Planning rebuild

[pjay9]

It has been suggested that if I am going to go to the extent of what needs to be done regarding the nose rot and slide side repair plus the wings both sides on the 1161, the whole camper should have the skin removed and all bad spots repaired. That then begs these questions:

Is there a wrap such as tyvek that sould be done before the new skin is installed?

Should the camper be sheathed with thin plywood for additional strength? Or is there a better material? Will that help to maintain camper integrity (keep it from racking)? I don't see this material adding more than a half inch to over all width..is there a futuristic material out there to do this job? Would a thin gague sheet aluminum be a good sheath?

What places should have better reinforcement or attachment points..i.e. Jacks, back bumper, pull out stairs, Lance front shocks.

I have been looking at the slide fixes on here. I feel that if the tie downs had not been there the slide would have survived but where else could they have gone? Just make that whole sill stout!

I am really looking for meaningful comments with suggestions and ideas, and even things that I have not thought about. YES I have been reading and pinting out the Univ rebuild posts...loads of great info...which can always be improved on each time it is done.

Hope all are having a great 4TH...as many of you know I am a Captain for tours and charters on yachts and passenger vessels, I don't have to work this 4TH hooray! :>)

Looking forward to a good discussion and provoking ideas. Warm regards and thx to all who respond. Capt. PJ

[Mote]

pjay9, I wish you the best in your rebuild. I hope it all turns out great and you can enjoy that camper for many more years.
We recently needed a new roof on our home. I could have gathered up a bunch of freinds and relatives to do the job but I didn't this time I'd rather just hire the labor. It was nice being able to sit under the shade tree supervising while they did all the tear off and putting back down. They tore off and put down 43 square in 12 hours and that's with a two hour break because of rain.
Sometimes it's best just to hire it out. : )

[pjay9]

Gentlemen, Yes, my maturity is part of the whole issue and I stay awake figuring stuff out and end up tired..yesterday was figuring how to mount the new dish dome first I was thinking on a pole in back, how to attach the pole easy...then it dawned on me how am I going to lower and raise this thing with out making it a chore or too complicated...ended up just put it on the roof, most likely it will end up there. The roof will be better so phooeee!

I came up with some interior mods that should work well and I can post as I do them, plus that will be fun and not take so much time that it won't get done, like Sleepy indicated. TK sorry to hear that was the decision you had to make.

Both of you and others have made me think this thru...I want to use this thing not work on it. We both like the the layout and it fuctions well for us and we like what I have done to make it ours. It will end up being better...I have a few more uses for the TC this month then I turn it over. Got to empty her out, going to remove some things that I want changed and salvage. I am going to take the range out so I can plan the new counter top with just a slide in stove top...will either sell the range or use it as a trade in with dealer.

New drawer and new cabinet door, should be able to order from Lance. I like those cabinet work type projects. (Should I post pics of what I have done in the house?)

I am GLAD this is moving forward...I will be at my 50th HS reunion while the rebuild is going on...it will be fun to see the massive progress when I return.

Got to pack on Friday as I am going for some training on oil spill response next week, then I will be a helmsman in a bridge simulator for the testing of the some ships officers over the next couple of weeks, that should be fun. I use the TC as my quaters at the school...no travel and can make my own meals...I like that. I'll try to get some pics of the simulator set up...it is a fun big encompassing video game that is very serious training and evalution tool.
THX again everyone.

[tommykelly]

I read your stories and my story is the same as yours, however, I had my 1161 parked uncovered while I was still working.
The leaks sneaked up on me..
After my trip out west last year I had to make the big decision.

It was not easy..my truck was still great running F350.

But we all have limitations and mine are more than most...so...

somebody has a great f350 and somebody else has a Lance 1161 problem child.

[sleepy]

PJay,

Good to see that you are making some progress on the "thinking"...

I'm limiting myself to things I can handle.... trying to keep te jobs to short amounts of time... spurts!

I don't want to tear into something that might not ever get put back together... become a permanant unfinished project... unuseable and worthless.

I have a project going where I have been waiting 5 weeks for the correct cabinate door to come from Thomasville... two deliveries have been wrong so far... one for color, one for size... Home depot says that the correct one will be her next week... 6 weeks hold-up when you're old is worse than when you are young. Medically old people have huge changes in 6 weeks sometimes.

I bpurchase what I can... I have mmuch more money that productive time.

I need to do a project report... the list is growing.

Chet

[pjay9]

Thanks for this info..it is on my note pad ready when I take her over. Today I started making a detailed list of things to be accomplished. Thank you!

[2Gordons]

Captain:

Sometime, that is the answer. Commit to the repairs, but let the Pro's handle it so it doesn't consume the rest of your time.

If I have to do work on my older Lance at some point, I would utilize the Smith's CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer) on the wood portions. Regardless of what goes OVER the wood, it would be good to know that there was a higher level of protection or rot-resistance built into the wood itself.

This product is used successfully in high-end wooden boat restorations/rebuilds. The boats need to flex and move as they are used, but the inevitable water intrusion doesn't cause the damage it would on untreated mahogany.

For a period, the thought was to fiberglass the bottoms of boats (a similar thought process to fiberglassing the exterior wall of the TC framing). What is did on the boats was to trap moisture under the fiberglass that made its way in from the bilge, or from humidity. The resultant rot that formed destroyed the boats structurally from the inside... the fiberglass was found to accelerate the destructive forces of moisture. Fiberglassing was found to be worse than doing nothing at all, as the moisture would eventually evaporate when the boat was pulled in the fall.

The CPES was found to protect the wood better, give the old boats their cushy ride, and make the resorations last much, much longer. Check out the work of Don Danenburg from Michigan on the topic.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Don

[pjay9]

OK now for another update in the process. Since the insurance co said it needed to be an sudden incident that caused the issues and there should not be evidence of other stuctural issue that led to the failures then I really got to pondering this much more closely.

Last evening DW and myself did some cost figuring. Looked at super C's with real truck chassis and not van front ends, used is with-in range when considering the trade/sell value of my rig. But couldn't find short ones that are used only one a few years old and then that was out of sight on price. So that is out.

We sat in TC last night and talked again what she needed...all of which is doable. Then DW asked are you up to this and when are you going to do it, if you go to work or even if you don't go to work? I had to ponder that question, sort of still am. The funds are there to do the work and even pay someone to do it. If I did it there would be logistical issues that I would need assitance on. Getting AC off roof, getting slide out then getting the sideing done.

Since I have a very good company here in Tacoma that do skin off rebuilds and fix everything and make it better and will allow the customer to designate the the materials and some ways to accomplish the work, I am beginning to think I should just go with them, then if there are areas that need special atrention it will be done. Also I think about the time it will take and frustrations I may encounter..is it worth it to me!!??? I can watch/oversee the rebuild. They have the materials on hand and tools. That will give me time to work on my boat improvememnts and be ready to hit the road once she is done. If I work that earned money will pay for it and we will not have to dip into retirement funds. I am at that point in life I want to do things that are fun...I don't see the rebuild as that much fun...I look at it more as a challenge. I do look forward to doing the improvements adding two extra batteries and solar and control panel and new carpet and change out the stove for just a stove top and building a cabinet under stove...things like that! So it is pointing toward a shop doing the work.
They will overlay the roof and make it have a slope so there is no water traps like the issue with Lances flat roof. I think they raise it 3/4" in middle.

So this week I will go over and start with the arrangements...I need to use the TC a couple of times this month and they could have it in Sept.

ON WARD!!! This is not the end of the story...a rebuild is ahead!

[pjay9]

sleepy wrote:
What about the inside walls... will you be able to replace the frame without tearing the paneling?

Will not know until get it uncovered! Hope it can be saved.

[pjay9]

Sleepy, I took your ideas under advisement. I did speak with some GRF guys. Here's the issues: Boat are molds (Bigfoot is a mold) with radius which spread out stress, would be hard to glass a squared TC and not have it crack. TC flex some and that would be enuf to caise an issue. Even saw on TV a big rig home built by a seafarer that retired using a plywood base but full of large radii, then glassed. I wonder what the inside support was like. Then the added poundage would be a concern. So it is not really a good idea unless starting from new design.

The skin stuff is a termal plastic sort of shrink wrap to get around shapes on the vehicle...no strength and some have tiny holes. I used it on my front window to stop some light and cover the black glass, it has lasted about 6 years in the sun...starting to peel at the frame. The window will be gone on the rebuild.

Being an aluminum boat owner I wish I could build it out of alum alloy, but that would be a total design build, then should just order a furniture style cargo truck box and build inside to your needs. Thx for making me think!

[WVbassmistress]

We used white Grizzly Grip and so far so good. Over estimated and actually ended up with 4 coats. (it has about a 30 days shelf life and it was use it or lose it)
No noticeable weight increase and we have a pop up so I am sure it would be evident.
The pictures are on my husband's phone or I would post some.

[pjay9]

Do you have any pics and after a year how is doing? So you sprayed directly on the aluminum roof? Why? Wasn't the sheet material good enuf? What color is it? THX

[Jfet]

sleepy wrote:

Someone wanted to spray their roof with Linex bed liner several years ago... have't heard anything since. It might have been too heavy.

We discussed spraying our aluminum roof with Line-X last year. We actually ended up going with a do it yourself 2 part epoxy bed liner called Raptor coat. The kit is about $99 and comes with a spray gun and about a gallon of resin. We used 3 to 4 kits but our roof was 8'4" x 20'. Stuff seems very strong but doesn't go on as thick as Line-X or Rhino (much cheaper though).

[sleepy]

Has anyone considered.... skining the skin?

Using the stuff like they use on busses to advertize... or NASCAR

sort of Shrink wrap?

Or... adding a fiberglas resin thick enough to be structural over thw whole camper.

It would be nice to get some Zany ideas... outside the box.. maybe one of them would trigger a whole new way of approaching the problem.

Someone wanted to spray their roof with Linex bed liner several years ago... have't heard anything since. It might have been too heavy.

Capt PJ... you are a cruise ship officer... you know people in the boat business... have you approached them with the problem...? Be interesting what they have to say.

I'm committed to your idea and action (that's easy to say from Tennessee)

Sleepy

[pjay9]

Well this evening my DW and I sat down after dinner out soon after she returned home from a trip to Sweet Home, OR to play banjo at a fun time called Banjo Camp.

We discussed the whole situation and what it is going to take from getting a shed in back to park under to doing the upgrades and total repair with pros doing the skin and roof...it is still worth it to me, US. This camper has served us well and will in the future. The truck is good no issue there, so why change. It pulls the boat and is very drivable from the upgrades that have been done over the years.

This evening I did some yard measurements, house roof overhang and electircal drop assessment for clearance. Also figure doing a concrete pad and one foot knee walls 3 sides and figure the slope and depth I could dig out without creating a puddle and matching grade...also dug down and found the top ballast rock to be 4" and then hit CSTC...so I will not need to import subgrade material (CSTC) to pour a slab. So that cuts some cost. Plus my gates open to 26' from the alley so mix truck has good access...no extra cost for pumper...basically it will be prep (dig and grade), forms and place then strip. Let it cure 30 days. Hope I can get some estimates this week.

THX for reading and making any suggestions.

CSTC=crushed surface top course used in road and foundation construction compacts very well it is a sand and gravel mix, wet it roll it it is very tight.