Trillium 4500 Renovation

[Ladycenia33]

Will u consider selling one of your trailers ? If so can u text me at 250 300-1619 please
Thanku

[Ladycenia33]

Please contact me at 250 300-1619
Interested in a trailer but maybe can u redo the inside of possible the way I would like it with my colors .
Thank you so much

[Ladycenia33]

Originally Posted by Randy Bishop

Need help... Does anyone know what Dexter Axle was used in a Trillium 4500.. Mine has some off brand axle and needs replacing.. There's a local dealer that sells Dexter axle's but said he needed to know which one.. I'm pretty sure it takes a 2500lb axle but that's all I know, never changed out the axle before...........I'm going to repost this again in a lead off thread just in case no one looks at this one.........

Randy can u custom build one for myself and my daughter ? Please text 250-300-1619 if u can or if know anyone tha would consider . Thanku so much love your work and looking forward to a reply it's been 2 years looking now and finally saw this sight and maybe this might be it .
Cenia

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Ladycenia33

Randy can u custom build one for myself and my daughter ? Please text 250-300-1619 if u can or if know anyone tha would consider . Thanku so much love your work and looking forward to a reply it's been 2 years looking now and finally saw this sight and maybe this might be it .
Cenia

I don't know what Randy may or may not do, but the best way to find out is to send him a private message. Click on his username to the left of any of his posts and a drop down menu will give you the option of a private message.

You might want to consider deleting your public posts. Personal information posted online can be harvested by spammers. The "Edit" button at the bottom of your posts gives you a delete option. It's open for up to 12 hours after you post.

[Randy Bishop]

I sent you a PM but just in case someone else might want to see about one of my campers I need to explain some things....
I'm disabled broke my back in 3 places in 2001 in a motorcycle wreck that nearly left me paralyzed and that really laid me up.. I've never been a lazy person and after the wreck I was unable to go back to construction work and ended up on the couch and gained probably 60 lbs.. So I looked for a hobby and this is it.. But with my back problems it is a really slow process working on these, therefore I don't want to be obligated to anyone who might want a camper.. Last January after I bought my shop I figured I could redo several of these and sell them.. Posted my intentions on here and was inundated with e-mails and PM's and I couldn't deliver what I thought I could and that really bothered me because if I say I'm going to do something I'll do it if kills me .. Ended up selling 4 but bought 3 others so now I'm going to take my sweet time and tinker along and just enjoy myself.... Never know might sell one down the road...then again might not.........Hope everyone understands........... Randy

Originally Posted by Ladycenia33

Please contact me at 250 300-1619
Interested in a trailer but maybe can u redo the inside of possible the way I would like it with my colors .
Thank you so much

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Randy Bishop

I sent you a PM but just in case someone else might want to see about one of my campers I need to explain some things....
I'm disabled broke my back in 3 places in 2001 in a motorcycle wreck that nearly left me paralyzed and that really laid me up.. I've never been a lazy person and after the wreck I was unable to go back to construction work and ended up on the couch and gained probably 60 lbs.. So I looked for a hobby and this is it.. But with my back problems it is a really slow process working on these, therefore I don't want to be obligated to anyone who might want a camper.. Last January after I bought my shop I figured I could redo several of these and sell them.. Posted my intentions on here and was inundated with e-mails and PM's and I couldn't deliver what I thought I could and that really bothered me because if I say I'm going to do something I'll do it if kills me .. Ended up selling 4 but bought 3 others so now I'm going to take my sweet time and tinker along and just enjoy myself.... Never know might sell one down the road...then again might not.........Hope everyone understands........... Randy

Good post Randy, hope you do well. Your work and finished product is great.

[Randy Bishop]

After all the work done on the outside to make this thing look like new I really hated to cut holes in it but I "DID"


Bought the access doors off e-bay for $24.00 each, they were black but I re-painted them to match.......

[Evelyn]

That's the #1 modification I want to make to my Surfside next year. Did you have to build a wooden frame for the inside so that the hatch has something to screw into?

[CClark]

Nice work! I have a 1975 1300 Trillium and the frame is in need of replacing. I was thinking similar to you to extend the new frame and add a storage box on the front. I'd be interested in any frame-specific photos you can share.

[Randy Bishop]

No wood.. I try to never use wood if possible... I just pop riveted them in place after putting butyl tape on the edges to seal them in...................

Originally Posted by Evelyn

That's the #1 modification I want to make to my Surfside next year. Did you have to build a wooden frame for the inside so that the hatch has something to screw into?

[Randy Bishop]

I didn't have all the equipment to stretch the frame and install the axle so I had my local welder do the work.. He had everything to insure the axle was square with the frame so it wouldn't track sideways down the road and he installed the framing for the toolbox also.. I can send you pictures of the frame and give measurements once I get it back, the stupid people at my local Dexter Axle Dealer was a real pain to work with, after them having the frame for over a month they just quit returning calls and wasn't any help at all.. I figure they are a axle dealer only because they build stock, horse and small trailers and really never wanted to get me a axle.... luckily there was another Dexter Dealer located west of me about 55 miles away and after one phone call they had my axle in the process of getting built said it would be here in about 10 days......

Originally Posted by CClark

Nice work! I have a 1975 1300 Trillium and the frame is in need of replacing. I was thinking similar to you to extend the new frame and add a storage box on the front. I'd be interested in any frame-specific photos you can share.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Randy Bishop

Bought the access doors off e-bay for $24.00 each, they were black but I re-painted them to match.......

I'm part way there on mine Randy. I'm cutting the hatches down to size. I was planning on using the cutout in the hatch door itself.

[Randy Bishop]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

I'm part way there on mine Randy. I'm cutting the hatches down to size. I was planning on using the cutout in the hatch door itself.

I was going to do the same thing but the way the doors were made I couldn't do that, but I did save the cut outs for future use... The doors I got had a very thin layer of aluminum on the inside and outside glued to Styrofoam and I couldn't get the outer one off and if I could have removed it the cut out would have been too thick and wouldn't work so I painted them.....

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Randy Bishop

The doors I got had a very thin layer of aluminum on the inside and outside glued to Styrofoam and I couldn't get the outer one off and if I could have removed it the cut out would have been too thick and wouldn't work so I painted them.....

Thanks for the heads up Randy. I have not taken the door apart yet, although it does sound like the same construction.

Do you think I'll be able to cut the outer skin off using a thin saw of some type to cut through the Styrofoam? e.g. bow saw or band saw?

The doors I picked up will work nicely for the width, but way too tall. So I'll have some scraps to play with after I cut them down to size.

[Carl V]

I bought a used door (in good shape) to install on my trailer.
(Like many other stuff, I had no time to install it yet).
It is made as you describe, thin aluminium sheet backed with styrofoam filler, except mine has rounded corners.
I drilled a few pop rivets and it all came apart, I took the aluminium sheet and foam off, and I plan the use the cutout as the door.
The door is about 36" wide X 12" tall or so if I remember right, perfect size for me. It had two tiny and flimsy latches at the bottom, I bought a T handle lock to replace them and will fabricate a locking system with bars, garage door style.

To cut the opening I guess my oscillating multi-tool should work fine, however a jigsaw should work too and will be necessary for the rounded corners.
Couple years ago we cut a square hole on the side of my father's motorhome (a vintage Dodge Travco, a molded fiberglass RV too) and we used a 4" grinder with a cutting disk and it was easy (and the FG shell was thicker than on our trailers, maybe 3/8").

They say "measure twice, cut once", but in this case I would say "measure about ten times, think about it again, measure once more, take a deep breath, then cut" !!

[k corbin]

Make templates, it is another way of measuring

[Randy Bishop]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

Thanks for the heads up Randy. I have not taken the door apart yet, although it does sound like the same construction.

Do you think I'll be able to cut the outer skin off using a thin saw of some type to cut through the Styrofoam? e.g. bow saw or band saw?

The doors I picked up will work nicely for the width, but way too tall. So I'll have some scraps to play with after I cut them down to size.

Yes you might be able to do that "IF" you have a steady hand because the panel is approx. 3/8" thick and you will need to cut it down the center I would assume to allow for the thicker material.. Cutting them down to size shouldn't be a problem either, they are screwed together and can be cut and re-screwed if yours is like mine.............

[Randy Bishop]

I finally got my frame back from the welder with it's new axle, got it sand blasted and ready to be painted so I took a few pictures first.....

[Randy Bishop]

Got it painted and the body re-installed Friday, headed to South Dakota with this one, Sat. Oct. 29th to do some pheasant hunting with 9 friends, so this early Sat. morning the 22nd I went over to the shop to re-connect the gas lines under the trailer.. Dragged out the ole creeper and got some open wrenches and walking back to the camper accidently stepped on the creeper my feet flew out from under me and I shattered the big bone in my wrist into 8 pieces .. Now no hunting trip for me or my friends because I was the one planning everything and knew the land owners... What a bummer... Did snap a picture of my Xray...
Not a pretty sight...

[Randy Bishop]

The Dr. said I was the luckiest guy he had seen due to the fact none of the broken pieces of bone was out of place, if they had been it would have required surgery with pins and wires to hold everything together,, I told him I wanted to go to South Dakota but he said I had better stay here and he wants to re-Xray it in 10 days to insure everything is staying in place.. What a bummer to say the least... My friends did get together and re-connected my gas lines, installed my hardwood floors, installed the toolbox on the front, installed the battery and hooked up the gas bottles... What a nice bunch of guys......