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A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model.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

14yuTrk
Explorer
Explorer
oldtrucker63 wrote:
aacow@pwless.net I never thought of that, If you are close to Harlan Kentucky I too will look at your RV and if It can be fix with Eternabond or just by resealing the windows I would do the work for free to help you guys.

Being from Northern Maine I recognized the town she is from, nowhere near KY and a lot farther from Fresno. I contacted her to varify where she is from.
It is better to remain silent... and be thought a fool... than open one's mouth... and remove all doubt

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
aacow@pwless.net I never thought of that, If you are close to Harlan Kentucky I too will look at your RV and if It can be fix with Eternabond or just by resealing the windows I would do the work for free to help you guys.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

JRandall
Explorer
Explorer
aacow@pwless.net wrote:
Hi Trucker! I am the proud owner of a 91 Coachman C and have been following your rebuild for some time. We haven't had our C long but in the darkest part of my mind I've wondered if we might have leak problems. Well....last weekend I found one over the cabover. I am a 65 year old woman....not mechanical or particularly good at the building thing. I'm assuming I can't just ignore it but where do I start? I really don't see my hubby diving into this and don't have the money to take it to a pro. Waaaah!



Are you anywhere near Fresno, CA.? If so, I would be happy to look at the leak area to see if you have a big problem or a minor one. Keep in mind that it would probably be necessary to remove some items in order to determine the extent of the damage. I am not a pro, but have rebuilt or repaired several motorhomes/trailers as well as stick houses. Even so, it might be out of my skill zone to fix, but at least you would know the extent of damage. Cost to diagnose would be enough diet pepsis to keep me working.

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
aacow@pwless.net wrote:
Hi Trucker! I am the proud owner of a 91 Coachman C and have been following your rebuild for some time. We haven't had our C long but in the darkest part of my mind I've wondered if we might have leak problems. Well....last weekend I found one over the cabover. I am a 65 year old woman....not mechanical or particularly good at the building thing. I'm assuming I can't just ignore it but where do I start? I really don't see my hubby diving into this and don't have the money to take it to a pro. Waaaah!
I would get a young handy man and see what he would charge to take the windows out from the cab-over bunk and reseal them and thats just guessing that the windows is where the leak is, OR Buy some Eternabond tape you can tape around windows or the roof edges and vents or pipes with this stuff it will stop any leak you may find.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

TyroneandGladys
Explorer
Explorer
aacow@pwless.net wrote:
Hi Trucker! I am the proud owner of a 91 Coachman C and have been following your rebuild for some time. We haven't had our C long but in the darkest part of my mind I've wondered if we might have leak problems. Well....last weekend I found one over the cabover. I am a 65 year old woman....not mechanical or particularly good at the building thing. I'm assuming I can't just ignore it but where do I start? I really don't see my hubby diving into this and don't have the money to take it to a pro. Waaaah!

INMHO it is cut bait or fish time. Your hubby or yourself needs to dive in on this or you get a pro to dive in before there is serious damage.
Tyrone & Gladys
27' 1986 Coachmen

aacow
Explorer
Explorer
Hi Trucker! I am the proud owner of a 91 Coachman C and have been following your rebuild for some time. We haven't had our C long but in the darkest part of my mind I've wondered if we might have leak problems. Well....last weekend I found one over the cabover. I am a 65 year old woman....not mechanical or particularly good at the building thing. I'm assuming I can't just ignore it but where do I start? I really don't see my hubby diving into this and don't have the money to take it to a pro. Waaaah!

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
John H wrote:
Morn' Trucker,
Been away for a while, I will agree with edm360 on the gel coat. If you plan on rolling the rubber roof over the glass. I could not remember whether you had planed on doing so, after many pages back I told you about the roll idea I seen on higher priced RV/s, buy then you said you had decided to go back with their original roof plan, with maybe glass instead of rubber. So the idea with the roof glass finish with gel & tinned I though would have been a attractive and a finished idea. as a after though check on the adhesion to glass with the glue on/for that rubber. Might be a good idea on saving a latter problem.
Yea its been a change in plans again The roof will be the Liquid rubber this will be a lot easer to go on over the edge and it will stick to the glass just fine so Liquid rubber it is. I know there has been a lot of mind changing but thats the way it go's when your on your first RV build Right.:h
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

John_H
Explorer
Explorer
Morn' Trucker,
Been away for a while, I will agree with edm360 on the gel coat. If you plan on rolling the rubber roof over the glass. I could not remember whether you had planed on doing so, after many pages back I told you about the roll idea I seen on higher priced RV/s, buy then you said you had decided to go back with their original roof plan, with maybe glass instead of rubber. So the idea with the roof glass finish with gel & tinned I though would have been a attractive and a finished idea. as a after though check on the adhesion to glass with the glue on/for that rubber. Might be a good idea on saving a latter problem.
John H

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
TreeSeeker wrote:
OldTrucker,

I got a heat gun at Harbor Freight on sale for $9.99. Right now they have it for $7.99. Go here.

If you haven't used a heat gun before, be very careful, it is easy to overheat something--blistering your paint for instance. Also, aluminum warps very easily with heat (don't ask how I know this).
LOL...Ok Thanks man. I will be sure to keep my fingers out from the front of the gun too.....Right.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

TreeSeeker
Explorer
Explorer
OldTrucker,

I got a heat gun at Harbor Freight on sale for $9.99. Right now they have it for $7.99. Go here.

If you haven't used a heat gun before, be very careful, it is easy to overheat something--blistering your paint for instance. Also, aluminum warps very easily with heat (don't ask how I know this).

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
pointbrze wrote:
I like the hair dryer idea! ๐Ÿ™‚
Yea A heat gun would be better but the hair dryer is all I have right now, I would like to have a heat gun, It would come in handy in a lot of projects around the house.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

pointbrze
Explorer
Explorer
I like the hair dryer idea! ๐Ÿ™‚
Me - Cindy
Sonny (Toy Poodle)
CoCo (LhasaPoo)

2010 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2501SS
2007 Tundra V8, 5.7L, P2 brake controller

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
They came off real easy this way after being on there for over 30 years.


Charlene taking some off her self.
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
Without Trucks,....America Stop's

oldtrucker63
Explorer
Explorer
Using a hair dryer to get the vinyl stripes off.






Without Trucks,....America Stop's