1987 Cadet needs some TLC. A lot of TLC

[dgb]

I bought this yesterday and the first thing it needs is a good cleaning. Then, I have to put something on the walls. Seller gave me some Reflectix, but after that, I don't know what to do. This will be a new skill for me.

I don't have access to a water hook up, so I have to clean it at the car wash. Someone on FB suggested putting Dawn dish detergent on it and then using car wash brush. Any other suggestions? Remember, it has to be something I can use at the car wash. I have no access to a hose hook up.

[alan H]

Very nice trailer I love these
I cleaned up an old scamp that had a lot of green crud from sitting under trees for years
I had access to a hose so I used something from the dollar tree stores ( 99 cent stores) I believe it was call “amazing “ or something like that
I used a spray bottle and then some green scrub pads and mr clean pads...
Sprayed
Scrubbed
Rinsed
I was surprised how it came out

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by dgb

I bought this yesterday and the first thing it needs is a good cleaning. Then, I have to put something on the walls. Seller gave me some Reflectix, but after that, I don't know what to do.

Spray adhesive to hold it on.

[trilliumdon]

That's going to be lovely when done. I've found a great cleaning product is the melamine eraser - Mr.Clean types. You could make a lot of progress on the exterior with 2 pails of water, one to wet and clean and one to rinse/wipe.
Do that first, you can get rid of a lot of grunge with them, then give it a thorough wash.
The Mr. Clean pads can be expensive, but there's a plethora of cheap ones on Amazon and ebay.
https://www.amazon.ca/Sponge-Cleaner...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[dgb]

A friend suggested that I buy a bottle of pool shock with bleach, mix it with water, and spray it on with a garden sprayer. He said that will take the mold and grime right off. I bought the stuff to do it today, but not sure which day I'll get to do it.

[dgb]

Thanks for the photo of Scamp walls! I'll be pricing everything. I'm moving in 6 weeks, from PA to TN, so the walls may not get touched until then. There's also some water coming in somewhere, so I don't want to cover wall until I find the source.

[RJnNC]

Wow! I just saw the results after you cleaned it; That's amazing!

dgb, I appreciate how you've made short videos of only a few minutes each showing your progress. That makes this project easy and fun to follow. I look forward to seeing more of your little videos. I hope you'll come back often and keep us updated on this cute Cadet!

You might want to post a link so those interested can see your great results... just sayin'.

[Dave Terp]

I owned one of those for several years. It had had a hard life before I got it so after a few seasons, I stripped the inside, cleaned using a few different cleaners, most of which have already been mentioned and used those green scrub pads and serious elbow grease. Then glued reflectix on with contact cement and covered the relectix with vinyl sheeting. Worked great and was still holding 5 years later when I sold it.
Sources of leaks on mine were the window seals and the bolt holes for the pop-up top hardware. That canvas on the pop-up was rotten so I replaced it with the same vinyl sheeting I covered the walls with
The metal frame is galvanized and should be in good shape but I had to replace the bolts that hold the fibreglass body on to the frame as the originals had rusted. (Mine had been dunked in the ocean, yours might be fine)
Great project - have fun!

[dgb]

Originally Posted by Dave Terp

I owned one of those for several years. It had had a hard life before I got it so after a few seasons, I stripped the inside, cleaned using a few different cleaners, most of which have already been mentioned and used those green scrub pads and serious elbow grease. Then glued reflectix on with contact cement and covered the relectix with vinyl sheeting. Worked great and was still holding 5 years later when I sold it.
Sources of leaks on mine were the window seals and the bolt holes for the pop-up top hardware. That canvas on the pop-up was rotten so I replaced it with the same vinyl sheeting I covered the walls with
The metal frame is galvanized and should be in good shape but I had to replace the bolts that hold the fibreglass body on to the frame as the originals had rusted. (Mine had been dunked in the ocean, yours might be fine)
Great project - have fun!

I do have a drip on both side windows that runs down the walls. I'm going to work on that this weekend. Did you put some sealant on, or replace the seals? If you replaced the seals, where did you get them from?
I also need to get a key for mine, as the seller didn't have one for me. The person he bought it from had lost it.

[dgb]

Originally Posted by RJnNC

Wow! I just saw the results after you cleaned it; That's amazing!

dgb, I appreciate how you've made short videos of only a few minutes each showing your progress. That makes this project easy and fun to follow. I look forward to seeing more of your little videos. I hope you'll come back often and keep us updated on this cute Cadet!

You might want to post a link so those interested can see your great results... just sayin'.

Thanks for that suggestion, and for watching my videos! My YouTube channel is http://www.YouTube.com/c/CampingTherapy

[akreese]

Purchased our Bigfoot last year BUT we have owned a 23.5 foot fiberglass ocean boat for over 20 years. It goes into storage every Fall and comes out in late Spring. One year when we pulled it from storage we had a major problem with black mold inside the cabin and v-berth areas. We ran an internet search for the best cleaning solution that would not use chemicals that would ruin the marine fabric lining the interior or pose future health risks to us while using the boat. We saw a suggestion to use full strength white vinegar (5%) sprayed on the marine fabric and left to dry overnight. We were skeptical. My husband bought a garden sprayer with a two gallon plastic tank attached at a local big box store (new to be sure no harmful chemical residue remained from previous gardening activities). He removed all loose cushions and equipment inside the boat, opened the door and all windows and saturated the marine liner surfaces with the undiluted white vinegar. He put a small electric heater inside the boat on the floor and shut the door while leaving the windows open and let it run overnight. Within 36 hours the marine liner was dry and all of the mold had been killed with no sign of any black on the liner. He then vacuumed the liner with his shop vac. Amazingly, it did not smell like vinegar inside with the windows closed and the door shut after it dried when we used it that Summer. Since then we have used the method to spray the top of the outdoor storage shed roof that was covered in green moss and left it on for an hour. My husband then used the power washer on the lowest power setting to rinse the roof so he did not damage the shingles. No more moss problems. When we pull the Bigfoot out of storage this Spring I intend to spray the entire exterior with vinegar, let it sit for an hour and then rinse it. If it requires any further elbow grease, I will use a product called “Simple Green” which comes in a spray bottle to remove any stubborn areas followed by a good rinse with clear water. W heave used Simple Green in the past on the boat exterior diluted in a bucket of water for the initial cleaning with a soft brush and full strength from the spray bottle for stubborn stains with no damage to the fiberglass. Hope this helps.

[Dave Terp]

I used ProFlex RV flexible sealant from Geocel. Clean as much as you can of whetever is there now. Zero leakage after application.

[dgb]

Originally Posted by Dave Terp

I used ProFlex RV flexible sealant from Geocel. Clean as much as you can of whetever is there now. Zero leakage after application.

Almost all of it came off the outside. I'm planning to paint the outside. It won't be professional, but it will be a great improvement.

Now I have to put something on the walls inside. If I use a trunkliner carpet like fabric, do I have to put something under it for insulation?

[Barb in Ont]

I have a Cadet as well. The person I bought from had started the interior restoration, and I've been continuing bit by bit. The Reflectix will work as an insulation layer, then I would recommend covering it with headliner fabric or vinyl, preferably with a foam backing. Use a good high heat adhesive to ensure it all stays stuck during the hot summer - I recommend 3M 80 spray adhesive. I've just purchased some headliner from Christie's Fabrics but it hasn't arrived yet. They sell the adhesive too. Prices are good and customer service has been excellent.
Looking forward to seeing your progress!

[dgb]

Originally Posted by Barb in Ont

I have a Cadet as well. The person I bought from had started the interior restoration, and I've been continuing bit by bit. The Reflectix will work as an insulation layer, then I would recommend covering it with headliner fabric or vinyl, preferably with a foam backing. Use a good high heat adhesive to ensure it all stays stuck during the hot summer - I recommend 3M 80 spray adhesive. I've just purchased some headliner from Christie's Fabrics but it hasn't arrived yet. They sell the adhesive too. Prices are good and customer service has been excellent.
Looking forward to seeing your progress!

Thanks. I'll check out that website. I don't want the nylon headliner fabric. I'm looking for marine headliner, that is a carpet type fabric.