About us
who we are & how we came to be

Campouts
gatherings and events

Classy Cruising
cool member tow vehicles & Scottys

National Rally
held every July in Pennsylvania

NSSO Stores
buy NSSO/Serro apparal & merchandise

Rebuilds
what others are doing or what they have done

Resources
collected wisdom from group members

Scotty Newsletter
keep up with what's going on

Members Only
forums and mailing lists - join here too

Contact us
have a question?

    NSSO Home > Rebuilds

Alex Manzo's 1960 Trail Feathers (Scotty Wannabe)

This formerly unknown trailer now has a name. It is a "Trail Feathers " manufactured originally in California in the late 50s and early 60s. Very similar to, but not a Scotty!


You can see the drop-down floor under the door.
It is operated by the lever seen to the right of the spare tire


The Wannabe's Tow Vehicle!


Mold!


Per chance this be a Swedish trailer?


The VIN - 60 13 1230


Propping up to remove trailer from frame


Up it comes!


Going, going...


Gone!
You can really see that dropdown now


Dropdown frame


The handle that raises & lowers the dropdown - will be straightened


Frame after POR15
The secret to success is preparation. No grease, dirt or other paint. Bare metal, preferably rusty. ( no flakes) Use compressed air if possible to blowout all seams, joints, washers/bolts, spring seats, etc. Definitely use masking tape to tape off areas where you do not want the paint. Temperature is important. Room temperature, low humidity is best. It really is not as bad as they proclaim except when you get it on you. Also, don't wear anything close to nice clothes. This includes old work jeans, shirts, etc. that you would wear to the store. Once a speck gets on, its NEVER coming out. I use 2 coats where appropriate. Let dry before applying next coat. Thin is better. If you have nuts that you don't want to unscrew and fall off, paint them. You can get them off, but they won't come off on their own. You can see the pitting on the axel area. This was heavily rusted as were the springs.


It took me 3 hours to figure out how to raise the Wannabe and expose the floor at the same time. Then I started to remove the sections of floor that I am replacing. Only to find out that all the vertical 2x3 supports are rotted at the bottom where they attach. So off to Lowes for replacement wood to start the total replacement of outer wood. I think I will end up replacing most of the wood framing. If anything else it gives me fresh wood to attach fasteners to. I really do not like the staple approach of fastening all these pine framing pieces. So I purchased some flat steel plates to replace the staples. Much more expensive, but will strengthen the whole unit beyond measurement. Same stuff that is used to connect roof trusses. Requires screws to connect them to the pieces. Anyway, here's two pictures that show the method of elevating (safely) the cabin while I disassemble the floor and make new pieces. The second is a shot of the interior with the front section of flooring removed. When it comes time to remove the rear section of flooring I will have to raise the back the same way.


Bathtub I will try to fit in.


Various lights obtained from a junkyard

 

   
National Serro Scotty Organization ©
Last updated: January 18, 2009
nkroes@yahoo.com