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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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

The rubber roof (Liquid) Came today, I'm not ready yet but it will be ready in a few more days.

[oldtrucker63]

1995brave wrote:
To learn about painting watch Spike TV on Saturday and Sunday mornings. They have the programs Trucks,etc. and the guys always talk about how to get professional paint jobs including clear coat.

I watch it every weekend.:C

[1995brave]

To learn about painting watch Spike TV on Saturday and Sunday mornings. They have the programs Trucks,etc. and the guys always talk about how to get professional paint jobs including clear coat.

[dog_walker]

This will be my first paint job.

Then you may want to reconsider the clear coat, and just stick with the base coat. Clear coating is prety tricky, and you wont see you're mistakes until its too late. 3-4 coats of base should do the trick and give you a thick enough base incase you have to fix any runs (once cured). Good luck,

Jeff

[oldtrucker63]

Thanks tboss, The spray gun I have is a HVLP Gun, From what I read this gun should do a great job, I just have to get the paint right, I'm planing to spray something to get the hang of the gun and get use to the settings on this gun, I think I can get this right, (We'll see) Any and all help is Appreciated and for sure needed, This will be my first paint job.:W

[tboss]

Driver check the can of primer sealer and make sure its not water based or made for laqure paint if not it should ba ok for the poly. paint,as for how many coats of base coat, you will prob. need two coats as you will have to apply it with light coats to eliminate sags ,,if you do get a sag juat sand it out and reapply,,thats wht makes basecoat -clear coat so nice as you can work it before you apply the c/c,,, when you apply the c/c go very easy as to how much or how thick you apply it or you will get sags and orange peel rememer c/c is just paint with out the color added the base coat is the color..read the inst. that came with the gun to see wht air pressure you shld use,,the lower the air press the less over spray you will have ,,is your gun a HVLP gun ((high volum low pressure )) this is the best gun to use if you are not familure with the paint process,,,if there are any spots on the coach that heve been subjected too grease or oil it MUST be cleaned off completely or it will destroy the paint job..after the sanding is all done you will have to clean the metal very good,,,if you have the time the best way to do this is to give her a good wash down with dawn dish washing liquid and add a little white vinager and follow with a good rense then use the air comp to blow off all the water you can and the let her dry in the sun for a couple days after she dries use the air gun to blow off all the dust you can and follow it up with a good wet wipe down ((ask the paint supplier as to what to use for the wet wipe down ))DONT use mineral spirits or laqure thinner as these will leave a film on the metal that will really show up under the paint,,then go over the area with a good tack cloth that you can buy from the paint store,,,man I sure wish you didnt live so far away from p-cola fl. as I wld be rite there in the big middle of all this to help you paint this baby..a good paint job will make or break the project...be sure to remove all the dents and dings that you can because they look bad now but when you apply the finish they will pop out like a black eye...bondo is the best prod. to use for this operation..be sure to post all da pics of the paint so we can see just how you are doing..remember prep prep prep and then some more prep...good luck MY FRIEND and you will need to do this before it gets to cold ((50 degrees and below))) PS see if you can find an old car door or fender or hood to pratice on but dont use the expensive paint ,,get you some oil based paint at Lowes to pratice with,,,, PSS dont paint her in the early evening try to get started abt noon so she will dry out good before the dew sits in,,dew will remove all the sheen from the c/c.. I know there is something I am forgetting but mu finger is tired now so I will shut up Terry

[oldtrucker63]

OK One think to remember, before you put you AC unit back up on the roof top be sure to clean the gasket seal off and Just clean the thing up a little, Its a hard job to do when standing on the roof....LOL.

[oldtrucker63]

One more thing,?? I have a can of primer/sealer I Don't remember the brand name right off, But its a good one, Can I spray this Primer/sealer and then wet sand this type of primer??:h

[oldtrucker63]

tboss wrote:
remember driver when you get started on the paint process dont shoot yourself in the foot by using to small of a compressor ,,you must maintain the cfm.((cubic feet per min.)) required by the cup gun you are using or the air pressure will drop off and you will screw up the finish with improper atomization of the paint and bare spots will drive you crazy,,read the instructions with the cup gun and it will tell you the correct cfm to maintain rememper you cant fudge here or the big screw up WILL come ,,,when you paint the primer on be sure to keep the paint wet but not to wet ,,I guess wht I am trying to say is dont paint it on dry or the finish coat will have dull spots in it but if youy put it on to thick the finish will have heavy orange peel spots,,I always go over the primer with a good scuff pad to remove the oversprey and then a good wipe down with a damp cloth to remove the dust (((dust will kill the finish))) You might want to put some fish eye eliminater in the finish coat to eleminate the little dust dippits that will appear in the finish ,,the store where you by the paint can explain this to you...I understand you are using basecoat-clearcoat paint which is a good idea as the base coat dries flat and it elliminates the runs and if you do have a run or a bobo they can be sanded out much easier than single coat ,,I have done a lot of spraying paint in my 69 yrs and the most important thing to remember is dont get in a hurry and prep prep prep is the word...

When using basecoat-clearcoat paint,?? How many coats of paint would you put on,?? Is it just one coat or two and then spray the clear coat?:h I have never sprayed anything outside of a spray can, I have seen it done a few times, The air compressor I have is a new craftsman upright its will do good.

[tboss]

remember driver when you get started on the paint process dont shoot yourself in the foot by using to small of a compressor ,,you must maintain the cfm.((cubic feet per min.)) required by the cup gun you are using or the air pressure will drop off and you will screw up the finish with improper atomization of the paint and bare spots will drive you crazy,,read the instructions with the cup gun and it will tell you the correct cfm to maintain rememper you cant fudge here or the big screw up WILL come ,,,when you paint the primer on be sure to keep the paint wet but not to wet ,,I guess wht I am trying to say is dont paint it on dry or the finish coat will have dull spots in it but if youy put it on to thick the finish will have heavy orange peel spots,,I always go over the primer with a good scuff pad to remove the oversprey and then a good wipe down with a damp cloth to remove the dust (((dust will kill the finish))) You might want to put some fish eye eliminater in the finish coat to eleminate the little dust dippits that will appear in the finish ,,the store where you by the paint can explain this to you...I understand you are using basecoat-clearcoat paint which is a good idea as the base coat dries flat and it elliminates the runs and if you do have a run or a bobo they can be sanded out much easier than single coat ,,I have done a lot of spraying paint in my 69 yrs and the most important thing to remember is dont get in a hurry and prep prep prep is the word...

[sundancer268]

I was told 3/4 to 1/2 the height of the new gasket when properly tightened. That is what I did when we replaced ours last year. So far no problems.

[oldtrucker63]

Anyone know just how tight should the AC unit be when being installed with a new gasket, I know if it is put in too tight it can damage the new seal.????:h

[oldtrucker63]

I ordered the liquid rubber roof Monday so it should be here by Friday anyway, So I have a lot of corner and edge work to get finished so hopefully I can get this roof on this weekend if the weather lets me do so.:R

[oldtrucker63]

Also sanded a little on the camper, This is going to be a lot of work, But its not going to be as bad of a job as I first thought, Sanding the RV part is a lot easer than I thought it would be, Not counting taking the stripes off, The dark brown stripes is a lot thiner than the one's that come off easy with the hair drier so these are going to be a B*tch to get off.

[oldtrucker63]

I have been sanding most all evening on this old beast, And I only have about 30 to 40 hours left of sanding, It will then be ready for primer, Then water sanding, And Then paint/Paint/Clear coat/Clear coat.