Removing, Cleaning, and Reattaching J-Rail

Haven't had much time lately to work on Lil' Chick - this pesky cancer thing sorta reared it's head and demanded attention, so some free time that would've been spent on the trailer was spent having immunotherapy infusions and laying low afterwards (see my other blog if you want the deets:  www.lymphopixie.blogspot.com).

But this weekend and last, I was finally able to make a little more progress.  Yay!

I started removing some of the exterior trim, also known as "j-rail" because it looks like, well, a "J"!  You sorta feel like you're taking a plunge off a cliff any time you remove anything from your trailer, but it has to be done!

The j-rail had to be removed in order to apply new putty on the seams, to better seal the Chick from water.  I was afraid the 50 year old rusty hex screws would break off when I tried to remove them, but they all came out just fine with the hand socket.

Lil' Chick's bent and bumped streetside rear j-rail.
Actually, MOST of Lil' Chick is bent and bumped, poor thing!

 

First section off! (Small victories, but I'll take 'em!)

This is most likely the reason why the interior back corners had water damage:  the putty under the j-rail was cracked and dried and non-existent in some places.

Um yeh, that's gotta go.....

I easily scraped off the old putty with a putty knife and flat-head screwdriver, then cleaned as best I could with acetone (fingernail polish remover from my linen closet) and a scrubbie sponge, to remove any adhesive residue.  After 50 years, there wasn't much.

I got out the trusty caulk gun and laid down a bead of clear, waterproof silicone caulk along the vertical seam, just for a little extra waterproofing.

Then I set out to hunt down the putty.  Apparently in the vintage trailer world, it's called butyl tape, or Tacky Tape - and I learned real quick that Home Depot doesn't carry it, by the totally confounded look on their faces when I asked for it.  I sort of figured as much, but since I was there anyway to get stainless screws (for reattaching the j-rail), I figured I'd give it a shot.  So I was off next to the actual bona fide RV supply store.

My very first roll of butyl tape.
I feel like such a big girl now!

I assumed butyl tape would be gawd-awful expensive, but it wasn't really - it was less than $11.00 for a 30-foot roll.  I started off with one roll, and will go back for more when this one runs out.

Before applying the butyl tape and reattaching the j-rail, I wanted to scrub the j-rail a little to get some of the half-century of corrosion and road grime off.  Since I already knew I wasn't going to get back to a shiney polish, I grabbed a can of Barkeeper's Friend, a wire brush, and a bucket of water and went to town.

Before elbow grease.....

.....and after.

I just realized by looking at these two photos that, even though it's the same piece of j-rail, the first photo is of the underside (where the putty was) and the second photo is the outerside, the side that actually shows when it's on the trailer.  But you get the idea.  Looks MUCH better!

The butyl tape was super-easy to apply.  Since one side is sticky, you just peel back the paper and start laying it down where the old putty used to be.

First length of butyl tape on.  Progress!

You'll notice at the top I left a couple inches with paper attached to both the top side and under side.  I didn't want the seam of the butyl tape to be level with the seam in between the two sections of j-rail, because I figured that could let water seep in, right?  So I allowed for a little underlap beneath the next section of j-rail.  When I take that section off, the seam of the next section of butyl tape won't be right at the seam between the two sections of j-rail.

My hope is that with the old putty gone, new silicone caulk and butyl tape applied, and the j-rail reattached with stainless screws, I can get another 50 years of life outta the Chick before having to do this part again!

I think it turned out OK, don't you?

I ended up doing both the streetside and curbside rear portions of j-rail; I'll tackle the remainder as time allows.

We're eyeball deep in summer right now and months away from any rain.  But, wouldn't you know it, we've got a tropical storm brewing off the coast and we may get hit with some moisture in the next day or two.  The front of the Chick has been in sad shape since I brought her home:  her lower front skin panel was bent out from under the seam of the upper panel, leaving a big gap.  Since I just had the interior front floor fixed by Denny, I want to protect that from the possibility of this alleged moisture we allegedly might get.  I'm not ready to do any real exterior skin work on the Chick - and actually, I'm not going to be doing a whole lot anyway (I love her bumps and dents and shotgun holes and want to keep them!) - but I needed to cover that gap. 

So it was back to Home Depot for a solution.  I prowled the aisles until I found something called vinyl gutter covering that looked like it would work.

I needed a total of 82.5" and it came in 4' sections, so I only had to get two (and only $3.96 each!).

I took a pair of snips and cut off the rail part on the right, so I was left with two pieces of flat vinyl about 5" tall that I cut to the width of the Chick.

I tried to wedge the bent piece of lower skin back under the upper skin but just couldn't do it by myself, so I screwed the vinyl right over the buckled skin, bulge and all.  It may not look good, but it's only a temporary patch for protection, so I think it'll work just fine.

I love making progress on Lil' Chick!
 

Off to the Trailer Doctor!

Two months after bringing her home, Lil' Chick is finally getting to spend some time with Denny, the Trailer Doctor!

I prepped her this morning by taping the closet door closed so it wouldn't bang around during the trip (the latch is broken, so it doesn't stay shut on its own), and putting pieces of tape where I want electrical outlets.

Then I hooked her up to Fiona and we got ready to hit the road.

Once at Denny's, he and I went over what we'd like to accomplish during this first segment:  repairing the floor holes; repairing the rotted corners in the rear; re-wiring the electrical to 30 amp, installing more interior outlets, and re-wiring and replacing all the exterior trailer lights; removing the old metal plumbing; removing the fresh water tank and disinfecting it; and removing the two side vents and covering up their holes.  Whew!  That's a lot of work!  But Denny and his crew will knock it all out in no time.

The Chick sure looked little when I drove off!

And her spot in the driveway looks awfully empty:

But these repairs are what's needed before I can continue to glamp her up - I've done just about everything I can do to on my own to this point; now it's time for Denny to work some magic!

Lower Galley Cabinet? Buh-Bye!

I'll reiterate:  I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing!

But I did more of it today, by taking out the lower galley cabinet.  Not only will the space accommodate the dresser and fridge I plan on installing, but it will make it easier to repair the damaged front wall and floor.



"Before" shots:  lower galley cabinet.....

.....and sink.

The sink had to come out first, which necessitated a quick Home Depot run for a bigger wrench.  The threaded fitting on the pipe was easy to loosen, then the six clip-things that were holding the sink to the cabinet were removed (just screws, so that part was easy).  Then it got a little tougher:  because the putty was old old old, the metal ring holding the sink to the cabinet just wouldn't budge, so I had to go at it with the chisel/pry thingy (and yes, that IS the technical term.....).  It's a good thing I didn't need to salvage the metal ring, because it got chewed up.  Once the metal ring was up and the sink was loose, it was just a matter of a few more turns of the wrench and out it popped.  The sink was in the way of being able to see underneath the faucets, so once it was out, it was easy to remove those, too.


Now that the sink and faucets were out, it's easy to just demo the cabinet, right?  Not so much.  It was a lot harder than I thought:  the builders put that little trailer together well!  But, that's what tools are for:



If at first you don't succeed with a crow bar.....



.....try a big-ass rubber mallet.

Whacking, prying, pulling, and pushing with my feet is probably not standard operating procedure for removing a cabinet, but hey, it worked.  Piece by piece, the cabinet came apart until it was a pile of debris outside the trailer door:

Success!  The space is now cleared so Lil' Chick's makeover can continue!

After cleaning everything up in the Chick, I gave Stella, my 2012 A-frame trailer, some love and a nice soapy bath.  What a fun way to spend a Sunday:  playing with my trailers!
 

 

A New Idea.....

One of the great things about having a little 9' trailer as my own personal big-girl playhouse is that I get to do whatever I want!

My latest idea had to do with the lower galley cabinet:  since it had damage from a chemical spill in Lil' Chick's previous life, and since it'd have to be modified anyway to accommodate the little Nostalgia Electrics fridge, why not just take it out all together, and use something else as a galley cabinet?

I've been on the hunt for that "something else" for a couple weeks, and found it today at the Salvation Army thrift store for $60:



Introducing the Chick's new galley cabinet!

It's lightweight (a major consideration when scouting for a suitable piece) and in great shape, plus it's shallow enough to fit through Lil' Chick's narrow 20" door.  I love to repurpose stuff, and the classic lines and vintage hardware make it a perfect candidate for some serious shabby-ing!

My plan is to remove the top two drawers, reattach the drawer faces with hinges for access, cut a hole in the top, and drop in a new stainless RV sink.  Sounds so easy, right?  I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW TO DO THIS!!!  But you can be sure that I'll find out!

Because of all my recent thrift store visits looking for a galley cabinet, I've also stumbled upon some other goodies that were too good to pass up:



A sweet little birdhouse ready to be glamped up!



An intriguing vintage metal case.....

.....that turned out to be a picnic "basket"
full of vintage picnicware!

LOVE those thrift store scores!  I plan on using the metal picnic case as a table top that will double as storage.  More repurposing/multi-purposing!

I also found some great vintage-themed fabric on Etsy and ordered some to make a couple pillows for the Chick:



Too cute!  And the woman sitting in the patio chair with the
scarf on her head SO reminds me of my mom back in the day!

Hopefully the Chick will be going to Denny this week so he can begin repairing her floor.  One step at a time, right?!

Icebox, Trim Strip, and Linoleum Removal

Finally!  After several weeks of non-activity in Lil' Chick because of travel (to San Francisco for training for work and then to Alaska for my daughter's first marathon and a vacation), I was able to jump back into the trailer today for some more demo-ing.

First on the list:  remove the icebox.  I had posted a question on the Tin Can Tourists Facebook page on how to remove the icebox that was surrounded in what looked like a spray-on insulating foam of some type:

 
I just assumed that I would have to some how chip away that foam in order to pull the icebox out of its hole in the wall; it seemed too bulky to make it through the hole.  Helpful responders gave great advice on removing the foam (use an electric knife and be sure to mask- and glove-up), but a FB friend said I shouldn't have to remove the foam, just pull the icebox out. 

So this morning I went out armed with a screwdriver, took out the four screws that were holding the icebox in, and just popped it right out.  He was right:  didn't have to remove the foam at all.  I assumed it had been applied after the icebox had been installed; it just never occurred to me that they would've put the foam on before the icebox was put into the wall.




Icebox before.....



.....and after.

I wanted to completely clear out the closet area, so I also removed the icebox support strut:



Before.....



.....and after

Removal of the icebox really opens up the closet area, which I'll be utilizing since I'll be losing some of the lower galley cabinet space when I put in the new fridge.  A small lightweight wire rack shelving system will be a good solution for this space.

After the icebox was out, I started removing the floor trim pieces.  This proved a lot more challenging, because many of the screws were rusted and stuck in place.  I started out by carefully removing the trim so I could salvage and clean and polish and re-use it, but some of the pieces had to be manhandled to get them off - so Lil' Chick will get new floor trim when the time comes.  Some screws just wouldn't budge at all, even after repeated coaxing by the screwdriver-and-hammer-whack method; I squirted them with WD-40, went inside for some Facebook time, and they had loosened up enough to get them out.  Some, however, didn't some out AT ALL, so I had to pry the trim piece off; some gouges and battle scars were left in the wood, but I'll repair them as best as I can and they shouldn't be too visible once primer and paint go on.


Streetside bench floor trim before.....

.....and after.



Rear bench floor trim before.....



.....and after.



Curbside bench floor trim before.....



.....and after.



Entry floor trim before.....



.....and after.



Galley floor trim before.....

.....and after.



Floor trim outside closet before.....

.....and after.  The area in the left corner is where
the chemical spill occurred before I bought her, so the
area is more damaged than the rest of the floor.

Once I had all the floor trim off, I saw that the avocado green linoleum was just laying on top of the original linoleum - it wasn't glued or nailed down.  So up and out it came!



Dinette area linoleum before.....

.....and after.

Entry way linoleum before.....

.....and after.

If I were attempting an authentic restoration, this original linoleum is in such good shape that I could probably just give it a good cleaning and leave it in place.

It was a good, productive day in Lil' Chick!