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Total Rebuild of a 1979 Dodge Class C

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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 RVโ€™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.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's
3,483 REPLIES 3,483

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
TreeSeeker wrote:
You may also be interested in this special vent design that doesn't use a fan.

360 Siphon

Be sure to look at the video (link at middle of page).

I have not used one of these but I am planning to replace my black tank vent with one.
Yes I have seen them and had planed on buying one, This is a great Lil invention.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
tonyandkaren wrote:
Trucker - consider another use for the fans. Tony made a axillary heater system for our class C using the engine coolant to heat the motorhome box as we drive. It's a fairly simple modification and works really well. He ran heater hose from the engine and used a heater core installed under one of the dinette seats with a 12 volt fan in series with a thermostat on the wall and a fan switch on the heater core so that it only runs when the core is hot. Check your fans to see if they work okay with your 12 volt system. We bought one from Radio Shack that didn't work right. The guys from Radio Shack said that it was because it required a lower starting voltage.
That sounds like a nice setup, I think I would worry to much about a break in the system and the water getting into the RV from the motor, If it was ran under the rv then maybe up through the floor might be ok Its raining and cold here so I just been sitting around thinking of different things some I may try and most I will not but there still fun to think about, It helps to keep the brain greased up and working smooth.:h
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

tonyandkaren
Explorer
Explorer
Trucker - consider another use for the fans. Tony made a axillary heater system for our class C using the engine coolant to heat the motorhome box as we drive. It's a fairly simple modification and works really well. He ran heater hose from the engine and used a heater core installed under one of the dinette seats with a 12 volt fan in series with a thermostat on the wall and a fan switch on the heater core so that it only runs when the core is hot. Check your fans to see if they work okay with your 12 volt system. We bought one from Radio Shack that didn't work right. The guys from Radio Shack said that it was because it required a lower starting voltage.
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4x4 Custom Class C on F450 chassis

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
4Eddielee wrote:
OldTrucker63 - I think you're wasting your time with the two computer fans. Just put 6mil plastic sheeting on the inside (after the insulation goes in) and under the paneling you're going to nail up to pretty-up the inside. By the way, I would figure where your cabinets will go and put "nailing" blocks in the framing to screw into after the paneling goes on. Luan paneling is a bit thin to hold any cabinets you'll want to install in that rig.

That sewer vent fan will corrode mighty fast from the sewer gas going thru it. Again, I think you're wasting your time. If you do go ahead with either of the fan ideas, make sure you leave plenty of access to them for repair or whatever... JM2cents.....eddielee
Yeah I would say your right, It sure is just something else to keep up, I think the plastic that I have is about 6 mil or close to it, I believe I will still try the PC fan in the Pipe because it would be just under the cap on the roof top easy fix if it go's bad and cost is $0 Just something I thought would be kinda cool.

Brain storm on a rainy day.......LOL
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

Biscuit1001
Explorer
Explorer
TreeSeeker wrote:
If the insulation is properly installed there should be no room for air circulation. Insulation's purpose is to prevent air circulation. Thus, if there is room for air circulation, then there will be heat loss. Using a fan would increase the heat loss tremendously.

And as 4Eddielee said, a plastic film should prevent moist air intrusion into the wall.


Agreed. That's the way it works in stick-built houses, so I'd assume the same principles would hold true for RVs. ๐Ÿ™‚

You may be interested in this fan specifically designed for the vent:

Stainless Steel Roof-Mounted Holding Tank Deodorizer Fan


Niiiiiice! Not too expensive, either.

TreeSeeker
Explorer
Explorer
You may also be interested in this special vent design that doesn't use a fan.

360 Siphon

Be sure to look at the video (link at middle of page).

I have not used one of these but I am planning to replace my black tank vent with one.

TreeSeeker
Explorer
Explorer
If the insulation is properly installed there should be no room for air circulation. Insulation's purpose is to prevent air circulation. Thus, if there is room for air circulation, then there will be heat loss. Using a fan would increase the heat loss tremendously.

And as 4Eddielee said, a plastic film should prevent moist air intrusion into the wall.

You may be interested in this fan specifically designed for the vent:

Stainless Steel Roof-Mounted Holding Tank Deodorizer Fan

4Eddielee
Explorer
Explorer
OldTrucker63 - I think you're wasting your time with the two computer fans. Just put 6mil plastic sheeting on the inside (after the insulation goes in) and under the paneling you're going to nail up to pretty-up the inside. By the way, I would figure where your cabinets will go and put "nailing" blocks in the framing to screw into after the paneling goes on. Luan paneling is a bit thin to hold any cabinets you'll want to install in that rig.

That sewer vent fan will corrode mighty fast from the sewer gas going thru it. Again, I think you're wasting your time. If you do go ahead with either of the fan ideas, make sure you leave plenty of access to them for repair or whatever... JM2cents.....eddielee

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
I also have a small but very powerful Lil fan that will be going into the pipe from the septic tank to outside with its own power switch for on/off power.:h
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
As John and Mczippie says, I will have to have an exhaust for the PC fans, They will still be nice Lil helpers right.:h
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
TyroneandGladys wrote:
oldtrucker63 wrote:
I have been thinking about installing two Computer fans inside the walls and wire them on there own switch, The fans will be right at the metal outside wall and can let a little air flow through the walls at the metal, This should help dry out any condensation that occurs on the metal, The way this metal is shaped air will flow behind the wall studs with no problem, There will be the Insulation and then a liner of plastic and then the wall paneling This will keep any heat/Cooling away from the metal and help keep condensation to a minimum.


Condensation Fact Sheet for Metal Buildings

http://www.insulation.org/metalbuilding/pages/design/CondensationFacts.html
This was a lot of info, Thanks this helps a lot man.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

McZippie
Explorer
Explorer
john b wrote:


It is a great idea to try to move air around to keep it dry But I believe it will be hard to move air with no relief opening to blow it out of or an intake to draw from as I believe it would just cavitate and not do much of anything. But I have been wrong before once or twice Ha ha ! good luck if it will work! Doing great job Trucker keep en coming we Like to follow as you are great entertainment and teacher too!Jb


I agree with John from experimenting with computer fans. Currently working on mounting two computer fans on my conversion van type slide windows. With the fantastic roof fan blowing out and the computer fans blowing in they move a massive amount of air. It's amazing the cooling effect the three fans have on hot days. Making a mounting frame out of starboard and they'll also have insect screening.

TyroneandGladys
Explorer
Explorer
oldtrucker63 wrote:
I have been thinking about installing two Computer fans inside the walls and wire them on there own switch, The fans will be right at the metal outside wall and can let a little air flow through the walls at the metal, This should help dry out any condensation that occurs on the metal, The way this metal is shaped air will flow behind the wall studs with no problem, There will be the Insulation and then a liner of plastic and then the wall paneling This will keep any heat/Cooling away from the metal and help keep condensation to a minimum.


Condensation Fact Sheet for Metal Buildings

http://www.insulation.org/metalbuilding/pages/design/CondensationFacts.html
Tyrone & Gladys
27' 1986 Coachmen

john_b1
Explorer
Explorer
oldtrucker63 wrote:
The PC cooling fans are 12 volts at 1.7 watts and they would move a lot of air, The fan will not have any access to inside or outside air they would only move what air is inside the wall.






It is a great idea to try to move air around to keep it dry But I believe it will be hard to move air with no relief opening to blow it out of or an intake to draw from as I believe it would just cavitate and not do much of anything. But I have been wrong before once or twice Ha ha ! good luck if it will work! Doing great job Trucker keep en coming we Like to follow as you are great entertainment and teacher too!Jb
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oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
The PC cooling fans are 12 volts at 1.7 watts and they would move a lot of air, The fan will not have any access to inside or outside air they would only move what air is inside the wall.



Without Trucks,....America Stop's