Shell

[HMK]

I came super close to buying a 10' fiberglass shell this morning. The price was right, but it was in awful shape! I mean worse than gutted, because someone tried to glue foam all on the inside, but did a crappy job and the tried to remove it. It needed a complete new floor too. This would be a complete rebuild. Me and the wife have been talking it over, but we just don't know if we should tackle it or not. I think if I did try, I would keep it as simple as I could. I wouldn't try to put a bathroom, just a porta potty, table, bed.

I wouldn't try to do a kitchen at all. About the most maybe a small sink, porta potty. Just a place to wash your hands. I would also keep the wiring to a minimum, since I don't know enough to do anything different.

My biggest concern is patching the holes it has. It's not cracked or broken, but all the rivet places it has. Someone just used a calk gun to squirt blobs all over the out side. The belly band also needs attention.

I think for the inside, I would do the Titebond II and canvas and then paint it. That might seal the holes good enough and then maybe I could use bondo or something similar on the outside.

It just seems like a lot of work, but I think it would be fun.

I'm still on the fence.

[tony.latham]

"My biggest concern is patching the holes it has."

Repairing fiberglass is easy. One just needs to lightly sand into the glass fibers (on the exterior) and place another couple of layers of glass cloth down and saturate it with epoxy or polyester resin using a plastic squeegee. (I quit polyester years ago). I'm assuming this shell was manufactured with gelcoat. You can read about gelcoat here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelcoat

Putting a layer of peelply over your patches makes for a nice smooth finnish. You can read about that stuff here: http://www.clcboats.com/shoptips/epoxy_ ... abric.html

Once patched, you'd have to give the entire shell a light sanding and paint it or it's going to look like "Ol' Patch." (Plus your patches will be vulnerable to UV light)

Just relying on an internal coat of canvass and TBII may be asking for trouble since water may begin to get between the shell and your treated canvass.

Tony

[HMK]

Thanks for those links. I'll go read a bit.

I'll study a little bit about this project before I bite. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew, but at the same time, I think the frame itself is worth what she was asking

[dogscats]

Pictures what brand of trailer ? http://www.fibreglast.com/fibreglast_materials_calculator has good info but high cost

[Gage]

Thanks for those links. I'll go read a bit.

What brand 'egg' are you looking at, do you know? Here's another forum that most likely can help you out more so than this forum. http://www.fiberglassrv.com/. They helped answer some of my questions in restoring my Burro.
You can see how I restored my Burro HERE. Doesn't sound like mine was as gutted as yours but what I did just might help a little.

[HMK]

It's a 80's Scamp. It's suppose to be 13', but it's actually only about 10' long. It's only a few blocks from me, so at least it's close by.

[Gage]

It's a 80's Scamp. It's suppose to be 13', but it's actually only about 10' long.

Travel trailers are not like teardrop trailers. A teardrop is known by the body size, Whereas a travel trailer is measured from the hitch to the furthest most part (rear) of the trailer. So what you are looking at is a 13' Scamp......... Confused?

[HMK]

Thanks Gage,
That makes sense.

[mary and bob]

Scamps used rivets through the shell to attach the inside parts, like cabinets, which also act as structural support. The rivets use a washer under the head that a plastic cap snaps onto for cosmetic purpose. They are available from Scamp. You want to make sure the wood floor is not rotten and the frame is not severely rusted or cracked. Another common issue they seem to have is the bottom of the door looses it's curve and doesn't fit the body right. Also I've seen a lot of older ones that the axle is worn causing the trailer to set real low. This sounds like a renovation project that someone has gave up on. Sometimes it's better to buy a complete useable unit that can be used as is and make minor modifications as you see the need.

[HMK]

I believe you may be correct on several issues. The floor is indeed rotten. It also sets low to the ground. I have no idea what I would find if the body was removed and yes, I do think it would need to be removed. Considering my limited knowledge, I really believe it might be easier to start with a new trailer and begin a new build.

[mary and bob]

Just replacing the floor would be a major task. It's been done, but I wouldn't consider doing it. The fiberglass trailers are nice, but have their own issues that can be difficult to resolve. We have both a teardrop and a fiberglass Uhaul camper. Like them both.

[Mary C]

HMK Where abouts do you live? There are lots of resources of people all over the countries who can help you decide . I live in Ga and would be more than happy to help you.

Mary C.

[HMK]

Hi Mary,

I'm in a small community right next to Fort Worth, Texas.

[RockyMountainTeardrops]

Patching it would be easy.
Lightly sand the INSIDE of the shell a couple of inches around the holes.
Apply some fiberglass fabric (I would use chopped strand mat, not woven, and maybe two layers of 3/4oz) with epoxy resin (polyester resin doesn't really have any attachment strength, it's not a "glue" like epoxy).
The chopped strand mat will not be as easy to work with using epoxy, but it should still be fine.
Brush a little epoxy on the surface then stick the mat to that, then brush more resin on to saturate.

Bondo the outside hole, or most likely just sand the epoxy that oozed out the hole, then paint the entire outside with an automotive paint.

Don't patch the outside with the fabric, you will spend a million hours fairing to get it smooth again.

Lee

[aggie79]

Hi Mary,

I'm in a small community right next to Fort Worth, Texas.

Welcome HMK! We're in Watauga. Nobody has heard of it unless you live in NE Tarrant County, so I say we're from Fort Worth too.