I didn’t get a lot done today. The rain is threatening, so after a couple hours I stopped. I got one panel off. Pretty annoying- the panels are all first nailed around the edges, then screwed. All the original screws are slotted, which are of course much harder to get off after some rust. But here’s the construction:
I’ve read about cellulose insulation but never seen it. I guess this is it. Pretty awful stuff, and falling apart. At least it’s easy to remove. I have some polyiso insulation to replace it. That stuff is outstanding. I got one of the windows out- it came out pretty easily. All nails of course. But the wood is sound. And the window (with some cleaning, better seals, and some oil) should be fine. Looks like the glass can be replaced by removing a few screws. I think I’ll put acrylic in the front. There are a few broken panes, and I might be able to use the glass from the front to replace them. At least some of them.
The bottom right front corner is a disaster, but I should be able to fix it without too much trouble. It’s made of two thin wood strips, and I can laminate something to follow that curve.
The bottom looks like a layer of either 3/4″ or 5/8″ ply on top of what I think is 3/8 fiberboard. The fiberboard has no integrity- I can tear pieces off with my fingernail.
I can’t see the head of that bolt, but there are other bolts where I can see the nut below the trailer frame and they don’t have a visible head. So apparently the 2×2 that’s attached to the verticals is bolted to the plywood, which is bolted to the frame. The floor has to go, so I think the replacement will be 3/4 ply” on a 2 x 4 grid with a 1/4″ removable bottom ply. All that encapsulated in epoxy and with polyiso insulation.
I think the sequence has to be:
- Remove all the windows.
- Remove the corner molding and roof vents
- Remove the roof panels, repair rotten wood, insulate, and replace the roof panels.
- Replace the roof vents using proper butyl tape for waterproofing. Every screw goes on with a dab of silicone to prevent leaks.
- Remove the side panels and insulation
- Replace rotten wood on the sides.
- Remove or cut the nuts off the nuts holding the trailer to the floor and frame.
- Jack up the now-separated trailer.
- 4 feet at a time working from the back to the front, remove the floor and replace with new 3/4 inch flooring.
- When the floor is all new, attach new 2×4 supports.
- Wire brush the frame and paint. I’ve used Aluthane with good results, and it should look appropriate. I think.
- Lower the trailer onto the frame and insert bolts through the stack.