Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello, I'm looking for some help. I recently purchased a 6x10 cargo trailer from a friend. The trailer is about 13 years old and it shows it's age in many places. I've googled and found many of the panels and trim I need to restore the trailer to be structurally sound and weather proof but I need some advice with my plans. If anyone has a better idea or plan of attack I'd appreciate any and all input. Pics are attached of the trailer and problem areas.

My primary focus and concern at the moment is the front roof cap. It's plastic(thermoplastic I believe??) and has a crack and it appears someone tried to seal it with some kind of foam/resin. I could not find the exact front roof cap online. I've emailed the manufacturer of my trailer and hope to get a response but from the prices I've seen online for other trailers the cap can be $170-$400. That's more than I'd like to pay. I've ordered some "Marine-Tex" online and plan to see how that holds up. If that fails my next plan is to tape up the inside of the crack and then sand the outside with 40/60 grit sand paper and then put fiberglass/resin over it and let cure then sand and paint. Any concerns with either of these ideas?

My next focus will be the rust on the inside rails that the panels are screwed to. Anywhere there's a screw there is rust. This means moisture is getting in. I plan to remove the screws from the outside and put a glob of silicon and then put a new screw in it's place. I'm hoping this resolves anymore issues with moisture getting in through the screw holes.

Once the trailer is waterproof I plan to go at the rusted tubes/rails with a steel brush cup/sand paper flap disc until I'm at bare metal. Then I'll repaint using either galvanized paint in a can or just rattle can Rust-Oleum. Then I'll install R6 1" polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation and put up 3/8 sanded plywood walls. Any concerns with this plan? Again I appreciate any and all assistance with my CTC build questions. Thanks, TnTTT!

2nd Question:
Anyone know where I can find the aluminum trim shown just below the crack on the outside? I've seen all kinds of aluminum trim on trailer websites but I can't find the exact match. There are some that match up in size/measurements so I may just go with the closest match in appearance if I can't find it. Will buttyl tape work under that trim to reseal if I have to remove it?

smtxom, Howdy;

Welcome to the world of CT conversions.

Question about your nose cap, Does the crack go all the way to the top edge? If not then be sure to
stop drill it to keep it from spreading any further. From what I can see your best side to effect your
repair is from the inside first then finish it on the outside. The course grits you were suggesting are IMO,
way to aggressive, try first using some 220 then work towards the more course grits. Always best to use
mildest means that way you don't remove to much. Which can happen suddenly at times. While working
from the interior you can lay fiberglass matting or cloth where it doesn't make any negative impact to
the cosmetic appearance. You can make a "dam" from a tightly stretched heavy garbage bag that you tape
over the exterior surface then reinforce with tape. Fiberglass will usually not stick to the bag and if it
does you can sand it off while you are prepping for the paint. If you find any voids you can fill them with
some fresh fiberglass resin with some chopped cloth mixed in. Allow to harden then sand smooth.

The rust where there are screws indicates dissimilar metals, normal humidity and the age of your trailer
are the big evil-doers in this instance. replace the screws and while you have them out clean-up around
the holes and give them a quick light spray of Rust-Oleum. Same for the framework. From the photo its
just ugly not that seriously corroded. Again, use the mildest method you have to clean it up then give it
a fresh coat of Rust-Oleum.

You've got a relatively sound trailer and the worst part is only cosmetic, except for the nose cap but now you
have an idea of what to do.
Hope I was able to help. Please keep us posted as to the out come.

hank

I'm with Hank, the rust is ugly for sure but not serious, yet. So I have a very similar trailer, 2005 Pace Journey 6x12. With a little elbow grease that can be a pretty good trailer to start a build with. You might just want to crawl around and look at welds and check frame and axle, springs, wheel bearings, floor joyces and door frames. Just look for any obvious damage and sub par repair work. You don't want to do a bunch of work to a POS just to find something really bad. The caps are available but I recall they were spendy. I'm not really sure what the material is but it would help to know for sure. That way you won't have to worry about a bad reaction or a patch that won't hold. Clean off all that old patch and grind into the plastic a little on both sides of the crack so you have fresh material to bond to. We used to use a product called Dura-Glass that was resin and glass fibers that you added hardener to, just like bondo but for glass. It was super strong as long it was adhered well and sealed (prime/paint). It gets hard as a rock so try to be tidy when applying cause it's hard to sand off. I would try that outside and strips/resin to patch inside. I'll try to find out what the material is so you can use the right glues etc. Probably best to rewire all factory wiring. They do a awful job at factory and you want it to be right and dependable.
Check those wheel bearings right away and keep em greased up. A failure could ruin a trip and be a real hassle to deal with on the road.

McDave