'84 Burro issues - starting with the floor

[BadBadBear]

Hi, I hope this is the right section. Pictures are attached.

I want to pull up the floor on my trailer and hopefully it's the wood flooring that has problems, not the subfloor. Can I just start tearing it up? Are there any gotchas? I thought that in the short term, I could put in the foam floor pieces until we are ready to put in permanent floor (probably Allure, we put that in our house and can work with that easily).

With the floor out, I thought I'd take it to a trailer repair place to check the axle & repack the bearing. Then if the axle and subfloor are good, proceed with repairs.

Next I need to figure out what to do where I pulled the fridge out (it had rattled loose, and I don't use it anyway). I also need to repair the cabinet hinge that failed on our last trip. Should I just make new doors all the way around? The ones in it are nice, but very heavy solid wood. I think it might be teak.

There is also a crack in the FG between the bench and cabinet. What is the best way to repair it?

Last I need to fix the wiring & install the shroud for the new Fantastic Fan I put in last year, after hail damaged the old vent. I thought I might need to pull off the center wood strip, but will try fishing under it first to see if I can run the wire without removing it. Or is there a better way to run the wiring?

Thanks in advance!!!

Cheers,
Michelle

[Glenn Baglo]

Last I read the Allure instructions, it was not for use in RVs or summer cabins. I don't think it likes extremes.

[BadBadBear]

I will have to look for an alternative. Maybe linoleum or similar...

[jen b]

I'm using Allure and it's holding up okay so far, though we're talking 4-6 weeks plus assorted weekends of camping per year. Not super heavy use.

[BadBadBear]

Maybe in a smaller space it doesn't shrink enough to cause problems. Those floor areas are tiny.

[Burro Bill]

I was told Allure was a bad choice for
an RV in my climate. So I went with sheet
vinyl with a runner that has worked out
well so far.

[DuaneQ]

Hate to tell you this but I have too. I bought a 78 Burro last summer and found the frame had two fairly large cracks in it near the front at the first cross member. There are other posts on this subject and I'd check them out before I'd go on long trips.

I repaired my frame and axle and then ran out of time. Had to get away for the winter. Will get back at this project this coming summer.

Don't want to scare you but if I didn't weld my frame cracks and add some extra angle iron I feel I may have lost it on the 2400 miles trip to AZ.

[BadBadBear]

I will definitely check the cross members. Wonder what the trailer weighs empty? If it's under ~3/4 ton dry weight I can pick the whole thing up, trailer and all, with my tractor & hay bale forks and set it on a big set of iron 'saw horses' that my friend has for his pipe drilling business. If that works it will make it reasonably easy to get underneath to wash and examine everything.

[BadBadBear]

Looks like weight should be well under 1500# with the extras off of it (propane tank, etc.) from some older posts I found. I should be able to lift it and proceed from there. I am hoping that if it doesn't need axles or frame work, I can get it coated while it's lifted up.

[DuaneQ]

Originally Posted by BadBadBear

Looks like weight should be well under 1500# with the extras off of it (propane tank, etc.) from some older posts I found. I should be able to lift it and proceed from there. I am hoping that if it doesn't need axles or frame work, I can get it coated while it's lifted up.

My Burro weighed 1140 lbs with all the original "stuff" inside except for the closet door which was missing. It also had an old empty propane tank in it too.

I had to get it weighed for the DMV to transfer the title. The title was from Minnesota and didn't have the actual weight on it.

As for the cracks I found they were vertical on the 3" surface at the inside corner of the first cross member and outer frame rail. I also had to sandblast the area to see the cracks due to the surface rust present. You may be able to scrap the corner to see if your's is the same.

What others have said too is the frame is bent upwards at the same location on both sides. Seems they didn't add enough strength to the frame at that point.

[BadBadBear]

Thanks Duane. I decided to take my trailer to the local trailer shop this week, we have a great one. I will ask them to lift it and look at the axles, welds, etc. I think I will also ask them if they will remove the screws in the shell and replace them with bolts for me. If they would do that, then great.

While they are working on that, my friend has a shop across the street and I'll have the wheels sandblasted and painted. Also would like to have my friend make a piece of diamond plate for the front hitch area. Not sure if he can do welding repairs or if the trailer shop can, but either way I think I can get it all done at once.

More in the next message...

[BadBadBear]

Pics attached.

So I did manage to get her out of the barn while the mud was frozen this morning, and took everything out, cabinet doors, plywood parts, foam stuff. I ripped up the floor, and found a floating subfloor under that. It is not plywood, so I think that might be partially why it was mushy. Under that layer there was some black underlayment. The real subfloor looks really solid and good - not mushy at all. I didn't tap it with a mallet or anything, but it all seems good under there.

I did find the cabinet itself is distressingly warped, which is probably why it broke on one side. Could I make a thin plywood face for it and just cover the whole thing to stiffen it? Or should I add boards around the doors for that? Either way, it needs some help.

Also I found the door needs work. Its delaminating. Any ideas on how to repair it before it gets any worse?

I am SO excited about this project, gonna need a nap today because I was up worrying about it. Anyway while it's at the shop this week I'll work on cutting new plywood pieces for it, and making some new curtains. And looking for some vinyl flooring.

Thanks!
Michelle