The Girl Gets a New Skirt!

I decided to restore the Aristocrat one side at a time. Somehow this seemed less daunting and more like I might have a chance of getting her all back together again. It turned out to be a good idea because I don't have a covered space to work on her, so my goal was to get one side restored and re-skinned (and tarped) before the next rainy season (if California has one again). Also, never hurts to think of the project in "baby steps" rather than get overwhelmed by the Big Picture.

In my previous post I described removing the skin and staples, and provided some hints for completing that process. Basically, these vintage trailers were put together like a puzzle. To take her apart, I had to remove the J rail that wraps around the perimeter of the side (a power drill with a 1/4" hex head was a must), then work from the bottom up removing staples and sliding each panel out once freed up. My 13' Aristocrat Lo Liner has a super cool looking, textured aluminum fin at the bottom. I knew to expect lots of rot under this piece as part of the underside of this piece is exposed to the elements and was either totally gone or disintegrating in my hand.

Here was my first look at her partially "naked"

As I worked my way up removing the aluminum skin panels, more restoration needs became evident

I used the bottom aluminum fin as a template to make a new "skirt". I was warned not to use chemically treated lumber as the chemicals can interact with the aluminum skin in a bad way and cause corrosion. This presents a dilemma however as you want to keep these babies from rotting again anytime soon. I ended up using heat treated, kiln dried pine. I also painted on a product from The Rot Doctor (http://www.rotdoctor.com/)  that is a clear penetrating epoxy on my newly cut piece. Warning: this product is Super Smelly (read Toxic)...wear a respirator mask and gloves and use it outside. The smell however totally dissipates once "cured". The customer service line for The Rot Doctor is really helpful so call them for any questions.

I cut the wood along the template lines with a jigsaw. And Voila! a new skirt!

I then screwed the piece in with 2 1/2" GRK screws. I also used the Kreg Jig to fasten the skirt to the new framing 1x2 above it. The Kreg Jig (https://www.kregtool.com/) is a must have for restoring a vintage trailer as it allows one to quickly and easily join framing pieces together. I was lucky because Santa gave me one for Christmas, but just in case you land on the "naughty list",  they are readily available from any of your big box stores (Home Depot, etc.) and even Amazon.

Next up, reframing corners and any other rotten members. Also, looking to find help with (contract out) the electrical system as this DIYer knows enough to know what I don't know. A great deal of the electrical is exposed on this driver side.

So Much Rot, So Little Time.

I haven't posted in awhile, but it doesn't mean I haven't been busy working on the Aristocrat. Last I wrote I had repacked the bearings, thanks to YouTube and The Wizard at Six Roblees. Next up was to remove the "skin" or aluminum siding to get at the rotted framing. As an aside, I knew she had rot as it was visible on the interior, but even if it is not evident, it is usually there after 50 years, especially in the corners and around windows or skylights. See below...never a good sign when you can see the ground from inside unless you are partial to natural, all weather ventilation and occasional visits by small rodents.

 Most people restoring vintage trailers recommend (at the minimum) that new owners remove the J rails and windows and reseal with new butyl putty tape if this hasn't been done on the vintage trailer in some time. Another important fact that most seem to agree on is that it is almost always easier to remove the skin and repair from the exterior, rather than try to repair from the inside out.

So as Spring sprung (and the drought in California continued), I removed the tarp and got to the daunting task of disassembling the trailer, hoping with every step that I would be able to put her back together eventually.

A worker Selfie removing the Jrails

 Underneath the J rails are the tiny staples (yes, these vintage beauties were actually stapled together!) Most people who have restored an old travel trailer grumble about removing the staples, but I actually found the repetitive, somewhat mindless nature of this job to be satisfying and only occasionally irritating (for those stubborn, rusty suckers that required a few choice words to remove).

Here is a link to a very good tutorial on the subject of removing aluminum skin from a vintage trailer from Gary Williams' videos on Restoring the Deville:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0av0HtEd98

The tool pictured below is a forked tool for upholstery and tack removal. I found it very helpful to pry under a staple, then use the pliers to ease the staple out the rest of the way. (The beverage and ipod aren't required of course, but recommended!)

Stay tuned for next entry when you will see how she looks "naked"... skin removed.

Essential tools for staple removal