My first restore/remodel!

[Lazy Bear Express]

Hello there. We just inherited a 1976 Midas Mini (Dodge) and are in the process of remodeling her. There was only one owner, but they did not maintain the roof, so it has been leaking for quite some time. We have ordered a couple rv restoration titles, and have been checking around on the internet but we are hoping to find more information from you all!

John and Jess

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

There isn't any magical solution here; a ceiling/roof in that bad a condition needs to be stripped out and replaced. What is the topside construction? Is the original metal van roof still in place (usually not) or has a more typical RV roof been fabricated? By typical I mean a light wooden frame with a thin luan substrate under a EPDM rubber membrane or a metal skin.

All those screws penetrating to the interior are a bit unusual. What are (or were) they attaching?

 

[Lazy Bear Express]

There isn't any magical solution here; a ceiling/roof in that bad a condition needs to be stripped out and replaced. What is the topside construction? Is the original metal van roof still in place (usually not) or has a more typical RV roof been fabricated? By typical I mean a light wooden frame with a thin luan substrate under a EPDM rubber membrane or a metal skin.

All those screws penetrating to the interior are a bit unusual. What are (or were) they attaching?

The layers are glued together - Aluminum/Styrofoam/Thin wood. The owner bought new, made a few modifications, then took it on a trip to Alaska from Montana, and back. Unfortunately the original owner has passed and his son and grandson do not know all what was done prior. I'm not sure if the screws were attached to a supporting board that may have run across - as when we started pulling down everything was just mulch at that point. The roof has multiple dents due to hail damage, but the pinholes do not coincide with the dents.

I'm not sure where the screws lead to. Probably another rabbit hole that I'll have to dive down in the near future. I'm not seeing where they could be on the roof. It's raining puppies and kittens right now, so I am hoping that our tarp is doing it's job keeping most of the water out.

This is the only photo I have of the roof currently.

John and Jess

 

[DutchmenSport]

Wow! You've got your job cut out for you, but you are not the first to tackle a project like this and you won't be the last either. I've seen photos of many RV and camper rebuilds and every one came out absolutely beautiful! In a lot of ways, restored better than when they were new.

I feel positive yours will also be fabulous when you finish it. About the time you feel overwhelmed at the project, take a deep breath, get some "lovin" from your mate, take a mental break, and then push on! Keep the end goal in mind and break the work down into small mini projects that fit part of the whole. As each mini project gets done, you'll feel the sense of accomplishment and it will be the motivation to keep on pushing to do the next part.

Good luck! Keep posting your progress!

 

[Lazy Bear Express]

Wow! You've got your job cut out for you, but you are not the first to tackle a project like this and you won't be the last either. I've seen photos of many RV and camper rebuilds and every one came out absolutely beautiful! In a lot of ways, restored better than when they were new.

I feel positive yours will also be fabulous when you finish it. About the time you feel overwhelmed at the project, take a deep breath, get some "lovin" from your mate, take a mental break, and then push on! Keep the end goal in mind and break the work down into small mini projects that fit part of the whole. As each mini project gets done, you'll feel the sense of accomplishment and it will be the motivation to keep on pushing to do the next part.

Good luck! Keep posting your progress!

It will be a fun and interesting learning experience! I am sure I will be on here often asking a million questions!

I just moved to Montana from Cicero! We used to be neighbors!

 

[TheBar]

I had roof damage in a small area but water had not penetrated past the top layer of wood veneer. I slit the rubber roof for access, replaced the veneer using contact cement compatible with the foam layer, then sealed the rubber membrane back up with the contact cement and Eternabond tape.

If water had entered the walls my problem would have been multiplied by 100. RV walls and floors are typically the same lightweight sandwich used on the roof. Trying to recreate that sandwich is next to impossible. Replacing it with typical home construction methods and materials will likely weigh more than your springs and axles can stand. From your pictures it looks like you have had water damage in the walls and floor. There are some decent products to repair rotten wood if it isn't too far gone. If too much wood has to be replaced it can be an overwhelming job.

 

[Lazy Bear Express]

I had roof damage in a small area but water had not penetrated past the top layer of wood veneer. I slit the rubber roof for access, replaced the veneer using contact cement compatible with the foam layer, then sealed the rubber membrane back up with the contact cement and Eternabond tape.

If water had entered the walls my problem would have been multiplied by 100. RV walls and floors are typically the same lightweight sandwich used on the roof. Trying to recreate that sandwich is next to impossible. Replacing it with typical home construction methods and materials will likely weigh more than your springs and axles can stand. From your pictures it looks like you have had water damage in the walls and floor. There are some decent products to repair rotten wood if it isn't too far gone. If too much wood has to be replaced it can be an overwhelming job.

We know the back wall is pretty far gone, and the first 2 feet of the ceiling from the back are also just mulched. Once our monsoon has stopped here in NW Montana - we are going to finish trying to peel back the wall to assess the 'studs'. We do realize this is a huge project, but John is a big fan of A. Mopar B. Carburetors and the camper is the perfect size for the two of us and our pups.

Thank you for the insight on how you repaired your walls with the foam. It will help us with our decisions on what products to use.

 

[jackiemac]

Good luck with it. Looking forward to seeing your new rig!