the saga begins...

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how about this crazy weather?  it got in the 90s here today.

The interior of the motorhome was over 100.  The digital thermostat only reads up to 99 then says "HI" instead.

Anyway... on to today's progress.

Got the refer front frame removed as a single piece, eliminating the need for good measurements at this point.  The shelf it sat on is still there as it has multiple holes drilled through it and it is thick (3/4"?) plywood, so I can't just rip it out.  It seems to be hanging in midair mostly on its own... with some help from the wires and the gas line for the refer.

Also removed the sliding pocket door between the refer and the WC.  Got most of the panelling removed as well.  The WC hall wall came out as a single unit.  The pictures really tell the story much better.  You can see them here.

Almost completely finished with the starboard side.

Tomorrow when I get home I have to sort through the debris pile and decide what I keep and what I toss.  I'm generally keeping anything I have any question about.  Panelling and luan gets tossed though.  Anything I need to use as a pattern when rebuilding gets kept.

I also need to buy some totes tomorrow and finish getting all the miscellaneous crap out of the motorhome.  All drawers and cabinets need to be emptied.  After all that is done, I can start on the port side.  That includes the hall sink, the power distribution area, the shower, and the galley and pantry.  I doubt I'll finish all that in one day.  :D

If this weather keeps on being hot, I'm gonna lose a lot of weight just in sweat.  And y'all should be thankful you're not around while I work.  ;D

later,
jim
 
Wow Jim, you really are going all out, aren't you!??  Man, one thing for sure.  You will know that coach like the back of your hand.  Hooooeeeeyyy!
 
You're right Ed, I'll definitely know this vehicle intimately by the time I finish.

Today's update:

The following has been removed today:
Galley: sink, counter, stove/oven, vent hood w/system monitor, microwave cabinet, microwave, all cabinetry, furnace, pantry
Aft of galley: shower, hallway sink, last closet, converter, load center (AC and DC)

The bedroom is the only mostly-intact location now.  Might tackle that tomorrow... although there's a horrible pile to haul to the transfer station.

Oh, and water damage has been found almost everywhere so far.  The original system monitor has a lot of corrosion.

The 30A "Main" (fed by 15A circuit from shed) is straight wired to the forward rooftop A/C for now.  I use it to run the fan so I don't pass out from heat as quickly.

No pictures tonight as it got dark.  One thing to remember: no converter = no lights.  :D

Tomorrow I definitely need to get the trickle charger that is hooked up to the chassis battery plugged in again.  I also need to remove the house batteries, and hook them up to separate chargers to see if there's any chance of rescueing them.  They're red-top optimas that have been overcharged.  :(  I suspect there's no hope, but it is worth trying.  They'll never be put back in the motorhome though.

Now that the end of the demolition is in sight, I've been thinking about how I want to put things back together.  I've got tons of nutty ideas, several of which I think are worth trying.  Don't be surprised if I start asking tons of questions again.  :D

Still have to remove the dash, driver's seat, rest of carpetting, everything remaining in the bedroom, the tanks, the plumbing, the flooring, and the rest of the walls.  Then I can make a decision about the ceiling.  Hrm, perhaps the end isn't in sight after all.  lol.

anyway, enough for now,
jim
 
baadpuppy said:
The 30A "Main" (fed by 15A circuit from shed) is straight wired to the forward rooftop A/C for now.  I use it to run the fan so I don't pass out from heat as quickly.
jim

Jim,

If there isn't anything else on that 15A circuit, it should be able to handle one A/C unit. Give it a try, if it's too much the breaker will trip.
 
Turns out the "15A" feed is actually rated at 20A.  12 gauge extension cord into 20A rated outlet, with a 20A circuit breaker.  The panel is fed with 30A 220V.  If I need to run the second A/C unit, I can just plug into the other leg and turn off the pool pump.  :D

In any case, don't really need the A/C.  That's one reason I moved the RV to an out of the way area.  I don't need more power than a normal extension cord will provide while I work on the thing.  Although at some point I'll have to test the new 50A service once I get it installed.

Today's update (with pics!):

mostly a bunch of cleanup.  Removed all the 12V lights except 2 flourescent ones.  Moved much of the "keep" stuff to the storage building (2 pickup truck loads).  More junk in totes.  More stuff in the trash truck.  Pics of the junk included in the gallery.  Still haven't removed the furnace from the MH completely.  Want to keep all the pieces together, and some of them are screwed into the wall.

The bed is half out now.  Just the bottom frame left.

Still have to remove the water tank, plumbing, pump, pressure tank, external shower, hot water heater, rest of carpet, drivers seat, and dash.

Then I can finish removing all the interior wall panels.

Anyway, I'm tired.  Hope y'all enjoy the photos.  :)

jim
 
:eek: :eek: :eek:  Maybe you should have started with a bare chassis and built from scratch on that.  :-\
 
yeah.  By the time I finish ripping things down, it'll basically be a bare chassis.  :-\

If I had had more patience, I would have put my money into savings until I could have afforded an older diesel platform that wouldn't require too much fixup.  Unfortunately, I tend to be impatient.  I need to be taking action towards a goal, not avoiding action (ie, avoiding spending the money).

When I first bought this motorhome, I had a few misgivings.  I was also excited and impatient.  My father was with me and had a different viewpoint on what was livable than I do.  So, I bought the motorhome anyway.

As time went on, I found more and more to support my initial misgivings, and really started to get the begining of a glimmer of what is now happening.  But, I figured "just seal the roof, fix up the few walls affected, and live with it".  Then the odor started.  18yr old carpet with who knows what growing in it.  Being a person with allergies, I didn't think I could live with that.  But how hard is it to replace a carpet?  Well... the carpet was in before most of the furnishings and cabinets.  The more I took apart, the more I found wrong, until finally I decided I wanted to rip it down to the frame and build back up from there, to my own specs.

This will end up costing me a lot more than I ever planned for.  Fortunately, I'm capable of doing the work myself with help from family.  I lived for over a year in a travel trailer, so I know how those little things will build up on you until you hate your home.  But if I deal with them *before* I move in, hopefully I'll be happier with it.

When talking with dad about some of my ideas, he points out that some things will affect the resale value.  But the simple fact is that no matter how cheaply I reassemble it, it'll never be worth as much as I put into it to anyone else.  With that in mind, I basically need to treat it like it'll be my home for the next 10-15 years, and act accordingly.

On the plus side, there're no building permits required.  ;D

I would never recommend to anyone to follow this path to rv ownership.  In fact, it would've been smarter to start with an old bus chassis and go from there.  However, all my capital is tied up in this unit, so it is what I have to work with.  And with that, I decided I need to make a LOT of lemonade... ;D

Anyway... it's a project and a half.  lol

jim
 
Jim, as you have already figured out, this project is not going to pay off in cash. Don't sweat it. I've done a hundred projects and then some, that didn't pay off, in cash. Some were astonishingly poorly advised.

They did pay off, though. The pay off is in the memories, experience, and the pride. Someday, you will have lived long enough that the energy you have now, is no longer there. That is when the old memories come flooding back. It's a priceless payoff! Nothing can match it.

I am 72, in average health for that age. If not for the memories, I wouldn't have much left. Thank God for the memories. Still working on them, at a lower energy level.

Go for the gold, and don't spend two minutes on the payoff. It'll be there, when due.

Measure it by the size of the grin!  ;D

Ray D  ;D
 
Thanks Ray for the vote of confidence.

That's pretty much the way I have to look at this.  Otherwise I would have to part it out and hope to recover a little money from it.

Another thing about this is it'll be documented experience at building up the interior of a motorhome... might help me get a job down the road.  ;D

I really am looking forward to having the finished product and being able to show off the results of all my hard work.  But bragging rights come *after* the deed, not before.  lol.

Anyway, still lots to do.

jim
 
Another weekend with some work done...

Saturday I was just exhausted.  Too many days of hard work in a row I guess with not enough sleep.  So I slept till about 12:30 (yes, after lunchtime).  Then I got up and dad and I hauled the load in the pickup truck to the dump, and I got some lunch.  Later in the day I opened all the windows and vents in the motorhome.  Never did get up the gumption to go work in it though.

Today was a different story.  This afternoon, I poked my head in to see where I should start, and my niece and her friend were wandering around the yard so I put them to work taking things out to the two trucks.  Having two trucks is a lot of help.  1 truck is the one for the good stuff to keep, which I can drive over to the storage shed, the other is the trash truck.  Anyway, they had fun competing with each other to see who could put more stuff in the trucks.  Wish I had that kind of energy.  ;D

Shortly after that, dad showed up to help, and we disassembled the base of the bed, removed the furnace, the water heater, almost all of the plumbing, and most of the electrical wiring.  Most of the wires are in a nice neat pile in a tote.  The wire looms are in another tote with the romex wires.  We also removed the wooden cover over one of the rear wheel wells which turned out to be a mistake.  The metal shield under the wooden cover is not load bearing... and I stepped on it making a huge dent.  Looks like I'll be replacing that one at least.

The toilet has also been removed.  The base it sat on is also gone.  Still have more stuff to actually pull out and store/toss though.

The fresh water tank and pump haven't been removed yet.  Much of the carpet is still in place.  The driver's seat and the dash are still in place.

Week nights are proving to be unusable for this.  Instead I do research so I'm prepared for the rebuild stage.

Anyway, enough rambling for now.  Maybe tomorrow night there'll be enough light for me to take some pictures.

jim
 
Sorry for the lack of updates.  Haven't done much lately.

The weather changed, then the time changed, and the winds got cold, so we aren't outside as much.

Anyway, I got almost all the trash from demolition out and hauled off.  Couldn't continue the demolition for 2 reasons, 1 being that the storage building is full, and the other being that it is almost time to start opening the interior to the outside world... meaning I need the shelter.

I was originally considering a 18'W x 40'L x 11'H enclosure with sides which would've run almost $900 shipped.  I still would've had to figure out how to raise the height enough, which would have added to the cost.  I kept looking around for other options, but didn't find anything satisfactory.

I did run across some articles on building greenhouses, and thought that perhaps one of those would be cheap, easy, and would meet the needs.  I couldn't find anything close enough to what I wanted, so Dad and I sat down and worked out the requirements, and I went off and designed what would meet our needs.

Now I know this is going to sound crazy.  However, it seems to be the best option for us.  It also comes in at around $900.

First, we didn't want anything that would be permanent, as that requires zoning and permits and such.  Also, we wanted enough room to get around each side and end of the motorhome comfortable, perhaps even with equipment.  We wanted the materials we used to be reusable for other projects once this one is completed.  And of course, I wanted to keep costs down.

So, the design I came up with was for a modified pole building.  Dad helped me refine it significantly.  The total size will be 16'W x 40'L x 16'H with a greenhouse style arch overhead adding an additional 5' or so of height in the middle.  The walls will be 16' 4x4 treated lumber 10' apart (5 per side for a 40' run), with 16' 2x4 at the 5' mark in the center of each 10' run.  The ends will have an additional 16' 4x4 in the center 8' spot, with 16' 2x4 at each 4' mark.  We're building a header across the tops of the walls.  A 16' 2x4 will run from each side 4x4 to the opposite side 4x4, making a set of "rafters".  The bottoms of the 4x4 posts will have a hole drilled on 2 faces at an angle for running a steel spike down into the ground.  There will also be additional bracing, etc as needed.  My intention is to keep each piece of lumber as close to "stock" as possible, so it can be reused.

For siding, we decided on using cheap plastic from lowes.  10'x100' rolls of 4 mil black plastic are about $38.  I'm using furring strips run parallel to the ground to attach the plastic to.  No area of plastic will have more than a 5'x4' stretch unsupported.  On one end, there will be a 4'x8' sheet of exterior plywood as a door, hinged and latched.

For the roof, we're going to use 2 pieces of 10' schedule 40 electrical conduit (20' length) for each rib, bent into an arch, going from side to side.  Furring strips will be attached with plumbing straps so that we can anchor the plastic.

I have ordered and had delivered all the lumber for the sides.  It is currently stacked on the pool deck.  It was interesting seeing a tractor trailer parked out front Friday morning.  ;D

Dad and I are planning to start the construction of the sides this weekend.  We aren't sure exactly how we'll go about the assembly and then raising the walls, but we'll figure out something.  I suspect we'll be borrowing the neighbor's bobcats.  One thing we're both in agreement on is that we have to move the motorhome out of the way before we start, then raise the 2 long sides and perhaps box in one end, then drive the motorhome back in, then finish the other end.  Remember, this is a temporary enclosure, so it is ok that the motorhome won't be able to get back out.  :)

After the motorhome rebuild project is complete and we disassemble the enclosure, the 4x4 lumber will be cut down to size and used as posts for the rest of the pool deck.  The 2x4 lumber will be cut down as needed to build an arboretum type assembly above the pool.  The schedule 40 conduit will be installed above the pool and screen material stretched over it to try to reduce the amount of leaves and gumballs that end up in the pool each year.  It will probably be about 10' above the pool.  Any lumber not used in that project will be stored in the garage for future projects that are on the books.  It never hurts to have extra lumber.  ;D

Anyway, that's where things are right now.  Once the shelter is built, I can get back to work on the motorhome itself.  All it takes is time and money, the 2 things I have the least of.  lol.

jim
 
yet more changes.  ah well.

Today Dad and I set out to determine where to put each 4x4 post, and ended up moving things around a bit.  This past week we had some severe winds, and he is worried that the original design will blow down too easily.  So now he wants to bury 3' of each post in the ground in addition to the bracing we were already planning.  Looks like that'll leave 13' of central clearance, so it shouldn't be a problem.

So, off to Ace to rent an auger.  12 3' deep holes.  We'll get cracking on those first thing in the morning.  The auger came with an 8", 10", and 12" diameter bit, so we'll be running around the yard and doing as many holes as we think we need for all the other projects.  lol

New dimensions: 16'W x 40'L x 13'H, with a domed roof.

I'll try to take a lot of good pictures tomorrow.  Today we ran out of daylight.

So, the building will be more solid due to 12 poles 3' into the ground, and will be less "temporary".  I'm glad we live in an agriculturally zoned area.  ;D

Oh, renting the auger increased the costs by almost $150.  :(  That's why we want to try to do as much with it as we can while we have it.

jim
 
If your area freezes in the winter, you want the posts to extend below the frost line.
 
Thanks ned.  Shouldn't be a problem.

Ok, just found an authoritative source (gee, been working in a library too long now) here.  Looks like the code specifies 12".  36" should be plenty.  :)

jim
 
I think there's a saying about the best laid plans of mice and men...

Anyway, got up this morning and got to work with the auger.  Turns out the auger bit is 36" from tip to attachment point, meaning it doesn't really dig a 36" hole.  32" was about the best we got.

Just as we were finishing the 12th (of 12) holes for this shelter, we realized that if we stopped the bit from spinning before lifting the blade out of the hole that the dirt wouldn't fall off and fill in the bottom several inches of the hole.  Grr, time for a lunch break!

After lunch, we cleared the dirt out of the bottom of the 3 most important holes (the high points of the area we were working in), and managed 32" of depth there.  Most of the other holes are 22-28" deep.

Then we grabbed the 12" diameter blade and went and dug 4 more holes for another project.

After that, it was time for a break.  10 minutes later we took off to return the rented auger.  Boy did that rental make a difference.  And boy are we sore from using it!  lol

After we returned, we decided it was too late in the day to run to lowes for screws and make it back in time to get any work done before dark, so we scrounged around the buildings and found some leftover screws from an earlier project that would do the trick for us.

Since each side wall is 5 4x4 posts spaced 10' apart and about 13' to 14' up out of the ground, our design calls for a header to be installed to keep things solid.  The header design we went with involves using 2 16' and 4 12' 2x4 pieces.  One layer is 16-12-12, and the other layer is 12-12-16, so that there are no joints lining up between the two layers and none line up with a 4x4 post.  Also, the top layer is shortened 3.5" on each end for an overlap header for the ends.

Dad and I scratched our heads for a while figuring out how to get a 40' beam on top of a set of 13'ish tall posts.  Then we decided to precut all the lumber to the right lengths and pull it up on top of the RV and assemble it in place on top of the posts, with the RV acting as a scaffold beside the posts.  This involved me driving the RV as close to the posts as I dared (and on the curb side at that).  I managed to do so without a single incident.

All I can say is that working 12' or so in the air is not my idea of fun.  And we haven't even gotten to the part where we put the dome roof on or the plastic on top yet.  I'm thinking I might modify the dome roof slighty.  Still have to give it some thought.

Anyway, after we got the first 40' beam up, we braced 2 of the posts to prevent the whole thing from flopping before we can get back to it.  We ran out of daylight faster than we hoped.  Monday after work we'll be heading to lowes to get the things we need.  It's looking like we'll have time to work on the shelter again Thursday.

Tuesday I might get home early and be able to trim the branches that are currently in the way for the other side.  That'll help a lot.

Pictures for today's work can be found here.

jim
 
baadpuppy said:
I think there's a saying about the best laid plans of mice and men...

Nice chronicle. It appears, though, is that what you need next weekend is a good old-fashioned barn raising even. It would be the best gallon of potato salad, cases of beer and hot dogs for the BBQ you have ever bought.

Dexter
 
Dexter said:
Nice chronicle. It appears, though, is that what you need next weekend is a good old-fashioned barn raising even. It would be the best gallon of potato salad, cases of beer and hot dogs for the BBQ you have ever bought.

Dexter

Very true.  And it would likely be fun as well.  However, I think it would attract too much attention.

See, here's one of the exceptions to the building permit requirement:

Tents and air-supported structures that cover an area of 900 square feet or less, including all connecting areas or spaces with a common means of egress or entrance and with an occupant load of 50 or less persons.

Since this enclosure is intended for temporary use only, we are treating it as a 640 square foot enclosed "tent" with wooden supports and plastic skin.  Anything more substantial would really attract attention.  Having a party to build it would also attract attention.

I understand that the local government has an obligation to protect life, property, and property values.  I also understand that the local government is all for increasing their revenue any way possible.  This tent we are building is not cheap.  Rebuilding this motorhome is not cheap.  My regular bills also are not cheap.  I wish I could just reach in my pocket and keep pulling out money and throwing it at every problem, but that just doesn't work for some reason.  :(  It's bad enough that I have to pay a sales tax when I buy a vehicle and also pay a "valuation" based property tax on the same vehicle twice a year.  As far as I'm concerned, I pay enough taxes and fees already.

So, I'm trying to get this all done as inexpensively as possible.  That means that I'm building a temporary tent around my motorhome so I can work on it through bad weather.  There will not be any electrical or plumbing or heating/air conditioning in this building.  Of course, the water hose, extension cord, and Mr. Heater propane heater will all work just fine inside this tent if needed.  ;D

In any case, I hope to stay under the radar so to speak.

Also, this basic tent design could easily be modified into a permanent structure for someone wishing to build their own RV pole barn, assuming they followed their own local regulations.  Dad and I are working on turning the design into something electronically available.

Ok, enough rambling for now.
jim
 
Today was a beautiful day.  It got up into the 60s and stayed there most of the day.  Good short sleeve shirt weather if you're working in the yard.

Dad and I accomplished a lot today.  We got branches trimmed from 3 trees.  We got the 2nd wall up with header, and the rear header and half of the front header are up as well.  The 3 rafters for the center posts are also up.  10 of the 11 4x4 posts are in the ground with the dirt tamped back down.  The 11th will be installed tomorrow weather permitting.

I miscounted my materials requirement for 2x4s, so we've been figuring out ways to avoid going out on black friday.  I think we can get a lot done tomorrow.

All in all, I'm pleased with a good day's work.  Who would've thought a motorhome would make such a convenient work surface?  ;D

Pictures are here.  Enjoy.  And Happy Thanksgiving!  Dinner time!

jim
 
let's see...

Friday Dad and I both decided to kick back and relax.  We figured we still had Saturday and Sunday to get plenty of work done.  Plus, it got significantly colder Friday.

Saturday, I slept late, and woke up to discover Dad had started a "quick" job to replace the ceiling fan in the living room in the house.  Needless to say, Murphy was definitely working overtime Saturday, and the job took all day.

So fast forward to Sunday, and we finally manage to get some work done.

We installed the 4x4 center post for the front, as well as the second 2x4x16' header board  Got everything all plumb as much as possible with reasonable levels of effort.  We also put up the 2x4x10' boards at 8' off the ground that'll be a good place to attach plastic and also helps stabilize the entire box structure.  On the end, it was a 2x4x16' board.  The rear end remains open, and I'll be stretching a good sized tarp over that end instead of plastic.  We also installed 3 2x4 cross braces on all 3 axis in all 4 upper corners.  The entire structure is a lot more stable than it was, but still has some flex and give to it.

This week I'll be buying more supplies so we can get back to work on it this coming weekend.

Pictures from today can be found here.

jim
 
Looking good...

What are you going to use for a roof covering?  How are you going to keep rain/snow water from ponding and collapsing it?
 

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