1976 Winnebago D21 Brave complete rennovation

Oz · September 27, 2020, 09:19 PM

This place has them.
Message search "window replacement".
A slight modification is needed on one seal. Just trimming.

http://www.steelerubber.com/camper-rv

khantroll · December 14, 2015, 03:02 PM

rude-a-bego,

Can you describe your wall repair? I'm doing research to before I tear into mine. The book says to drop the sides as it seems you have done. Any information you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

James E Vining · August 10, 2013, 03:06 PM

Nice, this also gave me Topics I need to ask that I had forgotten about like window replacements, LPG tank Test inspection yadda yadda yadda.
Great project I look forward to seeing more.

rude-a-bego · July 22, 2013, 09:39 PM

I have been on the road for quite a while; F-N job!

Anyway, I have most of the passenger side wall cleaned, patched and the wood replaced.

Additioanlly, I have been working on bringing the windows up to date.

Just posted a little bit about my latest efforts. http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,7959.msg37876.html#msg37876

Peace,
Rudy

M & J · July 10, 2013, 10:35 AM

Well said sir.

LJ-TJ · July 10, 2013, 09:48 AM

:)rotflmao I'm going to let you in on a little secret. There is no such thing as just make it mechanically reliable with these old girls because first you get attached to them. Once you get her mechanically reliable and are sitting around on a camp out with a cold beer the next thing you know you know you have to tinker. You have to fix this or modify that and the next thing you know your fix'n her up. There like hot rods. There never done.

Mytdawg · July 10, 2013, 09:05 AM

Man that looks just like mine. Except mine is probably in worse shape.

I'm just trying to make it mechanically reliable. I have serious doubts that I'll ever get the urge to gut it and start over. I'll probably take what works and live without the rest. At least for the time being. I believe the three interior "designer" colors in 76 were Mustard, Cumquat (that's the orange, I swear) and of course the old standby Avocado. Don't know why they didn't have a Harvest Gold.

So I'm doing my refurb vicariously while you do yours. W%

Stripe · July 10, 2013, 04:19 AM

So, not heard from ya in a while, how goes the renovation??

rude-a-bego · April 29, 2013, 12:20 AM

Slow weekend.
I pulled the LP tanks and the plastic shroud today. 1 tank is over half full! Score! The other is pretty low.
The plastic shroud has a few cracks and is warped from PO doing some kind of jacked up modification. They trimmed a part of the door flange which allowed the water to soak into the piece of press board spacer that looked to be part of the original install. 6 inches of tin and 4 rivets will fix right up.

No damage to the metal base. This will just be a mater of fixing the cracks, reinforcing the shroud and having the tanks tested.

TTFN

[smg id=5145]

Oz · April 25, 2013, 06:53 PM

I have it printed out... that portion was called "the Crop Duster" In the end, it had nothing to do with a crop duster, it's an intentional word play of changing the first two letters. I doubt I'll ever go back and pen it again. It could never match the original which was lost. Back to the present and current sagas of vintage RV ownership... and the rennovation!

moonlitcoyote · April 25, 2013, 04:15 PM

So where is the portion you did copy? It sounds like some great reading. Although the brakes catching fire on a steep downhill has always been a recurring nightmare for me even before we had the winny. In my dream I always try to grab kids and jump before we ram something at the bottom of the hill.

Oz · April 25, 2013, 02:31 PM

Oh, I wrote an entire "saga" on that trip. It was like an ongoing adventure of what new, major catastrophe, breakdown, screw-up or hijynx I'd get into each day... and there was no shortage of material to write, believe me. It was one thing after another. I did manage to copy a portion of it but not all, sadly. It was quite entertaining - in retrospect, and I did a good job writing it, if I do say so myself.... Yeah, I tore up a propeller, the boat sank and the Winnebago was within inches of doing the same (on separate occasions). Brakes on steep downhill caught fire, had to take a breathalizer for the Park Ranger after ramming the boat onto the trailer since the winch stripped (even though I wasn't drinking), the CWVRV group was accosted by a sneaky, geeky, Rent-a-Ranger.... you know, the usual...

Stripe · April 24, 2013, 04:32 PM

ok, now I want to know..

DaveVA78Chieftain · April 24, 2013, 02:56 PM

Not sure if Mark pulled that info over from the old site on MSN. I was not there but he had a boat then. Seems I recall something about a Winny almost going for a swim in the lake and had to use another one to pull it out? Brakes almost giving out on a long hill. Some lake up in Pennsylvania. Some of the stuff that gets lumped in with his grass skirt and such. I have been wondering though if how bad the "I want another Winny itch" has been getting though. He can only live so long through the adventures of others. Rebuilding scooters is just not the same thing!

Dave

Wantawinnie · April 24, 2013, 02:42 PM

Can I get a in detail summary of that story? I wasn't here at the time and it sounds like a good one. :)rotflmao

DaveVA78Chieftain · April 24, 2013, 02:37 PM

Mark is not allowed in the water anymore. He only gets to play in the sand by the edge of the water.

Oz · April 24, 2013, 12:52 PM

A spare tire was definitely not a common thing for any of the years nor was it an option. That's entirely an add-on. Since a custom made rear bumper storage rack was put on, it appears the spare tire mount was taken off the back and put on the front.

I did see one which also had the rear tow hitch mounted on the front. I liked that idea. Makes it really easy to push-pull a boat in the water, something I personally have decided to abstain from completely...

Wantawinnie · April 24, 2013, 08:27 AM

I'd be a little afraid of that blocking airflow to the radiator.

Stripe · April 24, 2013, 05:40 AM

Did I see a spare tire mount on the FRONT bumper?
(this is now officially a hot topic)

Mark, was that a common thing for that year, not seen others like that..

CMM500

rude-a-bego · April 23, 2013, 09:48 PM

Thanks all for the info. Will let you know how it goes.

Wantawinnie · April 22, 2013, 03:42 PM

Here is another option if you are looking for a sealer. I've used Bill Hirsch products for sealing gas tanks on several occasions. One I did about 20 years ago in a leaking metal tank on a Dodge Ramcharger. Holes had rusted through under the gas tank straps. I cleaned out the tank, applied tape over the holes, and dumped in the sealer. The sealer filled the holes and stopped all the leaks. I drove the truck for another 10 years or so and even plowed snow with it. It is now retired but still has the tank and whatever gas was in it from the day I parked it in the weeds.

Also, used the same sealer on an older car my dad has for about just as long and a Farmall M about 7 years ago.

Makes some nice paints as well.

http://www.hirschauto.com/products.asp?dept=4

DaveVA78Chieftain · April 22, 2013, 02:18 PM

QuoteAnybody have any successes or failures I should know about?

Only thing I think I have is the tube inside the tank may have pinholes in it that allow it to suck air (like a cracked rubber hose). Like you I took the tank out and cleaned it as best I could then reinstalled with new rubber and steel lines and a high volumn electric pump (return style regulator also installed). One tank still gives me fits going uphill and that

racing pump is very noisy. I could not determine "how" to remove/replace the pickup tube. Thinking about installing a combined level sensor/pickup tube from a van.

Dave

Oz · April 22, 2013, 12:41 PM

We have some addtional topics on tank liners here (POR 15 comest to mind). Hard to believe that line was THAT bad!

rude-a-bego · April 21, 2013, 10:47 PM

This is why these tanks didn't work.

rude-a-bego · April 21, 2013, 10:46 PM

Yesterday I dropped the back two gas tanks. Some of you might say "back two"? The D21 comes with one in the front and one in the back. One of the previous owners added a home made job. Solid construction but nasty inside. First I had to drain the 25+ gallons of gas. Not sure how long it was in there but I thought "if you mix it with enough good gas, it should be OK". Besides, where do you dispose of gas?

Anyway, long story long, if you don't know how old the gas is get rid of it.... that is all I am going to say. I put some of it in the good tank and she doesn't have a problem with it but DO NOT PUT THE OLD GAS INTO ANY OTHER VEHICLE!

I also found out that our local waste disposal station has a hazmat drop off for free.

Back to the tanks, the factory tank was pristine! When I rinsed it out, not a speck of crap came out! Win!!!
The home made spare tank, DISGUSTING! I was debating about putting it back up. The extra fuel capacity may come in handy and it is custom fitted really nice.

Soooooo.... I have read up on re-lining gas tanks with epoxy so I plan to do this to the home made tank. Check these sites out if interested:

http://damonq.com/red-kote.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5630680_reline-gas-tank.html

Anybody have any successes or failures I should know about?