1973 Travelux restoration

[gehrhardt]

Hi all,

I purchased a 1973 Travelux this past weekend and I couldn't be happier. I bought it from the original owner. It spent most of its life as a seasonal camper in Maine, but they brought it home in 2011 and parked it. They had bought a new one and never used the Travelux again. The owner's husband passed away recently, so they were selling off all the toys. I got it for a steal.

It still has its original bias ply tires and I am shocked they survived the 2 hour trip to my house.

It certainly needs some work, but nothing too major. I don't think the shower will get used again, so I will most likely convert it into a closet. The toilet was replaced a year or so before they bought a new trailer, so that's a plus.

This isn't my only vintage camper, so the restoration process may be slow for a bit. Our other vintage camper, a 1975 Cygnet, gets used often so maintenance on that gets priority.

So far, I've torn down the white particle board from the ceiling. I assume this was put up there (with 100 or so self tapping screws) to hide the peeling vinyl that covers the interior aluminum. That's step 1.

[PaulnGina]

I love it when I hear of people making great deals on vintage trailers! (I'm one of them!!!)

That'll be a great trailer to restore, and I look forward to seeing updates as you go.

(I looked up some pictures of 1975 Cygnets..... cool trailers!)

[gehrhardt]

And here's all 1250 lbs of my Cygnet.

[PaulnGina]

Originally Posted by gehrhardt

And here's all 1250 lbs of my Cygnet.

Thank you.... neat little trailer.

(I meant to ask earlier regarding your Travelux..... you mentioned that the shower would probably not be used...... why? Do you camp au naturale??? LOL!!)

[lifeincolor]

So cool, is that double bunks? Love it! Good luck with the restoration!

[Evalu8r]

Nice Travelux, looking forward to seeing some more photos. We've got 1979 21' Travelux

[gehrhardt]

Sorry guys, I haven't posted any updates recently as it was a very busy summer.

Yes, it's double bunks. It turns out it is a President Elite 29'. The body is 25'6" and it is 29' from bumper to hitch. I don't think there are too many of that model around.

As for the shower, we have one in our modern trailer and it just doesn't get used. I'm not going to spend a lot of time restoring it if it's just going to sit there. The shower head and controls have rusted off from the shower anyway, so it would be a bit of a mess fixing it. The toilet and sink work fine, so that's the most important parts anyway.

We're in the process of building a large garage, so once that's done, I'll be able to work on it through the winter. The goal is to head to the Spring Fling vintage trailer rally in Salisbury Beach, MA next May. I think it's possible!

It's been a busy summer, but I have made a bit of progress:
- I gave it a thorough cleaning inside shortly after buying it.
- Most of the vinyl covering that was on the walls and ceiling has been removed.
- Verified that the plumbing has no leaks and that the sinks and toilet work.
- The black water tank is holding water with no leaks.
- 115V is working, but 12V is not. It may be a bad invertor.
- New galvanized wheels and trailer tires
- Verified the awning is working and is in excellent shape.

To Do:
- Remove adhesive and paint from the inside aluminum skin.
- Test new invertor to see if that is the issue (I have a spare)
- Fix city water connection as it sprays everywhere outside of the trailer
- Test and possibly repair propane system. It is still using the original regulator. The tanks were stamped 1982.
- Fix brakes
- Check leaf springs and shocks, as the suspension seems to sag a bit in the back.
- New 7 way plug and wiring install. The lights were flaky when I towed it home. I removed the old plug and wiring and they were frayed and coming apart.
- Remove cabinets and refinish them. Possibly a darker stain to complement the shiny walls and ceiling.
- Fix a couple of worn mechanisms and broken cranks on the Jalousie windows.
- Replace some ripped bug screens
- Fix a small tear in the awning
- Sand and refinish the hardwood floors
- Remove the oxidation and polish up that sucker!

I'm actually surprised at the lack of issues so far. I think I just jinxed it, though.

[gehrhardt]

[Evalu8r]

Originally Posted by gehrhardt

To Do:
- Remove adhesive and paint from the inside aluminum skin.

The vinyl and glue removal is a nasty job. I decided it would be easier to replaced my inner skins. I replaced all but four which are now mostly behind cabinets, so these are the ones I cleaned off. I found the EZ Strip from Home Depot worked the best. Let it soak and use a plastic scraper as not to mark the aluminum. Oh, and don't forget to have your favorite bevy with you.

[gehrhardt]

Thanks, I'll try the EZ Strip. I don't think I want to replace the skins, so I guess it'll just be pure elbow grease.

What did you do with the inside plastic end caps?

[Evalu8r]

Originally Posted by gehrhardt

What did you do with the inside plastic end caps?

They are fiberglass and I still have one of the end caps and all the original cabinet doors. Interested?

[gehrhardt]

No, mine are still in great shape. I was just wondering if you kept them as-is or replaced them with aluminum too.

[Evalu8r]

Replaced the front with aluminum and kept the rear in place.
Here's the link to my forum - http://www.airforums.com/forums/f417...-a-102669.html

[gehrhardt]

Well, after looking under the front cabinet to try and troubleshoot the 12V issues, I removed the power inverter and noticed a big problem. I could see daylight under the cabinet. Once I had the benches and cabinet removed, I saw how badly it was rotted in the front corner.

At that point I made the decision to pull out the hardwood and replace the floor. After working at this a bit, finding a couple of mouse nests and getting a look at the belly pan and frame, I'm happy I made the decision.

Now I'm planning on gutting it completely. I've saved everything I can at this point, but it's going to be a big job. The floor has been removed from the front 1/3 now. There was more rot near the sink and under the fridge. The wood felt like tissue paper. The rest will be removed once I figure out how to get the beds and interior walls out without totally ruining them.

[PaulnGina]

Wow! That's a lot of work, but you're certainly fixing it the right way.

Keep us posted on your progress.

[travelux1969]

remove the fiberglass insulation and leave it out if you can. it just acts as a sponge and retains any water that comes its way, leaks, road splash, etc, and creates the ideal rot environment.
hope you have a big garage to store all the interior!

[gehrhardt]

I have been removing the old fibreglass, as it is pretty shot. Once I fix the holes in the belly pan and deal with some frame fixes, I'll try and figure out what to put in there instead. I don't want anything too heavy though.

As for the garage, it's 32x28, but it currently contains the Travelux, my 16' Cygnet, an ATV and a side x side. There's no room for any cars!

[Evalu8r]

Yes you're right it's a big job but you're into it now and tackling it right.
Here's what I did with mine when I got to that stage:
-removed all original plywood flooring
-removed all original insulation
-vacuumed belly pan then wet sandblasted the frame, (it cleans off the rust and gets rid of the rodent smell)
-sealed the frame in black DOM 16 paint, (expensive but its stick to and seals rust to prevent any more corrosion.)
-installed 3" thick extruded polystyrene foam insulation, (blue "Styrofoam")
-new plywood (not from a big box store), coated it with a black two part marine epoxy before installation on both side and all edges.

[gehrhardt]

Sounds like a plan...

As an aside, I've noticed that since I removed the front part of the floor, the body seems to have separated from the frame in the front. It bounces a bit when I am walking inside.

Did you encounter this? If so, how is the body supposed to be attached? Is the plywood on the floor involved? I'm tempted to add some extra bracing just for my own sanity.

[travelux1969]

Originally Posted by gehrhardt

Sounds like a plan...

As an aside, I've noticed that since I removed the front part of the floor, the body seems to have separated from the frame in the front. It bounces a bit when I am walking inside.

Did you encounter this? If so, how is the body supposed to be attached? Is the plywood on the floor involved? I'm tempted to add some extra bracing just for my own sanity.

i encountered the same thing when i repaired the floor in the front of my trailer. someone can correct me if i am wrong, but my analysis of the construction is as follows: a plywood deck is installed on the top of the trailer frame. the trailer ribs and outer skin are then bolted / screwed through the deck into the frame. insulation and wiring installed and then the inner skin etc.
the rib framing of the trailer does sit on the plywood deck, so when you rip it out there is no support and the body will bounce as you note. when replacing the floor, cut slots to clear those screws and fit the deck back under the framing, glue shims if required to ensure a tight fit and screw the deck to the framing. some clues as to construction can be seen in the Gilbert Waite collection posting on the vintage kin forums here.