1974 Boler Resto. Oops, I did it again...

[Robert Johans]

A thick swath of FG matte and resin inside reattaching the top and bottom shells has now ensured complete water-proofing at the belly seam.

However, the shells' molding "flanges" that are usually covered with the aluminum belly band are very misshapen and ill-fitting. In time water and dirt could migrate into the gaps of the seam. So to keep the crud out of the seam, I filled all the gaps with a sealer.

Now with all of the exterior body work complete, next stop, paint booth!

[dylanear]

Originally Posted by Robert Johans

Here are a couple of shots for those curious about mounting anchor blocks to the inside of a shell without drilling new holes.

With my interior plan drawn up with pretty tight dimensions, I have a very clear idea where my cabinetry will be placed, and subsequently, where my support "cleats" need to be placed.

I use an industrial automotive 2-part epoxy to "glue" 2x2x.75" plywood blocks to pre-determined points marked on the shell. This stuff dries hard in 90 seconds, so ya gotta work fast.

In order to mount cabinetry at 90° to the horizontal and vertical planes, some blocks have square edges, others are beveled in varying degrees to accommodate for the curvature of the shell body.

Very cool, thanks for that info!

My larger new woodwork will mostly be anchored to the floor, and my shelves I was hoping to support with something small, something mostly invisible when the shelf is not in place. But long wood strips cut to shape might make good supports. But how to do it without replacing all my rat fur or leaving ugly disturbances in it. Hmmm....

[dylanear]

Originally Posted by Robert Johans

Now with all of the exterior body work complete, next stop, paint booth!

Can't wait!!!!

If you don't mind me asking, just ballpark, how much does a good 13' egg repaint cost?

I guess having the prep done before going to the painters lowers that cost considerably.

[Robert Johans]

Brought the Boler home from the paint shop on Thursday. Looks great. Got busy right away attaching components to the shell, and installing the DOT lighting. (LED all around.)

The entire shell was first prepped using a polyester-based primer known as "Slick Sand." Evidently, it's a bit thicker than most and hides a multitude of sins. The top half was painted a bright white, slightly on the cool (blue) side. The bottom half got treated with a tinted "bed-liner" texture coat, then topped off with a Lexus color called "Bamboo" — mostly silver with a touch of green.

I'm not a big fan of the look of uncoordinated "add-ons", so I did my best to integrate the ancillary ports and hatches into the shell.

[Robert Johans]

Yesterday and today I've been gluing Reflectix insulation to the interior walls. I picked up a cheap sprayer for my compressor at Harbor Freight and used Weldwood contact cement straight from the can. Spray onto both the walls and the insulation, let dry very thoroughly, then put it together.

Rather than aluminum foil tape, this time around I used an HVAC duct tape product called Shurtape DC181 to cover all the seams. It is a plastic mylar film tape that feels very similar to the film used in the Reflectix.

I've also had some time to start building the structural framework that will support my 54" wide bed.

The Girard tankless water heater, ShurFlo water pump and vent/fan are also now mounted in position.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Robert Johans

I'm very excited about the "frenched" taillight pots on this Boler. My body guy did a really nice job on them

They turned out very nice, along with the rest of the trailer so far.

[Rick Mooyman]

Looking awesome so far. I am still looking for a Boler project, so I build it my way as well.

[Rick Mooyman]

What are you going to cover the Reflectix insulation with?

[Robert Johans]

"Hulliner" wall covering now installed throughout. Kinda tricky working with large pieces prepped with contact cement, but I managed... The Hulliner is nice in that it has a subtle pattern, a very short textured nap, and overall, a nicer look than standard rat fur. Because it's designed for marine environments, it's mold and mildew resistant.

With the wall covering up, I could install my new windows from Hehr. Dual vent "jalousie-style" (like the originals) but with radius'd corners, which I prefer given the round curvy shapes of the Boler.

[Robert Johans]

With the wall covering all glued up, I could begin work on my cabinetry.

The Mrs. asked for a "full-time" oversized bed, so I said, "Yes, Ma'am!."

From the rear to the front edge, the max width is almost 56". (Of course, side-to-side is a little over 77".) That's as big as I can make it and still have some vertical cabinetry to support the roof structure and provide some modest storage.

Though we'll probably keep the bed down most of the time, I built the rear benches in a way that I could accommodate a table set-up, should she change her mind in the future.

Two strong torsion boxes (which can be removed as needed) span the space between side benches.

[Robert Johans]

Under the street-side bench is storage space, accessible from the outside, the top and inside.

Under the curb-side bench is my battery set-up and anticipated solar power components. Also accessible from top and inside.

In the rear bench I've installed my 16 gallon water tank, which is plumbed with PEX to deliver on-board water to our few plumbing components in the forward cabin.

[Matts Boler]

Wow great stuff.

[KevC]

Great work so far. I like the clean look of the outside access holes and ports.

Do you use windows larger than the original square ones so you don't need to build up the corners? My '74 also has a small vent window over the stove, the same as the one in the door.

[Bonnie n Claude]

Really nice! Looking forward to seeing the Egg as work progresses.

[Robert Johans]

Kevin,
Yes, my new windows are a bit oversized. I actually prefer the bigger window, but also discovered that cutting the radius into the corners produced a better end result than glassing in a gusset.

[ccaffrey]

Originally Posted by Robert Johans

Kevin,
Yes, my new windows are a bit oversized. I actually prefer the bigger window, but also discovered that cutting the radius into the corners produced a better end result than glassing in a gusset.

So where did you get the new windows from?

[Night Sailor]

Nice work. Love the attention to detail. Your paint color choices are spot on too. It is a fantastic trailer.

[KevC]

Originally Posted by ccaffrey

So where did you get the new windows from?

I believe they come from Hehr

[Robert Johans]

Howdy folks,

Well, I can see from the date that it's been about four months since the last update. I've been busy with a variety of projects, but I'm happy to say, except for some decorating details, my '74 Boler project is finished!

You may recall me saying that this trailer is for our personal use, and as such, has been designed and fitted to accomodate my wife's dictated preferences. Specifically, a "maximum-size", full-time bed, and a big galley countertop.

[Sue and Henry]

Wow! Impressive!