Thanks for the post Dale.
Yep, I'm sure there is intrusion elsewhere. Looking at the photos of previous projects, I'm pretty sure I know where most of it would be. Good general idea is - Anywhere there is a penetration in the skin, is a potential leak point.
I have worked out a deal with my fabricator to use his shop. Part of what is important for me is to learn along the way. Each time I go through some repair and do it myself I feel like a; the work is done better and b; I learn some great lessons making the next project easier. My confidence level notches up, so this suits me and he's a hell of a talented guy that builds custom hitches and such, he's done several welding projects for me and they've all come out great. There's a forklift and extra hands down there so getting the slide out should be easy. Electricity and access to the shop compressor is idea. Being able to rip into my camper there makes sense for me. I will attempt the wing and skirt rebuilds myself. I do have some carpentry experience. Sure there may be more, but the patient is in critical condition so I will just fix that first. I'm hoping to stop the bleeding here. Eventually, I may end up doing a complete rebuild but not until I have a place to do that myself and a newer unit I can use in the meantime. I spend probably 150 nites per year in my camper so I cannot be without one and I just sold my 880, so that's where I'm at.
I have also worked out with a friend who has a a couple TCs to use his 2003 1161 while mines in the shop. His is sitting in a storage lot and being unused so I can't say how thankful I am for that offer. I will also go over his TC and give it some Dicor touchups and make sure he's sealed up for the winter. Not only will I have it there onsite as a mobile office / hotel room to stay in during the process but how cool is it to have pretty much the same camper to look at when i'm rebuilding one I've taken apart. So a big thank you to "Land Lubber" for the hookup on that.
I will be documenting and posting my progress here. Hope it can help others and maybe I can learn from people here during the process. Its a new project for me, so I'm excited and scared at the same time. Worst case, I will put her pieces onto a trailer and bring it somewhere like Southend for help but that is the last resort. I really want to take a crack at this myself, so it seems worth a good college try.
Right now I'm still in Vegas and the shop is in SF Bay area. So I will be taking the slow road there, via San Diego (for some work there) and then up to SF Bay. I estimate I will be able to get it into the shop by 12/15. I would like to have it working again by end of Jan. Things slow down at xmas time. Wish me luck and I will keep this thread open to document my progress. I depart Las Vegas on or around 12/2. I finished my contract out here but need to stick around and take care of a few things before I leave.
BTW - I did get ahold of Chet. Its been hard to communicate over email and we tried setting up a phone call but because he says he's deaf it makes that difficult. It seems the main complaint was the installation of the slide out seals backwards which funneled water into his camper and soaked the carpeted slide out, the floor below and his main floor. He said there were a few other things as well. I guess that's a fair thing to be upset about, I'll post more if and when I speak with him.
I also spoke with Mike over at Southend RV and asked about that. He admitted there have been mistakes in the past but everything is a learning experience and that they've fixed those issues. So.... I would contend if you really want a shop with experience in not just camper restoration but experience with our beloved 1161 side entry model, i haven't found it elsewhere.
If your looking for a basic idea of the budget needed for a complete restore. It starts at about $25k. Its not cheap, but if your looking at a total loss vs rebuilding it vs the cost of a new one or a used one, it should be on the list to consider. You'll certainly end up with a better product than Lance was able to engineer.
And YES - BTW Lance started using aluminum in 2008 but they said it took a few years till they really started making improvements so I would stick to 2012 or newer if your looking at the 1191 or 1181 models. And even then, I'm having some trust issues with Lance. Its not just them, they all have their issues. They want to get a product made as cheaply and light as possible. A problem 10 years out is certainly not a concern when the warranty is 1-2 years on structural.
I'll also end this post saying that if you research into slide outs and water damage, its pretty much universal between TT, TC, and MH alike. There's an opening there and water finds its way in and damage follows. My next TC and even TH will probably be slide out free. I like the extra space they provide, but I can live without it and especially the hassles involved with having them in the first place - plus all that extra weight. Sure they're sexy but to me the price isn't worth the cost.
Gypsy Jason
