Our 1971 13' Boler mods - Page 8 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-30-2017, 12:53 AM   #141
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Trailer: '71 Boler, '87 Play-Mor II
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Brian the 2x4 runs the length of the rear portion of the street side bunk and it is glassed to the street side shell so that the shell doesnt bow out. I used 3 layers of matte to glass it to the shell. The vertical pieces are also 2x4 as 1x2 didnt seem strong enough to me. I did use some 1x2s for framing the box air handler around the a/c unit. PL construction adhesive is fine for some bonding like cabinets but for a strong bond of wood or metal to fiberglass I recommend PC11 2 part epoxy or fiberglass matte/resin or even both in some circumstances for a secure bond strength. The plywood tabs I made are from 3/4 interor grade ply and are very strong. So strong they snapped the wood screws anchoring the fridge cabinet to the tabs so i replaced them with carriage bolts for anchors, hold cabinetry to the tabs much more securely.
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Old 08-01-2017, 02:49 PM   #142
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Awesome, thanks John. I did buy the pl construction adhesive. I'm hoping that it'll still be a strong bond with the fiberglass matte over it. When I go back out this weekend I'll take some pics and add them to "bkboler renos"
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Old 07-02-2018, 08:26 AM   #143
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Its been a while since I have posted to this thread so thought I would update it. I redid the paint job again this spring to cover up the bondo that showed through last years roller paint job. Had I primed over those few bondo repairs made after the original primer you would not have seen it. Any way I primed the whole thing this year after sanding and refining the body of some imperfections. I used the same type gray primer except I used the Rust-Oleum brand as Tractor Supply was out of Majic brand and I used the same Rust-Oleum Marine Top Side paint made for fiberglass (an alkyld oil base enamel). The only difference is I sprayed the primer and paint with an HVLP gun from Harbor Freight that cost me $9. I am happy with the results. Wife cut my graphics for the front false rock guard which is just the plexiglass primed and painted which is to give privacy for the bathroom/shower. I did have to replace the coupler as it was wearing out from old age and developed a crack over the ball. I went with a 2" ball coupler to match my other trailers so I don't have to switch balls all the time. The new coupler cost me $20 at HF and I got a new a frame style tongue jack for another $20 and cut the old one off. Not as much ground clearance with the new one but it works much smoother. I had to remove the tankless water heater for the installation which allows me to open the van hatch with it off so I may just carry the tankless water heater inside the camper or van and put it on when I get to the site. Haven't decided for sure yet. I used my removable external vent pipe also as a flag pole by drilling two holes at the top which I attach the flag using some pins with clips I got at Ace Hardware. I am very happy with the restoration keeping the exterior looking vintage and all the mods we have done to modernize the interior. So glad I added the shower and all the cabinets. We use the hot shower every trip and we use every inch of the 360 degree overhead cabinet space. My wife found us a 14x12 screen room by Magellan for $59 that is large enough for our cooking table, folding picnic table and folding chairs. Very much worth the $59 and as roomy as a large Clam but my wallet is happier! Unless I come up with another mod I don't see changing anything in the near future except for adding solar and a gen set for boon dockiy... Right now my 2 Trojan T-105s will let me run for days and I recharge at home. Anyway see you somewhere down the road!Click image for larger version

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Old 04-16-2021, 01:47 PM   #144
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Modifications and Alterations to the Boler

This is a long post but it has been a long while since I update this thread so I thought it was long overdue. We have camped year round (not full time - not yet anyway) in all four seasons with and without hookups and in the following states: GA, TN, NC, SC, AL, FL, MS. While we overall like our original custom design in hindsight we both agree we should have camped in it first before gutting it.

The bathroom with cassette toilet and hot shower has gotten good use (every camping trip). It is nice to be able to get out of the shower in the Boler and hop into bed. The custom shelves behind the toilet are very handy for our towels, toiletries, laundry detergent for extended camping trips, extra Coleman propane tanks, etc, etc.

The original Seaflo 1.2 gpm 35 PSI (cut out pressure) water pump worked and provided adequate water pressure but it could be better. It doesn't provide enough water volume to kick on the propane tankless water heater unless you reduce the water volume adjustment on the water heater down to approximately 25% or less. On city water the water heater worked flawlessly at any setting with ample water pressure. The Seaflo pump was very noisy but the low volume rating helped to conserve tank water. Adjusting the water heater when using the Seaflow pump was more challenging than on city water due to reduce flow settings.

After much debate and researching various pumps I decided to upgrade to the Seaflo 42 series. It delivers 3.0 gpm and has a higher cutout pressure and its adjustable. It also has a variable flow feature that allows water to circulate in the pump so you can use just a trickle of water at the faucet. I re-plumped all the lines to the pump as it required larger diameter hoses for the new pump and I secured all my CPVC lines and the hoses to reduce vibration noises as well as added some foam pipe insulation to the hoses. I am happy to report that the new pump is MUCH quieter and delivers enough volume for full control of our tankless water heater. One con is the pump will empty the tank in about 12 minutes as opposed to about 15 with the old pump so we have to manage the water usage a little more carefully with regard to navy showers and no hookups.

Another thing was the sink faucet with pullout sprayer for a shower head was not ideal so we switched it out to an RV vanity faucet with shower diverter. That one didn't work well either, the diverter would fall down due to gravity/not enough water pressure. So I added T's to both cold and hot water CPVC lines and installed a dedicated shower fixture. The shower now works MUCH BETTER and I swapped the vanity faucet for a taller style bar sink faucet. Much easier to wash a dish or pot in the sink now. Also, I will be repurposing the old water pump to server as pump for refilling the 16 gallon tank from our portable 7 gallon fresh water containers (those things get heavy trying to pour them.

I also modified the under bench/bed a/c to provide better air flow for the condensor and to reduce some exhaust air escaping under the back of the bunk. I had previously lowered our bed and our sons bunk to give me more head room from the upper cabinets when sitting on either and that created an obstruction of the a/c cold air exhaust so I will be futher modifying his bunk to remove the 2x4 support that is obstructing the free air flow.

I also have decided we DO NEED a table more than a permanent bed due to pesky noseeums, bitter cold, extreme heat, rain and storms at meal time plus the desire to play a board game or similar tasks. So I will be modifying our bed to convert to a "U" shaped dinette with a 24" round table top. This should turn out nice. It will also allow for easier access to storage under the bed on the curb side and far rear area.

I will also be engineering a hinged folding counter top above our sons bed for meal prep and cooking area during inclement weather. This will be a COOL feature .

I also cleaned up some of the spaghetti wiring mess from where I made some mods and added a battery monitor with shunt. Another small mod I am working on is putting in a new style twist lock shore line. It requires fiberglass patching of the existing power cord hole and re-drilling a slightly smaller one.

Then was our fridge issue. Our original dorm fridge work well but it was just to small (1.2 cubic foot) so I got a bigger one (used) but it didn't cool properly in the same space. So we bought a new one and it is not cooling well either. Not sure what I am going to do here yet but I am consider a 12v compressor style chest freezer/refrigerator or putting the original one back in. And I will have to remake the face frame for the cabinet which I cut to accommodate the larger one.

And finally, the door. I have never been happy with the door's fit even after rebuilding it I can't get a good seal (either too tight or gaps). So I will be making a completely new fiberglass door from scratch.

Once I get all these issue complete we plan on making some longer trips including my bucket list the Grand Canyon.

I will take some picture of these modes and post them later today or tomorrow.
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Old 04-16-2021, 01:54 PM   #145
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Can't wait to see all your mods Johnny!
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Old 04-21-2021, 09:48 PM   #146
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Photos of mods update

As I promised but a few days late I finally got around to taking some pics of some mods I have done and some still in the works. Here is the 24" round dinette table with U shaped bench that can comfortably seat 3 people. It's large enough for 3 full size plates, silverware and cups. Also the perfect size for a game of checkers or laptop use. When in bed mode the table top and leg will store underneath and wood slats will be used to fill the square to make the 48" wide full size bed. We could have used a square table that would also be used for the bed but the round table makes it much easier to sit down on the curb side with the fridge cabinet which is 2" deeper than the standard closet. It also allows for the horseshoe bench seating arrangement. This configuration really seams to open it up more and feels more roomy than the permanent bed.
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Old 04-21-2021, 10:00 PM   #147
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In these pics you can see the removable counter top temporarily in place above our sons bunk/bench. When finished it will hook into a wood rail on the right with pegs and be supported by 2 removable legs on the left side. The cushion on the bunk underneath will be cut and reupholstered to be 3 cushions that will stack and store under the vanity at the foot of his bed so you can also use the space under the removable counter top if needed and allow the counter top legs to sit firmly on the wood.
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Old 04-21-2021, 10:07 PM   #148
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In this picture you can see the upgraded Seaflo 42 series water pump installed it can pump 3.0 gpm but with our shower head we use about 1 gallon per minute. With the water lines secured to the subfloor it is much quieter than the old one.
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Old 04-21-2021, 10:15 PM   #149
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Here is where I added the "T" fittings to the CPVC hot and cold water lines to add a separate fixture for the shower head so I could swap out the faucet with diverter to a regular faucet. The diverter for the shower head wouldn't stay in position when showering so this little mod was a big improvement.
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Old 04-21-2021, 10:26 PM   #150
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Here is where I rebuilt the air handler for the a/c. I centered the condenser coil over the exhaust vent opening better by shifting the a/c 2 inches left and I opened up the intake opening up by about 30% more on the right side floor to improve air flow and cooling efficiency. I still think it would perform better if it was mounted up higher instead of under our sons bunk but it wouldn't be as concealed of an installation. We will see how it performs as things warm up. More to come so stay tuned!
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a/c, air conditioner, bath, bathroom, boler, closet, door, floor, rebuild, restoration, roof top, shower, toilet


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