'59 Pacer Shell-On Renovation

[worldinchaos]

Apparently I'm putting too many screws in the floor since I just ran out and I thought I had bought ~75.

One section left...

[3Ms75Argosy]

Ha! Better watch your weight.. you might need a bigger axle! An idea about the stringer... can you attach a small light gauge plate from above underneath it? That would give you a wider "flange" to rivet the belly too while you have your axle on.

Keep it up! We all love to see pics.
Love this tailer btw... what plans do you have for the inside? Modern, retro? Stock layout?
Marc

[Darkspeed]

It's looking good! The belly eats up a lot of screws!

[worldinchaos]

Originally Posted by 3Ms75Argosy

Ha! Better watch your weight.. you might need a bigger axle! An idea about the stringer... can you attach a small light gauge plate from above underneath it? That would give you a wider "flange" to rivet the belly too while you have your axle on.

Keep it up! We all love to see pics.
Love this tailer btw... what plans do you have for the inside? Modern, retro? Stock layout?
Marc

Pics tomorrow. Couldn't leave work early enough to make it to Fastenal or HD for the screws.

A little too late for the stringer plate aspect. Ironically, I read about that idea for the first time 2 days ago on another thread. I've spent tons of hours on these forums and its the day after I lay all the subfloor in that I read that idea. Meh. You can't do it all perfect.

Theme will be fairly modern on the interior. Still working it up. As for the plans, that's a good reminder. I should start putting those together formally. I was waiting until I was close. Now I'm close....

[worldinchaos]

Tonight I learned that although I can put together a PFD in Visio documenting a new complex lineup in the refinery in under 20 minutes, it takes me over an hour to even get to this stage with the trailer layout. And I know what I want, it's just working out the dimensions right....sad. Will have to play more on it.

[Darkspeed]

Originally Posted by worldinchaos

Tonight I learned that although I can put together a PFD in Visio documenting a new complex lineup in the refinery in under 20 minutes, it takes me over an hour to even get to this stage with the trailer layout. And I know what I want, it's just working out the dimensions right....sad. Will have to play more on it.

Did you keep getting the popup window that asked why your house had wheels?

Have you tried google sketchup?

[worldinchaos]

Originally Posted by Darkspeed

Did you keep getting the popup window that asked why your house had wheels?

Have you tried google sketchup?

Haha. I kept getting the frustration that it wouldn't let me modify any of the standard shapes...i.e. "My Atwood 3-burner stovetop is not 30" wide!!!"

I was originally going to use Google Sketchup based on some of those tutorial threads that NorCal Bambi put together, but then decided I wanted to resist change and try Visio. Visio fail.

[worldinchaos]

OK, am I missing something here?

These screws look awesome aside from them going 2" into the frame area. But if you have the room, there should be no issue. They seem identical to the ones that a certain vintage seller has but in 1/4-20 as opposed to 12-24 size.

They are even a better price at $6 for 37 as opposed to $8+shipping for 25.

EDIT: one difference I just noticed--no "electroplated epoxy coating" for corrosion resistance on the HD variety

[Darkspeed]

Originally Posted by worldinchaos

OK, am I missing something here?

These screws look awesome aside from them going 2" into the frame area. But if you have the room, there should be no issue. They seem identical to the ones that a certain vintage seller has but in 1/4-20 as opposed to 12-24 size.

They are even a better price at $6 for 37 as opposed to $8+shipping for 25.

EDIT: one difference I just noticed--no "electroplated epoxy coating" for corrosion resistance on the HD variety

Check these out.. No F'n phillips head to strip out

Trailer Floor Floorboard Deck Screws 5/16-18 x 2 1/2" | eBay

or in stainless..

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/1224...=26-49526871-2

[worldinchaos]

Originally Posted by Darkspeed

Check these out.. No F'n phillips head to strip out

Trailer Floor Floorboard Deck Screws 5/16-18 x 2 1/2" | eBay

or in stainless..

#12-14 x 2-1/2" Flat Head 410 Stainless Trailer Decking Screws, Flat Head Trailer Deck Screws, Screws - McFeely's

Dang. You're right. The SS would have been even better. Gah. Bookmarking that in my brain for the next trailer....

So far though, I haven't stripped any heads because I've been using a countersink bit first to make a good seat. Tedious, but effective.

[worldinchaos]

Soooo... I'm pretty much done, right? 95% finished?

Alright, two windows, a bunch o insulation, wiring, and lots of riveting interior walls and it's an aluminum tent again.

[Darkspeed]

Floor is epic!

[worldinchaos]

Dang. I'm officially addicted to this thing. Started polishing up a "couple inches" around the streetside windows so I could prep the shell for the reinstall and I got this....

Unfortunately, it meant that I didn't have time later one to polish the actual window frames....

[worldinchaos]

Update 10/24/11

A tiny bit of progress this weekend, but some nonetheless. Enlisted a friend to help buck rivets on the wheel wells and a couple patches, and then drove the trailer to the wash bay to give it a leak test. Found a lot....

However, it was fun because it was the first time Knight has moved in ~5 months. In addition, it gave me an opportunity to give her a bath.

We then sealed the rest of the interior seams and started putting up insulation.

And finally, since everyone loves pictures, here's some fun I was having with my new phone camera. Believe it or not, that's AFTER cleaning it completely. Lots of old buffing marks from a PO.

[worldinchaos]

Update 11/14/11

Things are slowing down as work and school have gotten hectic. However I started ramping up my speed last week when I realized my mid-December target of aluminum tent is fast approaching.

Finally finished the last of the windows. The street side had been the victim of a run in with a metal sign or something similarly sharp. There are various scratches all at the same height that slightly indented the shell and some window frames, and finally left a gash in the last frame piece that it hit. This was poorly patched by the PO.

So after polishing and tinting and etc I decided it best to make an attempt on a new patch. Not professional, but im pleased with myself for nothing other than a pair of tin snips, pliers, file, and vice.

Anyway, I've also been patching all the other holes and putting the foam insulation spacers up. Just started the electrical yesterday. I'm pretty skeptical of reaching my mid December goal but trying to stay optimistic. I don't want to rush this....

[slowmover]

For what it's worth, I'd be quite happy with the appearance of that patch. Looks more than good enough to last until 2023 or so.

[Chlyman]

That patch looks great!!!

[worldinchaos]

Originally Posted by REDNAX

For what it's worth, I'd be quite happy with the appearance of that patch. Looks more than good enough to last until 2023 or so.

Originally Posted by Chlyman

That patch looks great!!!

Thanks guys! The one thing I wish I could have done was fix the frame itself, since the prior collision had gouged and pulled the frame so badly that the metal was stretched and expanded to the point that it couldn't be pushed back in straight. That is why the patch has a "curve" on the side.

It's also not a purely cosmetic issue because the Hehr backframe gasket now doesn't sit properly along the length....

But onward to insulation and electrical!!!

[worldinchaos]

Wow. And I thought that getting the floor in would make it easier to move around in the trailer. Instead I just moved my workshop inside and took an endcap down. Blah.

[worldinchaos]

So the city water inlet is completely in.

Installed the rear marker lights and wired all the running lights. The LEDs look nice, more pics to come when I have them hooked up to the actual TV plug. It's a little difficult to take a picture when I'm holding two wires on 6 AA batteries taped together in series...

Oh yeah and insulation is going well. Except forming reflectix to the endcap was not fun.