Maintenance & Restoration

spue · 06-05-2012, 01:09 PM

Hello all. new to FGRV. my family just bought this trailer! super excited. it's in really good shape, but i still want to make it nicer. gotta great deal too! i assumed it was a SCAMP, but now i am not sure. so many of these trailers from the early 70s look so similar in the pictures. the title says FBSTS for make and the serial # is S7016. it's from 1972. i bought it from the original owner. she was a super sweet old gal that had just lost her husband. they drove it all over the US for the last 30 years! i can't wait to take my family camping in it. luckily it's ready to roll and only has minor rust on some of the interior hardware. i need to do some work on the door, and it was painted on the exterior with what looks like house paint. i want to get that stuff off and have it painted up real nice.

Anyway, like this site and definitely will be following stuff in the forums.

Carol H · 06-05-2012, 02:09 PM

The roof line, bumper and rear lights & California gas tag suggest to me that it not a scamp - Boler America?

spue · 06-05-2012, 02:36 PM

the taillights are what made me question it being a scamp.

Carol H · 06-05-2012, 02:47 PM

the other thing that makes me think its not a Scamp is the water and power are on the correct side - Scamp did not get that right until after 92 believe it or not.

Do you have a photo of the door side of the trailer?

Edit: Actually it was the 16' that had the water & power on the wrong side for a long time.

BCDave · 06-05-2012, 03:20 PM

Looks awfully "Boler-ish"

**RogerDat** · 06-05-2012, 04:18 PM

My 77 has power and drain street side (no water hook up just tank) so I have never understood the "wrong side" thing. But I agree those don't look like "wedding cake" scamp lights.

Don't know enough about the differences between early models but that under couch storage is top center access, as opposed to having a center cupboard with little side hatches on the top that I have seen on my scamp and in other early scamp pictures.

Carol H · 06-05-2012, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerDat

My 77 has power and drain street side (no water hook up just tank) so I have never understood the "wrong side" thing. But I agree those don't look like "wedding cake" scamp lights.

Don't know enough about the differences between early models but that under couch storage is top center access, as opposed to having a center cupboard with little side hatches on the top that I have seen on my scamp and in other early scamp pictures.

The wrong side is on the passenger side. Most campgrounds have the hook up on the driver side. The 16' Scamps had the hook ups on the passenger side for many years.... its a pain to have to run the hoses and power cord under the trailer to hook up. I think because the sink on the 13' was on the drivers side (16' is on the passenger) they had them in the correct place all along.

I seem to think that the early Scamps didnt actually have wedding cake lights either - not like the ones in the 80's and 90's. I'm pretty sure the 70's had a more square or rectangular type or at least my girlfriends does and hers are original to the trailer.

Donna D. · 06-05-2012, 05:34 PM

The give away is Scamp NEVER frenched-in the tail lights. Definitely not a Scamp.

avfn · 06-05-2012, 05:36 PM

looks like my boler

Carol H · 06-05-2012, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donna D.

The give away is Scamp NEVER frenched-in the tail lights. Definitely not a Scamp.

Yup thats what hit me! Also the bumper looks very Boler - but the question is what boler is it? what was made in California? or was that plate just added when they added a propane appliance of some sort?

**RogerDat** · 06-05-2012, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carol H

The wrong side is on the passenger side. Most campgrounds have the hook up on the driver side. The 16' Scamps had the hook ups on the passenger side for many years.... its a pain to have to run the hoses and power cord under the trailer to hook up. I think because the sink on the 13' was on the drivers side (16' is on the passenger) they had them in the correct place all along.

I seem to think that the early Scamps didnt actually have wedding cake lights either - not like the ones in the 80's and 90's. I'm pretty sure the 70's had a more square or rectangular type or at least my girlfriends does and hers are original to the trailer.

Ahh I have a 13 ft, thanks for clearing that up. I know the original lights have been replaced but the original hole pattern is pretty big square as you say.

Would be neat if OP just bought a Boler American eh?

spue · 06-05-2012, 08:21 PM

Thanx for the feedback so far. gonna research the early bolers some more and try to make a positive id. here are some more pictures i couldn't post before because of the 4 pic limit.

but what about the fbsts thing and the serial #? do those clues help?

Roy in TO · 06-05-2012, 08:21 PM

I don't think it is a Scamp because the lower was green gelcoat, you can see the white paint around the Serial # plates. Every scamp I've seen was originally white top and bottom.

There is a remote chance this MAY have been built for boler America. The frame appears the same, the side markers are the same. The interior lights are the same on the upper cabinet. It was white over green. The tail light lenses could have been changed. It uses the same license plate light. Even the front jack is the same. The electrical hatch looks the same, does it say Air-Tex Dallas Tex?

In addition, the serial # is 7016. All the other boler American serial numbers have started with 1, 3 or 5. Could this be the 16th trailer made by a 4th manufacturer just before boler America met it's demise and never got the boler American nameplate? I don't see a serial number plate on the drivers side of the A frame, typical of the boler American.

The one thing that does not make it a boler American, is that it has a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Certificate. I have not seen a boler American to date with one. The California Standards plate may give something to research the origin by. Could the RV 183 possibly be the Manufacturer? I've always had a feeling Eleanor International was setting up a manufacture somewhere out West to produce the boler American. The inside of the door does not appear to have ensolite extending to the hinge area like on my boler American.

It definately needs a new axle, that is the first egg I've seen with "wheelie wheels" added to keep the rear bumper from scrubbing. It also looks like the rear stabilizers were after market.

spue,
Since you know the original owner is there any chance they might have more documentation or be able to provide a little more history?

RogerDat,
Take a second look at the picture of the front bench. The distances are distorted by the camera. There are 2 undercouch accesses. Very similar to my boler American.

Carol H · 06-05-2012, 08:28 PM

As we have determined this isnt a Scamp due to the lights, bumper and the green gelcoat, I am wondering if perhaps a Moderator can change the title on this to get a bit more attention from the Boler fans. To something like "what Boler is this"?

It may also be worth while posting the photos and info to Bolerama

moderator edit: the title of this thread has now been updated, as requested

spue · 06-05-2012, 08:37 PM

i will be asking the previous owner for more info soon. her husband JUST died and i was already bugging her too much the last few day in the process of acquiring this. i am gonna wait a little bit before i call her again since the trailer is already in my driveway. she is super sweet and my new favorite person in the world because we LOVE this trailer!

ROY in TO, how can you tell it needs a new axle from the pix? it rolls just fine. i do love the wheelie wheels.

Carol H · 06-05-2012, 08:39 PM

There are some photos here of a 74 boler with same bumper, lights and interior including the green ice box. Scroll down to see what it looked like inside prior to the make over.

Roy in TO · 06-05-2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spue

but what about the fbsts thing and the serial #? do those clues help?

They may be a key to yours and a possible missing link in the boler American history.

Let me contact Matt H to see if he knows anything about the fbsts as he was creating a documentary on these trailers.

Roy in TO · 06-05-2012, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spue

ROY in TO, how can you tell it needs a new axle from the pix? it rolls just fine. i do love the wheelie wheels.

spue,

Slow down ... I can barely keep up with your PM's and this thread at the same time.

Short answer, read my long post on axles here:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...arm-37248.html

It is not in how it rolls, but how it bounces, well really doesn't bounce on the axle the way it was intended to.

Carol H · 06-05-2012, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spue

ROY in TO, how can you tell it needs a new axle from the pix? it rolls just fine. i do love the wheelie wheels.

Not Roy, but its pretty clear from the photo thats its done. Assuming the frame is all in good condition its not the end of the world its just not going to be a real smooth ride over bumps or rough roads. Another way to tell is try and put a full hand width between the top of the tire and wheel well.