Each brand and model of trailer, just like each brand and model of car wil have a point of annoyance as it ages. If you are a loyalist to models, and buy more than one, you learn what to look for in the aging process before you buy. I used to do road rallies in Opel Mantas, and I learned very quickly with each car I bought that you will have to replace the carbs and move the
battery to the trunk due to dumb positoning in the wheel well and the effects of acid over time. Older Honda owners know thier timing belts are a ticking time bomb after 60k miles or so. Road worn design flaws, one and all.
Burros will most likely ALL have to have thier frame repaired at the famous A bend and I have heard tales of woe about the floors, but my 1980 seems to be OK. The doors also have a reputation for flying off in motion due to the latching scheme and hinge mounting. Keeping the door locked in tow seems to prevent the door from becoming unlatched, but the hinge mounts will no doubt need re-enforcemnt eventully.
I have done my frame, hinges and I believe the former owner did the floor, but I can't tell. He did weld a re-enforcemnt bar under the step in, so that might indicate he had problems at one time. I put down a new floor covering and it all looked beefy and fine except for up front where there had been a leak, but it wasn't bad enough to tear out. I just dried it for a day. No soft spots. The underside looks resin coated and is always dry.
The rear seat of the dinnette is a temendous waste of space, the cubbies are not really big enough for a lot of items, and they are hard to get to. See my Table update post for one way to get around this.
Table arrangement
This mod is best suited to solo travelers or couples, it probably would not suit families.
Now.. the very positive aspects of a Burro. The double shell. Makes it weightier, but it also can be insulated, or they came from the factory that way too. I have appreciated my extra R factor in both below freezing temps and in high heat.
The inside shell also makes all the furniture and cabinets. The good part of that.. no rivets! The bad part.. everything stays put. You won't be doing any major cut outs or mods as the inside shell also provides structural balance.
Since the insulation is in between the shells, there is no need for wall coverings.. ensolite or rat fur. This gives the interior a smooth white finish. Some folks like it, some would rather have a less bright interior, but you can
paint if the white does not suit your mood. I like mine white tho. VERY easy to clean, a simple wipe down.. walla. Makes the space seem bigger than other 13 footers I have been in as well.
You can actually screw small things into the inside walls, no rivetts needed for hanging pics or things which are not heavy, like thermostats, smoke alarms, or
lighting.
The fuzzy shag carpert Burro installed to cover the inside center seam does not appeal to me at all, but most of them I have seen have had thiers replaced with some other "Hider". Laurens is a nice wood strip, I think door skins, and mine is a plastic shower enclosure material, so I have a complately white ceiling too.
With no rivets, the leak factor is almost eliminated, the
windows, rock guard mounts and door and roof vent being about the only places for sneaky water to get in. (This of course will vary with the outside accessories you have strapped to your rig like and
awning, or antenneas etc.)
No rivets also means nothing shakes loose over time.
U Hauls are almost identical in contruction to the Burro, tho the frame was better made and designed.
I am sure each trailer has it's strong point the others don't have. Read these threads and see!