Uncle Cereal's update with pics and questions

[Uncle Cereal]

Well, Monday's my day off so to the (inside) trailer we go!

(As in my previous post and its 9 questions, I will number the questions to help you help me. Thanks for those who answered yesterday's questions! I'm still hoping for a few answers, if you have a few minutes to look...)

By the time the garage had gotten warm enough, I had designed my support to lift the roof a little and see if that would straighten the door. In one word: NOPE!


I tried lifting up the structure under the door. Nope! By the way, the frame seem to be eaten up pretty bad under the door. Could that be my problem? I'm really bummed about this: I need to fix this before I go on... Any suggestions? (#1)

My pictures are upside down: the iPad always plays that trick on me, no matter what... The door frame is 26-inch wide at the top, 26 1/4 in the middle and 26 1/2 at the very bottom.

By the way, what do you guys do so that the door doesn't open too much, go rub against the molding and get scratched? (#2)

I tried to take out my windows, that was second on my to-do list. Well... I managed to take both single jalousie windows (stove and door).

The two double jalousie windows each have a few rivets that won't come loose, especially those which were not cut off properly ("outies"?). Any special trick to take out rivets? (#3) I was drilling with 1/8'' bit. I tried the buffer but that can seriously damage the window frame is one misses the rivet.

Any trick to take out the "stem" of the rivet after the head came off? (#3b)

I took good notes of all the different rubber seals I'll need. I'll probably have to order them.

Now that I have a few windows out, I'm wondering: Do I need to wait until I'm done painting to put them back in? (#4)

In the category "not-that-important-question-but-I'm-curious": Would there be any good reason to leave the fake stove fan in? Would that metal box prevent fire progression in case of high flames on the stove? Is it purely for looks or does it serve a purpose? (#5)

Would you change the ceiling vent or keep it as is (with a new butyl tape, of course!)? (#6)

Here it is, probably upside down, with a few more pictures.


Can all these grills still be purchased? (#7)

How do we paint the roof? (#8) By standing on it?! I would not think so...


Thanks!

Uncle Cereal

PS: Tried to delete two of the last pics but they still show up... I'm not trying to understand at this point!

[FRED SMAILES]

Are you left handed?
Pics are usually oriented to a right handed operator.

[Uncle Cereal]

Nope...

[Jon in AZ]

#2 I learned from member Ian G's Boler reno thread that relocating the hinges closer to the middle of the door is the best solution. He recommends placing the hinges at 1/3 and 2/3 of the height of the door. Of course, that means drilling new holes and sealing the old ones.

My Scamp has the same issue, but I am not bothered enough to be willing to move the hinges. I am careful not to let the door swing loose in the wind and use the door hold-open latch when leaving it open. It's gotten away from me once or twice, so there is slight marring of the gelcoat. But then, when I got the trailer it already had gravel chips in the lower front and a tree scrape along the rear curbside. I call it patina, and it means I don't have to stress over little stuff.

EDIT- I notice in the pictures you don't have the hold-open latch. That would be my first step. Here is Scamp's version, but you could probably find it from a local RV store or online. Scamp's version is long enough to hold the door out from the belly band.

[Paul O.]

I see even turning everything on its head did not help the door. Anyway, somebody posted a picture (I saw it recently), of restoring the door curve in a Scamp by mounting two turnbuckles on the inside and applying tension that way. Hmm, now to find that picture - maybe somebody else remembers.

[RogerDat]

With damage to frame and/or floor at the door area you might want to check the door opening for square with floor using a large framing square. You may find that the door opening appears to lean in at the top on the hinge side.


This can be caused by the wall attachment to the floor letting go, the wood gets soft or rots on the surface and the fiberglass attachment detaches from the floor. This allows the bottom to move.


This is what I found on my Scamp which while not identical to a Boler is fairly close.


Top section of this picture shows the area I'm talking about. The wall is attached to the frame by a small piece of plywood that extends from the frame to the wall.





This was what I rigged to pull the door frame back over where it belonged to get the hinge side straight up and down from the floor. This put the door opening square and made the door fit better. Rope is being twisted which causes it to tighten and pull from clamp on couch support toward clamp on floor, block of wood upright the rope goes over makes the pull horizontal rather than down toward the floor.





May or may not be the issue with your door but it is something to look at.


On "outie" rivet shafts you mentioned in other post, I used a dremel tool and a cone shaped grind stone to very carefully grind down the center shaft until it was a dimple I could put a drill into. For ones that stuck way out I used dremel metal cut off saw to cut it flush first. Was annoying to have to switch tools and a little extra time but worked well.

[Uncle Cereal]

Jon, I have read extensively on Ian's website. Tons of info! It seems like my situation doesn't fit in the "flow chart". Actually, it does and I should change the hinges. I placed my order yesterday. But with the bottom of the opening being larger than the top, there might be something fishy with the structure. Overwhelming thought for now...

Thanks for the tip about the latch! It seems that it would hold the door against the molding but I very probably wrong. Hopefully, I'll get my camper on the road and will be able to see the latch for myself on other people's.

Paul, I wish that the turning upside down would have done the trick...

Roger, thanks for the tip about the "outies": I have what it takes to take care of them! I had thought about that tool but had not made it to thinking about the proper technique! My next Monday will be "riveting"!!! As far as the structural correction you did: Wow! Like I wrote, that feels overwhelming for now.

I'm afraid that my frame is weak and need to be strengthened or, worse, redone.

To be continued! Thanks for the hints! Keep them coming...

[RogerDat]

Well let us just say looking at it I was a little stuck on how to get started. But folks helped with tips on how they did it. What worked and didn't work. Tools & techniques. I really had no choice the front floor was shot, and had been since I bought it. Was really pretty straight forward once it was explained. Lot of help and support here.

Getting the door straight was just a bonus since I was there anyway.... How many massive jobs start with that line? Probably about as many as hospital stays start out with "hold my beer and watch this..." Glad you have a Dremel should make short work of the problem rivets, mine has been a life saver more than once.


This was that same door anchor point before and there was another larger section where the gas line went out through the floor on the street side that was just as bad. Window, door seal and belly band all had a leak, these were where the water collected for several years. That piece of plywood on edge coming from frame is supposed to be attached to the fiberglass wall and the glass beside it.

[Uncle Cereal]

Woa! Roger, I feel for you...

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by Uncle Cereal

Woa! Roger, I feel for you...

That was then, this is now thanks to some helpful advice from the members that had been there and done that. Still a touch of caulking to do in the spring, very satisfying once it gets done, pain in the lower (very lower) back sometimes during the process but hey if it was too easy everyone would do it right?

[Uncle Cereal]

Roger, what's the black? I'll be a little short on floor covering and might need to put something else there and against the lower wall under heater and fridge. Mine should look like yours but, now, it's just fiberglass with carpet glue!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Uncle Cereal

Jon, …thanks for the tip about the latch! It seems that it would hold the door against the molding but I very probably wrong. Hopefully, I'll get my camper on the road and will be able to see the latch for myself on other people's.

The wire piece (right-hand picture in the link) mounts on the side of the trailer. It flips out and hooks into the other piece mounted in the middle of the door. That means the middle of the door stands out about 3-4" from the side of the trailer, enough to clear the belly band. The only thing that contacts the belly band when it's latched open is the black molding on the edge near the hinges (Ian's fix addresses that issue). Works pretty well.

If I get a chance I'll post a picture later.

[emij]

Here is a picture of how the latch holds the door to the Scamp open. Ours doesn't touch the belly band or the edges of the door. It keeps it from banging or blowing in the wind and because we have the screen door, we pretty much latch it and leave it open all of the time. It keeps the kids from 'forgetting' to be careful if they are running in and out.
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And this is a straight shot of the latch mechanism. You can see that a piece attaches to the door and the other is on the shell.

[Jon in AZ]

Thanks for the pictures, Emily. Yours is mounted closer to the hinges, so it holds the door further out. Mine lays a bit flatter. Mine is also mounted lower, below the red stripe.

[bpfick]

Nice report. Might use a little photo utility and turn those photos upright before you upload them.

Aviary is a free App.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by Uncle Cereal

Roger, what's the black? I'll be a little short on floor covering and might need to put something else there and against the lower wall under heater and fridge. Mine should look like yours but, now, it's just fiberglass with carpet glue!

That is the steel frame that elevates the dance floor sanded and painted black. Did the same under the sink/stove. And under the couch too for that matter, even though it is covered. I may think about covering that base with something but what? Black plastic base molding? It is already black no gain from that.

I'll probably run a thin bit of caulk along that end and the side you can see. Or paint some 1/4 round molding black and caulk it to the base along the edge. Can't caulk or pin down with molding on all 4 sides because floor floats (not glued down) need to allow for expansion and contraction from hot and cold weather. If glued down or anchored on all sides it would probably buckle or pull apart at seams or possibly crack.

[Uncle Cereal]

Emily, I'm pretty sure that in that position my door would be dangerously crammed against the molding... (Thanks for the pictures! Up side up, I'm impressed!)

[sokhapkin]

Originally Posted by Uncle Cereal

Emily, I'm pretty sure that in that position my door would be dangerously crammed against the molding... (Thanks for the pictures! Up side up, I'm impressed!)

Hmm, here is how the door opens on 2014 Scamp. Almost 180 degrees...

[emij]

I learn something new all of the time! I didn't realize that there were different positions that the door could be held open in! I assume that it completely depends on where the latch is positioned. I like how flat and open it is on the 2014. Jon, I assume yours is the same. (And today was the first time I was able to get pictures to load without issue, so yay for that!)

[Uncle Cereal]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

That is the steel frame that elevates the dance floor sanded and painted black.

In the Boler, it's fiberglass like the rest of the floor. Might have to paint it too.

Roger, you gave me the tip about the "outies", so how about removing the stem of the rivets that are stuck in? Drilled out?

Sokhapkin, I think I'm jealous!