Maintenance & Restoration

bomni · 03-27-2012, 01:46 PM

We are restoring our '72 Boler and have just put the lower kitchen cabinet back in. After replacing it we noticed it sags in the middle, at the back between the stove & sink. From the original rivet placement it looks as though it has always been this way, it is quite pronounced though and I'm wondering if this is normal or not? Any other Boler 1300 owners noticed this?

Donna D. · 03-27-2012, 07:02 PM

The only time I can remember when someone talked about a cabinet sagging, it was being pulled down at the rivet area because the roof was starting to sag. Think of your trailer like an airfilled ballon. Push down on the top and the side starts to bulge. Sorry I can't be more help...

bomni · 03-27-2012, 11:20 PM

Thanks Donna for the suggestion, I don't think the roof is sagging since the two outer rivets are much higher than the middle two rivets. Our door fits very well and besides a couple very small cracks in the upper right hand of the door, there are no signs of sag. It looks like it has always been sagged in the middle, but it seems unusual which is why I'm curious if anyone else has noticed this. Maybe there is some reason that I'm missing...Matt my hubby can't make heads or tails of it either. We are putting a wood countertop over it & I want to be sure that we aren't overlooking something...

Donna D. · 03-28-2012, 05:35 AM

Lindsey, why not change the rivet position then? Jack up the area of the sag (carefully) then rivet in the correct place. If it doesn't pull too hard it may stay in place. Fill the non-rivet hole and go camping!

bomni · 03-28-2012, 02:24 PM

We actually covering it with a wood countertop and so won't see it at all

(But I will know its there and wonder)...oh well next Boler owner I meet, I will remember to ask them...I just though perhaps one of the Boler owners here would be of help.

Jeff Richardson · 03-28-2012, 06:14 PM

The lower kitchen cabinet on my 1977 Scamp sags badly in the middle, especially along the wall. I recently sighted down the row of rivets on the outside and it looks like they dip down in the middle like yours.

I have been planning on putting a plastic laminate counter top on to cover the sag. Now I'm thinking I will probably re-drill for the rivets to straighten it out but I still want to put a plastic laminate counter top over the top for easy clean-up when cooking. I will probably put shims under the plywood I will use for the counter top to help support it.

I've looked at lots of pictures of Scamps for sale on the internet and haven't seen any that sag as bad as mine.

Jeff

bomni · 03-28-2012, 11:11 PM

We just put our wooden counter top tonight, the sag in the middle is two inches give or take. We debated on what to do, because the rivets are lower in the middle and additionally the fiberglass & wood support underneath at the back of the stove area sag even further. We shimmed it, also propped it a bit with a jack and secured it to the new countertop with screws.

Thanks for letting us know that we aren't the only ones with the wonky cabinet...I was beginning to wonder if we were just unlucky! Maybe there is some reason for the lower rivets, but I really don't get it.

james kent · 03-29-2012, 11:44 AM

Yes ours sags in the middle. At least it did before I replaces the divider between the fridge and the wheel well area and braced the back edge along the wall. If you are going to replace the top, why not cut out the centre section of your existing top to rid it of a couple of pounds. Just leave enough around the edge for attaching the new one into place..

bomni · 03-30-2012, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james kent

Yes ours sags in the middle. At least it did before I replaces the divider between the fridge and the wheel well area and braced the back edge along the wall. If you are going to replace the top, why not cut out the centre section of your existing top to rid it of a couple of pounds. Just leave enough around the edge for attaching the new one into place..

We though about cutting out the top but want to leave it 'just in case' we ever decide we want to restore it...probably never will, but you never know with us! We didn't have a divider between fridge & wheel well, but thinking about it a divider might be a good idea in the future and also some extra support for the sag.