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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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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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oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
The Cook Top and cover came Friday, I might install it today.:h It has been raining all weekend around here, Just anything to hold me up here.:M



Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
mrfixit454 wrote:
I pull about 12 amps with a few lights, DVR and 27" TV. I have 4 6votls for about 440 amp hours. Granted this is not on all the time but I am at about 50% after 2 days. I have no solar and run the gen (Honda 3000) a few hours a day to recover. You might want to get an inverter/charger (3 or 4 stage) that has the 120 or so amp charger in case you can't recover enough from the solar panels. Oops, scratch that, I forgot you put in a new converter with decent charging. I am running the Trace/Xantrex RV2512. An older model though not true sine. I am curious to know how it will work so please report back to us, though I am betting you will need 4 6volts (or 12's) but not 3 6 volts, you will be unbalanced.

Fixit
I like the ideal of 6 volt battery's We just might go this rout, We would Love to get a nice Xantrex Inverter That would be so cool, About 2500 watt, Maybe some day.....:@
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
TreeSeeker wrote:
Remember that 1.5 amps at 120v is 15 amps at 12v. Thus to get 1.5 amps out of the inverter you must put 15 amps in. Actually, more than 15 amps since the inverter itself uses some power.
Hey good one here, I'm glad you posted this, This is something to think about, I hoping that a good Inverter and three T105 batterys will keep up with the fridge, I know I had a small fridge in a big rig and it ran for years and If I remember right it was a small 500 watt inverter, I think we will give it a try with a smaller inverter just to start, we will soon upgrade to a nice inverter.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

mrfixit454
Explorer
Explorer
I pull about 12 amps with a few lights, DVR and 27" TV. I have 4 6votls for about 440 amp hours. Granted this is not on all the time but I am at about 50% after 2 days. I have no solar and run the gen (Honda 3000) a few hours a day to recover. You might want to get an inverter/charger (3 or 4 stage) that has the 120 or so amp charger in case you can't recover enough from the solar panels. Oops, scratch that, I forgot you put in a new converter with decent charging. I am running the Trace/Xantrex RV2512. An older model though not true sine. I am curious to know how it will work so please report back to us, though I am betting you will need 4 6volts (or 12's) but not 3 6 volts, you will be unbalanced.

Fixit
2012 Lance 830 w/Tent Option
2006 2500 Dodge Ram Megacab, Cummins, Auto.

TreeSeeker
Explorer
Explorer
Remember that 1.5 amps at 120v is 15 amps at 12v. Thus to get 1.5 amps out of the inverter you must put 15 amps in. Actually, more than 15 amps since the inverter itself uses some power.

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
sundancer268 wrote:
I do not know if they make a true sine wave inverter that small and a lot of the new appliances do not like to run for very long or at all on a modified sine wave inverter which most of the 300 watt units are. The older reefers with the old mechanical controls would work, but the newer ones with the electronic circuit boards are more problematic. I would try it before you need it.


Yes I was just saying that it would run off of a 300 watt, We will be installing at least 1500 or 2000 sine wave inverter because we will also run the microwave off of it, Maybe a nice 3000 watt if I can find one at the right price.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
mrfixit454 wrote:
Have you tried to run it with a 300 watt inverter yet? Refers with inverters are hard on batteries. Suggestions for larger battery banks and solar are good ones. Will you mostly camp with hook ups, dry camp or mixed? Been enjoying following along with your project.

Fixit
Mixed but it will also have Solar and two or three T105 battery's
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
mikakuja wrote:
With all the stuff you are running on battery you might want to think about solar..
There will be a 130 watt solar panel on the roof for sure, Along with two or maybe even three T105 battery's
Everything should run nice, Even with a lot of dry camping.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

sundancer268
Explorer
Explorer
I do not know if they make a true sine wave inverter that small and a lot of the new appliances do not like to run for very long or at all on a modified sine wave inverter which most of the 300 watt units are. The older reefers with the old mechanical controls would work, but the newer ones with the electronic circuit boards are more problematic. I would try it before you need it.
U. S. Navy (RETIRED) 1993
1995 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser 34' Diesel Pusher Cummins B5.9 12 Valve Engine, Allison MD-3060 6 Speed Transmission.
TOAD: 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Elite
Road Master Sterling All-Terrain, Airforce One

mrfixit454
Explorer
Explorer
Have you tried to run it with a 300 watt inverter yet? Refers with inverters are hard on batteries. Suggestions for larger battery banks and solar are good ones. Will you mostly camp with hook ups, dry camp or mixed? Been enjoying following along with your project.

Fixit
2012 Lance 830 w/Tent Option
2006 2500 Dodge Ram Megacab, Cummins, Auto.

mikakuja
Explorer
Explorer
With all the stuff you are running on battery you might want to think about solar..

MMarieT
Explorer
Explorer
Excited for you.....a good start...this is going to be so nice...

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
I have started on the kitchen counter today, I only had 1 1/2 hours to work but we got it started.







Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
mrfixit454 wrote:
Only Electric fridge?
Yelp that's all we need, This one will run on a 300 watt inverter easy, It only takes 1.5 amps to run.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

mrfixit454
Explorer
Explorer
Only Electric fridge?
2012 Lance 830 w/Tent Option
2006 2500 Dodge Ram Megacab, Cummins, Auto.