Demo Day

We just purchased a 13' Boler from a friend (they bought another one) and decided to over haul it! To put it mildly. After towing it to a family members shop in Saskatoon the demos began. We ended up ripping everything out...and once down to the frame found that the interior lining was in bad shape. There was a lot of leakage around the windows and it was soaking wet and moldy. So decided that tearing it out may be best. But now we are left with the decision of what to replace it with...and what will adhere to the fiberglass and still look good. This is where I thought you folks may be able to help. What suggestions do you have?

[Gina D.]

Blank slate!

The possibilities are endless!

[Frederick L. Simson]

We ended up ripping everything out.
But now we are left with the decision of what to replace it with...and what will adhere to the fiberglass and still look good.
[b]What suggestions do you have?

Congratulations on your project! Rebuilding a trailer from the naked shell will give you an intimate knowledge of how everything works!

I did this with my 1st trailer, a 1971 Compact Junior.
Before I started on this project, I looked into buying a Lite House Trailer-for-Two. This was in 1996, when that company was still in business...

I feel a long story comming on. You might want to fix yourself a cup of coffee and get comfortable about now...

Anyway, when I got all excited about the Lite House trailer, I sent away for the video the manufacturer had made. It showed his construction process, and I decided that I could do that myself. It turns out that Lite House (and Scamp) line the inside walls and ceiling with Reflectix Insulation. This is glued to the fiberglass. Scamp installs 2 layers.

I used an aresol spray glue: 3M Super 77. The directions tell you to work in a "small" area that you can finish within the 20 minute cure time. I sprayed the wall section, then I sprayed the piece of Reflectix, let them "dry" for 20 minutes, then hung the Reflectix on the wall as if I were wallpapering. I did this one piece at a time, but only one layer.

If I were to do it again (I did it over the first time), I would use:3M Super 90

At this point Scamp covers their interior with the infamous "rat fur". I wanted something more washable, so I went to WalMart and bought: Oilcloth

This is how it turned out:

[Bonnie and Roger in WA]

We just purchased a 13' Boler from a friend (they bought another one) and decided to over haul it! To put it mildly. After towing it to a family members shop in Saskatoon the demos began. We ended up ripping everything out...and once down to the frame found that the interior lining was in bad shape. There was a lot of leakage around the windows and it was soaking wet and moldy. So decided that tearing it out may be best. But now we are left with the decision of what to replace it with...and what will adhere to the fiberglass and still look good. This is where I thought you folks may be able to help. What suggestions do you have?

We too are in the process of a total makeover. Our Lil Bigfoot walls were covered with auto headliner material. It is a knit with kind of a brushed surface, laminated to 3/16 inch foam.

Since pulling the old faded, moldy stuff off did not leave a perfect working surface, we abandoned our original plan of covering it with heavy felt yardage. (Friends did this right over the old wall covering with great success and it only cost about $15)

We found a source for the original stuff in Mississippi(www.yourautotrim.com) @ $5.95 per yard and decided to go this route. We ordered 15 yards just to make sure we had plenty. Shipping to WA is $42. We are anxious for it to arrive so we can start the next phase of the remodel.

Good luck with your project. Roger and Bonnie

[Bonnie and Roger in WA]

Congratulations on your project! Rebuilding a trailer from the naked shell will give you an intimate knowledge of how everything works!

I did this with my 1st trailer, a 1971 Compact Junior.
Before I started on this project, I looked into buying a Lite House Trailer-for-Two. This was in 1996, when that company was still in business...

I feel a long story comming on. You might want to fix yourself a cup of coffee and get comfortable about now...

Anyway, when I got all excited about the Lite House trailer, I sent away for the video the manufacturer had made. It showed his construction process, and I decided that I could do that myself. It turns out that Lite House (and Scamp) line the inside walls and ceiling with Reflectix Insulation. This is glued to the fiberglass. Scamp installs 2 layers.

I used an aresol spray glue: 3M Super 77. The directions tell you to work in a "small" area that you can finish within the 20 minute cure time. I sprayed the wall section, then I sprayed the piece of Reflectix, let them "dry" for 20 minutes, then hung the Reflectix on the wall as if I were wallpapering. I did this one piece at a time, but only one layer.

If I were to do it again (I did it over the first time), I would use:3M Super 90

At this point Scamp covers their interior with the infamous "rat fur". I wanted something more washable, so I went to WalMart and bought: Oilcloth

This is how it turned out:

Looks great! I never would have thought of the oilcloth, but it makes sense. Our trailer is lined with about 1/2 inch flexible foam insulation and the headliner material that we will use to "paper" the walls has 3/16 inch foam. My question is--where did you start with your first strip of "wall paper"? My inclination is to start at the front, centering the window and working in both directions to keep the seems symetrical. We kept the old wall covering to gleen any clues about the process, but where they started was not one of them. Thanks, Bonnie

[Frederick L. Simson]

My question is--where did you start with your first strip of "wall paper"?

Keep in mind that a [b]Compact Junior's entry door is centered in the back, over the bumper.

I started in the front, with the pieces above and below the window looking out over the hitch. Then I formed strips to complete the front wall to the corner. Then I did strips on each side to go from the corner to the side window. I continued this way from front to back, finishing with the piece over the door.

I overlapped my seams 1/4 inch, and did not cover the seams themselves with seam tape. When you look inside the trailer from outside the entry door, all of the seams are invisible! However, when you sit at the dinette in the very front and look back toward the door, each and every seam shows.

[Alf S.]

Keep in mind that a [b]Compact Junior's entry door is centered in the back, over the bumper.

I started in the front, with the pieces above and below the window looking out over the hitch. Then I formed strips to complete the front wall to the corner. Then I did strips on each side to go from the corner to the side window. I continued this way from front to back, finishing with the piece over the door.

I overlapped my seams 1/4 inch, and did not cover the seams themselves with seam tape. When you look inside the trailer from outside the entry door, all of the seams are invisible! However, when you sit at the dinette in the very front and look back toward the door, each and every seam shows.

Hi: What seems forward to one seems backwards to another Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[DonInChatt]

Anyway, when I got all excited about the Lite House trailer, I sent away for the video the manufacturer had made. It showed his construction process, and I decided that I could do that myself. It turns out that Lite House (and Scamp) line the inside walls and ceiling with Reflectix Insulation. This is glued to the fiberglass. Scamp installs 2 layers.

Do you still have the Lite House video? We still have videos from the early days of VCRs...never throw anything away. A Lite House video would be very interesting to see!

Don

[Frederick L. Simson]

Do you still have the Lite House video?

I would contact Dan I. He tracked down that video after I gave it away and made DVD copies of it.

[Bonnie and Roger in WA]

Keep in mind that a [b]Compact Junior's entry door is centered in the back, over the bumper.

I started in the front, with the pieces above and below the window looking out over the hitch. Then I formed strips to complete the front wall to the corner. Then I did strips on each side to go from the corner to the side window. I continued this way from front to back, finishing with the piece over the door.

I overlapped my seams 1/4 inch, and did not cover the seams themselves with seam tape. When you look inside the trailer from outside the entry door, all of the seams are invisible! However, when you sit at the dinette in the very front and look back toward the door, each and every seam shows.

Thanks! That sounds pretty much like what we will do, but one never knows until you get started how it will actually work. Bonnie and Roger in WA