Some Pictures

More pictures, this time of the ID markings of my Boler.

Hmm. I wonder if I can polish this up at all.

It's difficult to read at this angle, but the date on the plate is 7, 72.  The grill on the left is an oversize one for the fridge, and the grill on the right was for a furnace vent, although the hole had been patched over with a metal plate.

Likely, I'll make a photocopy of this and either keep it in a file onboard or affix the replica somewhere inside the cupboards once they're done.  The original will have to stay attached to the old door, which I'll keep somewhere at home.

And this ugly thing... I don't think it needs preservation.

Yeah, I know this posting isn't much of a blog entry.  I just thought I'd add it to the mix.
LT

Awnings

AWNINGS
It's time now to talk about design features for the Boler.  This post is about awning choices.  I've seen three basic types so far.  One kind seems to be a basic tarp extending from the awning rail out to a couple of corner poles, with guy ropes pegged to the ground.

This is the awning track on my Boler.  It's  about 7 feet long.

I don't like the way this type of awning sags in the middle, and how they require the guy lines.

Another kind I've seen provides support for the middle and sides of the awning as it extends from the trailer.  There are support rails that run back to the wall of the trailer.
These pictures show the support rails.  I like how this Scamp awning looks flat on top, and the side supports look like they detach for storage.  The 17-foot Boler here has side supports that do not detach, meaning they must catch a certain amount of wind while travelling.

This is my old trailer.  It was great for our family because we have 4 kids.
The Boler is our "just the two of us" version trailer travel.

I think I want something a little more compact.  My former trailer, a Coleman tent trailer, had a conventional "bag awning."  It had 3 rails that extended outward to support the awning fabric and keep the far end rail in position.  Because there was an end rail, you always had a nice straight edge.  There were two support poles that went straight to the ground, and they didn't necessarily need guy lines -- so long as there was no strong wind, everything stayed in place.

Here is a page from a standard online RV parts supplier.  It's probably the route I'll take.  It's just that the colours they offer don't match the classic Boler scheme that I want to maintain -- olive green and a creamy white.  The narrowest awning on this page is 8.5 feet, which is too wide for the Boler.  I'm looking for a 7-foot awning.  I'm wondering if I'd be able to make the support poles work -- I like the idea of them mounting down low on the wall of the trailer, although poles running straight down to the ground would be fine too.  If anyone reading this blog knows of another source that could furnish something like this in a better choice of colours, please let me know.

Portable Shelter

Gimme Shelter!
Here is my Boler's new shelter for the winter:

72 Boler in its winter den

I had some sheets of 9/16" Aspenite, full and part sheets or scraps, that I put down on the ground, over top of a polypropylene tarp.  This has given me a pretty nice floor for the inside of the shelter.  I've done this once before with a previous shelter and it kept the level of moisture down considerably through the winter.  I also ran power out to the shelter, and now I have a duplex outlet, light switch and light.  I have absolutely no idea how many jobs I'll be able to get to over the winter, but I'm hopeful!

72 Boler on axle jacks

I've taken some of the load off the new suspension -- I cranked the tongue jack down to the bottom, put axle jacks below the back end, and then jacked the front up 'til the trailer was level again.  Maybe it should be up a little higher, but I'm sure that taking even a little of the load off will help.  If I have to move the trailer inside the shelter at any point, I can do it easily.  In the photo you can see that I've also got the original trailer jacks under the "bumper" section, too.

Original Boler jack

Here's a shot of the original Boler jack, taken before I did the work on the frame.  At first I thought I would install modern crank-down stabilizer jacks like you would find on a new tent trailer -- like the kind I had on my '03 Coleman tent trailer.  But then I got thinking about which parts of the Boler could or should be kept original and which parts might be updated.  They would have cost a little over a hundred dollars to buy a complete set, and then they would have had to be welded to the frame.  I wasn't sure how to go about positioning them because the bottom edge of the fiberglass wall extends past the steel frame.  My former tent trailer's frame was below the side wall, and access to the crank /screw was easy.  So, I decided to keep the old jacks. They have character even though they don't provide any lateral stability.  I'll clean them up and repaint them.  They'll go on my winter list of jobs that can be done indoors where it's warm.

Photos of things to change

Okay, I'm back at it! I'll start this posting with a couple of pictures taken before I began my restoration work. This one was from just over a year ago:

The picture below was taken this past spring:

I moved my Boler into a brand new "portable" garage/shelter today. It's one of those cheap ones from Crappy Tire, but I think it will allow me to get a few jobs done over the winter. My list of jobs this year includes making a new counter top and matching table, making new door fronts, refinishing the jalousie windows, and repairing the ensolite seams. I also want to check out my options for water and electrical fittings for the sidewalls, and for power converters and interior lights.

Here is the original water inlet and the 110 volt power outlet. Both need to be replaced. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with an inlet that has a screw cap. Yes, it would be a more authentic restoration if I continued to use this one, but I'm not crazy about that lid thing.
Below is the 110 Volt connection. I'll see if I can get a new unit of the same design. The Coleman tent trailer that I owned until last year had a power cable that pulled out of a port in the side wall -- the cable was always connected to the power converter.

I don't suppose I'll have any trouble finding a standard hose connector.  I'm not sure if there's anything wrong with this old one, but it's not like it's a distinctive design that has to be preserved.

And here are the sink taps. The one on the left is connected to the hose inlet. In the seven years that I had the Coleman tent trailer, never once did I use the "city water" faucet. I always used water from the tank.  The hand pump faucet here was made by Coleman. I'll probably replace it, and install a pressure-activated 12-volt electric water pump.

So, where will I go with the blog this fall? In addition to documenting the "research" that I've been doing regarding replacement parts and design ideas, I will provide detailed coverage of the repair work as I get to it. I think the first job I'll tackle will be the table mounting cleat:

The plywood has swelled and de-laminated. The metal strip should be fine, though. I'll have to see if the fiberglass work can be done in cool temperatures. Hmm. Maybe I'll have to rig up a heater inside my new Crappy Tire shelter.