Go/no go - convert a 1994 34' Thor w/Cummins to off-grid?

[MaroonStatic]

Hello friends,

I've found a great opportunity but feel it may be more than I can handle. Any advice, opinions on whether to undertake the project, or hints for where to save money & time are appreciated.

The vehicle: 34' Thor XL M34Q, no slides, Cummins 6.0 w/Allison gearbox and Spartan chassis. 100gal propane tank, lavender carpet, furnishings have visible molding. 49K miles and everything starts easily and runs.

The desired end state: off-grid / passive energy living space for 1-2 people & dog year round, to be completed anywhere within the 1-5 years of planned ownership. Some resale value would be nice, but I guess scrap/move equipment into a new shell would also be possible.

The tenant/renovator: military single, never owned an RV, loves working on classic cars but has no professional experience renovating or woodworking.

The plan: start with the roof, take off the dirty a/c s and remove molded/green growth on the roof, inspect for damaged under decking. Follow guidance at http://www.greenbuildermedia.com/green-rv-living/replacing-your-rv-roof-insist-on-formaldehyde-free-luan-and-no-voc-glue for the most part, shell out xxxx for solar panels, xxx for Usb wireless, maybe some extras for any other tech/lighting, and xxx for a/c's. Follow the steps here for the rest: http://www.motorhome.com/rv-how-to/rv-tech-tips/fiddlin-on-the-roof-motorhome-rubber-roof-replacement/

Small stuff to take care of here, new tires (all 6 have some degree of dry rot so ~$2K there), propane tank needs a new gauge /resurfacing / repainting / inspect (~$700).

Then (once expenses have recovered) move to the insulation. This will be a big deal for the goal of reducing heat/energy loss. I'm thinking spray-in foam (done professionally) will be necessary on sides and overhead, more to follow on the floor in the next section. Also will need to change to double-pane windows since this model has large & many windows. That's going to also be pricey.

I havent't event gotten started on the floor or appliances yet and I'm exhausted typing...could use some encouragement because this project just seems so huge. Big question is, is it worth it?

[Dale_Traveling]

Really, and I do mean really, big job. Peeling back the roof isn't too hard and there have been several owners that have done the job but sidewall insulation will be the cost killer. You can add the space age insulation but the windows will cancel out any benefit gained unless replaced with double pane glass. Plus many times the interior walls a glued or bonded in some manner to the framing. Difficult to determine if they could be removed without damage.

Do what ever is necessary to make the coach reliable and livable but don't go much further. You'll still have reoccurring maintenance even if the coach is showroom new so keep such in mind. Once you find the land you want for a final destination park the coach and install the needed solar equipment there but not on the coach. Then live in the coach while building something more permanent.

The elephant in the corner is putting everything into the coach with long range plans wrapped around it. One accident, catastrophic drive train failure, fire or such and the plan falls apart. Have plan B that doesn't include a state lottery.

[time2roll]

Just use the RV as is. Forget insulation. Roll south in the winter.
A few solar panels and extra batteries and you are good to go.
Only fix what is broken.

[booty51]

The more you dig into this project the more it is going to cost spend a little more on an rv that is in better shape rot, de lamination green stuff growing out of roof. Move on in my opinion. $$$$$ is flying out of your pocket. You will never recoup what you will sink in it.

[Geocritter]

I don't know how handy you are but my Holiday Ramblers 32gal propane tank was terribly rusty. I took it off and had it sandblasted and then I painted it in my backyard using a couple of rattle cans of gray paint. When I was done the tank looked brand new and it cost about $150-$200. BTW many propane venders confuse propane tanks with propane cylinders. Propane cylinders are regulated by DOT and must be periodically recertified. Propane tanks are built to ASME specs for permanent installation and not bound by the regs that the much thinner walled cylinders are bound by. Since my tank is at least 22 years old I keep a paper copy of the regs in my glove box so that I won't be hassled by an unknowledgeable propane dealer.

Steve

[MrWizard]

Get the Thor, use it ,drive it, don't do all the insulation conversion stuff, just add some batteries and solar panels

When you get your boondock property, build the OFF grid insulated solar and propane/wood energy home, then Sell the RV

[MaroonStatic]

Amazing responses for a first day of post, thanks to all. I'm considering the RV because of needing to move 3 times in the next year, and hey...why not hit the open road while I'm at it?!

I'll look into the A/C alternative and the link above.

[jeomelia]

The amount of work you are undetaking you may want to look at http://www.skoolie.net/forums/ for ideas that might apply to your project

[KD4UPL]

Are you going to drive this thing around when you're done. If you're going to park it and live in it then it would be far easier and cheaper to build a small energy efficient home from scratch.
If you want to drive it around I guess that's you're call. Keep in mind you'll basically recover none of the money you put into it if you ever try to sell it.

[John_Joey]

If you plan on moving around in it, then maybe. If you plan on sitting in one spot then no.

It is a large undertaking, but it sounds like you have a level head. Just remember: "how do you eat an elephant? one bite at a time."

[Gjac]

It really depends on how much you pay for it to begin with and what you know you have to fix. Nada value is $8500. If you pay more than that unless it is in excellent shape it probably won't be worth it. I would not buy one with no slide. If you can find one less than Nada pricing be prepared to invest another $5000 to get it the way you want it and to fix all the known and unknown things unless the PO has keep up with every thing and it is in excellent shape. In either case if you do most of the work yourself it will be worth it to you. You will learn about the MH, find out if the lifestyle is for you, and if not, sell it 5 years from now without losing half the value of the MH if you bought it new.

[DrewE]

I don't know if anybody can answer whether or not it's worth it besides you. From a purely financial standpoint, you will undoubtedly put more money into it than you would ever get back selling it, but that's not really your goal.

You mentioned mold on the inside; this suggests that there may have been water leaks into the framework. Depending on the construction methods, this could mean anything from extensive remediation work to a complete rebuild. Particularly if it has a wood frame, it's likely that there is rot to the structural members. Check that very carefully before starting off. I would avoid a unit with any significant degree of water damage.

$700 sounds high to me for the propane tank work, but I'm not really up on the going rate for such things. Once inspected, you certainly could repaint it yourself; that's just standard metal refinishing.

You will need a lot of solar power and battery storage (and a good sized inverter) to reasonably run an air conditioner off of solar power. RV rooftop air conditioners are none too energy efficient, either; a good modern mini-split system could cut the energy use by a third for equal cooling, and even a decent household window air conditioner would also be a significant improvement.

Frankly, if you don't need to move around, I think there are other things that would be a more useful starting point for your project. A mobile home or a largeish kit shed come to mind as possibilities. If you need to be mobile or somewhat mobile, then obviously those wouldn't work so well.

[mikebreeze]

Time and money are the main factors in fixing up an old RV. If you have enough of each, it is worth while to pursue. If you factor in the cost of the unit as well as the cost of all planned improvements as well as your labor and it comes out to more than an equivalent new unit, then you have a decision to make. Then again, the satisfaction of fixing up an older unit the way that you want it is priceless.