After over a year of trying to get my motorhome repaired and driven home, I had to resort to other methods.
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My initial diagnosis when I bought it for $500 was that the typical ignition system parts (ballast resistor, etc) had failed, and that for $40 in parts, I'd be driving home. Then after noticing coolant in the air cleaner, and not getting the engine able to low idle, I hoped head gaskets would correct the situation. Unfortunately, the heads are cracked. So here I am. Add on $600 for the tow and parts I had bought for the repair.
While stranded in a farmyard an hour out of town, I've had to cope with ticks and mice... am very happy it's home. The last few weeks, it seems that all mice have vacated back at the old place, and I haven't seen any ticks in a while.
At my buddy's next to my brother's 1968 Fargo A100.
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The plan is interior repairs and upgrades for now, and deal with the engine in winter and spring.
Up until now, I have sorted out some confusion with my battery bay (in a very old thread), have plans for a 3000W 12V inverter and 150W solar panel, electric fireplace, and have started some of the clean up of shoddy repair work (ceiling and wall panels, cabinets not securely fastened). I'll use this thread to post more summary and results info, but will start new threads for specific mini-projects (ie. inverter or solar install).
Got the inverter for $150 plus shipping. :)ThmbUp Had to get a fuse and cabling done. Tested it out with my TV just fine. Where the RV is currently parked, I'm too far from an AC outlet, so this was a great find!
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Here is my $10 115V fireplace that only required a thermal fuse and a switch to get the heater element functioning again... :)clap I plan to build this into an entertainment cabinet behind the passenger seat.
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Enjoy
It's been a while since I've done any posting of photos, so can I just ask (confirm) that my photobucket settings do in fact make the four photos from my initial post visible publically?
Thanks for your feedback.
My first mini projects over the next couple weeks will involve the front third of the cabin... repairs to ceiling and wall panelling and structure, replace dinette with a gaucho / futon on drivers side, storage / TV / fireplace cabinet on the passenger side, new overhead cabinets.
I see 4 pictures in the first post.
1: Rv hooked up to a white tow truck
2:RV next to a Dodge D-100
3:Power Inverter
4: Cast Iron electric heater
Much obliged, Lefty :)ThmbUp
So I've been pretty busy lately. Made an 8-hour round trip to get some cheap cylinder heads "as is", bought a salvaged overhead bunk and gaucho frame, am working on the wiring for the solar panel, and have done the demolition on the front half of the motorhome's ceiling fixtures and sagging panelling. So soon I will have sub-project topics for my solar install, bunk install and my ceiling rebuild.
The interesting thing with my ceiling rebuild which I have started has me encouraged and I want to describe what I'm doing.
Firstly, after removing the ceiling panels, I have learned that there is steel 1X2" framing. So for where I want to add reinforcement / surfaces to attach structure, I've laminated 1X4" spruce (which is really 3/4") with 1/8 panelboard on each side cut to 3 and whatever inches wide. To add them to my framing, I'm using cabinet maker's pocket joints... I bought a little jig such as this:
http://www.eagleamerica.com/product/400-3188/pocket_hole_jigs (http://www.eagleamerica.com/product/400-3188/pocket_hole_jigs)
I have to mark on the steel framing where each predrilled hole in my wood lines up and predrill the steel frame, but then my framing addition goes in real easy and flush. I only have wood screws, but it's possible that steel screws would not require predrilling the steel frame, and the process would be that much faster. Honestly, this jig is a great tool!
Another thing that I'm doing, to minimize ceiling seams, is using full 4X8' hardboard running lengthwise down the middle of the coach. It leaves 22" on the sides, so I will hide the seam with the front edge of my ceiling cabinets or alternatively a plank of stained oak or something. This is instead of running the panel the width of the motorhome, and requiring repairs to involve removing cabinets or trimming the panel around them.
So I'm running my additional framing 22" on center from each wall to support cabinets and edges of ceiling panels, as well as replacing rotted braces around vent openings. As well, I have to relocate my TV antenna so I can install my solar panel where the wire run to my batteries will be as short as possible. Going to re-route AC wiring, and adding DC wiring for a 12V vent fan I grabbed for the kitchen area.
That's the latest. Should have pictures and new posts in a week. But I couldn't wait, and share about the pocket hole jig in case others were fighting with frame repairs. Besides, these jigs can make it possible to use less wood in our interior plans. I hope it gives some of you ideas.
:)ThmbUp
Those Creg jigs are awesome. Use one of those and some wood glue, your in business ???
That's a snapy heater :)
Here are some photos to show the frame reinforcement in action, and the solar install… I've had a few good days of effort put in. It's still a work in progress.
I tore down the top cabinets in the front half of the motorhome so that I could tackle the sagging roof. Since I plan to reconfigure here anyway, what better time to dig in? Here is what I found… rotten panelling covered up by other panelling, with delaminated insulation layer and the front outer plywood half cut away and the rest rotten. Even a few 1X4" planks sandwiched in there somehow.
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Added most of the supports I have planned, as I described before, and have most of the insulation back in place after trimming. See the beauty of pocket joints? Everything is flush and screws are hidden, but the panelling / frame / insulation sandwich will be with minimal gaps! I'm really happy with the result… that pocket jig is one of my favourite tools! The large structure I added behind the passenger seat is to accommodate relocating the TV antenna (you can barely see the stem for the handle that would raise and lower the antenna sticking through the plywood), as it's where I want the solar panel to be.
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So I could use some pointers on the proper adhesive to get for hanging the ceiling panels… I'm thinking it has to be a styrofoam-safe contact cement that I can roll on or brush on… tubes of liquid nails aren't going to be aggressive enough.
Up top, I have much to do, as many seams and fixtures are leaky. Hopefully I get time before winter to repair the plywood under the aluminum roof. But first, It was imperative to mount and wire my solar panel. For the shortest wire run, I want the panel above the entrance, as my battery bank is in the stepwell. The antenna is in the way, and really nowhere near where I want to locate a TV anyway.
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I have a lot of holes to seal up still, but since I still have to seal up the vents and stuff to, I'm waiting until I have done all the work on the roof that I plan, which should include the plywood at the front. I repaired the antenna last night… it's not as kinked as before. Also, the kitchen vent (next to the solar panel) is getting replaced with a 12V fan vent, like are located in bathrooms. I want to be able to deal with humidity rapidly, so I salvaged the second fan unit. So all the vents will be pulled, have new butyl tape installed, and lap sealant applied. There is so much sealant on everything up here, and it's all cracked… ugh. But so far, I'm liking my progress.
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Finally, a shot of the solar install… The installation instructions don't recommend mounting the controller in the battery bay, but it has a temperature sensor on it that should read similar to the condition the batteries are in… it controls the charging based on temperature. Since I don't have another suitable or comparable place to mount it, I went ahead. A pair of wires from the controller to the battery (including the fuse), and another pair of wires from the controller to the panel, which in my case is a straight shot up from the floor to the ceiling. It was reading 13V most of the day, despite that I've been using my inverter and running saws and drills the last few days… my batteries could not be "full", but I'm encouraged that the panel is doing it's job!
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Once I get the ceiling / roof done, and a bed put back in, I'll work on my fireplace / TV cabinet! I am looking forward to seeing the fireplace in action in the motorhome. I have been using it at home on cool nights, and it's working like a charm! $20 purchase and repair… another small victory I'm enjoying in this journey to RV pleasure! Thanks!
Been a while since I updated. Kept plenty busy though. It's been pretty cold, and I've only spent one night out working on the RV. Unfortunately, that particular night, I had used my DC reserves on power tools, and couldn't run a space heater overnight. Tells me that I need to add a generator to the equation with the solar. Also tells me that getting my LP furnace working is more critical than interior remodelling. In the last couple weeks, I've stripped out the closets cabinets and bunks, and have yet to work on the bathroom walls and tall enclosure containing the fridge and furnace. Reason for this is unencumbered access to replace all ceiling panels. I've also decided that I want to redo the entire floor with sheet vinyl (even or especially under the cabinets, where water has affected bare wood subfloor).
Here's the before shot of my drivers side, including the kitchen cabinets that hide the fresh water tank, hot water tank, water pump, wheel well, moving down to the furnace and fridge, and then the washroom.
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Under there, I have found damaged wheel wells that would give rodents access, stangely-routed drain lines (that prevent proper servicing of the furnace, and infact reveal improper furnace installation), no insulation around the fridge or over the wheel well (passenger side too, including the generater compartment), a furnace that won't light, furnace duct that's pinched all weird.
From the front, since I removed the dinette in favour of a sofabed, I plan to move the fresh water tank about six inches to the right to improve furnace airflow and relocate the water pump between the tank and wheel well, under a redesigned kitchen counter. It's a little fuzzy, but the pump and other plumbing have dictated the shape of the cabinet, and I think the space can be better used.
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Under the fridge, here's where I removed the furnace from. I'm choked how the plumbing is routed... along the front of the cabinet under the front of the tub and to the floor. The reason... I had to cut the lower cabinet to get the furnace out!
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Anyway, I can fix some of the ghetto P.O. wiring, replace the thermocouple, and have heat once again. Also, the front cover for the furnace was never installed because of that drain line. So I will rectify this. I even found that the ductwork was pinched in between the fresh water tank and the kitchen cabinet. Not that it mattered without the cover installed.
I tore the cover off the tub as I continued through to the bathroom (and to remove the last heat duct). I guess this is why the plumbing was routed this way... bad hole for the the plumbing to pass through the floor... another mouse doorway. Anyway, I need to fill that, and possibly re-route the drainlines to wrap around the wall. Ideally, I can also drop the tub for more headroom!
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So yes... gutting, working furnace and insulation are my top priorities. Then I'll rebuild the interior.
One other thing I have going on (in my gutting the passengers side) is that I've relocated some wiring under the floor in order to remodel the bunks as improved storage (a tiny walk-in closet). I have a lot going on with the mounting of electrical panels back there... photos will come when I cross that bridge.
The gutting continues. For some reason, as I contemplate rebuilding a part of the RV, I'm compelled to continue gutting. I guess I keep finding stuff that worries me.
I found saturated plywood under my fresh water tank. The wall seems "soft" too, as there is obvious panel delamination. So what's the point of building cabinets if I'm going to have to remove it later for floor, ceiling and wall repair? So I decided I will start from scratch… rip it all out! There are a number of factors…
1) can move the fresh water tank over enough to put the water pump against the wall between the tank and wheel well, allowing for me to make a straight kitchen cabinet (instead of the "L shaped factory one)?
2) proper installation of the furnace… can I install it flush with the fridge so the access panel does its job? Can I route the drain
line in behind it, instead of where the current routing obstructs furnace removal?
3) The bathroom has plumbing and wiring mysteries hidden under the tub, and badly needs to be cleaned. Can the tub mounting accommodate rerouting the drain? There was evidence of mice in the bathroom, so what is hiding behind the walls?
Rebuilding will be much easier if I do it right. Hence the decision to strip it all down. At this point, I only have the bathroom framed out, as well as the framing at the rear cap (a vertical panel wall and ledge nestled in the angled rear cap).
Two answers I have determined is that
1) I can relocate the fresh water tank and pump.
2) I can change the placement of the furnace in order to route the drain along the outer wall. I need to extend the fresh-air ducting to make up for the new gap further out from the exterior wall, but the hot exhaust pipe is long enough.
When I pulled out the tub, all the wiring is tacked down to the floor, and runs to the rear cap through crudely-cut holes. The same kind of "workmanship" is used to plumb the water to the shower faucet. The gaps would easily be infiltrated by mice. Oh, all the ABS drain lines were cemented. To top it off, the tiny wooden frame elevating the tub only extended the rear half of the tub, with the drain trap supporting the front! I think that ideally, I will add styrofoam to support the length of the tub, and create a recess for the trap in order to mount it closer to the floor (thinking shower headroom). While it's out, I think I need to have the tub checked for cracks and properly repaired.
I notices when I pulled the tub, the wall would heave with gusts of wind… I can't deny that the walls are badly delaminated. The bathroom had been significantly water damaged… The P.O. covered the existing panelling again instead of repairing actual damage.
I ripped up the filthy vinyl tiles in the bathroom, and proceeded to tear into the cabinet that wraps around the rear wall of the bathroom. When I lifted up on the countertop, I found the cavity stuffed with fibreglass insulation complete with tunnels and mouse scat. That's the end of my weekend so far!
For the last day of my long weekend, I will remove the toilet, cut out the drain lines, and finish removing the remaining rear cap and wall structures.
The rebuilding will continue with
1) plugging holes in the floor and replacing rotted wood along the outer wall
2) lay down vinyl flooring wall-to-wall, front-to-back
3) finish panelling the ceiling
4) replace wall panels
The goal… a clean insulated shell in the next seven days. It's relatively warm locally right now… maybe one more warm weekend before it starts looking like winter again.
Going to post a pointed question or two in other topics that will hopefully help me with mini-issues… drain fittings for RV sinks, tubs and toilets.
I don't know if this is been mentioned but be sure to have a good working CO detector especially if the furnace is original. The heat exchanger is just thin sheet metal.
If it is a suburban, I know they sell extension tubes for thicker walls.
Thanks Brian… Yeah, there are no gas alarms in the rig. Definitely the time to get them. Today, the RV is completely gutted! Here's a look at yesterday.
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Today, my nephew and I tore into the bathroom, wall panelling (which is mostly delaminated), and the enclosure in front of the rear cap.
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The fibreglass insulation stuffed in the rear cap had mice at one time, so I cleaned it all out. I will rebuild a separate cavity with 3/4" plywood to support the rear window. I was pleased to see steel wall joists, but was surprised how little support there was at the rear. Any supports in the wall, like nailing surfaces for the access panels for the water heater and fridge, float… they aren't tied into the steal framing! So the whole drivers side wall is delaminated.
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I'll screw in some supports like I did in the roof, to support where the tub screws into the wall for example. It looks like someone slipped in the shower, and pushed the whole wall out a couple inches away from the frame! I'm gonna fix that!
Shopping list for Wednesday… Liquid Nails, vinyl sheet flooring front to back!
It's funny… now that it's gutted, it looks like less work to do what I want (instead of having the whole thing implode on me!
Bought a used generator ($400) yesterday, as well as a couple sheets of pre-cut sheet vinyl flooring ($120 with adhesive).
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Lookin' good, Corey!
I know what you mean by 'easier' to get stuff out of the way and do it right. It'll be just right when you get done, and "new"! :)ThmbUp
Keep the pictures coming...
- Walt
Thanks! My brother offered to help in the morning with the flooring (which includes moving all the clutter out!). I got the staples pulled from the rear half tonight and plugged some obsolete wiring holes (generator, tv coax, other bad routing).
Tonight, I finished buttoning up that rear wall with 3/4" plywood. Mice will have to be real hungry to get in to the human area. Upon closer examination of the rear cap, it is only sealed at the floor with soft packing foam… I guess so that when they installed the rear cap, it would accommodate irregularities in the shape of the floor. Guess what? I'm thinking that a 2" gap stuffed with chunks of foam is not enough to keep vermin out, and beyond what the factory should have allowed for tolerances. This should keep them out now, better than the excessive number of wiring and water line holes drilled through the previous stick & panel structure.
Beefing up the rear corners… The driver's side has an access panel for the shore power / generator outlet.
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All insulated and tied together…
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The last picture doesn't show it, but I've installed electrical boxes through the plywood for the gen socket and the converter cable. The only wiring running behind the plywood is the chassis wiring for the taillights, etc. All of the other wiring will remain in the passenger compartment, not the mouse compartment.
Hi I dont know if you are concerned with useing the rig in freezing weather or not But if you move the water pump make sure it is getting some heat (against an outside wall it will freeze) Also if locateing the furnace next to the fridge Add as much insulation between them as possible Three way fridges do not like any heat source next to there sides or bottom . Good luck on doing it right dont forget insulation as much as possible . And sealing all critters out is very important . They love insulation from wireing ! Frank
I am very much concerned about winter use. With the water pump, the main weak spot is the wheelwells. When I box them in and insulate them, I think the in-cabinet temperature will go up. The walls beside the fridge were uninsulated too, so I hope that insulating the fridge cabinet will help (Why didn't they get insulated? They have fresh air vents, basically making the fridge compartment an exterior box). The fridge only rested on 3/4" plywood shelf, directly above the furnace from the factory. I never contemplated insulating the shelf as well, but I could. There is about 8" clearance between the furnace and the shelf. Think that may be enough? On the wiring, I'm going to be able to run most of the wiring through the interior structures… minimal under the floor. Even my generator plug and converter cable will be run through the interior instead of the rear cap like before. It will be much more difficult for a mouse to get in to my living space.
Today's progress? I finally moved the generator into its cubby, primed the entire floor with Kilz, and got the front 12' of flooring put down! :)clap
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Tomorrow, I'll finish the flooring and start repairing the outer walls (unless I have help, and then I'll work on ceiling panels… I only have the front third replaced).
Patched the grey tank inlet and floor before finishing the vinyl flooring today… ALL DONE!
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I'm going to post a question about the 12V wiring for the fridge elsewhere if I can't find my answer in the forum.
Anyway, I continued with my electrical tasks. With the new old generator needing to be mounted, plumbed and wired, and that my converter and inverter will be in close proximity to the generator, I've started wiring 2 gauge cable from the battery compartment along the frame to the generator compartment. Getting creative with the use of a vise and screwdriver bits to crimp terminals onto this big cable! Battery box has a body ground cable wired to the floor of the compartment, so I relocated it to the side of the box and bolted my new ground cable to the same bolt on the outside, and routing it to a body ground point near the generator. To this, I will connect the 12V- from the generator, converter and inverter. The 12V+ will go to the insulated fuse junction I bought for my inverter wiring relocated inside the generator box. It will be a straight 1' drop through the floor for the converter and inverter to reach. The beauty of it is that only the 1 2ga. cable will enter the battery compartment for the house batteries, instead of three separate long runs. Tomorrow evening, I plan to cut cooling / wiring holes in the floor of the generator compartment and run the wires through the floor for the converter and inverter.
I don't know if I should post this question elsewhere. Maybe the Apollo owners will have some insight.
My rig has an enclosed generator box… no provisions for routing fuel lines, wires or muffler. When I look under the rig to see where a generator may have tied in, I can't tell. On the steel tank that where the filler neck is on the passenger side, I can only see the line routed to the engine. There is a plastic tank mounted in the middle of the rig that fuels from the drivers side, and the filler and filler vent tubes are easily seen. The only thing I found that might be a capped generator fuel supply line looks like vacuum hose… not the typical 5/16 fuel hose I expected. What's the deal? Are generator fuel lines that small? Or is it a vent? Do I have to drop the tank to know for sure? The hose attached to the generator's fuel line is 5/16, so I'm not even sure if I should mate the two. Thought? Examples?
My focus the last few days has been on installing a generator and conveniently locating 12V junctions in the generator box. My refurb involves locating my inverter and converter adjacent to the generator box. There is another topic I have related to my battery box P.O. config.
Drilled and Dremel'd large holes for PVC grommets for my wires and fuel lines to pass through, angle grinder with a cutting disc for the exhaust / cooling vents in the floor, drilled the mounting holes in the floor, and screwed in a junction box.
I dropped my rear plastic tank and found a capped 5/8" fitting... BINGO! Snaked about 12' of hose with a clear fuel filter in the line (along the frame and away from heat), and all is good (except that my attempts to fire up the generator sipped off the little bit of fuel that the pickup could reach... I had confirmed that the fuel filter had filled, but only lasted a couple cranks). Next attempt will include dumping some fresh fuel in a jerry can for the tank.
Also ran the wiring from the junction box to the 30A 120V receptacle in the electrical cubby that I put on the back side of the back wall. Also ran the 30A 120V plug wiring from the cubby back into the cabin.
So now, I need to troubleshoot how to get the generator to run (it fires and sputters, but doesn't really catch as yet... may just have been fuel). Think I need to clean the carb, as when I bought it, the priming switch was dumping fuel in front of the choke plate (sticking valve?)
Also, I don't have the exhaust pipe that mates to the flange on the unit. May be shopping eBay for that.
Weather is finally turning. Hovering around the freezing mark, winter is being gracious enough to allow me time to get some critical motorhome tasks complete.
First off… my $400 5500W generator… did a lot of troubleshooting… cleaned the carb ports and varnish yesterday, and ran from a jerry can successfully! Today, realized I pinched the line I ran from my fuel tank, so dropping the tank (again) and rerouting the line allowed me to run the generator for several hours today! SUCCESS!!!
Onward, yesterday, I started with the delamination problem on the drivers side. I glued the tin to the backside of the steel framing in the area of the bathroom and kitchen wall. Today, I glued and pocket-joined supports to the tin and steel framing, and glued the insulation back in place! Also double-insulated the rear cap around the window and panelled the rear cap! Still have to cut out the window opening, but at least I have made significant progress in ensuring the motorhome is properly insulated and sturdy once more!
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Next, I must proceed with delamination repairs further up through the kitchen area and repair and box in (insulate) the wheel well on the drivers side. This will allow me to replace the kitchen cabinetry and reinstall / reconnect my propane appliances such as the ever important furnace… that ought to make my winter trials more comfortable!
Be sure that 5/8 fitting is not a fill vent. After adding gas to the tank blow into that line and listen for bubbles, no bubbles and that means it is not in the gas and is probably a fill vent judging from the size. I have seen supply lines in 1/4 and 5/16 and rarely 3/8 and even more rarely 1/2 inch but I have never seen a 5/8 supply line.
My bad… I mean't 5/16". That is the size of line I have run between the fuel tank and generator, and fit on the previously-capped port.
Lack of bubbles and sore cheeks was what led me to drop the tank a second time. I knew the generator was starved of fuel because of a blockage somewhere as I couldn't blow through the fuel line. But yes, I knew the vent was already connected, and there seems to be a 1/4" overflow as well dangling as well. But the capped line that I plumbed to did result in bubbles! I now have at least $60 worth of gas in that tank, and the generator happily runs now. It took a little while to prime last night, but it's about a 15' run from the tank to the generator!
This accomplishment is very gratifying…
buying a used generator that I wasn't able to properly test before buying…
cutting and drilling all the vents, mounting holes and fuel / electrical line holes in a virgin generator bay (1979 motorhome never plumbed for a generator?)…
dropping the tank and finding the proper port to tap into (relieved that one existed)…
installing the generator, including fuel, 12V DC and 120V AC connections…
fixing the carburetor and fuel line routing…
I was basically improvising all the way along (I mean besides the great resources here and online) with the hope I didn't buy the equivalent of a boat anchor.
Nope… I won this battle!
Related to that… I just ordered the exhaust flange and gasket off eBay tonight… Gonna be excited to get those parts and plumb in a muffler and tailpipe!
Winter took it's time coming to my part of Canada, but it's definitely here now!
An update:
1) Got the exhaust flange and gasket from California. They fit, but one bolt hole is stripped in the generator, so I'll have to tap it for a larger bolt. Spent $35 for a universal automotive muffler. Trick is going from 1 1/4" exhaust flange to a 1 3/4" muffler input. So it's not fabbed up for installation yet.
2) My next highest priority was reinstalling the furnace with a direct line to the tank. I hadn't properly tested it since I had cleaned it up. Thankfully the pilot lit readily, even with the piezo igniter. But the main burner wasn't lighting. After about 15 minutes of freezing with the blower fan running, and a few light raps with a hammer on the burner enclosure, the main burner came to life, and the heat was instant! I will have HEAT when I return for more work on the RV!
3) I've continued working on my bathtub at home. After scraping up all the silicone and whatever the tub damage was "sealed" with, I found a large hole and three cracks in the bottom of the tub and drain flange. There were some cracks in the top mounting flange, including a chunk I broke removing the tub.
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So I dremeled out the cracks and holes, fibreglassed the backside of all the damage, filled the inside with JB Weld, and am at the sanding phase.
More of those pictures to follow. Soon, I hope to resurface the tub with a Rustoleum bathtub kit. I need to sort out how I intend to route the drain and ensure I know where the tub will be positioned so I can rebuild the wall between the tub and fridge / furnace. Rebuilding that wall from the bathroom through the sink and replacing all the propane appliances will allow me to seal up the outer wall!
Nice work on the tub repair!:)
Sorry for the lack of updates. Glassing from the back was easy, not pretty and smelly. But a small patch kit from an autobody store was enough.Three layers on all spots.
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This is the second application of JB Weld on these spots.
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These cracks and holes are in very difficult sports to sand smooth. I found there were some odd contours that I want to fill and level before I paint. Maybe from a previous repair?
This is the corner I chipped off. Also building up with JB Weld over Fibreglass.
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Here's a trick I learned when fiber glassing and will save you a pile of sanding. Buy some good quality wax paper. Once you've put the resin on take the wax paper and put the wax side on the resin. The little white bubbles you'll see are air pockets. Take a auto body squeegee and squeegee out the excess resin and so there's no air bubbles. Once the resin hardens peel off the wax paper and walla smooth as a new born baby's bum and probably no sanding required.
I should have done that D:oH!
It's like minus 100 outside, but we should get close to thawing next weekend. And I have a sinus cold, so I'm doing some stuff in the house… framing out the walls surrounding the tub and fridge. Actually done mocking up the bathroom side and marked my pieces for disassembly and finally installation soon. Just tossing ideas around my head for how to do the fridge cabinet. It's floor to ceiling, has a pantry to the right, and then beneath both units is the furnace and wheel well. I'm not certain, but I'm hoping the width of that cabinet completely encompasses the wheel well. That way, I will have floor-to-ceiling supports of the fridge shelf that it installs on. Also, I need to insulate around the wheel well and the fridge cavity. So if I can make it one rectangular unit, it will be easier to ensure it's insulated.
So I'm brainstorming.
Thanks for the advice.
Been real cold… waiting for my new furnace blower motor before I head back out to the motorhome. In the meantime, I've been doing some framing at home, and hand-sanding the bathtub.
Taking my time, just using my fingers, I've gotten most of the tub smooth. I applied another couple coats of JB Weld to build up a warped flat surface (that I suspect was previously repaired). I'm happy with the contour, but not happy with how much more sanding I'll have to do before applying the tub refinishing paint. I'm pretty happy though.
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Got my furnace blower motor and reassembled the unit. Haven't been back out to reinstall though yet.
I finished sanding… not perfect, but enough… and washed the tub down with T.S.P. Here's the stuff I got to refinish the tub. It was about $50.
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Spray or brush on (wish I had a sprayer). Tintable. Enough for a full size bath for two coats, so the package says. I've done three, and still have some left… may hit one more coat before I go to sleep. Says it's good for 14 hours after mixing, but I'm struggling with a few drips and runs. Oh well, it's much better than before, and nicely covered the JB weld "filler."
First and third coats.
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Except for the installation, I hope for the best, and will break the tub refinishing out into a separate post for a focused topic that may help others down the road.
Excellent!!
ReAutomotive:See all 339 items
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- placement (new) $175.00 @ Amazon Add up all repair supplys + time and what do you have ? Frank
I know, Frank… even locally there was a classified for a guy that had several at $100 each. But I was already in it for the original after I fibreglassed. For some people, repairing the existing may mean they don't have to chop up the bathroom in order to fix it, or get exact matching measurements. I'd say I spent $100.
Added to the plans… $500 Splendide WD802M, which I'll install at the rear of the coach!
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It's quite heavy, spec'd at 185 lbs, so I'll have to make very sure I build a strong cabinet over my generator compartment to support it. Was advertised locally, and the previous owner will store it for me for a couple months while I finish renovating the rear of the motorhome. Only one sticky button (spin speed), and I'll have to get a new exterior vent shroud. He pulled it out of his 2003 motorhome in favour of more storage.
Presently, I only have the 30 amp circuit from my generator wired to my coach, I will run an exterior and a washer receptacle to my generator's 20A circuit!
I have made a little progress and scored another deal!
1) Insulated and boxed in the rear wheel wells and generator box.
2) Assembled generator exhaust
3) Framed out bathroom, tub support, furnace / fridge enclosure, boxed around the fresh water tank, shelf support for hot water heater, and sofa bed all along the drivers side. Kitchen cabinet remaining.
4) Cleaned out water heater (stubborn anode rod, got all the junk out)
5) Oh… bought a used set of water filter housings to mount under the kitchen cabinet for cheap ($60 included hoses and four new filters). Bought new PEX to redo the supply lines. Also one of those Oxygenic BodySpa handheld shower heads!
6) Cleaned and inspected all faucets, lubricated valves with Vaseline… Nice!
7) Just tonight, closed the deal on a roof AC unit for $45… currently installed in a 77 GMC, but worked cool and quiet… P.O. decided he didn't need two units… got SUPER LUCKY! Saturday is the day to remove it from his rig and install it in mine! Can't leave a gaping hole in the roof, right?
So my "To Do" list in the near future is:
1) run 110v wiring for Washer/Dryer, Microwave, Exterior and Roof AC on the 30A panel (I know I said 20A before), and Bathroom, Fridge, Kitchen and Living area on the 20A panel… replace 30A generator cable with 50A and connect both legs, split the 50A coach cable between converter and separate AC panel.
2) route plumbing primarily to pass from the kitchen cabinet through to the bathroom area… I need to be able to finish insulating the bathroom wall before permanently mounting the bathtub. Furnace ductwork into the bathroom must also be run. (I hate the idea of hacking up a wall I want insulated in order for plumbing and electrical to pass though, especially in a tight working space, but I hope it works out). Finishing this will also allow installation of the countertop and stove.
Hoping for some warm weather and good progress photos in the next week or two!
Some progress pics:
Furnace / Fridge / Pantry over the wheel well
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Sofabed framed over water tank
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It was a snowy intrusion to spring here, but I braved the elements for the air conditioner. Here are some photos of the control panel.
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The owner didn't think it was installed at the factory. But my search is coming up empty for finding documentation for this vintage model. Model number and year was not obvious… where should I look?
Hardest part, in the freezing rain and ice, was realizing this model had a baseplate adhered to the roof… I thought it was lust supposed to be compressible foam gasket. There was a bead of adhesive around the perimeter and the vent opening. I didn't expect that. Got it out after all though. I hope someone might know this unit.
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I figured out that the AC is a Brisk-Aire Sunchaser by Duo Therm (Dometic)… found a manual from 1979 that is close, but seems newer than the one I have. The model number on the compressor gave me a hint. Main difference between mine and others I've seen documentation for is the ability to divert air flow forward or rearward.
Looks like the weekend will be when I install it… snow is melting, yielding green grass that was brown before the snow blanket :)clap , and a lot of mud!
Do you know how it feels to do a bunch of work and see no progress? I'm starting to stress about my July goal of having this back together. My hope is that the final 5% of effort will just be slapping up wall panels, and it will rapidly take on a finished look, thankfully to the 95% of hidden work that's required.
Here's some progress:
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What I did here is started framing out the wall that separates the bathroom from the generator box / laundry / storage. I did this to get the bathroom door hung and get my inverter, converter and separate 110V breaker box in place and deal with wire routing initially. I hung the ceiling in the bathroom / laundry areas. My generator 30A circuit feeds the 110V breaker box directly, and my generator 20A circuit goes to my 30A RV receptacle which I will plug my converter in to for boondocking. I've run two circuits from the 30A box for the air conditioning and the laundry separately. The two available 110V circuits in the converter are routed for the bathroom / kitchen receptacles (including fridge and microwave) and for the living room receptacles. I figure that if I need to switch the fridge off AC power at any time to run another appliance, I can switch the fridge to propane. I've also identified and routed my 12V circuits at the panel and begun routing them.
Finally this weekend, I picked up the washer/dryer! Now that it is in, I can continue with adding interior wall structures. It was heavy and easier to move in without having to walk around the closet to get there.
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One difference is I've decided to re-route my wires from the panels over the bathroom door into the fridge compartment and below (no longer clustered along the back wall). I didn't like the idea of all the wiring running under the tub, and felt I would have shorter runs using this approach, as well as make valuable space for the plumbing. Originally the tub was resting on an 8" platform. I will be installing it on a 1" platform of rigid foam insulation, but that means the plumbing will have less space to run under / around the tub.
I had to recess into the floor to accommodate the trap for the lowered tub. It will have it's own feed into the tank, but there was not room to junction the sinks into this same inlet... the old one on the front side of the tub will remain. So I spent yesterday dry-fitting my drain lines.
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The middle branch from this "Y" fitting are to tie in to the black vent and re-route the vent to the same cutout in the roof (without sacrificing usable space like it was previously hung). The left will go to the bathroom sink and laundry standpipe. The right wraps around the tub for the kitchen.
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Space is tight where the circuit for the kitchen has to wrap around the bathtub. I haven't decided what to do about the wall that will contain the faucet and shower head mount. Was actually only one elbow short of mocking this section up.
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This section is in the furnace cavity under the fridge compartment. Needed to jog the line up around the exhaust port and through to the kitchen cabinet area. Once finished, I want to cement this branch, the bathtub drain and pass the pex supply lines through. Once they are routed, I am free to reinstall the furnace for good (and get it out of my way). One other issue is that my city water inlet is positioned behind the stove enclosure, so I guess I need to mate it to pex as well so I can proceed with my kitchen counter and get my stove installed.
What else have I started? Dropped the propane tank for clean-up, almost finished removing front seats so I can pull the nasty carpet.
That's the latest. Plumbing and electrical are the priority so I can start buttoning things up (toilet install, cabinet and closet framing), finish replacing ceiling and exterior wall panels.
Oh, and I still have a head swap and radiator service to tend to. July music festivals are fast approaching! Ugh... I'm worried.
Busy weekend...
Started cementing drain, laundry complete, but need to mock up bathroom and kitchen sinks. Need to finish bathtub fit and inject expanding foam to replace what I cut out from the floor.
Supply lines (city water inlet included) routed from laundry through kitchen.
Furnace ductwork routed, propane line connected, wired.
System monitor connected.
120V circuits completed: bathroom / kitchen, laundry, Air conditioning. Only outstanding circuit is entertainment area.
Kitchen counter mocked up for stove and sink clearances... verified that the underside of the sink drain will clear the hot water heater, so I can make a shallower countertop layout! :)clap (relocation of water tank allows for water pump and filters located between tank and wheel well, opening up center aisle).
Local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store had the perfect carpet for redoing my cockpit, and the perfect vinyl for lining my shower... awesome $45 spent! Got the front seats pulled, and almost ready to get the old shag out and start my head swap!
It's almost time for photo updates. Seems no one reads this but me though.
I don't know about anyone else, but your renovations keep me interested. Keep up the good work!! Rick
And that's no small feat for a member who's been here for that many years! :)clap
I have been watching, most of what you are doing is outside of my area of expertise so I am just watching and learning. Don't worry, we won't leave you.
Looking good!
I'm humbled... Y'all are my experts! I just have a habit of biting off more than I can chew. Thank you.
It's almost progress picture time again. One thing that may be helpful with my renos is that I will have much of it framed out without the paneling, which will be great for pictures. Just gotta get stuff done before I focus on getting stuff finished. (yeah... sounds like nonsense, but I think I know what I mean)
I've cut a smaller kitchen countertop that widens the center aisle by 8"... the counter will be 32" deep, almost matching the depth of the adjacent sofa bed. I got stuck envisioning how to frame it so as to clear the water tank YET support the sofa bed structure. I think I've got it though.
I had to remove the sofa bed yet again to focus on the cabinet and to start replacing the cockpit carpet. Hopefully by the time this next weekend is done, I will have the carpet replaced, cabinet and sofa bed done and cylinder heads swapped (hopefully a little easier to do with the buckets out of the way).
Progress…
The doghouse shape bothers me. First, I easily removed it, held only by four angle brackets. Second… the shape is odd.
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This is the part that was bolted to the floor. Notice it's about four inches deep. not only is it poorly made, but I always trip over it. I may not be able to enlarge the opening, but I can improve the design and make more room for my feet!
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And here finally… the carpet is out! (I think I'll leave the orange shag on the firewall).
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Was a good weekend...
I have an improved design of my doghouse that I'm working on... mocked it up yesterday.
I've put some carpet at the step into the cockpit so that I could reassemble the sofa bed... not much room to move in there otherwise. Here's a shot of the carpet I got! I love it!
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I've cut the floor opening from frame rail to frame rail, which is making the head swap much easier! My stepdad began the teardown yesterday with the intake and passenger-side head, while I worked on carpentry for the new doghouse. Gonna clean up the donors for the reinstall, which hopefully will get done by next weekend.
Oh, I powered up my system monitor only to decide that where I had mounted it was not practical. So I re-routed all the wiring to mount it above my electrical next to the bathroom. Finally, I believe that all my work by the furnace / fridge / stove is done... tired of uninstalling and reinstalling in order to run wires and stuff!
Groovy.
It's a little difficult to see, but the top level will screw into the firewall and floor. The lower level has been changed from a big box to a flat cover with the required clearances. Heck… if it doesn't work, I'll be building a new doghouse. But I think this will be great, and no more stubbed toes.
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Actually got some carpet glued down to the top faces of this, and prepped my used cylinder heads (brass wire brush) for reinstallation. I know I should do much more inspection and servicing of the heads, but they are temporary… not RB heads. Just hoping for bolt-on functionality so I can start enjoying the rig for this season! Hopefully this weekend will bring the engine back to life in a beautiful new doghouse!
I've finished the plumbing and LP. Only my fridge (Dometic RM760) is having issues not running properly on propane. All other core RV devices are working great! I only have a month before the music festival I'm attending, so have to pick my tasks. STILL have to do the engine head swap and get this thing running again after two years, as well as finish dealing with the walls all the way up to the cockpit. Not sure how that will progress. Thing is I want to make sure I have solid structure for the bunkbed and that the windows work and are properly sealed. Just want to get the bare minimum done to make that trip.
drawer/closet rebuild
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DWV, PEX Supply and filter install redone
Before:
DWV under tub requiring tub to be elevated
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Vent came up the middle of the floor inside the old vanity
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After:
Kitchen
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Under Fridge (of course the PEX lines are there, just not in this picture)
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Around Bathtub
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Under Vanity to Laundry and Vent (lines all crawl to the back of the new vanity, hug the walls and ceiling)
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Initial mock up of vanity
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If this engine is a totally unknown you may want to start thinking about those heads if your trip is coming up soon. You do not know what else you may find once you get it running. The powertrain can be a whole 'nuther can of worms!
It's not a complete unknown… I'm still friends with the P.O., and did hear the engine run. I'm quite certain the old heads were the fault it had. Just keeping my fingers crossed that it's all that's wrong.
Well I finally got the drivers side head removed to do the swap. The larger doghouse is lovely.
So I expected the drivers side head to be cracked like the passenger side was. New gasket and head should make it run normal, right? WELL...
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I had no idea that an engine could run like this. This was the first time since I bought it a couple years ago that I had been able to remove the head, and #3 and #5 were toast! UGH! I honestly did not expect that... feel dumb.
So now I've gotta seek out a donor or assess whether a new set of rods and pistons will suffice.
Bummer dude....You've done a ton of work on a class a motorhome with a toasty motor. I feel your pain. ??? Kick that PO in the butox
I sent him this pic this morning... but yeah, I felt like I was within a week of starting to drive it. It won't beat me. I will win this war. Since the engine isn't seized, I'm hoping the crank is okay. Cylinder bores look alright at a glance. So I could just replace the pistons, rods and rings...
Mind you, I also said "I'll just swap the heads" after I assessed the passenger side.
Those cylinders look real shiny, a hone job at least depending on what a bore gauge says for the hole size. That looks like a real bad case of preignition. I would say someone dropped several nuts down the carburetor but the one is nice and smooth with a hole in it. I am guessing it smoked a bit when it did run?
Wow, the engine looks just even worse than mine ???
Thomas
It smoked a lot, Rick!
I pulled the two pistons tonight. There was a bit of damage to the underside of #5, but the cylinders, rods and crank looked very smooth. I've decided to just replace the two pistons (OEM, measured with caliper that it's standard bore), go with the replacement heads, and hope for a few good miles out of it this season. I just can't afford a full rebuild.
Has anyone removed the oil pump and pickup from a 440RB? When I dropped the oil pan, there was coolant in the mix, sludge and metal left in the bottom, a burned smell… very dirty oil. Anyway, I could feel metal chunks trapped in the oil pickup. I want to clean it up. Looks like the pickup tube is friction fit. It was hard to see (dark) by the time I got the pistons pulled.
I think it was neglected, but I hardly felt any groove in the top of the cylinders… there's not much wear, just dirty. I think it will be fine!
The coolant is probably from the head removal but you said the other head was cracked, was it leaking coolant into the oil? Coolant has silicate in it. Think sand, it will destroy bearings. While you are there you may want to pull a main cap and see what the bearing looks like. What did the rod bearing look like on the ones you pulled? If the bearings are good then you should be alright. I am not going to give specific advice on the pump since it has been way too many years since I did a Dodge pump but usually most of them are two bolts to the block and the pump drops down. You may have to make a new gasket but that is no big deal.
the crank looked smooth and rotated nicely with the ratchet, and the rod bearings were smooth. Very encouraging.
Was there any copper showing on the bearings?
Quote from: Rickf1985 on June 24, 2015, 12:49 PM
Was there any copper showing on the bearings?
Not that I recall... it looks new. Gonna get all the numbers off the block tonight... maybe it was swapped in, and was a bad rebuild. It doesn't look worn at all.
The holes in the pistons look like they are probably from the timing being to far advanced and it was pinging and it was ignored. You can get away with a little pinging but constant pinging, or preignition as it should be called, results in just what you see there. Were the valves all in one piece?
I suspect it overheated first, and was neglected, coupled with advanced timing and coolant entering the charge. I don't know if this head with the broken pistons was cracked or not, but the coolant in the air cleaner suggests it was also backfiring and circulating through the air horn. The head and valves were intact and seemed to operate fine… the engine ran like this. I'm still amazed. Oh well, with new heads and gaskets (and two used stock pistons from a hot rodder), I think it will be fine.
Here's all the chunks of metal in the oil pan,
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and all the chunks of metal I cleaned out of the oil pickup (threaded tube into an internal journal, external pump, seemed to do its job, as it was all under the screen).
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Decided I will degrease the engine while I clean the oil pan and prepare for reassembly. Will try to give it a fresh shot of paint to make working under there a little more bearable. In the meantime, I got another piece in the mail today for my cabin concept… an electric TV lift for my desk / mobile music studio! I wish I had waited, in hindsight, had I known I'd have these current engine issues.
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Lowered, my TV will fit lower than the window. Raised, it should extend very near to the top where the upper cabinets will be! It's possibly the perfect solution for my desk concept. I had struggled with designing my workspace, and mocking up other discrete solutions! The best thing is that it is lightly used, so didn't cost me the exorbitant retail amount. From the States, including shipping, was a most excellent deal… maybe a third of the price of a new one!
Gives me something to smile about for now while I wait to obtain pistons that match my old ones.
Time is running out. Still optimistic.
Before I go on with my story, two questions:
1) Any tips for removing a rad from an M400 chassis? Apollo owners maybe?
2) Anyone try anything stupid like the engine repair I'm doing, in only doing a partial engine rebuild? (My friend said to think of it like an extreme oil change).
So after my buddy put out the call on a local Facebook group, he decided to buy a seized 440-3 as a winter project for his hot rod. He tore it down, and I picked up his 8 pistons and my 2 pistons last night. Part numbers match. Only one of his pistons were seized, and there are a few good candidates to replace mine. My price… to pay a shop to press off the pistons for my buddy, and get them to replace a couple onto my rods. Gonna get it done today, and hopefully reinstall them tomorrow! I'm hoping they can transfer my rings to the new pistons so I won't have to worry about any work to the two cylinders.
Only had a couple hours last night to try to pull the rad, which was unsuccessful. I tried to pull it out the bottom, but the lower mounting brackets would not wiggle past the frame. It seems the only way for me to remove it is up through the doghouse. That is fine… my doghouse mods will make it easier, though I now have to remove the fan. Tomorrow is a holiday, so removing the fan, removing the rad and reassembling the engine (pistons, oil pump pickup, heads, intake) is on the to-do list.
In the midst of this, I've decided I'm unhappy with the application of my wall and ceiling panels using Liquid Nails… I feel like I needed a more aggressive adhesive. I was never secure with the installation of my bunk bed over the cockpit, and so decided to go ahead with the demolition and remove the interior panels in the front half of the rig. What I found was a few 1" thick blocks floating loose in recesses in the foam insulation. There was certainly only foam that the bunk was able to bite into. Also true of some blocking holding the lower fibreglass forward of the entry door. Once I've installed new blocking by screwing it to the frame itself, and trimmed out the insulation, I'll prepare all the remaining interior panels and recruit a half dozen people to power through hanging all the interior panelling in one fell swoop! I figure that a 4'X8' sheet (pre-cut for openings) would probably take a team of two people about 30 minutes to dry-fit the panel, apply the contact cement to the panel and insulation, and apply about 5 minutes of contact pressure to set the panel, allowing proper bracing for curing, etc. The walls will be easier, as the tops have a recess that will hold the panels, and window frames will also apply pressure. If I'm right, six of us could repanel the entire interior in about four hours.
With music gigs Friday and Saturday nights, It will be a busy week. July 15th is the day I need to get it on the road.
I think what you are doing is totally within reason with one exception, use NEW rings! The old ones will never reseat. Even if you do nothing more than scuff the cylinders with medium emery cloth a little do use new cast iron rings. They will have more tension and a better chance of seating than the old ones. Stuff a bunch of rags in the bottom of the cylinder before the scuffing so nothing gotes on the crankshaft, wrap the crankshaft in paper towels or rags too. You cannot be too clean in that area.
Yeah use new rings... :)ThmbUp
Another one for new rings. :)ThmbUp
A suggestion, and I would appreciate Rick's opinion here, is to soak the rag you use for the crank in motor oil and wring it out before covering the crank. May help trap shavings, especially when removing the rag.
Excellent... I'm glad the response is unanimous. I know my task is full of red flags and hope, but if the rings is one not to ignore, I'll try to rectify that. So thank you guys! Tomorrow is Canada Day, so I may have trouble finding rings. Need two oil pan gaskets and exhaust gaskets too.
Quote from: TerryH on June 30, 2015, 05:47 PM
Another one for new rings. :)ThmbUp
A suggestion, and I would appreciate Rick's opinion here, is to soak the rag you use for the crank in motor oil and wring it out before covering the crank. May help trap shavings, especially when removing the rag.
Can't hurt and when you take the rags out of the cylinder spray down the cylinder with a
little carb cleaner first to rinse the stuff into the rags then push them up from the bottom so all the stuff comes out the top. Wipe the cylinder down good with solvent of choice and then take the rags off of the crankshaft. Do not forget to put some oil on the cylinder walls and on the piston and rings when installing. Same with bearing. I will usually use STP or Motor Honey for this since it sticks around for a bit while starting the engine. Keep in mind you are going to have smoke for quite a while both from the new rings but mostly from all of the oil in the exhaust system from the blown pistons.
Didn't get the pistons done yet, and didn't have much time to work today. But I bought gaskets for the exhaust manifolds, windage tray and oil pan, and grabbed an oil filter. While at the RV, I finally made progress.
First, in pulling the rad through the doghouse, I removed the clutch fan. My buddy noted that he anticipated a problem as the front of the clutch was dirty / greasy. The shaft had a wobble and bearings not smooth. One contributor to overheating problem?
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Luckily, he had a donor from a 318… just gotta install my seven-blade in place of the five-blade it sports.
Next was pulling the rad out through the doghouse. Finally, I could remove the rad cap and eyeball the condition inside. Well, it seems that it had very poor flow… quite clogged!
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I knew I would have to get it in to a shop to have the top cap repaired, but now I'm hoping it can be cleaned and repaired. It's quite clear to me that this rig definitely overheated. Fixing these two things and installing new heads and gaskets will restore my faith. Proper ignition timing will make the rig run happily.
I have rehearsal tomorrow night and gigs Friday and Saturday, so Sunday is the day. My stepdad is going to find shops to take care of the pistons and rad for me. I'm relieved to have found these problems today and hopefully able to rectify them this weekend.
Looks like the rad needs to be replaced, as I'm getting quotes for like a grand to repair! That's stupid, right? Replacement in the "remote wilderness" of a city with a quarter million people, replacement quotes are in the same range! ARGH!
You should be able to find an aluminum replacement for less than 200. Just need to do some home work with measurements an all that. This has definitely turned into a new owner fixing someone else's abuse. Keep up the positive :)ThmbUp
Enjoy reading and seeing your progress - keep going!
As an aside on the pistons - I had an old A-318 ("poly") in an old Dodge PowerWagon that blew a piston... the compression pressure blew out valve cover gaskets and she smoked like crazy, but ran for many miles and won some mud bogs. Cracked head was the culprit.
Note - be sure you account for those extra cooling passages in the 440-3 heads when replacing the head gasket!
I just replaced my fan clutch - the old one looked about like yours in the picture; replacing it is a great idea.
I also recommend getting an aluminum radiator, they work so much better! (and are so much cheaper!) I had a new big 4-core radiator (copper) for a big motor, and it still ran hot. With a 2-row aluminum (the passages are bigger in the aluminum rad I got) that is 2/3 the size, I now run a 190* F t-stat year round and she stays just below half on the gauge. Always.
If you have a fabrication shop nearby, they should be able to relocate opening and/or make the mounts so a 'generic' rad will fit... I doubt you'll find one listed for your MH. My advice - find one that has the openings where you need them, the rest is fab-able.
Great work!
Well today, I leave for the music festival. Though the effort was valiant, I'm shopping for a tent.
I ended up with a recore that cost me almost $800 :( That was the going rate out here. But the guy is a family friend, and rushed the job after trying to salvage my old one. He wasted his own time before we had to go with the recore.
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So this last weekend, I got the pistons fixed, installed, finished all engine reassembly, dropped the radiator back in, and finally reinstalled the driveshaft that was removed when it was towed… mechanically back in order. But initially there was no response in the start circuit. Did I mess up some wiring? It took much time, but I finally remembered the Neutral Safety Switch at the gear selector. I had moved the armrest where the selector is installed in order to remove the last of the rotten wall panelling. The linkage was frozen to the arm, and the cable could not properly push the transmission into Park. Moving the gearshift through the range of gears did not loosen the arm, rather snapped the cable $@!#@! .
At least I was able to manually shift it into Park, and finally got the Start circuit woken up. But My stepdad feels the puny old battery, even though jumped by my two house batteries, did not have the power to turn the starter fast enough to fire. So when I return from the festival, I will get a new starter battery, get it started and timing set, block flushed and then finally reconnect the rad.
Paint the tanks flat black with stove paint or high heat paint. It will help to dissipate heat. I am surprised it did not come painted. Hopefully the fins are painted. They generally use a special paint for radiators but plain copper is not going to cool well.
Anybody Know What Happened to This Member and This Project?
If you are asking about Sasktrini I see by his profile that he was on yesterday. Why don't you send him a PM?
I've been around. Just busy. On the up side, I played music professionally almost each weekend until about mid September. On the down side, I worked very little on the motorhome. Weather has been cooperative, and I've been back on task. However, my focus shifted back to the interior, hoping to complete insulating and panelling the walls and ceiling. Success there will allow me to keep working even in freezing temperatures.
Stay tuned for pics. The last couple months have included:
- Why don't my batteries charge with the solar? I'm tired of having to jump start my generator. And why is the generator malfunctioning? I need to run tools, lights and heat! (I think it's resolved, but the paragraph describes the confusion that kept me from progressing more)
- The trials of hanging hardboard panels with contact cement in marginal conditions (furnace to make application warm enough)… and "whoa… my eyeballs feel like they are melting" moments!
- Framing in a closet, reconfigured to include a pair of sliding pegboards (double-roller drawer glides salvaged from a commercial filing cabinet)
- Framing in my media desk, including the TV lift stand and retractible desktops (again using same double rollers)
Thats about it for now.
:)ThmbUp
LINKS:
the closet rebuild story
http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11879.msg68920.html#msg68920 (http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11879.msg68920.html#msg68920)
the custom media desk
http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11881.msg68934.html#msg68934 (http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11881.msg68934.html#msg68934)
custom overhead cabinets
http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11903.msg69142.html#new (http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11903.msg69142.html#new)
Let's talk electrical. What's transpired since I got the motorhome two years ago, related to the coach electrical?
1) cleaned up the battery bay wires.
2) bought and installed 150W 10A solar panel system
3) bought and installed a used 3000W inverter
4) bought and installed a used Generac 5500W 50A generator
5) relocated all my electrical panels by the generator bay
Lately, I decided I better tame the interior wiring mess.
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This corner of the bathroom will be an isolated cavity, accessed from the hallway, and protected from water and moisture hazards. Notice above the door, I've left a cavity in my framing for allowing my wire runs to pass to the drivers side (kitchen, fridge, furnace, etc.). That was an afterthought… I originally built a normal door header there with no cavity. Started panelling the exterior so that the mess of wires could be properly corralled.
See the door on the bottom? I cut down some steel mesh from a larger door, and replaced the broken panel from this one. gave it a shot of some rust paint, and voila!
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Behind there, where my coach 12VDC enters from the posts in the generator bay, is where my (from bottom up) inverter, converter and separate 120VAC breaker panel are.
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Above my battery switch (to disconnect the converter main from the battery bank) is an idea I got from one of ClydesdaleKevin's (I think that's who) posts… using a rated switch rather than an automatic switching relay… to select the 120VAC source for the converter… the inverter or the shore line (which is set up to plug into the shore or the generator). Thanks for the idea!
** EDIT It was DaveVA78Chieftain… thx… http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,9224.msg47465.html#msg47465 (http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,9224.msg47465.html#msg47465)
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Up above are the system monitor and the thermostat. Still have some wiring to run, but this little task is making my RV look a little more complete!
It's December, and we are still getting temperatures above freezing! Good thing!
Yesterday, I resolved a problem with my furnace… the main burner stopped firing a few weeks ago, and I wasn't yet done with my interior wall panelling repairs… my kitchen wall had not taken well previously using liquid nails. I stripped the panel off, but it was too cool to use contact cement. I had to remove the furnace from the housing and I checked everything electrical, before finally opening up the gas line to the burner. I found the propane orifice feeding the burner was coated with soot. A quick brushing of the jet, reassembly and… voila! So I have spent the rest of the weekend working on stuff!
With the kitchen wall repaired, I replaced the lower cabinet, ran some wiring for lights and 110VAC, finished some interior panelling by the stove, and planned out my overhead kitchen cabinets.
Placing my hood vent and marking the height requirement, I realized my kitchen overheads were about an inch lower than in the living space. Also, I had made my shelf framed with 2"X2" sticks. But over a 5' span, it flexed under weight. I decided that I would build my drivers side cabinets (kitchen and living) around a 2"X4" roughly 9' long as the base for the whole run. Now it supports the microwave oven that was previously there (which works, as I tested my outlet, so I may take some popcorn next time).
So since I'm happier with the shelf in the new overhead cabinet design, I will rethink my plans for finishing my living space overheads.
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It's getting closer and closer every day! I'm very close to finishing all the interior structural work, and can start enjoying bonfires with my leftover lumber! As the structural gets done, I can focus on panelling and permanently mounting all my electrical fixtures… it's quite gratifying, installing your finish panels, isn't it?
My structural list:
Living Area
- Desk \ Media centre: 95%
- Sofa Bed: 95%
- Overhead Cabinet: redesigning, was complete… now 80%
Utility Area
Bathroom Area
- Walls: 95%
- Vanity: 70%
- Bathtub: 80%
Kitchen Area
- Fridge \ Furnace \ Pantry: 100%
- Stove \ Sink \ Lower Cabinet: 95%
- Upper Cabinet (extending into Living Area): 60%
As 2016 approaches, progress... Actually will claim that structural means framing. I may not get to finish paneling and trim til later. I still have a few electrical odds and ends to finish, so I will panel much later.
I've made a decision about my sofa bed. The right "armrest" or side is bolted in to the kitchen cabinet. The entire base unit is too cumbersome to work with. So the framing estimate has changed because I am building a speaker box and pull out drawer as a separate base for the left "armrest". You will see what I mean soon.
Also put some thought into seating for my desk. I know storage is important, but I'm a drummer. What better than to use cajones for seating... and then when a campfire jam breaks out, I have a drumset to sit on! I'm not a good cabinet maker, but these turned out okay, sound-wise. Basically my speaker box will use the same construction design (using MDF instead of birch ply), so maybe it's good practice.
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For framing, pretty much all that remains is the wall between the bathroom and laundry (which includes an electrical riser or cavity where most of the wiring snakes out from) and to do the bathroom lower cabinet and vanity.
As far as wiring goes, I had a couple stereo amplifiers kicking around, and I decided to mount them on the wall behind the TV lift. So I will have to figure out my speaker and subwoofer locations and run the speaker wires to them. Before I finish paneling, I will have to run aisle lighting and possibly another 12VDC outlet or two. Lighting is basically done now, and I'll have to supply some wiring for LP & CO alarms.
Finally... My 12VDC battery bank is done. One battery does okay, but even it seems to overwhelm my converter charger. While the generator is running, and I know my battery isn't full, it seems that the fan won't stay running (which I assume means it's not charging)... I will ask this in another post specific to that topic. Anyways, expecting to spend money on batteries soon.
Oh... also on the list of stupid lessons I didn't want to learn firsthand... yeah, I never drained my fresh water tank when I had filled it with dilute bleach and water... yes, I ran it to test my fresh lines... now after several weeks of freezing temperature, I have a big swollen fresh water tank and a broken water filter canister. So far, it hasn't made much of a mess. But I'm applying gentle heat, hoping enough melts that I can pump a little water out at a time. Hopefully I can make some room in that tank so that nothing bursts.
Oh well... carrying on with those things I can make progress on.
My structural list:Living Area
Utility AreaBathroom AreaKitchen Area
- Fridge \ Furnace \ Pantry: 100%
- Stove \ Sink \ Lower Cabinet: 100%
- Upper Cabinet (extending into Living Area): 100%
Winter… the kind like they had in Minneapolis for the Seahawks / Vikings game Sunday… is finally here! I haven't spent as much time at the RV as usual, but I've made a lot of progress… mostly at home.
1) The split-base sofa bed / subwoofer speaker box… built! Challenge before was that I had to disassemble and move around a 6-foot sofa, to do any work, and though I could easily screw the one side into the kitchen cabinet framing, the cockpit-side did not have good points to secure it to. Now, a couple blocks under the subwoofer box will make it easy!
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2) Framing is 98% complete! Basically finished the bathroom walls, and only have the bathroom vanity dimensions to sort out! Next time I'm out there, I can unload all the lumber, panelling, insulation, etc. in to the shed and / or firepit!
Even did a little panelling! A few years back, my brother re-did his basement, which included several wall panels that my nephew treated as canvas for his psychedelic expression. Well a couple of his panels became sliding closet doors and my entrance wall! The rest of the rig is being panelled with white hardboard, so these panels are going to really pop, yet not overpower the rig! I'm proud of my nephew, and he did help a bunch with demolition and hanging panels while rebuilding the walls and roof.
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3) Finally, I've given up on restoring the two 12V Marine / RV batteries. I'm going to take them to the local Interstate store and exchange them for a pair of golf cart batteries on Friday! I already have a replacement chassis battery, so the battery bank will be brand new this year! I expect it will cost me about $350 CAD for the pair after core refund and taxes.
That's all for now.
Love the last picture. Kind of reminds me of the way most of us feel, most of the time, trying to figure out "WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS OWNER THINKING" when we're trying to restore these old girls. D:oH! :)ThmbUp
Quote from: LJ-TJ on January 12, 2016, 09:35 AM
Love the last picture. Kind of reminds me of the way most of us feel, most of the time, trying to figure out "WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS OWNER THINKING" when we're trying to restore these old girls. D:oH! :)ThmbUp
I was thrilled that the dimensions of that panel suited the wall of the closet where it would feature! My "hippie nephew" does inspire me! I really wanted to close in that wall so I could protect some wiring I had run, and mount my outside light switch and thermostat. The closet doors were a bonus. At the end of the day, if I go a different direction with the closet doors, I'll be fine with that. But I think this graffiti wall will stay, even if the rest of the interior looks a sterile white!
I don't think there will be any more crazy surprises in my design. That said, this remodel will double as a mobile music studio. I think my nephew's artwork will make the rig rock! Looking forward to doing some clean up this weekend and taking some better pictures! Thanks for the compliment!
Finished spreading clear coat on my cajons / desk chairs, and here they are nested for transport.
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We almost broke the freezing mark yesterday, and it was my day off, so I changed my focus a little.
I updated my battery bay thread… that was my first task… I thought I might need the engine battery to jump start my generator, and I tidied things up relating to my isolator.
Fired up the furnaces and heaters, trying to relieve the pressure on my frozen fresh water tank.
With the coach warm, I decided to clean and finish carpeting the cockpit, and had enough carpet left to do my entrance steps over my battery bay. I thought about using spare vinyl, but thought that carpet would provide better traction and insulation from the cold. Dropped in my seat bases in the cockpit while it was easy to find the old mounting holes through the floor. I used the heavy duty contact cement, so it was a bit fumey.
I haven't taken pictures of the results yet… I jumped right into sorting out my dash electrical. recall the before:
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What we have going on here is
1) broken panel… accessory switch section broken, switches are missing, heater controls are glued in to a separate piece of acrylic, car stereo section doesn't exist, does not properly secure to the dash
2) a set of mechanical gauges and a fuel gauge were added for me to hit my shin on. The previous owner wasn't even certain if they worked, indicated fuel gauge on the dash didn't work
3) I can see the wires behind the switches are complete chaos, surely the fuel tank selector switch has been improvised… yup. And the other mechanical gauges… yeah, connected with speaker wire, some to the unfused side of the fuse panel… at least it was on the run-circuit.
4) Stereo wiring… haven't quite sorted that out, but it too was patched in with dangerous splices and fuse panel taps.
My intention is to replace this panel. My initial thought was to make it out of luan panel, but once I got the old one out, I see the reliance on acrylic and backlighting the instrument panel. So I'm again not sure what solution I will find. Photos to come later (maybe a separate thread).
Well I don't know if this is a help of a hindrance. I had a similar problem with all my gauges and after hours of pissing around I said the heck with it and build my own panel.One thing I wanted was GOOD made in the U.S. gauges so after look for a while I settled on Autometer. I love them. BUT when I went to buy them there not cheep. So I started looking on Kijiji, E-bay and Craig's list. An interment panel that should have cost me over a thousand dollars ended up costing me $400.00 dollars and worth every penny. Now some might call it over kill but it sure is nice to cruse along and be able do a system check. I ended up with two fuel gauges, Volt gauge,Vacum gauge,Oil pressure,Oil temp, Trans Temp,Water temp.Tach.and Fuel Pressure, Hm?
I definitely read your instrument cluster thread… a few times! A thing of beauty!
I'm already on my way to eliminating the mess though. Found and repaired a few broken pins on the cluster, which feed the fuel gauge, hi-beam indicator and the left turn indicator. Can't tell in this picture, but the pin on the far left was loose and feeds the temp gauge.
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A few pins (and salvaged the originals out of the harness), a bit of solder… and we have continuity!
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There is a little unit underneath with idiot lights for low oil level, low coolant level, low tranny level and a tranny temp gauge, so that's pretty good. If I get them all working, the only gauges I don't have are vacuum and a voltmeter (fuel pressure and a tach, and we'd be tied!). Somehow, I may be able to fit them in the factory space. (Hmmm let's talk about that).
I wanted to make the dash face with wood, but I think I would sacrifice dash lighting and believe I must rebuild the acrylic panel the way they did. It will give me some flexibility (and better craftsmanship… you don't wanna know how many holes were misaligned for mounting the components).
The switches… I think I can make some room if I relocate the ICC Courtesy and Fuel Tank switches to the other side (where the fuel gauge and light switch is… makes sense). Also, I have a Generac panel with Hobbs meter, so I think I could get them to fit there better.
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On that side, I think the clock is useless.
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I also think I might be able to skootch the indicator light panel to the left a little to make room for a gauge or two.
But now I'm stuck, contemplating how to work with acrylic sheet (and figure out how much that will cost. But you can see the dash is crap. Too many things poorly mounted, causing failures, and making P.O.s try to put in bandaid fixes.
That's where I'm at today.
(Mark, do you think it would be possible to move the posts from January 23rd forward to a new topic specific to Dodge Dash panels / instrument clusters or projects? I'm near finished, and it may help)
While I've got the dash apart and fixing things, I recalled this topic / upgrade on older Dodge clusters using mechanical voltage regulators / limiters, and did the deed.
Allpar link: [size=78%]http://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/electrical2.html (http://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/electrical2.html)[/size]
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Using some leftover Luan, I made a couple templates and experimented with the layout of the new dash panel. I'm not happy with the upholstery adhesive, and have spent the last week and a half using a variety of adhesives and clamping methods… seems like I will just have to install this thing and hope the installed devices will hold the vinyl in place. Anyway…
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I decided to lose the clock and locate headlight and ICC courtesy light controls above the vent, and the fuel tank selector near to where the fuel gauge is in the cluster. Skootched the transmission panel over a little which gave me room for wiper, washer and overhead blower switches.
Then I have a bunch of room for my generator switch, aisle light switch, heater controls, aftermarket gauges, and eventual stereo.
I cut up the old acrylic dash to retain the backlit labels. I've only so far been able to get them to stick to the wooden dash with construction adhesive (like you hang drywall on framing with). But I'm not sure how well it will work out. I may eventually have to redo the entire dash with acrylic and paint out all the markings similar as the factory would have done.
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Oh yeah… though I am losing the white-face mechanical gauges that were mounted under the edge of the dash, I did grab a voltmeter and tachometer from Princess Auto. Also redid the wiring loom for the instrument panel lights, and moved the 12V lighter socket to the lower console.
Today, hoping to reinstall.
:)ThmbUp :)ThmbUp
Thanks... got most of it put back together!
The pictures don't do it justice (or just reveal imperfections).
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2F7A83E698-9016-418B-940B-E21AD4C05FE2.jpg&hash=389ec09eb8d954e20d24634da5a670a96c1f4cd4)
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2F2877CCD7-7FA3-4D70-9DA2-2566A87EB129.jpg&hash=80488b9d5793a21e8a540d0ba570378df6c6e462)
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2FD1523B34-73BB-4B6E-98E8-A0AD4BF37E7C.jpg&hash=42e26af7173f7eed15ae75ebd067b4ac35cc7963)
And the console:
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2FB45C655F-9C9E-4D3B-9BE0-540CF50B0105.jpg&hash=c9c5774a6ea8d56e1ad2c78416aa5537cc259c13)
It's been a while. I'm now full-time in my partially-constructed motorhome. Tripping over tool boxes, trying to deal with mini-projects in order to eliminate the clutter. One unplanned mini-project... pressure switch wiring on my water pump rotted, so I've bypassed it until I can get a new switch.
Anyway, part of my clutter attack is to finish the cockpit, and the wooden dash was not working... everything I tried to cement to the rear was falling off. And I wanted to finish my wiring and button it up for good. So I had to bite the bullet... $120 for a 2'X4' sheet of acrylic, hours with a Dremel, plastic shavings everywhere... I redid my template.
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2F27D8A400-EC92-4162-8CE2-D13B89873522.jpg&hash=0affdf0b5c657961548d43f3fa35985fc751c988)
I've painted both sides white, mounted all the instruments and backlights with double-sided tape, and am happy with the results. I am still troubleshooting electrical, so progress pics to come. In the meantime (since I'm finishing wiring), I added a stereo.
Also I am finishing the new doghouse / console... gotten some good ideas here. I cut a wedge for the doghouse to clip under and hold it down. Few pics...
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2F13EBEF25-3347-4070-8444-99958AF00C60.jpg&hash=478d51a15bbcdaa3a88cf3f0dd312ed460a3edb8)
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2F61154965-81EB-4D23-8875-D44F8B2D83FC.jpg&hash=fd141048c29b90ab3690eec08ebf4842b33bbad5)
What else have I been up to? Oh, finished my "laundry room" by venting through a stack into some perforations I drilled into the generator bay (just need to add a deflector to route the dryer air directly out the grille in the compartment door).
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2F4AE3A177-E136-4404-897F-1C7C0F8106F2.jpg&hash=b0bcb2c21b662304bc781a2b599454908e730152)
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2F61EBA967-728E-42FE-8B05-66337E3C3699.jpg&hash=826f17492c5eb0b122dc57bb6950ba0ad8b47006)
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2F083D360D-CC5A-4169-AA3D-86FE0419E52D.jpg&hash=cfc63bcac9ef74e0e0d5506261786962e7f6aab4)
Still have to finish the cockpit and interior paneling and trim... it's coming together.
Oh... 150W Solar, new golf cart batteries, inverter... I've been able to run with that for three weeks, and only needed the generator a few hours... I'm quite comfortable in that regard, and glad I did the electrical upgrades!
finished trimming the layout.
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi291.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll314%2Fsasktrini%2F79%2520Diplomat%2520MH%2FC9C18977-D2FE-4B84-B166-1655667BEF57_1.jpg&hash=8f185e37546451ac7b6a3bb97c11d3ee13af2b6b)
Mice = no sleep!
I'm real frustrated that I've taken residence while still needing to finish construction. However, I have an opportunity to do some other things better. Particularly, I've seen a few threads where mice have used insulation around stoves and ovens for nests. I also learned late last night that it is a freeway from under-cabinet to counter-top. So since I have a bit more wiring i want to run in the kitchen, I'm going to remove and clean the stove, enclose the cavity in the counter (cut off their access to the countertop), and doublecheck any access they may have to my pantry.
Just when I was making such good progress on my bathroom. I have a couple sunny days, and so will clean everything (mostly construction mess) out tonight, and deal with this ish!
Corey
And poison or trap the mice!
Never thought that a motorhome was so small that one mouse could seem like many... because it was everywhere in no time. Only trapped one, and have been on a mission.
Decided I could seal up all electrical openings as the wiring is done... double-checked everything. I pulled the fridge, furnace, pantry and stove and dealt with it all. It was actually sealed up pretty good with my previous work, but I definitely wanted to cut off access via the stove. So I boxed it in, applied all my finish panels, and permanently mounted all the appliances!
Always wondered before why sometimes stoves were boxed in... now I know!
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I got my engine parts, but weather was a little soggy this weekend. But I am 95% done all the coach work! Replaced the pressure switch in my water pump, added a switch for my toilet pump, added 12V plug and RGB LED strips, and hope to finish my paneling tonight!
Last couple days... no unwanted tenants larger than spiders (well there was a moth)! I'm pretty happy, and have a supply of traps! VERY CLOSE TO DONE! Music festival a little over two weeks away... gotta finish!