Alpenlite Trailer Modifications
Update. On April 19, 2010 I received the following email:
"I saw your posting and read that you did a lot to your Alpenlite. Looks / sounds really good. I am looking at a 1984 Alpinlite. Its near by and I looked at the interior. My question to you is am I opening up a can of worms or is the under construction or the work needed when I get it overwhelming?
I am looking for advise. He did caulk up the front windows a bit much I think. He told me he looked here for the leak that he was trying to find.
Is there a site where I can take out those two windows and get new rubber gaskets and make it look good again.
He wants $1500.00 for this trailer. He has had some hospitalization recently. I am wondering about the wheel bearing, raceways... etc."
This was my reply:
The Alpenlite company went out of business about two years ago, so parts are a bit hard to find, though I did not have much luck getting stuff from them in recent years - stuff was just discontinued.
I have a pet theory about RVs - they ALL leak. The Alpenlite has a tubular aluminum frame which is impervious to rust and rot which is good news. I need to replace some of the interior wall of mine under the back windows. Condensation plus leaks have messed things up a bit.
I got mine from my parents who bought it new. The Ol' Man tried for years to seal a sporadic leak in the left rear corner and never did get the job done, so there you go. I suggest that you under the mattress. Look for mold, water stains, etc. The mattress can be replaced, but rot in the deck could be a problem.
If you are serious about buying it, I strongly suggest that you have the seller run ALL systems for you. I learned that lesson the hard way with my previous trailer. I got it home and discovered that the seller had not drained the water system for the winter and pipes were broken in two areas and the water heater was a goner. I had no luck getting money back from the seller.
Do not expect the whippy-skippy tank level lights to work - the ones that tell you how much fresh water, how much gray water, etc. you have on board. They are junk and are not fixable.
One biggie is the fridge. Mine is still going strong after 26 years. Refers of that vintage MUST be precisely leveled if they are on, and failure to do so will destroy them. It all gets down to physics and the design of the cooling unit. Dad was meticulous about this and I have been also, so it is still good. People that travel with the fridge on 12V or propane will ruin them sooner or later. It is OK to RUN with them on, but if you stop you have to turn them off. The damage is cumulative and irreversible, so sooner or later long stop lights, railroad crossings, etc. will destroy it. Trust me on this one. I would have the seller fire it off and after about a half hour the bottom of the freezer should be cold. These refers are not nearly as efficient as home refers, so don't expect it to chill quickly. I would also have the seller run it on both propane and 110V. Forget the 12V - you will not use it.
As for re-sealing the windows, I would talk to a local glass company. I have not done it. It is possible that the windows are not the problem. Other culprits could be the roof vent, the seam over the overhang where the roof transitions from flat aluminum to corrugated, the marker lights, the edge seals and the frame around the windows.
Other than the light duty springs and axle I have found the workmanship of the trailer to be excellent. I wish I could say the same for the work that the dealer did on pricey add-ons that my parents bought. The TV antenna, stereo system and awning installations were truly horrible.
Other stuff to look for:
- Soft floor around the toilet caused by leakage. Put your weight on one foot and press firmly around the toilet and gauge the "give".
- Dirty water tank. Run some water and see if it stinks. If they have not been drained and bleached properly algae can build up. This is not that big of a deal, but could be a negotiating point.
- Plugged black water tank. Look down the toilet hole. It should be clean. Remove the dump cap and open the valve and look for a plug. Again, this can be fixed, but is a bit of a nasty job.
- Bad dump valves. Run water into the holding tanks and see if they leak.
- Rusting back bumper. This bumper is not tube - it is bent sheet metal and looks a lot sturdier than it is. Look at the underside of it for rust and probe with a screwdriver. I had to replace mine last year. I do metalwork as a hobby, so it was a project that cost me $50 for materials, so no big deal. A shop would charge a lot more.
What size pickup would you be pulling it with? These trailers were designed for trucks that sat a lot lower than modern trucks, and it may be necessary to raise the entire trailer. I did this by replacing the drop axle with a straight one.
The geometry of sizing up a tow vehicle for a 5th wheel trailer can get interesting. My father had the pin box extended about a foot for his 2nd truck, otherwise it would not clear the cab properly when backing. If you have any doubts, talk to a hitch shop. A good hitch shop can make anything work, but it will cost you!
The bearings are not a big deal. The worst thing that can happen would be for the bearings to be dry and destroy the race on the axle. This would require replacement of the axle. The odds are that they are OK even if they have not been properly maintained. Bearings are cheap, and if I bought it I would replace them immediately. Stuff often goes bad with trailers, but if you can still move the things you are not stranded and can get home or to a shop for repair.