Serial numbers on a Trillium

[David Tilston]

Yet another find from the, "Random Images". This one is a 5500:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ture10228.html

[Carl V]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Yet another find from the, "Random Images". This one is a 5500:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ture10228.html

From the serial number, I've got that one listed in my 5500 registry. A 1981 unit that belongs to username Skittles, from Surrey, BC. No pictures attached.

There are a couple 5500 currently up for sale, both restorations projects. One in Ontario at $17500 and another one one just popped up in AB for $10K.
No idea who the owners are. Probably not listed in my registry as most are restored units.

There are least 19 5500 in QC that I know of, 12 of them are in the registry.
Outside QC I know of 11 5500 trailers from the various Facebook groups.
If Trillium made 60-ish if these trailers, half of them are "missing".

https://airtable.com/shr4bWwL6yN2zjyAD

[David Tilston]

I am going through the registry, found this:
images:https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/registry/3677/

Somebody took their electrical very seriously. The serial number plate puts it on the list.

[David Tilston]

I should have done this before:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/registry/3566/

[David Tilston]

https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/registry/3082/

[Scott Shaw]

Hello, I've finally joined the forum after "lurking" for 5+ years. My 1300 is registered as a '78 but it's starting to look like it might actually be a '79 based on the list. It has all the features of Stevie G's...above table cupboards with sliding doors, shelf over the bunk, etc. White interior.

[Scott Shaw]

Forgot to say the Serial is 13-1106253

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Scott Shaw

Forgot to say the Serial is 13-1106253

Scott, Could you please post pictures of your Trillium? Preferably both inside and outside?

[Scott Shaw]

Sorry, I was just trying to figure out how to rotate my pics. Here's the exterior. Interior to follow shortly.

[Scott Shaw]

That's just a blanket wrapped around the bunk "safety bar". My son kept slipping underneath it. I am curious about the table in mine. It is adjustable (i.e. has a removable leaf). Is that common? My parent's Trillium didn't have that feature.

[David Tilston]

Scott, You sir have a fantastic Trillium 1300. The adjustable table size is a factory option, typically associated with the Deluxe trim. All of my 4500's had it, though the design changed between 45-1100036 and 45-1100980. It isn't often that I see a 1300 with all the reflectors around the belly band. It appears to have every factory option, and is in nearly mint condition. Nice! Do you store it indoors? You even have the original curtains. Are the dinette cushions also original? I could go on, but let's leave it at, I'm impressed.

I'm very curious about the metal rectangle on the front of your Trillium.


Could you please post a close up of that?

[Scott Shaw]

The propane certification? Yes, I suspected the curtains were original. There's a small tear in the door curtain, other than that they're pretty good. And, yes original cushions under the bed. They need new foam though. Is the orange shag original too? My wife absolutely hates it. (I don't know why the pics are sideways, sorry)

[Scott Shaw]

...and I store it outside but tarp the upper half in the winter. I think the previous owners did the same. Pretty mild winters in Victoria. One coat of 3M fibreglass restorer every Spring.

[David Tilston]

Ah well... I had hoped it was a manufacture date sticker. But by the year you trailer was made, they stopped doing that. I am an optimist, I guess.

I am not sure what the original carpet was. Orange fits though. I suspect the carpet is usually the first thing to go. Yours may be original, but that is no reason to make your wife mad. Personally I'm fond of vinyl plank. It looks good, and is totally waterproof.

[David Tilston]

Another find from, "Random Image"

https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ture11410.html

SN: 256 makes this the most recent Trillium Jubilee.

[Steve Hague]

Purchased a 1978 Trillium 1300 a few days ago (VIN 13-1105689). Needs a lot of love, but we think this should be an enjoyable renovation. We're in no hurry, as we already have our 1978 Trillium ready to go on our second year of fiberglass camping. Since the front bunk has been chopped up, thinking we might convert to dinette. We will remove the after market a/c unit and reinstall an original Duo-Therm heater. We will also remove the AC only refrigerator and install some type of DC compressor unit.

[David Tilston]

Steve, To put the original Duo-Therm furnace back you will need to put back the fibreglass that they cut out to put in the air conditioner in. Do you have a furnace? If not, I could spare one. However, shipping would be expensive.

Your fridge also doesn't look like an RM211. Since the RM211 was installed in many pop up trailers, they are typically available used.

Making a front dinette is a very good idea. I plan to do the same. For strength I will use pultruded fibreglass to frame the cut opening in the fibreglass:
https://www.grainger.com/search/raw-...als/fiberglass

Then I would use FRP to close it in:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Glasline...100389836-_-N&

Though I would prefer a smooth surface.

[Steve Hague]

David, thank you for the suggestions.
Fortunately I was able to acquire a Duo-Therm 65810-2 that appears in excellent condition, though I plan to bench test it before installing.
I have lots of work before that though. The floor is starting to feel a bit spongy, so I will be tearing out the previous owner(s) mods to get down to basics. The kitchen unit seems to be sagging down from the wall, so that will be another adventure in repair.
I'm very interested in your suggestion to use pultruded fiberglass to frame replacement benches, etc. Would this be square tubing or angle? What size? Would this frame be put together with adhesive or fiberglass mat?
As far as refrigerator goes, that may be far down the road. I'm fortunate to live in Northern Indiana, so there are lots of RV salvage yards nearby that often have small 12v compressor RV refrigerators available at very reasonable price.
Steve

[David Tilston]

The upper cabinets on a Trillium will sag due to snow load or just time. Installing supports between the kitchen and the upper cabinet will help.

The pultruded fibreglass that I would use is the 1" square tube, but the L shaped 1" angle would probably work.

A spongy floor is not good. It implies rotted plywood between the floor and the outer shell. This is a difficult problem. The best method that I can think of to deal with this is to grind the floor, and the plywood out. Leave the cabinets alone. Then replace the rotten plywood with ¾" thick marine plywood, (which is what Trillium should have used in the first place) or you could use pultruded fibreglass grating, (https://www.grainger.com/product/SAF...ultruded-4AUC9). You would need to sand off the grit, and it would be very expensive, but it should last forever. It is also 1" thick, not ¾", so you would lose ¼" of ceiling height, and you would have to remove ¼" off the bottom of the cabinets, when you grind off the floor.

Feed the new flooring in through the lower fridge vent, (or through the door into the opening for the fridge). The hole for the RM211 fridge should go right to the floor. This limits the width of the plywood that will fit. You will need to do this with three, maybe four sections. I would start with the rear most piece. slide the plywood back till it bumps up against the rise to the dinette floor. That piece must fit between the wheel wells, so most of it won’t be as long, (wide?) as the next pieces. The next piece would slide forward, under the gaucho / front dinette. and the last piece would just fit between the previous two pieces. I would dry fit the plywood to be sure you have the correct shape. Then pull out the plywood and smear your preferred glue on the inside of the fibreglass shell and re-install the plywood. Put some weights on the plywood to insure good adhesion. Then I would use the L shaped pultruded fibreglass angle, (https://www.grainger.com/product/DYNAFORM-Angle-4ATJ8) on the inside of the cabinets, to attach the cabinets to the plywood. Lastly fibreglass the floor with about a 1/8" thick layer of fibreglass. Sand and paint a matching color.

[Steve Hague]

David,
I very much appreciate your detailed response. I'm looking forward to digging into this project, and am sure that I'll have more questions. If I'm up to it, I may start a new thread to document the challenges of this project.
Steve