Total Rebuild of a 1979 Dodge Class C

[oldtrucker63]

I would say some of you have seen the start of this build that my brother bgriffey had posted, Well I have now bought the RV from him and plan to post the pixs of the build I have found a lot of rot in this RV I have torn out everything on the inside and have the rear opened up and the skin off the lower driver side, I will be buying a camera for my wife for christmas and im sure she will take the pixs if I can learn HOW to post them on here, Please remember its winter here in Kentucky so it will be slow but we will keep the pixs coming, Like I said this will be a total build from floor to walls and roof and custom inside build so I would appreciate all the help I can get this will be my first build and I will be learning as I go so any info will help. THANKS......Tony Griffey.

A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model. If you are retired and use your RV to travel then why not save the money for your travels rather than on spending a large chunk of money on a brand new travelling vacation home. When you decide to have an RV remodel done you can have your old model completely gutted and rebuilt to look just like a newer RV and when the work is done you will not even recognize your old mobile home. Going about having a new RV to travel in this way can save you thousands of dollars and you will not have to worry about the payments on a brand new RV home. Many retired people are travelling this way nowadays so they can travel the country and be comfortable while doing it, and there are many others that own these vehicles that they will take on summer family camping trips. The RV’s that are made today are unbelievable and have all of the luxuries of home at a fraction of the size, these make it great fir families and retired folks to travel comfortably, and having an RV remodel done you can make your old RV look just like a brand new one.

Statistics show that the amount of registered RV homes on the road is growing steadily every year, and much of this is due to the baby boomer generation retiring and wanting to travel the country in comfort and style. Having an RV remodel can make your RV brand new. Some things you may want to consider is having all new beds and appliances put in. Since RV appliances are smaller than your normal home kitchen appliances they are much cheaper, and a complete RV remodel will probably cost you anywhere from $5,000 to $12,000, depending on how many changes are being done. The latter price could even be a little more if you are having your RV completely gutted and redesigned. It will still save you a lot of money over purchasing a new RV home. Another thing to consider during your RV remodel is if you plan on just remodeling the inside or if you want to have the exterior redone as well, and if this is the case the project will cost more money but will still be cheaper than buying a new RV. Most of these vacationing and traveling vehicles have a type of siding on them, and the more modern ones are sometimes made of more durable fibreglasses and plastics, these materials are very nice since you do not ever have to worry about rusting.

If you plan on getting a loan out for this remodeling job then you will first want to get various estimates, much like a home remodeling project. Once you get all the estimates you want you can then apply for the amount of money through your financial institution or credit union. The amount of money you need should not be hard for you to get approved for, especially if you have good credit. If you are a retired individual you most likely can take the money out of your pension or 401 funds, and this would be your best bet due to interest rates. Usually the place where you originally bought the RV can do the remodel for you as well, and if they cannot they can usually refer you to someone who can do the job for you. With the popularity of these vehicles constantly growing there are also many new dealerships and shops that specialize in these vacation vehicles. Having a comfortable vehicle to travel year round in or to just vacation in yearly is a great asset and can also be a great stress reliever. It is also a very popular vehicle for families to use on family camping trips, and the nice thing is that if the kids want to rough it while camping they can just sent their tents up right outside the RV.

[oldtrucker63]

John H wrote:
A short jant threw the web and found this on the wood truss rafters.

http://www.crossroadsrv.com/hampton/construction.pdf

I would like to find out more on this roof truss, Looks great.

[John_H]

Well I wouldn't jump on to this, looking back over your shoulder, so quickly Trucker. Aluminum is pretty expensive, takes a little bit of specialize equipment to work with, experience doesn't hurt, and a good suppler of all sizes and shapes. You put out a request quite a few days/pages ago on here asking if any one knew about this type of rolled construction and at that time, I don't think anyone had a photo like Mont G&J had to show you or anyone, at that time. (would'ch know it !!!) Truss roofs in Rv have been around for some time. mainly built in wood. In housed, briges & buildings a whole lot longer. They have remarkable amount of strength.

I remember reading where you selected for your jobs rebuild to follow Bobs photos & proven example of his rafter. I keep coming over here to see what you have planed & done with your progress. Remember this is your first one, something that you said back on page 1 or 2. So its a putting this Rv back together piece by piece and it is a learning progress, all of this at the same time. Not going to be perfect, there are things all a long that you wish that you had done different, right up to the day you are passing it a long to some one else.

You still got a lot of unfamiliar corners to go around. So, IMO, when you venturing on to something that does not go together right, or you get that felling something is wrong. Don't force the issue, putting a square peg into a round hole, Stop and back up, give your self time to re-examine, give it a good "look-see". Better ideas are hard to get threw under stress.

[skimask]

oldtrucker63 wrote:
I would say the lawn mower motor with say a 2500 watt inverter should run the microwave and TV coffee pot all at the same time and the genny will just run the AC and water heater at the same time, At least thats what I'm hoping for I think a 5500 watt genny should run the AC and water heater at the same time anyway

A few things to keep in mind...(babble to add to the thoughts?)
Using raw "official" numbers, 746 watts = 1 hp, all other things being equal (not including losses like friction and other inefficiencies).
When generating juice, I usually count on about 500 watts per HP, that way I always come out ahead, and still have about a 75% margin to play with. Incidentally, I figure on 1000 watts per HP if I'm trying to drive an electric motor. Hasn't failed me yet.
So, in rough terms, 2500 watts will take at least a 5 HP motor.
Also, if you plan on loading down that 2500 watt inverter to it's max rating, you'll have to make about 200+ amps at 12v (~175 @ 14v). That's some pretty thick battery cable to be dealing with there. And to top it all off, you'll probably want to check the torque curve on the engine you plan on using if you can find it and try to keep the engine rpm just below the torque peak. If you're going to drive an alternator with it, it would kinda neat to have a servo actuated throttle of some sort that would respond to the load (as determined by the output voltage of the alternator) that way the engine doesn't end up screaming away when the load is shut off or conversely fall on its face when you turn on the load (heck if it's electric start, could charge itself on and off).
Another thought...I don't know about saving a lot of gas by running a smaller motor over a larger generator type. Those generator engines are usually jetted and designed to run pretty efficiently vs. a lawn mower engine which is usually jetted and designed to run at maximum output all the time regardless of fuel consumption.
(babbling over)...
JDG

[oldtrucker63]

I Know I like the metal truss work And wish I would have done my old RV like this But its to late now the wood is up and ready, Man talk about a lot less weight. Maybe next time............OH Yea.:S

[John_H]

A short jant threw the web and found this on the wood truss rafters.

http://www.crossroadsrv.com/hampton/construction.pdf

[Mont_G_J]

John H wrote:

Oh and one more question, could you find out if in that mock up model they seem to apply some type of complete seal all around into the rough opening of that window. Do they do that to their real units ????

John,
Wish I could be of help, but I saw and took a picture of that cut-a-way at the Cedar Creek dealer in Corpus Christi, TX, and today I'm setting here in Montana.

Another view, but not much better. Jack

[oldtrucker63]

bryan.h wrote:

oldtrucker63 wrote:
This welder will be used to Extend the rear frame and bumper, There will be room for a box container for the Generator and one for a lawn mower engine to drive a alternator that will be hooked to an Inverter a and to charge the house and start batteries.

Something like this...Click Here.

That is nice, I am sure adding a small lawn mower engine will save tons of gas as opposed to the genny charging option.

I looked at the roofing you plan on using and it looks very easy to install. How close are you to getting it on?

As for the welder, it looks great. I think you would have been finished with the MH project if you didn't pay such close attention to all the small details of every project you take on. I am sure you will have a great welder very soon.

How much weight do you think the additional frame parts you plan to weld on will set you back. I know in my MH I only have about 1500 lbs of load capacity total so I would not want to add framing if I didn't have too.

Keep the pics posted I am sure as soon as you finish the roof the rest of the MH will come together nice and easy.

I think there will more than just the saving gas to the lawn mower option, It will also take a big load off the genny when using the AC and maybe the microwave at one time and I'm also adding a gas and electric water heater so when dry camping and running the AC it can also heat the water too and save the LP gas at the same time, I would say the lawn mower motor with say a 2500 watt inverter should run the microwave and TV coffee pot all at the same time and the genny will just run the AC and water heater at the same time, At least thats what I'm hoping for I think a 5500 watt genny should run the AC and water heater at the same time anyway, As with the roof, Well its Untelling when I will get the rubber on I was hoping soon But I need to paint the old dodge Before I put that rubber on to keep from having to mask it off so to keep paint off it, And to get the paint done there is a lot of houres of prep so that the paint will look professional, I do not have a lot of experience painting but I'm sure I can get the look that I'm trying to achieve' One thing for sure time is on my side, I would love to hurry and Get-R-Done But then ya tend to miss things and mess up and have to go back to refinish what you already refinished and I hate that, So I'm going to take my time and just do what I can and get it right, Thats the thing of this project anyway Is to Achieve a very professional look, I know for sure the inside will have it because that I know I'm good at, I just have to get the same on the outside too, The Extra weight on the rear should not be more than 200 lbs Not counting the weight of the lawn mower Engine one extra battery or the generator so what about 500 to 600 lbs or less.:h

[oldtrucker63]

Yea I wish I would have known about this or Thought about it, I bet that aluminum truss is really light in weight or even a metal truss like the frame that is around mine, I could have lost a lot of weight by going this rout.

[John_H]

Thanks Mont G&J I have always wondered how different manuf. did this. Took a 2 hour tour threw Sunnybrook in Indiana once, before buying ours but at that time this particular constructions was not on my mind. They were one of the very first if not the first to have complete aluminum framing, truss rafter, studs, joist.

I personally like the use of truss construction for roof support, strength, more insulation, room for wiring, accessibility if panels are put into a one side slip, other side screw configuration, a easier way with out gaining weight % wise for a peak roof construction.

On a note of your Ceder Creek cut-away, note the set back of the bottom cord/s butt cuts of the truss. Because the bottom cords do not lie direct on the square top plate of the wall. The load of the truss//roof to wall is transferred by the use of a angle, this is how they have designed the very narrow vertical space at that outside edge that allows the roll of the metal up & fasten to the roof surface. WITHOUT any below framing to protrude threw. But that would also put one ---- load on the fasteners,,, that would make the connection between the truss/s and the angle and the angle & to the square top plate. I think screws would be out here, bolts would be to time consuming, thus rivets.

In a jig, placing each & every truss in the same location, distance apart & end to end, aligning up the end angle ever time the same place/way. All fasten to gether to coming together to lift in one piece to the roof, Then with the open side of the angle looking up a set of workers walking along on a raised platform, one drilling one applying the rivets just behind him. Notice how close & how wide the bridging is to the butt cut ends of the truss, allowing the weight transfer and rigidly at this critical joint of the truss assembly.

Oh and one more question, could you find out if in that mock up model they seem to apply some type of complete seal all around into the rough opening of that window. Do they do that to their real units ????

[bryan_h]

oldtrucker63 wrote:
This welder will be used to Extend the rear frame and bumper, There will be room for a box container for the Generator and one for a lawn mower engine to drive a alternator that will be hooked to an Inverter a and to charge the house and start batteries.

Something like this...Click Here.

That is nice, I am sure adding a small lawn mower engine will save tons of gas as opposed to the genny charging option.

I looked at the roofing you plan on using and it looks very easy to install. How close are you to getting it on?

As for the welder, it looks great. I think you would have been finished with the MH project if you didn't pay such close attention to all the small details of every project you take on. I am sure you will have a great welder very soon.

How much weight do you think the additional frame parts you plan to weld on will set you back. I know in my MH I only have about 1500 lbs of load capacity total so I would not want to add framing if I didn't have too.

Keep the pics posted I am sure as soon as you finish the roof the rest of the MH will come together nice and easy.

[Mont_G_J]

oldtrucker63 wrote:
Wonder what kind of material they use at the curved corner.???

Sheet metal, I'd guess about .040" thick. The rubber roof was streched over the metal and I was able to slide my finger between the rubber and sheet metal (not gluded). Jack

[oldtrucker63]

Wonder what kind of material they use at the curved corner.???

[Mont_G_J]

OldTrucker,
For what it's worth, here's a cut-a-way picture of how Cedar Creek makes the transition from the side to the top. Jack

[oldtrucker63]

This welder will be used to Extend the rear frame and bumper, There will be room for a box container for the Generator and one for a lawn mower engine to drive a alternator that will be hooked to an Inverter a and to charge the house and start batteries.

Something like this...Click Here.

[oldtrucker63]

Now that is starting to look like a good Old Welder.