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ncwelder88's avatar
ncwelder88
Explorer
Jan 19, 2016

Help with 1st TT

Hello all, i am new to the forums and new to travel trailers as well. i have been a welder and mechanic all my life and i am going to be going out on the road welding come spring time. my fiances step dad gave me his old vega camper for cleaning up around his house (which was a weeks worth of work) and it is in pretty good condition for its age. i have a bunch of questions but will stick mainly to the important ones for now, so here we go and please ignore any ignorance as i know nothing about tt's.

1. i know that one of the roof vents are leaking and he done a horrible job of wrapping in it duct tape (:S) in a attempt to fix it on the road. i have decided to pull the inside roof panels down to see if any structure rot has happened. should i replace the vent and fix all the paneling or patch the vent and seal it???

2. where can i find the main breaker box for the electrical??? i found the fuse box access panel on the outside near the tongue of the trailer!

3. in attempt to get on the roof i noticed that the roof was awful wavy and decided not to get up on it. does the roof need to be replaced? and if so are there any tutorials or writeups on replacing one of these roofs

4. does anybody know part numbers to put newer brakes and hubs on the fayette-dayton axles?

5. andd last question (for now) can anyone give me any information on this camper? i cant find any model numbers or anything all i can find is vega and wheelcamper emblems on the outside. he told me it was a 25' but still dont know the model or anything! i have found that alot of the older terry and taurus campers look almost identical.

heres a few pictures of it. the black stuff is from the previous owners attempt to flex seal around the windows.



19 Replies

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  • Tvov's avatar
    Tvov
    Explorer II
    Jan 19, 2016
    You might find that most of the axle / brake parts are "universal"... you don't necessarily need part numbers, just measure very carefully and get what you need.
  • ncwelder88's avatar
    ncwelder88
    Explorer
    Jan 19, 2016
    All the ds brake components were removed. I called dexter and got the part numbers for replacement loaded backing plates and found them for $45 each online so that solves the braking problem. As for the leaks there's no rot from where the roof vent was leaking except for the ceiling panels. I have not looked for further rot yet but I am going to pull a few more panels and check for rot before I go any further. if everything checks out then I am going to fix the leak and damaged panels and brakes and just use it through the summer and buy a new camper.
  • Lynnmor's avatar
    Lynnmor
    Explorer
    Jan 19, 2016
    So what brake parts are needed? Why doesn't the brakes work?

    If the roof and windows were leaking, there may be considerable hidden damage. Pop out a vent and a window and look for rot before throwing any money at it.
  • ncwelder88's avatar
    ncwelder88
    Explorer
    Jan 19, 2016
    1971 Duster340 - the roof is metal and I have been doing some research on replacment and found a few good articles, so will search further.
    It does have a title, will have to look to verify year. Thanks for your response I have started a plan since starting this post to get an idea of cost before I jump in. Thanks for the replys!
  • 1971duster340's avatar
    1971duster340
    Explorer
    Jan 19, 2016
    ncwelder88 wrote:
    i have a bunch of questions but will stick mainly to the important ones for now, so here we go and please ignore any ignorance as i know nothing about tt's.

    1. should i replace the vent and fix all the paneling or patch the vent and seal it???

    >>Try the patch for now...don't dig in too far yet.

    2. where can i find the main breaker box for the electrical??? i found the fuse box access panel on the outside near the tongue of the trailer!

    >>Usually the 120V breakers are near the 12V fuses. Also, look near where the power chord enters the TT...probably at the rear on the drivers side. determine if the power receptacles favor a side or front or rear...seems I saw an outlet near the door. The builders will use the shortest length of wire and will try to provide plugs and the 120V breaker close together. Understand there is 120V going into the tt, but once inside an invertor will convert some power to 12V which will power lights, refer, powered vents, etc.

    3. in attempt to get on the roof i noticed that the roof was awful wavy and decided not to get up on it. does the roof need to be replaced? and if so are there any tutorials or writeups on replacing one of these roofs

    >>Is the roof metal or rubber? Roof attention really can't be commented on. You'll find info, just start searching. Maybe not this exact TT.

    4. does anybody know part numbers to put newer brakes and hubs on the fayette-dayton axles?

    >>I'd replace the entire axle ass'y...brakes, bearings and all.

    5. andd last question (for now) can anyone give me any information on this camper? i have found that alot of the older terry and taurus campers look almost identical.

    >>Most models really don't change except for decor...upholstery pattern, exterior stripes, floorplans. Do you have a title? any paper work that could tie down the year? Models that look similar will probably be a help to get to know yours.


    I agree with what has been said earlier. Get some quotes on parts, search and plan before you start. You've got sweat in it already, but how much more does it need? These days tt are built pretty good, but they have a life and early ones aren't what you get now.
  • ncwelder88's avatar
    ncwelder88
    Explorer
    Jan 19, 2016
    Tvov the axles have new bearings all around and brand new tires. just can't find brake parts for these axles and I would like to atleast have one axle with working brakes.I have seen hub conversions online that people have done on these axles for around $250 minus wheels but nobody posted part numbers. I thought about replacing the axles but cheapest I have found local have been around $480 plus wheels. the camper is in usuable condition, just want to address the leak,roof and brakes and the rest will be ok for now.The camper looks rough but actually is pretty sound structurally other than the roof. If I had to put out a number on what I wanted to spend I would say $1800 considering I can do all work myself and have found parts fairly cheap local interior wise.
  • DinTulsa's avatar
    DinTulsa
    Explorer
    Jan 19, 2016
    I think your future Father-in-law stuck it to you for sticking it to his daughter. How much money are you willing to spend? My bet is it needs an new roof all together. Plus who knows what else.
  • Tvov's avatar
    Tvov
    Explorer II
    Jan 19, 2016
    Is the camper usable right now? You might just want to patch the roof vent and basically try to leave things as they are. If you start opening things up, you'll probably just find more things that could be fixed.

    What condition are the axles and wheels in? It may be easier to just replace the entire axle / brake (and tires and wheels) assembly - places like Tractor Supply may carry axles with brakes that fit.

    Let us know how things go!
  • Dennis_Smith's avatar
    Dennis_Smith
    Explorer
    Jan 19, 2016
    You have a can of worms here. You need tons of help and money. Just how much do you plan on spending, once you figure that out then ask for hrlp.

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