Stripping down a rotten camper
I have a 45 year old trailer that is rotten. My thinking is to strip it down and then make a flatbed out of it. My plan of attack is the following order 1) all furnishings/cushions, etc. 2) all...
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Tow it to the dump first. Unhitch.
Push it over onto its side. Cut all the bolts holding the floor to the frame outriggers.
Cut away any wiring, gas lines water lines, tanks etc that are attached to the frame.
Pull the frame off the rotten hulk and tip it back onto its wheels.
Hook it back up drive away!
No fuss, no long cleanup mess, fast and easy. You don't have to bother with a huge pile of work taking it all apart. Just leave it at the dump in one big chunk. They have big machines to bust it up and squish it!
You'll have to prefab some temporary tail lights to legally get it home.
When I was about 20 I bought a bare TT frame from a friend who rolled it. He stripped what was left of it. Think i paid 20 or 25 bucks for it.
I made a flat deck trailer out of the frame. It was super simple. You don't want to try reusing the old bare floor for a flat deck. It's likely all rotten anyways.
What I did was bought a bunch of 8 foot 2X6's and a bag of carriage bolts, lockwashers and nuts. I started at the back, put on the first board, drilled down from the top through the 2X6 and the main frame rail on each side, and ran the carriage bolts down from the top, did the washers and nuts underneath. Repeat until you reach the front. I cut around the wheels to suit.
When I was done I had a marvelous little utility flat deck trailer that I hauled all kinds of things on, including small cars. I put a hitch on my 72 MG Midget and towed it with that. I rigged up proper lights for it and tapped into the MG wiring. I put four holes in the deck with chain ties to the frame for holding stuff in place.
I used that trailer for everything. Moving myself and friends, transporting engines and transmissions, hauling firewood etc.
I towed lots of small cars with it, including my father's broken down Mazda GLC from Cranbrook to Penticton BC. No trailer brakes.....
I lived! Yes, I towed cars on it with a dinky little MG Midget.
:)
Push it over onto its side. Cut all the bolts holding the floor to the frame outriggers.
Cut away any wiring, gas lines water lines, tanks etc that are attached to the frame.
Pull the frame off the rotten hulk and tip it back onto its wheels.
Hook it back up drive away!
No fuss, no long cleanup mess, fast and easy. You don't have to bother with a huge pile of work taking it all apart. Just leave it at the dump in one big chunk. They have big machines to bust it up and squish it!
You'll have to prefab some temporary tail lights to legally get it home.
When I was about 20 I bought a bare TT frame from a friend who rolled it. He stripped what was left of it. Think i paid 20 or 25 bucks for it.
I made a flat deck trailer out of the frame. It was super simple. You don't want to try reusing the old bare floor for a flat deck. It's likely all rotten anyways.
What I did was bought a bunch of 8 foot 2X6's and a bag of carriage bolts, lockwashers and nuts. I started at the back, put on the first board, drilled down from the top through the 2X6 and the main frame rail on each side, and ran the carriage bolts down from the top, did the washers and nuts underneath. Repeat until you reach the front. I cut around the wheels to suit.
When I was done I had a marvelous little utility flat deck trailer that I hauled all kinds of things on, including small cars. I put a hitch on my 72 MG Midget and towed it with that. I rigged up proper lights for it and tapped into the MG wiring. I put four holes in the deck with chain ties to the frame for holding stuff in place.
I used that trailer for everything. Moving myself and friends, transporting engines and transmissions, hauling firewood etc.
I towed lots of small cars with it, including my father's broken down Mazda GLC from Cranbrook to Penticton BC. No trailer brakes.....
I lived! Yes, I towed cars on it with a dinky little MG Midget.
:)
