Surfside 1980 complete rebuild, my first

[Rolf Arnold]

Hi all,

I want to share the rebuild of a 1980 Surfside I bought for 4k CAD in September this year. It is my winter project but I'm slowly getting the feeling that even a long Calgary winter might not be long enough to finish this job. I knew I had to replace a lot of things when I bought it but did not think I would end up with a completely gutted trailer, insulation and floor completely removed. I also pulled out the frame and replaced the axle.

What I have done so far:
- added brake controller to my Subaru Outback

- replaced axle with new one ordered from City Springs in Edmonton (Flexiride 2000lbs with e-brakes)

- gutted the whole trailer (the popcorn insulation was gross, with many cracks and discoloring at the back from water leaks)

- replaced plywood floor

- removed the board that holds the door hinges, it was pretty rotten (because I had the insulation removed I managed to pry it out from the inside)

- ordered new windows from Sunview Industries in Summerland BC (they have not arrived yet)

- I have started some small fiberglass and gelcoat repairs, I have never done this before so I will take it slow and easy.

This forum has been very helpful so far (thank you to everybody!). Without it I would have never even thought of starting a project like this. And also a shout out to Joe and Reece at Trillium Outback trailer here in Calgary, they are always very helpful.

Here a few pictures, more to come when I make progress.

[robeye]

Wow.. You may be doing more than me as far as stripping the interior. My ensolite is in good condition so it stays, gets cleaned and painted. So what will you replace it with ?

[Rolf Arnold]

Hi Rob,

not 100% sure yet but I will use the same materials as the guys at Trillium Outback. Will keep you posted.

[Rolf Arnold]

There was some progress in the last month.
I re-installed the frame and closed off all the fiberglass holes left from removing the furnace and fridge. I don't need these vents anymore, since I will be installing a 12V compressor fridge. I also filled all the holes from shore power and water supply.
For this work, I followed the instructions by Dave White on this forum:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ass-52498.html

and the youtube videos by BoatWorksToday:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0k...zdqFUk3oTaHBuA

I used the following materials, all sourced from Industrial Plastics in Calgary:
-Marine grade gel coat, waxed
-Marine grade resin, waxed
-Fiberglass matt
-Bondo Body Filler (for repairing smaller holes)

The cutouts I got from Trillium Outback here in Calgary, that made the job much easier, rather than having to make my own.
Fiberglassing is actually pretty easy once you have all the right materials and tools. A bit messy put I expected it to be much worse. I'm sure my job is not professional but it looks pretty good and the surface is smooth. And when I press on the patches, they are solid. Once it's painted, nobody will notice there were holes once.
Currently I am sanding (this sucks so much ;-), and then I will paint the outside with Interlux paint. Updates to follow... (my two small girls want the green band painted in baby pink, we will see...)

Here some pictures of the fiberglass repair:

[robeye]

Great work ! I know you won't need the vents but the water fill ? and the power cord ?

[WaltP]

Impressive work so far. Thanks for sharing.

Walt

[Rolf Arnold]

Originally Posted by robeye

Great work ! I know you won't need the vents but the water fill ? and the power cord ?

Hi Rob,

I will drill new holes for that. I was not sure where exactly I would need the connections and three of the four holes where square. I want them all to be round.

[Rolf Arnold]

Since my original Bargman L400 had a broken outside flange and I did not want to pay 400 USD on ebay for a replacement one, I had to go with a standard Bauer RV lock and modify the door.
The problem with the Surfside is that the door thickness is almost 2 inches where the lock is located. This will not work with a Bauer lock, since it will only accommodate up to 1.5" door thickness.
So I had to do a few fiberglass modifications. I used scrap fiberglass sheets to fill in the holes. I will post more pictures once I got it all sanded, gaps filled in and painted.

[Alex Adams]

Even with a cracked flange, that Bargman lock is worth some bucks.

[robeye]

Your doing great work Rolf.. Gonna be a new trailer when finished.