RE: Is it worth restoring?
Thanks for all the advice and comments. The adjuster is suppose to be out on the 17th. Now the fun begins. I can't see getting much from the insurance, but any money to repair/replace is appreciated. The problem is getting what is a fair amount for the TT.
Is it worth restoring?
Hi All,
New to this forum but not to TT camping. A quick rundown on my TT and what I'm up against.
We have a 1968 Holiday Rambler TT. It is 30' from ball to bumper, two doors (rear smaller than front), excellent floor plan and space usage.
DW and I purchased this unit in 2000. It had been used as housing for hired hands on a local farm for many years then put into "party pad" service by the farmers son. While it was used as a party wagon the young gentleman did no preventive maintenance on it. It then acquired many leaks rendering it substandard for partying. We purchased it for $400 in 2000. Much work was done to prevent the rain on the inside during wet weather. None of the appliances worked correctly meaning more work. Allot of hours took care of those problems except the furnace. Much work was done on the interior to repair water damage and improve the usability of the camper. The roof rafters that hold the A/C were replaced (a rather interesting project). Put in a new (used) furnace last year (much work to make it work with existing ducting, gas line, and venting access).
Got the camper ready last week to enjoy a weekend of camping in dry weather. (Never thought I would want it to stop raining after 7 years of drought.)
Went to the Badlands of SD on Friday, pulled up stakes Saturday morning and headed to Custer State Park via SD44. Stopped in Rapid City for lunch, when returning from the eatery I note several people standing behind the TT and things don't look quite right. When I arrived, there was much red plastic on the ground from the Bargman tail lights, which I understand are made from unobtainium, along with massive amounts of bent skin and lots of wood splinters. Police arrive and do there sworn duty to create mountains of paperwork. It appears the the driver of the pickup was using the back up until it sounds expensive method of looking for other vehicles. Fortunately the driver has insurance but.......
With our TT so old and not the show stopper appearance of many restored units I have the feeling that I'm going to get the short end of the stick.
Repair or not to repair is the question? Have any of you folks been this type of situation? Yes, there is quite a bit of dry rot. The replacement of the wood in not necessarily a bad thing as I have the needed working knowledge to do the repair. The real problem is time and money, both in short supply. Finding appropriate replacement parts may be a major problem (trim, panels, lights, etc.) if I guess right.
Any thoughts, suggestions, moral support, hints, web sites, and etc. will be greatly appreciated.
RE: Cleaning wheel bearings
Probably one of the best places to find information on cleaning and repacking wheel bearings is to go to this Timken bearing site.
http://www.timken.com/en-us/solutions/automotive/aftermarket/lightduty/techtips/Pages/default.aspx
They have a wealth of downloadable information there.
Hope this helps.
RE: Can we tow with refrigerator on?
To the question of gas leakage due to an accident, take note that the new gas OPD type of tank valves also have a high flow shut off feature. If a large flow of gas happens the valve will shut it off automatically. If you open the bottle valve too quickly it will activate and you'll be standing there wondering why that just filled bottle acts like it is empty. Just turn off the valve and open slowly. All should be well then.
Hope this helps.
RE: 1968 Travel Travel Trailer - No Electric Water Pump?
69RoadRunner on 05/09/08 06:22pm wrote:
"A friend just bough a 1968 travel trailer (forget the make/model). The previous owner said that you hook up an air hose to pressurize the water tank instead of using an electric water pump. There is an air fitting.
There are some pipes that need to be repaired, so he hasn't tested it yet.
Does anyone have any experience with this type of system? Any concerns, tips, tricks, etc.?"
I have a '68 Holiday Rambler that uses the same type of system. There
is a pressure relief valve in the fill cap. It is made of brass but the spring is not and probably has rusted so that it will not release excess pressure. If you are handy you can rebuild it with minimum effort. The tank should have a drain valve on the bottom which you can use to flush any sediment out of the tank. Expect to have sediment buildup in the drain line that will probably block and water flow. A flexible piece of wire run through the valve may do the trick, if not you will need to take the valve off and use the wire to dig out the sediment.
The water flows from the tank to the rest of the faucets by a copper pipe. Expect leaks if the water lines have froze in cold weather. Seems that line splits are more likely around the area where the water heater is located.
There should be a 12V air compressor near the tank to pressurize the system when you are on the road. The one in my camper is very robust and just needed cleaning and oil changed in the crankcase. The pressure shutoff switch is adjustable (it is the same style used for large air compressors and easily replaceable if necessary) and I lowered it to about 50lbs of pressure. Originally the pressure was set to about 125psi. 50lbs is plenty of pressure to deliver water to every faucet, it also reduces the possibility of line ruptures from old age. Use a water pressure regulator on your water hose when on the camp site water supply.
Once you have the system working it would be wise to sanitize the system with bleach and another good flushing before using it for camping. I flush and sanitize each spring and add a water freshening chemical with each fill up.
In the fall be sure to drain all the lines and blow them clear with air, then add RV antifreeze and run it through all the lines. Granted it takes quite a bit (I use about 6 gallons in my system) but it pays off in the spring when all I need to do is flush, sanitize and go. No repairs to make.
I've had this camper since 2000 and lived in it April to September with no problems.
I hope this helps you out.
Happy camping!
bellefourche
