New burro owner from NJ :)

[pink1969]

Hi there! My husband just picked up a burro camper that we don't know much about. It's been difficult to find information on them but I've learned a lot from reading the posts on here. Everyone seems so nice Now the fun of finding replacement parts begins!

[Donna D.]

Hi Angel, welcome to FiberglassRV the bestest place on the WWW to connect with like-minded folks!

What do you need?

[rabbit]

That's right, there are Burro owners here. When you do those looksees for info, remember that the "GOOGLE search" option in the dropdown meno under "search" is the one to use. Tell us about your rig and post pictures.

jack

[pink1969]

Hi Donna!! Wow that was a quick response! For starters we're looking for a door but we don't know what year it is. This may be a stupid question but are they interchangeable?

Thanks,
Angel

[pink1969]

Thanks Jack, just got it home tonight so we'll take pictures tomorrow and post them. It's gonna be a labor of love fixing up this little cutie

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by pink1969

Hi Donna!! Wow that was a quick response! For starters we're looking for a door but we don't know what year it is. This may be a stupid question but are they interchangeable?

Thanks,
Angel

Ah no, doors aren't interchangable (between brands). What's wrong with the one on your trailer? Lots of help here for repairs, etc.

[Pam Garlow]

Hi, Angel, you may be surprised to find out how 'fixable' these campers can be! Its partly a cost reason (because many of us are so frugal) and partly because finding parts can be pretty difficult. Because of that, you'll find a huge amount of info on fixing and repairing here! I'm looking forward to seeing your photos

[jen b]

Hey neighbor!

How old is your Burro? My sense of the door situation is that the door to an older model is going to be hard to replace. I'm just going by what I've seen in photos here, but it looks to me like the newerish models have a flatter style door compared to the curved door in one like mine, a 1980. Seems like it might be easier to find a generic replacement for the newer model doors. Just guessing here, though.

[rabbit]

Just as Jen says, the "newerish" Escondido CA Burros have a flat door framed up of aluminum extrusions, wood and foam fill, and thin Lexan skins. The older Plymouth MN and Sac City IA burros have a molded door which conforms to the contours of the trailer. And Jen is again correct that trailer doors of the frame-and-fill type are available. Pelland Enterprises in one maker. You won't be happy when you see the prices; I wasn't. If you're missing a door of the earlier type, the only replacement that would be available would be a takeoff from a parted out trailer. I wouldn't even guesstimate the probability of interchangability between 13, 14, and 17' models although the method of fabrication does yield a standardized size. If you have a molded door (even in bad conditiion or detached from trailer) please don't toss it. Several members here have made repairs to this type of door including reconstruction to improve conformity and sealing to the trailer and also to allow rehinging.

jack

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by rabbit

.....Plymouth MI .........

jack

I think you mean MN not MI

[jen b]

Right, and don't be afraid of doing fiberglass work! Although I come from a pretty can-do family, neither my dad nor I had ever done fiberglass body work, so we were embarking on a journey of discovery with my Burro. But it's not hard (just messy!) and we figured it out pretty easily.

We ended up reshaping the door handle area on my door to accommodate a new latch (the infamous Bargman L400 or whatever being at a hospice, waiting-for-death phase of its life). We also did a bunch of structural modifications and repairs that you can read about in my Rucio's Winter Makeover thread. It just takes a willingness to get dirty, think in practical design terms, and wield sandpaper like a champion. And, uhh, a garage full of tools doesn't hurt either. I am lucky in that regard, as my dad works punch-out for a house builder and had a tool to do just about anything.

But if you are un-handy and don't have those resources, there are auto-body pros out there who could help.

[deryk]

Angel, haveing just left the marine world of boat ownership, I know in Parlin an excellent fiberglass guy that would be able to fix your door... he is pricy but his workmanship is worth it... especially if you cant find a replacement door.

deryk

[rabbit]

Thanks Tom. Minnesota it is. It isn't vitally important to memorize the place where your trailer first saw the light of day but does make clear that several production facilities and at least two distinct companies produced "Burro" trailers.

There are features of design and build shared by all and some physical differences which are quite apparent: the elder variants easily distinguished by the molded in tail light nacelles or fins; the newerish by recessed tail lights. And of course the very different door designs.

Dating by manufacturer stickers or plates indicating year of manufacture is also possible if they haven't been lost of obliterated. Not certain how this info was displayed on Jen's Sac City; Escondido used an adhesive sticker on the tongue and the door jamb. If you find a YOM of 1998 to 2001 or 2, you have the newerish Escondido incarnation. YOM in 70s, 80s is obviously olderish and made somewhere in the upper midwest.

jack

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by rabbit

... does make clear that several production facilities and at least two distinct companies produced "Burro" trailers.
........
jack

Are all the "wide bodies" Escondido?

[rabbit]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Are all the "wide bodies" Escondido?

Short answer don't know but from the vacuous precincts of the ancient and rickety cortex I receive a faint suggestion that Sac City introduced the "wide body" Burro. May be only the fiftieth iteration of "he said she said." I think this may be addressed in archive this site in thread dealing with findings of gentleman who was/is engaged in developing a documentary on Burro trailers. There might also be something in the Yahoo interest group threads.

Burro Trailer LLC., Escondido CA produced wide body 14 and 17 footers. One of the best features of the later Burro imo. The 92" exterior width allows a rear convertible bed of 84" length (transverse to trailer axis) and standard width of 56".

jack

[Sue and Henry]

Welcome to the land of Burros! The door on my '82 Burro damaged when I got the 13 foot burro, but it was fixable. With help from an awesome neighbor, I repaired the door and hinge sections. If you have the door, you can fix it.

[kcburro]

There are indeed Iowa Wide Bodies, the older ones are. Mine is, an '85, 17 WB and it has the curved door, not in too bad of shape. Somebody caught it before it got bad and did something to it. It is a little rickety and the hinges are rusty, but the latch holds and the edges are water-tight when it rains. However, I did feel a draft at the bottom, so I think some new weatherstripping may be in order.