Plywood Floor Replacement 72 Boler - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-23-2007, 11:39 AM   #1
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Trailer: 72 Boler
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First time post here… new "old" Boler owner.

We just got a 13 foot 72 Boler with a plywood floor (not fiberglass). We are just starting our renovation, and when we tore out 3 layers of flooring in the front, we discovered that section of the plywood floor is rotten from the inside. We saw no rot underneath when we purchased it. Surprise – our little renovation is going to be a full scale restoration!

Because our unit is a “front potty model” (no bunks) we suspect the water had leaked from there, or from the old fridge and deteriorated over time. A thin layer of resin on the undercoat of plywood probably kept the water in and our problem hidden.

I poked away at the punky plywood and my paint scraper poked right through a wide band where the wood meets the shell. Now that I can see the ground I need to fix this before the squirrels move in…. and can’t quite figure out what to do next….

Does the plywood floor support the shell?
Or does the shell somehow rest on the frame?
It looks like the plywood is connected on top by a fiberglass ridge, how do
I remove the plywood from this it without cracking the fiberglass?
How best to reattach a new piece?
If I want to take the egg off the frame do I leave the plywood on the frame or on the shell?

Thanks for any bits that would help my thinking… and for the wealth of online advice!
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Old 07-23-2007, 12:35 PM   #2
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Trailer: 1989 Bigfoot 17 ft and 1989 Li'l Bigfoot 13 ft
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On my 1970 Boler there was an area in front of the door that was rotted out. I used a jigsaw to cut the area out, going up to the far end of the next section of the frame (so I would have a place to screw the patch onto) I cut a new piece of plywood and coated the underside with several layers of fiberglass before screwing it down to the frame.

Here's a picture
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And, welcome to the group!
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Old 07-23-2007, 09:56 PM   #3
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Trailer: 72 Boler
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Thanks for the picture and the reply! I sure recognize all those screws. We live in Southeast Alaska and had a constant hard rain today. The good news is that I can now see where the water is coming in - the lower door hinge. The bad news is that the rot is all the way around the front. After digging into the plywood a little more I'm too embarassed to post a picture. Your advice is appreciated!
Annie
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Old 07-23-2007, 10:38 PM   #4
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Trailer: 1977 Boler 17 ft
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Don't be embarassed Annie I think most of us were caught with surprises with our first trailer and probably even a few with their second. good luck and I'm sure it will turn out fine, at least that's what I keep telling myself.
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Old 07-24-2007, 02:43 PM   #5
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You want to use a circular saw to cut out the bad areas until you are into good wood. Next you want to square up the hole and set you saw at a 30 degree angle towards the inside of the hole. When you cut your patch plywood cut the same angle. What this does is prevent the patch from breaking free from shear force when someone or some thing is on it. The more weight, the tighter it will get. Then mix up some epoxy with a little filler and glue it in place. Once set a thin sheet of glass on each side and it will be good as new. The biggest mistake is to have unsupported butt joints, you are then relying entirely on the glass coat to hold them.


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Old 07-24-2007, 10:19 PM   #6
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Trailer: 72 Boler
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The explanation with picture was really helpful and got me into "thinking things through better mode"". This Boler thing may be addicting! I'm grateful for everyone's experience and encouragement. Today I had some time to work on the rot and the hole got bigger. Much bigger. I'm assuming the whole front piece will have to be replaced. In a lighter note, I came out of my house this morning and a baby black bear was sitting on our deck. I swear he was eyeing moving into the Boler through the hole in bottom. Even further encouragement to get going on what I've started!
Annie
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