Renovated our Class C 1978 Dodge

Be aware that without a water and sewer system, it may in some (maybe most) states not be legally an RV for registration purposes. You can, of course, register it as a truck, but that often involves more money and things like registered weight limits and other hassles. This would not be heavy enough to require a CDL to drive if it is registered as a truck.

That being said, I think you've done a nice job. The workmanship looks good, and I hope it works out splendidly for you and you have lots of great times in it.

my440 wrote:
Great job! Like the light colored wood. Back in the 70's everything was dark.
Did you paint the outside of your rig black? I was going to do that but was not sure what it would look like.

I did paint it completely black! I will get an updated picture and post it. A lot of people think its going to be hot in side, but its not. It's actually 20degrees or lower than outside (mid-day during the heat.) Insulation works well (along with good airflow!)

does this mean NO bathroom, shower, water heater in the rig at all?

Thats right. I am sure many people think this is crazy (as some already mentioned its just a hauler) but it works for us already. We've been minimalist for a while so it fits our needs. We visit friends/campgrounds/rest stops enough to meet our needs when it comes to those things. Dishes are done with water we store on-board, and it does quite well.

One more thought -- in some of the photos of the demolition, it looks like there is some water staining of the plywood underfloor. Could that be indicative of a roof leak?

There was water damage and we did replace much of the subflooring. Also there was a number of holes on the outside we repaired, along with complete resealing of all exterior points.

You added a large amount of weight with your choice of materials. You need to get it weighed and then compare to the GVWR, tire ratings, and axle ratings.

It looks good but to me an RV with no bath/toilet facilities is simply a cargo hauler, not a livable RV.

I suppose livable is determined by the user. We've been minimalist for a long time, so just because it doesnt have those things doesnt make it not liveable. We've done composting toilets before with good success. I do appreciate the comment about checking the GVWR and ratings etc. However the amount of items we took out, vs how much we put in is quite a bit less. This RV housed a bathroom, fridge, water heater/heater, shower, double bunk beds, and more. I am positive we are under the weight that was in it previously. Still, I will check these out. Its going into the shop monday for a post-trip checkup!

Apprecaite the comments all!

We don't have a blog up yet, but its coming! :)

You added a large amount of weight with your choice of materials. You need to get it weighed and then compare to the GVWR, tire ratings, and axle ratings.

It looks good but to me an RV with no bath/toilet facilities is simply a cargo hauler, not a livable RV.

Cat Lady wrote:
“We opted to remove the bathroom, shower, heater and water heater units...” does this mean NO bathroom, shower, water heater in the rig at all?

This interests me the most!

Very cool minimalist rig! Those kids are lucky. They will also learn to be tough. Good luck, and keep us posted on your travels and adventures! Do you have a blog? If not, I can tell you that if I can keep a blog, anyone can. And a blog (kind of like a family photo album on steroids) helps preserve the memories that would otherwise fade and blur after many years.

One more thought -- in some of the photos of the demolition, it looks like there is some water staining of the plywood underfloor. Could that be indicative of a roof leak? (You probably already saw this and solved it!)

nice work on the inside, looks great

Great job! Like the light colored wood. Back in the 70's everything was dark.
Did you paint the outside of your rig black? I was going to do that but was not sure what it would look like.

“We opted to remove the bathroom, shower, heater and water heater units...” does this mean NO bathroom, shower, water heater in the rig at all?

Wow great job! You saved that thing.