Dec 9 2022

If you want to tow…You need confidence in the frame, axle and wheels. New stuff should work for that.

How do I stress the importance of worry free towing and safety.  The first thing always is start from the foundation.  And because I believe this axe is old and wore out, we are ordering a new one …Not cheap but very important.  So I will pull the frame out and replace the axle and modify the rear bumper…and some things on the tongue. Plus of coarse a new coat of paint.

So here we go ..

Sure is nice to do this on a concrete floor and not a gravel driveway.  And look I have room for both the frame and the body.  Took me about an hour to get to this stage.  I was working alone and thinking carefully  about each step.

I’ll take the wheels off and lift the frame up where it’s a comfortable height.  Next step is to measure the axle for ordering a new one..  Interestingly the tag on the old axle is still legible.  It says 1500 lb made by Ingersoll..  Called a Rub-R- Ride.  Too funny.  It’s now a wore out ride.  New axle is ordered , and I’m sourcing a rear bumper.  I now have the box for the front of the trailer.

That’s a good size, should hold all the goodies I want. Time to clean up the frame.. Plus I’m doing some of the body too. Here’s the latest Video..

Picking up the axle tomorrow.  Just need a rear bumper and I have all the bits for the frame.  Removing the old hitch was not fun..  Welded very good.  Hopefully I can do as well..  I will be bolting it on as extra precaution.. I like a good back up.

It’s here ! new custom made axle.  adjustable ride height, EZE lube bearings and new E brakes.  I also got a six foot piece of square tube for the bumper.  Now I have every thing needed to finish the frame.  A good place to start is to paint the new axle. It was just bare steel and would rust quickly.

Next up the coupler / hitch… whatever you want to call it. I’m bolting it and welding it ..  That should be double good.  The one big nut you see will also hold the safety chain.

I got the new rear bumper tacked in place, with extra braces to keep things straight.  I’ll finish up the welds tomorrow.

It’s tomorrow !  I finished up the dirty work and cleaned up everything.  Got the bottom of the frame painted.  And once it’s good and dry I flip it and finish up the top side.

The axle will go on too.  Flipped the frame over, and finished up the last of the welding.  And now with a fresh coat of paint it’s looking good.

All the modifications are done.  Once the paint is cured good I’ll get the axle bolted back in place.  It’s great that I could use that coupler I had stashed in a box of hitches and stuff.

A newer safety chain is installed now, and the bolts are ready for the new jack.  That tray could hold a propane tank, Or the battery. I just need room for my 7 way junction box.

The 3 x 3 bumper turned out good.. even closed in the ends.  This is thicker metal than the rest of the frame… so it should hold the spare tire without any problems.  Possibility survive a bump or two.

I even made a new License plate holder.   And an update video.

One thing this video shows is the new axle installed and the brake wires routed to the front.  It’s always the best part when you are  putting things back together.  Once the wheels and the jack are back on the frame is ready to go back under the trailer.

Just a quick photo of the cleaned up tires.  I believe these are only a year old.  No Cracking , No Air loss,  and they are radial.  good to go!

Also a quick photo of the new jack installed.  I like these because the handle folds out of the way.  Now it’s time for work on the body.. First there’s some work to do to the under side.  That will be in a new post

Page 4 Exterior Body Work.

Dec 5 2022

OK let’s start off with this video… Warning it’s longer then my usual video’s.

I talk too much !  But there is a lot of info in there … bound to answer some questions. Musta worked cause I got a lot of views. Helped me think too. I’ve got a good idea where to start.  But first let’s have a look at some things that are interesting and some need work.  These are now  my photos..

The tongue:  I almost never like the way this part is set up. To start with there’s a rock guard ! And it doesn’t work very good.  The front of the trailer is covered with dings. So this has got to go . I’ll just cut the ends off, the middle part will help hold the tongue box. My plan is to gravel guard the front of the trailer, plus I will be installing a tongue box here for a diesel heater (more on that later).  Also could use a bit more tongue weight so the batteries will find room here too.  The 2 inch hitch is loose on the ball, to be expected after 47 years.  I found a new one in my stash …with a new jack too. This will increase the safety of towing.

 

Door Hinges: These are different from the 76 ones but are still stainless steel other wise they would be rusty like the screws. Lower one has a loose pin. I’ve ordered the same ones I used on the 76 again.  The door does work good, but I’ll still change out these and the screws. Oh ya.. look at this below…

A Bargman door latch !  Yes the highly sought after door latch.. No key but that’s an easy fix. And this one works great and looks great..SCORE !!  ( update… I found a key that works !!)

Look the factory tag !  This is a clear indication that the gel coat is original.  Another indication is…

The decals on the lower part of the trailer are all there.  some are looking rough so you know they are 47 years old. I have the vinyl and the CIRCUT to make new decals..  Oddly they’re are no decals on the upper half of the trailer ?

Good thing because the top of the trailer is showing signs of the 47 years for sure.  There is a few places like this that will need to be fixed.  That means a new paint job. So the work begins with a much needed bath ( because I got it dirty) after removing the lights ( Don’t need them clean).  Other little bits , and what’s left of  the propane lines.  Plus anything else that stops the frame from parting ways with the body.

Like these four bolts !  Hey wait a sec..  There should be six holding the body to the frame.  Double checked and I did not see any more.  It’s quite clean under the trailer, and these are good bolts. So someone has been here before.  Well we will fix that when I put things back together. But this is still a take-apart stage..  And I’m tossing as I go..

This is what I think of old , brittle lights.. Not on my trailer..  LEDs all the way. Here’s an update on the progress.

Need to buy some timbers to hold up the body so I can pull the frame out.  And when that’s done I’ll start a new page for the FRAME..

Page 3 The Frame

Dec 4 2022

OH ya I’m gunna do it again.. bought another small fiberglass trailer.. another Surfside.

Ok here’s your typical Tripple E Surfside trailer photo from the big wide web.

75surfside

Yup that’s nice.. But here’s What I found for sale  (and now own)..  Followed me home. And got dirty.

Hey wait a minute !  That’s not my usual fixer upper ?

Well that’s cause I paid more for it..But not too too much..  When I was looking there were no collapsing to the ground trailers… Or everything painted green ones out there.  All gone !  So I have to settle for “better” stuff. I know…it’s a change I will just have to put up with.. And this brings up the dilemma of ..what to work on and what to leave alone.  Sigh.. Oh well we’ll get to that.  I’m hoping to swap the boat for the Surfside in the garage , let it thaw out and get down to answering that.

OK how bout a few photos taken by the fella who sold it to me.  I haven’t had time to take my own yet !

The Exterior of the trailer is in great condition.. Nothing broken or missing.. No obvious damage.  But I’ve only spent about 30 min walking around looking things over.  So I’m sure to find stuff that’s not right.

All the lights are there intact, but the wiring for them needs a look. He already had the tow lights installed. So rather than fiddle around it was just plug those in to get the trailer back home.  The roof vent ,the fridge and furnace vents are good.  All those ports for water and power still work.  BTW those are hub caps on the 13 ” wheels. I like them ..but they could use new paint.

What’s the inside like ?  Well the best way to describe it is ” 90% there but modified” Newer good cushions ! Faded denim curtains. However no table, no sink, no water system at all!  Also missing :  the stove, The12 volt wiring and no 12 volt lights ! The furnace is gone too, which I’m happy about that.

What is there ?  Well the oldest little fridge I’ve seen yet.  It would be a shock if it worked !  The cabinets are still good.  I say that loosely because there are some modifications that won’t work for me.  But it’s better than not having the cabinets !

Not sure what’s going on here? Some kind of storage.  Interesting light fixture ! It’s the only light.   And the final photo I’ll show you… The closet !  It’s great and the builder’s tag is still inside.

I’m not going to miss the stuff that isn’t there.  someone just saved me the trouble of tossing it .  But the stuff that IS there will save me a lot of work.  And in some cases ( like the cushions) a lot of money.  They cost about $1500. to have made. Once I park it in the garage and let it thaw out..  We will take inventory of things and more details.  Plus some videos.  More on ..

PAGE 2

April  18  2021

This is the last push… We are moving at the end of May and I have lots of things to finish and pack up. The Surf Side may not be 100% finished but close.  I haven’t heard from the guy making the cushions yet.  But soon.  I’ll have to sell the Surf Side without a few things done.. Like the propane lines to the furnace and stove.  And some of the cabinet doors.  Yesterday I got the tables and countertop done.

Here’s the big table …

And this is the front table.  Check out the convenience of power / USB and 12 plug.  The hatch on the left accesses the electrical stuff.  And the potty garage on the left.  I got busy on making drawers and door fronts.

With rounded corners ! Back splash and the cushions were done too.  So less that needs to finished.. I advertised the Surf Side on my preferred places  And Sold it within the same day.  Here are the final photos..

And so this story ends and now my focus is on packing up and moving… But I did sell the trailer for what I was asking. Here’s a few final photos…

The 12 volt compressor fridge..  Works great.

The bed looks great …

And away it went to a new home.  What a difference from the green monster I brought home.

Feb  24  2021

Continuing on:

I’ve cut out the sides of the fridge cabinet and the right side seat..  It’s a good day when the pieces fit !

The walls of the fridge cabinet fit too.  Stringers for the shelves need to be done yet.

So with the fridge cabinet all done, I started the kitchen.  Turing out good.. I’m getting better and faster.  And here it is painted and installed.

Still needs the shelf over the wheel well..  and I will be making two drawers. One under the stove.  The panel in front of the sink will have a 110 v outlet and switches for the fan and cabinet lights.  5 more cabinets to go….

The overhead kitchen cabinet and the matching shelf were a bit of a challenge.  and some thought put into the design.  but here we are .. complete with blue lights. I want to note that the rear of this cabinet had no support.  So i had to screw in from the trailer roof. Just two screws with caps.  I’m now thinking of moving the fan and light switches up  under the cabinet.  I have an exposed wire loom there..  So I did it !

There… also had room for a volt meter. Switches light up when on.  Much more handy… and no more exposed wires.  The next cabinet is the left side dinette seat.  It’s just a wall like the other side.

And this allowed me to get the fresh water tank installed back where it was.  I’m getting there..

Shelf under the sink and stove is in. Also the 110 v  outlet for the kitchen.

Now I’ve done the front seats.  With the port a potty garage.

All the wiring is done too…   At this point we moved the trailer out of the shop..  And put it back on the frame..  Door back on …Vent on the roof.. and the new wheels.

I’ll spend the week finishing the last stuff.  The cushions will be done by the end of the week. Or not..  And I’ll start a new page the Last Page.

 Page 10… The Finishing Touches :

Jan  26  2021

Finally …been waiting for this :

The floor is done the walls are done..  Time to build some new cabinets.  Today I bought the plywood .. some very nice Birch. 1/4 ” for the sides,  1/2 ” for the shelves, doors and to make drawers.  The framing will be made from 1×6 , ripped on the table saw. This is typical RV cabinet construction.. with the exception of me using 1/4 ” instead of 1/8 ” paneling.  Still light weight but stronger.  Closet first then work my way clockwise around the trailer.

Today I built the front of the closet… and seeing how it fits.  Very good.  Next the sides and that’s where it gets interesting.  Curves to fit the wall.  Next to the fridge cabinet this one is tricky.  Lucky I kept the old walls to help with that.

Here’s one side done so far.  This side has the wires inside the wall.  The closet will be finished both in and out.  That will also be needed for the overhead cabinets and shelves.  They too will be hollow to allow for wiring and lights.   New Video….

The closet is the guinea pig for the construction , painting and the gimp rubber trim.   So lets talk “GIMP”.   Or better yet show you..

Funny name for old school rubber trim. I like the look! Finishes off the joint nicely.  I found a source and bought lots of white and brown.  I’ll use the white where the cabinets meet the walls & celing. And the brown where they meet the floor.. like baseboard..  but “GIMP”.  Just staple it on .. cuts with scissors.

Well the closet is painted ..gimped and installed.  Lino on the bottom and the porch light switch installed.  On to the rear upper cabinet.  This time I made a pattern for the where the front fits to the roof.  Nailed it !

Once again the wires are hidden in the hollow of the floor of the cabinet.  I’m not putting doors on these , so I routed the opening smooth.  I’m going to try stain on the front . If I don’t like how it looks I’ll paint it.  But I would like to break up the amount of white.

And here’s the finished overhead at the back the the trailer.  Lights installed.  Fits great..  And next is the 8 ” wide shelf that ties the closet to the rear overhead.

And there will be one of these on the other side once the kitchen takes shape.  Lot’s of places to stash things.  Next is the seat for the closet side of the trailer..

And there will be one of these on the other side once the kitchen takes shape.  Lot’s of places to stash things.  Next is the seat for the closet side of the trailer..

This turned out good.  1/2 ” birch will be the seat, with access lid for under neath.  I’m thinking the fridge cabinet will need to be next..  because the others fit to it.

Here I have it located in the proper place.  The openings are all correct too.  Starting from the bottom we have , a cubby, then the furnace, a nice large drawer, the fridge and another cubby at the top. I’m working on the sides… and they have to fit the wall.

Delivery Notice !

My new fridge arrived today..  It came from Ontario.  12 volt compressor fridge.  No propane.

Nice quality fridge.  Small… only 2.5 cu ft.  These are becoming more common in RV’s .  Low draw on the battery and auto shut off if the voltage gets too low..  Waaay different than the old 3 way fridges.

Time for a new cabinet page… #9

Dec  29  2020

Time to tackle the inside mess..

And the windows are a part of that cause they need the wood framing on the inside.  So I can work on several things here.  One of the first things I did was power wash the windows. They were filthy.. way better to work on clean stuff.  Too bad the green paint didn’t come off with the dirt.  Sigh !  So lets talk devotion..  These are Jalousie (louvered)  windows.  46 years old..  And hurting for some love.. The opening mechanisms are mostly wore out.  and the seals are either dried up , cracked or missing.  SOOOO  I have spent some money and ordered new openers and all the seals.  AND I’m taking them all apart because that is how you clean the green paint off.

With a wire wheel and sanding block too.  It’s going to take two days for each of the four windows.  However… they will be shiny new and working perfectly.  Here’s a video…

Video is mostly about the window work..  It’s going well but tedious.  I’ll be waiting a few days for the order to get here. And can’t assemble the windows till then.  But there are other things to do if I finish the windows before the parts arrive.  One of the most important part of these windows is the actuator ..or cranky thingy.

Here’s the two from the rear window which has separate sets of panes and a left and a right actuators.  The other three windows are all right hand actuators.  I ordered four new ones… not remembering the fifth one ( left hand).  Good thing it still works good.  So far I’ve only found one broken .. I’m interested to see how a new one works.

Hey check out the factory correct “Surf Side”  in the same location too.  The palm trees are my little touch.  I just couldn’t resist applying one.. Now that the paint is fully cured.  I finally got all the windows cleaned and even the missing glass replaced.   Today the new seals arrived !

50 ft … I hope it’s enough.  Still waiting for the actuators .. then I can assemble the windows.  In the mean time I got some 1×6 boards , Some of which will become the new inside window frames.  Real wood not plywood like the rotten ones I tossed.  These will be painted with the walls & ceiling.  They will also provide attach points for overhead cabinets and window dressing.

A bunch of this will become framing for cabinets too.  The Boler had molded fiberglass cabinets … the Scamp had the same but I did not install them..  This will be very different and challenge my wood working skills.  The actuators ( cranky thingy’s) have arrived so I spent the day re assembling the four windows.

Can you tell which ones are new ?  There is a difference for sure.. Smoother and tight.  Now all the windows are back together cleaned fixed , new seals, new cranky things.

Just imagine… Windows that work , don’t leak and not silicon-ed shut.  No missing glass too !  Now for the inside frames.

Got myself a biscuit joiner..  And dusted off the table saw.  Here’s the large rear window frame glued and curing.  These are good enough to stain and varnish….but that’s not happening.  They will be painted with the ceiling and walls.

So I primed them with good primer.. backside too!  The factory plywood ones were toast from moisture getting behind and de-laminating the plywood.  Now comes the work inside.  Got to clean the Ensolite on the walls and ceiling.  Plus remove the unnecessary bits.  Here’s a video I made today…

I tried a sample of paint on some scraps.. plus the acrylic caulking just to see how good it all works.  Nice.  So I’ve spent some time repairing the Ensolite.  And now I have the first coat on..  It will take two coats to get an even look.

Sure brightens up the interior.  Repairs done to the walls and ceiling look great.  I used a silk (semi gloss) acrylic floor paint..  pure white, two coats.  The walls are now washable.  And yes you see windows !

This is a mile stone…  with the windows back in.  One inch vinyl trim insert covers the screws nicely.  Things are moving along.

Today I made a wiring harness for the running lights.  Properly color coded … actually using a 25 ft trailer 4 pin harness and adding a backup light wire.

Yes loom too..  Tested and working.   Then I got real ambitious and cut the holes for …and mounted the six LED tail lights.  And the side marker lights too.

This is different … most of these trailers have regular trailer lights.. I just gotta be different! Now I got to figure out where the license plate goes.  The bumper I guess..

Another milestone …. The lino is done (floor)   So now I move on to the cabinets…  And a new page.

#8  Cabinets

Dec  11  2020

There’s lots to do:

The bottom half of the trailer is where most of the bad stuff is.  Makes sense I suppose.

Some schooling and some thoughts:

The Surf Side is very different than a Boler. Not just the over all shape but that it’s just two molded pieces instead of three.  Boler’s and their cousins Scamp’s have floors that are formed separate from the bottom half ..then glassed into place.  Even the wheel wells are made separate then glassed in.  This is ok..  They are still strong.  However this gives them a “skirt” hanging below the floor.  This skirt is easily damaged.  I know I’ve had to repair them on both the boler and the Scamp.

Here you can see some of the repairs done to the skirt of the Scamp.  Not so on the Surf Side …the body just curves under, and so does the painting.  And so it seems to me that the NEW fiberglass Escape trailers are copying something from 45 years ago..  They call it a “pontoon” or low spot molded into the bottom half.  This “pontoon” is under the cabinets and the floor stops short of going out to the body..  Thus allowing any moisture to go there.  And yes there is drain holes under these.  Here’s a better way for me to show what I mean…

This also could be a cross section for the NEW Escape trailer. Things that make you go HMMM .  But it’s a good design why not use it..  And I would choose this over the Boler skirted underside.  Well better get back to the job at hand.  I started at the door and working my way clockwise around to the bad stuff..  Bad stuff is the two front corners.

Here’s the rear of the trailer all prepped, Yes I didn’t totally sand the Triple E logo off.  I’m hoping to be able to see it enough to apply the new graphics over the old.

Jack the Knife !

This is where the real work starts.  A very messy patch job.  At least it’s not silicone..  Out comes the big sander !  Well I guess they tried to fix it…but I wish they didn’t. Would have been easier for me …  When I see lower corner damage I presume it’s from lack of trailer backing skills.  Or they tried to drive around a stump ? Take a guess.

Wow it’s bad !  And thin in spots so I have to be careful.  I’m going to skim coat this with filler..  And maybe an extra layer of resin & mat inside.  I’ll need another can of body filler for sure.

Oh ya..  over 7 applications of filler to get the curves right,  and that was just the top half.  I knew this was going to be the most work.. But it’s turning out great.

Parts & Pieces:

Let’s take a small break from sanding and filling..   I’ve been collecting lots of stuff for this project.. like new stove , door seals, plumbing bits and electrical bits.  One of the “not new” but reconditioned things is the factory door latch..  it works great but the keys were lost sometime ago and judging from the multiple holes …many hasps for padlocks were installed.

Well for thirty backs ( possibly the same price as all those locks and hardware) I had new keys made.  There is three screws holding the latch on the door..  Just too easy I guess.  One of the things I ordered thinking it’s easier to replace than take the paint off..   The drip cap over the door.

There’s no way I want this on the trailer..  It’s too long and it looks like someone formed it with a hammer !  I’m cleaning the paint off the top one..

The final prep work..  Say goodbye to the green  !

All patching is done..  all sanding is done..  And the masking too.  Plus I used an automotive product from Pro-Form , a paint-able rubber flex sealer ( off white) to fill the gap where I removed the silicone on top of the aluminum rub rail ( band around center of trailer ) I also used this product around the fridge and furnace vents.

Now for a good cleaning of the shop and the trailer.   We’ll start a new page for the painting..  Bye Bye  Green !

Page # 7

Nov 27 2020

Starting work on the the body. & removing the interior stuff.  Goal is to have just a shell.

The first thing was to get it to fit into the shop.  We had to remove the roof vent .. and then it just fit under the door.

And we are in..   Now the fun part !  Removing everything..  Yup all of it.  except the roof vent … that’s done.  I guess the body will take two posts because there is a lot involved in just getting to the re – finishing part.

Along the way you find treasures like the factory power center. This could be fixed up, modernized and used again.

And this little water pump..  I did not know they made these.  If it works great I’ll use it..  Otherwise it’s a hand pump.  And so I continue the purge of the interior.

Still fighting with the furnace.. it’s rusted and wont come apart.  The only nasty is the wiring..  It’s a mess, except for the running lights. That seems to be intact.

That’s no big deal..  I was expecting this.  Everyone makes a mess outa the wiring.  Still have the closet to pull out.. and that darn furnace  too.  Then it will be time to work on the outside..  Thought I’d try a window to see how hard it will be to remove it..  Rusty screws are the biggest problem. But it came out easy.

The other problem ( which I can fix) is the sag in the roof..  I jacked it up a good 3 inches.  That’s what happens when you remove the support ( like the fridge cabinet) and there is a snow load.  There  needs to be something holding up the roof.  Still fighting with the furnace !  The exhaust pipe rusts bad and won’t let go.  but I got the exterior all stripped.

Now I’m scrapping years of silicone. Wandering from job to job..  Mostly getting ready to repair the holes and re do the bad fixn. I placed some orders for supplies and dug through my RV stashes for things I’ll need.  Plus I cleaned up the wires.  Here’s the latest video..

Started work on the sanding and filling.   And the door and parts of the roof are first.

The holes are all gone on the door.  I’ve sanded more of the green paint from the door because of some scratches (Dog comes to mind).  Mostly I will leave the green paint on the body.  Rule #203 “If it’s a lot of work to take it off then it’s good enough to leave on”.  It’s some tough paint.  Stripper barely removes it.  The “Pre-Coat” primer doesn’t bother it.. so we just sand it smooth and work with that.  And I’m taking my time.. But still making progress.

At this point I have sanded and patched the top half of the trailer.  Now the only hole in the roof is the vent.  The big patches are on the lower half.  I’ve mulled over what to do with the rub rail.  And I’m going to take the time to remove all the paint ….back to aluminum and from the black vinyl insert too.  The green will be only a memory. And here’s a sample of the result..

Way better than just painting the whole thing black.

This post page is getting too long so time for a second part for the body repairs. Cuz there’s lot’s more to do…

#5  Body Work part 2

Nov  9  2020

The Frame :

Before I start work on the trailer I went about how to get the registration..  No luck.. Of coarse I did not get the registration with a free trailer nor did I expect too.  And preliminary searching shows  BC registration could not be found anyway.   I could pay to have a deeper search, which could also show nothing. but would give me the paper work to get registration in my name.  OR just fix it up and get U-build registration..  easy to do if you are replacing lots of parts. but I’ll deal with that later.   Check these out.

Ordered these on line … a sale .  Grab em while you can..  New wheels and tires is on the need list.  There is no spare so one of the ugly ones will work.

Time to separate the body and the frame:  Here you can see I’ve lifted the whole trailer enough to remove the wheels.  Then I got under and removed the propane lines and cut the six bolts holding the body to the frame.  They were rusted bad.  Then we lift the body up off the frame… then drop the frame to the ground ( no wheels) and pull it out the front.  The body then gets lowered on to my trailer dolly.  Wheels back on and the frame goes on the lift.

Body on dolly ..  Hope it fits through my door later.

The frame is now in the shop. Isn’t the lift great.. Don’t have to get down on the floor.

The initial inspection shows no issues..none.  except a dent in the front cross member.

Not a big deal..   There is only some modifications that I want.   And a good paint job.  Oh and rebuild the brakes and hubs.  First is the rear bumper and the appendages on it.  The stabilizer jacks are bent, frozen and mounted upside down ?

And those braces ! Yuk !  Out comes the cut off wheel for this mess.  Those are 2″ receiver tubes..  strange. I’ll be sure to save those.

Better !  I do get why they mounted the jacks up behind the bumper..  Protection !  Anything mounted under the bumper could get wiped out ..  it’s low to the ground.   Now to fix up the tongue up front.

Just a few things to fix here..  Those jack mounts will have to go.  And the battery box too.  I’ll make a new holder going across for the battery.

All cleaned up..  Ready for new stuff.  But first I focus my attention on the wheel hubs and the brakes.  Even though they work I know there is rusty parts and a needed inspection of the bearings.  I’ve done this many times… even have the brake removal tools.  Sure enough the brake adjusters are seized and dirt, rust and even spider webs in the drums.

So every thing gets the royal treatment..  and some get paint too.

Like the backing plates , the drums and ….

The axles.  I’m having trouble believing these axles are 46 years old.  The ten inch brakes indicate to me that this is a 3500 lb axle.  It’s pretty beefy for a light weight axle.  And it just bolts on so could be easy to change out.  Set aside the painted stuff to do some welding.

New battery tray, and a place to mount my wiring junction box.  I also moved a couple of hooks from under the frame for a handy place to hang the safety chains when not in use.  The paint is dry on the wheel parts.. so I resembled the brakes.

They worked ok before but now should work better..  I set them aside while I clean and paint the frame.  Easier to handle the frame without the added weight of the drums.

Here’s the frame flipped over..   I always paint the underside first.

Another view.  We’ll let this cure for a few days.  Remember I removed the bad stabilizer jacks ..  I really want to have the stabilizers.  They are important for these trailers because they are so light.  If you go to the rear of the trailer inside it will tip up if not hooked up.  So I had a newer pair.

These tabs allow the jacks to be removed very easily.    I also plated the bumper ends.  Won’t need the sewer hose storage and don’t want them full of crap.

Well back over and finished the paint.  No more ugly green on this part of the trailer.  Instead it’s shiny black.

Today was finishing up the frame.  I ran the brake wires through the frame to the front.  Nice, tidy and protected.  And they terminate at the 7 pin junction box.

Did not have to drill holes in the frame … just came out the front of the tube.  I love these boxes..  for  $8.99 they are great, easy to connect the wiring and weather proof too.  Gets a bit crowded when all the different wires come together.

New jack installed ..  5000 lb over kill , but I like these and they go on sale for $25.  And it’s nice how the handle folds out of the way.

That’s it for the frame..  Brakes adjusted.. bearings greased…  time for the next page..  Total invested so far is under $400.  Mostly those fancy new wheels.

PAGE 4 : The body