1965 Tradewind

[davja]

Any opinions on what a '65 Tradewind is worth?
Been sitting 12 years, Average exterior, no appliances, no bath, some original cabinets - but basically gutted. Frame appears good. Would $500 be a deal!

[flyfshr]

Check the floor, underbelly, axle, brakes and all of the windows. Those are the areas I would be certain to check. I won't tell you how to spend your money. Is it worth it to you? Do you want to put all of the time and money in it to get it the way you want it? Your decision, but I know less has been gotten for more.

FF

[markdoane]

$500 is a great downpayment. Mine had no visible defects except a peeled floor tile right by the door. By the time I got it taken apart, dropped the belly pan, and removed the body, I found the floor rotted in the front under the water tank, both sides under the door and water heater, and the rear was shot. It's worth it if you can do the work yourself and aren't afraid of tackling big projects. I'm having more fun than I've had since I dug up and replaced my sprinkler spystem this spring.

[Wardinbb]

Originally Posted by markdoane

$500 is a great downpayment. Mine had no visible defects except a peeled floor tile right by the door. By the time I got it taken apart, dropped the belly pan, and removed the body, I found the floor rotted in the front under the water tank, both sides under the door and water heater, and the rear was shot. It's worth it if you can do the work yourself and aren't afraid of tackling big projects. I'm having more fun than I've had since I dug up and replaced my sprinkler spystem this spring.

So how fun has it been and wha'd you do? I've got a 64 Tradewind and am about to embark on the real thing.
Thanks,
Ed

[InsideOut]

You may want to check out this "Price vs Condition" website for some help in assusing the current value and restoration costs.

Good luck if you decide to go for it!

Shari

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Wardinbb

So how fun has it been and wha'd you do? I've got a 64 Tradewind and am about to embark on the real thing.
Thanks,
Ed

Fun? You betcha! You definitely need to enjoy working with your hands and learning new skills. Would I ever do another? Probably not, because it's the sense of accomplishment I enjoy, I don't see this as a career opportunity.

One advantage I have is that I am not in a rush to finish it. Some days I work on it for an hour, other days for 10 hrs. You need to be patient.

Progress so far: the frame has been beefed up, sandblasted and painted with POR-15. New axle, hubs, brakes. The hubs have been balanced and the leaf springs upgraded to 4500#. All new suspension hardware.

All new floor of 3/4" plywood. Edge sealed with epoxy. Floor insulated with 3" fiberglas and polyisocynate sheet at the corners. Added a 28 gal graywater tank just forward of the axle. Built a fiberglas insulated cover for the greywater tank. Ran electrical conduit under the floor from front to rear for 120Vac and 12 Vdc.

Today I am finishing the under floor insulation and starting to make patterns for the new bellypan. Next I will remount the floor channel, and i'm probably a week from thinking about re-attaching the shell. I'm going to replace one side sheet, just to eliminate the gaping cut-outs for the old furnace and waterheater. I hope to have the shell buttoned up by the time the snow flies. I will probably do some interior restoration work this winter, starting with new wiring for the lights and apliances.

It's been a lot of fun. Can't say there are any insurmountable challenges for someone reasonably skillful. I encourage you to go ahead, but take your time and let it happen. If you have a tight schedule and try to cut corners, either timewise or dollarwise, you will be disappointed with the end result.

I hope to make our maiden voyage next fall.

[Ken J]

If you are buying it to go camping, get another trailer. Thats what I did, I've got the 75 to use (its in really great condition) and the 58 is my project trailer. Course I didn't intend to buy a project trailer, but found the same thing as Don once I started tearing into it. As Don said, its something you can't hurry.

Ken

[Wardinbb]

"All new floor of 3/4" plywood. Edge sealed with epoxy. Floor insulated with 3" fiberglas and polyisocynate sheet at the corners. Added a 28 gal graywater tank just forward of the axle. Built a fiberglas insulated cover for the greywater tank. Ran electrical conduit under the floor from front to rear for 120Vac and 12 Vdc."

Well heck howdy, thats sure an up-date. Fortunately I've got the time and the $. This floor thing, do you really have to un-bolt the body from the c-channel to replace the floor? Or is there some sort of work-a-round that will accommplish a new finish floor? I really don't mind doing it all, but taking the body off seems a bit too much. BobbyWright's website was informative for floor restore, and then I found a detail drawing posted on the Forum showing the floor sandwiched between frame & body. I've read many floor replacement stories w/ no mention of such. I realize you removed the body for complete restoration. So I'm wondering what the true story is. Thanks for your update Don.
Ed

[AYRSTRM2]

You don't have to remove the body, according to several members, search for "floor replacment" and member name "Malconium" all in the same search box. He has a unique approach, that I think is doable especially for patchwork. If you have the $$$ and time, double each of those amounts, cause that is what it'll take for the whole thing, and DO IT!

One caution: do check up on axles and such, that's a $1500 replacement you may not have thought of yet.

John

Originally Posted by Wardinbb

"All new floor of 3/4" plywood. Edge sealed with epoxy. Floor insulated with 3" fiberglas and polyisocynate sheet at the corners. Added a 28 gal graywater tank just forward of the axle. Built a fiberglas insulated cover for the greywater tank. Ran electrical conduit under the floor from front to rear for 120Vac and 12 Vdc."

Well heck howdy, thats sure an up-date. Fortunately I've got the time and the $. This floor thing, do you really have to un-bolt the body from the c-channel to replace the floor? Or is there some sort of work-a-round that will accommplish a new finish floor? I really don't mind doing it all, but taking the body off seems a bit too much. BobbyWright's website was informative for floor restore, and then I found a detail drawing posted on the Forum showing the floor sandwiched between frame & body. I've read many floor replacement stories w/ no mention of such. I realize you removed the body for complete restoration. So I'm wondering what the true story is. Thanks for your update Don.
Ed

[Wardinbb]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

You may want to check out this "Price vs Condition" website for some help in assusing the current value and restoration costs.

Good luck if you decide to go for it!

Shari

Good advice, if'n I'd got it a year ago! I did do a talley of what I was gettin' into at the time, just cause I'm over budget, life goes on. But seriously I'm in about 8500 so far, w/ tools and supplies and new components and such and figure another 3-5000 will do it. At this juncture it won't sell at present cost even with the new running gear so its just gonna have to get done to be worth cost at the end! A 65 just sold on Ebay for just under 12K. But I figure thats 15-25 less than a new one. And besides, the new ones ain't got da-cozy windows! Thanks Shari,
Ed

[Wardinbb]

Originally Posted by Ken J

If you are buying it to go camping, get another trailer. Thats what I did, I've got the 75 to use (its in really great condition) and the 58 is my project trailer. Course I didn't intend to buy a project trailer, but found the same thing as Don once I started tearing into it. As Don said, its something you can't hurry.

Ken

True, good point. My vision is oriented at 3-5 day SASS (SingleActionShootingSociety) events. There's one in Oct and a local one for me in Nov. You can't get better at SASS unless you do it on the range, there's really no way to just practice except at the meets. So I focused on 'just' getting Junior 'operational'. On first glance, he's presentable. But the hard look says the opposite, so restoration here we come. I won't make the meets this year with the trailer but next year will be here soon enought. And yes, I didn't intend to buy a project trailer either, but that's what happens on the second martini when you're throwing money at an EBay auction! So here I is and so it goes. Thanks for your response.
Ed

[Wardinbb]

Originally Posted by AYRSTRM2

One caution: do check up on axles and such, that's a $1500 replacement you may not have thought of yet.

John

You got that one right. I found out the easy way! Towing it home, the axil and shocks (it pulled fine) were so shot it sheared off one curtain holder and a bunch of interior rivets. Thats some real force. On purchase I noted the busted frig vent inside and the positive axil arm position and backed out the running gear replacement from the price. Thanks for the direction, I'll see that Forum lead.
Ed

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by wardnbb

Good advice, if'n I'd got it a year ago!

We were here...where were you?

Shari

[Wardinbb]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

We were here...where were you?

Shari

Just tryin' to take the path lest followed, or so I thought. Jumped on the web looking for parts, going it alone. Found a lot of good stuff, did some work and then eased off. My objective to get Junior 'operational' is recent and when I started opening things up I found Pandora's box. I also finally found the Forum.
This kind of project stuff is not hard, knowledge is the key and the power. Each situation is unique, some share the same uniqueness. I was overwhelmed at the aspect of removing the bath interior & cabinetry and just read about the removal secquence posted by someone. It was the same as I thought it had to be. It all comes down to Just Do It. Plenty have gone and done this stuff before and as Don so aptly said " How much more fun can you have with your pants on!"
Cheers!
Ed

[AYRSTRM2]

Well, let us in on your progress, how's about some details on the remodel? Any interesting things you've found or noted? Anybody restoring one of era's coaches always interests me.

John

[Ken J]

I'm in the process of replacing my floor without taking the body off - new floor should be in - in the next week or so. I'm not big on replacing small patches - replace large sections if you can - in fact the floor I took out was in pretty good condition, but I wanted new. The bolts were loose on the old floor - rear end seperated, but all that old flooring really stunk - my garage still stinks from it - in my case the trailer has been baking in the hot Texas sun for 46 years - pretty much melted the tile.

Anyway in my case I for sure had to replace front and back sections, so I figured what the heck, might as well do the whole thing, then its brand new

Ken