76 Boler door sag? help! - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-13-2017, 10:36 PM   #1
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Name: Timothy
Trailer: 76 Boler 1300
Alberta
Posts: 14
76 Boler door sag? help!

can someone point me to a thread with step by step how to's for fixing the door sag on a boler 1300? I have been searching on this site and have found some quick explanations but I dont really understand how to begin with this and I want to do it properly. Any help would be appreciated
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Old 05-14-2017, 10:27 AM   #2
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Trailer: 1972 Boler American and 1979 Trillium 4500
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Originally Posted by Timothy Earthnynja View Post
I dont really understand how to begin with this and I want to do it properly.
There are many fixes depending on what the source of the problem is. The first step is figuring out what is causing it. Hint also search for "body bulge". Your issue could be any or all of these:

  1. Is your frame intact and not bent?
  2. Is your floor solid and securely attached all the way around?
  3. Are all the original cabinets in place?
  4. On some, there is a piece of plywood between the body and the upright of the frame for the front bench (below the hinges) that comes loose. You gotta crawl underneath to see.
  5. Is the door warped? (rare and all to often misdiagnosed)
  6. Sound attachment of hinges to body and door.
  7. Worn hinge balls or sockets.
  8. Hinges in the correct position or order? (top and bottom are different)
Any or all of the above. Pictures might help. From most I've looked at if 1-3 are OK #4 or the hinges are your starting point.

To fix #4 you reattach (possibly replace) the plywood with the load taken off the body/roof in that area. Then you add a piece of wood like for the screen door mod to help hold the metal bar and hinge side of the body in the correct place.
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Old 05-14-2017, 10:46 AM   #3
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Name: Timothy
Trailer: 76 Boler 1300
Alberta
Posts: 14
wow thats a great response! thanks , I didn't know there was a piece of plywood underneath I will check that out right away. As far as the hinges I tried that fix a couple of years ago and i didn't get great results. The frame is good and I had a welder reinforce it where there was a crack. One thing that wasn't there when I bought it was the iron support rods for the top cabinets by the sink, I was wondering if the support rod actually helped stop the body from bulging. I will try to get some pictures taken soon.

My other project I wanted to do was to repaint the outside. This feels like a big job but i also want to do this right and I know its all about the prep work but one thing I can't find in these threads is the pop rivets.. Do I need to remove all the pop rivets on the body and fill the rivet holes before I can prime and paint? Un related to my door sag question but you seem knowlegable.
thanks again
i will post some pictures of the door here later
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Old 05-14-2017, 11:04 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timothy Earthnynja View Post
can someone point me to a thread with step by step how to's for fixing the door sag on a boler 1300? I have been searching on this site and have found some quick explanations but I dont really understand how to begin with this and I want to do it properly. Any help would be appreciated
Hi: Timothy Earthnynja... Here's a pic of the inner support bar for the front corner of our former '77 Boler. This chrome bar, to the left of the door, looses it's shape over the years and needs to be re bent. It's a trial and error kind of adjustment, and not too much bend at a time!!! There are screws behind the door seal on the outside and you need a big vise to clamp it in. Refit and re check the door hang before tightening every thing snug.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 05-14-2017, 11:20 AM   #5
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This chrome bar, to the left of the door, looses it's shape over the years and needs to be re bent.
Not sure I agree with that Alf. Most of the ones I've looked at the bar keeps it shape and the body flexes above and below the ends.

Think weakest link. What is going to flex first a square tube or a sheet of fiberglass. Bending the bar with a greater curvature or even flattening it out, only compensates for flexing that has occurred elsewhere.
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Old 05-14-2017, 11:58 AM   #6
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Not sure I agree with that Alf. Most of the ones I've looked at the bar keeps it shape and the body flexes above and below the ends.

Think weakest link. What is going to flex first a square tube or a sheet of fiberglass. Bending the bar with a greater curvature or even flattening it out, only compensates for flexing that has occurred elsewhere.
Hi: Roy in TO... Seems anymore I'm the weakest link. Guess I should stop trying to help with suggestions of things I did for our trailer!!! You'd think I'd have learned by now.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 05-14-2017, 09:51 PM   #7
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Alf, bending the bar helps some people but it does so for a reason other than the "bar had flattened" over time.

It is kinda hard to explain with a few words and a keyboard. I know I could in a few minutes looking at a boler with you accompanied by pointing and hand gestures. Maybe at bolerama?

Anyways, I will give it a shot.

Body bulge has been described as pushing down on the top of a balloon and the sides bulge out. The steel bar keeps the body from bulging uniformly. So the top of the bar gets pushed out while the bulge happens above the bar to the roof. That is why so many bolers have a crack at the top right corner of the door frame.
I suggest one fix this by pulling the bar back into its original position and further supporting it with something that runs the full length of the door frame. (Think screen door mod). This pulls the top hinge back in while keeping the original body curvatures. This should make the hinge side of the frame fit the door again.

Your method, put a greater curvature along the whole side of the door frame for the length of the bar, which reduces the severity of the curvature above the bar. This in turn pulls the top hinge back in making the door appear to fit better.

Does this make sense?

I can see it in your picture. Your body has a greater curvature on the hinge side of the door (near the body band) when compared to the latch side. Then compare that to the curvature of the door.
Now look at the top and bottom corners of the door on the hinge side. They are still out a bit more than on the latch side.
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Old 05-16-2017, 04:47 PM   #8
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Name: Timothy
Trailer: 76 Boler 1300
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Wow your door looks like it is a perfect fit! Thanks for the pro tip. I thought that was the one part of my door that was still doing its job because it doesn't look bent at all.
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Old 05-16-2017, 05:11 PM   #9
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ok here are some photos of my door sorry I couldn't get a far away shot because it is up against the fence right now
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Old 05-16-2017, 05:14 PM   #10
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I guess I can only upload one at a time ? Maybe because I am doing this on my phone
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Old 05-16-2017, 05:18 PM   #11
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The inside bar and bench not attached to the wall
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Old 05-16-2017, 05:21 PM   #12
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Also this piece of wood in the bench is broken could that have somthing to do with it. Thanks for being patient with me I really am clueless
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Old 05-16-2017, 09:09 PM   #13
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From your pictures - it looks like body bulge. It also looks like someone has been tinkering with the problem already.

Can you take and post a picture of the underside? On many bolers there is a 6" strip of metal that forms part of the frame and makes part of the step up to the front bench. I'd like to see how that attaches to the side all of the body below the hinge.
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Old 05-17-2017, 07:37 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timothy Earthnynja View Post
Wow your door looks like it is a perfect fit! Thanks for the pro tip. I thought that was the one part of my door that was still doing its job because it doesn't look bent at all.
Hi: Timothy Earthnynja... I was told by Paul Neumeister here in Ont., a former Boler dealer that 50% of these trailers came out of the factory with crooked doors. I took the hinges off the door and the holes were cloverleaf shaped. I filled them with Tech Steel filler from a auto parts store and re positioned the door in the opening with wedges and then re drilled the holes. Here's a pic.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 05-17-2017, 11:40 AM   #15
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Trailer: 76 Boler 1300
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Tech steel? Ok I just ordered new hinges and I was planing on removing the ones that are on my boler now and sanding/filling the holes with fibreglass repair kit. Should I not do that? Is this steel tech stuff better ? Also the bottom hinge is in the most awkward spot right where the top of the bench is on the inside of the door. I was going to reposition the hinges higher to avoid this seemingly dumb placement. Any thoughts on that?
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Old 05-17-2017, 11:44 AM   #16
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Trailer: 76 Boler 1300
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Look pretty rusty under there, lol another project I guess anyways this is the underside of the door
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Old 05-17-2017, 11:49 AM   #17
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Name: Timothy
Trailer: 76 Boler 1300
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It does seem like repositioning the hinges is the way to go. I think I will take the door off and just hold it up to the oping to see if I can find a better fit.
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Old 05-17-2017, 12:03 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Timothy Earthnynja View Post
It does seem like repositioning the hinges is the way to go. I think I will take the door off and just hold it up to the oping to see if I can find a better fit.
I think you also have to check for fit in the open position and all points in between, to make sure it doesn't bind somewhere.
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Old 05-17-2017, 04:31 PM   #19
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I can't find the link, but didn't Ian G have a good post on the repositioning of the hinges ?
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Old 05-17-2017, 06:52 PM   #20
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Ian's answer was to position them at 1/3 and 2/3 of the door height. That's a little closer to the centerline than stock and allows the door to open fully without contacting the belly band. I think he has information and links on his website:
Proud Canadian

There's also a lot of information on his lengthy renovation thread, including the door hinge relocation:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ler-51170.html
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