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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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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
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TreeSeeker
Explorer
Explorer
dessicants...Putting a can in the closet and maybe even a few inside the wall panels. Thoughts?


Desiccants hold the water they absorb, unless or until they are heated. So when the wall gets hot the water will be released and it will condense on the inside wall when the wall gets cool. Not good.

The ideal is to have the wall insulated, sealed, and dry. We all know that water does occasionally get into the wall. The best solution then is to blow air through the wall and out.

TreeSeeker
Explorer
Explorer
A really nice idea would be to have a engine heated water heater and then use water heater water to run through a heat exchanger in the coach. Then you could use hot water to heat the coach even when the engine is not running. This way, for low heat requirements, you wouldn't have to use the furnace and run down the battery and listen to the loud blower.

And when the engine is running you get free hot water and coach heat.

vcallaway
Explorer
Explorer
You might want to check out a semi-truck wrecking yard. Newer trucks use diesel heaters in the sleepers, but the older ones use engine coolant. Getting one of those would save a lot of fabrication.

Since you guys brought it up I might just have to go scavenging myself.
1989 Honey Maxum

Starwolf
Explorer
Explorer
For certain voids you could use a desiccant to absorb some moisture. I save all of those little desiccant packs from pill bottles, and other packages, and throw them in an old coffee can. I keep the can in the bottom of my gun locker, and have never had rust or corrosion problems with my firearms. I am considering doing the same in my RV. Putting a can in the closet and maybe even a few inside the wall panels. Thoughts?

coloradohoosier
Explorer
Explorer
TyroneandGladys wrote:
A rear heater using engine coolant has been used for years and is still being used on school buses.


What is the best way to tap into your front heater core lines? I see some potential here for my moonshine runner as well as my RV!
I used to backpack.
I used to drive in, then sleep on the ground in a tent.
Now I have to climb all the way up on top of the cab!

TyroneandGladys
Explorer
Explorer
A rear heater using engine coolant has been used for years and is still being used on school buses.
Tyrone & Gladys
27' 1986 Coachmen

John_H
Explorer
Explorer
Awww come on now fess up, Tony !!!! You just wanted to see if you could really look way down in thir, to see that little shutter door open & close. Kind'a like the light in the frig. Then on second thought, why waste the shot !! " I'ammm watch you'all" !!! Next years Halloween e-mail, just in time for you 1st madin voyage:B:B
John H

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
Maybe that was just something in my Eye.......LOL
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
Really cool Craftsmanship Go's into the Tear drops.

Dont Cry!!! There just Tear Drops.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
Was drilling and got something right in the Eye........LOL

Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
I would say a heater in the front and rear is something nice to have. and yea John the hose is sure better than the past.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

John_H
Explorer
Explorer
If pre designed in thinking, a person could run the lines along the lower inside corner, and incase the rubber hoses in PVC un-glued piping, With a sloping drain towards the engine firewall opening. Access to clamps behind radiator would require extra length of line in pipe, allowing radiator to be pulled forward exposing back of clamps. A quality multi-ply radiator hose in todays world, is far better than in the past where it was a common site to see them split/busted.
John H

lzasitko
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.


I used an old heater core and fan out of an Austin Mini (small and compact) to heat the rear of a pickup (had a cap on it) and it worked really good. Our F150 Ford van had a rear heater under the rear seat and too works good. I thought about something similar in our MH. It has a rear heater in it now but thats at the very back. At some point the water heater had been changed (original had the heat while driving feature but the replacement water heater does not so the coil that would normally go in the water heater is just sitting under the counter, keeps the cupboard nice and warm, but would be a good place to add another heater. Heater hoses that run to the very back are run under the MH and the complete belly of the MH has 2-3" of sprayed on foam insulation so the lines are not exposed to the elements. Never had problems with those.

Our MH also has a small loop (again takes water from the engine) in the fresh water tank so as you are driving it will warm the water slightly and keep it from freezing. Once the engine is off it takes warm air from the furnace and it circulated around the water and waste tanks. We have used our MH until mid Nov here then it's too cold so it gets parked and I empty all the tanks before we get cold temperatures that will hang around for a while.

tonyandkaren
Explorer
Explorer
"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"

Ours is run under the RV. We had the same set up in our last motorhome for over 10 years without a problem but Tony did keep some extra hose , fittings and clamps around just in case. It's surprising how comfortable the heater keeps the entire motorhome while we're driving.

Have you decided on a floor plan yet?
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TreeSeeker
Explorer
Explorer
Some water heaters also use this technique. They use engine hot water to heat the water in the water tank while driving. Otherwise they use propane (and/or electric).