New 1978 Beachcomber - Page 2 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-05-2023, 07:50 AM   #21
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Name: RAYMOND
Trailer: beachcomber
Ontario
Posts: 2
BC

Thank you so much… I will take a good look at it and the roof is starting to sag just a touch.. I will let you know how it all works out..
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Old 07-05-2023, 10:25 AM   #22
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Name: Mark
Trailer: 77 Beachcomber
Hilton Beach
Posts: 41
Good Luck, and remember that a 1/4 inch roof sag at the door area will push the belly band out by over 1-1/2 inches
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Old 07-05-2023, 02:32 PM   #23
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Name: Barry
Trailer: Beachcomber
BC
Posts: 11
I'd like to follow your progress. We were given a 1982 model at the end of last summer and it was also covered in mildew. We spent a couple of days scrubbing the mildew off, then discovered that it was leaking in many places and the door was sagging, thus allowing water in. Although the inside looked good, on closer examination we discovered that a lot of the wood was rotten. I cleaned up all of the rusty metalwork on the outside and replaces rusty bolts and screws and then sprayed the metalwork.
We obviously realised that we are going to go the same route as you, but are holding back, partly because we don't have a workshop at the moment and partly because we anticipate it being quite costly. I think we will probably end up taking it off the frame, de-rusting the frame, redoing bearings, etc
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Old 07-05-2023, 02:35 PM   #24
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Name: Barry
Trailer: Beachcomber
BC
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin242 View Post
You have taken on a seriously big project! It should be nice when done. I'll follow your work with interest!

Kevin
Yes we have the same ahead of us. Not sure if I'm up to spending all that money on it.
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Old 07-05-2023, 02:39 PM   #25
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Name: Barry
Trailer: Beachcomber
BC
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wil Bartel View Post
Good to hear from you.
We started by scraping all the old decals off, removing windows and trim, and sanding the fiberglass with a random orbit sander (80 grit, then 120, 180 etc). We had some cracks in the roof that someone previous had attempted to repair by spreading some sort of paintable rubber over the top. It too had to all be scraped off. Then we ground away the damaged area and laid in new fiberglass mat and resin from both inside and outside.

In our trailer, we decided that we didn't need the old furnace, as we camp in summer, mostly in serviced campgrounds and figured we could use the space better for storage and get a little ceramic heater if we really needed it. Consequently, we fiberglassed in the opening where the furnace vent used to be as well.

We used an automotive acrylic primer and paint from Dupont (Nason I believe was the name). I applied it with an HVLP sprayer.

On the inside we pulled out all the paneling and insulation and noticed that most of the 1 X 2 spruce framing that had been fiberglass bonded to the outer shell had let go over the years. We pulled it all out, scraped off as much as possible of the old resin from the shell and glued in new framing using polyurethane construction adhesive. (you can get this at Home depot or Rona)

For windows, we kept the front and back ones, but replaced all the side windows with new ones from SunView Industries in Summerland BC. RV Windows by Sun-View Industries You have to stipulate the wall thickness when you order (ours is 1") We ordered the windows just a hair oversized and trimmed out the existing openings to get a tighter fit than the original. The windows are bedded in a butyl rubber tape available from any RV dealer.

Our trailer also came with a "low pressure" (30 psi) automotive style 14" tires and brake drums that no longer worked. We figured that with an original weight of only 1450 lbs, we didn't need the brakes so we replaced them with standard hubs , and put on new 13" trailer tires with a 50 psi inflation recommendation. That saved another estimated 80 lbs of weight, and lost us only about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ground clearance. Given the easier rolling and lighter weight it should make towing even easier.

We are also reconfiguring the interior from its "pretence" of being a 4 person camper by eliminating the upper bunk, reshaping the dinette into a U-shape, and extending the counter area right to the front. This leaves only a smaller sitting area to the right of the door, and turns the trailer into a true, 2 person camper. I'll post some more phots shortly.

Best of luck with your project
Hi Will

Are you keeping a tally on how much it is costing you? I'd be interested to know what we are in for when we get going. Just cleaning up the outside and replacing rusty nuts and bolts, new battery box, new propane tank and spraying rusty metal cost us $600 so far. I haven't touched the rest of the chassis yet.
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