RV rehab

I just remembered something important.
While I was pulling the carpet all the rusty staples and nails made me think I should get a tetanus shot.
Apartment Prepper was talking about it recently. Even the bartender at work had one when she cut herself on glass, her doctor recommended it.

I lived in a 30' trailer for about 5 years. It was pretty run down with the same kind of problems - leaking roof , rotten floors ect. I didn't have much money so I did everything on the cheap. I ripped up the carpet and put down 3/4 inch plywood all over the floor - worked well. I just left it bare. As for the the roof, I put a fresh piece of clear poly over the whole works and used strips of wood all round to tack it to the sides just below the roof. Don't suggest this if moving. - Mine turned into a huge flying cape while driving down the Pat Bay:) It's easy and cheap cause you can buy a roll of 10' wide poly for not much. I put in a new electrical system so it wouldn't burn and I ripped out the entire bathroom. I peed outside for 5 years! But it was in a campground so there was showers and toilet there, gross but there.
About disposal of carpet just put a little bit out with your household every week!
Get a tetanus shot if you don't remember when you had one last!!!!
Happy reno-ing!

😆 "As for the the roof, I put a fresh piece of clear poly over the whole works and used strips of wood all round to tack it to the sides just below the roof. Don't suggest this if moving. - Mine turned into a huge flying cape while driving down the Pat Bay:)"

Well, I'm going cheap too, but I hope to be just a notch or two upscale from "huge flying cape". 😆

My dad was talking about the merits of different kinds of goop we could slather on the roof. He has a product that has worked well on his raised roof van. I am also thinking of putting down a new subfloor over top the old, as you mentioned that you did. I'm hoping the electrical system is fine, and nothing else beside the roof (and tires & brakes) have to be done. Would like to beable to try it out come spring.

This rv is going to be used for going out in the woods, camping. (fairly local, within 30 miles) I wouldn't care if the fridge and stove didn't work, as they take up a lot of space that could be turned into storage. But the bathroom must function, and the whole thing must be waterproof.

Best of luck to you;
I think the stove is important actually, get it to work and do not worry about the fridge.

The floor should be dealt with after the ceiling/roof. Put a piece of plywood over the soft spot and work on making it not leek first.

This will be your bug out vehicle with 2 other uses as well, fun and recreation. I live in mine! So be careful and have fun.

I have just started a one-week vacation, hope to get lots of chores done, including work on the RV if the weather will cooperate! (please, for-the-love-of-god, stop raining!)
My dad suggested we go check out the local RV parts and supplies stores. Yay, field trip!

1978 23ft. Okanagan RV on Ford chassis with 460 cc gasoline engine
Needs (not in exact order) and estimated (subject to change 😕 ) costs:

Four new tires (8.75R16.5LT) -- $700 (I see Canadian Tire is advertising a clearance sale right now)
Brake job -- ?
Gasoline (2 tanks) -- $50 to start
Vehicle Insurance & License Plates -- (3 months to start -- $200 ?)
Battery(ies)? -- $100 to start
Propane tank(s) filled -- $30 to start
Right mirror reattached -- 0
To have propane system tested (fridge, stove/oven, furnace) -- $ ?
Roof repair (minor) -- $20
Interior ceiling removal and replacement -- $40
Carpet removal -- 0
Subfloor patched and/or covered over -- $20
Lino -- $10
Holding tanks flushed and sanitized -- ? (RV chemicals probably required, don't know costs)
New foam mattress for over the cab -- $150
Dinette cushions and Gaucho recovered (fabric) -- $50
Window coverings (fabric and hardware) -- $50
I-beam for interior curtain and shower curtain -- $20
CO detector -- $30
Propane detector -- $ ?
Smoke detector -- $20
Fire extinguisher (another) -- $30
Some interior lights (get LED) missing -- $20

@WildernessReturn
You are right about the stove being important, going outside to start a fire for that first cup of coffee in the morning would be harsh. Especially at the higher elevations in the woods, morning can be very nippy! As long as the fridge works I guess it stays. 🙂

Okay, first hitch in my 'plan': Canadian Tire guy said "whoa, that's an unusual size, don't know if we have it." They didn't. Apparently 8.75R16.5LT is a bias ply size, not the more modern and common radial size. My options were to try someplace else for bias ply or have the size converted to a radial size and replace all six tires, plus a spare (because it's illegal to mix bias ply and radial tires on a vehicle). So we went to Tires Unlimited on the Gorge and got an estimate, $1,000 for four bias ply, installed, road-ready. (the two front tires are only about 6 years old, my dad remembers when his brother bought them)

It's making my dad a little nervous about how much it could cost to get this buggy on the road, and it's not even his money. 😆 He says before we start laying out big money for tires and a battery he wants to put in one of his batteries and check out the fuel pump (what?! this is the first time I heard about the fuel pump. 😯 well, maybe it's the first time I was paying attention. 😕 )

On the upside, the weather was much improved today. Cold and windy, but SUNNY and dry. 😀

kal tire
wrecking yards
cdn tire lastresort

I can't wait to see it Vanislemom! 😀
You have left no stone unturned girlfriend!

Wilderness: How did you deal with storage issues? Is it feasible to skirt the RV and use the space under the RV for storage, say rubbermaid totes or something of that like? (Terrain permitting) I'd like to hear more on living in it as a full-time residence if you don't mind sharing. Did you opt for the back 40 or a park?

i use an old rv for up at my hunt camp, i have built a nice cabin but still use it the odd time. the roof leaked bad so i tared the crap out of it and it has never leaked since. the same stuff you would use on your drive way use the hole 5 gal can of it in a couple layers and it will be good to go for years.

Paintergir, you asked me about my Living and bug out vehicle,
for an answer, follow the link to a new post, thanks.
http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=419
http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=419 :ugeek:

I'm enjoying my 76 Chevy Blue Bird. 0 - 120mpr in 12 miles lolol. Vanislemom I thought you might like to take a look at scarecrow's post under shtf sanitation. Australian prepper. That is one serious undertaking there vanislemom. Best of luck with that. Fun!!

Thanks, Grammaprepper, for directing me to the Australian forum re: shtf sanitation. Great post he has there.

I was curious what your 76 Chevy Blue Bird would look like so I googled it to see what would come up. Is it anything like this one?

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. It is slow going right now. Until the weather warms up it's hard to get my dad interested. I do need his help to get the beast running and moved out of the garden and back onto the driveway. We need the transfer papers signed by his brother so that I can license and insure it. (I don't know why that didn't happen 2 years ago when he brought to his place.) Plus my dad's back yard is like one of those puzzles where you have to move something in order to move something. He's hoping the two guys that said they'd take the old moldy catamaran on a trailer will hurry up and bring the wheels back (that they took away to get serviced) and get it out of his yard.

Meanwhile I did a typically girly thing, I bought upholstery fabric and curtain fabric. 🙄 I know, priorities, but Fabricland was having such a good sale.

I checked out your post about living in your RV, WildernessReturn. Really appreciate your sharing, thought your idea of using spray bottles for washing dishes was ingenious.

Just remembered, I forgot to mention what we learned at the RV shop today.

Got talking with the nice young man behind the counter about the solar panels shown on a poster on the wall. What he said was very interesting, I tried to google it but didn't come up with anything. The gist is that we should not buy any til the new type come out next year. According to him solar panels used to be able to charge using any light, even lights in your garage, or indirect sunlight. But about 10 years the manufacturers changed them so that only direct sunlight worked. But there have been so many complaints that they are changing them back.

If anyone knows about this and can elaborate we sure would be interested.

Just remembered, I forgot to mention what we learned at the RV shop today.

Got talking with the nice young man behind the counter about the solar panels shown on a poster on the wall. What he said was very interesting, I tried to google it but didn't come up with anything. The gist is that we should not buy any til the new type come out next year. According to him solar panels used to be able to charge using any light, even lights in your garage, or indirect sunlight. But about 10 years the manufacturers changed them so that only direct sunlight worked. But there have been so many complaints that they are changing them back.

If anyone knows about this and can elaborate we sure would be interested.

I heard the same thing. A friend of mine has a one million candle power spotlight so we tested it on one of my panels. We got power.