Maintenance & Restoration

Robert Johans · 05-06-2012, 06:17 PM

Picked up this 74 Boler from a private party here in my town. The price was quite good, comparatively speaking. The PO had done a fair amount of work cleaning the inside out, which saves me a lot of work.

Robert Johans · 05-06-2012, 06:19 PM

After removing the FG cabinet components, I discovered that a FG strip covering the inside seam of the belly band looked funky, so I whipped out my handy Dremel MultiTool and dove in. Sure enough, there was plenty of evidence of leaks through the belly band. Outside, under the band, was a load of caulk/silicone squeezed in between the two shell components.

I had never seen a belly band seam failure before, but this very poor fix was not gonna fly.

Robert Johans · 05-06-2012, 06:23 PM

After removing the inside FG "patch" covering the seam all around, then working on removing the junk under the belly band from the outside, there wasn't much holding the two shell halves together.

So, here's a look at one of our trailers that I've never seen shown here on the FG Forums before!

Donna D. · 05-06-2012, 06:31 PM

Hot tub! Oh wait, you'd have to fill all those holes. Are you building this for a customer Robert? What a great opportunity to make a taller Boler. This is going to be another GREAT build to follow.

Cyndivg11 · 05-06-2012, 08:55 PM

That is amazing work! Funny how our trailers motivate us in the strangest of ways.

freddo411 · 05-06-2012, 09:38 PM

Hot tub!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Johans

After removing the inside FG "patch" covering the seam all around, then working on removing the junk under the belly band from the outside, there wasn't much holding the two shell halves together.

So, here's a look at one of our trailers that I've never seen shown here on the FG Forums before!

BCDave · 05-06-2012, 09:54 PM

Yowzaa!

What an opportunity to make a complete new set of molds to be able to make any and all parts you may ever need - including entire new hulls!

idiotsniff · 05-06-2012, 11:58 PM

If I had the opportunity to have a boler in the state that one is currently in, I'd be making molds also.

would be amazing to start making them again in canada for a reasonable price.

**RogerDat** · 05-07-2012, 12:25 AM

Wow talk about starting from the ground up! Neat picures, hope to see more as you make progress.

Thomas G. · 05-07-2012, 06:38 AM

You need to quit nibbling around at the edges and really get into it.

Night Sailor · 05-07-2012, 07:21 AM

I was thinking about a carbon fiber Boler. Carbon is 1/3 the weight of fiberglass. What does all the fiberglass weigh?

Spanke · 05-07-2012, 09:32 AM

Cracked open like a soft boiled egg! You must be Yoking!:

Spanke

Alan Ursacki · 05-07-2012, 09:54 AM

I have also thought of carbon fiber, but wonder what it would cost.
Al

Carol H · 05-07-2012, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Ursacki

I have also thought of carbon fiber, but wonder what it would cost. Al

Well if the new bike I purchased last year that has only some carbon fiber frame parts on it is any indication I am not sure we really want to know the answer to that. Suspect it would make an Escape look like an even better deal than they do now... in fact I think you might actually be able to purchase one of each size of the Escapes for less than one carbon fiber trailer and you probable could buy a couple of new tugs to go with them

idiotsniff · 05-07-2012, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Sailor

I was thinking about a carbon fiber Boler. Carbon is 1/3 the weight of fiberglass. What does all the fiberglass weigh?

I have been thinking the same thing for years. would be amazing. but expensive seems to be the trend on carbon fiber.

Robert Johans · 06-16-2012, 09:52 AM

I've been steadily, if slowly, making progress on the restoration of the fiberglass shell of this 74 Boler. When last we visited, the top half had been removed from the bottom. In the interim, I discovered that the seams holding the floor pan to the bottom shell were also in very bad shape. So, again, out came the Multi-tool and the two forms were separated.

Flipping the pan over revealed a lot of problems with the 38 year old floor construction. Weaknesses in the original FG had allowed some of the wood "stiffeners" to warp and rot over the years.

All the bad wood was cut out and replaced with new lumber. All vulnerable areas of the FG were reglassed.

Robert Johans · 06-16-2012, 09:58 AM

We've put the floor pan and the bottom shell back together and reglassed the entire inner seam. Then we flipped the unit back over to get to the underside again in order to reglass that same seam from underneath. Absolutely no chance of water infiltration, and tremendous shell strength integrity.

Robert Johans · 06-16-2012, 10:06 AM

I had a new frame built. A spare tire carrier is integrated onto the rear bumper. It will go to the powder-coater next week.

A new Dexter Tor-Flex axle with e-brakes has been mounted to the frame. Because I choose to run 15" wheels and tires, I have 10" (rather than standard 7") brakes for extra stopping power.

Robert Johans · 06-16-2012, 10:14 AM

I've discovered that one of the hardest issues to resolve with these restorations is getting a really good fit between the shell and entry door.

With the shell in separate pieces, we were able to lock the door and the bottom shell together, more or less forcing the two pieces to conform tightly, before any of the reglassing was done. When the new glass dried and hardened, the curve of the door and shell were as close as we could hope to get them.