Stripping down a rotten camper

What Bobs said ^

His method is more controlled than the people who blew by us one day on I5 towin' about a 30 footer at 75mph - a chip truck ahead blocked the side wind momentarily and when they emerged ahead of it a little sway this way a little sway that way then a couple more whoop de do's and inta the center median into 2 complete barrel rolls back on the wheels. No one hurt in the truck.

Nothing to weigh here folks. The only thing left above floor level in the trailer was the chitter.

swimmer_spe wrote:
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.

An RV frame depends on the ‘box’ for rigidity. If all you use it for light or well spread out loads you might be ok.

A friend made one he uses to haul ATV’s he says it does the job but there’s a LOT of flex, twisting and sway.

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.

:)

It would a lot easier to just start with a stronger frame and build it up.

msmith1.wa wrote:
Depends on how rotten. Since it is bad enough for you to want to demo it, you might be surprised how easily the metal comes off.

My issue is that I want to keep it dry inside so I can strip it down over time. Would it be good to keep my list, and then peel the skin off the wood, and then cut the wood? I don't have a lot of room to work with, and am trying to make as little of a mess, a well as being able to recycle as much as possible.

Depends on how rotten. Since it is bad enough for you to want to demo it, you might be surprised how easily the metal comes off.

SDcampowneroperator wrote:
RVs are built from the inside out, so reverse the build, after you gut it.

So, I should be taking the skin off first?

Sawzall around the top to take the roof off. Then cut down the corners of the walls top to bottom. The walls should just fold down.

RVs are built from the inside out, so reverse the build, after you gut it.

Skill saw with metal blade. Cut it all the way around above the wheel wells.