13 Boler Trailer from the 70's

[stude]

I will be checking out a 13 Boler Trailer Thursday and I would like to know what I should be looking for. Like what are the problem areas or where they have a problem, I assume the frame is one and I have noticed sometimes that the doors do not always fit (is that a frame problem or door hinge problem)? What else can go wrong, yes I will check to see if the stove, furnace and fridge work and I will phone him tonight to see if he can turn on the fridge today so it will be cold for tomorrow but sometimes the fridge might only need to be recharged as they do use up their coolant over time.
I have learned a lot from reading the columns on this site but what I'm really learning is all the different places to put things like for sale items have their own locations etc. what the Prefix means and I bet I'm going to learn a ton more in the next 6 months so I hope u can all put up with me.
One of my problems is I'm not compute literate.
Really need my partners nerdy ways to get me through it all, but she is not always around.
Stude

[Jon in AZ]

Member Ian G. has published a very thorough analysis of old-Boler issues in the Document Center. It is the first of the two documents in the link. The other is a generic buyer's inspection checklist.

Clicking on the documents will download them to your computer. You may have to get your nerdy half to help you locate the files and print them out.

[Glenn Baglo]

It's always a good idea to read what you have written before clicking "Post".

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by stude

...sometimes the fridge might only need to be recharged as they do use up their coolant over time...

RV absorption fridges do not get "recharged." If the fridge will cool in at least one mode (AC, DC, or LP), the cooling circuit is good and the other modes can be made to work. If it won't cool in any mode, it is toast.

[stude]

Originally Posted by stude

I will be checking out a 13 Boler Trailer Thursday and I would like to know what I should be looking for. Like what are the problem areas or where they have a problem, I assume the frame is one and I have noticed sometimes that the doors do not always fit (is that a frame problem or door hinge problem)? What else can go wrong, yes I will check to see if the stove, furnace and fridge work and I will phone him tonight to see if he can turn on the fridge today so it will be cold for tomorrow but sometimes the fridge might only need to be recharged as they do use up their coolant over time.
I have learned a lot from reading the columns on this site but what I'm really learning is all the different places to put things like for sale items have their own locations etc. what the Prefix means and I bet I'm going to learn a ton more in the next 6 months so I hope u can all put up with me.
One of my problems is I'm not compute literate.
Really need my partners nerdy ways to get me through it all, but she is not always around.
Stude

: she is left handed which means she is smart or did you not know left handed people are smarter than right handed, if not now you do.
My education is work not schooling her education was school then work later, shows right there she is smarter.
Stude

[stude]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Member Ian G. has published a very thorough analysis of old-Boler issues in the Document Center. It is the first of the two documents in the link. The other is a generic buyer's inspection checklist.

Clicking on the documents will download them to your computer. You may have to get your nerdy half to help you locate the files and print them out.

Always appreciated to know what to look for. one of the items I see on our Gel Coat MH are Spider cracks how do these affect the conditions, should one fix them or paint over them or??? what should I do also when looking at other trailers to know if there are a lot of them? by the way what caused the cracks?
Stude

[stude]

Originally Posted by stude

Always appreciated to know what to look for. one of the items I see on our Gel Coat MH are Spider cracks how do these affect the conditions, should one fix them or paint over them or??? what should I do also when looking at other trailers to know if there are a lot of them? by the way what caused the cracks?
Stude

: But I cannot seem to find out much about them? They look to be around 13' long by 7' wide with a real nice set up, does anyone else know anything about them or does anyone own one?
Stude

[Jon in AZ]

Spider cracks are cosmetic, not structural. I've got a few and I do what I suspect most do: I ignore them.

[stude]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Spider cracks are cosmetic, not structural. I've got a few and I do what I suspect most do: I ignore them.

: I got them in the MH to and I always wondered about them.
Stude

[Ron1943]

Try taking it out and turn it upside down for 24 hours before you give up on the old refrigerator. That little trick has worked several times for units that have been sitting for years without running.

[stude]

Originally Posted by Ron1943

Try taking it out and turn it upside down for 24 hours before you give up on the old refrigerator. That little trick has worked several times for units that have been sitting for years without running.

: Ron I used to have a summer cabin (no power) that every spring take the 400# beast outside and roll up and down the driveway then let it sit upright and I had a 2ndary tank that I could hook up to and turn it on leave until next day to see if cooling down and getting cold as it took that long if okay I wheeled it all back into the Cabin and re-hooked up to Cabin line. I was so glad when they brought power into our neighbourhood and hooked up right away and I could not give that old fridge away fast enough.
Now the Class C and now present Class A have never been a problem even sitting unused for 6 months. Even my old Class B did not have the problems of that one at the cabin and I had it out to a repair place 2 times and they never found a thing wrong with it????
Stude

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Ron1943

Try taking it out and turn it upside down for 24 hours before you give up on the old refrigerator. That little trick has worked several times for units that have been sitting for years without running.

To add... the poster hasn't bought the trailer. Your suggestion might work, but it's usually just a temporary fix. I'd still say if the seller can't make it cold, you have to assume it's dead, and make your purchase offer with that in mind. If you buy the trailer and burping the fridge revives it for a while, you bought yourself some time to shop for a replacement.

[Ron1943]

Jon
Burping the refrigerator only works on units that have sit for years that have good coils. The ammonia will pool in the bottom of the unit, turning them over forces the ammonia to break loose. I have found that the units worked for years afterwards but I always try to keep mine plugged in to keep the coolant flowing. Units that have sit for several months may take a day or so to start cooling , so be patient and give it some time before you give up on it.

[Ron1943]

Jon you are correct in having the seller make it work in the above instance!! My suggestions were for others who own the units. I have fixed several units the people have replaced because they didn't give it some time to start up again or minor LP failures that were just a thermo-couple or rust in the burner.

[stude]

Originally Posted by stude

I will be checking out a 13 Boler Trailer Thursday and I would like to know what I should be looking for. Like what are the problem areas or where they have a problem, I assume the frame is one and I have noticed sometimes that the doors do not always fit (is that a frame problem or door hinge problem)? What else can go wrong, yes I will check to see if the stove, furnace and fridge work and I will phone him tonight to see if he can turn on the fridge today so it will be cold for tomorrow but sometimes the fridge might only need to be recharged as they do use up their coolant over time.
I have learned a lot from reading the columns on this site but what I'm really learning is all the different places to put things like for sale items have their own locations etc. what the Prefix means and I bet I'm going to learn a ton more in the next 6 months so I hope u can all put up with me.
One of my problems is I'm not compute literate.
Really need my partners nerdy ways to get me through it all, but she is not always around.
Stude

: to some it might be a okay unit but was old and the interior also old, person who owned it recovered the 40 year old existing Foam rather than change it to new foam then recover as old does not have the strength in it any longer, might be okay for kids?
Noted that owner had installed 2 padlocks to door and trailer frame, not good in my books and door hangs down on one side and jut looking at the hinges one knows they are in trouble. There was an attempt to fix up a cple of items but not finished, stove was original, furnace owner did not know if it worked or not, the whole trailer needed work but the frame looked okay, mostly solid with a bit of surface rust.
The three of us all felt it was worth over half what the asking price was.
Stude