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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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]

Now if I can just find a little time to get this started, Going to try and start this weekend.:@

[oldtrucker63]

Got the fiberglass to start this job and maybe its enough to finish this edge repair job, I think this 3M Fiberglass Resin and cloth will work great for this job.

[John_H]

http://www.shopmaninc.com/pigments.html ~~~~Don't forget you can tent the liquid

http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/ ~~~~Interesting conversation

http://www.dpdillon.com/cozy/tipstechniques/howtolayup/index.html~~~~~a tutorial

http://www.naxja.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-72262.html ~~~~another intresting conversation

[oldtrucker63]

Hey thanks That U-Tube is a great site, The one with the boat bottom This should be easy, The sanding and rounding off will be the work to this but all of the edges will look great.....Thanks.

[TreeSeeker]

http://www.carstereo.com/help/Articles.cfm?id=62

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Klikj-MTA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCivvXA2FVU&NR=1 ~~~~this has eight parts on how to make a mold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGBVzrwN26o&feature=fvw ~~~~making a mold using you factory rubber.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YUMerfaFGI&feature=related ~~~same here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aexxZdv780o&feature=related ~~~~although a different project the same applies sever eppisotes.

[tboss]

it wld be nice if Johns post was clickys,,,

[John_H]

http://www.carstereo.com/help/Articles.cfm?id=62

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Klikj-MTA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCivvXA2FVU&NR=1 ~~~~this has eight parts on how to make a mold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGBVzrwN26o&feature=fvw ~~~~making a mold using you factory rubber.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YUMerfaFGI&feature=related ~~~same here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aexxZdv780o&feature=related ~~~~although a different project the same applies sever eppisotes.

[oldtrucker63]

Maybe you can see the left corner is wrapped with the metal and I still need to do the right side with the metal and then go over all of this with fiberglass and when sanded it should be really smooth.

[oldtrucker63]

The fibergladd will be forming the corner edges from top to sides and down the rear corners and around the overhead bunk area of the corners.

[oldtrucker63]

Any info on Fiberglass would be helpful, I need to get the edges fiberglassed and sanded so I can get this rubber roof put on, Thanks

[oldtrucker63]

My Wife said I should refinish the Air Compressor and just keep it as a on the go compressor.......LOL...Maybe.:h

[oldtrucker63]

I payed $100 for the Honda 5.5 HP Air compressor and thought the air did not even work so I was paying for the Honda motor, Got home started it up and the compressor works good it just need the copper airline fixed.

[oldtrucker63]

It will be easy to rebuild this thing onto a platform with the alternator and air compressor and run the wiring inside to the Inverter.

[oldtrucker63]

Here you can see the copper airline has been bent over to the side at the top of the air compressor and its cracked, All it needs is this line fixed and a new air gauge and I have two new gauges so just add one to this thing and get it cleaned up and maybe a little paint and it will look great again.

[oldtrucker63]

I found a good deal on a motor for my Alternator/Inverter/charger/AC Power source and should run the air compressor too so I can have air tools on board the rv and this could also be used to fill the 150lbs air tank for the air bags too. Anyway I found the 5.5 HP Honda wheelbarrow air compressor it looks a little ruff but I know the man that had this since it was new and the motor has not been run much at all Its just sit around collecting dirt, The motor had not been started in over 6 months and it fired up on the 2ed pull and runs great, He said the air compressor had quit pumping air, I found that the copper line is half broken and the compressor works just fine It just needs the line fixed So I will just add the alternator and a belt tensioner and it should run the compressor and the alternator with no problem.