick - I suppose you wanted to explain that at some suitable later point.
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Old 08-25-2013, 11:00 PM   #62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by francene View Post
  1. Why are there caster wheels at the rear of the trailer frame?
  2. I don't get the shower pan feature, though. Please explain.
  1. This will be, in SoCal parlance, a "Low Rider". The Compact Jr's original bumper had been dragged so many times it was a mangled mess when I bought it the first time. I replaced it with a sturdier hunk of "C" channel, and added the casters so that it would roll on them instead, and they also protect lower-than-floor-level components forward of them, such as the new shower pan, and in front of that a grey water tank.
  2. This will be, as first envisioned all those years ago, a portable hotel room. As such the priorities are a comfortable large bed, a full bathroom, and a fridge (mini-bar). The old "kitchen" will only have a sink, and space for an electric coffee maker. The other side will have an alcove for a porta-potty and a small fridge instead of an ice box. The only stand-up head room is in the center, thus the location for the shower, like in many class "B" motorhomes I've seen.
We won't cook inside. I have a 2-burner cook top from a pop-up tent trailer that will mount on the outside when camped, and will be stowed for travel. I would rather banish the kitchen outside than the bathroom.
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Old 08-25-2013, 11:09 PM   #63
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In post #56 there is a picture of the tongue area. Since the trailer is a "Low Rider" I had to raise the tongue jack by 4" to clear the pavement for travel. I used 3/8" x 5" bolts and three 4" pieces of 1/2" pipe with washers to lift the jack mount so it does not hang below the hitch.
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Old 08-29-2013, 11:22 PM   #64
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Thanks for the explanations, Frederick. I can relate to the 'low rider' lament; my Compact II has the low frame, too. So low that I can barely get the leveling stand under the bumper, or even nearby.
I will await to see your completed shower; that sounds interesting.

Fran
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Old 08-30-2013, 09:38 AM   #65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by francene View Post
I can relate to the 'low rider' lament; my Compact II has the low frame, too. So low that I can barely get the leveling stand under the bumper, or even nearby.
I cannot call my "Low Rider" description a lament, as I set it low (spring under) on purpose. I could have mounted the axle spring over, gaining 5" more ground clearance just as easily. This is also why I incorporated all-thread rod as screw jack stands at each end of the bumper. These threaded rods have 3/4" nuts welded to the tops to operate them with either a ratchet wrench (manual) or a battery drill motor. By attaching them to the sides of the bumper I avoid the too-low-to-get-under issue.

I have a set of goals with this rebuild. I may not realize all of them.
  • Maintain garage-ability of the Compact design.
  • Keep weight as light as possible; hopefully 1200 lbs or less.
  • Enhance the "cute factor"
  • maintain simplicity of operation
  • emphasize comfort and convenience
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Old 09-03-2013, 10:46 PM   #66
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Red face Some puzzling questions have been answered...

Have you ever had a shirt with a string dangling from the hem, and pulled on that string thinking it would just break off, but it doesn't...


Click image for larger version

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The left rear corner of the trailer always had a leaking problem.
...now I know why.
Mine is the only Compact Jr I've ever seen with the tail lights mounted high near the belt-line, while all the others have them lower closer to the bumper.
...now I know why.
I even know why the original "bumper" was bent up and the trailer was repainted.


After finishing my work on the frame and undercarriage, I used the 3-day Labor Day weekend to begin fiberglass repairs to the unattached body. There are some cracks that need patching, like the one in the 2nd picture above, where the frame seemed to have risen through the floor. I turned the body up on its side so I have good access to lay fiberglass over both sides of the break in the floor, and while inspecting the bottom edge of the back of the trailer I see a long crack on the outside that is oriented perpendicular to the broken area on the inside. This newly discovered crack does not go completely through the 'glass (no light shines thru) but seems to lead to a bubble under the outside surface. Probing the crack opens it up... and I am peeling my "egg"... LIKE A HARD BOILED EGG!

An area of hardened resin about a foot square and up to a half inch thick peels off the outside back wall to the left of the entry door revealing the original beige/peach gelcoat, still shiny, with a large irregular Y-shaped break bulging. My Compact Jr must have been rear-ended, and they covered it over with just resin and painted the whole trailer. The resin was so thick to flatten and smooth the surface of the lumpy broken shell. The inside surface had been patched over as well, but with fiberglass cloth and not gelcoat smooth.

I'm redoing the newly discovered repair so it will adhere to the outside better, and adding fiberglass cloth instead of just using resin.
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Old 02-23-2014, 07:04 PM   #67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson View Post
I took the door with me to the Lake Casitas rally. There Eric Rassmussen and I deconstructed it into its component pieces. Now I can straighten the bent hinges and put in a better core in the lockset area. I can also replace the broken pane in the upper sash of the window.
I decided that the original window in the door was a lost cause.
I bought a modern door-window and kept just the perimeter frames. Then I found one of my regular RV parts stores (Freeway Trailer Supply in Escondido, California) was selling a couple of scrapped door pieces. I bought a frame-less set of doorskins with a foam core that had the lockset. Put these pieces together with what I had and Viola (Wah-la!) a new complete door hinged to a frame ready to be installed.
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Old 03-08-2014, 01:08 AM   #68
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Name: Denise
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You've done a lot of work on this Compact, its going to look fantastic when its all finished. Do you have a goal date set?
I purchased materials for new seat cushion covers today for our Compact.
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Old 03-09-2014, 10:08 PM   #69
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Goal?

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Do you have a goal date set?
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Old 03-09-2014, 11:22 PM   #70
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Yup;the project that goes on and on. I hear ya.

Nice work on the door, Frederick. It looks great!

Fran
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Old 06-17-2016, 07:00 AM   #71
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Did this project go to another thread?
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Old 06-17-2016, 08:47 AM   #72
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Did this project go to another thread?
it did go on, here is the link to it

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ang-64664.html
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Old 06-17-2016, 10:33 AM   #73
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Thankyou
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Old 08-03-2016, 01:41 AM   #74
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Door, out of site job on that door.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson View Post
I decided that the original window in the door was a lost cause.
I bought a modern door-window and kept just the perimeter frames. Then I found one of my regular RV parts stores (Freeway Trailer Supply in Escondido, California) was selling a couple of scrapped door pieces. I bought a frame-less set of doorskins with a foam core that had the lockset. Put these pieces together with what I had and Viola (Wah-la!) a new complete door hinged to a frame ready to be installed.
: some folks have the knack to make things work when seeing it in ones eye before hand.
Nice door, made quite a few over the years myself or repaired a lot of soaking wet camper doors about a dozen now, not a big job but if in shady neighborhood where people wander when your away at work u sometimes wonder if it will still be there when u come home.
Nice door and window.
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Old 08-03-2016, 01:51 AM   #75
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Ruby Red, it is a Mazda/Ford color from a few years back

Real nice red with some other colors in it and on a car or truck it just pops so it would do the same for your trailer.
Someday if we strike it rich well paint Little Kar that same color as the red on it now is dull and needs a real pick me up, but still gets a lot of thumbs up as it is a fairly rare car. not many 2 seat cars with a 1.6L engine, automatic with 4wd around.
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