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03-15-2021, 05:56 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Name: Jane
Trailer: Trillium
California
Posts: 11
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Trillium 1976
Hello everyone!
I was able to pick up my new to me 1976 Trill today.
First things first, I have to reattached the door and remove the “extra hinges and locks for extra safety”.
It looks like the owner BEFORE the previous owner had some sort of vinyl padding about half way up the walls, then stopped. If I had to strip it to see what’s under it, would it be worth trying to salvage? I do not super love the black, but it’s tolerable for now.
I have to check out the floor still, but under the bunks the flooring looked completely dry at quick glance.
I have attached some photos, I also have an album on my profile of all the snaps I was able to get today before the wind picked up.
Any advice to a newbie on what to look at/ easiest way to check for damage that likely would not have been disclosed?
Maybe some first impressions?
What is essential for the tool box? (above the basics)
Thank you so much! Look forward to hearing from everyone 
EDIT**
Is there anyway to find the serial no. And ect.. information about my trillium? The information inside the closet is completely tore out and there are no indicators on the outside.
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03-15-2021, 06:25 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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You had to transfer the registration here in BC. What did it say - what does it say on the registration?
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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03-15-2021, 06:27 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
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03-15-2021, 06:35 PM
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#4
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Junior Member
Name: Jane
Trailer: Trillium
California
Posts: 11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo
You had to transfer the registration here in BC. What did it say - what does it say on the registration? |
The registration has 1976 Trillium as well as info on insurance ect.
It has a VIN, but I have never looked up info with a VIN before. Is this possible?
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03-15-2021, 06:36 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Name: Jane
Trailer: Trillium
California
Posts: 11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Tilston
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Wow, thank you so much! Look forward to reading these. Your time is much appreciated
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03-15-2021, 06:38 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
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That foam may be the current version of Ensolite. In the original Trilliums, Ensolite, (Elephant hide, skin...) was a layer of black closed cell foam that was coated with a rough, (think spackle) layer of off white vinyl. It served two purposes. One was enough insulation to keep condensation from forming and dripping on your head. The other was to block the sun from shining through the fibreglass. I think that gluing it to the compound curves of a Trillium trailer is a bit of a lost art.
The current trailers use a silver coated bubble wrap called reflectix:
https://www.reflectixinc.com/product...ve-insulation/
Covered with a marine headliner commonly referred to as, "Rat Fur".
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03-15-2021, 06:41 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JanelleNorthernBC
The registration has 1976 Trillium as well as info on insurance ect.
It has a VIN, but I have never looked up info with a VIN before. Is this possible? |
You may find this list handy:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...tml#post680419
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03-15-2021, 07:10 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,143
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Its not like a car VIN #, the Trillium VIN tells you basically nothing. Its more of a sequence number, so it will give a clue on about when it was made.
You will likely need the more thorough door hinge mount repair, which starts on the inside with likely rotten wood. There is a thread by another forum member who did this repair.
Also should inspect all electrical and any remaining propane lines. The old power centers used in many of these were battery boilers, don't really age well, and IMHO should be replaced. Do it yourself and its not that much $$. 45 year old propane lines? I would not trust and I would replace them. Doing mine right now, time consuming, not that costly. Any remaining water lines? Those would be suspect as well.
Relatively quickly you can get this to OK for camping status. To get everything right will take some time.
The information on your specific trailer is the trailer itself. The options it has or doesn't have, etc.
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03-15-2021, 07:52 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
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If you don't mind some subjective observations:
You have a nicely equipped Trillium 1300. Furnace, fridge, converter, front and rear shelves, even the mirror are all factory options.
- It was the furnace that I first liked about Trilliums. No electrical power required, just a fire in a box. It's not very efficient, but it is good for keeping the chill off. If it is not working, it can be fixed. However, you might not be able to remove it without destroying it.
- The fridge is what is known as an absorption fridge. The model number is RM211. This is one of the most common fridges in RVs. If yours doesn’t work, there is someone with an old pop up tent trailer that is throwing one out. It can make cold using a very small flame. Weird eh? A propane tank will last more than a week while keeping your food cool. It even makes ice, (in small quantities) It can also be plugged in, though it consumes much more power than a compressor fridge would. Also, technically it can be powered with 12VDC. Though this is not very practical, since the power consumption would run your battery dead quite quickly.
- The converter, (below the furnace) will make 12VDC, (for your lights) when you are plugged into shore power. However it is just a small power supply. It can't charge your battery. It would destroy a battery if it was used to charge one. In fact there are other solutions from Progressive Dynamics that you may want to explore.
- The shelves are mostly a good place to mount lights. I also store sleeping bags there. The lack of doors means that most things put on the shelves will be on the floor when you get to your destination. Sleeping bags are light enough and fit tight enough to stay put. The shelves attach to the wood in the window frames. The front one needs to be looked at.
- The roof vent appears to be a 9” vent. If you plan to install a powered vent, with a fan, they are only made for 14” vents. You can cut the hole larger, when the time comes. I have some ideas on this subject.
Some notes on previous owner modifications:
- The lights above the dinette are original, the rest are mods.
- It looks like the previous owner; (PO) has already worked on the belly band. So one thing off the list.
- It looks like a car stereo has been installed above the sink. Did it come with the front control panel? Since CDs are on the way out. You might want to look into a diskless car stereo that would take up less space. I would not spend more then $40 on one: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=diskless+c...ref=nb_sb_noss
- The PO painted the furnace, with the wrong paint. Maybe strip off the white and repaint with high heat paint, (or if you have cash, get it chromed). It should be noted at this point that this style of furnace is no longer legal to install in new trailers. This is because the surface temperature can get high enough to cause a fire, if something flammable is in contact with it, (like blankets). This is not to scare you, just an FYI.
- I like what the PO did with the cupboard doors. The edges need finishing though.
- There is a switch at the top of the closet, what is that?
- The front window guard has been replaced with aluminum diamond plate. I think I like it, but I need more close up pictures of it, both open and closed.
- That is a lot of rock guard on the front of your trailer. Is it bed liner? Probably not easy to remove.
- The upholstery looks almost new.
I think you should know that $450 is a ridiculously low price for your trailer. I sold this trailer:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...now-61473.html
for $500, and I thought that was a good deal. Take your time. Have fun and when you are done fixing it up, it will be worth more than $12000 Canadian. Congrats.
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03-15-2021, 09:03 PM
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#10
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Junior Member
Name: Jane
Trailer: Trillium
California
Posts: 11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thrifty bill
Its not like a car VIN #, the Trillium VIN tells you basically nothing. Its more of a sequence number, so it will give a clue on about when it was made.
You will likely need the more thorough door hinge mount repair, which starts on the inside with likely rotten wood. There is a thread by another forum member who did this repair.
Also should inspect all electrical and any remaining propane lines. The old power centers used in many of these were battery boilers, don't really age well, and IMHO should be replaced. Do it yourself and its not that much $$. 45 year old propane lines? I would not trust and I would replace them. Doing mine right now, time consuming, not that costly. Any remaining water lines? Those would be suspect as well.
Relatively quickly you can get this to OK for camping status. To get everything right will take some time.
The information on your specific trailer is the trailer itself. The options it has or doesn't have, etc. |
Thank you so much!
Checking out the propane connections and electrical are definitely up there on the list. Typically, my family and I don’t cook indoors or use a furnace, but it would be nice to get it all updated and safe to use.
The info on the VIN is helpful. Much appreciated.
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03-15-2021, 09:19 PM
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#11
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Junior Member
Name: Jane
Trailer: Trillium
California
Posts: 11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Tilston
If you don't mind some subjective observations:
You have a nicely equipped Trillium 1300. Furnace, fridge, converter, front and rear shelves, even the mirror are all factory options.
- It was the furnace that I first liked about Trilliums. No electrical power required, just a fire in a box. It's not very efficient, but it is good for keeping the chill off. If it is not working, it can be fixed. However, you might not be able to remove it without destroying it.
- The fridge is what is known as an absorption fridge. The model number is RM211. This is one of the most common fridges in RVs. If yours doesn’t work, there is someone with an old pop up tent trailer that is throwing one out. It can make cold using a very small flame. Weird eh? A propane tank will last more than a week while keeping your food cool. It even makes ice, (in small quantities) It can also be plugged in, though it consumes much more power than a compressor fridge would. Also, technically it can be powered with 12VDC. Though this is not very practical, since the power consumption would run your battery dead quite quickly.
- The converter, (below the furnace) will make 12VDC, (for your lights) when you are plugged into shore power. However it is just a small power supply. It can't charge your battery. It would destroy a battery if it was used to charge one. In fact there are other solutions from Progressive Dynamics that you may want to explore.
- The shelves are mostly a good place to mount lights. I also store sleeping bags there. The lack of doors means that most things put on the shelves will be on the floor when you get to your destination. Sleeping bags are light enough and fit tight enough to stay put. The shelves attach to the wood in the window frames. The front one needs to be looked at.
- The roof vent appears to be a 9” vent. If you plan to install a powered vent, with a fan, they are only made for 14” vents. You can cut the hole larger, when the time comes. I have some ideas on this subject.
Some notes on previous owner modifications:
- The lights above the dinette are original, the rest are mods.
- It looks like the previous owner; (PO) has already worked on the belly band. So one thing off the list.
- It looks like a car stereo has been installed above the sink. Did it come with the front control panel? Since CDs are on the way out. You might want to look into a diskless car stereo that would take up less space. I would not spend more then $40 on one: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=diskless+c...ref=nb_sb_noss
- The PO painted the furnace, with the wrong paint. Maybe strip off the white and repaint with high heat paint, (or if you have cash, get it chromed). It should be noted at this point that this style of furnace is no longer legal to install in new trailers. This is because the surface temperature can get high enough to cause a fire, if something flammable is in contact with it, (like blankets). This is not to scare you, just an FYI.
- I like what the PO did with the cupboard doors. The edges need finishing though.
- There is a switch at the top of the closet, what is that?
- The front window guard has been replaced with aluminum diamond plate. I think I like it, but I need more close up pictures of it, both open and closed.
- That is a lot of rock guard on the front of your trailer. Is it bed liner? Probably not easy to remove.
- The upholstery looks almost new.
I think you should know that $450 is a ridiculously low price for your trailer. I sold this trailer:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...now-61473.html
for $500, and I thought that was a good deal. Take your time. Have fun and when you are done fixing it up, it will be worth more than $12000 Canadian. Congrats. |
I do love subjective observations!
That’s awesome to know the equipment is factory options. The seller was convinced the fridge doesn’t work, but I wasn’t about to throw it out without taking a look at it. I’ll definitely take the lead on the guy with the tent trailer fridge.
The vent fan is actually one of the top things on the list. From the inside it looks like it was resealed a time or two, and I was hoping to get a new one to just do the job properly before any (more?) damages will be done. I’ll take a note of the vent size so I don’t forget.
I was surprised by the work on the belly band. I was anticipating that being a priority job but upon further inspection today it seems very secure. Who knows what’s under it though haha.
With the furnace,
We don’t typically use one. I’m definitely not opposed to the idea with how cold it gets in this area. In your opinion, is it worth more to strip it and purchase something more up to code?
No idea what the switch does. So far it’s a mystery.
I’m not totally in love with the window guard. I can see that it’s leaving rust tracks down the trill body. I don’t think it’s been stored inside or under cover for years. It’s on the list for tomorrow to get a real good look at it.
As for the layer on the front, it looks like it could be bedliner. It’s cut into sections around the hitch, but on the body it looks a lot more smooth. I’m not super happy about the hitch because I would have liked to change out the components, so it might become familiar with a grinder this summer.
Thank you ever so kindly for sharing your knowledge. I already feel better acquainted with this new addition. 
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03-16-2021, 10:26 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
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Regarding your furnace, I am not a, "normal" person, therefore, my opinions may not represent the norm.
I think your furnace may be the best heater possible. It takes combustion air from the outside and it exhausts to the outside as well. It consumes no electrical power and is almost silent, when operating.
It is only when trying to remove the furnace that things get problematic. The exhaust / combustion air intake assembly is two pieces. One is attached to the back of the furnace, and the other slides in from the outside of the trailer. They are supposed to fit together concentrically and slide to the required length. After some years of operation, the center exhaust tube gets so rusty that it no longer slides. To remove the furnace, most people destroy the vent assembly.
It is a very simple furnace. The controls are all in the gas valve. Though that gas valve is no longer made, it is one of the more common valves used at the time. I have several spares that I have collected. There is a replacement available from Granger:
https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/G...nls=NLSAA_11-1
However, the ports are in different places than the original valve, so some tube bending is required.
If you want to get to know your furnace better:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...20furnaces.pdf
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...a02-86546.html
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...wer-54226.html
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ter-49659.html
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...uit-95008.html
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03-16-2021, 08:33 PM
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#13
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Junior Member
Name: Jane
Trailer: Trillium
California
Posts: 11
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Holy cow the gas valves dont come cheap.
Thank you, ill definitely read up on the furnace more.
We started on the door today. It’s a slow go, but happy to get hands on.
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03-20-2021, 08:09 PM
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#14
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Member
Name: Rob
Trailer: Trillium
British Columbia
Posts: 35
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Don't forget to check the tires. (I don't think anybody's mentioned that yet?) You can get the manufacture date from a code on the sidewall. Some people replace them after five years, but ten years is the absolute longest life span, even though they might still look good.
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