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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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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
John H wrote:
As I stated we have one in our Sunnybrook 5th. One thing that earates me to the hilt on this otherwise great 5th, that you also might look into if that becomes your choise. Get one with the shower controles in the/that far corner. With the shower controls in one of the sides,well,,,,,just think, this eleminates a good porporation of movement along that one, of two walls. Where as in the front corner you have the two adjacent walls as, well, elbow/hip room. Some RV have come to reallize this. Your bottle and such storage, can be above the water outlets, or along the top sides walls, hole bottom plastic shelves or wire.
Take these dimementions from these corner shower basens, and using a chalk line (can be eraced easly) chalk them on the floor. You and then you wife step inside of this line to see the room for your selves how nice it is. Seperately now !!!

Correction: home construction does NOT put ceiling up first, RV interiors do !!! My cross thinking, sorry !

http://www.mobilemart.com/product.aspx?p=43061

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-pumps-water/rv-shower-pan.htm
I see what your saying, That would give a lot more moving around room. The wife seems to like the tub with a seat, Says this seat would be good for the kids.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
john b wrote:
oldtrucker63 wrote:
There is really a lot of room in here and That corner shower would be BIG and still have a lot of room in the bath area.:h


Many or most RV & many home Neoangle showers are around 34 inches if that helps.We have one in the house & Rv & both are 34 in.
Yeah that would work great and have a lot of room too.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
wareagle11949 wrote:
A pocket door is a door that slides into and out of a recess in a doorway wall.
OH yeah...OK..That will not work because I don't have room inside of the wall Pluming on that side and the wall not long enough on the other side, Thanks anyway.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

John_H
Explorer
Explorer
Michelin........
John H

TyroneandGladys
Explorer
Explorer
TyroneandGladys wrote:
Purchased 6 Yokohama Geolandar LT235/85R-16 load range E tires from Discount Tire and am very pleased


Goofed wrong discussion
Tyrone & Gladys
27' 1986 Coachmen

TyroneandGladys
Explorer
Explorer
Purchased 6 Yokohama Geolandar LT235/85R-16 load range E tires from Discount Tire and am very pleased
Tyrone & Gladys
27' 1986 Coachmen

John_H
Explorer
Explorer
As I stated we have one in our Sunnybrook 5th. One thing that earates me to the hilt on this otherwise great 5th, that you also might look into if that becomes your choise. Get one with the shower controles in the/that far corner. With the shower controls in one of the sides,well,,,,,just think, this eleminates a good porporation of movement along that one, of two walls. Where as in the front corner you have the two adjacent walls as, well, elbow/hip room. Some RV have come to reallize this. Your bottle and such storage, can be above the water outlets, or along the top sides walls, hole bottom plastic shelves or wire.
Take these dimementions from these corner shower basens, and using a chalk line (can be eraced easly) chalk them on the floor. You and then you wife step inside of this line to see the room for your selves how nice it is. Seperately now !!!

Correction: home construction does NOT put ceiling up first, RV interiors do !!! My cross thinking, sorry !

http://www.mobilemart.com/product.aspx?p=43061

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-pumps-water/rv-shower-pan.htm
John H

john_b1
Explorer
Explorer
oldtrucker63 wrote:
There is really a lot of room in here and That corner shower would be BIG and still have a lot of room in the bath area.:h


Many or most RV & many home Neoangle showers are around 34 inches if that helps.We have one in the house & Rv & both are 34 in.
2001 F 350 CC PSD 373 rear,auto
RBW X16 slider,Bedsaver,Prodigy,Fold A Cover,Pressure Pro!
2011 Crossroads Cruiser cf32mk Patriot edit. 5th wheel Fibreglass and all the goodies necessary,Dish,comfy loungers,and a nickel to spend,
Mr & Mrs and the PUP.

wareagle11949
Explorer
Explorer
A pocket door is a door that slides into and out of a recess in a doorway wall.

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
There is really a lot of room in here and That corner shower would be BIG and still have a lot of room in the bath area.:h
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
John H wrote:
4eddie...Has a very, very good point !!! A lot of these tubs and as I stated above these corner showers. Those guys putting them together do not put any inside bottom supports for the floor of these things, just a frame along the outside edges. So what I hear in these campground campfires talk fest. Is that these bottoms squeak, pop & crackle when getting in & around. Or at worst they finally give out & crack. Plastic can be used as a spring board only for so long. As Eddie stated look very close to the bottom, and consider adding some edge to center board framing. Don't know about foam, (????)
Thanks I will add lots of support under the Tub/Corner shower, Really don't know now ...Maybe the Tub But I really like the corner shower so we'll see what happens here.:h
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
lzasitko wrote:
4Eddielee wrote:
It has been my experience that RV's were never intended, by their original mfg's, to be rebuilt. In that rebuild I alluded to above, the cabinets were screwed in from the outside with hardened sheetmetal screws before the outside aluminum skin was put on.


When we took the dinette out there were screws through from the inside of a cubourd on one end and from the inside of the frig compartment, long screws. I was not reusing the dinette so if it got damaged I didn't care about. We also had to take the upper cabinet out from above it. Problem was that in addition to a couple screws on each end there were screws through the roof framing and to really make sure it wasn't going anywhere someone went mad with a stapler and put in 1 1/2" staples every inch or so in between the screws, talk about overkill!

Our upper cabinets were made from 1x1 wood framing and 1/8" luan on the outside. Bottom was basically the same only luan top and bottom and this is where they ran power for lights and speaker wires etc.

I used a little dremel with a cut off wheel to cut the screws off. Biggest issue was all the staples, I tried wire cutters but that was slow going and tried pulling them out with pliers but that make more of a mess so I cut them off with side cutters.

Now I am going to remake the upper cabinets but will use just screws from either end. If I take the frig out it is easy to get and the one end and the other is easy from inside the closet.

On the subject of tubs....

Our tub looks the same as your tub in the link and I find that it is too cramped but them I am a bigger guy so.... Make sure you try it before you buy it. As mentioned you could put in a neo-angle shower and it would not take up much more space..
I did like the looks of them corner showers, We may go that way,..Thanks.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
4Eddielee wrote:
If that tub is a regular RV tub, it's made of rather thin plastic. The traditional method of supporting plastic tubs in houses is to set them in mud (portland cement/sand mix). I opted, in my RV repairs, for ridged foam to keep the weight down and add structural spport to the tub base. I assume that the J-trap for the tub will be under the floor of the MH - if not, allow room for access to it. You'll also have to provide access to the back of the faucets for removal/repair (if you use RV plumbing).
I will check into this ridged foam it sounds like I need this, Thanks for the Plumbing tips too Everything helps.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
John H wrote:
OT, The local Lowes, Home Depot sells a 4' x 8' about 1/16" thick plastic sheet used to go on commercial bath room walls. It is smooth on one side pebble on the other, comes with a color coded button type of nail, and a color coded rounded edge slip joint pieces that both raw edges slid into for a seam. seam material could be made to look like a flat wood beam by applying a good grade of stick on vinyl.

Comes in white & off white. Could be buffed, if the shine was not liked. Would this be more available than an out of town $65 per sheet ?

Do not forget to add pieces of wood reinforcement on the rough-in raw wall attachment & penetrations. Shower head/ H&C faucets outlets, Shower curtain or slide solid side fastening supports (stud sideways), window curtain attachments, soap & tooth brush holders, towel holders, mirror vanity, 120 &12v. outlets, swing out Television supports, clothes hooks,wall lights, ceiling lights.

In my TT I hooked up a high wall mounted strong clip holding aragement for mop/broom/small vacuum/ etc. with a cut piece of the above plastic (24" x 24") on the wall below to this kept them from rubbing the wall paper off from swinging on the road. All of this to keep in one place and out of the way, but sure would have been nice if I could have screwed into some solid wood reinforcement back there in that hollow wall !!!

On complaint here at all of these RV sites at RV.net is "I can not find wood backing to screw this or that too". You have this golden opportunity to do just that.

Dirty cloth storage is a big ? on every one of my past RV. Some 5th use a clothes shute aragement. It takes up valuable space, Might give this some though.

Oh yes,,,When we bought our 5th the most importain thing we set out to look for, due to our past Rv experiance. Was a corner shower. If I would drop the soap,(small tubs) bending down to pick it up my rear hitting the wall would catapult me right threw the curtains into the space beyond. Kind of a ockward moment in a confind trailer. They,(corner showers) if designed right do not take that much more room for what you get.

One more thing, in house construction the ceiling goes in first. This allows for that top plate to have multpule rafter atachments as it goes across. Also to keep from cutting multi. holes in to ceiling materal, around the studs as they are attached to the raw rafters. The then wall materal buts to the ceiling materal with a trim to cover out appearance of even & uneven cracks. If that top plat runs parallel to joist, but not directly below. You would nail "cribs" between these two joist and nail top plate to these "cribs". This also allows the rooms wall to be place (arranged) just about anywhere within the outer permiter.
I will check the Home Depot before we get started on this Thanks for the info, I will give it a lot of thought before adding any materials to the frame work...Thanks.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
1995brave wrote:
Since you are re-doing the interior, why not make the bathroom door a pocket door?
????What is a pocket Door.:h
Without Trucks,....America Stop's