'63 Tradewind for $600 and not arrested!

[flyfshr]

Whoa, hold on there, the number stamped on the window frame is not the size of the cut glass. It is the opening size cut in the aluminum skin for the stationary window frame. You'll need to measure the size of the actual glass, lexan or the opening once the gasket material is out of the window. Make sure you do this on a sunny day with no chance of rain. A glass shop or home center can cut the glass while you wait and have you home in time to install it. Make sure you have all of the glazing and window gasket material ahead of time. Good luck.

Brad
FF

[Sugarfoot]

Wow, $600! Marc, congrats on such a STEAL! You never know what you might find on Craigslist. Tradewinds are the coolest.

On a side note, don't we seem to have a lot of Mark's and Marc's that own Tradewinds?

Enjoy your new find.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Marc,
First of all thank you. It mean a lot to me to know that someone got something out of my blog. I know people read, but I am not always sure what benefits it gives people. Thank very much.

The other thing you need is this Vintage Trailer Supply - Vintage travel trailer parts and supplies!. While you are doing all this window stuff, replace the inner seals too. That way you have one less leak to worry about. Do not be surprised if some of those window frames are broke. My trick for that is showing the old guy at the local welding shop some cash. Cash talks loud with blue collar guys.

[3Ms75Argosy]

I laughed so hard, I almost fell over! Actually, at giving you the trailer at half my cost, I will come out I'm sure over 10x ahead.... AND the trailer would be finished to boot! Hmmmmm.....

I'm off to order from VTS. Thanks everyone. Frank - your blog is late night reading for me. Keep it up! You know, they love hippies out here in the great NW too! Wish you were closer.
Marc

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by uwe

think about my offer. It would be a perfect addition to Area 63...three's a charm..

Don't listen to Uwe, Marc... I'll give you $601!



JP

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by utee94

Uwe, you greedy bastage. Between A-Merry-Can and you, it's a wonder that there are any trailers left over for the rest of us!

HA! I simply run a shelter for neglected aluminum.

JP

[1963tradewin]

On the front window I would just replace it. My back window broke in mine when I was replacing seals I was freaked out, then went to a window shop and got the same window for 15 bucks. On my front window to protect it from rocks Im going to replace the old ugly gaurd and get that one from inland rv it looks great in the pics

[3Ms75Argosy]

So the cash is starting to flow... just bought 4 American Outlaw rims for cheap... great shape. I was going to sell two .. but then I remembered I have a spare sitting on the front... the aluminum rim would look nice there (and be a bit lighter). Anybody need just one for a spare?

I called around today... a replacement tempered glass front window is about $23 from the local glass shop.. so I will replace that and all the lexan windows that it has. Funny, the one replacement jalousie window is just as much as the front window if I have it tempered! The bummer is that VTS is out of stock on the outside window gasket. Inland doesn't list it, but I think I'll call and inquire.

The title came through (I was waiting to start spending pending this.. no need if the trailer didn't title right). The fees were a 6th of the price of the trailer!! And, I found out it hadn't been registered since 1978.

Off to see my "beauty" tomorrow. I'll post more after the weekend. Some goals for the weekend... take that AC off the front, measure once more for the glass. Start drilling out the front interior skins, and pull the front 4 feet out. Eventually, I'll need to take the bearings out of the axle and get replacements.. I am figuring on axle replacement, but need to have the ability to move it to a better location (home) where I can more easily work on the axle (about 40 miles away). I didnt want the wheels to burn off the axle on the way. Anyone know bearing numbers and seals for this '63 TW? For trivia buffs, my Henschen axle has what looks like orginal skid guards on the torsion beam.

Questions - I read how Craig used a 1" drill to drill around the elevator bolts... how do you get the c-channel bolts off? Did they come out easy for you guys?
Marc

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Marc,

the seals... send me your address via PM and it will be in the mail this afternoon. Just for the front window? You have all rest of what you need?

The bolts just snap off with vise grips. Clamp on and wiggle a little, snap they are finished. It is the flat head screws that are a tremendous pain in the pony tail to remove. I have no tricks for that except keep a lot of bandages handy for you WILL have bloody knuckles by the time they are all out.

[1963tradewin]

What seal ar you looking for? I have extra after doing my 63 tw. I have the Hehr Hallmark 12 glazing strip I have 24' 8" its the outer seal that holds the window in place. Heres a pic Id give it to you for 20 bucks shipped. Hopefully this helps

[3Ms75Argosy]

Wow, thanks to Frank and 63TW, I'll be getting new glass for the girl in no time! Thank you both for the offers on the gaskets. I should have enough now.

Speaking of which, it took me forever to figure out how to get the lifters off the front window. I did get them off, but I think by chance I figured it out. When I took that old AC unit off the front, I swear I heard the ol girl sigh. That thing must have been at least 30# worth.

So I took the front interior skins off, and the first segement of wood floor.. well twice actually, because the PO nailed a second 1/2" wood panel down over the orginal...... why?... well... because the orginal was mostly MULCH in the belly wrap. I MIGHT have enough to trace to make a new panel. Funny, the second floor was made from exterior sheathing.. I think it's called T 1-11... the type with built in panelling grooves! Lots of nice mold between the layers.... yumm!

I'll post pics tomorrow...
Marc

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Marc, something I wanted to say about the outer seal for the windows.... make sure you keep pushing toward where you started seating it in the frame. It will stretch if you are not careful and then later on it could shrink up a bit and you will have gaps at the corner. Does that make sense?

Also the buthyl tape is set on the paper to line it up perfect into the groove. Cannot remember if it is the narrow side or the wide side of the paper, you will figure that out quickly. I have also found that you will not be able to remove the glass from the frame without breaking it, so make sure you have a new piece ready when you start.

Also make sure the frame is totally clean, no old buthyl residue, silicon, dust, nothing. As someone mentioned earlier the buthyl is what actually holds the glass. But the groove that outer seal goes into must be debris free, because the seal will take up every bit of it.

You also might as well go at them with a cotton wheel and some polishing bars, now is the easiest time to get them shiny before you put it back together.

Hope all that made sense to you, if not I will try another stab. Your gasket material is on the way.

[3Ms75Argosy]

Frank, it sure does make sense... I'm holding the frame currently. I'm going to polish away with my Dremel after the cleanup. Luckily, the frames still in one piece, and unmolested by the AC. The window holder, though, suffered from two through bolts. Olympics from the front will solve that... I've resigned to making or buying new angle aluminum to trim around the windows.

I don't have the butyl tape in hand yet.. It had two different sides? I was under the impression that it was just a rectangle.

I have to download my pics soon.... want to tell the story about the frame....... not TOO bad... YET.
Marc

[Frank's Trailer Works]

see how the tape is offset on the paper... the smaller side goes over the inner lip causing the tape up against the lip and it will line up perfect in the groove made for it. It aligns itself that way. Press it in real well and remove the backing paper. Keep it cool so it does not stretch out as you unroll it, and roll it out slowly because it sometimes will stick to the paper as you unroll it. If it stretches out it will not create the proper even seal on the glass. As you put the glass in, be careful of aligning it, for once it goes in it is in. You cannot easily shift it. After the first window you will be a pro. One last thing, if the glass is too small, the outer gasket will want to seat in the wrong spot and will not hold tight to the glass.

[3Ms75Argosy]

Ok, spent another few hours on the trailer today.... I even let my wife see it today.... I should have taken a picture of her face...

I got another four feet off today... YUCK! What a huge mouse nest I found... oh, the smell! I'm going to say my trailer is quite organic... there was so much MULCH from the old floor in the belly pan... All that insulation in the floor smelled so bad, whew! I sprayed some bleach in there for good measure. Surprisingly, the wall insulation is in pretty good condition. Can you see all the sprayed in foam when the floor was intact? Not much wood there.

On the plus side, it makes it a bit easier to pull the floor out.. not much is holding the c-channel to the floor. I used 2333's idea to drill around the elevator bolts with a hole bit 1" or so, and then lifted a side, pounding down on the drilled centers to help break up the wood around the bolts. On the minus side, I did find the first cross member is pretty rusted through the top rail... Some frame repair is in the works. Panel #2 can't be a pattern, it's rotted about 4" in on both sides...

Questions for today... is there a trick to drilling out bucked rivets? I need to pull the lower skin around the door out, but my 1/8" drill bit isn't releasing the rivet. Do I need a bigger bit? Do you guys punch it first to make the drill track better?

Gotta find a welder, and some POR 15. I also want to wire a new pigtail while it's all open.

[2333]

No real trick for the solid rivet. Most of the time you use the 1/8" bit, drill in the center of the head till you've drilled through the head and into the shaft.

- Sometimes the head will pop off and remain spinning on your drill bit. Then you just use of hole punch to tap the remaining rivet shaft out of the hole (by driving it into the wall). It falls in between the outer and inner skin space.

- Sometimes as you drill the rivet head, the same thing happens, but your spinning drill bit pushed the rivet shaft into the wall space. The "Rivet Removal Tool" uses this method and because it helps keep your drill bit on dead center, works well.

- You can also drill down into the rivet head until you just start drilling into the rivet shaft. If you were pretty accurate, you can then stop drilling. Get a small hammer and a chisel and place the tip of the chisel just under the side of the rivet head. A good swift hit with the hammer will "pop" off the rivet head (Like "shaving" it off). Then you use the hole punch to push in the remaining rivet shaft. You do run the risk of enlarging the rivet hole though. Especially if as you drilled through the rivet head, you were off center a bit or if you didn't go deep enough.

I used the rivet removal tool for a lot of my drill-outs, but now I just use the last method. It works easily once you get used to drilling on a round rivet head and "Worming" it to dead center. I never use a center punch to start the drilling. Just start at a slower RPM until it bites.... but here's the most important point: If your drill bit is not sharp, you'll have lots of trouble.

[3Ms75Argosy]

Thanks Craig.. maybe I was rushing it... I'll take a deep breath and try it again. Anything new with your trailer?
Marc

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Originally Posted by 2333

.... but here's the most important point: If your drill bit is not sharp, you'll have lots of trouble.

I want to second and third that statement. Buy them in a bulk pack and throw them away often. If they are dull they will slip. And I also do not bother to punch the center first but instead rely on the sharp bit.

[2333]

Marc -
I'm trying to catch up to you and start the windows, but still finding leaks and getting out the vulkem and gutter seal.
I know you're using glass for the windows, did you consider Lexan? My gut tells me my kids are going to break a window within a week of camping. So I am leaning toward the lexan, just wanted to know if you had thought about it.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

I know you didn't ask for my opinion, but I think you should do glass. nothing looks and feels like plastic as much as plastic. If you like plastic, then that is fine. Have you thought of tempered glass?