Mike's 1973 D22 Complete tear out. From the Roof down!

RockwoodMike · October 10, 2019, 11:18 PM

The front skin is in 2 pieces..Around the perimeter are screws here and there that need to be removed..Most were easy because they were either missing or screwed into rotted wood..The 2 shown in the 3rd picture were easy because they had never seen water being located under that aluminum trim piece that covers the center

RockwoodMike · October 10, 2019, 11:28 PM

The left (drivers) side gave me a little problem..There was one screw..frozen again that went through the skin..wood..then metal that I couldn't get out..Just ground off the head..But the screw was still holding on to the wood that is glued to the skin..With my trusty 4 inch trowel blade..just slid it between the skin and the wood..working it slowly apart..finally just let go and off it came leaving the wood..

RockwoodMike · October 10, 2019, 11:34 PM

Here is the back side of each piece..With the rotted wood, you can easily use it to create the template for the fresh wood..Last pic shows them set aside

RockwoodMike · October 10, 2019, 11:42 PM

Here is the face totally without anything..It is solid but rusty..I really like the fact that it is solid!! The metal skin is welded to the frame..No need to remove it for anything.. What I was thinking in regards to the repair of the rust..Sand it all down and then apply a bed liner spray in coating on it..super protected and where the grill shows the black would look awesum!!

RockwoodMike · October 11, 2019, 12:01 AM

So to sum this up..In order to get to the wood rotted on each front corner..you have to remove the dash..in order to remove the dash..you have to remove the fron skin to get to several screws holding the dash that are located under the skin..In order to remove the skin..you have to remove the windshield frame..
All the screws were out..on each --side along the top..everything so I thought..But there was this bracket on the bottom that needed to be released..Then it just lifted right out..Easy,RIGHT!!

Bunch of work on everything..If I have it wide open like this..Lets get it done!!

RockwoodMike · October 11, 2019, 12:05 AM

Finally!! Full exposure of the rotted corners

Elandan2 · October 11, 2019, 07:33 AM

I have to ask, are you going to remember where all those screws go?

Rickf1985 · October 11, 2019, 09:33 AM

What screws? Most of them broke off.

I doubt that he cares, once all the new wood is put in and everything starts to go back together I am sure he will be a bit more precise than the factory was.

Mike, In thinking about that video you are probably right since that unit had a lot of the same rot as yours.
I am curious why you use a grinder on the screw heads instead of a drill? I usually drill out the top of the screw and that does not damage the fixture.

ClydesdaleKevin · October 11, 2019, 07:26 PM

Wow! You are going for a full resto! Awesome! Now would be a great time to replace the heater core, since you have the dash out and easy access to the heater box.

Kev

RockwoodMike · October 11, 2019, 10:14 PM

Quote from: Rickf1985 on October 11, 2019, 09:33 AM
What screws? Most of them broke off. I doubt that he cares, once all the new wood is put in and everything starts to go back together I am sure he will be a bit more precise than the factory was.

Mike, In thinking about that video you are probably right since that unit had a lot of the same rot as yours.
I am curious why you use a grinder on the screw heads instead of a drill? I usually drill out the top of the screw and that does not damage the fixture.

I tried to use a drill one time around the vertical frame of the windshield..Maybe my drill bit was dull or something, but it just wouldn't cut it at all..The corner screws would have been impossible to get a straight shot..After so many screws, each of the trouble screws, I just reached for the grinder..I did do a little damage to the aluminum frame of the windshield.. but I can fix it..

RockwoodMike · October 11, 2019, 10:16 PM

Quote from: ClydesdaleKevin on October 11, 2019, 07:26 PM
Wow! You are going for a full resto! Awesome! Now would be a great time to replace the heater core, since you have the dash out and easy access to the heater box.

Kev

I will be getting to that..There is nothing that won't be needing attention on with this motorhome..Grab some popcorn!!

RockwoodMike · October 11, 2019, 10:22 PM

Got to clear some more stuff out of the way..Emergency brake handle comes out and the cable is laying on the ground..This floor under the drivers area will need to come out completely..There is no way to straighten that out..Finally got a shot of the damage with the emergency handle out of the way..It looks like a 300 pound bowling ball was dropped on it..I was thinking how it would be nice to set it up where the floor could be unbolted and lifted out when ever service is needed on the brake master cylinder..Got to get out all the scrap metal first to see how I can do that..

RockwoodMike · October 11, 2019, 11:03 PM

Here is the steering column tilt adjuster thingy..I think this is the one and only thing on this whole motothome that I won't need to work on..That is one stout piece of machinery!!
I am just getting things out of the way..Just got to figure out that floor..What a mess..it is pretty much welded in all around the perimeter..That is about it for tonight. Got off work late tonight..didn't get much time with it..Weekend is here!!

Rickf1985 · October 12, 2019, 08:43 AM

Is there a dark stain in the middle of the drivers seat? I figure when that tire let go and the floor got waffled like that the driver definitely had an OH SH** moment! To their credit they must not have slammed on the brakes since the unit is not crashed.

RockwoodMike · October 12, 2019, 11:57 AM

Quote from: Rickf1985 on October 12, 2019, 08:43 AM
Is there a dark stain in the middle of the drivers seat?

What do you want me to do..Go back and check it!??!..I did notice that the air inside the coach did freshen up a bit after I took the seats out!!

Rickf1985 · October 12, 2019, 05:21 PM

:)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao

RockwoodMike · October 12, 2019, 11:01 PM

Here is the tear out the heater plenum..Upright brackets that held the heater box..The plenum was held to the heater box on the far right side..After that it just floated..No other connections and it just sat on top of the fan shroud box..This must have been a gigantic rattle under there going down the road

RockwoodMike · October 12, 2019, 11:08 PM

Here is where the plenum was setting on top of the fan shroud..And it happens to be the very last piece of factory original carpet left in the coach..It is now totally empty of that orange stuff and this is where it ended up at..the bottom of the trash can

RockwoodMike · October 12, 2019, 11:17 PM

And here is the fan shroud popped out..Every screw holding it came out with ease..Except the very last one.

.It stripped out and you can see on the right side, the die grinder with the cut off blade..The shroud was stuck down with sealing tape..Just had to do a little prying to get it to break loose..Alright..I am done now..There is nothing more that needs to come out..It is time to get some repairs going..I ran the shop vac over everything..This whole thing is just so dirty!!..I am going to do the right side repair first to build my confidence ..The floor board is in great shape and nothing will be needed on it..Just got to get that wall repaired..More tomorrow

Rickf1985 · October 13, 2019, 07:04 PM

DAMN!!!!! That is about as complete as you can possibly get as far as a tear down! Even the fan shroud. Just remembering where all this goes is going to be monumental!

RockwoodMike · October 13, 2019, 10:32 PM

Quote from: Rickf1985 on October 13, 2019, 07:04 PM
DAMN!!!!!

Rick, your word is perfect!! Can't describe it any better!!
Now, the next few photos are not for the faint of heart..These will make or break anyone else thinking of doing this..I made some large mistakes today..But I can fix it easy enough..If I had just looked over on how this is built a little better, I would have had much more done today..But I screwed up..Now maybe the children should be escorted out of the room..Maybe some might be offended..And of course you all know that I am just kidding around!! But don't say I didn't warn you!!

RockwoodMike · October 13, 2019, 10:41 PM

I tried to remove this steel panel..In order to have access to the rotted wood..I went down to Home Depot and bought some steel cutting Sawzall blades..thinking I could cut the welds..Pull the steel out..fix the wood..then install this steel back into it's place..Not a chance!!Don't try to do this..Those welds are extra hard and it just won't work..So then I tried to cut just the perimeter with the die grinder..Mistake again..I shouldn't have done that..And the rest of the photos will explain why..

RockwoodMike · October 13, 2019, 10:49 PM

With the door being in a place as it is, this panel is a short lower section..The seam of the outside wall is just a slip in..The lower slips into the upper..Inside the fender wells are several screws that secure the steel framing to the plywood of the wall..So I took down the wall..Just the bottom half..It actually fell out after grinding those screws off!!

RockwoodMike · October 13, 2019, 10:53 PM

This is where finally I was able to get out the rot and make some straight cuts to create a clean replacement..This shows where the rot was and how easy it will be to replace it with some CDX plywood..Believe me..I have this under control..I can fix this!! That is a new piece of 2x4 pressure treated..That is what I will use for this project to fix all that sill wood

RockwoodMike · October 13, 2019, 10:55 PM

Now remember..This is the "Easy side"..I really don't know how I will fix the other side yet..But I learned how not to do it on this side..