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Old 01-04-2009, 10:44 PM   #1
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Trailer: 1975 Boler
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I have finally found some time to get to work on this thing and have made some decent progress.
This is what it looked like when i got it:

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Old 01-04-2009, 10:44 PM   #2
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here are some pictures of what i have done to it.


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*edit* photos uploaded to server. sorry if they are mixed up.

for the most part iuse this when o go "Jeeping". i tow it to the trail head, and go wheeling. come back and relax until the next day of playing in the rocks.
i have removed the refrigerator as i was not happy with the space it took and the limited storage capacity it offered. as long as i have been using this thing i have used a 5 day cooler chest and have yet to wish i was using something else. so the refrigerator is gone with the wind ( in the free section) and the space will become a drawer bank.

as you can see in the pictures, the vents have been filled where the refrigerator used to be. i had a good time with that as being my first real fiberglass finished work experience, but i am quite happy with the results.

the Boler was then painted and primed using some marine 1 part epoxy which worked out very well.
i had Earl Scheib blow it on there for $250 bucks so i didn't have to make a paint booth. i tipped them in advance so i got a nice job from them and it payed off. they worked their asses off on this thing and i am quite pleased with the results.

i have also added a Fantastic fan, a battery management gizmo.. (Wizard i think ) and done a major cleaning inside.
the next step is to get some water pumping in there and rig up an outdoor shower with hot water.

i have plans to extend the rear bumper a bit so the water heater can sit out there as well as some firewood to take to the site.
i'll get some photos up of this as i go.

i also plan to cut into the dining area floor and build in a storage box for some of the heavy spare parts i carry to the trail for my rock crawling (jeeping).
for this i plan to frame it in with some steel welded to either side and a piece of 5/8" ply sheathed in 1/8" aluminum for the bottom.
this way i can get the strength and keep it light.

i'll post photos of this as i go as well.

feel free to post up ideas or criticisms.

have a look at my "photoshop this" post and give me some of your ideas for graphics on my boler.
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Old 01-04-2009, 10:51 PM   #3
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i didnt mention the new LED lights on the side nor the brake turn lights. i also replaced the axle with the 2500 pound dexter tortion axle with brakes.
( i have to get those hooked up )
this has been quite the project. i'm sure my neighbors are glad to be seeing the transformation from the eye sore it was to what it is becoming

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Old 01-05-2009, 01:43 AM   #4
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Mmm, nice clean whiteness Looks like you did a nice job filling in the vents.

I have a question and a note:

First off, I'm curious what you do with the cooler while you're on the road, and then again while you're actually camping. I can appreciate the simplicity, but wonder where I would put it (and knowing you're not using the refrigerator "hole" for it since you put in drawers).

The note is just that on my Boler (and it looks stock), the water tank is under the raised portion beneath the rear dinette. It's fastened on underneath the trailer. Perhaps you already know this, and it's not an issue, but I just thought I'd mention it.

I can't wait to see what people come up with in the Photoshop thread!

Edited to add: Oh, and I like the wheels - what kind are they? Did they fit right off the shelf, or did you have to make mods? They look great.

Raya
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Old 01-05-2009, 10:21 AM   #5
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Quote:
Mmm, nice clean whiteness Looks like you did a nice job filling in the vents.

I have a question and a note:

First off, I'm curious what you do with the cooler while you're on the road, and then again while you're actually camping. I can appreciate the simplicity, but wonder where I would put it (and knowing you're not using the refrigerator "hole" for it since you put in drawers).

The note is just that on my Boler (and it looks stock), the water tank is under the raised portion beneath the rear dinette. It's fastened on underneath the trailer. Perhaps you already know this, and it's not an issue, but I just thought I'd mention it.

I can't wait to see what people come up with in the Photoshop thread!

Edited to add: Oh, and I like the wheels - what kind are they? Did they fit right off the shelf, or did you have to make mods? They look great.

Raya
Hi Raya. thanks for your response.
as for the cooler, it sits on the floor while on the road and outside of the door while camped.
just like i was tent camping but without the whipping sound of the fabric in the wind and a nice toasty 68 degrees in the cold.
generally when i go out it is with a group of friends whom are both in tents and big fancy campers, toy haulers and things like that.
i have never had a problem with critters getting into the cooler, and it is a quality cooler that stays cold for days on end.

tanks for the compliment on the vents. i did a bit of research on the net on how to do this and was quite happy with the results.
i screwed a piece of plexi-glass to the outside very tightly all the way around and made the patch from inside the refrigerator compartment. there was actually very little work to do on the outside when i was finished as far as sanding and prep for painting. dealing with the vapor funk of the resin in the camper is another story.

as for the location of the water tank... mine is in one of the dinette seat benches. it is a 15-20 gallon tank. hmmm?
for drinking water i always bring bottled water so the tank wont be used for this. i expect i could get a shower with 4 gallons of water if i am careful. at least that is the plan.
after a day on the trail i come back a bit funky, and a wash rag doesnt quite do the trick. it will sure be nice to be able to take a real shower with hot water.

i have a 6 gallon hot water heater that has been customized to be portable so i can mount it on the back platform. (i plan to make the platform)
i will pipe the gas from the Tee that got freed up with the removal of the refrigerator, and water from the tank/pump to some quick disconnects or other undecided connectors out the back of the shell through the dinette bench wall.
(does that make sense?)
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Old 01-05-2009, 10:26 AM   #6
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You did a really nice job, hope mine turns out as well, the price was right too, nice that you remembered the workman...that tactic is a good one paying off in detailed effort rather than assembly line apathy. You established a relationship with the people who were going to touch your baby, they in turned treated you like family getting a service from them. Good strategy. Over the years this has been lost to the "get er done!" mentality or the "dicker until they bleed tactic" (Rather dicker until they do not want to do it right anymore.) usually my friends then brag about how smart they are for getting a cheap price. "until you go to the car wash watching the paint come off under the spray" Then the story changes.

I would like to ask about the fan, from the side it looks clean being raised up, did you fiberglass that? Would you jot a few words explaining how you installed that please?
I am about to do the same thing, I have not yet decided how?

Harry
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Old 01-05-2009, 01:12 PM   #7
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Thanks for the notes back, Erik.

Being from black bear country, I hadn't thought about just putting the cooler outside (although I suppose that beats them coming in to ransack the fridge! ). The propane-powered fridge is really nice, but it does have quite a bit of "dreck" that comes along with it, in the form of space used, permanent flame, and the plethora of vents to the outside.

Sounds like you did your research on the fiberglassing procedure. One note for future reference on the resin: I'm guessing you used polyester or vinylester, both of which are rather... pungent (when I used to build kayaks in less-than-adequately vented garages, friends would call me "Vinyl Esther" for a few days afterwards ; of course safety precautions are much better now). However epoxy resin (you use it with the same reinforcements/cloth) doesn't smell much at all, and gives a slightly better secondary bond to-boot (not that you need that in this application, but the lack of smell would be a plus). So your next project needn't "stink up" the camper.

As for the hot shower, I can recommend the "system" I use onboard (a boat) for what it's worth (there was a shower thread not long ago where we all went into detail if you're interested). I probably sound like I sell these systems, but I don't... really

I use a garden sprayer (plastic in my case, since I'm near saltwater) onto which I've put a longer hose and a shorter nozzle. You just give these a few pumps by hand and you get great, relatively long-lasting pressure spray. Mine is dark, so leaving it out in the sun warms it up; or, if not, a little bit of hot water from a tea kettle sorts it out to just the temperature I want.

These are simple and require no power, and no hanging up (like with a solar shower bag). They're also very portable and weigh virtually nothing (except the water if they're full). They also come in handy for hosing off pets, muddy shoes, you-name-it.

I have a fair bit of hair to rinse, and I'm still able to get a really good, hot shower and a hair wash/condition out of two gallons of water (the capacity of my sprayer, although they come in a variety of sizes). The air pressure helps to kind of "blow" the soap off, so I think that makes the water go further.

Thanks again for the additional detail.

Raya
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Old 01-05-2009, 03:08 PM   #8
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Quote:
You did a really nice job, hope mine turns out as well, the price was right too, nice that you remembered the workman...that tactic is a good one paying off in detailed effort rather than assembly line apathy. You established a relationship with the people who were going to touch your baby, they in turned treated you like family getting a service from them. Good strategy. Over the years this has been lost to the "get er done!" mentality or the "dicker until they bleed tactic" (Rather dicker until they do not want to do it right anymore.) usually my friends then brag about how smart they are for getting a cheap price. "until you go to the car wash watching the paint come off under the spray" Then the story changes.

I would like to ask about the fan, from the side it looks clean being raised up, did you fiberglass that? Would you jot a few words explaining how you installed that please?
I am about to do the same thing, I have not yet decided how?

Harry
hi Harry,
my situation was a sagging roof by the vent. i remedied this by building a "bulkhead" of sorts with some 3/8" thick oak contoured to the correct shape of the roof. (what it is supposed to be) and creating a box. it is a bout 8" wide, 3.5" deep and goes fronm side to side.
i pushed it into place and glassed it in to support the ceiling in that area.

down the road i plan to put a car stereo head unit in there. i ran power to it so it is ready for when i get the time to do it. i plan to put speakers in the dinette bench area where it has the 45 degree chamfer/return.

now for the fan... i am 6' tall and the fantastic fan would be in the way of my big head, so i had to elevate it a bit.
to do this i used redwood 2x4 and glassed it in place. if i had it to do again i would use some foam or something just to reduce the weight by those few ounces. weight is an issue for me as i do tow this with a Jeep Wrangler. it is not too good at dragging a trailer.

the fan is indeed fantastic. it works well, is fairly quiet, has a thermostat, and when closed keeps the rain out.
i'll snap a couple of pictures when i get the trailer out of the side yard.

i have one costco deep cell battery for my trailer and no generator at this time. i have gotten 3 days out of the battery with no charge and it was still going strong after the 3 days.
mind you, i dont spend a lot of time in the camper using utilities. i sleep, change, and cook in there.... not much more. (unless weather is terrible)






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Old 01-05-2009, 03:09 PM   #9
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Quote:
Thanks for the notes back, Erik.

Being from black bear country, I hadn't thought about just putting the cooler outside (although I suppose that beats them coming in to ransack the fridge! ). The propane-powered fridge is really nice, but it does have quite a bit of "dreck" that comes along with it, in the form of space used, permanent flame, and the plethora of vents to the outside.

Sounds like you did your research on the fiberglassing procedure. One note for future reference on the resin: I'm guessing you used polyester or vinylester, both of which are rather... pungent (when I used to build kayaks in less-than-adequately vented garages, friends would call me "Vinyl Esther" for a few days afterwards ; of course safety precautions are much better now). However epoxy resin (you use it with the same reinforcements/cloth) doesn't smell much at all, and gives a slightly better secondary bond to-boot (not that you need that in this application, but the lack of smell would be a plus). So your next project needn't "stink up" the camper.

As for the hot shower, I can recommend the "system" I use onboard (a boat) for what it's worth (there was a shower thread not long ago where we all went into detail if you're interested). I probably sound like I sell these systems, but I don't... really

I use a garden sprayer (plastic in my case, since I'm near saltwater) onto which I've put a longer hose and a shorter nozzle. You just give these a few pumps by hand and you get great, relatively long-lasting pressure spray. Mine is dark, so leaving it out in the sun warms it up; or, if not, a little bit of hot water from a tea kettle sorts it out to just the temperature I want.

These are simple and require no power, and no hanging up (like with a solar shower bag). They're also very portable and weigh virtually nothing (except the water if they're full). They also come in handy for hosing off pets, muddy shoes, you-name-it.

I have a fair bit of hair to rinse, and I'm still able to get a really good, hot shower and a hair wash/condition out of two gallons of water (the capacity of my sprayer, although they come in a variety of sizes). The air pressure helps to kind of "blow" the soap off, so I think that makes the water go further.

Thanks again for the additional detail.

Raya
the shower i plan to set up is a bit more involved...
i'll be sure to create a new thread when i get everything together and go through what i am doing for all to criticize.
i like your minimalist way of getting it done, but i think i'm looking for a bit more.
thank you all for your feedback, and patience in dealing with me on the forum rules.
i think i have a grip on uploading the pictures now
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Old 01-05-2009, 06:19 PM   #10
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nice work, im impressed
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Old 01-05-2009, 06:40 PM   #11
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Erik,

Thanks for the quick reply, I am going to steal the bulkhead idea from you and may raise you one, a fold down D.V.D. player built into in the console that the bulkhead will also double for. I was wondering about the glass work used to bond the existing roof to the wood box, also since the fan was recessed was this the model of fan that came with built in light? Again thanks for your contribution.

Harry

Quote:
hi Harry,
my situation was a sagging roof by the vent. i remedied this by building a "bulkhead" of sorts with some 3/8" thick oak contoured to the correct shape of the roof. (what it is supposed to be) and creating a box. it is a bout 8" wide, 3.5" deep and goes fronm side to side.
i pushed it into place and glassed it in to support the ceiling in that area.

down the road i plan to put a car stereo head unit in there. i ran power to it so it is ready for when i get the time to do it. i plan to put speakers in the dinette bench area where it has the 45 degree chamfer/return.

now for the fan... i am 6' tall and the fantastic fan would be in the way of my big head, so i had to elevate it a bit.
to do this i used redwood 2x4 and glassed it in place. if i had it to do again i would use some foam or something just to reduce the weight by those few ounces. weight is an issue for me as i do tow this with a Jeep Wrangler. it is not too good at dragging a trailer.

the fan is indeed fantastic. it works well, is fairly quiet, has a thermostat, and when closed keeps the rain out.
i'll snap a couple of pictures when i get the trailer out of the side yard.

i have one costco deep cell battery for my trailer and no generator at this time. i have gotten 3 days out of the battery with no charge and it was still going strong after the 3 days.
mind you, i dont spend a lot of time in the camper using utilities. i sleep, change, and cook in there.... not much more. (unless weather is terrible)
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Old 01-05-2009, 11:01 PM   #12
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...my situation was a sagging roof by the vent. i remedied this by building a "bulkhead" of sorts with some 3/8" thick oak contoured to the correct shape of the roof. (what it is supposed to be) and creating a box. it is a bout 8" wide, 3.5" deep and goes fronm side to side.
i pushed it into place and glassed it in to support the ceiling in that area. ....
Can you take us some pics of this?

Im considering something simular but for different reasons.
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Old 01-05-2009, 11:06 PM   #13
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BTW I like your TJ. Been there- Done that. Sold it

I will be doing the same as you. Will tow with my Expedition/Off Road rig and drop camper off at trail head like you. Then off to go wheeling. Some day do this many times in a nationwide trip.

Rig= 62 dieselized Unimog
Camper- Scamp 5er. Will probably mount it backward on a military pental hitch, former generator trailer and use the under the sleeper area for storage (Dual Sport Bike, Genset, Spare tires etc.
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Old 01-05-2009, 11:15 PM   #14
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Can you take us some pics of this?

Im considering something simular but for different reasons.
i'll see if i can do that tomorrow.
i have to roll it by hand from the side yard to get into the door
my side yard is juuuust wide enough for the egg, ut it allows no passage oe r entry into the boler
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Old 01-06-2009, 06:16 PM   #15
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Raya, what a wonderful and simple shower idea. I can't believe I never thought of it since I use those darned sprayers on the farm all the time--will have to buy a new one for a shower, of course. We trailer sometimes and tent others and that would work well for either. I plan to try it! I expect the grandkids will love it!
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Old 01-06-2009, 08:02 PM   #16
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here is the shot of the "bulkhead as requested.
you can also see the fantastic fan.

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here is a shot of the bump on the roof. i had to have this in order to have the fan not hang down into my headroom in the trailer.
it has been well glassed, and sealed to the trailer shell so there is no water leaking in.


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Old 01-06-2009, 08:07 PM   #17
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this is the empty bay since removing the refrigerator. i intend to put a drawer bank in its place or perhaps a cabinet door. not yet 100% decided on this as yet.
ignore the mess in there

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these are the side marker lights. they are also LED.. they are driving and turn lights.


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in this shot you can see the new tail lights i installed on the back of my trailer.
they are LED and very bright.

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Old 01-06-2009, 10:51 PM   #18
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Thanks for the pics...who was the supplier of the lights?

Harry
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Old 01-06-2009, 11:09 PM   #19
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Thanks for the pics...who was the supplier of the lights?

Harry
i got the lights on ebay.
http://stores.ebay.com/Closer-To-Wholesale
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Old 01-06-2009, 11:31 PM   #20
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Thanks for the photos. Now I have more questions though

First I'm curious about the taillights. I can't get that photo to enlarge (although all the others in that post do), but did you fill in the usual Boler recesses? I'm actually a little bit curious if your trailer is a Boler, since it has that large, Perris-Pacer-like window on the driver's side (of course that could have been added). The kitchen cabinet door patterns don't look typical Boler either (although again, there were a number of variations; but I though the variations were more common in later years?).

Next, I notice a sort of spatter-paint effect on the walls and ceiling. Did you remove the Ensolite? Are you going to put any insulation back?

And lastly, I was wondering if you could give some details on those sharp-looking wheels. What kind/size are they? And did you have to make any mods to get them to fit?

Really enjoying the photos and mod details,

Raya
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