Surfside Disaster - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-24-2019, 03:39 PM   #1
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Name: Jerad
Trailer: Surfside
Alberta
Posts: 16
Surfside Disaster

Hi there,

I’m new to the forum and new to owning a fibreglass trailer. I recently purchased a 1970 something surfside trailer and am in the process of gutting the rotten floor and patching a few holes in the fibre since it was used as a ice fishing shack...

Any advice down the road would be greatly appreciated. I am also looking for a window 15x42 to replace the one that is missing.

Thanks to all and excited to be a part of the community!

Regards,

Jerad
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Old 07-24-2019, 03:45 PM   #2
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Congrats on your purchase. If you can't find any windows and you're good with fiberglass, fill the window holes and cut new holes for new windows.
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Old 07-24-2019, 04:46 PM   #3
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Name: Sandra
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I can't wait until large scale 3-D printing becomes more readily available. I see so many possibilities in a project like this. The link to article from Professional Boat Builder "Just Print It".

https://www.proboat.com/2018/09/3d-p...truction-mold/

Have fun with your renovation!

Sandy
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Old 07-29-2019, 01:31 PM   #4
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Name: Jerad
Trailer: Surfside
Alberta
Posts: 16
Peeling back the layers

Started to rip out some of the flooring only to find more and more rotted wood until I decided to just rip then entire floor out. Anyone know why the plywood is sandwiched between two layers of fibreglass or why the are divots for water to pool in the shell? Would there be any harm in bring my new subfloor to the wall?
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Old 07-29-2019, 01:48 PM   #5
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Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
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You have divots for the water that potentially accumulates to run into? Wow are you really lucky that designer though that through! Be sure to put a drain tube in so the water can find its way to the exterior. If there had been drain tubes you would not be needing to repair a rotted floor. So when you fix the floor make sure to take advantage of those helpful features.
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Old 07-29-2019, 03:42 PM   #6
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Escape trailer also builds in pontoons under the flooring to prevent water from accumulating on the floor. However, the pontoons have small holes which allow the pontoons to drain. Since you have the floor out, you may want to consider drilling some holes. You could cover the holes with fine mesh screen to prevent bugs from entering the trailer.
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Old 07-29-2019, 06:33 PM   #7
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Name: bill
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I call that design “pontoon style”. The pontoons help keep leaking water away from the wood.

Why is there wood in the floor? Because you couldn’t stand up on two layers of fiberglass. Recently other products more resistant to water have been developed. But most current trailers still rely on wood: Casita, Scamp, Escape, Bigfoot and more. Wood, wood, wood. Trailer owners are responsible for maintaining their rigs to prevent leaks. Some do, most don’t!

If you run your new floor to the edge of the trailer, you render the pontoons useless. Many have small drain holes in the pontoons, some don’t. The Trillium shell design (which Surfside uses) does a great job protecting the floor, but once the floor fails they are harder to fix. The floor at the door goes to the edge.

And on these vintage trailers we are way beyond the original design expected life. So stuff fails and parts are hard to come by. The fact so many remain is a testament to the design.
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Old 08-01-2019, 10:07 PM   #8
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Name: Kerry
Trailer: Scamp
California
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For your question: Would there be any harm in bring my new subfloor to the wall?
You should leave a gap up to a quarter inch between the plywood and the wall of the trailer. Plywood does need a little room for expansion seasonally.
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Old 08-05-2019, 12:47 PM   #9
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Name: Jerad
Trailer: Surfside
Alberta
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Hey All,

Thanks for the replies and the information! It’s much appreciated since this is my first trailer renovation. I have managed to clean out the inside latch the ice fishing holes and remove all the electrical.

Next set of questions.

What’s the best tape to for the insulation seams? I plan on painting the insulation with a super tough oil base as ripping it out and redoing it would be too time consuming.

Also need to remove the shell from the frame as the water has rusted the bolts attaching them to the frame to the point of snapping. Anyone have any good ideas for how to lift the sheep off the frame?

Thanks again and will post some new pictures once the interior is looking to be in better shape!
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Old 08-05-2019, 02:43 PM   #10
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Name: Garry
Trailer: Surf Side
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Where in Alberta you from? We have a 69 (?) SurfSide and have redone most of it. We are from Edmonton if you want to get together to see what we have done. Just finished the 12VDC system, As a cabinet guy I have redone all the Cabinets. Beefed up the frame where it was cracking, much more to do. Installed a nice solid window on the back and have all the pieces to redo the existing windows.
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Old 08-05-2019, 02:48 PM   #11
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Name: Garry
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Here are some pictures.
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Old 08-05-2019, 03:10 PM   #12
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Name: Jerad
Trailer: Surfside
Alberta
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Kramer’s,

Wow yours is looking good! We’re in Calgary so not too far away. Your electrical system looks professional. I’m an electrician by trade so I can appreciate some good looking electrical work.

Carpentry would be a useful skill to have when building these things. I have the old woodwork saved for a template. Wondering what type of material you used for the cupboards?

Regards,

Jerad
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Old 08-13-2019, 10:29 AM   #13
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Name: Jerad
Trailer: Surfside
Alberta
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Kramers View Post
Where in Alberta you from? We have a 69 (?) SurfSide and have redone most of it. We are from Edmonton if you want to get together to see what we have done. Just finished the 12VDC system, As a cabinet guy I have redone all the Cabinets. Beefed up the frame where it was cracking, much more to do. Installed a nice solid window on the back and have all the pieces to redo the existing windows.

You wouldn’t happen to have your old windows by chance? I’m looking for one window, but would pay for all that you have if need be?
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Old 08-13-2019, 10:30 AM   #14
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Name: Jerad
Trailer: Surfside
Alberta
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Fibreglass flooring

Does anyone on the forum know if the top coat of fibreglass on the flooring in a surfside is at all structural? I don’t really want to put a top coat on my plywood if I can avoid it. I would rather pour a self leveling sealant on top.
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Old 08-14-2019, 06:42 AM   #15
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Name: Garry
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J-Thon View Post
You wouldn’t happen to have your old windows by chance? I’m looking for one window, but would pay for all that you have if need be?

Sorry, nope, I am replacing the glass and seals on the original ones.


Garry
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Old 08-14-2019, 10:24 AM   #16
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Trailer: Surf-Side
Manitoba
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Windows on a Surfside

J-Thon, one great advantage of the Surfside is that windows on all four sides open and that is great when you are camping. If you are able to find replacement opening windows, you will not regret it.
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Old 03-28-2020, 10:55 AM   #17
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Name: Jerad
Trailer: Surfside
Alberta
Posts: 16
Coming Along

Hey Everyone,

Have done a lot of work to the trailer since my last post and it’s almost time to do my electrical. I was wondering what the best system is? Does it need to have 120v or can I just run a 12v system. Both the fridge and furnace can run off of 12 volts so I was just curious if anyone had a good system or knows what components are a must have for this type of trailer. I will try and post some pictures of my progress today.

Thanks in advance for anyone’s input. It’s all very appreciated.
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Old 03-28-2020, 11:42 AM   #18
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New Mexico
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Outstanding work. Did you ever find windows? I'm guessing without the provision/option for 120 in addition to 12v -you can never take advantage of shore power at an RV site with hookups.
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Old 03-28-2020, 11:55 AM   #19
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Washington
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Really nice restoration!

I would think part of your voltage(s) decision depends on your usage. Will you be using shore power? If so then a 120/12v system would be worth it if you’re using high draw appliances (microwave, heater, hair dryer, coffee maker, A/C, etc). If not using those types of things you could get by with a 12v system and a good battery charging system, solar, generator, or plug in. The plug in option allows you to use shore power. Do you charge phones, laptops, or anything like that with 120v? An inverter can take care of those needs. It’s all about your camping style and needs.
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Old 03-28-2020, 02:05 PM   #20
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Name: Jerad
Trailer: Surfside
Alberta
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MyronL View Post
Outstanding work. Did you ever find windows? I'm guessing without the provision/option for 120 in addition to 12v -you can never take advantage of shore power at an RV site with hookups.

No unfortunately I have not found a window, but since it’s the front one I’m planning on just making one out of plexiglass or something along those lines. Yeah I guess the 120v would be nice if camping in spots with utilities.
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