September 13th

More exterior work. Lexan front window put in with 2300 MHRV, a special caulking we purchased at a local rv sales company. They use it on all their rvs and thought it would seal the Lexan window in place for us. It goes on like a clear silicone, but sets up fast, is paintable and washable. If it doesn't work long-term, we'll get some gasket material at Vintage Trailer Supply and get the job done the traditional way.

The more I read about Lexan or "Makrolon", I'm thinking using this material instead of glass in the front window might have been a really slick idea. It is suppose to be lightweight, transparent, breakproof and impact-resistant, all things to look for in the front window of a trailer! This is suppose to be a big improvement over the "plexi-glass" of old. We'll see.

We also installed the vent back in place, after cleaning it up and applying fresh putty tape and stainless screws. I had hoped for a fantastic fan... but won't be getting one right now. We'll wire it for one in the future.

Still lots of small details to finish up, not the least of which is to get the door installed. The aluminum does still have some imperfections, but it is over 40 years old and has been "abused" to say the least. We can tell it has been truly used over the years and didn't just sit in someones yard or garage. You can tell this trailer could tell some stories from past camping adventures.

Folks have also attempted to "save it" by slapping putty tape and lots of extra screws here and there to both try to hold it together and keep it water tight. It only managed to damage it more in the end.

So...in the end, though I wish the aluminum had been in somewhat better shape, it still isn't bad for what it is. When looking for a vintage trailer, really take the time to look over the aluminum. It's easy to miss all the imperfections.... old paint hides quite a bit sometimes too.

Once we've got the outside water-tight, we'll start of wiring and insulation inside.