Serro Scotty; front wall damage

[Arne]

Found a Serro Scotty while going out to lunch... no one home, don't know if they would part with it, but is only being used for storage and hasn't moved in a long time...

The bottom of the front right-hand wall corner is separated and the ply is delaminated for at least 1.5 feet from the bottom up.. I have no idea how much trouble it is to fix this, but am asking here to see if others have restored a trailer like this....

The gap at the bottom is about 1.5 inches and what I can see looks pretty ugly... plus, they put a big ugly window on the back of the right side wall as well..... It has the Scotty shape, but looks tiny... did they make anything under 13' with the normal (non-teardrop) shape?

[goldcoop]

Arne-

I'm in the process of restoring a 15' Scotty HighLander.

The walls under the aluminum skin are just 1/2" ply with a thin spotty layer of insulation, that's it!

So whatever water damage is visible, triple that once you get the skin off!

I don't mean to sound soooo negative, I'm just being realistic!

Typical damage comes from leaks around the top molding.

Brian Ernst did a major on his 13' for the boys.

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~kroes/s-sco ... index.html

Cheers,

Coop

[Arne]

Please, be negative....! I passed on a really nice Metzendorf and can easily pass on this one. Again, I just walked over and looked at it, but you know how it goes... "Sure, I could fixe that real easy" and a year later, I could be up to my elbows in parts on the garage floor....

I also like these small trailers, but have to admit that for me, they try to pack a house into a very small package.... I'm really comfortable in my tear, and to go a bit bigger and stick a stove, closet, sink, etc., in smacks a bit of too much in too little... I mean, am I going to really get up during the night and walk around in the trailer? They just have a 'panache' about them..

Also, with Shirley trying to cook inside I'd have to go outside to be out of her way... Yes, it would be nice in the rain, but the reality is I would have to go bigger than a 13' 'anything' to make it better than a tear, and then I would have to get another tow vehicle....

I just have trouble passing up these fixer-uppers.... but I really should learn to. The biggest thing for me is to sleep up off the ground....

[mikeschn]

Arne,

No matter what you buy, you are going to have to take it all apart, before you start rebuilding. Why not just build it the way you want with new parts?

Well, there is one trade off... old parts, twice as much work but half the cost.

New parts, half the work, twice the cost.

You choose.

Need a visual?


more here, once you sign up...
http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Serro_ ... sts/photos

Mike...

[goldcoop]

Well, there is one trade off... old parts, twice as much work but half the cost.
New parts, half the work, twice the cost.

I'm starting out with a FREEBIE.

The aluminum skins are great, all the windows are intact & work, all the lights work and the suspension/frame is sound.

The 13' Scotties only weigh 950lbs., the 15' HiLander I'm working on weighs 1550lbs.

We'll see how it goes, I'm not planning a full kitchen, just the basics.

I'm planning on a shower/toilet bath however.

I'm probably going to do away with the front dinette and just go with a fixed single bed up front for the kid and a fixed QUEEN sized bed in the rear for Mom & I.

Anyway, thats the plan. It's gonna take a LONG time 'til it sees the light of day, AND even starting out with a freebie it's gonna cost some $$$$'s

Cheers,

Coop

[Arne]

My interest in the scotty is rapidly dimishing.... It is not in pristine condition, and I really don't want a long term project.....

[Mary K]

Arne, The Scotty is what lead me here to Teardrop Land. I looked for months to find one to restore. I never found one but in my pursuit to gather info I found this wonderful Forum, and the rest is history.

I saw on the Internet what to expect when restoring a vintage camper, just like Mikes picture. I lost interest fast too, even thought the Scotty is a neet little camper, the cost of buying one and the the expense of restoring it was too much.

I might,one day, somehow, build something similar to a Scotty but from scratch....ohhh gosh...I said it.

Mk

[goldcoop]

My interest in the scotty is rapidly dimishing.... It is not in pristine condition, and I really don't want a long term project.....

Truly INSIGHTFUL & WISE!:thinking:

Probably some of the most sane words uttered here!

Now if I could only....

Oh well, I'm pretty much committed (or should be) now!

Cheers,

Coop

[mikeschn]

My interest in the scotty is rapidly dimishing.... It is not in pristine condition, and I really don't want a long term project.....

Arne,

You ought to consider a Widget...

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... er_id=3794



Mike...

[Arne]

Mike (or anyone), how much would it weigh? It is interesting... I'll review the pics again...

[mikeschn]

Mike (or anyone), how much would it weigh? It is interesting... I'll review the pics again...

1200#... here's the thread...

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=12820

Mike...

[Podunkfla]

I once bought and sorta rehabilitated any old trailer like that. Three solid weeks work: stripped the skin & windows, replaced the floor, repaired all the rotten wood and built a new bed. What did I end up with? A scruffy looking old trailer with a new floor.

There is no question in my mind it would be easier to build a new one.

Of course, it did serve my needs at the time. All I was looking for was basic housing to leave on jobsites when I was renovating houses out of town. I still have it. It still needs a total renovation. I'll prolly sell it to someone as is to use as a hunting shack.

[doug hodder]

Arne...it's kind of one of those things...do you want an original trailer that you can do a complete resto on?, but if that isn't important, build your own, on it's profile...If it isn't cut up and is all there and you're willing to do the work...go for it...you do have the original numbers etc...on it, and that's a plus down the road with the purists. I can't speak for trailers, but on a car...I don't know how many times I've gone to look at something, and someone cut/hacked it all to pieces and thinks he has a real "hot rod" and it's just crap...and I needed to find an easy way out of his driveway...faked heart attack, left the stove on etc....Only you can decide what you want...doug

[Joseph]

Arne,

As I understand it, the problem with Scottys is that restoration usually involves almost a complete re-build since you can't replace any plywood without removing the skin. There's a Serro Scotty Yahoo Group if you want to find out more. I don't have the URL handy but Google should turn it up.

Heed the words of Todd Brunengraber - "John Serro built a piece of crap trailer, but he got a lot of people camping."

Joseph

[Arne]

Well, I'm passed the scotty stage, and onto the widget stage... I found Andrew's plans for the widget but am concerned about the height... I want to sleep front to back (I don't want a wider trailer) and am wondering if I would just wind up with a tear with an elevated bed and not much else... I'd have to sit on the bed to cook... and grease from my bacon splattering inside doesn't appeal to me.... but being able to microwave inside a rainy day does.....

Time to start a new thread, or look at old ones... thanks, Mike, for the pics of the widget... very nice.