Our Brenderup Restoration

08/07/2023

09/24/2021

24 September 2021 update:

"The Baron has landed!"

It's finally off the jack stands and on all FOUR wheels and axels! Now to get it tagged and painted and the six month odyssey will be complete. Thanks to Heather and the kids for all their hard work in getting this project done; I couldn't have done this alone!!!

09/21/2021

21 September 2021 Update:

We got our last shipment of tools and parts from Germany yesterday! With that, work has started on the brakes. We had one brake adjuster that was locked solid on its mount, but heat, PB blaster, hammer and chisels, vice grips, and elbow grease got it free! The brakes themselves were as expected, non-existent. Out of the four set of shoes, only one drum had shoes with brake liners on them, and they were not attached to the shoe (they had actually rusted to the drum).

When I removed the drums and inspected the bearings, one drums bearing had the environmental liner separate in my hands. With that being the case, the decision was made to replace the three original drums bearings. There was also evidence of heat scoring on the stub axel on the left front, which means it wasn't too far from seizing, just like its rear fender mate. That would have made for an eventful trip! Better to be safe than sorry! NAPA has replacement bearings, if you ever need that done, btw.

09/08/2021

7 September Update:

Liner is sprayed in and curing! This step finishes all the interior restorations and modifications. Now on to the brakes and wheels...

09/06/2021

5 September Update:

We masked the interior of the trailer, including the insta-tack in preparation for the spray in liner. We also caulked the seams along the floor; installed the bottom kick plate for the half wall, and primed the sidewall kick plates with acid-etch primer. Now we wait two days to let the caulk cure and then it's time to spray the liner.

08/22/2021

21 August 2021 update:

Well the divider is back in, along with a custom made rear shoe for it, as the previous owner only had a piece of 3/8 flooring to seat the divider pin.

We also cleaned, repaired, and reinstalled the insta-tack divider. Ours had started having the linoleum peel from the top edge. We again used white FlexSeal to seal the panel as well as the edge, too.

Heather and Morgan got some sky blue paint for the inside of the roof. We have read on the Brenderup Trailer Owners forum some people have done this to keep the wasps and dirt daubers from building nests inside. We had four dirt dauber mounds in the tack room, under the front half wall lip, and above the front window. So we thought we'd give the paint a try.

The back walls steel edges were cleaned, shot with spray-gal and reinstalled with new hardware, as well. A few steps closer to being completed!

08/10/2021

August 7-8 Update:

Its been a while, but we've been doing odds and ends as we can due to scheduling/weather (thunderstorm time in Northern Alabama).

The door frames are completed and painted and the doors themselves have had their previous hinge holes filled and painted. We used 3M Marine two part fiberglass filler on the door frames and doors (3M Marine Premium Filler, 46005 1 qt , White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001HXBEMW/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_2ZHQAQG4Q4AJ5EXPBF3Q?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) with a butt ton of sanding (masks and glasses are mandatory, kids) with 80 grit paper. Thank God for electric orbital sanders! Finished off the Filler with two coats of fiberglass resin for a nice smooth coat and two to three coats of white epoxy paint.

New stainless steel fridge hinges replaced the hodgepodge of hinges we previously had, along with new door latches (all keyed the same) and ball handles for the inside of the latches. The latches are threaded for M6 threads, if you ever need replacements.

We also reinstalled the fenders with new galvanized hardware and replaced the storm flap latch bolts with longer carriage bolts and washers to keep the latches from rubbing the framing around the ramp. Thanks to Rachel Bruce, we also have new vent windows that match the new front window quite well.

We also added the additional A frame bracing in front of the fenders, as most of the newer Brenderups have these to better support the forward walls and roof structure. Thanks to my Father for fabricating them and getting them galvanized to my hen-scratch drawings that I provided. After installing them, the walls are now trued up and there's a consistent 1/2" gap around the ramp from sided to side.

It's coming back together, but I have to continually remind myself it's a marathon, not a sprint

07/04/2021

4 July update:
Got all the light lenses cleaned and replaced all the 35mm bayonet lights with LEDs. Man what a difference in output!

Also added a wi-fi backup camera to the trailer license plate bracket and wired it into the 7 prong plug:

06/28/2021

June 27th update:

The ramp is back together and the new front window is in! FYI, self locking window weatherstripping is a PITA!

Some advice for those that are rebuilding ramps and using the original mats, you'll want to staple the mat onto the ramp from the center out, religiously. I started to do that, and then stapled the bottom edge, as it was easier to access. That was a big mistake! By the time I got back to the bottom, I had a " bubble" of matting and ended up removing that whole row of staples on the bottom edge. Also, use your replacement carriage bolts and hardware to hold the mat in place while you staple. It does help keep everything in place while you do it.

I did do something different with the ramp hardware. As I replaced the galvanized ramp supports on the outside/bottom of the ramp, I noticed that there is an 1/16" gap between the supports and the ramp itself. I put galvanized washers under those supports where the carriage bolts came through and used galvanized washers and nuts to connect them. It may be overkill, but I know that they're supported completely. We also sprayed FlexSeal in all the holes that were drilled into the ramp for the hardware, for weatherproofing.

06/14/2021

June 13th update:

Worked on the replacement backstop for the insta-tack divider. Our original was rotten on one side, and had been reinforced with another layer of 1/4" plywood, but that had given way, as well, due to a leaky front window. We were able to get it all out in one piece after drilling through the rivets holding it in place and used it as a template for the new plywood.

We also finished up repairing and remounting the wiring for the trailer as well. Started fiberglass lay-up on the reinforced squire doors. It doesn't sound like much, but it was hard to get a lot done between thunderstorms.

06/06/2021

5 June update:

Made 1/4" plywood surrounds for the groom doors and attached them with rivets, as the original fiberglass edging was broken and missing in several places. These will be skinned with woven fiberglass to solidify and strengthen the edges prior to applying rubber weather stripping. Also, the top aluminum edge of the insta-tack flap was reattached as well, and the bottom aluminum framing of the half wall was sanded to remove the corrosion.

Heather used an acid etching primer on the prop stands and hardware. These are the same items that she previously removed the rust from with muratic acid, before finishing them off with silver epoxy engine paint. I think they look better than new!

06/02/2021

2 June 2021 Update:

FLOOR is IN!

But, there's a caveat....

It has a gap on either side. I think the "L" brackets are seated further apart than the originals, even though everything is square and true. We've got a 1/4 - 1/8" gap on either side of the floor at the floor to wall junction. Plan is to use some more FlexSeal products (FlexSeal Rubber Paste specifically) to fill these voids (after using the shop vac to get all the particulate matter - shavings from the kick-plates and walls where I match drilled the holes for the carriage bolts and button screws).

On the plus side, the Front "L" bracket is back in place in the tack room. This, along with all the carriage bolts mounting the walls to the frame "L" brackets means we have a ridged structure now. Also, the bottom bracket for the half wall was mocked up to see how it fits, and it slid into place perfectly!