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