So, I got a 1975 Terry 18' trailer for free. It needs work, and I am pretty handy.I plan to use it in the middle of nowhere, not at those pretty parks with hookups.I was surprised to pop the grease caps off and see nice clean good grease. That meant I could drag it back home, 40km away.All tires were garbage, so, she has new rubber all around.2 of the 3 vents were broken, so, she got wet inside. Also got wet from a cracked fresh water pipe.Scrubbed out the trailer really good. Now it can dry out and I can take stock of my major work ahead of me.I know the floor is soft in spots. The metal underneath has not been breached. My thought (and I know it may sound crazy) is to lay 1/4 sheet of plywood on top, then a nice real oak hardwood floor. (I got the oak boards free) To screw the ply wood down, what length of screws dc I use that will not puncture the metal undercarriage?How hard is it to remove the toilet? I would simply remove it and then reinstall it once I did the floor.The brakes... and bearings... I did not use a trailer brake controller. My truck handled it very well, and if I did not actually need it for law, I would not bother with it. However, the law is the law, and I am trying to do things as legal as I can.I want to take the drums off and repack the bearings and free up the brakes. Before I do this, how do I find out what the bearings and seals are so that I can have all I need before I tear it apart?The trailer has a roll up awning. I think it has not moved in about 10-20 years. How would I lubricate it while it is rolled up? Best case, it rolls out and rolls in, but if not, how difficult is it to fix those rolls?I know I have a lot of work ahead of me. I know some of it will have to be done by professionals.Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

As far as the axles go, if you can get underneath it, look on the rear side of the axle tube near the center, if it is a Dexter axle, the axle number will be stamped in the axles. You may have to have some chalk to rub over the axle to bring the stamping into view. Once you have the axle numbers, go to Dexteraxle.com and find the product info on them. Etrailer.com will then have the bearing sets you will need.

They may be extensive water damage to entire trailer. It may need to be gutted.

Nice score. Good luck on the repairs. Hope it serves you well for many years to come.To be sure, ya wanna do it legal, but beyond that, having working brakes comes in mighty handy the first time you're draggin' it somewhere and a tree jumps out in front of you. They do that to folks when they somehow learn you're comin' by without.

swimmer_spe wrote: All tires were garbage, so, she has new rubber all around.I know the floor is soft in spots. The metal underneath has not been breached. My thought (and I know it may sound crazy) is to lay 1/4 sheet of plywood on top, then a nice real oak hardwood floor. (I got the oak boards free) To screw the ply wood down, what length of screws dc I use that will not puncture the metal undercarriage? First off, I hope you put ST tires not P radials on the trailer, there's a huge difference between the two.As for the floor, yes, topping a soft floor is crazy. Unless you get the wet wood out of there the rot will continue to degrade the flooring, likely including the new stuff you put down. If however you are determined to do so, don't use screws at all. Instead use a good quality construction adhesive. If you're in the GTA'ish part of Ontario I can point you to the best sources for material and any parts you may need.

Agreed with JaxDad, overlaying a rotten floor will probably prove to be a bad result. My Starcraft had a couple of bad spots and I pulled all of it up. That gave me a chance to insulate the floor. From your description, the floor may be plywood over 2"x 2" joists and a full metal underbelly below that. After I replaced the bad subfloor, I installed laminate over the plywood. The laminate is working out well.Toilets are secured by two bolts into a plastic flange. Remove the nuts on the bolts and the toilet comes off.You'll definitely want trailer brakes. Sometimes, it's more economically efficient to buy the whole brake parts assembly, they are somewhere under $30/pc.I would try working the awning out slowly. It's condition is unknown and may be fragile after being rolled for so long.Good luck on the rehab. The link in my signature has my restoration efforts and over 500 pictures so may be of some benefit.

Sitting for almost 20 years... | Good Sam Community

22 Replies

swimmer_spe
Explorer
Aug 23, 2013
I doubt 1 stick would do it.

A trailer in good condition of the same year is worth about $2000. I will spend about that to get it to where I want it.

You may be right, but I like a challenge.
dodgerdog
Explorer
Aug 23, 2013
Better idea stick of dynamite one match tape explosion put on you tube. Watch video priceless... This was said with humor... If you want to spend more money than its worth to fix it up then god bless... By the time you get done if you look on Craig's list you could buy one for less by the time you buy supplies spend endless hours of your time fixing it and finding out you still have issues... There is a reason you got it for free... It's not worth fixing! Been there done that... But this my opinion and my opinion alone... Lighten up a tad......

Mike C.
DiskDoctr
Explorer
Aug 21, 2013
swimmer_spe wrote:
edit: not a PUP
PUP?

Haha. I posted something about checking the roof lifting mechanism, then realized you weren't talking about a Pop UP.

Only rubber is at the bottles. Everything else is either copper or cast.

That's usually the case, but being that old, I didn't know if they had anywhere else. Be sure to replace those rubber lines. I used 2 of these from Mr. Heater to attach an auto-switchover regulator for new dual tank setup.

Yup. This though, is not a concern of mine. Am I right this has nothing to do with safety? It is just for lighting when I am not on the grid?

Your onboard converter produces 12v and all your lighting and such should be 12v. Fridge needs 12v for controls, as does the furnace, etc. Any shorts or weak connections can build up heat, either directly or by making other components work harder.

Most importantly for the wiring part is to get an idea of how good or bad your wiring is using the voltage drop as a makeshift gauge. If it is little, probably not too much trouble. If it is a lot, best to check it out before any extensive use. Even if not a big safety issue, bad connections are hard on your (usually expensive) 12v appliances.

You also don't want bad connections to drain your (also expensive) deep cycle battery. Not only is it part of your overall electrical health, it is likely used to power your breakaway switch for your electric trailer brakes. That is a direct safety issue.

But again, it's up to you to select the things that concern you. I am simply pointing out what I would consider the priorities if in the same situation, in an effort to help out a bit.

BTW, we like pictures! ;)
swimmer_spe
Explorer
Aug 21, 2013
DiskDoctr wrote:
Of course, you should do whatever pleases you.

If it were me and I wanted to use it right away, I'd be tempted to put down some very thin subflooring, cut to fit the open areas- especially if the current floor is covered with linoleum and only soft without obvious signs of impending failure. Keep the weight down.
It is soft, and covered in linoleum. There are no spots that seem like they will give way. Besides, I doubt that will happen with the tin under it.

Fix the brakes.
It ain't being moved till the brakes work right.

edit: not a PUP
PUP?

Replace any rubber sections of propane line. Test it all for leaks.
Only rubber is at the bottles. Everything else is either copper or cast.

Clean and inspect battery connections. Test the voltage at a few locations for acceptable voltage drop. If too much, continue testing and searching until you find the problem.
Yup. This though, is not a concern of mine. Am I right this has nothing to do with safety? It is just for lighting when I am not on the grid?

Fill water tank with water and test pump. Pressure test lines. Then when all is good, add bleach to tank (search forum for sanitize water)
[COLOR=]I need to first fix a broken plastic line to the hot water heater. There does not appear to be a shut off between it and the water supply

Use some spray lube in the key slot of all locks.
[COLOR=]Not going to waste my time. I will replace the door lock and the locks for the compartments.

How much time and money you put into it is up to you. Good luck!
DiskDoctr
Explorer
Aug 21, 2013
Of course, you should do whatever pleases you.

If it were me and I wanted to use it right away, I'd be tempted to put down some very thin subflooring, cut to fit the open areas- especially if the current floor is covered with linoleum and only soft without obvious signs of impending failure. Keep the weight down.

Fix the brakes.

edit: not a PUP

Replace any rubber sections of propane line. Test it all for leaks.

Clean and inspect battery connections. Test the voltage at a few locations for acceptable voltage drop. If too much, continue testing and searching until you find the problem.

Fill water tank with water and test pump. Pressure test lines. Then when all is good, add bleach to tank (search forum for sanitize water)

Use some spray lube in the key slot of all locks.

How much time and money you put into it is up to you. Good luck!
down_home
Explorer II
Aug 20, 2013
Get a pencil and pad and do a survey, starting from the bottom, up and see what needs done. No sense starting, in the middle and then backing up. I use to check the assembly instructions last and still do on occasion but it tain't much fun. :)
swimmer_spe
Explorer
Aug 19, 2013
Well, the plan was to make it clean, watertight and safe for the road, and then use it.

Since I can use it year round here, I likely will use it late Oct. By then, those 3 things will be met.
woodgeezer
Explorer
Aug 19, 2013
BarneyS wrote:
He is saying to use it as you work on it. You don't have to wait until it is done to get some use out of it in most cases.
Barney

Couldn't have said it better. Thanks, Barney
BarneyS
Explorer III
Aug 19, 2013
He is saying to use it as you work on it. You don't have to wait until it is done to get some use out of it in most cases.
Barney
swimmer_spe
Explorer
Aug 19, 2013
woodgeezer wrote:
Most important is you don't make this a project that begs to be used. Take it out for a little relaxation as you bring it back to life.

What?