1974 Boler Rebuild

[KyleRuppel]

Hey everyone this is my long overdue post of a Boler rebuild I have been working on for the past 3 years. I just want to thank everyone for their help as I have drawn some much needed advice and guidance from this site over the years. The following pics are what my Boler looked like when I bought it in 2007 from a couple in Clinton BC.

[KyleRuppel]

My dream for this little egg was to turn it into a Boler like no other. I enjoy Camping in remote locations throughout BC and needed a trailer that would get anywhere my truck could take it.

[KyleRuppel]

The Following Shows some of the wear and tear she was showing in her old age. The fridge and furnace both leaked and my water tank was cracked on the topside. Despite the trailers shortcomings, I managed to full-time it in my little Boler for 2 full years while I worked.

[KyleRuppel]

I started by removing all the cabinets, windows, flooring, appliances, wiring, lights, moldings etc. The only original item remaining was the exolite, which I was pleased to find in excellent shape.

[KyleRuppel]

Interior intact or no, that little trailer was still the best place to hang when friends came over. There were many nights that winter which included a lawnchair, propane heater, and bottle of rum dreaming up more ideas (and doller signs) for the little egg.

[KyleRuppel]

The body was now at the point where a 10X20 tent would no longer serve as a suitable workshop. It was time to hit the paint booth, but not until the frame was rebuilt to off-road standards. The original frame has about 6 inches of flex front to rear; unacceptable with the weight and stress that would be put on the little egg in it's near future. Here are some pics of the frame rebuild. We added cross members in the back and under the floor for added support and rigidity. Also, angle iron was tacked along the main outside members to not only stiffen, but provide a beefier wall thickness for attaching the leaf spring brackets. The old torsion suspension wasn't going to cut it so we placed a new 3500lb axle, springs, struts, and brakes under the chassis complete with leafover. This allowed for over 26" of frame clearance and the eventual addition of 28" MT'S. A rear bumper is also added complete with receiver.

[KyleRuppel]

The original cushions weren't going to cut it as the moldy musty smell was on it's way out so I took in the old foam and had new high density cushions cut. Luckily there are a couple ladies in the family who know how to run a sewing machine better than I, so I put them on seatcover detail. In the meantime, the boler got a new rhinoline undercoating; unfortunately so did I.

[KyleRuppel]

Quick Note: DO NOT rest your boler body on 2X4 and the host parties in it!! This results in unnecessary fiberglass repair.

[KyleRuppel]

With the frame complete, and fully coated with 3 coats Por15 (I would highly recommend this product), it was time to reunite the little egg with its chassis. With a little cut with the jigsaw and a lot of manpower, the reunion was a success.

[KyleRuppel]

After a little more glasswork and sanding (someone had hand rolled and brushed on the green over the original paint) the boler rolled into Rebel Fiberglass for the "piece de resistance". At this point I made some significant decisions. The trailer would no longer have a fridge, water tank, or sink. Based on my previous years I found these items to be rather useless and opted for the extra storage I would gain.

[KyleRuppel]

Some pics of the new paint

[KyleRuppel]

Now that the trailer was back in the driveway, it was time to put in the windows we so passionately polished over the past weeks. I installed a new winder in one back window and rebuilt the damaged screens. The windows looked awesome. The Boler also got a nice new DeeZee box which would house 2 10lb tanks and electrical boxes. Checkerplate was also added to the rear bumper for some extra protection and flare. I had the front of the trailer Rhinolined for protection and well at the bottom 4 inches all around. The rear light inserts were also sprayed giving them the look they needed with the new LED's. Led running lights were added on each side as well as a LED stainless exterior beside the front door. All lights installed are high efficiency led's for max. performance. Fasteners used on the trailer are either aluminium rivets or stainless steel. No camping trip is complete without tunes, so we mounted 2 Alpine waterproof speakers on either side of the front door. I used some scrap checkerplate to make new hardware for the front rock screen as the old ones were rusted.

[KyleRuppel]

I chose to keep the original table size and shape so some new maple was cut. Using a piece of aluminum trim I edged the plywood with is for protection. A new leg topped things off nicely.

[KyleRuppel]

The battery, fusebox, and inverter are all under the back right bench. I tried to keep everything electrical in this location for easy access in case of a problem. New maple tops were made and a cobra 1000 W inverter installed. After a night of Jamaican engineering, I had a solution to my stabilizer dilemma. A quick trip to the welders for some aluminum and a couple hours later I had stabilizers front and rear. They fold up tight to the body (flush with underside of frame) and work by placing a ratchet strap between the feet. As the ratchet tightens, it pulls the feet together providing lift and stability.

[KyleRuppel]

No more bunks, the key to this projects was to provide enough storage that the trailer would always be loaded and ready to go with everything needed to have an easy lay back getaway in the wilderness. The cabinet for the front of the trailer was an excellent project for my 4th year of carpentry. With an entire shop at my disposal i managed to build myself a rather nice (and heavy) cabinet. The other cabinets are all the original fiberglass, refaced with maple ply and checkerplate. All of the drawers and doors are attached by way of ball bearing easy glide sliders, and held in with roller catches. The stove and furnace are both originals. The furnace was repaired and both received a fresh coat of tremclad high heat. I put the stovetop on roller clips as opposed to bolting it back in place for easy removal and cleanup. New curtains, rods, and rod holders were installed as well as aluminum checkerplate kicks with removable cellulite foam flooring for easy cleaning.

[jen b]

I am enjoying this roll-out immensely...But I worry you've made it too nice to drag into the wilderness!

Oh yeah, incredible woodwork! You might win for maximum storage space in a 13' trailer.

[KyleRuppel]

Here are some finished pics of the outside. One other feature I didn't mention is that the spare tire carrier doubles as an 'ERP' (Emergency Recovery Point) from which the trailer can be towed backwards out of sticky situations. This project has definitely been the most challenging I have ever taken on, mainly due to the shape and lack of fasteners that can be used. If you need any more detailed information or pictures don't hesitate to ask as I have kept this post fairly basic. Hope to see y'all on the road some day!

[KyleRuppel]

What's a few scratches between friends

[KyleRuppel]

Thanks Jen, I don't feel so bad now the first scratch hurt a bit...I just want to say your burro is coming along beautifully and look forward to the final product! Keep up the good work it's nice to see a good 'n' proper restore!

[willisworms]

I love the way you rebuilt your whole trailer in one day, and all before 1 pm! I have been planning a similar thread for my beachcomber build. I just need another month or so

Where about in B.C do you live?

Willis