Help! Removing Closet and front bench and diner.

[chrisbarnard1]

Hi all??

I'm at gutting the inside of my 1975 Boler and I've found the front bench and the closet are fiberglassed to the outside. I'm wondering what the reasoning behind this is and if I'm able to cut this fiberglass and then replace it after doing what I want to the inside. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much

[David Tilston]

Chris, You should be careful. The closet holds up the roof.

[chrisbarnard1]

Fair enough that's good advice but how wouldn't it be ok just temporarily as I gut and paint the insides before replacing and cleaning everything up?

[David Tilston]

Oh, I thought that this was a permanent mod.
fibreglass is a very forgiving material. Try not to go through the shell, but repairing fibreglass amounts to shaving each side of what you want to connect to a point that starts about 2" from the edge. If you can get to both sides, shave both sides. Clamp it in place and add a 4" wide strip of resin soaked fibreglass mat to both sides of the seam. Sand smooth. Add more fibreglass if necessary. Sand again. Then paint.
There are threads on this site where people have repaired crushed trailers.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...oof-47443.html

[chrisbarnard1]

Thanks again for your advice... It seems alright but I'm just a little hesitant. I'm not sure what the logic was for installing it there in the first place. On the front bench it is inside and just a little patch near the door and on the closet it is a little piece near the wheel well. The rest of the pieces are screwed or riveted in. I'm thinking that they would put a piece of fiberglass there to just hold it in place while they screwed it in??

[Donna D.]

Kinda reminds me of a kitchen in a sticks 'n bricks home... I'd paint around everything and inside the cupboards before I removed the cabinets... just to paint. YMMV