Maintenance & Restoration

bc-aaron · 11-11-2014, 11:04 PM

Hello all, I have been trolling your site since buying my 1977 trillium and I love all the good info, however I do have a question ? there is a spot under my table that appears to have contained something? It has little locking clips or retainers (or something) I should take some pics. Anyway dose anyone know what belongs there? Thanks in advance

Borrego Dave · 11-12-2014, 12:03 AM

Welcome to the group aaro. I would think it was a mount for a drawer as that is a popular mod.

bc-aaron · 11-12-2014, 01:14 AM

Thanks Dave. if anyone has a pic it would be great to try to fab something up to match the original that would be awesome? Also The floor seems to be a bit soft so I thought maybe it is what? Is there a two layered floor in these trailers and maybe the wood in between if any is rotten? Or is it all fiberglass and I am just a bit of a heavyweight for the floor ?????? Is there wood in the floor construction of these trailers (1977 trillium)?

Borrego Dave · 11-12-2014, 01:41 AM

Yup your floor is wood not fiberglass. As for, ahhh, added weight, well

.
Adding a drawer is easy and there are many different ways to attatch them under a table. In these small trailers I think the only thing to worry about is how far they hang below the table so your knees clear it. Personally, I'd find a shallow drawer you like and will hold what you want. It may also come with the mounting hardware. Keep what you have first though. Pics would be great, we love them.
Since you have a Trill, Dave T, the king of Trills will soon chime in. He's the one for any questions you may have of them. He's also going to ask for the serial # of yours.....you may want to write it down

.

bc-aaron · 11-12-2014, 02:02 AM

Hey thanks Dave. As I have read, there are great folks like yourself that have been helping newbs like myself on this forum and I for one think it is a great help to keep these old gals alive. There is in fact hardware under the table that definitely at one time held something, that is what was making me wonder about it. I just picked this trillium up a couple days ago and just trying to work out the bugs for next spring. So far we have been only two and have just had our first and the van has felt a little tight. In fact so tight the dog and I have finished this camping season in a tent.......awrggg....I have not been in a tent in a while and only for back country camping too boot so I thinks a trailer was in our future, so when I seen this trillium for sale I jumped on it. Anyways I will show some pics very soon and take the vin #.

Thank you
Aaron

Borrego Dave · 11-12-2014, 03:53 AM

I'll just relay one other thing for you that has been said many times here. Make it safe to use and don't start any major mods until you've used it for while. Get to know it and what does and doesn't work for you. Kind of look at it as a hard sided tent for now.

Don ravinerat · 11-12-2014, 05:32 AM

The little drawer under the table is just a cutlery tray. Just slides in and out on tracks. I may have a pic of it in "Trillium home at last" thread.

Don ravinerat · 11-12-2014, 05:41 AM

There is a pic of the cutlery tray on page 2 of my thread.

Scouter Dave · 11-12-2014, 05:56 AM

Click image for larger version

Name: GEDC0001.jpg
Views: 25
Size: 125.7 KB
ID: 78534

Click image for larger version

Name: GEDC0002.jpg
Views: 21
Size: 181.4 KB
ID: 78535

Click image for larger version

Name: GEDC0003.jpg
Views: 22
Size: 196.2 KB
ID: 78536

This a standard cutlery drawer, attached with four heavy staples and the bolt for the handle. My clips are missing so I coiled up a short length of blue metal strapping [they use mostly plastic nowadays] and mounted it, centered, underneath the plywood.

Don ravinerat · 11-12-2014, 06:00 AM

Mine doesn't have the fancy end cap. May have to make one.

Click image for larger version

Name: The Scrub 003.jpg
Views: 38
Size: 212.1 KB
ID: 78537

Noreen Bradshaw · 11-12-2014, 07:42 AM

In the 13' Trilliums the cutlery tray does not have that wooden end piece. (At least mine didn't) The plastic tray just slide into place and the little clips swung up to hold it in place. The end piece that Scouter Dave shows is the way the Trillium 4500 has that drawer.

Don, if you attach a wooden end piece the clips will not work properly.

Also, The floor of the Trilliums are either wood sandwiched in fiberglass, or just fiberglass. When I pulled up the carpet in mine all I could see is fiberglass.

David Tilston · 11-12-2014, 09:57 AM

Hi, Sorry I am late to the party. As said before, the floor on Trilliums is fibreglass on the inside, and outside, but with a sheet of plywood, (1/2 inch?) between the fibreglass layers. If it is rotten, I am at a loss as to how to repair it. I have considered cutting the bottom of the trailer open, to expose it, but that seems kinda radical.

You also got good info about the drawer in the table. Just a silver ware tray, with a piece of thin plywood, with a knob, for a front. I have seen many without the front, but I always assumed the front had come off. It is quite possible that they never had a front.

Oh ya, the serial number. I have a registry of Trilliums going:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post483603

There are now 85 Trillium 1300's. Originally, the list was to help identify the year of a Trillium by the serial number. Please feel free to add you Trillium to the list.

bc-aaron · 11-13-2014, 05:55 PM

Thanks for all the reply's everyone. Dave as it turns out mine is a 4500 but none the less the serial # is 451100163. That shelf under the table is great Ill make one up for sure, I have taken some pics but just have to figure how to get them up on here Im sure it been posted how to so Ill do a search. The floor is definitely rotten so my thought is attack it from the inside ie: cut out the fiberglass all the way around the main part of the floor and pull it up in one piece remove rotten wood(try not to damage any fiberglass under the wood) replace with new wood and fiberglass original piece of fiberglass floor in. Crazy? input? Thanks

David Tilston · 11-13-2014, 06:45 PM

While it may be possible that your trailer is a 1977, since it is the 163 rd 4500 ever built, then it is just as likely a 1976. I have the 36 th, 980 th, and 1043 rd 4500's built. The younger two are 1978's. If they did start making them in 1976, then there is not much difference between the 1976 and 1977 4500's.

The only problem with your plan to replace the plywood in the floor is that it is a large piece that goes from the door sill to about half way under the kitchen. I suspect that if you want to try to replace it from the inside, you will have to remove The kitchen, closet, and possibly the gaucho. Since these are glassed in, cutting will be involved. Take out the tilt out bin by the door. It comes out by opening the bin, lifting it up, and pulling out from the bottom, (it is not attached). You should see some of the edges of the plywood.

Were I to do it, I would take off the frame, lay the trailer on the door side, in a cradle made of padded plywood laid edge on and cut to contact the trailer as much as possible. probably four sort of reverse bulkheads. Then I would cut off the bottom off the trailer, where the plywood is. Cut and scrape the wood out and put in a new piece. I don't know if it is glued to the fibreglass, but I suspect that it is. It may be possible to make a smaller cut from the kitchen side to the middle of the trailer. If, as I suspect, the plywood is glued to the fibreglass, this may not allow the separation of the plywood from the glass. Either way, I would cut a rectangular hole on three sides only. I would not make the front to back cut under the door. That would be the hardest seam to repair.

But I think that if I were you, I would just cut a piece of 1/2", or 3/4" plywood that is the shape of the floor, lay it down, and put carpet on it. This will last several years, and would be easy to replace, if necessary. The fridge door might not open, and the cupboard doors in the front of the gaucho will either have to be trimmed at the bottom, or raised up, to clear the plywood. But I think these are small problems that would be comparatively easy to solve.

What ever you do, take lots of pictures. This has been discussed before, in a theoretical way. You sir are proceeding into unknown territory. May the Force be with you.

Scott H · 11-13-2014, 07:56 PM

So, with regards to the soft floor; I'm wondering if the OP is referring to the floor under the table. If so; yep, soft no problem. It's the hatch to the fresh water tank.
In regards to the table; other things under the table are the leaf sliders. These are, in my opinion, a blessing and a curse. I've rehabilitated my table and leaf sliders and really want them to work but, they are constantly one of my biggest sources of frustration. I can't find a burly enough draw clasp to keep the table from self-destructing on washboard roads. I'm about ready to throw in the towel and make a new table, 3/4 length, with a spacer to make the bed, but that's another thread....

bc-aaron · 11-13-2014, 11:47 PM

Hi Scott, actually under the table is in really good shape with access to the water tank and seems to be in good shape. It is in fact the main area of the floor that is bad.

bc-aaron · 11-13-2014, 11:50 PM

Hi David I think Ill do just that for now and see if this trillium a good fit for the family before taking on that job.

David Tilston · 11-14-2014, 10:10 AM

I think that is best Aaron. I figure, as long as you don't go through, why worry about it.

Just out of curiosity, did the previous owner inform you of the soft floor, or did you discover it after you purchased it? That would be a nasty surprise.