1963 Yellowstone Renovation & Restoration Part 1

I’m going to break this post up in few parts because there are so many photos and information to share. So this is part one. Before we get into the details I had someone ask me why I call this a renovation and a restoration? I feel like the work that has been done to it puts it in a space in between both renovation and restoration. While it’s not a ground up restoration it’s also not just a renovation either where you freshen it up with new flooring and paint. In any case, this trailer had work to restore, renovate and maintain it. How about that? That sounds good to me.

So anyway, the Yellowstone spent some time at VTR (Vintage Trailer Restoration) getting some work done this past fall/winter. What started out as just wanting a new piece of aluminum skin on the lower front and new roof turned into a full-on re-skin and various other work! How that happened, I’m really not sure but I’m glad it did. I mean you might as well fix what all needs fixing if you have it at a shop. I’ll show you below in the photos what all was done and share some details. Ron and Dominic at Vintage Trailer Restoration in Michigan did a great job! If you send a trailer to them, let them know you found them through Little Vintage Trailer.

OK, so the first order of business was to replace the lower front panel as you can see in the “before” photo below that it was damaged. I could of covered it with diamond plate but I didn’t think it would look good on particular trailer. Diamond plate looks good on some trailers while on others it just doesn’t. I also wanted the roof skin replaced as it was looking pretty tired and someone slathered it with sealer repeatedly over the years (I am thanking them now for that though and when you get to the photo showing the roof without the skin on it, you’ll understand why).

It’s not that this trailer was in bad shape to begin with. Actually, to the contrary. It was in quite good shape but just needed some things fixed and freshened up. There were some little things too like the awning rail was not functional as it was so pinched in areas you couldn’t slide a awning on there. The door lock needed new keys, the storage hatch was bent and just a list of smaller things like that. This trailer was used in it’s original condition in a photo shoot for the New York Times.

“Before”

New York Times photo – photo below taken by Tony Cenicola. Notice that roof vent cover on the top? That thing was quite substantial and stuck up about 5-6 inches. It’s gone now. Yep, no more roof vent at all. I asked them to remove it but to leave the vent on the interior intact. I don’t miss having a roof vent at all. One less place to worry about leaking in the future.

Here you can see where the front skin needed to be replaced. Also one of my windows you see here needed repaired.

Once I started chatting with the guys about what all I wanted done to it the more sense it made to just replace all of the skin. The plan was if they found any damage to any wood that would be repaired as well. Surprisingly, for a trailer this age it had very little signs of wood damage. Yellowstone’s were really well made. The guys at VTR and anyone else who came in the shop and saw this trailer while it was naked was amazed at how good of shape it was in. The wood even had that fresh wood smell to it.

This was the worse spot and this was all replaced.

Good as new.

The framing around the rear window was also replaced. Not bad for a 53 year old trailer!

Rear framing around the window getting replaced.

This is the original roof without the skin. Thank you to whomever slathered it with sealer year after year. I know it’s unusual to say that but look at this roof and the framing? It’s darn near perfect! Everyone was amazed at how good of shape it was in. I store my trailers under a carport when they aren’t being used but in this trailer’s previous life it sat outside exposed to the elements. Again, I really think that overall Yellowstone’s are a brand that were well made. Granted, I’m sure there are some units out there that are a rotted mess because they weren’t maintained but overall I think these are great, solid trailers. Oh and as you can see by that hole in the roof, they took the roof vent out. Completely. Poof. It’s gone. I asked them to do that but to keep the interior vent intact. The interior vent is this round vent of sorts that I’m not really even sure would of created good airflow to begin with. My thoughts are the less openings you have, the less places you have to worry about leaking. There are enough windows in this trailer on the front, sides and rear to create enough cross breeze and airflow. So now the roof is vent free.

So that’s where we leave off and in part two I’ll share with you all the rest of the work including the the skin installation, new spare tire rack, interior work and new paint.