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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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

[Biscuit1001]

bdosborn wrote:

oldtrucker63 wrote:
Still have not made up my mind on just what I will be using on the floor Carpet or something else, I do have the floor tile for the bathroom

I did linoleum with a carpet runner, and I think its the best of both worlds. Linoleum for easy cleaning and a carpet runner so the floor isn't so cold. Sweep the Linoleum, shake out the carpet runner and you're clean.

Bruce

Yes! Pine needles are the worst to get out of carpets, I'm fighting that ongoing battle myself.

[Dakzuki]

oldtrucker63 wrote:
I have a new brain storm here, I was sitting out in the RV today and got to thinking although I was thinking with this worn out brain of mine, Anyway, I'm thinking of running the heat from the furness up the corner of the wall with a 2 1/2 inch PVC pipe and then running the heat out from the ceiling area with 4 outlets One in the bath area and one in the rear bunk area and one about middle ways and one in the overhead bunk, The place that the PVC pipe will run from the furness up to the ceiling will be boxed in so the PVC can not be seen, The way I see it This should work great, We will see.:h

Heat rises. You will have a warm area above and cold feet. IMO you need the heat to originate from below to get good circulation.

[john_b1]

hey trucker: I really believe that the 2 1/2 in PVC will not be able to deliver the volume you need .Most rvs use 4in flex or equivilent metal for most any run.They also run it thru cabinets etc to get it where they want.The newer units now a days run most through the flooring and A/C through the roof trusses.You need to keep the heat runs as low to the floor as you can so to keep from freezing your tootsies.IMHO Jb

[mikakuja]

Would it not be easier to put linoleum down from front to back then build the interior? Lino is cheap and easy to put down and will also protect the floor from any moisture brought in from outside or the shower area. The problem with tiles is that they tend to lift easily, especially with drastic temperature, moisture and weather changes (assuming you are refering to the 12"x12" stick on tiles).
Carpet over wood is not a good idea as it holds the moisture and will rot the floor quickly, just my opinion.

[Makin__Do]

I did linoleum with a carpet runner, and I think its the best of both worlds. Linoleum for easy cleaning and a carpet runner so the floor isn't so cold. Sweep the Linoleum, shake out the carpet runner and you're clean.


Maybe a better mouse trap.

[bdosborn]

oldtrucker63 wrote:
Still have not made up my mind on just what I will be using on the floor Carpet or something else, I do have the floor tile for the bathroom

I did linoleum with a carpet runner, and I think its the best of both worlds. Linoleum for easy cleaning and a carpet runner so the floor isn't so cold. Sweep the Linoleum, shake out the carpet runner and you're clean.

Bruce

[Makin__Do]

What make of furnace do you have? Most have at least 4 supply openings. You might check with a local HVAC supplier for 4" flexible insulated duct rather than use PVC.

Carpet or tile? My vote is for carpet. Much nicer to walk on when it's cold out, and it'll act like a little extra insulation. Just my .02 worth.

[TreeSeeker]

Gene in NE,

You mean like clothes dryer vent tubing. That is what our RV has.

Yes, similar. My MH has something like 3inch tubing. My dryer in the stick house has 4 inch.

[blackf3504dr]

oldtrucker63 wrote:
Still have not made up my mind on just what I will be using on the floor Carpet or something else, I do have the floor tile for the bathroom.

Personally I wouldn't put carpet in. It was always a pain to keep carpet clean and stain free when the kids were growing up, I'd go with something easy to sweep or vacuum the dirt and sand up and use a rug or two, much easier to care for (and I'm all about easy!).... But that's just me !

[lzasitko]

tenbear wrote:
Hot air rises so, having the outlets in the ceiling may not give you the best distribution of heat, but if that is the only way of getting the ducts to where you want the heat it may be the best approach. Most of the ducts in my rig are 4".

Have to agree with tenbear heat rises so it will heat from the top down which is poor. In our stick house the basement heat is all done from overhead and it sucks big time. Stays at least 10 deg cooler downstairs. What I have done that works not too bad is to hang a blanket at the bottom of the stairs to keep (or try to) the heat downstairs. Other reason for it is to help limit the cold draft when someone opens the front door. It does help and I suppose in a small enclosed space it should be no too bad. I am in the middle of re-running ducting from the furnace and go through the crawlspace under the downstairs floor so it will then blow air from floor level. (Yes they made a mistake when they built it and dug too deep so they put in a wood floor to bring it up where it was supposed to be, on the other hand it is making things a lot easier for me)

[Gene_in_NE]

TreeSeeker wrote:
Oldtrucker,..I am not sure I would want to use PVC due to possible outgassing. Why not just use standard flexible aluminum vent material?

You mean like clothes dryer vent tubing. That is what our RV has.

[TreeSeeker]

Oldtrucker,

Keep in mind that the furnace needs output vents that don't restrict the airflow too much. Both the cross section area and length of the vent contribute to the resistance to airflow. There should be some info on this in the furnace manual if you have it. If not, try the manufacturer if they still exist.

I am not sure I would want to use PVC due to possible outgassing. Why not just use standard flexible aluminum vent material?

[tenbear]

Hot air rises so, having the outlets in the ceiling may not give you the best distribution of heat, but if that is the only way of getting the ducts to where you want the heat it may be the best approach. Most of the ducts in my rig are 4".

[oldtrucker63]

I have a new brain storm here, I was sitting out in the RV today and got to thinking although I was thinking with this worn out brain of mine, Anyway, I'm thinking of running the heat from the furness up the corner of the wall with a 2 1/2 inch PVC pipe and then running the heat out from the ceiling area with 4 outlets One in the bath area and one in the rear bunk area and one about middle ways and one in the overhead bunk, The place that the PVC pipe will run from the furness up to the ceiling will be boxed in so the PVC can not be seen, The way I see it This should work great, We will see.:h

[oldtrucker63]

In the next few weeks I will be ordering the Bath tub and the septic tank, Until this stuff get here I will be installing some paneling on the walls and I will get the ceiling material put up and also the flooring finished up, Still have not made up my mind on just what I will be using on the floor Carpet or something else, I do have the floor tile for the bathroom and just about everything it takes to build the overhead cabinets so I can get that knock out too, I will have to buy a few things to build the lower cabinet for the sink and counter and the stove, I believe when I get the bath installed with the septic tank installed the rest should go really quick, so I should back to working just about every day by the last week of this month.