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Post by nmnest on Oct 9, 2017 7:48:45 GMT -5
I just bought a Wildernest and am using advice from this forum to restore it. I plan to replace the bulb seal, hinges, and latches. I am also going to repaint it and have one broken window replaced. As I find parts I will post part numbers and brand names etc. to help future restorers.I got lucky and found one with fiberglass poles and aluminum support poles. It has a couple tears which I will stitch and aquaseal. Here's to a fun project.
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Post by nmnest on Oct 15, 2017 20:33:39 GMT -5
I found exact replacement stainless steel hinges and some zinc plated, lockable, fold down camper latch & catch closures. The hinges are National Hardware 4" hinge part number V514RC stock number N225-953. The latches are JR Products part number 10825. I found both on Amazon. Hinges and latches were about $12 each.
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Post by nmnest on Oct 15, 2017 20:59:13 GMT -5
After removing the hardware and epoxying the support bars,I decided that I needed to sand the shell so that it would have a smooth exterior. The gel coat was cracked in many places and had bubbled up a little bit around some cracks. I used an 80 grit sanding sponge on the places that I could not get to with my orbital sander. I made sure that all clear coat was removed so that the primer would stick. I then washed the the sanding dust off with Dawn dish soap and water and rinsed it off, making sure that the exterior was clean, smooth, and ready for painting. Next I taped off all the windows and any area where paint might get onto the canvas. I plan on putting on the first coat of primer after epoxy cures.
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scojo
New Member
Posts: 27 
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Post by scojo on Oct 16, 2017 17:51:26 GMT -5
Paint it first, then replace the hinges and bulb seal.
Will save you hours taping around them.
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Post by nmnest on Oct 17, 2017 20:29:12 GMT -5
That's the plan, paint then put her back together. I just got the epoxy repairs to the fiberglass finished and they came out solid. Going to sand the epoxy smooth to match the lip where the bulb seal fits tomorrow. Then clean the fiberglass and prime Thursday. I should be ready to do the truck bed liner paint this weekend.
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Post by nmnest on Oct 29, 2017 21:41:00 GMT -5
I got the nest primed and put on the new bulb seal, hinges, and latches. I got a 25' long bulb seal from Amazon, 7/16" bulb, 1/2" leg length and 1/8" edge thickness, fits great. To mount the hinges I used stainless steel 10-24 x 1" flat top phillips head machine screws for the top and 10-24 x 2" screws for the bottom part of the hinges. Between the hinges and the nest I used 1/2" x 1/16" rubber washers to seal the holes. Inside the nest, to back up the screws I used washers and stainless locknuts. I had to leave the hinges loose at first to be able to get them to all line up. I then tightened them all up so that they were aligned correctly and the nest opens and closes perfectly.
For the latch keepers I used 3 different sizes of screws. I also had to drill all of the way through the nest so that I could run new bolts and nuts. I installed the latches with the nest open and had to have a helper inside holding the nuts. For the upper holes in the latches I used stainless steel 10-24 x 1-1/2"" pan-head machine screws, the lower holes were 10-24 x 3/4" screws. For the latch catches on the bottom of the nest I used 10-24 x 2" pan-head screws. All of the hardware once again has 1/2" x 1/16" rubber washers between them and the nest and was backed up with washers, lock nuts, and acorn cap nuts with lock-tite to avoid damaging canvas.
I am going to replace many of the screws holding the canvas to the fiberglass due to rust. I plan on putting the truck bed liner paint on with the hardware on to help seal around it. I am not sure of this is the best plan but it is what I am going to do. After painting I am going to stitch a few holes in the canvas using heavy duty nylon thread and then seal repairs with a product called Aqua-seal, a flexible rubberized adhesive.
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Post by nmnest on Nov 14, 2017 22:28:23 GMT -5
It's finished. The paint job came out great and the canvas is all stitched up and sealed. I cleaned it then sprayed it with waterproofing. Super happy with the outcome. My wife did not like the color of the interior so I painted it with high quality interior house paint, it took a little less than a quart. It is now mounted on my 2007 Frontier and looks great.
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Post by curran on Dec 4, 2017 15:56:31 GMT -5
Gonna post in before/after photos?
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Post by Brian on Dec 5, 2017 9:56:02 GMT -5
Would like to see your progress and final product also. If you feel like sharing you will help alot of us. I am looking at a 6.5 ft version for my GMC. How is fit on your rig? Did you have to do any extra work or seal tape to make it fit your Nissian? I worry about it fitting fairly well on my 2017 GMC 6.5 ft bed? Thoughts on fit for newer model truck beds?
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Post by nmnest on May 11, 2018 23:41:16 GMT -5
I would love to post the before during and after pics but I lost all of my pictures that I took while restoring it. I will post some of the after restore pics soon.
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