Looking for water damage 1970 17 ft Terry Trailer

[sharonriggen]

Hello
I am new to this forum and this is my first posting. I purchased a 1970 17 ft box length without the tongue) Terry travel trailer, single axle. I am very excited about getting it in good working order so I can use it frequently for myself. I am just at retirement age and still work as a musician. Would like to branch out and perform more in a regional area to get out of Dodge on weekends.

Love the spacious floor plan on this Terry. It has a front bath - toilet, sink and shower stall too. Will be very comfortable and spacious for weekend - out of town performances. Plan to work on this all winter and have it ready for next summer performances in 2009. Should give me ample time to find all the parts and learn how to install them correctly.

There seems to be some water damage up front on the vinyl ceiling. Vinyl ceiling is somewhat soft to touch about 3 feet or so. Have viewed some other damaged trailer photos "online" and mine looks much better. Am hoping to tear out a few small peek holes the second weekend in September when I begin an inspection. The Terry is safely parked on a friend's property 120 miles away. I will leave it there and work on it - on weekends for awhile. Friends know more about plumbing & electricity than I do. But I will be doing as much of the carpentry restoration as possible, on my own.

I suspect the main water damage is in the front ceiling area. The rest of it looks very good. The oak panelling is faded and will use a lightly tinted shellac to put some life back into the dull, lifeless appearance.

Recently discovered a series of videos by Kevin Tetz on You Tube. He restored a 1970 Airstream 27 footer. You can find this series on You Tube under Airstream Restoration. Each of the videos is approx. 4 mins. long. This has encouraged me to restore my Terry. I have plenty of carpentry experience, but lack the plumbling & electrical knowledge needed.

Anyway. I am new to this forum and just wanted to introduce myself and hope to learn much about basic trailer restoration and safety tips from those of you who have been there and done it all yourselves.

There is one question I do have now however. Where do we find those magic sheets of "vinyl" ceiling panels? Can't seem to find anything "online" yet. So, I'm just planning on using "Luan" sheets for the ceiling and may or may not paint them white.

Am reading everything I can get my hands on now in preparation for the winter restoration of this enjoyable Terry trailer. Thanks for your time.

Bye,
Sharon R.

[Steven]

Hi Sharon,

An RV repair shop shoud be able to supply the paneling for your ceiling but it will no doubt be cheaper if you can find some suitable at Lowes or Home Depot.

Travel trailer roof are usually made as a unit and then set on top of the sidewalls and fastened down. The proper way to repair the roof is from the top down rather the from the ceiling up so keep tha in mind as you begin your repair work. 

Also, it may be worth the $100 os so a good RV tech would charge to do a proper inspection of your trailer.  He can point out other issues and give you advice on proper repair procedures.

[sharonriggen]

Thanks Steve
I didn't know that. Thank you for the information. It is very helpful. I plan to make the 120 mile trip to see my trailer, the second weekend in September. I will cut out several peek holes and try to determine the extent of the water damage. I am still encouraged that it is just in a small area near the front ceiling. And it only extends back into the trailer about 1 1/2 feet. There is some water damage to the wall under the front right side window. It is obvious this was caused by the window which needs to be re-caulked.

However, if the damage is critical, even though it is in a small area, I will just hire someone to repair it from the roof down, as you have suggested. Working with the metal roof is beyond my carpentry skills. The fee will be worth it, as I plan to do some serious travelling in this trailer. I will assign important structural repairs to experts.

I love the spacious floor plan of this trailer and it is lightweight too. I can tow it safely with my minivan. The simple cosmetic, carpentry repairs will be done by me. That way it will look like I want it to look and I will save a lot by doing the interior work myself.

Thanks again for your help. I will follow your advice and make certain the ceiling, if it needs replaced, will be done by an expert, not me.

Bye,
Sharon R.

 

[Steven]

Dry rot is the worst thing that can happen to an RV... it's like if you had very brittle bones in your body.
See: http://rvbasics.com/techtips/rv-dry-rot.html

Dry rot can cost thousands of dollars to repair what 'looks' like minor damage. Have an expert look over the RV before you buy and be prepared to walk away from it.

One thing is for sure these days... there are a lot of used RVs on the market at cheap prices... be patient, keep shopping.  I guarantee you will find one you like just as well and doesn't require expensive repairs.