T-1350 Cobbler Rebuild - Not a Carpenter

Mquaife · 06-06-2018, 08:47 AM

Hello to all in the group. In a nut shell I am a disable cobbler at best and do what I can when my body lets me. Here's the story.

Responded to an ad for a Sunline T-1350 camper for $650. Best time to look at a camper in my opinion is on a very rainy day, cause it proved there was leakage inside. Told them I was not interested, Guess he wanted it gone, needed money, or whatever the case, he sold it to me for $252.

Real bargain, well yes and no. But with a little tlc and help from folks like you that have done rebuilds I am certain it will come together.

The first issue at hand is there is a definite drop on the left side with the entrance of about two inches and the wall is separated from the floor. I cannot push on the ceiling and bring it up, so not sure how to go about repairing that.

With that, I will be looking for advice and help with ways to rebuild this little camper but keep in mind I am on a very tight budget.

Thomascine · 06-06-2018, 10:35 AM

Hi Mquaife. Welcome and congrats on your Sunny! You have come to the right place for questions and advice. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum that are more than willing to help.

Do you have pictures? They will need to see what you are working with. It should be fixable they just need to see it so that they can give you the proper advice and information.

The best of luck. You are already off to a good start! You found this site.

Tommie

Mquaife · 06-06-2018, 11:26 AM

I tried to upload pictures but was unsuccessful in doing so. I will try again

Thomascine · 06-06-2018, 11:57 AM

Take a look at the "How To" page.

http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f1...ics-11235.html

Mquaife · 06-06-2018, 01:52 PM

Pics are now on my profile page

Thomascine · 06-06-2018, 05:19 PM

Great! I am new to this as well. The knowledgeable folks will chime in. Don't be discouraged if they do not respond right away. There is a meet and greet coming up this weekend so some are preparing and may even be traveling.

**JohnB** · 06-06-2018, 07:39 PM

Welcome!

Congrats on your new Sunny! You did get your camper at a bargain price... And not to despair, everything is rebuildable. We can help with the "how to" and you can use the advise as best you see fit and with what tools you have to work with.

It would be best to take out a post in either the repairs and maintenance forum or the travel trailers forum and post away with any help you need.

You can upload pics direct to a post called attaching, or you can link pics from your Sunline club photo album or link them un from an external photo hosting site. Or a combo of all 3 as you want to.

This pic of yours is a good place to start with your new rebuild.

I went into your album, found the pic I wanted to show
Clicked on it to make it full size,
Right click and "copy image address"
Came back to your post, in the advanced posting screen I click the Postage stamp icon and right click again and "paste" the address in the icon pop up box and click OK. Then you pic will show when you preview the post and when you post it.

When doing copy and paste from your album it helps to have 2 window tabs open, one on the photo album and one on your post and flip between them.

Hope this helps

John

PS see Tommies post. She had part of what you have. You will need to rebuild the front wall, corners and maybe even the floor and some of the ceiling. The walls are rotted away from the floor so there is no support. Once you get the front and sides off, you will need to rig up a temporary beam of sorts to the ground or solid floor to hold up the ceiling. See here as a start She did a "great job" on this undertaking. http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f7...air-17458.html

Thomascine · 06-07-2018, 07:11 AM

Thanks JohnB! You are way too nice.

Mquaife - I am no carpenter either. I made mistakes along the way but this group helped me through the whole thing. They pretty much held my hand through it all. Just listen to their advice and you will be okay. You can do it! And the good thing, you can go at your own pace so you can work on it when you can.

Tommie

**Sunline Fan** · 06-07-2018, 07:23 AM

Welcome! It looks like that trailer has quite a story to tell since rolling off the line in 1984, but I'm sure you'll have it fixed up soon. The extended tongue modification is certainly unique.

johnnybgood · 06-07-2018, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnB

PS see Tommies post. She had part of what you have. You will need to rebuild the front wall, corners and maybe even the floor and some of the ceiling. The walls are rotted away from the floor so there is no support. Once you get the front and sides off, you will need to rig up a temporary beam of sorts to the ground or solid floor to hold up the ceiling. See here as a start She did a "great job" on this undertaking. http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f7...air-17458.html

She? All along I thought Tommie was a he! [emoji3]

johnnybgood · 06-07-2018, 08:47 AM

Oh, and welcome to the club Mquaife. Good luck with your project.

Mquaife · 06-07-2018, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunline Fan

Welcome! It looks like that trailer has quite a story to tell since rolling off the line in 1984, but I'm sure you'll have it fixed up soon. The extended tongue modification is certainly unique.

Thank... you mention the extended tongue, I take it this is not standard? Might give some insight on the camper. It certainly is out of square. I truly wished I had the funds and means to tear it completely apart and totally rebuild this camper. Such a nice gem. At best it's gonna be a cobble job that makes it useable for now.

Mquaife · 06-07-2018, 09:40 AM

Thanks for the support and advice. I have looked at the post and gaining some helpful hints. I did manage to get the side closed up and at least secured again. The camper will always be out of square but at least it's solid for again. I put sheet metal on the front and once I have it completely sealed I will cover the front with some diamond plate for at best a unique look and an attempt to hide the off square look.

**Sunline Fan** · 06-07-2018, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mquaife

Thank... you mention the extended tongue, I take it this is not standard? Might give some insight on the camper. It certainly is out of square. I truly wished I had the funds and means to tear it completely apart and totally rebuild this camper. Such a nice gem. At best it's gonna be a cobble job that makes it useable for now.

Oh yeah, definitely not standard. Here's what it would have looked like, with original hubcaps:

Yours for comparison:

Mquaife · 06-07-2018, 11:48 AM

[IMG]http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/me...icture5673.jpg[/IMG]

I do see the difference in the tongue...Seem to pull ok when I took it to New York and Pennsylvania, with the rot in the front from that AC and the roof I'm surprised it didn't fall apart.

Started the closing of the areas. It don't look like much right now, far from factory but I removed the AC and put a piece of Aluminum in the front and side. The front will be fitted with some diamond plate once I am certain there are no leaks.

**Sunline Fan** · 06-08-2018, 06:42 AM

Good call on removing the a/c. At least the windows were untouched for installing that, so re-skinning is relatively easy. You can always paint that aluminum to help it match closer.

Mquaife · 06-08-2018, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunline Fan

Good call on removing the a/c. At least the windows were untouched for installing that, so re-skinning is relatively easy. You can always paint that aluminum to help it match closer.

Exactly. Just had a significant rain storm come through and surprised there was only one leak, a small one coming from the front window and I have yet to caulk that. And true I plan on repainting the camper, to bad the decals are faded so bad. I'm sure there is no chance of getting new ones made.

Talk about the windows, plans was to remove the window in the rear to place an energy efficient air conditioner into. I had thought about a roof top ac, the electric is there for it, but they are expensive for the energy efficient type of which I have to have since I have bad sinuses and need the ac fan to quit when the compressor is not running.

I also had to remove the water heater, it was destroyed as well, the previous owner or someone used a metal insert plug into the drain and of course it's metal against aluminum and it won't come out. so it froze and busted. I'm gonna install one of the electric on demand units for now. If I ever go off grid with the unit I have a 4000kw generator that will handle the heater so should be good.

Mquaife · 06-08-2018, 08:47 AM

Also if anyone has any helpful hints on a good door replacement with frame I'd be appreciative to know. I rebuilt the door. But since the camper is out of square I will have go with a slightly smaller door and reframe a new one in. I am not to far from Elkhart Indiana, the capital of the RV industry, lol, so I am gonna head up that way next week to look around. There are a few salvage surplus stores up there.

**Sunline Fan** · 06-08-2018, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mquaife

And true I plan on repainting the camper, to bad the decals are faded so bad. I'm sure there is no chance of getting new ones made.

Not economically. The Sunline decals are available on eBay as reproductions, and they are pretty close. The rest of the striping, you could have reproduced. Behind the entry door edge should be a sample of the original, unfaded stripe. You could have a sign shop match that to current vinyl and use a vinyl cutter to cut the stripes all to size.

Mquaife · 06-08-2018, 01:14 PM

Thanks for the heads up on the decals. I found them on Ebay no problem. Will order them once I am completed with the rebuild... Well luck has it for me today.

A while back I got and a super deal on a WC-8955 electric box with power supply 55 amp more than I will ever need but for $50 for the entire kit I could not pass it up. Anyways I got a hold of the person I bought it from to get some info. Told him about my water heater being bad and luck had it he just pulled a working unit from another camper, same model as mine, and that magical $50 did it again. So wont have to worry about closing that hole.

So with all luck in my favor hopefully will have this camper finished by then end of the month. Plans are to spend this winter in Florida on the beach.