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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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

[EMD360]

Getting close to doing more camping than posting? You definitely should have a great time with the family out camping in that beauty. SO much fun to get out in the RV and worth every tarp and snow storm you've been through getting it to this stage. At least for us! 🙂 Thanks for a GREAT story to follow the past couple of years...

[Replant]

oldtrucker63 wrote:
She is washed and ready for our first trip out, Leaving tonight for the lake, I still have a lot of body work and trim to finish but she looks good for a old 79.:B

Don't forget the G36 and report back when you get home.:B

[NHclassC]

Enjoy that trip. You earned it.

[oldtrucker63]

She is washed and ready for our first trip out, Leaving tonight for the lake, I still have a lot of body work and trim to finish but she looks good for a old 79.:B

[tonyandkaren]

Congratulations - have a great time at the lake!

[oldtrucker63]

And if I ever do anymore Total rebuilds it will be inside of a garage with all parts on hand, This is really a tough job if your doing it outside through winter months and ordering parts as you need them.

[oldtrucker63]

VA3EPR wrote:

oldtrucker63 wrote:

VA3EPR wrote:
wowsers. you have done a great job on this rebuild. a few questions....
how long did this project take you?(beginning to end)
how much did lumber cost?(including insulation and wrap)
and one more question
CAN YOU COME HELP ME WITH MY REBUILD!!!!!!!!!!! lol:P

The start date is on this site and the end date is not yet come, Cost right now is close to $5000 Everything is new but the cost is still going, For just wood and insulation is $450. But that is just the frame and roof wood.

holy snipies. well i sure wont be redoing mine anytime soon thats for sure. all i installed is new carpet. some new lights, next is the tail and running lights. all led.

Also you can fix a little bit at a time if yours is not badly water damaged like mine was.

[oldtrucker63]

VA3EPR wrote:

oldtrucker63 wrote:

VA3EPR wrote:
wowsers. you have done a great job on this rebuild. a few questions....
how long did this project take you?(beginning to end)
how much did lumber cost?(including insulation and wrap)
and one more question
CAN YOU COME HELP ME WITH MY REBUILD!!!!!!!!!!! lol:P

The start date is on this site and the end date is not yet come, Cost right now is close to $5000 Everything is new but the cost is still going, For just wood and insulation is $450. But that is just the frame and roof wood.

holy snipies. well i sure wont be redoing mine anytime soon thats for sure. all i installed is new carpet. some new lights, next is the tail and running lights. all led.

I put the Barjan LED tail lights in mine, Looks great, Later on I will be changing all lights to LED's,..They look great and use a lot less power.

[VA3EPR]

oldtrucker63 wrote:

VA3EPR wrote:
wowsers. you have done a great job on this rebuild. a few questions....
how long did this project take you?(beginning to end)
how much did lumber cost?(including insulation and wrap)
and one more question
CAN YOU COME HELP ME WITH MY REBUILD!!!!!!!!!!! lol:P

The start date is on this site and the end date is not yet come, Cost right now is close to $5000 Everything is new but the cost is still going, For just wood and insulation is $450. But that is just the frame and roof wood.

holy snipies. well i sure wont be redoing mine anytime soon thats for sure. all i installed is new carpet. some new lights, next is the tail and running lights. all led.

[magik235]

Excellent. After a long project first rides are always great.

[tenbear]

After all you have been thru, the years of hard work, it must be the greatest feeling in the world to have reached the point of being able to use your "new" motorhome.

Congratulations!!!!!

[oldtrucker63]

We started out for a short trip this evening and bang........The drivers side brake caliper was stuck so we came back home and went and picked calipers for both sides although I just installed the drivers side because we was ready to go for our first short trip to check everything out, After replacing the one caliper we took off with the generator running and the roof AC on high, We had stopped earlier at the store and filled up on some food/snacks so we drove to wal-mart and got the Memory foam mattresses for our top bed and the Memory foam for the lower bunk and also picked some curtains to do until we can make the ones from the material we have for the RV, We Eat and watched a movie in the wal-mart parking lot alone with one more RV that was already there, Everything seems smooth and it run and drives great, Everything is working great
Minus the fuel gauge.....LOL....Anyway we had fun and after I build the U shape Dinette set and finish some body work/paint/trim it will be finished, After this we will add a few more things like A Solar panel and a 2500 watt Inverter, We was having so much fun we forgot to take pictures at the wal_mart parking lot but here is a few of us leaving the house.....We also stopped by the park after we left wal-mart and the baby was playing on the slides,...Great time and we cant wait untill this week end so the next trip out will be at the lake.

[oldtrucker63]

rehoppe wrote:
Place to eat? We normally eat outside,, if bugs are too bad, inside with TV trays works well. I prefer an 'easy' chair to the dinette/couch routine.

Yeah me too,...We will think about it for a bit and then build something good.

[rehoppe]

Place to eat? We normally eat outside,, if bugs are too bad, inside with TV trays works well. I prefer an 'easy' chair to the dinette/couch routine.

[oldtrucker63]

Yeah I was thinking there was a little more room there, Anyway the big dinette will be much better that a small one.