Rot on tongue of my trailer

[judds1959]

So I just started to check out my 1959 tradewind I got from my mom, this thing has been sitting since 1976 and I discovered rot on the tongue area any advice on 1 is it fixable and
2 what's the best way to fix it

[J. Morgan]

The only real fix is to cut the affected metal out and rebuild the tongue.

In a pinch, depending on how far back the rot goes, it might be possible to overlay the offending metal with fresh stock, but starting over is your best option.

Anything that has holes in it, even pinholes is gone....

[Belegedhel]

Sitting since 1976! 50 years of neglect! This trailer is very likely a candidate for a complete rebuild--the damage you see to your tongue is liikely just the tip of the iceberg.

If your tongue is in that bad of shape, hold onto your hat, because the rest of the frame will likely be in bad shape as well. Subfloor is likely rotted out, appliances shot, mice in the walls, etc., etc..

Go to the top of the page and click the "portal" tab. Scroll down and keep your eyes on the right hand side, and you will find a link to the "trailer inspector's checklist." Download it and go through your trailer with it. This will give you a little more complete idea of what you are up against. You won't be able to fully evaluate the frame without dropping the belly pan, but once you have gone through the checklist, you may have a better idea of whether/how you want to proceed.

On the good side, at least Arizona is a dry climate (assuming the trailer didn't spend the last 50 years on the Florida panhandle).

good luck!

[Bill M.]

A new A frame at least. We had to install a new A frame on our 1988 model due to a battery leak during its previous ownership. And yes, you need to inspect the entire frame and make a decision on whether to try to repair it or sell it to some one looking for a project.

[tbashin]

Scrap it. Better projects are out there taking less $$$ and less head/heart ache.