Hello,
I am new to this group, but have been reviewing posts for a few weeks now ... what a WEALTH of information and advice - and very cute ideas !!!
I have long wanted a little trailer to make my own, and driving a Jeep Wrangler my towing capacity is limited so I had been keeping a look out for a little Boler that I could afford. Much to my excitement I found the "King Kabob" close by. This little Boler had been converted into a 'food trailer' complete with stainless cooking shroud and chimney and back wall removed for food service.
I have had quite a bit of advice, but I would like some input from this experienced crowd please !!! It has been suggested: (1) replace whole back wall with checker-plate and cut out window hole; (2) replace whole back wall with plexi-glass; (3) fiberglass back wall. In all cases - rejoin the middle horizontal band that has been cut.
What do you think ???
K
It would be nice if you could find the piece they cut out. Otherwise, you might be able to mold a new piece on the back of another Boler, use a different trailer for a mold, and put the new piece you made on yours.
__________________
I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt.
Wow so many possibilities! Cheapest is likely FG, but checkerboard (aluminum?) with window cut out would be easiest. Would look good too. FG can be a lot of sanding and filling, but would be sealed from the elements. Are you doing this yourself? On a budget?
Hello,
I am new to this group, but have been reviewing posts for a few weeks now ... what a WEALTH of information and advice - and very cute ideas !!!
I have long wanted a little trailer to make my own, and driving a Jeep Wrangler my towing capacity is limited so I had been keeping a look out for a little Boler that I could afford. Much to my excitement I found the "King Kabob" close by. This little Boler had been converted into a 'food trailer' complete with stainless cooking shroud and chimney and back wall removed for food service.
I have had quite a bit of advice, but I would like some input from this experienced crowd please !!! It has been suggested: (1) replace whole back wall with checker-plate and cut out window hole; (2) replace whole back wall with plexi-glass; (3) fiberglass back wall. In all cases - rejoin the middle horizontal band that has been cut.
What do you think ???
K
Pexiglass would act like a greenhouse, would heat up pretty fast!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raspy
It would be nice if you could find the piece they cut out. Otherwise, you might be able to mold a new piece on the back of another Boler, use a different trailer for a mold, and put the new piece you made on yours.
Thanks David I am trying to do as much as I can myself .. but certainly turning to the professionals when I know something is beyond my skill set - which this part is. Someone suggested that it would be difficult/impossible to get the checkerplate bent into the 'double curve' of the boler (vertical curve and horizontal curve) - but truly this option is my favorite. Also - another person suggested that with the aluminum against f/g that as the aluminum expands and shrinks back this would cause problems at the joint areas. Budget ... well, you get what you pay for ... I would like to take the path most economical, but not to the point of just putting off problems.
I would carefully cover the front of the trailer with wax paper then hand lay up fiberglass matte 3 layers thick until you have a 2nd duplicate of the front shell then use that and cut it to fit the back opening and fiberglass it to the opening from both inside and out. The finish it with Bondo filler and paint. You can even cut out for the back window using the impression left of the front window in your layup.
__________________
1971 Boler 1300 - "Suite 13"
1987 Play-Mor II - "The Beach House"
Think I'd go looking for an old Ford 1/2 ton Canopy, 8 ft model that had a flat roof. Probably could be had for a 100 bucks.
Think recreating the belly band would be preferable to cut down the size of the new panels.
Cut panels close to size, then a little sectioning to Compound the curves,,,,,,,,
Will it be perfect, I doubt it but for a couple 3 hundred bucks you'll be well on your way.
Fred
Hi Kathryn, I agree with John, a mold off another TT would be the easiest. I've done that same thing for a buddy with a large torn up rear corner on his FG dune buggy as we have the same body build. I used a release wax with around 5 coats.....just cuz, before applying the resin and matte layers. It popped off just fine and left no marks on my car at all and gave us a beautifully smooth mold to make up a replacement panel. Just a few thoughts if should go this way. Make your mold an inch or so larger than you need so you can screw/rivet it onto the existing outside shell. You're going to be painting it and a few extra holes are moot. I'm not sure, but if it was me, I wouldn't worry about replacing the belly band. Think I would cut and blend it to a flat surface in the repair panel to make it easier. Only a few folks would ever know it doesn't go all the way around . FG work is pretty easy and forgiving, just a bit messy, I'd go for it. What ever you decide, take pics for us.
I knew of a sailboat that was fixed that way. It went on the rocks and caved in one side, so they made a mold from the other side and made a new section that glassed right in.
The first layup would be done directly on the other trailer after it was coated with mold release, as Dave mentioned. Then that piece would be used as the mold to make the actual piece for your trailer. The new piece would be wider and taller than the opening in yours. It's exterior would come out very smooth. It would then be cut to fit directly in place and glassed in. Then some fairing and sanding, cut the window opening and paint.
This would give you a perfect match that would look exactly as the original area.
It sounds like a difficult job, but it's not very complicated or expensive and can be done in stages as your time permits. You also don't have to invent some other way of creating something there, just go back to the original. If you need help, a boat yard would be a good place to ask.
__________________
I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt.
WOW that is awesome. I was thinking about cutting a hole in my Boler to make a pull out for and extra bed for when the Grandkids come camping with us. Looking at a way to hinge it so I have as flat an area. Will love to see what you end up doing with yours.
Are you getting it ready for the Boler 50th Anniversary Party in Winnipeg in August 2018?
Rick
Quote:
Originally Posted by KKathryn
Hello,
I am new to this group, but have been reviewing posts for a few weeks now ... what a WEALTH of information and advice - and very cute ideas !!!
I have long wanted a little trailer to make my own, and driving a Jeep Wrangler my towing capacity is limited so I had been keeping a look out for a little Boler that I could afford. Much to my excitement I found the "King Kabob" close by. This little Boler had been converted into a 'food trailer' complete with stainless cooking shroud and chimney and back wall removed for food service.
I have had quite a bit of advice, but I would like some input from this experienced crowd please !!! It has been suggested: (1) replace whole back wall with checker-plate and cut out window hole; (2) replace whole back wall with plexi-glass; (3) fiberglass back wall. In all cases - rejoin the middle horizontal band that has been cut.
What do you think ???
K
Using the front of your own trailer like I mentioned above will work if you don't have another Boler handy to use the back of. The curve is slightly different but I think the area you are repairing will fit nicely once trimmed out, glassed in place and finished with filler. Bondo matte is cheap as well as their polyester resin. 10 packs of matte would be around $50 if you shop at Walmart, and a gallon of Bondo resin goes a long way. Bondo filler is relatively inexpensive too if you get the big gallon size container. It is the same type polyester resin used to build these trailers.
Release wax compound would as good as the wax paper but wax paper is quick to put down to prevent the resin from sticking to the shell and is cheap to buy and readily available everywhere. Just make sure the wax paper is coated on both sides or use the wax coated side if not. Wax paper would also save you from having to remove all that wax when you get ready to paint.
I did the same thing with my door using the outside of my door to make a new skin for the inside of the door, after the 3 layers of matte the new skin held its shape perfectly and was rigid enough to make it easy to glass in to the other side. If you use only 1 or 2 layers the new skin might be a little harder to work with as it may be to flexible.
Look up my thread "Our 1971 Boler mods" and you can see photos of where I made the skin for my door.
Either way if you use another Boler or the front of yours I think you can't go wrong. I would remove the front belly band on yours if you want the belly band on the back to get the lip right. You could even to it in 2 pieces, one piece at a time, but for that large an opening I think it would be better to make it one piece, cut to size and screw or fasten it in place with rivets until glassed in to the opening, then you can remove the screws/rivets and fill those in. BTW Bondo filler is near waterproof absorbing only 0.03% water when cured and is waterproof when painted over with an oil based enamel. Bondo resin if properly stippled over matte or cloth is waterproof when cured with or without paint.
Fiberglass Dave here has an excellent tutorial on fiberglass repairs that you can do yourself with lots of step by step photos. It really helped me out a lot when making various repairs of larger openings on our Boler. He is the guy that recommended to me to use the out side of the door to make the skin for the inside of it and it worked like a charm...
Fiberglass Dave here has an excellent tutorial on fiberglass repairs that you can do yourself with lots of step by step photos. It really helped me out a lot when making various repairs of larger openings on our Boler. He is the guy that recommended to me to use the out side of the door to make the skin for the inside of it and it worked like a charm...
Thank you all SO much !!! I'm going to take some time this weekend to reread all your ideas and follow some of your leads to further information. Thinking I might just book myself a few days off work and get into this fiberglass thing !
I am trying to do as much as I can myself .. but certainly turning to the professionals when I know something is beyond my skill set - which this part is. Someone suggested that it would be difficult/impossible to get the checkerplate bent into the 'double curve' of the boler (vertical curve and horizontal curve) - but truly this option is my favorite. Also - another person suggested that with the aluminum against f/g that as the aluminum expands and shrinks back this would cause problems at the joint areas. Budget ... well, you get what you pay for ... I would like to take the path most economical, but not to the point of just putting off problems.
Boler
. FG work is pretty easy and forgiving, just a bit messy, I'd go for it. What ever you decide, take pics for us.
1971 Boler 1300 by Glass-Fab in Peace River Alberta
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