So many questions!

[BSawyer321]

I recently purchased a 1979 Midas travel trailer. I have no experience with campers or anything related and knew it would be a project. I have so many questions!
1. When I purchased it there was some water damage on the ceiling at the front. I tore down the damaged sections and will need to replace. When I tore it down it was wood, foam, wood. This is how I plan to put it back up. The rubber molding between the wall and ceiling was cracked and broke in pieces so i assume that will need to be replaced. What is this called so I can find some to replace it? Does it have to be replaced? We will be resealing the roof as well
2. Water tanks: I understand the tank under the camper with the valves for drainage is for the dark water or sewage, but there is a smaller blue one in in the camper. It has a connection to it from the outside labeled "city water hookup", is this for the fresh water? It has to be replaced d/t a giant hole, but I'm trying to figure out the purpose of the tank. Does water go in there for shower, sinks, toiet, etc, then cycle through the trailer when the faucets (sink, shower) are turned on? Do you have to turn off the water from the outside once the tank is full? Doesn't seem like it would hold enough water for a shower if water isn't constantly fed into it.
3. There are other exterior and interior pieces that will need to be replaced is there such a think as an RV or camper junkyard you can go to and pull these parts? I'm in central NC.
4. The wiring is a mess and will have to be redone. Any tips or guides for this? My husband is a certified electrician but has never done anything like a camper. What do we need to know about the fuse box, etc? A lot of the lights were torn down in the demo of the inside (not by me) what do we need to know about wiring and replacement lights?
5. The A.C. Is there, no idea if it works. They said it did but who knows because we haven't had it hooked up. If it doesnt, repair or replace? I know replacing can get expensive. There was once a heat source-there is a gas line that runs to a compartment in a closet, what do we need to know about purchasing and installing a new one? There is a thermostat control on a wall that I assume connects to the area where it once was.

[Wishbone51]

Often, you will have two fresh water connections. One connects to a fresh water hose (usually labelled "city water") and runs directly to your sink, shower, etc. The other doesn't have a fitting, and is for the fresh water tank.

The fresh water tank is for when you can't connect to city water, and you need to bring your water with you. I usually keep this tank 1/3 full, for emergencies (water issue at the campground, stopping to go to the restroom, etc), but don't use it if I can connect at the campground.

If you're connected to city water, you're not using your fresh water tank at all.

However, you said that your fresh water tank is connected to your "city water" inlet, so I'm not sure what's going on there. Some have a bypass to allow your fresh water tank to be filled from the city water inlet, so check to see if you have any valves that bypass one way or the other.

Annoyingly, my fresh tank inlet is on the wrong side, so I want to install a bypass so that I can fill my tank from the city water.

[Wishbone51]

Jayco-noslide wrote:
I'm frightened.

Why?

[Jayco-noslide]

I'm frightened.

[cavie]

you would be better off by breaking this up into 3 different threads. Asking all those questions in one thread becomes a distraction. You'll get more answers with it broken up.

I'll jump in with #4. There are two electric systems in you trailer. the lighting is a 12 volt system run by a CONVERTER. It changers 120 volts to 12 volts. You will find a 12 volt fuse panel. You also will use 12 volts as a control circuits for your refrigerator, furnace (which you seem not to have), water heater, range hood. You will also have a 12 volt battery which is charged by the converter.

Your wall outlets are 120 volts. They are controlled by circuit breakers just like you house. You will find a GFI circuit device in the bathroom. It will control all receptacles in your trailer that are within 6'of a water source and also outside outlets.

You probably have a 30 amp 120 volt Electric service. That is a one leg 120 volt to your breaker box to a 30 amp single pole breaker. Your breaker box will be located rear the floor. Your roof A/C is 20 amp 120 volts. There won't be any 240 volt devices in your trailer.

Water heater will probably 120 volt and/or gas. Refrigerator will probably be electric and/or gas.

A tongue jack will be 12 volts. slides will be 12 volts. Roof vents will be 12 volts.

Make very sure your electric husband under stands the you shore power cord is 30 AMPS 120 VOLTS 3 wire. NOT 240. It looks like a 240 dryer plug. It is not.

Schools out for today;)

[CincyGus]

BSawyer321 wrote:
I recently purchased a 1979 Midas travel trailer. I have no experience with campers or anything related and knew it would be a project. I have so many questions!
1. When I purchased it there was some water damage on the ceiling at the front. I tore down the damaged sections and will need to replace. When I tore it down it was wood, foam, wood. This is how I plan to put it back up. The rubber molding between the wall and ceiling was cracked and broke in pieces so i assume that will need to be replaced. What is this called so I can find some to replace it? Does it have to be replaced? We will be resealing the roof as well
2. Water tanks: I understand the tank under the camper with the valves for drainage is for the dark water or sewage, but there is a smaller blue one in in the camper. It has a connection to it from the outside labeled "city water hookup", is this for the fresh water? It has to be replaced d/t a giant hole, but I'm trying to figure out the purpose of the tank. Does water go in there for shower, sinks, toiet, etc, then cycle through the trailer when the faucets (sink, shower) are turned on? Do you have to turn off the water from the outside once the tank is full? Doesn't seem like it would hold enough water for a shower if water isn't constantly fed into it.
3. There are other exterior and interior pieces that will need to be replaced is there such a think as an RV or camper junkyard you can go to and pull these parts? I'm in central NC.
4. The wiring is a mess and will have to be redone. Any tips or guides for this? My husband is a certified electrician but has never done anything like a camper. What do we need to know about the fuse box, etc? A lot of the lights were torn down in the demo of the inside (not by me) what do we need to know about wiring and replacement lights?
5. The A.C. Is there, no idea if it works. They said it did but who knows because we haven't had it hooked up. If it doesnt, repair or replace? I know replacing can get expensive. There was once a heat source-there is a gas line that runs to a compartment in a closet, what do we need to know about purchasing and installing a new one? There is a thermostat control on a wall that I assume connects to the area where it once was.

1) Not sure exactly what you're referring to so can't help on that one.

2) Generally on a camper there are two ways to get fresh water to the faucets, toilet, shower. One is with a hose connected to the water system from a spigot at the campground or house that you screw on and leave connected and on, pressurizing the entire water system. The second is with a "fresh water tank" that you fill with a garden hose and then there is a water pump that pressurizes the water system that you turn on once your at the campground. I will add that most campers actually have 3 tanks, 1 black for the toilet, 1 Gray for the shower and sinks and then the fresh water tank to hold clean water. So make sure your blue tank doesn't have a pipe running out of it that merges to the other tank as it could be a gray tank.

3) Here's one Here's another

4) If he's an electrician, he will have no problems. Basically it's a 12v system tied in with a normal household like breaker box that only has 30 amp service instead of 200 amp like he's used to seeing. Have him check out This link and if he still has questions, searching YouTube for video explanations of a RV Electrical system might be helpful also.

5) If the AC is in as rough a shape as the rest of the camper, I'd say make the investment in a new one and only have to do it once. As far as the heating system, there likely is a propane based furnace in the camper. If thats something more than your wanting to tackle, depending on how you are going to camp (In places with electric hookups or not usually) You might think about forgoing the furnace if your almost always going to have electric and just use a 1500 watt space heater. In fact if It were me and those circumstances (almost always camping with power) were going to be the case, I think I would wire the camper for 50 amps so I could run a couple heaters or the AC and the microwave and a hairdryer without worrying about popping a circuit breaker any time two big draw items are running like sometimes happens on 30 amp circuits. Just a thought to share with your husband. Last tip, Stay away from WFCO power converters. Hear nothing but bad mouthing them on most forums due to their poor recharging of batteries.

Best of luck in your adventurous rebuild and don't be afraid to ask away. Plenty of opinions here and most of them are born of peoples actual experiences so they sometimes differ 😉

[Lwiddis]

If you wanted a long term rehabilitation project, you have it. If you want to go camping in next five years, buy another RV.

[AppFire]

If your ever near North Wilkesboro, NC you are welcome to stop by my house and look at my camper and I can explain most of what you need to know. I bought a used camper a few years ago that was almost totally ready for the junkyard. I ended up gutting it and replacing everything including a brand new total roof and joists. Looks like a new camper now and it is paid for. Let me know if your ever up this way. Thanks

Chris
appfire2002@gmail.com

[philh]

I hope you got a good deal, like someone paid you to take it... that's a LOT of work.

Wiring, is quite simple, and you probably want to put in a new power center, A/C comes into it, DC comes into it, and DC and AC go out of it to the branch circuits. Best convertor sells a lot of good products. Figure out if this is a boondock, or commercial campground camper in making your product choices.