Maintenance & Restoration

Ironhinge · 07-30-2015, 07:15 PM

I think the main issue in my mind is weather the wood should be sealed or left to breathe...I noticed that the plywood that was totally sealed in fibreglass seemed to rot far more than I expected. It seems like if I could seal the water out perfectly and forever I could use any sort of plywood I wanted. Unfortunately that’s not going to happen so I get to guess.

The other bit is that the floor seems to have rotted from lack of maintenance and that in an ideal repair/referb there should not be water gathering to start the rot. everything that I have thought of to prevent wet wood from rotting has a drawback, keeping it dry is starting to seem like the easiest option

Mikmay · 07-30-2015, 08:20 PM

Mathew on both my trilliums the four corners under the beds and front Groucho there are moulded drain channels which drain any leaked water out the floor . It looks like it is factory installed but I don't know if it is done on all trilliums it must work well as I have no floor rot on either trailer. You may want to consider them for your trailer. David May know about which trailers had them.

Borrego Dave · 07-30-2015, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironhinge

I think the main issue in my mind is weather the wood should be sealed or left to breathe...I noticed that the plywood that was totally sealed in fibreglass seemed to rot far more than I expected.

If the wood was (fully) glassed in there should be no way it would rot. They have been glassing in thin plywood for support and stiffness in FG boats for years. If your floor was rotting out the FG had to have been compromised somewhere for water to get in.

Ironhinge · 07-31-2015, 07:11 AM

there is a lower part of the moulded body in the corners as you describe. I think you are right about the design and that something extraordinary happened to my trailer to cause this rot. I believe the floor rot has come as a result of the door side channels filling with water and it sitting there...
there are not any actual drains... if I was to go with the breathing approach I might put a vent fan that pulls air though these spaces like a bilge fan

Ironhinge · 07-31-2015, 07:13 AM

I guess I was assuming that at some point in the future there will be a failure in the fibreglass and that water would find its way into the plywood... if its possible I would love to totally encase the plywood. Do you think the polyester resin would bond to the plywood well enough?

David Tilston · 07-31-2015, 01:21 PM

As far as I know all Trilliums have what I call, "pontoons" on either side. Curved depressions that overhang the frame on the outside. The lowest point on the pontoons is just ahead of and just behind the wheel wells. I have drilled 1/4" holes at these low points on all my Trilliums. In some cases lots of water came out.

There is a fitting that has a screen that can be installed in such holes. This would keep out the bugs. I have never found this fitting, but I have not looked very hard.

Trillium / Outback pours resin over the plywood till it is completely encased. I would think this makes it unnecessary heavy. The worst example of water exposure that I have seen is the trailer I call Humpty Dumpty.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...now-61473.html
The roof caved in five years before I bought it. There was a pile of six or seven sleeping bags on the floor. As I dug down in that pile the moisture content went up. I was sure the floor would be rotten. But, it is as sound as any other trailer in my fleet. How is this possible? I attribute it to two things. In early Trilliums, they put a mote around the top hatches into the gaucho, and dinette. This catches any water flowing over the seats and directs around the opening to the low side of the opening, where it overflows away from the opening. So very little water got into the space under the seats. And, any that did found it's way into the pontoons, which had holes in the bottom. The inside of the seats on this trailer look like new. The plywood is solid. This is why I did not wreck the trailer for parts.

Ironhinge · 07-31-2015, 03:29 PM

David, I was hoping you could post pictures or a link so I can see these gutters around the seats, It sounds like a really good idea. I had read in another post about the older trilliums and the good water management but I am still not so sure I get it...

also did the doorways have a lower threshold?

David Tilston · 07-31-2015, 03:49 PM

I will try to post more pictures tonight. There is a lower threshold on the doors, but it is in the 1/4" range.

This trailer has the motes that I was referring to:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...0-a-69671.html

I am not sure why they went to a simpler dip for a sheet of plywood. Maybe people thought the mote was uncomfortable when they slept on it?

Ironhinge · 07-31-2015, 04:33 PM

I bet it was to simplify mould release

Ironhinge · 07-31-2015, 09:37 PM

so i'm stumped, I have been looking at boat building forums trying to figure out how to glue the plywood to the fibreglass underbelly and then the old floor back into a sandwich....

the floor looks like it was originally set into a puddle of resin, the contact seemed inconsistent there were thick and thin parts yet it was stuck down pretty solid. I assume they used the same poly resin the had on hand...

what I have seen on the internet so far makes it sound like using anything but epoxy is a travesty, but I also get the distinct impression it is largely pushing of party lines, epoxy people pushing epoxy with polyester users on the defensive. I am becoming less and less concerned with the wood choice and more doubtful of the glue...

Borrego Dave · 07-31-2015, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironhinge

so i'm stumped, I have been looking at boat building forums trying to figure out how to glue the plywood to the fibreglass underbelly and then the old floor back into a sandwich....

the floor looks like it was originally set into a puddle of resin, the contact seemed inconsistent there were thick and thin parts yet it was stuck down pretty solid. I assume they used the same poly resin the had on hand...

what I have seen on the internet so far makes it sound like using anything but epoxy is a travesty, but I also get the distinct impression it is largely pushing of party lines, epoxy people pushing epoxy with polyester users on the defensive. I am becoming less and less concerned with the wood choice and more doubtful of the glue...

Hi Matt, yes it can get real confusing using the web. I think you're right with the epoxy/poly crowd but there have been a number of posts from folks that work with FG and say to only use one on the eggs. Wish I could remember which. I've done a bunch of mods and, and yes, repairs on my FG bodied dune buggy with the resin from the box stores, whatever it was. Never had a problem with any of them coming apart or cracking. I can guarantee to you that what I put the buggy through off road wouldn't even be close to the worst road any egg ever sees. Can't see any need for gluing the floor down. Setting the ply down in a puddle of resin with some weight on it sounds good to me. A cover coat after setup with some matt or cloth, should be good to go depending on the top finish you want to end up with. Hopefully Fiberglass Dave (that's not me)will pop into this and give you his advice. I probably just muddied it up for you

.

Ironhinge · 07-31-2015, 10:54 PM

at this point it all helps, Thanks

Ironhinge · 08-02-2015, 05:31 AM

I used marine plywood, it was expensive but seemed very strong and light... if I ever do this again I think I would use cdx exterior grade plywood, It has a similar waterproof glue it's just made of pine and is allowed to have voids in the core...

Ironhinge · 08-05-2015, 02:28 PM

I installed a patch in the floor extending from a few inches in from the kitchen and across to under the door... the piece I put in is 48in wide. The front of the trailer to the closet was originally a full sheet, now it has a seam in the middle. I did this to avoid pulling up the kitchen.

David Tilston · 08-05-2015, 03:37 PM

Good plan. Pictures are nice.

Ironhinge · 08-05-2015, 10:20 PM

So, some pictures

Ironhinge · 08-05-2015, 10:28 PM

Oh, forgot to say I cleaned the floor, polyester resin coated the wood, then as quick as I could laid down resin on the floor and screwed though the new plywood and fiberglass into plywood and wood scraps I had cut and had ready under the trailer... it was the only way without flipping the trailer upside down I could think of to clamp the new floor to the flexible fiberglass under it

Ironhinge · 08-06-2015, 01:37 PM

I wanted to make sure everyone knows how appreciative I am for the help and support, sometimes I read back on my posts and am unsure if it is communicated so I thought It was worth saying, Thank You All