I recently bought a 1992 25' Excella off Craigslist. Honey,
check it out, exactly what we have been looking for. Everything we want.
I know "Buyer Beware". I have to take responsibility for making a poor decision. Should have looked it over more closely. The only place I didn't inspect, the storage space under the rear twin beds. There were no indicators a major problem lurked beneath.
When I got it home and began to clean it as a proud
new owner does, I discovered
the result of a POOR design and even worse,
POOR Quality Control. My airstream bubble has popped, or at least deflated. Good thing I am handy and can fix most of my own mistakes...
HERE IS THE PROBLEM: The wheel well, the black plastic outer well is glued and screwed down ON TOP of the frame. The pressed wood floor is secured directly to the frame. With road grime, water, sand and grit being blasted at 70 miles per hour, mile after mile directly at the seam, the seal was DOOMED from the time it left the factory.
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Poor quality control allowed the wheel well to be installed just off far enough that NONE of the rear part of the well actually overlapped the frame to the rear (the most critical area). I suppose they thought that was Okay because it had twice as much overlap to the front. An open door to the elements. When I lifted up the mattress I found rotten disintegrating moldy muck.
Oh one more thing, it was a brilliant idea to cover the entire floor with plastic, I am sure it was to protect the carpet at the show room and intended to be removed by the new owner. It wasn't. Perfect seal a meal for the mold and fungus who lived there.
Honey, Ummm you know that trip we were planning? I don't really want to go any more. I'd rather stay home with the kids and work on the trailer we just got. I think it would be great for the boy and I to build something together.
I know, I know, I could have bought a lesser brand trailer, sparkling new for the same money. I know.
But we will have something to be really proud of
when we are done, besides this is ours now.
I know this doesn't look good and it is going to cost time and money to make it better. But it will all be okay, you'll see. You will like it.
I have a SOLUTION, which will be pretty cool. Attach a 1 1/2" angle iron to the frame for the wheel well to rest on. Seal it up, then sprey on white bed liner to the wheel well to creat a durable water tight, exterior skin.
So far so good. We did some things extra to make it a better trailer. First removed all the old carpet. All of it, everywhere, even under cabinets where you can't see.
Sub floor went in well. I took the extra time and chipped out all the old flooring out of the u frame, cut and shaped the new sub floor to fit in and around all the mounting bolts. Was a tight fit, took several adjustments to get it right. But worth it. Went with a vynil floor, which went in smoothly.
It is a work in progress. Time now to get back to it.
Too many words to tell a such a short story.
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