Restore or Renovate??

[heyraylata]

Hi Guys,

Are most of you restoring the interior or renovating with new appliances etc. I may sell in the near future so I wanted some opinions. I mess with classic cars and original or as original is the way to go IMO. There is something to be said for a resto mod. I've got most of the mechanical work done brakes, rebuilt motor with fuel injection, overdrive trans blah blah but it seems like a nice opportunity for a new interior? I have a 24 rear bed, removed the twins working on a Queen I took out the dinette and was thinking pull out sofa for more sleeping capacity. I appreciate your opinions I don't post much more of a creeper.... Oh if anyone has rear taillights to sell I could use some

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by heyraylata

Hi Guys,

Are most of you restoring the interior or renovating with new appliances etc. I may sell in the near future so I wanted some opinions. I mess with classic cars and original or as original is the way to go IMO. There is something to be said for a resto mod. I've got most of the mechanical work done brakes, rebuilt motor with fuel injection, overdrive trans blah blah but it seems like a nice opportunity for a new interior? I have a 24 rear bed, removed the twins working on a Queen I took out the dinette and was thinking pull out sofa for more sleeping capacity. I appreciate your opinions I don't post much more of a creeper.... Oh if anyone has rear taillights to sell I could use some

Hi Ray,

Nothing wrong with replacing appliances, they do wear out eventually anyway.

Doesn't the existing sofa pull out to make bed? The 24' that I've got has the rear bed with a sofa forward of the entry door. To be honest I don't know if it pulls out to form a bed or not!

I have one of plastic tail light housings that runs across the back. PM me if interested.

Brad

[skyguyscott]

Restore, refurbish or update is up to you. Unlike autos, RVs have fewer customized parts, and many more common commodity components that are less frequently updated. Most of the appliances in AS trailers and MH can be found in just about any SOB trailer.

The older the unit, the more charm, say a 1940s or 1950s refrigerator will have, and perhaps more value given they are more rare, but also more likely to have problems working or challenges in finding replacement parts to keep them working. The oldest AS/Argosy MH is late 70s -- and currently, no one shows 70s or 80s units the love they show the 50s.

Still, an "original" unit will be worth more in resale than an updated trailer, all else being equal. But the updated unit will likely be in better overall condition, and be usable immediately, so "all else being equal" will be unlikely the oder the unit is. Will a "restored" unit fetch more than an updated unit? Maybe, so much depends on the quality of the work; but most owners selling restored/refurbished/updated units do not make profit once their labor is factored into it.

[Belegedhel]

Do what makes sense and appeals to you. There may be some vintage purists out there who would be disappointed that you don't keep the orange shag carpet and faux walnut veneered cabinetry, but 90% of your future buyers are going to be looking for modern features and neutral design choices.

good luck!

[stream3]

I think you'll get a variety of responses to your question, and it totally depends on your circumstances, desired outcome, and most importantly - your budget. In our case, even though the original interior was in good condition, we decided a full gut/renovation would be the best way to go since there were so many extensive changes/updates that we wanted to make. Obviously, a lot people on the forum do their own work, which would be nice from a $$$/cost standpoint, but unfortunately I don't have the time, space or skills to diy, so we hired a professional rv renovation/repair company (the rv clinic in Franklin, Ohio). It's been over a year since we started, but the end is in sight now, and we are extremely pleased with how it is turning out. We actually replaced the street side dinette with a kitchen work station/cabinet, and took out the rear queen and made that into a U shaped dinette/lounge that will convert into our bed.

I'd be interested to learn more details on your motor rebuild with fuel injection, and overdrive tranny. That's also on our list for later this year.

Good Luck!

[Isuzusweet]

IMHO There are way too many things that can be replaced with way better replacements that would use far less propane, electricity and water.

LED lights including headlamps and marker lights
Induction cook tops
3 way water heaters with propane, 110 volt and engine heat
Water saving faucets
Modern 16" rims and tires

The list goes on and on........going back to original wouldn't guarantee a higher resale if the moho or trailer had the modern day conveniences that I've listed above.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[heyraylata]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Hi Ray,

Nothing wrong with replacing appliances, they do wear out eventually anyway.

Doesn't the existing sofa pull out to make bed? The 24' that I've got has the rear bed with a sofa forward of the entry door. To be honest I don't know if it pulls out to form a bed or not!

I have one of plastic tail light housings that runs across the back. PM me if interested.

Brad

It was a dinette no sofa

[heyraylata]

That's all I needed and very true! out with the old in with the new!

[heyraylata]

Originally Posted by stream3

I think you'll get a variety of responses to your question, and it totally depends on your circumstances, desired outcome, and most importantly - your budget. In our case, even though the original interior was in good condition, we decided a full gut/renovation would be the best way to go since there were so many extensive changes/updates that we wanted to make. Obviously, a lot people on the forum do their own work, which would be nice from a $$$/cost standpoint, but unfortunately I don't have the time, space or skills to diy, so we hired a professional rv renovation/repair company (the rv clinic in Franklin, Ohio). It's been over a year since we started, but the end is in sight now, and we are extremely pleased with how it is turning out. We actually replaced the street side dinette with a kitchen work station/cabinet, and took out the rear queen and made that into a U shaped dinette/lounge that will convert into our bed.

I'd be interested to learn more details on your motor rebuild with fuel injection, and overdrive tranny. That's also on our list for later this year.

Good Luck!

The fuel Injection is a game changer! https://www.holley.com/products/fuel...on/sniper_efi/ It starts the 1st time and runs great its a whole different thing not too expensive or difficult to install assuming your engine is good its the way to go. If your engine is bad then a drive train swap from a modern 454 overdrive trans truck is the move I did that on a 20ft I sold and it was night and day to the old set up. The trans I have is a 700r4 I had built to stand up to the tq of a 454 and even tow! again that extra gear is a world of difference on the hwy! something like this not too difficult to do. https://www.monstertransmission.com/...l#.XONmTZNKii4

[stream3]

That's great info, thanks for passing along. I think my engine is pretty solid so I'll really be looking at this as opposed to a new engine. Probably need to add the OD though as I'm tired of the higher rpm at cruise. It would be nice to have it a little more quiet up front.

[Magnet18]

I prefer restomod. Upgrade the appliances and mechanicals, but keep the original look wherever possible. Sure, nobody loves on 70s stuff like 50s stuff, but give it 20 more years and the novelty will start to grow.

My parents have a 70s gmc palm Beach, green shag carpet, green plaid interior and all dark walnut woodwork, working on all green appliances... Everyone loves it everywhere they go, it gets more attention than my classic motorhome. In the eyes of this millennial born in the 90s, it's just as cool as anything from the 50s or 60s or 80s.

[martin300662]

Look at it this way......

If you want to look at it, then restore

If you want to use it, restomod