Picked up a "canned ham" this weekend - mfg by Lakewood Industries of Artesia, CA

Nice score on what looks like a really clean little trailer. I have a little experience polishing aluminum trailers (), having had a '48 and now a '46 Spartan Manor, both polished. It's a LOT of work, but you'll get more attention than a ***** in church with that thing polished. Forewarned is forearmed; once you polish it, it's a never ending job, although it'll stay nice for a year even left outside. To keep it mirror shined, you're looking at a couple of times a season.

I use wool bonnets, and Nuvite polish on ours. Leaves a few swirl marks, but I can live with it. A mill finish can be achieved with steel wool and Murphys Oil Soap, or scuffy pads on a DA is said to work too, but I've not tried it.

Congrats, you're now a "Canned HAMB'r"!

Brian

 

Thanks Brian and David. I would love to see some pictures of the work you guys are doing/have done on your trailers!

 

I have some experience with polished aluminum aircraft. It IS a lot of work and, as Brian says, a never ending maintenance hog. Looks great though. What quite a few aircraft owners do with bare aluminum planes is to paint a nice silver on the surfaces that aren't the most visible to reduce the square footage that has to be mainatined. On my Globe Swift for example, the bottoms of the wings, horizontal stabilizer and center of the belly were painted. In the case of your gorgeous trailer, the top would be a good place for paint.

Ray

 

That is a beauty trailer. Polishing it will make it a stunner-but you will go through hell to get it that way.
Step 1-take it to the local Blue Beacon truck wash and have them "Brighten" it-mild acid wash-this will get rid of the heavy oxidation.
Step #2-get a good electric polisher-like a makita variable speed
Step#3-use a "thread bonnet"-thats a polishing wheel that is made of fabric sewn together-you use the "edge' to polish with-not the face like you would if you were polishing paint with a wool pad.
Step#4-buy a couple big cans of "Autosol" metal polish-this will be available at the truck stop also.If you can't get Autosol use "Blue majic"
Step #5-apply a little autosol to a section with a paper towel-fire up the buffer and don't rev it too high-use the edge of the pad and watch the shine appear.
When you get sections where the black oxidation doesn't seem to want to come off after the buffer-use a little corn starch or flour(yeah the stuff for cakes) on a soft cloth and it will come right off by hand.
Step#6-Go over the whole trailer by hand and polish it to even it all out.
Use a dust mask when you do this as you are going to be black from head to foot by the time you get done and the buffing pads get fibres up your nose and everything. Use a good ipod with a ton of motivational music of your choice as this is one big boreing-*** job
It is a big job -but you should be able to get it done in a good weekend
Oh yeah-stay out of the sun!
Jim

 

Nice for sure. Can't find them like that around here either.

 

I've been looking for one for a long time too. Yours is beautiful! That had to have spent most it's life up in the mountains, It's not nearly burned up enough for a Phoenix rig! Actually, If you use it as a travel trailer and stay in parks, the lack of a bathroom is not going to be a huge deal. Most of the parks I have been in (and due to my former employment, that's most in AZ and WA!) keep they're restrooms super clean these days. Enjoy that much!

 

Agreed - we have been to a bunch of parks like Big Lake and Woods Canyon and they are nice.

I also agree on your mountain comment, it isn't faded enough (check the plate - it's a 73) to have sat in the desert sun much (if any). And the paint is still on the tag by the door.

 

Great trailer the whole thing is in great shape . Here in Canada we have a product called" Wicked" for polishing aluminum you can get it at auto and large truck parts places , and it works really good it getting a shine . As for the glue I find laqueur thinner works well at getting the residue off and leaves little if any oil on the finish. Rob.

 

You stole it.

 

great find and it looks like no water staining around the windows/vents. i'm trying to find a smaller (under 21') aluminum framed one myself....to pull behind the '54 ford panel.

 

I am so jealous, excellent find! I want a similar travel trailer some day.

 

That is one *****in camper,What a super find.ENJOY!!

 

Well, here ya go!

 

Wow that is sweet! And I agree with your earlier comment - you have a lot of polishing experience after doing a couple of those!

 

are you sure you don't want to sell it? That looks like it would be worth the freight to have it shipped to michigan! Nice score.

 

x2...I agree. There is a mild acid wash they use on pontoon and other aluminum boats that make aluminum look really nice that is much easier and more effective to use. Plus they have a protective coating solution you can spray on afterwords. I had my pontoon boat cleaned with this every year and the aluminum "toons" looked like new. (it set in the lake all year and grew a coating of crud on it).

I know you're in Arizona but research it and you will find the solution I am talking about.

Good luck and cool digs !!

 

What a great find. You'll have a bunch of fun when you get it refurbished and usable. The wife and I are talking about getting a trailer and doing some traveling/camping again. When the kids were little it made for a fun inexpensive way to spend the summer vacation. Keep us posted as you get it up to speed.

Frank

 

WOW! that is in super nice shape!

We just picked up this '60 Shasta.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From 1960 Shasta</td></tr></table>

- Joe

 

Great Post. Nice Pictures and thanks for putting the price you paid. Most people just post all this stuff and never say what they paid.
Congrats with your new Trailer
Thanks Again

 

Hey Joe that Shasta looks very nice! How is it on the inside? That was one of the models I was looking for when I found mine.

Lucky3 - believe it or not we have a ton of boats here in AZ. Its a great way to beat the heat. I have an aluminum fishing boat. I will look into the product you mentioned - thanks!

 

If you care about what people pay for stuff, then you'll be interested to learn I paid 500 bucks for our Spartan. Then, we had it trucked from VA to MI, and spent roughly 10K and hundreds of hours to build it. But, it did only cost $500...

I've mixed feelings about posting what one pays for stuff. It's like the show "American Pickers", which I sort of like to watch, but I cringe at the producers then putting up what the scored item is "worth" or is sold for. It's kinda creepy. But, it's TV.

That said, it does appear to a scream'n deal.

 

Pretty nice! We need to ditch the green volure interior, but it's ready to rock.

Click the link under the picture for the whole set...

- Joe

 

Hey Brian, I like that show too. Sometimes I post what I pay for stuff and sometimes I don't. In this case, I bought the item from a pair of real estate investors. The trailer was just something that was on the lot that they want out of the way for development. If it was something I picked up from a friend, fellow HAMBer, collector or "car guy" in the valley I would not make that information public.

 

nice camper!

 

Real nice find...it looks like it's in beautiful shape and at $1200 you stole it!...Congrats and have a ball with it.

 

Please don't get me wrong, I wasn't criticising your posting up how much you paid. The comment was more aimed at the guy stating he liked to see how much people paid, and my feeling that sometimes people post that up to brag. I didn't get that from your post.

Sometimes it's just nobodies business!

 

I think you'll find that the quality of the aluminum used in these old trailers is at the root of the issues with their upkeep..

as brian said.. polishing leads simply to more polishing!

 

No worrries Brian - you have a good point

 

Very Nice!

Post some pix over here, you can add to the collection.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=368140

 

It was a good deal.... Maybe we'll see it on the road when we go to Quartzsite in the winter...

And I like to see what people paid... even if they bought something from me .... if I sell stuff to a dealer, I hope he can sell it for more, I make a little and I hope he makes a little (or a lot). Dealers understand this.... you gotta leave something on the table...