Fixing water damage on the old Dodge (pics)

[Spectramac]

I got started on my summer project the last couple days. I found this thing on Craig's list for $100 and drove it home. It's a 78 Dodge Monaco 23' with a 440. Here's what it looked like when I brought it home.





Ok, time to dive in!











Oh man, I can't believe the huge bag of rusty screws I have already! It's actually not as rotten as I was thinking it was going to be. Just in the corners, where the screws need to be. Still so much to remove....

[PapPappy]

ron.dittmer wrote:
>>>>>I started building a new rear cab corner piece. The old one was all black on the bottom so it needed to go<<<<<

If there is room, I would double up on that cab framing component. All cut-away chassis RVs these days have that piece in there, direct from the chassis manufacturer and it is strong thick steel. Glue two sheets of plywood together with a good outdoor wood glue, then cut them together as one piece of thick plywood.

If your plan is to never remove the center cab-over bed cushion for that easier pass-thru feature, then consider making a full vertical horse shoe frame encompassing the entire rear of the cab. Many people never use that pass-thru in the cab-over bed. Having a solid wood platform for the bed, and good vertical framing attached to it will assure a more solid frontal area for improved strength where it's needed most.

Just a thought. It's so easy to suggest things, but so difficult to apply them.

Like Ron suggested, you can make the opening between the cab and cabin, smaller....to beef up the structural strength. Sounds like a good idea. Of course, if you do decide to make the cab-over bunk smaller, you may not need to. YOu could make those pieces you have the template for, an additional 12" wide, into the space, though it will reduce your ability to recline your driver's seat......
It's always something.:S

Keep the pictures coming.....it's looking great.....well, you know what I mean:@

[ron_dittmer]

>>>>>I started building a new rear cab corner piece. The old one was all black on the bottom so it needed to go<<<<<

If there is room, I would double up on that cab framing component. All cut-away chassis RVs these days have that piece in there, direct from the chassis manufacturer and it is strong thick steel. Glue two sheets of plywood together with a good outdoor wood glue, then cut them together as one piece of thick plywood.

If your plan is to never remove the center cab-over bed cushion for that easier pass-thru feature, then consider making a full vertical horse shoe frame encompassing the entire rear of the cab. Many people never use that pass-thru in the cab-over bed. Having a solid wood platform for the bed, and good vertical framing attached to it will assure a more solid frontal area for improved strength where it's needed most.

Just a thought. It's so easy to suggest things, but so difficult to apply them.

[Spectramac]

Ok, the updates will be slow for a while, but I want to keep moving forward when I can. I have the left front corner all stripped of black wood.



I started building a new rear cab corner piece. The old one was all black on the bottom so it needed to go.



Wouldn't have wanted to have to make this piece without a template.



Got it cut out and matched a little better to the cab than the old one so I was happy for the night. 🙂

[Spectramac]

Actually now the plan is to make the bed a queen size. 😉 I took the night off to burn all the rotten wood I removed. Hope to get back to ripping stuff up tomorrow.

[ron_dittmer]

Rokk wrote:
Just think,
right now you are at a point where you have it all apart. now you can seriously consider coming up with your own design and seriously customize the place.

while doing so, you can make it aerodynamic as well. you have lots of room to play with this project.

being a carpenter myself, this looks fun to me.

Agreed!

I know what the demolition man said about maintaining the original bed size, but I still think a slightly smaller bed for much improved aero-dynamics, and less overhang for strength, is worth consideration. Maybe even overhang the bed inside a bit to help get back what was given up. Those long forward cantilevered overhanging beds all ask for trouble with water. One ride on a long washboard road and all those seams are messed up. Once that bed starts to resonate, it's all over.....the damage is done.

And be sure to crown that roof as you had previously mentioned.

Is thin fiberglass roll stock available for the roof and walls? You could make rounded roof-to-wall edges and roll the material off the roof, overlapping the sides to assure no water will ever get in, caulk or no caulk. That is how my RV roofing works. The thin fiberglass roofing rolls over a rounded corner, then overlaps the side walls for the perfect seal. A rain gutter is added over the seam to help in holding the roofing tight, and also to divert roof run-off away from the sides to prevent the water from streaking the fiberglass walls.

[Rokk]

Just think,
right now you are at a point where you have it all apart. now you can seriously consider coming up with your own design and seriously customize the place.

while doing so, you can make it aerodynamic as well. you have lots of room to play with this project.

being a carpenter myself, this looks fun to me.

[ron_dittmer]

I hope your floor troubles are over now. If you later have to get very serious with reconstructing the floor, then you may be starting from scratch. I commend your determination.

[eyeteeth]

When you're done, wanna stop by my place? :B

[Spectramac]

Here's a pic of the overhead framework (what's left of it anyway).



Well, I am now way further into this project than I ever wanted to be. I pulled most of the transition stuff that goes from the van to the wood body as most of it was either rotten or just coming apart from movement. I pulled the first full sheet of 1/2" plywood off the floor because it was rotted on the left and sagging on the right. Turns out they bolt the propane tank right to the floor and just let it hang there. I'm going to have to upgrade that. The 2x2s are warped down on the ends so I'll put in a couple 2x4s instead to make it a little stronger.



Then there's the left front corner (behind the driver's seat). This was the worst leak the RV had so it was rotted out pretty bad.



Here it is after some cutting and cleaning up. I may actually be able to put a couple new pieces of wood in there!

[Spectramac]

I'm a few miles out of town on an acre lot so the neighbors are around, just not super close. I talked to a couple of them Friday and they were amazed I'd try such a thing, but admit it was too good a deal to pass up. As for the last neighbor, (the one's who park there dead cars right on the property line and are always making noise) we don't talk much so I don't really care what they think. 😉

One guy asked if I was going to make a flatbed out of it? :B

[gkainz]

Great thread, good story and thanks for the pics! I just gotta wonder "what do the neighbors say?" only because I wonder that at my own house once in a while - usually at about this point in the project! 🙂 Not that I care what they say - I tell them "If anyone complains, I'm taking that as an offer to help!"

[Spectramac]

Yeah, that happened when I washed it. :B I have a guy looking for a new D. 😉

[PapPappy]

Spectramac wrote:
I hate to call it progress, but I got the overhead section off.

Note to self: Fix the "D" on the hood!:B

[Spectramac]

I hate to call it progress, but I got the overhead section off.

[Rokk]

WOW !

i been watching this progress. I have a similar,class C a 1976, chevy 30 El Dorado. while mine did not have water damage. yours s giving me ideas alot of work, but fun project i bet.

We live in ours full time and travel it. i hope to heck i never have to strip it down like you have done. the extent of our remodeling and updating is merely the inside. now looking at your project it gives me lots of ideas i want to do.

thanks for sharing.