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Old 06-15-2011, 07:40 AM   #1
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1964 19' Globetrotter
1962 22' Flying Cloud
1964 24' Tradewind
Murray , Utah
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 48
Images: 3
I just wanted a new floor.. and now..

Ive always been anti gut.. I see way too many old trailers that were gutted, never to be put back together. I bought this 62 GT in nice mostly orig condition. Really just wanted to install a new floor.. but one thing lead to another, next thing I knew, it looked like this!! Well, theres no turning back. Im rebuilding parts of the cabinets that were de-laminating etc. Now that most are out, floor is down, and nearly everything else is seeing attention in some way.. Im reconsidering the walls and paint. PO repainted the interior walls, im thinking about stripping them to bare aluminum.. Anyone got a good link that has done this to similar vintage trailer? Id like to see how it looks. I know the end caps are fiberglass, so id repaint those and the center would be bare aluminum. Id really like to get an idea of how this would look and what unexpected drama will come.. Yeah, should have done it before the floors.. I will cover them well. Heres how it looks now.
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Old 06-15-2011, 07:55 AM   #2
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1991 34' Excella
Salem , Virginia
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Very nice looking floor. What did you use?
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Old 06-15-2011, 09:03 AM   #3
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1957 22' Caravanner
Port Hadlock , Washington
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Mine is mostly stripped and polished. Toastie has a great thread on his too.

The zolatone is a bear to strip. It'll take multiple applications of the nastiest stripper (Aircraft Paint Remover). I would definitely recommend (I know it's more of the slippery slope) taking the interior skins off and stripping outside. Going to be really hard to avoid messing up your floor if you do it inside.

If you do go ahead that way, consider new insulation and wiring. You'll never have the opportunity again.

cheers,
steve
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Old 06-15-2011, 09:08 AM   #4
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2012 27' FB International
Bellevue , Washington
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Very, very nice! This is great inspiration for me. I'm trying to talk hubby into getting a vintage AS that we can restore (I have my eye on an Excella). I'm also curious about stripping down to the aluminum as well on the walls inside. But really LOVE that floor!!
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Old 06-16-2011, 07:44 AM   #5
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1964 19' Globetrotter
1962 22' Flying Cloud
1964 24' Tradewind
Murray , Utah
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 48
Images: 3
Thanks gang.. I was stuck on a quarter sawn oak floor.. obviously not sanded and top coated yet.. the grain isn't exactly popping yet, but it will. I hand picked every board, got some great contrast going. Try as they might, everyone tried talking me into an "engineered" floor. I just couldn't do it. I had to have quartered oak. 1.5" wide is more stable than 2.25 or wider, so I paid the money to have it "custom" milled. 1.5"x 1/2" thick. The plan was to simply put in a new floor and start using my GT ASAP... My original floors do not have any rot anywhere, so I thought.. I must at least protect under the water tank, ill remove that and put my floor sealer under that.. well, it was necessary to remove the cabinet to get the tank out.. well that was easy, I guess ill take the other one out.. another piece of cabinetry and a furnace complicated the removal of that one a bit, but out it came.. ok i dont need the flooring under the kitchen cabinet.. by the time I got to it, out it came. Water heater, bathroom vanity.. on and on. Im ok with it. Ive got a little time right now, and have been sanding, fixing, and replacing parts of the original cabinets.. Its gonna be sweet.
I like the idea of the exposed aluminum look, but im not taking it to that level of removing interior panels.. everything worked before, im just not opening that can of worms.. I do appreciate the input though, as id rather hear that than start, make a mess and then say "no can do". Maybe I will just repaint while its at this point. Or maybe, I will do a little "test" section of stripping. I do have some layout board that would protect the floors well, especially with plastic under it. Well, time to head out to the shop and get that early start.. another 10 hours of sanding today.
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Old 07-03-2011, 01:35 PM   #6
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1972 23' Safari
raleigh , North Carolina
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I'll speak for all the UNhandy, not skilled guys...I envy your hands and industry. My first rule is to "live with it" before I do anything beyond my experience. I can get anything apart, and next to nothing back together...right. That floor is beautiful, but I'll ask you, how are you going to get around in the trailer...it's too pretty to walk on!
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Old 07-03-2011, 02:09 PM   #7
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1952 21' Flying Cloud
Loosdrecht , Noord Holland
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Wow i'm jealous. Love the floor and the GT. The quartered oak will definitely go on my wishlist. Are you going to coat the wood with anything?
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Old 07-03-2011, 03:38 PM   #8
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1994 34' Excella
newark , New York
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 35
We went with a laminate in the Avion. Were afraid of 'real' wood flexing... did you nail into the trailer floor ? My husband does all the hardwood flooring in our home, but thought the trailer flooring needed to be able to 'float'....
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Old 07-14-2011, 02:54 PM   #9
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1964 19' Globetrotter
1962 22' Flying Cloud
1964 24' Tradewind
Murray , Utah
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 48
Images: 3
I thought I should give an update and answer a few of the questions out there.

Yes, I will top coat it.. Jury is still out on what product. Ive always been pro-poly.. I know theres a lot of choices in products now, and have consulted with quite a few people in the floor re-finish industry. many still agree poly is a good choice.

Yes, I did use a "floor stapler" again, the choice of 1.5" wide makes it more stable. Im not worried about having any problems, but we'll see.

I did do a test strip section, and surprisingly the 2-3 layers of paint came off in many places with just one pass. I played carefully with different stripping tools. And, yes some areas are very stubborn, almost resilient to stripping, no matter how many times you try. Since the last pics, the rest of the cabinets are now out, the others are completely ready for finish (a weeks worth of repair, sanding and prep). The original holding tank is out, it will get a new valve, leak test, and maybe another wrap.. unless I can find an exact fit for new one.. new ones probably aren't as good as this old one tho! Plan is to paint (zolotone) the lower portion of the walls.. basically the top of the windows down. From the tops of the windows upward (ceiling) will be exposed aluminum. Lower portions of the "end caps" will also be aluminum, as will the door. Im not after a mirror polished finish inside, more of a clean shiny finish. Neck is feeling it. Not a physically easy undertaking. Wow.. really all I wanted was a new floor.. the motivation is still there.. I am doing exactly what I envisioned, end that feels good.. looks good too! Ill post some pics as soon as I get the floor covering off that contains all the mess of paint.. Thanks for the encouragement and help!
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Old 07-14-2011, 03:04 PM   #10
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1954 26' Romany Cruiser
Asheville , NC
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Stripper

Not sure what you are using for stripper but I found that Citristrip works just as well as other much more toxic ones. You still need gloves but its much easier on the lungs inside the trailer.
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