cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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
14yuTrk wrote:
I see your saying: If you have it a trucker helped get it there!
If I don't have, is it a trucker's fault? ๐Ÿ™‚
Only if you ordered it and the driver has not showed up........LOL
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
See what you guy's think about all of this, Use stock like these HERE Or find a set of headers to fit the old big block.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

14yuTrk
Explorer
Explorer
I see your saying: If you have it a trucker helped get it there!
If I don't have, is it a trucker's fault? ๐Ÿ™‚
It is better to remain silent... and be thought a fool... than open one's mouth... and remove all doubt

TreeSeeker
Explorer
Explorer
And now for a little diversion.

Retired Trucker's Camper

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
I will get some before and after photos of the house work also.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
This is where most of the exhaust manifolds would crack on the mopar big blocks, They was famous for this and most all of them cracked just like this.....It is at the number 3 Exhaust port.

Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
Now that the right side is off, I have to find a set of headers that will fit, I will start on the driver side in a few day's, I will be installing a new door and adding a new window in the house, Looking for that work to take two day's.

Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
OK All of the bolts are out of the Exhaust manifold and its off, I had to weld two of them to get them out, After welding a bolt head on they came out fairly easy, Here is some photos of the work, In the first photo you can see the two center bolts that the head was striped off.







Without Trucks,....America Stop's

falconbrother
Explorer II
Explorer II
Thanks guys. That's a great tip. Next time I break or round off a bolt I'm breaking out the mig welder.

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
I got my Oxygen and Acetylene tanks filled today, $47 for both tanks.
Now I can get something done.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

Dan86300zxt
Explorer
Explorer
falconbrother wrote:
So, you welded a bolt to the stripped bolt? I need to know this technique.. That's awesome.


*Its a very common method of extraction that I prefer to use. It works well for steel hardware(bolts/studs/nuts) fastened into Steel or Alum.

By using this method properly, I have all but eliminated having to drill out snapped bolts/studs. Even if they have broken below the surface of what they are fastened into, this method works best.

*Welding a nut on a stud that is stubborn does 2 things:
(I use a Lincoln mig welder with flux core wire(gasless) with a heat setting higher than normal welding for this process)
~It super heats the stud to free it from being one/corroded to what it is fastened to.
~when welded properly, it also gives a fresh piece of hardware to wrench on for extraction.

falconbrother
Explorer II
Explorer II
So, you welded a bolt to the stripped bolt? I need to know this technique.. That's awesome.

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
This is what the 3 fat studs look like, This is the 2ed bolt to the right in the photo above, The next two are the same and the wrench head is striped, All the rest is out, Just like the two center one's.

Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
Started on the manifolds this evening, All but two bolts came out ok, It is the two center fat studs that have been striped, I was going to weld a nut onto the striped stud so that I would have something that a wrench would fit, But this little 110 welder needs 5/64th welding rods and all I have is 5/16 rods, I will have to get some small rods that this little welder will burn and then I will try it again.

Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
Getting ready to order the septic tank, When I get it I will run all of the pluming and get the fresh water tank in, I will also need a set of tank probes, There is 4 for each tank, There is some of the monitor panels that come with the probes but there is a new kind of probes out now that is inclosed, There is no wire end sticking out for stuff to hang up on and give false readings on the panel, I would like to get the new style probes, I will see what I can come up with, For now I'm going to do some more painting on the exterior and build the cabinet for the sink and stove.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's