1965 Rainier ~ The Cramalot Inn Restoral Introduction and where I am now.
I purchased this trailer from a friend in my Quilt Group, who was moving to Tennessee for health reasons to be closer to her son and grandkids in 2019...
This 1965 Rainier has a 14 foot box and a 3 foot tongue...so it's 17' long. To me it seems to be in better shape than the last two trailers I have restored... it has all its drawers, almost all of the cabinets seem to be in good shape. I don't think I will have to reface or repair more than two areas of the cabinets. Most of the "badness" seems to be in the ceiling around the vent in the framework, and he curb side which is sagging badly. I am hoping I don't have to do a frame off restoration but time will tell.
I finally got it moved into the work area after almost 5 years of sitting with a tarp over it along side my Ideal storage shed.
Preliminary assessment is I will have to replace the skins on the roof, front, and most of the skins on the curb side...the roofs/wraps fold over was too short in a lot of spots, so they missed getting staples in the proper spots, and they also put the awning rail in upside down on the curb side, so all the screws ended up in the skin and not the fold over where they should have been.
Here are some photos of the front, back and Curb side of the trailer before and after skin removal...
This 1965 Rainier has a 14 foot box and a 3 foot tongue...so it's 17' long. To me it seems to be in better shape than the last two trailers I have restored... it has all its drawers, almost all of the cabinets seem to be in good shape. I don't think I will have to reface or repair more than two areas of the cabinets. Most of the "badness" seems to be in the ceiling around the vent in the framework, and he curb side which is sagging badly. I am hoping I don't have to do a frame off restoration but time will tell.
I finally got it moved into the work area after almost 5 years of sitting with a tarp over it along side my Ideal storage shed.
The first thing I did was gather all the tools I would need. A impact driver with the right size hex screw bit, and a few screwdrivers to remove the screws. A pair of Vampliers is a must for pulling twisty nails, a small hammer, wire cutters to pull the staples, picks to get under the staples so you can get under the staples, a bucket to catch all the trash, something to put the screws and pulled staples into.
When I got the trailer it had a soft Masonite type bra across the front, and when I removed it I found a large hole that they'd covered. I will have to purchase new skin for the front, because they put quite a few screws in the Masonite of various sizes to hold it to the skin.
So far I have removed the J rails, awning rail, all of the staples holding the front, & back skins on. The vent on the roof has been removed, as well as the refrigerator vent. The goop and tarry like substance was a bear to remove.
The past two days have been spent removing the skin on the curb side of the trailer...which is tedious... this trailer has 5 sections top to bottom. This means each run needs the staplers pulled. Tomorrow I start pulling staples and skins from the Street side of the trailer. I already have the wrap/roof unstapled, just have to decide when, how and where to put it when it's off.
When I got the trailer it had a soft Masonite type bra across the front, and when I removed it I found a large hole that they'd covered. I will have to purchase new skin for the front, because they put quite a few screws in the Masonite of various sizes to hold it to the skin.
So far I have removed the J rails, awning rail, all of the staples holding the front, & back skins on. The vent on the roof has been removed, as well as the refrigerator vent. The goop and tarry like substance was a bear to remove.
The past two days have been spent removing the skin on the curb side of the trailer...which is tedious... this trailer has 5 sections top to bottom. This means each run needs the staplers pulled. Tomorrow I start pulling staples and skins from the Street side of the trailer. I already have the wrap/roof unstapled, just have to decide when, how and where to put it when it's off.
Preliminary assessment is I will have to replace the skins on the roof, front, and most of the skins on the curb side...the roofs/wraps fold over was too short in a lot of spots, so they missed getting staples in the proper spots, and they also put the awning rail in upside down on the curb side, so all the screws ended up in the skin and not the fold over where they should have been.
Here are some photos of the front, back and Curb side of the trailer before and after skin removal...
Should have had a vertical support
supporting the upper cabinet right here...Will be soon...
Staples had pulled out, - no support in this
area behind the upper kitchen cabinet.
Don't know if you can see it, but the whole side is bowed out. I will have to straighten it out some how.
Curb side of the trailer showing the bulging out from the unsupported upper cabinet.
They used 3/4" foil backed fiberglass insulation in most cavities, but a few had Styrofoam pieces shoved into them.
The skin had no backing for a lot of the run, so I plan on adding a 6" board when I rebuild the framing.
supporting the upper cabinet right here...Will be soon...
Staples had pulled out, - no support in this
area behind the upper kitchen cabinet.
Don't know if you can see it, but the whole side is bowed out. I will have to straighten it out some how.
Curb side of the trailer showing the bulging out from the unsupported upper cabinet.
They used 3/4" foil backed fiberglass insulation in most cavities, but a few had Styrofoam pieces shoved into them.
The skin had no backing for a lot of the run, so I plan on adding a 6" board when I rebuild the framing.
Knot in front board about to fall out. I have found other knots that have split and broken in other spots in the framework too.
Another split knot.
The worst rot I have found was in the bottom curbside front corner below where the hole was.
Another split knot.
The worst rot I have found was in the bottom curbside front corner below where the hole was.
Front window needs a new frame, new bottom ledger, & whole new paneling
Back end of the trailer - not too bad. Just the very bottom board is rotten.
Center vent hole after removal.
Rusty License plate light and holder.
Worst window on the trailer - silicone over and around it. I think someone had put an air conditioner in this window at some point and my friend Liz took it out.
Enough for now will continue soon.
Back end of the trailer - not too bad. Just the very bottom board is rotten.
Center vent hole after removal.
Fridge vent photos
Rusty License plate light and holder.
Worst window on the trailer - silicone over and around it. I think someone had put an air conditioner in this window at some point and my friend Liz took it out.
Enough for now will continue soon.
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