This all began in February 2015 when I bought this unit . I searched for months and settled on this C class MoHo for $4000 Canadian dollars , knowing it needed some work. It had fairly low mileage considering it was 29 years old and at that time , it seemed to be solid.
The original plan was to clean it up , replace the tires , make sure it was safe , all of the onboard equipment working , use it that summer and go from there.
Not all plans go as intended , I'm a bit OCD , projects can go well beyond budget and often , attention to detail means , it takes a great deal more time to get things right.
It started like this........... unit arrives home , after a trip through the car wash bay for a good exterior scrubbing .
I visit the tire shop and order up six new Michelin tires and six new rims , they mount and balance , I take them to go , I'll install on the rig later.
The upholstery has seen better days , was probably nice when this unit was new , that was long ago . There is wear and tear , the dinette seats are torn , there's a bit of a lingering aroma that could only be removed by replacing old stinky fabric and cushions. I pulled all of the cushions & curtains out and make a trip to the upholstery shop , drop all of that stuff off and pick out the material to be used , arrange for all new foam , window valances to be recovered and new curtains made. The upholstery guy isn't the fastest worker I've ever met so I knew I had time to get on with the rest of the makeover. Meanwhile , my sweetie gets busy with scrubbing and cleaning the walls , ceiling and cabinets .
The cassette / radio that was in the dash was a low grade , budget model , out with that , followed by a drive to the electronics store , where an Alpine deck , J&L audio , amp , speakers and sub woofer was purchased because , I love music and ......... you gotta have good tunes. The install went well , took a couple of days due to my O.C.D.
I decide the linoleum flooring looks a little aged , so I make a visit to Home depot and purchase half a dozen boxes of traffic master vinyl interlocking flooring planks , they're 100% waterproof , look great , are easy to work with and inexpensive . The install went well , the flooring is glued down with PL400 Premium . I figured that the new floor would look great with oak base board / 1/4 round trim throughout and give it a finished , professional look.
The water system needed a real good flush , I wanted to have a clean , fresh supply of water. Once I was done with flushing the water system , I realized that the 29 year old pump sounded kind of funny , which led to me buying a new one , as well as installing a strainer , a filter canister and replacing 95% of the also 29 year old gray "pex' piping.
The counter top , constructed of OSB and arbourite , was delaminated and chipped in a few spots , looked crappy so I pulled it off , removed the sinks , range and ancient water heater. I was thinkin , I like the look of Butcher block , the quickest solution to that was obvious while I was shopping at Lowes , they just happened to have a smokin deal on Bamboo counter tops , one of which ended up in my cart while picking up plumbing supplies.
I decided that a new water heater with electronic control would be a wise addition to my newly replaced water system , as well as a new toilet . New kitchen taps , a new city water inlet with pressure regulator were also replaced. I had the fresh water holding tank out for a better look and to replace the drain valve which was broken off , I replaced the fill neck , cap and hose too . At this point , the water system was good to go.
I picked up a fan hood motor for above the range because the old one sounded rough , why not ? , the hood was off for the backsplash install , which is something else I found at Lowes.
The 110 volt AC circuits needed nothing , I did update two of the outlets to GFI , one by the kitchen sink and the one outside.
All of the interior lighting worked , I knew most of the time we would not be camping where power was available , so I updated the interior bulbs to L.E.D. , I found that I can buy the bulbs in bulk from a solar wholesaler so it was far cheaper than buying them as pairs in a bubble pak at the RV place. A couple of L.E.D. strips here and there added a nice accent to the interior lighting and as an added bonus , they draw very little current.
Another stop at Home depot got me seven new window blinds , the lady that I spoke to cut them to the correct width for me , once I had them fastened to the valances , I removed the excess blades to make em the right length which was easy to do.
This is how it looked before I began the make over....................
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The same angle , reno's to the inside almost done.
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After I was happy with how the inside was looking and the water system updated , I turned my attention to re sealing a few of the windows , updating the marker lights and dealing with some newly found issues on the exterior. I discovered the 3/4" plywood that skirts the lower portion of the exterior walls had some dry rot around the right rear corner and lower awning arm mount. Carefully peeling off the siding / skin revealed the extent of the rot , not a huge deal , I cut out all of it and replaced it , using about half of a sheet of 3/4" plywood and some 2x2's . A bit of angle iron was used to weld up a support frame behind and below the generator compartment , beefing that area up and strengthening the awning arm mount permanently. I had my glass guy over to install a new windshield , Since I'm not a fan of cracked glass .
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With Camping season well under way I had an Important event coming up that required the completion of repairs and reno's for now so I started on some tune up / maintenance work and electrical upgrades.....................
The electrical system on this RV was generally in good shape except the batteries , which I consider to be a consumable , meaning , they have a lifespan and can fail , usually when least expected . I wanted to start out with fresh batteries , an up sized alternator and back that up with some upgrades to protect all of the wiring and components.
The coach batteries were in bad shape , had evidence of being frozen at some point and the water inside looked like it had come from a swamp. The main battery under the hood was under sized , tired , would not maintain a charge or take much of a load and had paint pen markings on it like they do to parts at a salvage yard , leading me to believe that it was found at a junk yard . All three batteries went away , to be recycled .....
The repairs consisted of Replacing the main battery with a heavy duty Interstate and adding a second battery to the tray on the left side , it had the tray , the battery and wiring were not there. A buddy owns a starter and alternator shop so I had him build me a brand new 130 amp alternator , he also supplied all four of the new Interstate batteries , the two under the hood and a pair of six volt for the house batteries. I'm a mechanic , have been since high school , at the ripe old age of 61 , I've got a good handle on electrical so I updated and revised a number of areas , the house battery box , circuit protection , an auxillary fuse panel for added lighting and the new water heater , keeping in mind , future expansion / add ons. I decided that the two under hood batteries should be isolated from each other and used a pair of circuit breakers as well as a Cole Hersey smart relay to control and protect charging , circuit breakers to protect the sound system and the house circuits. The two 6 volt house batteries (Interstate GC2-XHD) are isolated from the main battery with a Cole Hersey constant duty solenoid and the circuit is also protected with circuit breakers . All the under hood breakers and relays are mounted on aluminum panels I made up , the cables n' stuff I built as well . The second battery that was added under the hood is for the entertainment system only and is charged when required by the alternator/ smart solenoid , what's cool about this smart solenoid is that , by adding a momentary pushbutton switch to the dash , you could , if necessary give yourself a boost without opening the hood , should the main battery for some reason become discharged.
Partway through the summer of 2015 , I added a 150 watt solar panel and a controller . Later , once I add another solar panel , I might add an invertor.
There's a generator compartment on this unit , I choose not to run one , using that compartment for storage instead. One thing I'd like to tweak yet is , the ability to charge the auxillary under hood battery with my solar panels , I'd like this to be selectable , with a switch.
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The main Battery , an Interstate MTP 65
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The auxillary battery , an Interstate SRM-24
I did a thorough tune up , consisting of , transmission service , rear end service , oil & filter , air filter , fuel filter , brake fluid flush , inspect belts and hoses , coolant replacement , charge AC , plugs , wires , cap & rotor , pcv valve.
We made our event , the third week of June that year and attended a few more functions , weddings n' such , went camping eight times , it was a great summer despite the frantic preparations throughout the spring. Way !!! more money than I had planned for was spent on this old girl but I'm happy with the results.
I was happy to see , once we started using this rig and going down the road with it , the AC works , the cruise control works , the down side ? a 460 has plenty of power :)clap at the cost of an unsatiable thirst for gasoline :( .
The rooftop AC works very well , the fridge started out working properly then halfway through the summer it went on the fritz and would only work on 110 , the propane would not ignite . It turned out to be the circuit board , once I had that changed out it's back to working great again. We live close to the mountains , winter comes early , summer is short , some evenings get chilly , the furnace has been working good too . Much to my surprise , with four propane appliances , fuel consumption is awesome !.
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WOW! :)ThmbUp Sure did a nice job. Looks great. :)clap
The summer of 2015 was a fun time , we learned a lot about our new rig and discovered some issues we were unaware of that required attention , water intrusion in the left rear corner ! . Water had been leaking into the wall near the left tail light and from the shower for quite some time , there are a couple of horizontal seams and the shower walls were constructed of plywood panelling that is covered with vinyl wall paper , a bad choice of construction material !!.. I decided to take care of it in the spring of 2016 before the season begins.
This is how 2016 started out
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The plywood panelling stripped , exposing the dry rotted structure. I'd say I caught it in time , it could have only gotten worse.
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Once the damaged area was exposed and the affected wood cut out , I wasted no time putting it back together.
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Insulated , poly vapour barrier , plywood - 1/4" sanded birch , fastened solidly with screws and staples , sealant applied to the seams , ready for the FRP panels.
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FRP panels , glued to the plywood.
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New vanity top , this was a piece of re - utilized Bamboo that was cutout for the range , new stainless steel sink and new faucets.
At this point , the pic shows the vanity top mocked up , I was still working on the back splash , trim and detail , as well as further work to the plumbing , in an attempt to remove the remaining bits of grey pex.
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Trim , mouldings , all sealed up and a bit more of the vinyl flooring plank material to finish up around the tub and toilet.
I used the same back splash material that was used behind the kitchen counter.
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I used this opportunity to do some repairs to the compartment below , where the black and gray water tanks are . Someone in the past had over tightened the flanges on the two gate valves and cracked the corners where the screws are. The floor had a small amount of water damage so out it all came ......... I junked all of it and bought two new valves and the associated piping and fittings.
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I built a new door for that compartment and re insulated the new plywood floor. An angle iron frame was constructed for the bottom of this compartment , strengthening and supporting the corner ,in addition to protecting the termination adaptor for my sewer hose connection.
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Got it all done in time for the May long weekend and got outa town to enjoy some hard earned days off.
And off we went for the summer of 2016......
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What's in store for 2017 ? , more camping, less repairs , a few events , a wedding or two , some fishing maybe.
great job :)ThmbUp
For this year we will be doing ................. all easy stuff that won't take much time .
Adding a second 150 watt solar panel ( already have the panel)
Inspecting wheel bearings and brakes , repacking front wheel bearings. ( have all supplies for this ) Brake job if needed
Four new shock absorbers.
Maybe repaint the Cab , there's a bunch of stone chips that are now small rust spots / blemish's , nothing serious and mostly on the hood.
A couple of other things that I have procrastinated on ....................
Tail lights , I hate them , they are cracked , I've glued them in an attempt to extend their life. These lights are over 20" long ! and about 5" high , the openings are framed in with 2x2 's . I have not found a supplier yet that can get me Tail lights that big so I will have to get creative , we'll see what I can come up with.
The long window in the bunk above the cab has two cracks , it's not leaking but needs to be replaced , and it's a pain in the bum to do. I guess I could pull it out , tarp the roof to keep weather and critters out and have one cut ........................... just have'nt got to it yet .
still a great looking rig
Thank's for the kind words fellas
Regarding your over bunk window, can't really tell from your photo, but based on 1986 should be relatively easy to replace.
Existing glass should be laminated.
Removal and replacement should not require frame removal.
Glass should come out in one piece, trace it onto a piece of luan or door skin (both cheap) and use that as a temporary. Take the existing in to have a new one cut - tell them you want the existing back (allows you to check for a miscut).
If you can take a close up photo of the frame from the outside I can tell you if and how this would work. Total time would likely be 2 to 3 hours in and out.
Thank's for the advice.
It's been a raging snow storm and arctic temps for a while , I have not been paying much attention to the MoHo , other than to monitor and charge my batteries.
I want to remove the frame for that long bunk window anyways , to re seal it , the butyl sealant dries out and it would be a good time to re seal that as well as the remaining windows that have not been re sealed since buying this rig.
Also.........
I need to find the vinyl moulding that holds the glass in , probably will buy a roll of it . Some of my other windows have a gap where the ends of this moulding meet , clearly , it has shrunk over the years. This Motorhome was built in British Columbia by a company that made several makes and models by various names , many of them shared features and floor plans. The windows on this one were supplied by a company called Hehr windows , based on the stickers that are still on the glass . I have searched the internet , found them , located a couple of pages of mouldings that they offer but still need to match it up and buy some. The window frames on my unit are brown , the vinyl moulding is also brown , not something that an RV place has on hand so I'll order it from Hehr myself. I have a glass guy that cuts laminated glass for the cranes I work on , replacement panels for cab windows .
Just been procrastinating , so it hasn't happened yet.
I've done this in the past many times.
5 gallon bucket with lid. Cut hole in lid for hair dryer. Put old window molding in bucket and warm it up then give it a stretch and put back in. You nay also after stretch soak in a tray of Armor All (hand lotion for Vinyl) to rejuvenate.
Gearhead: What is the plywood you put in the bath wall for repair? Thickness, brand, whatever. Looks like good stuff.
That plywood is 1/4" , sanded birch , it's actually an underlay panel for ceramic tile or vinyl flooring. Home Depot is where I got it . I covered that with FRP panels and used the adhesive they recommended. I figured the wall construction materials and methods chosen by the original manufacturer of this RV were wrong , based on how much rot there was . The FRP over plywood will last much longer , I'm thinkin , over time the rest of the motor home will rot and decay , the bathroom will still be standing .
I used a poly vapour barrier under the plywood , the white sealer that you can see applied to the seams is silicone . I bought the proper trim and panel edge mouldings that are supposed to be used with FRP installations. FRP is used in kitchens , car wash bays etc...... 100% waterproof , strong , tough and easy to work with . Perfect for a shower stall.
http://www.patriottimber.com/sureply-underlayment/ (http://www.patriottimber.com/sureply-underlayment/)
As soon as it warms up I'm gonna begin the work I have planned for the MoHo , the temps have gone back into the deep freeze and more snow has fallen , soon ( I hope) we can put away the winter parkas.
I will be installing my second 150 watt solar panel , I need to make room for it .
I am going to remove the TV antenna from the roof , there's a limited amount of real estate up there so the antenna goes , for the time being we don't watch TV in the motorhome , there isn't a TV . The antenna that's on there is one of those cheesy analog crank up ones , I doubt there is a signal that it could receive any more , it's taking up space on the roof so it has to go .
I might , down the road , look into re-visiting the TV watching option , I don't know enough about what I need to buy for a receiver ?, 12 volt TV ? , Inverter ? , 120 volt TV ? , DVD player ? , gotta do some research and decide , I'm open for suggestions on that. I only know it is not gonna be cheap to get outfitted for television / DVD watching.
The awning fabric is hurtin , has been repaired and it needs to be replaced , that's on order . I'm hoping to put a little bit more tension on the springs too , so it rolls up tighter.
I'm also going to buy another piece of Bamboo , there's two tables I want to make new tops for , the dinette and the small table in the lounge area at the rear corner.
I've almost made a decision on what tail lights I'm going to use , that needs to happen , the old tail lights are cracked and are cheap quality , for now , they are sealed up with glue and butyl tape.
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This is the larger of the two tables.
Spring is here , work has begun .
This weekend I got a bunch of things taken care of ..............
Four new Monroe gas magnum shock absorbers installed.
Front wheel bearings inspected and repacked.
Cleaned up and painted the hubs and rotors.
Installed Wagner severe duty brake pads.
Replaced the drag link/connecting tie rod and left tie rod , I use Moog parts for this , painted those parts too, set the toe in at .125".
Some observations from driving it for two summers and recently , while working on the steering , suspension and brakes.................
All of it was original , unmolested , Ford parts throughout .
The king pins had been replaced at 96,000 km , I found the receipt in with the documentation and manuals that were with the unit when I bought it.
The left tie rod end was bad , the rest of the steering linkage was worn but still serviceable , I chose to replace it all so it's tight .
Before , it needed constant correction to maintain position in the lane you were traveling in.
Still to do ....................
Inspect rear brakes and wheel bearings.
Carb kit and EGR valve ( I have all of the parts for this), all of the emissions equipment are intact and working on this vehicle , my plan is to keep it that way.
Add second Solar panel. ( I have all of the parts for this)
Awning fabric. ( I have the fabric )
Maybe paint the hood.
Still thinking about making two table tops.
The bunk window above the cab ? , low priority , but it will happen . I found a guy who wrecks/parts out old motor homes , he's got an old bus full of windows and adding more all the time , My plan is to find a match there , buy it and then install.
A bit more done today ......... rear brakes , wheel bearings inspected , brakes adjusted , park brake adjusted.
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Finished up the bench work on the carb rebuild , adjustments done to the choke , secondaries and accelerator pump .
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Tomorrow , put the wheels back on and torque , install carb , wet check of float levels .......... road test
And, of course, re-torque the wheels after the road test?
Always
I see I am not the only one who does the "Plywood driveway" thing. :D
It works for me. The rv pad is well compacted but I have my reasons for not pouring cement or laying down asphalt.
I live right next to a park , the neighborhood was built around 1975 . The city , without thinking things through , planted poplar trees around the perimeter of the park , well , most of them are poplar. One tree is next to my fence , the root system on poplar trees are extensive and very invasive . The roots from that tree are all through my yard , in my sewer and messing with my sidewalk. Every spring it showers my yard , house and my motorhome with sticky , messy buds . these things stick to everything and are a pain in the arse to remove. It's about to begin again .
This particular tree is doing very well as it has been feeding on my sewer line for about six years. These trees are known to cause problems with underground utilities , the city planners went ahead any ways , they must have got a good deal on them , they grow quickly etc , etc.............
I have mixed feelings about what to do , many of my friends tell me to poison the tree , I have not contacted the City about removing it but should . They know about it , I have them auger out my sewer about every 18 months or so ( on their dime) , they have been here numerous times and have video taped the sewer before and after running a cutter through the line on more than one occasion.
The tree is in the first picture at the beginning of this thread , on the other side of the fence , center of the frame.
The green space adjacent to my property has a soccer field , ball diamonds , a school . Because I don't have a neighbor on that side , It adds value to my property , privacy (sort of) and some greenery , this , of course includes that damn tree.
Roots won't find their way into a pipe that is not cracked, they are just following water. If you swap them out with new pvc drain pipe the roots won't find their way in anymore.
Agreed, I would think the town would have repaired the sewer lines by now. All they have spent on video and augering has cost much more than a repair job.
They have spent very little on video and augering so far , having been here a handful of times , it's a city crew that does the house calls . Replacing the line is a much larger deal to all involved . The roots are in the main as well , the maintenance crew have kept no secrets from me , there's a man hole in the alley behind the house , the city is well aware of problems caused by those trees. Eventually the line will have to be replaced , I'm not paying for it , or I hope not. They have documented the condition of the pipes , while I stood there and watched on the monitor , there have been repairs in the past , before I bought the house. There are two kinds of pipe , there is a "belly" (low spot) , you can clearly see the roots as the camera is pushed through the line. They are not real interested in doing a proper repair anytime soon and I'm not real keen on having my yard ripped up , the line runs below the deck and hot tub too. In my opinion the tree roots are going to have to be removed to achieve a long term solution. I've avoided any confrontation with them but It could potentially turn into a , me vs city hall dispute. They know they screwed up , planting poplars , there's no shortage of people that are facing problems with tree roots here.
Back on topic .........
Today the carb went back on , had a fuel leak at the cross over tube between the primary and secondary float bowls caused by an O ring , I had to pull the carb off to fix it . With that taken care of , a check of float level and idle speed had it running nice . Before the carb work , it would backfire out the tailpipe when you pulled in off the road and shut the engine off , that is not happening any more . It always smelled rich , was a pig on fuel and there was always a delay when starting , especially when cold. When I had the carb on the bench , I noticed one of the idle mixture screws was turned way out , the only thing holding it in was the friction of the O ring , the other mixture screw was set as you'd normally adjust them , 2 1/4 turns out (or so) . All three of the choke adjustments were out of spec and there was no voltage getting to the electric portion of the choke. The gasket below the EGR plate was burned out , someone had used a paper gasket instead of the correct heat resistant material. Several problems and things out of adjustment. Having been a former muscle car owner , I'm no stranger to Holley carbs , this one is working well now , all of the emissions equipment are intact too, both air pumps and related vacuum equipment are working properly.
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Nice, That was a lot of issues all at one time. Depending on where you are located you can probably eliminate most of that emissions stuff and lower the temps in the engine area substantially. It is an 86 and therefore exempt in most places.
Thanks Rick , as of right now , we have no emissions testing here in Alberta , and ............., the emissions stuff works , however , at the first sign of trouble I have a plan .
I should mention , I'm happy with how much power this engine makes but it is a little on the thirsty side , it's a 460 , not much you can do to get a significant improvement in mileage , sort of an , it is what it is thing..........
Stock carb is a Holley 4180C , for now It will do .
There are two air pumps and all of the associated plumbing , any trouble with the pumps will get dealt with by removing them .
I may , if it comes down to removal of emissions equipment , go with an Edelbrock intake manifold .
Stock , it has a single , mandrel bent 3" exhaust and a large , quiet muffler.
The heat riser / thermal / ducted air cleaner stuff all works as it should and it's quiet , I'd probably keep all of that , in the event of a manifold change out .
you are very lucky that you have no etest in Alberta, here in Ontario we not only have to be etested every two years , but we have smog police roving around doing spot checks & laying fines or impounding vehicles if any of the original smog equipment is missing or non functioning! = welcome to Ontario a !
I should say , I've been on the fence , about deleting or tossing away any of the emissions gear , testing ? , for now , it is not happening , is it coming in the future ? I don't know.
I wouldn't want to junk it all , and face fines if emissions testing becomes law here , or throw it all away and have to root through salvage yards to put it all back on.
Got the new awning fabric on today , added some tension to the spring while I was at it , it rolls up tighter now .
Added some refrigerant to the AC , ice cold AC now :)clap
Flushed the water system .
Took it out for a drive on the highway , man , does it run nice , the new shocks and steering linkage have improved the road manners considerably.
Quote from: Gearhead88 on April 28, 2017, 10:44 PM
Thanks Rick , as of right now , we have no emissions testing here in Alberta , and ............., the emissions stuff works , however , at the first sign of trouble I have a plan .
I should mention , I'm happy with how much power this engine makes but it is a little on the thirsty side , it's a 460 , not much you can do to get a significant improvement in mileage , sort of an , it is what it is thing..........
Stock carb is a Holley 4180C , for now It will do .
There are two air pumps and all of the associated plumbing , any trouble with the pumps will get dealt with by removing them .
I may , if it comes down to removal of emissions equipment , go with an Edelbrock intake manifold .
Stock , it has a single , mandrel bent 3" exhaust and a large , quiet muffler.
The heat riser / thermal / ducted air cleaner stuff all works as it should and it's quiet , I'd probably keep all of that , in the event of a manifold change out .
Removing the emissions stuff will not gain you much of anything in mileage and probably no more power. It will lower engine bay temps. If it is all working as you say then leave it alone. Ford 460's were notorious for poor mileage, I had a 460 in a pickup and it got 10 MPG even empty! Then I supercharged it.................................... can you say 3-4 MPG!!!!! But it had enough power and torque to regularly twist driveshafts into pretzels. They are good motors. But thirsty.
The second solar panel is on and operational now , that makes it two 150 watt panels .
We are gonna head out to the mountains next week and enjoy the spring weather.
your rig looks nice and youll have a great time camping in the mountains ..i need to replace my tarp too ..i have a new tarp ready to put on ..how hard of job is that to do ..i found a person that said they would change it out for $100.00 ..don't know if i should spend the money are tackle it ourselves ..i just had to replace a leaking ac foam gasket ..it leaked and messed up my interior a little but nothing major ..got it fixed just in time working on tracing my window washer lines down ..ive discovered the electric isn't connected and i don't see the wires the line should be connected to and today i traced down and figured out where the water squirter hoses should be running ...i also replace the hose going from the water holding tank inlet to the water holding tank ..the old hose was cracked and dry rotted ..i will check my holding tank out tomorrow and see how that all works ..i have turned my water pump on really quick and i hear it ..so hopefully it works good ..i also took front windsheild trim off cleaned it really good and cleaned out the gasket channels got all the dirt leaves and pine straw out of it ..resealed it and put the trim back in ..tomorrow i will scrub the roof down again ..and get ready to put elastomeric roof sealant on it and clean and caulk around all lights ..your counters and all the remodeling work you did on your rig looks really great ..way to go ..awesome job ..don't forget to let me know how much trouble changing out that tarp is
Changing out the awning fabric was not a big deal , I watched several U tube videos first . Like anything , there is going to be several opinions and methods that are out there.
My awning is a Norsman , was new in the late 80's , the framework is stout and well made , has lasted 30 years in Alberta's climate. In 2007 the fabric was changed to a Carefree. I had the RV store I like to deal with order me another Carefree replacement fabric , we custom ordered it , a bit longer , to better fill out the roller.
On this one , the fabric can be slid off the rear . The mechanism to raise , lower and lock the roller is an all metal linkage and stays in the position that is selected.
I chose not to drill out rivets and release the tension on the springs , in this case they can remain tensioned and in position. I used some duct tape to hold the raise/lower lever(s) from being inadvertently bumped. The design of this awning allows for this method but you must think things through and use caution while working on it.
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I started out by lowering the awning , securing the arms with a couple of ladders , tent pegs and ratchet straps , so it all would stay square and in position.
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Next I removed the rafter at the rear , set it down by where the arm is bolted down low to the motorhome.
There are some screws that retain the cloth , above, in the rafter channel and in the roller drum , four in total that need to be removed .
Remove fabric , slide it out , I cut one side ,then pulled it out of the groove.
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Clean the grooves and rafter channel , I sprayed a bit of WD 40 in there to help the new fabric slip in .
Also , at this time , I added an additional turn to the drum , which increases spring tension.
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The new fabric can go on now , I had it spread out on the lawn to prepare. At this point I needed an assistant to get the cloth started in the channels , my girlfriend helped with this , a few minutes of carefully pulling , tweaking and adjusting had the fabric on , the valance , a second piece that comes with a new awning or replacement fabric went on next.
Re attach the rafter.
Check the centering of the fabric and to be sure it's squared up before securing with screws , I rolled it up and opened it a few times to be sure before driving the screws in the channels.
Enjoying the new awning............
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You make it look pretty easy ..I will check mine and see about the screws being removed ..I had watched a video or two that showed taking out the rivets and etc ..if mine has the screws I'll do your method ..if think mine is carefree awning arms and hardware . ..if have already bought new awning fabric ..it's waiting in the box
Be careful , my method may not work for your style of awning , this is an older Norsman awning with a Carefree fabric on it.
My awning isnt a carefree awning .its an a&e ..I just looked while I was getting my roof ready to coat ..I looked at mine and you can take the screws out of the top but I dont know how you would get the awning out of the bottom roller without taking the cap off and drilling the rivets out ..there is a slit spot where the pull rope is that you'll slide awning into with out taking the cap off .m So ill have to do some checking on that ...but would have to check on how to get the old out without taking cap off if you got a trick let me know. ..ill try and post some pictures of it later ..which you tube video did you watch for yours ..I did get my holding water tank new hose on and no leaks ..water pump is working and so is water in kitchen , shower and bathroom sink ..oops I forgot to check toilet :)..id like to install solar panels like you did later..that would be awesome
The drum on my awning has a couple of slots , allowing the fabric and valance to be removed without having to drill out rivets , release spring tension or remove the end cap.
This video is the one where the installer cheats and single handedly does the install , he did not drill out the rivets and release spring tension , also , he cuts a slot to feed the fabric into the drum , adds a couple or rivets , check it out ........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LzmqPcpIPk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LzmqPcpIPk)
There are several you tube videos of an A&E fabric install as well
this is trippy ..after I had talked to you I had went outside to look at the awning and I notice the extra slots and how they are pre cut out where you could slide the awning fabric right in ..I was wondering while I was looking at it why they didnt have the same slide out /in spot for the canopy to replace it ..then I came in to watch some videos on how to install awning fabric .somehow I pushed something while watching another video and it started playing the same video you posted ..I watched it and I thought
How cool thats.just what I was thinking and wondering ..why they didnt make the slot where the fabric is attached like the other slot is ..I didnt notice how he actually notched out the opening i wonder what type of tools he used to make the notch ..thanks for posting that link im on cell phone now ..im going to watch it on my laptop..just finished rewatching the video ..I see where he used a grinder to cut it out ..I have a dremmel tool and I have a jam saw that has different attachments for different thing so I think that one or both of them will work on that ..I like how you posted your pics ..you give a lot of great ideas
Updates ..........
I had an opportunity to get a wheel alignment yesterday , and got it done .
All the propane appliances are good to go for the season , water system sanitized , new filter.
I found a motorhome of the same make and year as mine being parted out , I went there (long arsed drive !) , removed and bought some windows and the tail lights , next project is to change out the bunk window above the cab.
I hate to say it but the best way to prevent that bunk window from leaking is to eliminate it completely. Water hitting it at 100 MPH (60 MPH vehicle plus 40 MPH headwind in a rainstorm) is going to get in no matter what you do to prevent it.
Rick , It's not leaking , there are several cracks.
I've been keeping an eye on it for a couple of years , another rock impact might finish it off.
I hear ya , about the elimination of the window , I know a guy that did this to his .
It wont work so well , there are two different exterior covering materials being used on the nose of this one , a moulded fiberglass panel and aluminum siding , the parting line being halfway on the front window frame.
Here's a front view , showing how they built the shell/nose ........
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Yea, that would be a little tough.
That worked out great that you found another one just like your for parts ,,that worked out great for you glad you got your window you wanted ..I need a door for me electrical cord compatment
Those small compartment doors are inexpensive , I bought one last year to replace one that's on the left side and was last used to store the waste water drain hose , the previous owner had a piece of flexible vinyl/polywhatthehell , sort of wired in behind and above the propane tank to store the hose . It was totally a ghetto install , I tossed it in the dumpster. I have a better idea , just need to find the material I'd like to use.
here are some picture of my awning ..there is a slot that is already cut and notched out on the end where you ad the awning strap or light to the roller frame ..im wondering if there is a way that you can spin this around where the slot that is already cut would be on top where the awning fabric would need to slide into or if you think it would be better to make a slot in the end cap where the original awning slot for the fabric already was ? I also need to add tension to my roller so my canopy rolls up better ...do you have any helpful videos you watched on adding tension to your roller ..thanks
You tube is where to find videos about awnings .
Asking me for advice ? , I'm not an expert at all , I've done this once and lucked out , having an awning that was easy to work with.
I haven't been on for a while .
Just reflecting on 2017 , where we traveled , places we visited and what we got done , it was a great year with lot's of memories . We went camping ten times , did some fly fishing , got a pile of home reno's done on the weekends we weren't camping.
Some renovation work , rebuilt my pergola and refinished the deck
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I'd like to wish everyone a great 2018 !!!! and happy travels to all.
We're in the deep freeze here , -28 C about 15" or so of snow has fallen in the last week and a half , I just spent an hour shoveling and sweeping again.
Today !
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It's time to make plans for the up coming year , gotta rebuild about 40' of fence that has never been done since I've lived here , build a pair of gates too . The motorhome is getting more love , just maintenance stuff , some of it is been on the to-do list for a couple of years , none of it is anything big .
Re-seal some windows , build two tabletops , purchase and install some kind of television /dvd unit for the days when weather is poor , rebuild another one of the compartment doors , and maybe a few other small items.
In the mean time .................................... Happy Newyear !!!!
The spa is covered in snow, this is the best time to be in it :D :)ThmbUp
Cheer's Rick
I used to run it year round , In the winter, it got limited use so I started shutting it down to save on operating cost , maintenance , wear and tear . Usually it is up and running again by mid March.
It's old , not sure how old it is as it came with the house and didn't run when I moved in back in 2000 . It's a basic model with only 5 jets but it's still in great shape for its age. I've rebuilt the pump , done some updates to the heat exchanger and plumbing in the time I've owned this house.
By not using it in the coldest weeks of the year I'm kind of extending it's life and saving myself the hassle of keeping it running .
A friend had to cut his up with a reciprocating saw and haul it to the land fill after it was shut down and froze . He was going through an ugly divorce , had moved out hastily , his soon to be ex wife shut it off in a rage resulting in the freeze up.
We got us a puppy last year , she was seven months old when she came home , she's about a year old in this picture , about 105lbs of love.
Beautiful pup!
Thankyou , she's a handful , eats a lot , poops a lot and she's a barrel o laughs.
Mastiff, right? Switch her over to grain free food if you haven't already, and I highly recommend either Taste Of The Wild, or Blue Wilderness. It will not only make her live longer with less hip, bone, and joint problems later on...it will also make her poop less...lol! Not as much added bulk to the food and all that. Also, since she is a large breed, if you haven't gotten her spayed yet, wait until she is at least 2 years old, and 3 is better. Waiting pretty much almost eliminates hip displasia later on. But make sure you spay her by around three to prevent breast cancer and uterus problems later on. She looks like a sweetie!!!
Kev
Thank's for the tips , the breed is Cane Corso ( Italian mastiff ) she's just over a year old and has not been spayed yet. She's growing up quickly but still very much a puppy. The last two or three months , she's become very protective of the house and yard , I'm good with that as this is a shitty neighborhood. Some obedience training is in the plans , she's easily distracted outside the yard and has scared a few people . Her curious side has me worried , some times , when she's off the lead out in the park she takes off to check out people or people walking dogs , that can get kinda tense. She's quite intimidating , her bark and growl is scary to most people. When we leave the yard , I try to keep her on the lead more now , too bad because she like to run , me not so much , I'm old and my knees are hurtin , I can not run anymore.
That is what Mastiffs were bred to do...guard. They are awesome doggos. I hear ya about getting older and not wanting to run anymore...lol!
Good luck on your adventures and congrats on the new rig !
Thank you sir!
Definitely get obedience training if she is getting that way. The last thing you need is a confrontation that will not have a happy ending. You will find that some dogs just cannot be off lead but most can be after training but not before at least 6-9 months bare minimum of training. It is fine around the yard but not outside the yard. The dog has to be fully trained to listen to commands as second nature without question. This seems mean to a lot of people but it is actually enjoyable to the animals because it gives them purpose. They are always trying to please and by following commands they are doing just that and that makes them and you happy. The mistake most people make is to ignore the trainers and start letting the dog off leash to soon and they learn bad habits. an hour of bad habit takes 40 hours of retraining to get rid of. She is a beautiful pup.
Will do Rick , we're looking at a couple of different trainers and we'll make a choice here real soon .
Betty has been a good addition to our home , I wouldn't want anything nasty to happen as a result of us not getting proper training.
Pup training is progressing nicely , we have hired a dog trainer and he has us all onboard with the program . As per his recommendations , a great many dog owners are the ones needing correction . He has successfully advised us on a number of areas to focus on . Our pup , now 120 lbs has learned some manners and we have a much better behaving dog . Everyone is happy !!
:)ThmbUp :)ThmbUp :)ThmbUp Yes, It is usually the owners that need as much or more training than the animals.