Rebuilding Scamp 13’ in KS

[BOBco.]

I’m finally making some progress on my rebuild. The first thing I tackled was to replace the rotted floor under the couch by the door. This turned into a real head scratcher. When I cut the floor loose the right front of the trailer flopped forward and out. I attached a ratcheting tie down to the bottom of the trailer to pull it forward and one to the square tubing at the front edge of the door opening to pull it back in. When I would get it to where it looked right looking down the side of the trailer the door wouldn’t fit right. It would stick out top back and bottom front. I could adjust the tie downs to where the door fit but looking down the side of the trailer it didn’t look right. Took the door off and checked it with a level and found it was twisted.
For a fix I made some cuts on the inner glass then made a jig to hold the door in shape and glassed it back together. It worked!! I added a piece of oak for the latch and handle to screw to. The old wood was rotten. I also filled the hole for the handle and lowered it 1” to give room for a piece of trim I was going to put on to match the belly band. With the door fitting I then put in the new floor piece and added a beefier vertical brace out to the body.
Bob
To Be Continued.

[Donna D.]

Looks good Bob I find the work folks like you do to rehab these trailers is simply amazing!

Thanks for posting the pics too

[Ron in BC]

Good job "doing it right". Nothing more visually jarring than a door that doesn't fit right. The exterior looks nice and shiny, keep up the good work.

Ron

[BOBco.]

I have new floors and bench supports! All it took was a few drops of blood, several large clumps of hair, 35 paint brushes, 3pkgs glass mat, 1.4gals resin, a tube of caulk, some screws and 2 sheets of flooring.
Normally when doing a major project there would be tools rocketing through the garage followed by a few choice words but this thing just makes me smile.

[Nancy]

Hi Bob,

How about throwing in some cushions or an air mattress and come up to the gathering in Minden, NE in May. You will fit right in with our group. We would like to see how the work is going. If you have any questions there will be people who have been there before you (not us, we have no rehab skills).

Wow, does that outside look beautiful. Will enjoy watching your work, please keep us updated.

Nancy

[BOBco.]

Hi Nancy,
Thanks for the invite but the trailer wont be any where close to being ready. No windows or vents and the out side just looks good in the picture. Needs repainting. In person you can still read Branson Police Dept on the side and there is some small areas I'm repairing. I would like to attend a gathering. Maybe next year.
Bob

[BOBco.]

Life keeps getting in the way of my trailer rebuild but I'm going to get it done this year one way or the other.
just installed a 2000 lb. Flexiride Torsion Axle that I purchased from www.trailerpart.com. They where nice to deal with and they sold me the axle cheaper than advertised because I didn't need the hubs that came with it. I received it 6 days after ordering. I bought the Flexride because I liked the idea of the ride height being adjustable.
The installation
The original axle was a leading arm and mounted behind the floor. The new is a trailing arm and mounts under the floor.
Street side bracket
welded a 4 1/2" tall plate to bottom of frame rail up against the floor drop. welded a 5" tall plate to outside of frame rail. Welded a 1 1/2" wide plate with axle mounting holes to bottom of both.

[BOBco.]

Curb side bracket
Clamped a 4' piece of 1 1/2" angle to a piece of 3" square tubing then a 12" piece on the other side. this left a1/4" gap. laid apiece of 1/4" rod in the gap and welded the two together. pulled the tubing off and welded the inside. Ground both sides flat. Drilled 2 holes and welded on nuts for the axle mounting pads. Also drilled holes out from the nuts for welding to the frame. Drilled holes in original frame to clear nuts.

[Borrego Dave]

Looking good Bob, I really like the jig you made up for the door, best one I've seen.

[Sohkraites]

Great job! I love the jig for the door. Wish we had that when we were doing ours! Keep up the good work!

[BOBco.]

Thanks guys. I ended up doing more work on the door. Moved it 1/8" back to make the gaps look more even and 1/2" up because it hung below the body and looking at the inside it looked like it should be up. Cut 1/2 off the top to get the gap back. Also put more curve in the door from top to bottom. I new that you could use heat to get street rod or race car fiberglass back in shape but didn't know if it would work on the door with the fiberboard sandwiched in the middle. Worked fine. probably could of used heat to take the twist out.
Pic below shows before and after of door and ride height with new axle.
Bob

[BOBco.]

Just finished installing a 1946 ford front bumper on the Scamp. Gives it some bling. Also moved water fill from corner to back. I'll be moving the tail lights out. They are an oval light similar to a 42-48 Ford and I'll
be molding in a housing extension similar to a 42-48 Ford.
Bob

[BOBco.]

Bought some beauty rings and Baby moon hubcaps for the original scamp wheels. Most places I looked at only had plastic beauty rings. This place had stainless steel ones Hubcaps Wheel Covers | Hubcap Mike's | Buy New Hub Caps Online .
I bought the 13" rings Trim Rings Solid Stainless Steel Beauty Rings Polished to Chrome Luster .
And these hubcaps http://www.hubcapmike.com/rc2m-baby-moon-.html. I bent the tabs on the rings a bit to make them easier to install but they fit fine. The hubcaps almost fit. They did snap on but rattled. I put a spot weld on top of the nubs on the wheels and ground them down to .135" and they fit fine. The nubs where originally only .080" tall. See pics.
I really like the classic look. Next powder coat the wheels red and new tires.
Bob
PS did some measuring and the dust caps on my new brake drums would hit the Baby moons. But the original dust cap will clear. I'll bore out the center of the original caps so I can install the rubber cover from the center of the new dust cap. Will still be able to grease the hubs with out removing the dust caps.

[BillE]

Very Nice...

What a great find also with the SS polished rings.

Keep us posted with Photos of the build

Bill

[BOBco.]

This took a lot more time than I thought it would. Had to make a plug, make a mold then make the part. I have 3 complete weekends in this little project.
The tail light are now up higher and out farther than they where originally.
1st pic, plug and mold.
2nd pic, new part.
3rd and 4th pic, installed on trailer.
Bob

[BOBco.]

I put a piece of belly band an the door like I've seen others on here do. Think it makes the door side look more finished.
Installed a clearance light on the back that also has 3rd brake light and blinker functions.
Bob

[Johnny M]

Like what you have done, the jig for the door was pretty ingenious. I had similar problems with my door, entire inside wood was mush...ended up fabricating a frame out of square tubing then still had minor fit problems with opposite corners. At that point the frame was too solid to easily bend so I ended up making one out of conduit and got a perfect fit. Your tail lights work is very impressive...I would love to add some fins to mine with tails light similar to a 55 to 57 chevy but my skills are not that good...yet anyway.