Trillium 1300 looking for adventure - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-31-2023, 08:45 AM   #1
Junior Member
 
Name: Gabrielle
Trailer: Trillium
Newfoundland
Posts: 4
Trillium 1300 looking for adventure

Hi wonderfully resourceful camper owners,

I am Gabrielle.

I bought a 1981 Trillium 1300 back in 2019 from a friend of a friend and it has been stored in our back yard since then. Fast forward 4 busy years, add two puppies and an almost 2-year-old, and I'm finally ready to put the camper back on the road. I'm a total newbie but am fairly handy if things are explained.

I made a list of things to get checked/do to get the camper back on the road. Can you please add/comment. I take all advice!

- Check frame for rust and structural soundness
- Determine if axle needs to be replaced (I don't know if it's the original). I'm assuming check tire wear as an indicator?
- Buy new tires
- Check if all lights and wiring work
- Fix the door: the door is sagging quite a bit and won't stay closed when on the road. Would appreciate all instructions on how to fix.
- Reseal windows
- Repair windows (they are jalousie windows I believe). Two of them won't open and don't stay shut, kind of flat when on the road. Again, I'll take any advice on how to fix.
- Test the burners
- Water tank: I don't intend to use the water tank and tap. Should I remove the tank to save on weight or just leave it alone?
- Figure out how heater works (any advice/tutorial?)

That's as far as I am in my thought process for now. I've added a few pics of saggy door and various angles so you can have an idea of what I'm working with.

Thanks in advance for your input!
Attached Thumbnails
door.jpg   crack above door.jpg  

door handle.jpg   cooking area.jpg  

belly band.jpg   door seal.jpg  

power pack.jpg   eager camper.jpg  

4feet_8paws is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2023, 01:43 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
David Tilston's Avatar
 
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
- Determine if axle needs to be replaced (I don't know if it's the original). I'm assuming check tire wear as an indicator?
If it is original, it needs to be replaced. It is likely rock hard and not providing any suspension at all. I did a post recently that discusses the five items that all classic Trilliums need to have looked at:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...on-100370.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
- Fix the door: the door is sagging quite a bit and won't stay closed when on the road. Would appreciate all instructions on how to fix.
The door was originally screwed into a thin piece of plywood inside the post on the hinge side of the door. This plywood has likely rotted out some time ago. There are several approaches to this problem.
- Open the post and install metal plates to screw into:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...air-47624.html
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...air-86366.html
- drill out the holes from the outside and push in a lot of fibreglass and resin as something for the screws to bite into.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
- Repair windows (they are jalousie windows I believe). Two of them won't open and don't stay shut, kind of flat when on the road. Again, I'll take any advice on how to fix.
Parts are available. Try Trillium / Outback in Calgary:
https://trilliumtrailers.com/
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
- Water tank: I don't intend to use the water tank and tap. Should I remove the tank to save on weight or just leave it alone?
If you don’t plan to use it, then I would pull it out just for the storage space. It doesn't actually weigh much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
- Figure out how heater works (any advice/tutorial?)
What furnace do you have? I suspect that it is a Coleman ST-200. Is it original? There is likely a manual for it in the Document Center:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/downloads.php


Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
That's as far as I am in my thought process for now. I've added a few pics of saggy door and various angles so you can have an idea of what I'm working with.

Thanks in advance for your input!
Some comments on your pictures:
First picture:
Your door light is not original.
The belly band is missing forward of the door.
The door has a Bargman L400 latch. These are hard to come by. I recommend that you close your door by opening the latch and pushing it closed. Don't slam it closed.
Your axle has not collapsed.
It looks like you have 13" wheels. 14" Ford Ranger rims will work.
There is an exterior 120VAC outlet. Nice.

Second picture:
That crack is not terrible, cracks in the gel coat are common on fibreglass trailers. However, there is some concern. The floor of a Trillium is a sandwich of fibreglass, plywood, fibreglass. Trillium should have drilled four drainage holes in what I call the pontoons, (just forward and rear of the wheel wells). These are the rounded bottom of the walls where they meet the bottom of the trailer. If there is a leak, they fill up with water. If the water fills the pontoons, then it starts to soak the plywood in the floor. This rots the plywood, causing the floor to lose structural strength. Once this happens the front curb side starts to sag. This is because the door is a rather large gap in the structure. As it sags, a rip may form in both the upper forward and lower rear corner. The upper rear and lower forward corners will display signs of compression. Another thing that indicates this failure is if the closet forms a high point on the flat section of roof over the door. You can look for this by standing on the tongue and looking along the flat section. This is a tough fix.

Third picture:
What is that above the L-400 door latch?
Notice how the door doesn't seem to line up with the belly band. Don't worry, that is just a flaw in the original design. None of them line up. I think that I will remove the rectangle at the edge of the door on my Trilliums to hide this flaw.

Fourth picture:
There is a lot going on in this picture.
The kitchen window was a factory option on the 1300's. If you have a vent fan blowing into the trailer, and close all the windows, other than the kitchen window, it will act like a hood fan and blow the steam out the window.
The shelves forward of the kitchen are not original. Trillium would have put fibreglass shelves there. One of the screws is in the fall restraint mount for the upper bunk, (not installed on your trailer) the other is into the shell of the trailer. In my opinion, a very bad plan.
The Ensolite behind that shelf changes color. Is that a repair?
There is a box on the roof vent with what appears to be a switch. I don't see a vent fan. What is that?
The lights above the kitchen don't look original, but I'm not sure that I have seen a Trillium that new.

Fifth picture:
That is not an issue. The black plastic is sold at almost all RV parts departments. It shrinks. You can replace it with many other colors.

Sixth picture:
Your door bulb is destroyed. I have never seen that before. These are sold in a number of places. So, not a big problem.

Seventh picture:
Your converter. I wonder what the switch beside it is for? While I'm an original equipment nut. This I would replace. Technology has made that obsolete. It looks like you may have enough room for a Progressive Dynamics PD4000:
https://www.progressivedyn.com/pd4000-series/
Besides providing 12VDC for the lights, it will also charge your batteries, either led acid or lithium.

Eighth picture:
Cute kid!
Below and beside the converter there is what appears to be a propane detector. It should be noted that these consume power and may drain your battery. They also don't last forever. I think that is what the power switch beside the converter is for.
Your fridge appears to be a 120V dorm fridge. There are 12VDC compressor fridges that consume very little power and can be run using a solar cell of sufficient capacity, (~100W). Originally there would have been an RM211 propane / electric fridge. These are not difficult to find second hand. They are power hogs, but on propane they can go for quite a while. The number of cushions implies that the front can be converted to a dinette. Is there a fibreglass mount for the table on the forward wall?

Sorry for such a long post.
David Tilston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2023, 03:21 PM   #3
Junior Member
 
Name: Gabrielle
Trailer: Trillium
Newfoundland
Posts: 4
July 2023 update

Well, 4 months after my first post, I finally gathered enough courage to start working on the camper. After removing every screw possible, I decided to start by peeling the ensolite around all the windows.

The front window went well. I peeled off the ensolite pretty far under the window as it felt wet. As expected, the wood is rotten and will have to be replaced.

Then I ran into a problem for the back windows: the above-head shelves. I obviously have to remove them to get at the ensolite and the window frames. I'm pretty sure they're not structurally important. I took out the screws that attach the brackets to the top window frames, but it looks like I have to remove the rivets that attach the brackets to the fiberglass kitchen cabinets and closet. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE CONFIRM before I try my hand at drilling out rivets? I would love to avoid it. Not sure those shelves are going to go back up when it's all done. I managed to peel the ensolite under the back window and again, no surprise: rotten wood.

Also, thank you David for such a thorough answer to my first post. I've attached a photo of the closet spec sheet to my post. To answer some of your questions/comments:

Quote:
Second picture:
That crack is not terrible, cracks in the gel coat are common on fibreglass trailers. However, there is some concern. The floor of a Trillium is a sandwich of fibreglass, plywood, fibreglass. Trillium should have drilled four drainage holes in what I call the pontoons, (just forward and rear of the wheel wells). These are the rounded bottom of the walls where they meet the bottom of the trailer. If there is a leak, they fill up with water. If the water fills the pontoons, then it starts to soak the plywood in the floor. This rots the plywood, causing the floor to lose structural strength. Once this happens the front curb side starts to sag. This is because the door is a rather large gap in the structure. As it sags, a rip may form in both the upper forward and lower rear corner. The upper rear and lower forward corners will display signs of compression. Another thing that indicates this failure is if the closet forms a high point on the flat section of roof over the door. You can look for this by standing on the tongue and looking along the flat section. This is a tough fix.
That comment made me very nervous! I checked and there doesn't seem to be any crack on the door lower left corner or compression signs on top left and bottom right corners of door. Fingers crossed.

Quote:
Third picture:
What is that above the L-400 door latch?
It's an ugly deadbolt that the PO installed. I will remove it when I work on the door.

Quote:
Fourth picture:
There is a lot going on in this picture.
The kitchen window was a factory option on the 1300's. If you have a vent fan blowing into the trailer, and close all the windows, other than the kitchen window, it will act like a hood fan and blow the steam out the window.
The shelves forward of the kitchen are not original. Trillium would have put fibreglass shelves there. One of the screws is in the fall restraint mount for the upper bunk, (not installed on your trailer) the other is into the shell of the trailer. In my opinion, a very bad plan.
The Ensolite behind that shelf changes color. Is that a repair?
There is a box on the roof vent with what appears to be a switch. I don't see a vent fan. What is that?
Thanks for the advice. I removed the added shelf but wonder why you think it's a bad plan.
The different-looking ensolite is not ensolite. It's a dingy piece of open cell foam installed by PO. I removed it today and am looking at ensolite alternative or source.
I do have a vent fan, that's what the switch is for.

Quote:
Fifth picture:
That is not an issue. The black plastic is sold at almost all RV parts departments. It shrinks. You can replace it with many other colors.
Good to know. Is it important to have it or is it only esthetic? Also you mentioned in several posts the belly band is one of 5 main issues with new campers. What exactly would the issue be with the belly band? Leak?

Quote:
Eighth picture:
The number of cushions implies that the front can be converted to a dinette. Is there a fibreglass mount for the table on the forward wall?
I don't see a fibreglass mount on the front wall... however I found what looks like a table-shaped board screwed onto the gaucho fiberglass at the front. What would the dinette pieces look like?
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_5653.jpg   IMG_5654.jpg  

IMG_5649.jpg  
4feet_8paws is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-24-2023, 10:54 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
David Tilston's Avatar
 
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
Well, 4 months after my first post, I finally gathered enough courage to start working on the camper. After removing every screw possible, I decided to start by peeling the ensolite around all the windows.

The front window went well. I peeled off the ensolite pretty far under the window as it felt wet. As expected, the wood is rotten and will have to be replaced.

Then I ran into a problem for the back windows: the above-head shelves. I obviously have to remove them to get at the ensolite and the window frames. I'm pretty sure they're not structurally important. I took out the screws that attach the brackets to the top window frames, but it looks like I have to remove the rivets that attach the brackets to the fiberglass kitchen cabinets and closet. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE CONFIRM before I try my hand at drilling out rivets? I would love to avoid it. Not sure those shelves are going to go back up when it's all done. I managed to peel the ensolite under the back window and again, no surprise: rotten wood.
Drilling out rivets is just part of working on most fiberglass trailers. There are two approaches.
1) Using an oversized bit drill into the center of the rivet till the head comes off, or till you can use a side cutter to cut it off.
2) Drill down the center of the rivet with a bit that is the size of the hole that the rivet is in, (I don't remember what size that is). Once through the head the shaft of the rivet should push through.

Both methods are complicated by the steel shaft in the middle of the rivet. It is difficult keeping the drill centered on the rivet. But, relax, be patient, don't worry, if you destroy the hole in the fibreglass, it is not difficult to fix. Working with fibreglass is like mud pies, (more on that later).

Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
Also, thank you David for such a thorough answer to my first post. I've attached a photo of the closet spec sheet to my post. To answer some of your questions/comments:
You are welcome! And thank you! I will, one day, update the serial number list:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...-56121-29.html

It is worth noting that your trailer is the youngest that I have yet found.


Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
That comment made me very nervous! I checked and there doesn't seem to be any crack on the door lower left corner or compression signs on top left and bottom right corners of door. Fingers crossed.
If your roof is flat over the closet, and a straight edge stays flat to the floor, between the fridge door and the trailer door, then you don't have a problem.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
It's an ugly deadbolt that the PO installed. I will remove it when I work on the door.

Thanks for the advice. I removed the added shelf but wonder why you think it's a bad plan.
It is difficult to mount stuff to the fibreglass shell properly. In my opinion, screwing through the shell is wrong. It causes leaks, and cracks in the gel coat. However, the damage, if there is any, has already been done.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
The different-looking ensolite is not ensolite. It's a dingy piece of open cell foam installed by PO. I removed it today and am looking at ensolite alternative or source.
What is used in the trailers produced today is something called Reflectix:
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ref...ion/1000167795
Basically, it is tough bubble wrap with a foil coating. This is covered by some type of marine headliner, (AKA Rat fur). Ensolite is better, however they no longer make the stuff with the cream colour vinyl coating. The Ensolite is actually the black, closed cell foam under the vinyl. The black foam can still be purchased, I think. I have considered trying to paint it with a vinyl based paint.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
I do have a vent fan, that's what the switch is for.
Interesting. That would be a previous owner, (PO) mod. I would like to see pictures of the fan.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
Good to know. Is it important to have it or is it only esthetic? Also you mentioned in several posts the belly band is one of 5 main issues with new campers. What exactly would the issue be with the belly band? Leak?
The plastic in the belly band is just to cover up the rivets under the plastic. It is available in other colours. I used a white one, till the belly band started to fall off:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...tml#post323323
The last picture.

That is one of the problems with the belly band.

I'm about to get boring. Feel free to skip this part.

The belly band is how Trillium joined the top and bottom halves of the shell. They set the top half on the bottom half, separated by some wood shims. The belly band is riveted through the gap between the shells, caused by the wood shims, into some steel plates, on the inside of the shells. These plates are about 1.5" tall and 3/4" wide, with a hole drilled in the middle. The rivet goes in the hole. As the rivet is pulled, it lines up the top half with the bottom half. You can see these steel plates in your picture where you have the Ensolite pulled down under the front window. The top and bottom shells are squeezed between the belly band, on the outside, and the steel plates on the inside. They worked their way around the trailer. More plates typically went in the corners. I guess this was where it really had to line up. It is in the corners that they sometimes used a double plates. I assume that this was for strength. Once the belly band was riveted in, they laid a fibreglass bandage around the inside of the trailer, over the steel plates. This sealed the top to the bottom of the trailer, making it waterproof. However, it also created a pocket around the bottom of the plate. Water gets into this pocket, probably through condensation. When winter comes, the water in that pocket freezes and expands. This rips the fibreglass a little. Over the years this rip gets bigger and bigger, till there is a leak. Also the steel plates will rust and in some cases totally dissolve. This is what happened to my trailer. The rivet no longer had anything to hold onto, so it let go.

I have fixed this twice. Once on a 1300:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ead-58763.html

Once on a 4500:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ead-59580.html

There are probably easier ways to do this job, but I am a bit OCD.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 4feet_8paws View Post
I don't see a fibreglass mount on the front wall... however I found what looks like a table-shaped board screwed onto the gaucho fiberglass at the front. What would the dinette pieces look like?
I have spent quite some time looking for a front dinette 4500 and I recently bought one:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ium-99562.html

Note the fibreglass back splash on the front table. It is screwed to the bottom plywood frame of the front window. It sits on the seat tops as well. The table attaches to it. This way they were able to mount something to the front wall of the trailer, without drilling through the shell.

Your trailer has the seats, but not the backsplash.

Fibreglass Work
As said earlier, working on fibreglass is like mud pies. I cut up little triangles of fibreglass mat. After sanding where you want to put down some fibreglass, you mix the resin and paint it on the sanded fibreglass. Then lay a dry fibreglass mat triangle on the resin. Next, saturate the mat with more resin. I use a cheep paint brush, like from the dollar store. I cut the bristles to half as long, maybe shorter. This allows me to push the mat around to where I want it, and to pop any bubbles that form. If my cheep brush starts to shed bristles, I try to remove them from the resin, but I don't get worked up about it.

If I have laid down too much fibreglass, then I grind it off. If I grind off too much, then I lay more down.

There is a very good thread on the process:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ass-52498.html

Dave White knows his stuff.

I hope that helps.
David Tilston is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
trillium


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Joy's Alaska adventure Joy A Camping, Campout Reports 22 08-16-2006 08:33 AM
Canadian East Coast Adventure (first trip) Carol Ann in TO Camping, Campout Reports 4 08-16-2006 06:12 AM
first adventure out with beachcomber Lori-Ann Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 11 08-09-2006 10:28 AM
We survived our first Trillium adventure! Legacy Posts General Chat 2 06-22-2003 10:22 AM

» Trailer Showcase

the boler

Wildwood

Stitch

Robs
» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.