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2vets · 03-20-2011, 07:29 AM

The restoration begins! Wanted to show everyone before and after photographs of the work Colin Hyde did to our trailer. We will be taking her home soon to insulate, wire, and replace interior panels.

BigAl · 03-20-2011, 08:00 AM

Looks good. My only comment is that from what I have seen over the years, no matter how the underbelly is installed water gets in. If the space is filled with fiberglass insulation it will get wet and stay wet. I don't think that is good. My next major project is to remove my belly skin and deal with the insulation. I'll likely remove it and install one and a half inches of some rigid panels up against the floor.
Good luck with the rest of your rehab. It will be a lot of work but worth it.
Al

Jim & Mitzi · 03-20-2011, 08:11 AM

The comments on fiberglass insulation holding water = rust are so true. I'm going with the rigid panels attached to the bottom of floor or the sprayed / expanding insulation and try to ensure that any water that does get in can get out ASAP. JC

BigAl · 03-20-2011, 08:57 AM

If you spray in rigid insulation you may create a problem. One it is not easy to remove if necessary.
The other thing is that you may create spots that still get wet and then don't breathe enough to dry out.
Al

Splitrock · 03-20-2011, 09:12 AM

I was looking at the shed the frame is in. What's the whole story on that?

Colin H · 03-20-2011, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splitrock

I was looking at the shed the frame is in. What's the whole story on that?

It's a 32 X 14 X 12 high RV shelter that is inside a warehouse.
Colin

2vets · 03-20-2011, 09:23 AM

Colin works out of a big unheated warehouse. He has multiple small garage shelters within it that he can heat easily as he is working on that project. Pretty nifty way to conserve heat in the frigid north! Hoping Colin will chime in on insulation questions but I know he used automotive undercoating application to protect the undersides. He used reflectix underneath the pick insulation.

safari62 · 03-20-2011, 09:31 AM

Looking good 2Vets.......The TW is going to like that solid new frame for the next fifty years.

Colin H · 03-20-2011, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl

Looks good. My only comment is that from what I have seen over the years, no matter how the underbelly is installed water gets in. If the space is filled with fiberglass insulation it will get wet and stay wet. I don't think that is good. My next major project is to remove my belly skin and deal with the insulation. I'll likely remove it and install one and a half inches of some rigid panels up against the floor.
Good luck with the rest of your rehab. It will be a lot of work but worth it.
Al

That is probably because the water comes from above, & we all know that "s**t runs down hill". It will stay wet because it is continually fed. The complete interior of this body has been seam sealed & it will be leak tested before completion.
Colin

2vets · 03-20-2011, 09:35 AM

oops I meant pink not pick insulation!

pbearsailor · 03-20-2011, 09:58 AM

Unreal how bad your frame was--maybe those salty New England roads?

Colin's rotisserie is just way cool.

Anyone who has done frame or holding tank or bellypan work is just plain envious.

cheers,
steve

Colin H · 03-20-2011, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2vets

Colin works out of a big unheated warehouse. He has multiple small garage shelters within it that he can heat easily as he is working on that project. Pretty nifty way to conserve heat in the frigid north! Hoping Colin will chime in on insulation questions but I know he used automotive undercoating application to protect the undersides. He used reflectix underneath the pick insulation.

The complete frame had the rust removed with a wire brush on a grinder, then the rusted out portions of the rails were cut off & replaced with new steel. A new coupler was also installed because the original one was quite worn & it had numerous crude modifications done to it over the years. The "A" frame was closed at the front, below the coupler to stop water from entering in the future. All of the original frames are left wide open in this area just begging to rust out from inside. After all of the frame repairs & upgrades were complete, "rust converter" was applied to the whole weldment. After that, it was sprayed with POR15 & as you can see, it was done on my rotisserie, so I have easy access to every nook & cranny. Then several quarts of enamel paint were poured inside the main rails & the whole assembly was rotated & tipped up & down, rotating along the way in order to spread the paint on the complete interior of each rail. After all of this, the floor was installed & Automotive Undercoating was appied to the complete chassis & underside of the floor.
Is it going to rust out again, perhaps, but not in the owners lifetime...............unless they park it in a brackish swamp

Colin

Wabbiteer · 03-20-2011, 02:36 PM

You don't need ice-melt or agricultural fertilizer runoff to burn your mild-iron into dust - Acid Rain is a huge factor on iron, any power plants, autos and anything else burning upwind - including China now - exhales iron eating acids .

Normal rainwater used to read about 5.7 pH while acid rain reads pH of 5.0 or lower. Coffee is around 4.9 pH, average rain in the US is now 4.5 (may be higher downwind of urban areas) and orange juice is 3.7 .

Here in Minnesota I seen weak spring squalls of low-pH rain kill 40 pounds of fresh grass seed just spread out, and burn through the knees of Levi denim pants where I peeked under my truck and got the knees wet, days later the knees just turned to gauze.

Anyhow - just a factoid to toss out. I think the economists plan on 2-3% annual losses of capital assets from the steel portions' corrosion alone, our vintage trailers sure fit that model...

2vets · 03-20-2011, 02:43 PM

Hey no fair Colin- now that mud season is upon us my backyard does have a brackish swamp resemblance!

Splitrock · 03-20-2011, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2vets

Colin works out of a big unheated warehouse. He has multiple small garage shelters within it that he can heat easily as he is working on that project. Pretty nifty way to conserve heat in the frigid north!

Neat! Good way to go. I'm impressed!

Gary

reinergirl · 03-20-2011, 07:46 PM

Hey Sis! I was wondering when you were going to get around to posting these! Looks great, can't wait to see it back in your driveway (mostly because that means I will have moved up a notch in Colin's queue!)

So the backyard swamp will go away eventually but hmmmmm have you looked up the PH of cow/chicken manure yet?

There's a reason why your fields are so lush and green LOL