Hi--New owners here!

[FlagstaffFrank]

Hi all! My fam and I just picked up a 1975 Boler and we'll be slowly renovating it over the coming winter. Couldn't be more excited, especially for the price & excellent condition (beyond some frame repair before that goes south).

I'm guessing we'll be replacing the frame, as there is a solid amount of deeper rusting and a crack forming behind the drivers-side wheel (the axle is < 8 years old though; the last owner upgraded it & its still in good shape, so we'll keep that), but luckily there is no damage or warping to the shell beyond some minor spiderwebbing and a few rivets or screws to replace here and there. Everything else (I hope) will be cosmetic upgrades.

I'd like to just repair the frame, but since we'd need to lift the shell off to repair it correctly, I'm thinking we'll just replace the frame entirely. That way we can weld a receiver on the back for a bike rack; update the way the shell is bolted on; and upgrade the tongue to better fit a propane tank, a battery, and a stronger tongue jack than the 800lb wheeled jack current on it. It'd be a lot of peace of mind to have a stronger frame, especially given what I've read of the problems with the old Boler builds.

I'd love advice or points toward threads on frame upgrades, replacing leaky rivets/screws, and anything else you find interesting about rehabbing/maintaining a boler/scamp! This is our first camper, but I've done some fiberglass repair on boats before and expect that part to be similar. I'm particularly interested in replacing the metal that covers the seamline all the way around the outside because of some loose sections--advice or tutorials (including videos) are much appreciated!

[Steve Hammel]

Welcome Frank. Sounds like you are pretty ambitious. I'm sure others here will have plenty of input on all your projects.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by FlagstaffFrank

...

I'd love advice or points toward threads on frame upgrades, replacing leaky rivets/screws, and anything else you find interesting about rehabbing/maintaining a boler/scamp! ...

Complete Guide to 13′ Boler Fiberglass Trailers

[FlagstaffFrank]

Originally Posted by Steve Hammel

Welcome Frank. Sounds like you are pretty ambitious. I'm sure others here will have plenty of input on all your projects.

Thanks, Steve! I tend to go pretty all-in with these projects...we've owned & fully retrofitted a school bus as a camper before, I've done plenty of build projects on other products, and I love learning how to work with new material. Hopefully a Boler frame replacement isn't too ambitious, especially with a good torsion axle on hand...but I'm looking forward to hearing from folks who have gone down that path!

[FlagstaffFrank]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Complete Guide to 13′ Boler Fiberglass Trailers

Thanks! I've been checking out that website--super handy!

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, Frank, from over in the White Mountains! Hope we might cross paths some day- don't see too many 13' anythings over here. We have a 13' Scamp.

Given the age and all the work to separate the shell, I'd be inclined to favor a whole new, upgraded frame, contingent on being able to find someone to make it. That could be the difficulty, as you're unlikely to find anyone local with Boler experience. Member Ian Giles has a lot of Boler information on his website, which Gordon linked. Might be some specs for the new frame he built for his Boler or at least good pictures.

Best wishes!

[Stephen_Albers]

Frank,

Congratulations. You are a discriminating owner who recognizes and is willing to deal with inherent frame defects. Just like yours, the frames of nearly all campers are marginal in strength to begin with and rust out over time like an automobile. Replacing the frame is not the solution. Building a new stronger frame that will protect your unit from broken rivets and bolts is the way to go, particularly if you plan to boondock. There are specialists who do this very well. Contact me privately for a recommendation.

Stephen

[FlagstaffFrank]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Welcome, Frank, from over in the White Mountains! Hope we might cross paths some day- don't see too many 13' anythings over here. We have a 13' Scamp.

Given the age and all the work to separate the shell, I'd be inclined to favor a whole new, upgraded frame, contingent on being able to find someone to make it. That could be the difficulty, as you're unlikely to find anyone local with Boler experience. Member Ian Giles has a lot of Boler information on his website, which Gordon linked. Might be some specs for the new frame he built for his Boler or at least good pictures.

Best wishes!

Thanks for the hello & heads-up, Jon! I'm sure we'll see you around--there are a few 13' Scamps here in Flag, but not too many. Just look for a light purple Boler on the road or in camp--that'll be us! I'll get a pic up sometime. I have a few places here that could fabricate a new frame, but I wonder if there are some good options down near like Cave Creek or on the outskirts of Phx...

[FlagstaffFrank]

Originally Posted by Stephen_Albers

Frank,

Congratulations. You are a discriminating owner who recognizes and is willing to deal with inherent frame defects. Just like yours, the frames of nearly all campers are marginal in strength to begin with and rust out over time like an automobile. Replacing the frame is not the solution. Building a new stronger frame that will protect your unit from broken rivets and bolts is the way to go, particularly if you plan to boondock. There are specialists who do this very well. Contact me privately for a recommendation.

Stephen

I appreciate the thoughts--fabricating a new, stronger frame certainly seems a wise choice. I'm going to see just what is going on once the shell is lifted (I want to replace all connection points anyway), in case things aren't as bad as I fear. Luckily I live somewhere with a strong welding community, so it hasn't been hard to track down people with more than enough talent to tackle such a project. It was a factor I budgeted into the purchase, made worthwhile so I could match the excellent shell and new, quality torsion axle and get another 40 years out of the camper.