Wish AND FIX UP list for MH

[swebster]

Good thread. Really, after the first year, my mechanical expenses were way down. I joke that I spent the first year of ownership working under it, the second working in it and we hope to spend the third actually using it.

Mechanicals Done:

• New shocks (6)
• New master cylinder
• New Rear Brakes
• New Tag Axle Brakes
• New UJoints (4)
• New Carrier Bearings (4)
• Rebuilt Carb
• New Distrubutor
• New Alternator (came from PO)
• Removed A.I.R. systems
• Replaced Exhaust
• Added Headers
• New Accel 9000 Wires
• Radiator Repair
• New Water Pump
• Belts and Hoses
• New Oil Cooler lines
• New Front Air Bags
• New ShurFlow water pump
• Repaired Generator (little tune up stuff)
• New GenSet muffler and exhaust
• New Fuel Pumps (Mechnical and Electric - PO provided)

Interior Mods Done:

• Refaced Kithen Cabinets
• New sofa furniture
• Rebuilt new Dinette
• Installed "Pergo" floor
• Installed new wall covering (marine grade decking and orange suede)
• Reupohlstered couch
• Removed barrel chairs
• Installed entertainment center
• Phillips Sround Sound DVD system
• Dell 17" Wide Screen LCD
• Refinished bulkheads
• Refinished overhead lockers

To Do:

• Install frosted lexan locker doors
• Install remainer of wal covering
• Fabricate overhead lighting and HVAC tray
• Install Halogen lighting
• Refinish "Bath Block"
• Build new cabinetry for Water Closet
• Remove rear queen and replace with L gaucho
• Rework water tank in rear
• Extend Pergo to rear of coach
• Install rear entertainment systems
• Rework Dash
• Replace Captain's Chairs
• Install new carpet in cockpit area

Exterior To Do:

• Finish Strip and Polish
• Polish Alcoa Wheels
• Replace cracked Banana Warp in Rear
• Repaint lower grey areas
• Rebadge with modern "AIRSTREAM" decals
• Fab andinstall chin spoiler
• Install driving/fog lights

Mechanicals To Do:

• Replace radiator
• Install AC Evaporator and get Dash AC Working
• Replace Fridge

Wow....a lot done and a long way to go. Good thing I really really like my Airstream!

[ALANSD]

you go boy...a lot of work to help keep you out of trouble and on the right track!

[Chuckles]

Originally Posted by PeterH-79MH

We often get questions about what to expect when buying one of these rigs.
Below is my list of 2 years.
And this is with an excellent drive train, a good power generator and functioning 3-way refer. (knock on wood!)
you get to add the $$
..................
fixed door bell (important)

............
reupholster coach, chairs and front seats
added microwave

Well done! I dont know about lists.... they make me depressed. But please, please, where is the '@'?*#~@ door bell! Ours will not work, and "Me misses" - 'er indoors, will not rest until it works!

Save a UK Streamer from this peril, Also..... any one know anything about the vacuum unit (see in interiors)

Chuck
Dorset UK

[cooperhawk]

Okay, we have the 345 so it may not be the same, but our doorbell is under the couch on the road side. It isn't very loud and I think I would have to pull the couch out to work on it. Our couch is right behind the drivers seat. I don't know how yours is set up. Good Luck!!!

[guy99]

Doorbell thread.

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ese-16223.html

[Orland Dewey]

Well those long lists of repairs make me feel a lot better. I was begining
to think I was all alone on my project. I also have done most of the things
that I see listed, an many others besides. Perhaps someday I too will make a
list and include the costs that I have plus labor that I supplied. I did not
see any list of replacing a windshield gasket. Found mine thru The large
dealer in californina, (ANDYS) I think. About $400.00 for the gasket set and
$300.00 to have it installed by professionals. I think that is the only way to
do that part. No leaks since, so I am happy with that one. I still have to
add 8 all new tires perhaps this summer. Then I hope its ready for a long
trip somewhere. I stopped doing repairs last fall and its setting in the snow
bank until we use it again.

Mixednuts

[alfalsetto]

I'm in Seattle Washington and We had 28 day's of rain none stop. No leaks inside of the Airstream. It's all outside. Knock on wood!!!!!!

[ralley]

Just bought the 91 350 before Christmas, and drove it 12 hours home a couple weeks later. Finally allowed the state of Maryland to clip me for the MD State Vehicle Inspection last week--a one time event for as long as I own the vehicle. The inspection itself was about $180.00--not bad for about an hour's work. (maybe I should retire and do this??)

As a result of the inspection, the garage did the following work:

A few new lenses and bulbs.
New RF shock--old one leaking oil
Exhaust manifold gaskets for 454--this apparently took some time. Had no gaskets before 72K on engine.
A cooling hose or two
Some other really minor stuff
About $550.00

This one really nicely maintained, so there isn't much I can see which needs immediate work, but there have been few upgrades. The biggest problem I had getting it home was that the driver's (and passenger's) windows were frozen shut (making toll paying on the PA turnpike interesting), and the cruise control (is it a vacuum system?) worked intermittently until things warmed up.It had been less than 25F for two days before I picked it up.

BUT:

Current symptoms are:
1. Alternator does not charge.
2. Lights-on warning beeper stays on continuously when lights are turned on.

I would guess that the inspecting garage either crimped an alt. wire putting the gaskets in, or left the field wire disconnected. No clue about the lights. Any ideas?

[outofcontrol]

From the PO, we started with a pretty good coach:
Things he updated/repaired/upgraded:
1. new water heater
2. painted inside (great job, he's in the business)
3. new floors (again, they look great)
4. new front carpets
5. new tires
6. re-built tranny

Things I have done/am doing
1. new front air bags
2. added air compressor + leveling system
3. new shocks all around
4. fixing front brakes
5. re-built heater core
6. new 12V water pump

***Wish List***
1. Transplant 2005 Dodge Cummins TD with OD $10,000 (est)
2. New (quieter) propane or diesel gen $3000
3. Carrier Low Profile (7.5") roof-top AC units $700 ea.
4. Polish skin to mirror finish - 200hrs
5. New Remco RV mirrors $400 set.

I figure the '81 454 will give up the ghost some day around 90-100k miles. We just turned 60k; so by the time we need a new motor (4-5 years), there will be plenty of used diesels around. The new diesels are just getting to the point where they are almost as quiet as a gasser, but so much more power, efficiency, and durability.

If I spend $15,000 on this RV, and make it super fun, I'm still waaaaaay better off than spending $100,000 on a new unit. And it's so much cooler!

-Kevin

[silverback]

I realized this week that my vintage AS will be an early 90s 28' to 31' (280 & 310?) turbo diesel motorhome. I'm starting the research and firming up the vision. The cash will be there when the vision materializes.

[wanderingeye]

Kevin Et Al I used some very rough numbers to satisfy myself that our Classic MH was the best buy for our intended use...20,000 miles for five years. When compared to anything built on a Sprinter chassis and it,s cost of ownership and operation (3.00fuel) the AS will cost .47 cents per mile, while the sprinter will cost .92 cents per mile. The power to wieght ratio between our 27 and a sprinter MH are at least similar and because of the relatively small size we have not yet needed a "towed". The wish list of course will change the equation but for the first 4000 miles it has run like a top. Cheers Tom

[gallion]

Can You Clear Coat A Painted M.h.? About What Would It Run. I'm In N.c.
Is That A Good Idea?
Thanks For Any Replys
Jim

[MaryContrary]

I've had my '84 310 for count 'em ..3 whole months!

everything needed overhaul...

-window seals, thankfully no major leaks
-fixed gasket and full replacement of passenger side windshield
-new velvac mirrors
-antique plates
-all new hoses and wiring with heat protection under doghouse
-new fridge
-genny overhaul and tune
-ac charge, new ducts, wiring
-all new fuses everywhere..whew!
-dealt with the ghosts in the fuse panel and under dash spaghetti monster
thanks again to Brad for all the 310 manuals

-retroteck throttle body FI she purrs like a wild cat now & starts every time!
-new rear fuel pump with wiring job that almost killed us fixed and replaced whole fuel line and return
-complete new exhaust pipes / muffler with pretty chrome tips

-ripped out old CA smog stuff and excess vacuum lines
-doghouse dynomat insulation
-new shower head and hose
-all LP lines checked
-hot water heater works

-all new plugs and wires
-swap front couch with my other '82 a/s trailer the upholstery is much nicer, and the whole thing is MUCH sturdier... and what is that long heavy table that is hidden under the original couch? it would have blocked the whole front area... what were they thinking?
-all new draperies and curtain rods
-replaced thousands of little screws and rivets all over coach, no more rattling down the road
-pulled out about 300lbs of excess woodpanneling interior ugly stuff including side front chairs, folding doors, plastic excess etc.
-new running lights all over that still dont work properly
-new double coin tires all around
-alignment
-full break check with tires off
-new front airbags, checked back they seem ok
-new airbag compressor

-sandblasted and painted rusted out under compartments
-new 500lb slides and underbelly reinforcement weld on battery box
-3 new batteries
-checked and refitted frame ground
-peeled off old woodgrain stripe
-removed all rotted cracked exterior trim, must call Andy's RV to get lower black replacement
-removed double twins in rear threw up a cross support over holding tanks and now have a huge king mattress in rear. with tons of extra storage.

-led 1156 bulbs all around...check ebay for 1156 LED...something like 10.50$ for 2,
500,000 hours, and 200% more efficient

-all new air / fuel / water filters
-thankfully no leaks in water system, new water canister filter
-fixed awnings all round
-deer warning system
-new potable hose
-new horn
-fixed all turn lights, want to replace with led and add extra breaking lights in back

-going thru "whats in your toolbox" and "454 tune" threads & have extra ignition module, fan clutch, distro coil, spark wires
-flushed radiator, new cap
-replaced gaskets all over
-dude, my vacuum step, and deadbolt lock from dash works! i dont know about that silly doorbell
-fixed hinge pin in door

i'll get around to wood flooring, and remaking doghouse, must remember to not freak out on the dash guides and warninglights.
new carpeting in driving area
and new low profile a.c in front after this one dies

new brass kitchen and bath fixtures/ facuets
hopefully new sinks and potty

and wanna pull out 2nd ac in rear and put in fantastic fan or skylight, i dont need 2 temperamental acs to pull on the genny

when it cools off this winter polish exterior and completely redo floorplan. remove old outdated antenna and all the excess stuff on roof. reseal Vulcum all over

get solar panels and system up and running with all that added roof space

unfortunately there is some bad endcap dents in rear...super costly to fix and why the initial investment was so low, so that is why we can violently hurl money at her right now. She sat in the same storage for over 15 years, but was thankfully started and ran every month.

i am a slave to this beauty.
I love her so much I'd polish her 4x over with a toothbrush and love every minute. i get the warm fuzzy feeling just thinking of her.

i read this forum like a bible, and cannot thank you guys enough for this information...
we are working full time to get her reliable. this forum is invaluable!

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by mary quite c

I've had my '84 310 for count 'em ..3 whole months!

everything needed overhaul...

-window seals, thankfully no major leaks

Did you have to replace the bottom plastic tracks and if so what did you use?

-new velvac mirrors

Would you mind posting pictures of your mirror installation? I have new velvac mirrors but haven't had the time to install them as yet.

-dealt with the ghosts in the fuse panel and under dash spaghetti monster
thanks again to Brad for all the 310 manuals

Glad to help!

-swap front couch with my other '82 a/s trailer the upholstery is much nicer, and the whole thing is MUCH sturdier... and what is that long heavy table that is hidden under the original couch? it would have blocked the whole front area... what were they thinking?

What table under the couch?

-new running lights all over that still dont work properly

No doubt running lights can be extremely frustrating. I've fought them and continue to fight them.

-new double coin tires all around

I hope you have better luck with those tires than we did. We ended up having ours checked at another shop and found that all of them were out of round. We managed to get the shop we bought them from to refund our money. The ride was horrible until we switched to toyo tires. Much better ride.

-sandblasted and painted rusted out under compartments

This is something I have to do as well.

-new 500lb slides and underbelly reinforcement weld on battery box

Pictures please!

-checked and refitted frame ground

Did you rework the ground connection at the left rear of the motorhome, on the underside of of the motorhome near the water tank area?

-removed double twins in rear threw up a cross support over holding tanks and now have a huge king mattress in rear. with tons of extra storage.

Again, pictures please!!!!

-going thru "whats in your toolbox" and "454 tune" threads & have extra ignition module, fan clutch, distro coil, spark wires

Lots of good threads on this subject.

-dude, my vacuum step, and deadbolt lock from dash works! i dont know about that silly doorbell

I recently got our vacuum steps to work as well. Had to replace the switch in the door and then fix all the vacuum lines. Steps work well now. The door lock is another issue. When you flip the switch you can see the handle try and move but there appears to be some kind of binding taking place inside the wall. I also can't get the dead bolt to lock with the key (it is the right key). I would have to remove the wall next to the door to get to the lock mechanism. Some day.......

-fixed hinge pin in door

Any chance that you could provide a description of what you did? I'm faced with either replacing the hinges or fixing the pins somehow.

unfortunately there is some bad endcap dents in rear...super costly to fix and why the initial investment was so low, so that is why we can violently hurl money at her right now.

There are some good threads on dent removal. We have a few to fix ourselves.

i read this forum like a bible, and cannot thank you guys enough for this information...
we are working full time to get her reliable. this forum is invaluable!

Yep, lots of good info on these forums. I would encourage you to post about all of our experiences as well, who knows who you will help someday by doing that.

Brad

[MaryContrary]

i am gonna go grab my camera again tomorrow but....

here's that silly table, and where it was kept





sorry the pics are so big...as big as that table!

i'll get some pics of the mirrors too, we had to rip out the whole interior to find the faceplate & of course nothing lined up, so we just placed them where the rear view seemed optimal..i dont have the super-duper heated/signal ones so they did not have to be wired up. i'd give anything for the chrome ones tho, the bulky black plastic seems just wrong on this vehicle

i just got an alignment, and they said the double coin tires were fine but this is something i will look out for. I'll check them out again before the warranty is up.

i wish i had gotten before and after pics of the battery box, crazy enough the PO but a wooden board there and the batteries fell thru dragging and bending the whole box and slides a few feet, hence why i had to check the wires and re attach the ground to the frame by the water heater and also checked the back after finding that my new rear fuel pump wouldent work, but hummed right away after fixing the ground
it looks great now, mcmaster carr has the 500lb shock weight slides, but we just ordered them from our local airstream guy, i think they had to custom make them.

as for the back bedroom i just wont mess with rearranging 25 y.o. plumbing and watertanks...if it's not leaking now i'll check it and leave it all safely under the bed just as it was...no monsters under there...yet!
it was fun trying to get the huge matress in the door, but all in all i just put up some plywood cross supports and voila!... from twins to king!

what is up with the door? it seems like it twists everything on the hinges upwards everytime it opens...and the pin creaps up and up till the door wants to fall off
i'm searching the exterior forum for a proper fix, but a bolt with nut seems to do the trick

there was ALOT of gunk and dirt around the hinges, door and locks, i also am having upper lock problems, me thinks that the top lock interior handle thingie is just always been kind of a weak component, and i have to be very gentle with it, just like the locking lever on the bottom lock. it was so crusted with grease and dirt i had to take apart the whole mechanism and clean it to get it to lock from the inside.

i'm not sure where to post them, so i'll post em here...
here are some pics of redoing the insulation in the doghouse, i used dynamat and dynamat hoodliner for hi temp soundproofing..sooo much quieter and no blasts of heat when driving






i had found some random wide rubber strip and it seems to make a nice seal around the edges. the hoodliner is peel and stick,
and hurray for lots of silver tape!

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by mary quite c

i am gonna go grab my camera again tomorrow but....

here's that silly table, and where it was kept

Thanks for the photos. Our 310 didn't come with a table like that, it has a small dinette on the passenger side. I'll have to check to see if the pockets are in the floor under the carpet.

i'll get some pics of the mirrors too, we had to rip out the whole interior to find the faceplate & of course nothing lined up, so we just placed them where the rear view seemed optimal..i dont have the super-duper heated/signal ones so they did not have to be wired up. i'd give anything for the chrome ones tho, the bulky black plastic seems just wrong on this vehicle

Somewhere on the internet I've seen pictures of someone that mounted Velvac mirrors on their coach. I have the "super-duper heated/signal ones" . Got them off ebay. It means I have to tear into the interior walls but having the ability to adjust them from inside the coach will be nice. Like yours ours are black. Just couldn't justify the extra bucks for the shiney ones.

i just got an alignment, and they said the double coin tires were fine but this is something i will look out for. I'll check them out again before the warranty is up.

If you're not getting vibrations from them while driving now then you should be ok. The vibrations were noticable on ours right after installation. It made a 2400 mile round trip a miserable one.

i wish i had gotten before and after pics of the battery box, crazy enough the PO but a wooden board there and the batteries fell thru dragging and bending the whole box and slides a few feet, hence why i had to check the wires and re attach the ground to the frame by the water heater and also checked the back after finding that my new rear fuel pump wouldent work, but hummed right away after fixing the ground
it looks great now, mcmaster carr has the 500lb shock weight slides, but we just ordered them from our local airstream guy, i think they had to custom make them.

The bottom of our battery box is rusted out as well and wood is holding the batteries in place. Guess its time to do something about that! Fortunately the slides are in good shape.

as for the back bedroom i just wont mess with rearranging 25 y.o. plumbing and watertanks...if it's not leaking now i'll check it and leave it all safely under the bed just as it was...no monsters under there...yet!
it was fun trying to get the huge matress in the door, but all in all i just put up some plywood cross supports and voila!... from twins to king!

Looking forward to the pictures!

what is up with the door? it seems like it twists everything on the hinges upwards everytime it opens...and the pin creaps up and up till the door wants to fall off
i'm searching the exterior forum for a proper fix, but a bolt with nut seems to do the trick

Something is definitely twisted. Ours sticks out some at the bottom. There are fixes for this, one of which is to remove the rivets from the lower inside skin, reshape the door and rivet the inner skins back on. This is supposed to help it hold the new shape. I'm going to replace our hinges because of sloppiness in the hinge pins themselves.

i'm not sure where to post them, so i'll post em here...
here are some pics of redoing the insulation in the doghouse, i used dynamat and dynamat hoodliner for hi temp soundproofing..sooo much quieter and no blasts of heat when driving

I plan on replacing the insulation eventually but ours still is in reasonable condition and works pretty good.

Brad