New-to-me 1983 Grandby

[Wanderlust]

So... I just acquired a really nice, and clean, 1983 Grandby. Unfortunately, I have a 2010 Tundra with a 6.5' bed so it's getting mounted on a small utility trailer. Just curious, as a new FWC owner (I've browsed the forum a lot), what should I do first? This thing is really in good shape - stored under cover here in NV so no visible rot / mold. Some mildew in the interior of the double layer canvas but not too bad. No smells, cushions are super clean. Even included the owners manual. My goal is to make it functional, my last project was a 1955 canned ham camper so I'm not looking for a ton of work. So far I'm planning on:

1) clean and disinfect surfaces
2) new battery
3) test furnace - either it works or a Camco Olympian Wave 3 / 6 is going in its place
4) new mattress - recommendations?
5) check roof - silicone or sealant. Again, any recommendations?
6) Paint interior, rigid insulation on the exterior and make a custom liner of Reflectix to cover the canvas.
7) May need to rebuild the front lift panel - top rivets are mostly pulled through the board.

I thought about rebuilding the frame to fit my Tundra, but really don't want to get into that level of modification.

For background - most camping will be me and my dog. I'm single and spend a lot of time travelling to mountain bike and explore NV, UT, and surrounding areas. Looking for any suggestions or thoughts on basic maintenance and care. So far I'm into it $500 (plus the trailer), hoping to keep the rest of my expenses under $500 if possible.

Thanks and looks like a great community-

 

[PokyBro]

Hi Wanderlust, just checking to see how your camper project is going?

And, welcome to the forum! I noticed you never got a reply to your post awhile back, which is un-characteristic here.

If you're working through your list still, here's a couple of ideas or how-to's.

For the lift panel rebuild, check out this post

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/3267-rear-lift-panel-fabrication-and-replacement/?hl=%2Blift+%2Bpanel+%2Brebuild#entry35427

For cleaning and disinfecting the vinyl side liner, because it is two layers sandwiched together, it probably will be difficult to get it all back the way you like it, but there are products at RV supply stores for cleaning up mildew.

For re-sealing your roof, most here have recommended staying away from regular silicone caulking. For best results see what your local RV service centers carry, like Camping World, as they will have several products made specifically for RV roof sealing. I used A product called Proflex by Geocel I was pleased with.

Maybe others will join in to answer some of the other questions. Let us know where you are currently with your project.

 

[gaylon]

Why not put it in the tundra? I have seen a number of these - sure it over hangs but that doesn't hurt anything.

 

[CougarCouple]

Hello Wanderlust
Congrats on the camper. What part of Nevada you in, wife and I live in Vegas. What trailer are you mounting it to if you don't mind?
Russ

 

[GoinBoardin]

I resealed my Grandby roof with a product I found at my local Ace, it's acrylic based instead of silicone and has UV stability, called "Through the Roof". Dicor comes up repeatedly when searching online, I just didn't have time to wait for it to arrive after ordering. The product took a couple days to fully dry but is flexible and I have no more roof leaks.

Sounds like you and I have similar uses in mind for our old FWCs. Mine is a far cry from in great shape though, so it's a summer project for me. Have fun!

As to the question (post #3) of "why not put the camper in the Tundra"; the older campers were built to fit older, wider bed pickups. The floor pack would have to be modified to be narrower for modern trucks.

 

[Beach]

As mentioned, steer clear of silicone for the roof. Any marine grade polyurethane will work well. I use 3m 5200, 4200 and 4000 depending on the application. Clean the vinyl with a mild detergent or just some 409 if not too dirty and apply some 303 to help keep it pliable, plus it has uv filters in it. Avoid any dressing that have a petro base such as Armoural (sp).