Day 9 March 24
Day 10 (half day) March 25? Purchased second 1/2 ply panel and 1/8 ply for bunk.
Day 11 March 29 brushed hinges, primed interior, removed stove/sink, repaired bunk
Day 12 March 30 More bunk, more primer painting, still more staples
Day 13 March 31 Easter - last of primer painting and prep
Day 14 April 1 - painted all interior, started on floor
Scotty Before
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Day 8 - Walls are Coming Down
March 23, 2013
Sanded skin
Scraped putty
Tried to remove silicone caulking
More staples and nails
Metal trim around step
Removed skin on right front wall
Removed wall
Removed step bottom
Removed floor covering
Traced and cut new wall panel
[Bought 1/2 in 4'x8 sandply plywood, mending plates, 1/2" screws, primer and white spray paint for tongue, 1 1/2" scraper, 3" wire wheel brush, mask, wood glue]
No biscuit router bit
Sanded skin
Scraped putty
Tried to remove silicone caulking
More staples and nails
Metal trim around step
Removed skin on right front wall
Removed wall
Removed step bottom
Removed floor covering
Traced and cut new wall panel
[Bought 1/2 in 4'x8 sandply plywood, mending plates, 1/2" screws, primer and white spray paint for tongue, 1 1/2" scraper, 3" wire wheel brush, mask, wood glue]
No biscuit router bit
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
FAQs
These are things I've asked while renovating the Scotty. (Answers to come)
How do I get the edge strips off?
How do I remove this tar gunk?
What kind of wire do I use for lights?
Why do you use 3 layers of 1/8 plywood on the edges instead of 1 layer of 3/4"?
What kind of panelling do I use?
Do I need to fill ALL of the holes in the skin with JB Weld? (including the edge staple holes that will be under the trim)?
Do I replace welting.
Should I replace top bunk?
How does goucho couch/bed work?
Should I use both 12v and 110v lighting?
Where do I put the battery?
Where do I mount the spare tire?
Should I replace the missing water tank?
The electrical breakers are missing. What goes there?
Do I use LED or regular lights?
How do I get the edge strips off?
Where do I put the battery?
Where do I mount the spare tire?
Should I replace the missing water tank?
The electrical breakers are missing. What goes there?
Do I use LED or regular lights?
These are things I've asked while renovating the Scotty. (Answers to come)
How do I get the edge strips off?
How do I remove this tar gunk?
What kind of wire do I use for lights?
Why do you use 3 layers of 1/8 plywood on the edges instead of 1 layer of 3/4"?
What kind of panelling do I use?
Do I need to fill ALL of the holes in the skin with JB Weld? (including the edge staple holes that will be under the trim)?
Do I replace welting.
Should I replace top bunk?
How does goucho couch/bed work?
Should I use both 12v and 110v lighting?
Where do I put the battery?
Where do I mount the spare tire?
Should I replace the missing water tank?
The electrical breakers are missing. What goes there?
Do I use LED or regular lights?
How do I get the edge strips off?
Very CarefullyHow do I remove this tar gunk?
A combination of paint stripper, scraping with a torch or other hot air, and Goof OffWhat kind of wire do I use for lights?
18 gauge for lights, 16 gauge for groundWhy do you use 3 layers of 1/8 plywood on the edges instead of 1 layer of 3/4"?
So it will bend to the shape of the trailer edge.What kind of panelling do I use?
Some folks are using masonite, beadboard, plywood, separate planks, and plastic. We are going to use 1/8 in plywood. (Birch if I can find it)Do I need to fill ALL of the holes in the skin with JB Weld? (including the edge staple holes that will be under the trim)?
Do I replace welting?
Yes. Even after being hyper-careful not to damage what was there, I finally realized it was a lot of work for something that looked nasty and was cheap and easy to replace.Should I replace top bunk?
How does goucho couch/bed work?
Like this: Thanks Ashley and Nancy!
Should I use both 12v and 110v lighting?
Where do I put the battery?
Where do I mount the spare tire?
Should I replace the missing water tank?
The electrical breakers are missing. What goes there?
Do I use LED or regular lights?
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Day 7 - Windows and Door
March 17, 2013
Removed 4 windows and door, threw out rotten wood, pulled out cabinet front from top bunk. Wore green
3/18 [Bought: Stabilizer Jack Stands x 4] love 'em
3/20 [Bought: tow package for Murano tow vehicle]
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Day 6 - Roof removed
March 16, 2013
Removed all roof and front and back, removed 3 windows, sanded 1 panel of skin and removed more tar, marked all supports, sketched electrical
[Bought: gloves, sandpaper]
Monday, March 4, 2013
Day 3, 4, & 5 - Staples and Aluminum Skin
March 4, 2013
(half day) - Lots of staples to remove, aluminum skin removal, [Bought: large tarp, 1x2s for trim frame]
RAIN!
[Bought: lots of screws from McFeelys]
March 7, 2013
(half day) - More staples, more skin removed
March 9, 2013
(half day) - Lots of staples, final panel of skin removed
Roof Tar Removal
Our Scotty's previous owners had tried to fix leaks by using lots of silicone on the edge strips and tar on the seams of the roof and around the vent. We had to remove all of this to be able to take everything apart to replace the rotted wood on the ceiling and walls.
Some of the silicone came off when I stripped the paint from the edge strips, but silicone really resisted the stripper. I used some silicone caulk remover to remove most of it from the edge strips. It seems to work okay, but it's pretty slow. I still have some to remove on the skin later.
The tar on the roof did dissolve with the paint stripper, but there was so much of it, it really made a mess and would have taken lots of goop to remove. I needed to scrape off the big piles, but it had hardened and set up pretty well. I initially used a hair dryer to soften the tar. This worked okay, but took a long time to heat up and I found that I had to do it in layers.
I found an old propane torch in the garage, hooked it to a small camping-style propane bottle and got to work. That really softened the tar up and allows me to scrap almost all of it off with a 1.5" scraper. I could then use a towel to rub off a good portion of the remaining residue while it was still liquified. This probably only seemed fast by comparison, but I got it all off in an afternoon. I will need to get the rest of the remaining tar off with some solvent, probably diesel before I put the skins back on.
I had a few close calls with the torch and the wobbly roof. Be careful when you set it down, because on an old rotted camper, it's easy to knock over a live torch. I didn't lose my eyebrows and only singed a few spots I didn't mean to.
Aluminum Trim Edge Strips
The previous owners had put several sloppy coats of exterior house paint all over the Scotty. This included the aluminum edge strips. I want the edges to be shiny and also need to get to the nails underneath.
I tried a wire brush attachement on the drill, with worked okay, but was super slow and difficult. I then tried paint stripper gel and steel wool, which worked great.
It took 5 or 6 hours to strip all of the paint off of the edges.
Then we went about the business of removing the nails holding the edge strips on. Based on experience that others in the Scotty groups have had, we pried them out by using a pry bar under the edge, then getting screwdriver up under the nail head. We then eased out the nail head and use the cat's paw nail bar to get the nail out. Being very careful not to bend the edge strip or the skin. A lot of the edge wood was rotted and usually the strip would come right up with the nails. In that case, I would pull it out enough to get the flat part of the pry bar under the tip of the nail against the trailer and gently tap the strip with the butt of the screwdriver. This would usually pop the nail head enough to pry it up.
I also had to remove the awning rail on the door side of the trailer. I was surprised to find that it was put on top of the edge strips and that there were two sets of fasteners to remove -- the screws in the rail and then the nails in the edge strip. The strips took about a day to remove.
When we got the strips off, we followed the advice of others to keep them from twisting and getting bent up: I built a simple frame from 8' 1x2s, held together with 2" screws. I laid a strip on the ground and laid the lumber on top of it, screwed it together and then taped the strip to it. Then I put the other strip on top and taped it to them both. Then I put the awning rail on top of that and taped it again. I will probably need to pull them off to clean and straighten them, but I'll worry about that later.
I tried a wire brush attachement on the drill, with worked okay, but was super slow and difficult. I then tried paint stripper gel and steel wool, which worked great.
It took 5 or 6 hours to strip all of the paint off of the edges.
Then we went about the business of removing the nails holding the edge strips on. Based on experience that others in the Scotty groups have had, we pried them out by using a pry bar under the edge, then getting screwdriver up under the nail head. We then eased out the nail head and use the cat's paw nail bar to get the nail out. Being very careful not to bend the edge strip or the skin. A lot of the edge wood was rotted and usually the strip would come right up with the nails. In that case, I would pull it out enough to get the flat part of the pry bar under the tip of the nail against the trailer and gently tap the strip with the butt of the screwdriver. This would usually pop the nail head enough to pry it up.
I also had to remove the awning rail on the door side of the trailer. I was surprised to find that it was put on top of the edge strips and that there were two sets of fasteners to remove -- the screws in the rail and then the nails in the edge strip. The strips took about a day to remove.
When we got the strips off, we followed the advice of others to keep them from twisting and getting bent up: I built a simple frame from 8' 1x2s, held together with 2" screws. I laid a strip on the ground and laid the lumber on top of it, screwed it together and then taped the strip to it. Then I put the other strip on top and taped it to them both. Then I put the awning rail on top of that and taped it again. I will probably need to pull them off to clean and straighten them, but I'll worry about that later.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Day 1 - Edge Strips and Tar
March 2, 2013
[Bought: paint stripper, steel wool, silicone removal, JB Weld, cat's paw tool]
Friday, March 1, 2013
We can rebuild him!
1976 Scotty Highlander
We can make him faster, stronger, more expensive!
Our Scotty has in the family for about 10 years. I got it from my brother 3 years ago, after he decided that it wasn't worth rennovating. After years of sitting in the driveway and bringing down property values, we decided that it was now or never: fix it up or get rid of it -- then another year went by. My kids will be to big to sleep in it soon and we will be too embarassing to camp with anyway. I figure we've got 2 or 3 years before that window closes, so this past weekend, we dug in.
I'm documenting it so that other will benefit from our pain. Great resources at the NSSO and SSCE Scotty owner groups, but there are always a few other things that you need to know. I've benefitted greatly from everyone in the groups and hope to provide similar support for the next guy.
I really just wanted to repair the interior water damage and get out in it. But there was pretty extensive damage and it was clear that exterior patches and fixes by previous owners hadn't worked. If we wanted to camp in it, we had to remove the skin, rip out the bad stuff and put it back together. I would love to do a frame-up restore, but I really don't have the time. It's a constant balancing act to decide how deep to dig versus how soon we can be on the road. For now, the plan is to repair all leaks, paint it, freshen up the inside, and get out there. I hope we can get it going before the summer season.
We can make him faster, stronger, more expensive!
Our Scotty has in the family for about 10 years. I got it from my brother 3 years ago, after he decided that it wasn't worth rennovating. After years of sitting in the driveway and bringing down property values, we decided that it was now or never: fix it up or get rid of it -- then another year went by. My kids will be to big to sleep in it soon and we will be too embarassing to camp with anyway. I figure we've got 2 or 3 years before that window closes, so this past weekend, we dug in.
I'm documenting it so that other will benefit from our pain. Great resources at the NSSO and SSCE Scotty owner groups, but there are always a few other things that you need to know. I've benefitted greatly from everyone in the groups and hope to provide similar support for the next guy.
I really just wanted to repair the interior water damage and get out in it. But there was pretty extensive damage and it was clear that exterior patches and fixes by previous owners hadn't worked. If we wanted to camp in it, we had to remove the skin, rip out the bad stuff and put it back together. I would love to do a frame-up restore, but I really don't have the time. It's a constant balancing act to decide how deep to dig versus how soon we can be on the road. For now, the plan is to repair all leaks, paint it, freshen up the inside, and get out there. I hope we can get it going before the summer season.
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