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Old 09-21-2014, 03:56 PM   #1
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Burro Photos

Hello Fellow FGRV owners. Last month I was fortunate enough to purchase a 1983 Burro from a gentleman in Belen, New Mexico who had just inherited several items from his deceased father. The Burro looked like it had seen a few miles. She was all faded and distressed looking. Rust stains were running down the dingy faded white walls, the tires were rotten and old, the frame was rusty and needed some TLC. Inside, the floor had peel and stick tiles that had started to roll up at the corners, the fridge was all rusted, the cushions were all dirty and moldy, the curtains were all sun faded and dirty. The electrical system had been spliced and dangerously re-wired by someone who didn't understand safety and electricity. The propane system was not working, there was no gas to the cooktop.

I pulled her into my driveway and started an Intensive Care campaign. (I am an ICU nurse by the way). First, I sanded down the frame and painted her with Rustoleum. Next, I took the wheels off and brought them to DISCOUNT TIRE and asked them to sell me the best RV Trailer tires made. I purchased three of them and had them balanced. While the wheels were off the trailer I repacked the bearings and greased the axle. Next I tackled the electrical system and I corrected the spliced and incorrectly wired system. I replaced the wires inside and safely connected all of the wiring. Then I tackled the propane system, and as many of you know, it took me some time to figure out that a mud wasp had plugged the copper pipe leading to the stove. I knocked out a mud plug the size of a peanut that was occluding the gas flow. Once I did that, the gas flowed like water down a creek!

Next I tore out the floor and replaced the plywood and then laid luxury vinyl planking that looks just like real wood. I took all of the cushions, spread them out on my driveway on a hot summer day, and used Fabreeze and WISK detergent and hosed them until all the water ran clear (the water was brown for the first two washings). I let them dry in the sun then I used the shop vac to get any remaining dust out of them. Now they are fresh and clean and ready for another 25 years of use.

Finally, I painted the exterior with RUSTOLEUM high gloss epoxy enamel. I contacted the company and found out it was OK to use this product over fiberglass. It went on smoothly and the finish looks great. I hired my 15 year old neighbor who weighs about 90 pounds to climb up and do the roof painting for me.

Then, I downloaded some images of the BURRO logo and had my own decals printed. I'm still waiting for the home made larger logo that I made using block letters from a craft store to come in the mail. I used BUILD A SIGN for the decals. It's inexpensive and relatively easy to do. You can see some of the logo decals I made in the pictures I am posting.

So now I have a rebuilt BURRO! The inside still needs some TLC and some decorating but she's ready for her first trip. I guess I should mention, I tore out the refrigerator, it was way too heavy for the value it returned. For the style of camping I do I can easily live off of an ice chest. (Besides I invested in the COOLEST COOLER invention that will be released in Feb 2015) It is an ice chest with a built in battery, a blender for making iced drinks, a bluetooth compatible stereo system, and LED lights. Way lighter and much easier to deal with than a fridge. I put a microwave in the spot where the refrigerator used to be.

I'll post more pictures later but she's ready to go camping by the Colorado River right now. I live in Albuquerque so the Colorado border is only 2-3 hours away! For those of you who haven't been yet, CHAMA, New Mexico is INCREDIBLE in the Fall, here's the link if you're interested:
Chama New Mexico
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Old 09-21-2014, 10:25 PM   #2
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Nice job. You can see how I restored my Burro at: Restoring a 1981 Burro Fiberglass Travel Trailer
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Old 09-22-2014, 05:41 AM   #3
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Smile I'm disappointed

You had me with the mud wasp "occluding" the gas flow. I was hoping for a passel of medical terms, electroectomy, etc. LOL

You have truly made your Burro your own which is not possible in any other way. Many of us don't know our rigs like you do yours. (Nor do we care to)

Congratulations and here's wishing you many happy years making memories with your "new" Burro!
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Old 10-17-2014, 06:32 PM   #4
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Hey John, Great redo! I just purchased a 75 Burro. Needs plenty of work. Wondering if you used a primer with your paint and if so what kind. Also wondering if your Rustoleum can actually said "high gloss epoxy enamel on the can? Did you put the ac unit in yourself? Did you buy or make your own bracket? Wondering about the weight of that unit on the window ledge. Thanks for sharing all your pics. I wish mine was this far along. I have less than a year to get er done! Planning to go our west next September.
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Old 10-18-2014, 01:32 PM   #5
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Hello Eric

No, I didn't use primer. The paint went on smoothly, I just cleaned the exterior of the RV really well with soapy water and a light scrub brush, let it dry, then applied the paint. Yes, it's the WHITE HIGH GLOSS ENAMEL paint from Rustoleum. It goes on excellent and holds up really well. The AC unit was already in the Burro when I purchased it and actually I'd like to remove it but I won't want to tackle that project right now. It actually still works and I was surprised by how readily it cooled down the unit in the heat of the summer. There is no bracket, it is just resting on the frame of the window and it appears to be supported by the insert. If you head West next September you can have my unit and the cut out for the window if you like. I would prefer a window with a view to an AC unit. I'll take some pictures of it for you and post it. Please let me know when you head west and you can stop in New Mexico! Good luck with your baby! If you need new logos, let me know, I can send you my GIF file.
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Old 10-18-2014, 02:01 PM   #6
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It looks just ducky!
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Old 10-18-2014, 06:20 PM   #7
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Thanks so much for the info John! I forgot to ask if you sprayed or rolled the paint? I am a long way from getting to this point. Just planning ahead! We are actually planning on traveling the northern route from Ohio through ND and out to Glacier etc. Hopefully the next year we will take the southern route out to Utah. We will see. We would love to have a copy of that burro file. Our logo stickers have seen much better days. We plan on replacing them too!
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Old 10-21-2014, 07:29 PM   #8
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I used a brush! It looks great, just find a 90 pound teenager to do the roof!
I posted the logo files but I'll try to find them for you.

John


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Old 10-26-2014, 07:14 PM   #9
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Thanks.
With your help I can do it right the first time.
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Old 10-26-2014, 10:25 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Colangelo View Post
I used a brush! It looks great, just find a 90 pound teenager to do the roof!
I posted the logo files but I'll try to find them for you.
John
In the Vintage Trailer world we call that a 10' paint job. It looks great from 10 feet.
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Old 10-27-2014, 06:27 AM   #11
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I'm surprised he didn't use the plasti-dip. All the kids are using it these days.
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Old 10-27-2014, 06:30 AM   #12
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Camping in Cochiti,New Mexico

Hello Colleagues,

Here are some pictures of my camping trip to Cochiti, New Mexico with my restored Burro. Had a great time but brought too much food!<_< The weather was awesome and a few people had to stop by to ask me if they could see the rig. I was camped among GIANT quad slide out RVs and big Class A rigs. Lots of nice people. The only down side was that there were about 100 Cub Scouts camped a few hundred meters away in tents and those little guys were NOISY! Other than that, it was a good trip! Here are a few photos of the trip. The Memory Foam mattress I bought for the bed was AWESOME after a long hike on top of the dam. If you folks have never been to Tent Rocks, New Mexico, or Cochiti Recreation Area, you should really check it out if you're out West. Google Kasha Katuwe.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

John
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Old 10-27-2014, 07:03 AM   #13
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Great job John and that is a good looking rig. I just saw the thread and am impressed with the write-up of your repairs. It sounds like you prioritized things and attacked the repairs in a logical order. No point doing the curtains first for example if you can't tow the rig with rotten tires.
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Old 10-28-2014, 04:35 PM   #14
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I just saw this myself and agree. You really made this your's. Kind of a western duck hunter theme, eh? Looking good!

Only one question... Exactly what are the best trailer tires?

Tom
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Old 10-28-2014, 10:51 PM   #15
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If you ever need any decals in the future let me know I have my own vynil cutter. I will give them to you for the cost of the vynil. Your Burro is amazing by the way. Hope to find one similar I have been looking for months.
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Old 10-28-2014, 11:28 PM   #16
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John,

Good work on your Burro. I did about the same thing a year ago, when I bought my 13 Burro. I had to replace the lamp wire that had been spliced in for the electrical. I put in a proper fuse panel and a battery charger. Rework the propane lines. I did not have a wasp nest, just kinked lines. Re-upholstered the cushions, replaced all the cabinet doors, replaced the curtains, re-furbished the axle, replace the floor covering, and lots of other miscellaneous stuff.

Since then, we have been all over the west, including Albuquerque. I'll be passing through Abq, again this November, on my way to Bosque del Apache for a photo workshop that I help teach. The little Burro has been a real joy and I know you will enjoy yours.


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Old 10-29-2014, 03:12 AM   #17
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Good question Tom. My Burro came with car tires on them. The spare tire(belted nylon) looks as old (40) as the trailer . Why are trailer tires different any way? Seems to me they have even less stress on them than a car (except for maybe tandem axils)
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Old 10-30-2014, 06:23 AM   #18
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Hey Tom, Discount Tire recommended the Carlisle Radial Trail L/H They are about 60 bucks each and have a good layer of ply on the radial bias. They balance well and are highly recommended as an upgrade to camper tires.
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Old 10-30-2014, 06:25 AM   #19
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Good luck. Just do what I did. Set your intention with the universe. Visualize what you want. I placed an ad in Craig's list and asked for one proactively. A guy answered who had just inherited a fleet of trailers and trucks from his elderly Dad who had passed away. He and his wife had no interest in the old little camper so I got it for $1000! I would think about placing an ad. Sometimes people have one sitting in their yard but they don't have the ambition or drive to actually do something proactive about selling it. So, if YOU proactively advertise that you're looking for one, and you combine that with a thoughtful intention, the universe will provide!
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Old 10-30-2014, 06:29 AM   #20
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No Gage, actually, it looks really good! You can't even see the brush marks on it. The Rustoleum paint is a superior product, it goes on like silk and it really adheres. BTW- I have an old utility trailer that looked REALLY bad from years of use and being outside. I sanded the frame down with low grit sandpaper, cleaned her up, then used the same Rustoleum product (but in high gloss black) and now she looks BRAND NEW. That was two years ago and she's been enduring the blazing New Mexico sun outside since that time and the paint job still looks great! Rustoleum is a GREAT product. I called the manufacterer and it can be used on fiberglass, it will adhere and it will stick! It looks great! Now I am thinking of hiring an artist to paint an elephant on the side of my RV and I may build some tusks out of PVC pipe to put on when I'm parked! Why not have fun with it!
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