1972 Travco 220

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Travco Model: 1975 270,1974 220
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1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Wed Jan 23, 2013 8:44 pm

I started this last year but have since back burner-ed it. I am currently thinking about selling it. My elbows gave out stripping the gelcoat. it sucks to get old... :lol: \nIt will be copied from another site I posted it on but it has some good info on Fiberglass Repair. I am no expert but I learned alot.
1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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Travco Model: 1975 270,1974 220
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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Wed Jan 23, 2013 8:46 pm

I am starting restoration of a 1972 Dodge Travco Motorhome. it is a molded Fiberglass Motorhome. They were very well built and way ahead of their time in quality and safety. I have three. The one I have chosen to start on was actually picked up a few weeks ago for free. I was going to us it for parts but determined it was in better shape rust wise than the one I had planned on restoring. The 1970 Travco I have was bought brand new by my father and has his name engraved on the dash and it's breaking my heart to restore the 1972 but the 1970 sat near the ocean for a few years on long island and the salt air got to her. It needs major reconstruction. Sadly the fiberglass is the best of the three. The third one is a 1975 but it has no drive line and was badly damaged moving it around so it will be a donor. It has disk brakes which was the main reason I wanted it but now I will need the windshields as well for the 1972. The 1972 is pretty ugly at a glance but it has alot of potential. it sat for 20 years and I stuck a battery in it and hooked it up to a feeding tube( a portable gas tank I made out of an outboard motor tank with an electric fuel pump mounted on it.)\nIt started right up like it was running yesterday and even the brakes worked and the wheels were not locked up...It wants to live...; )\nThe pass side front looks like it was near a fire or something. the gelcoat is burned and the glass melted. I plan on stripping the gelcoat off the entire unti and painting it. The gelcoat never seemed to hold up on these. IN fact I have never seen a Travco without cracked gelcoat.
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1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Wed Jan 23, 2013 8:51 pm

Here is a pick of the first damaged area. I had to remove the floor and generator box to get at it. The floor was water damaged anyway. Someone did a real lousy attempt at fixing it with chicken wire and cloth. I cut the repair out and tapered the hole. I have some smooth plastic that was actually a water shield from the bottom of a travel trailer I cut up for parts. I will use that as a backing after I coat it with wax and start the repair from the inside . I have never done fiberglass so my fingers are crossed. I am going to use mat and SMC resin. I will finish it with Evercoat Vettefill.
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1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Wed Jan 23, 2013 8:57 pm

I have been going like the hammers of hell on this thing. Here goes my carpel tunnel...So I repaired the back hole with Mat and SMC resin. Damn that stuff is strong but it is tricky to work with. My supplier gave me Bondo brand Mat with Evercoat SMC and when I went to read the can for mixing ratio I noticed it said use ONLY Evercoat fiberglass MAtt. Uht oh...So I called Evercoat and they said they could not vouch for any other brand of mat but that there was nothing special about thier mat that it was specific for SMC resin so basically I am ok with what I used. It just seemed that the mat kinda melted with the resin more than I expected it to. It was tricky to smooth it. You could not squeegee it , only gently work the bubbles out with a paint brush. It hardened up and 30 mins and by the next day was strong as a rock. I welded the gen box back in and cleaned the frame for paint. Spent today stripping the interior out. The cabinets were destroyed by mice. I have another parts unit for cabinets in better shape. The stench of rodent urine was near unbearable. This Travco wants to live though. The closet flange for the commode unscrewed from the holding tank like it was just put in and enabled me to remove the bathroom enclosure. I may re gelcoat it. Lots of pics. Sorry I didn't take some while laying the glass but I had to move quickly.
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1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:10 pm

So there was a big tear in the drivers side a well. I was able to get it from the back. By the way the floors in these are marine grade plywood. Despite years of water leakage they were actually borderline usable. Also The wood that was glassed to the body that the kitchen cabinets screwed into was rotten so I removed it and glassed in a piece of 2x4 pressure treated.
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1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:13 pm

I cut out the floors in the cockpit and welded in new ones. I also welded in an additional brace under the dinette area widow. it seemed flimsy there. I glased the body to the brace. That SMC stuff is STRONG...
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1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:17 pm

Here it was getting dragged home.
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1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:27 pm

here's some pics of the interior ripout..Ugghhh ..it was sooooo Ugly.....
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1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by 77Travco » Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:08 pm

WOW..:shock: . That's way more work than I hope to ever get into with mine... I salute you sir!

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Re: 1972 Travco 220

Unread post by Acesneights » Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:14 pm

well....it is for sale...My arms gave out... :lol:
1977 Travco 270 Elite\n1974 Travco 220 Parts unit

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