What were we thinking....The Tenement On Wheels is the name of our 1972 Winnebago Chieftain. We acquired it in September of 2005 in the hopes of having an inexpensive vehicle to take to the desert for rocket launches. Well, upon closer examination it became clear that a complete reconstruction was in order. So much for inexpensive.... The renovation is underway. Check back often to see how we are doing. Please note, the entries are displayed with the most recent first - be sure to check out the archives if you want to read the whole story. +++ ----------- +++ Monday, July 2, 2007Reframing the RVThe structural design of Winnebagos of this era do not suit reconstruction, especially after all this time. Originally, the sidewalls are mated to the floor by screws from the outside, straight into the side of floor. This of course requires that the floor be in place before the walls are attached. That is the opposite problem I have. I need to replace the floor while leaving the sidewalls in place. When I removed the floor, I replaced each section with a temporary 2x6 at the edge, with screws from the outside into this board. This was detailed at the time, click here. But, I can't easily reverse the process with the new floor as I do not want to do it in small sections and due to the Homeowner's Association, I have to move the RV to storage periodically. The 2x6's have been handy. The sidewalls are supported and I have full access to the chassis. A complete perimeter frame in steel is just what I need. Fabricated with 2x2 angle iron, it will be welded to the existing factory frame. posted @ 08:56 AM PST [link] Sunday, June 24, 2007Stabilizing JacksI have added 4 BAL Scissor Jacks to stabilize her while parked. These jacks are available from many dealers, I picked them up from Camping World on sale. I needed to construct frames to support them as there was not suitable spot.  The front frame is quite simple - a 2x2 piece of steel 62" long bolted to the frame just behind the front bumper. Six inch lengths of 2x2 angle iron welded at each end form flanges for the jacks to mount to. The rear frame is somewhat more complicated. I made the same type of frame as the front but it needs to be 6 inches lower. Two verticals plus two diagonal braces did the trick. I welded small pieces of 2x2 angle to these pieces, and drilled them to mate to existing holes in the frame. Drainage holes were drilled in the frame where the pieces were welded together. BAL now makes small electric motors that mount directly to these jacks. I can't decide whether or not to spend the money on such luxury, but I did drill additional mounting holes in the flanges just in case. I'm also thinking about adding a small switch to each jack, so that I can build a 'Jacks Up' idiot light for the dashboard.posted @ 02:37 PM PST [link] Sunday, May 6, 2007The AnnexAs cool as the Tenement will be when it is finished, it won't have very much storage room for all our desert toys. To that end, we have acquired a 6 x 12 utility trailer we are calling 'The Annex'. I am currently modifying it to suit our needs. Additions include tongue box, tile floor, cabinets and tool storage. I am also adding Gladiator slat wall systems to handle all the odd shaped goodies. For power there is a 700w inverter powered by a 115 amp hour battery. This battery will be continually charged by the 15 watt solar panel on the roof. Pictures to come soon. posted @ 12:56 AM PST [link] Wednesday, May 2, 2007The Wiki!I have started a Project Moonlight Wiki. It will be a more detailed artifact of the reconstruction than this site and will serve as sort of an online owners manual when complete. Check it out here. posted @ 03:52 PM PST [link] Saturday, April 14, 2007Renaming the SiteI have decided to rename the site. Originally, calling the old girl the 'Tenement on Wheels' was meant to be funny. It was a good name for a quick fixer-upper of an old RV to hang out in the desert. But since that time, she has come to become much more than that. And not just in terms of money :) We have toyed with many names including the Moonlight Lounge, in celebration of both Moonlight Beach here in Encinitas and our common practice of relaxing over cocktails. We will continue thinking about it. For now we will lump the restoration into 'Project Moonlight' with the new url of www.projectmoonlight.net. posted @ 05:48 PM PST [link] Friday, December 1, 2006Reversed Valve CoversIt's amazing the things you find on an old vehicle. There has been a persistent small oil leak from the valve covers since we purchased the old girl. Upon examination, the valve covers were installed reversed! Once tightened in this way they were deformed just enough to create the leak. I have replaced them with a pair of cool Mopar aluminium covers I found at Summit Racing. posted @ 11:14 PM PST [link] Saturday, November 25, 2006I love NapaSo, I'm in Napa Auto Parts yesterday picking up the parts I forgot to get on the previous trip. I asked Jim if he could check and see if he might be able to order some motor mounts for me. I'm sure he wont even find a listing but I thought, what the hell - no harm in asking. He rummaged around in several parts books, cursed at his computer for a while and then wandered to the back of the store. Two minutes later he puts a pair of mounts on the counter - 9 bucks a piece. Amazing! posted @ 06:26 PM PST [link] Wednesday, November 22, 2006Makeshift ShocksOne of this week's items is to replace the front shock absorbers. Funny thing, there is no shock at all on the passenger side! It seems that the upper stud is completely missing. I was able to remove the one from the driver's side. Actually, it came out on its own as I was removing the old shock. I wasn't able to find one at my local Dodge parts counter so I thought I would make my own. Having one original gave me something to measure. The hole in the chassis is 5/8". I figured that a 5/8" grade 8 bolt would do the trick for the stud itself but the threads would be a problem on the rubber shock mount. Also the hole through the shock is a little larger. It turns out that regular copper water pipe is just the right size to serve as a sleeve over the threads. I also picked up some thick washers to act as spacers between the frame and the start of the sleeve. Not as pretty as the original, but it should do the trick. posted @ 11:25 PM PST [link] Monday, November 20, 2006It's Chassis Week! (or month)I've taken a few days off this week and combined with Thanksgiving, I'll have a whole week to work on the Tenement! (assuming of course that I can leave my blackberry off) My (completely unreachable) goal is to get all of the 'under the floor' chassis work taken care of while there is still no floor. This effort includes mounting the air springs and the new holding tanks. I need to replace the brake shoes and wheel cylinders on all four corners. I will mount the new front shocks, the rears were done earlier. I have two new exhaust manifolds to install as well as plugs and wires. There are three U-joints and a center bearing to do. And I need to replace the fluid in the transmission and add a temperature sensor to the pan. And last but not least, I want to mount the four stabilizing jacks. And of course, I need to leave time for turkey and football. I may need a vacation after my vacation. posted @ 06:17 PM PST [link] Saturday, November 11, 2006Air Springs are hereThe springs on the old girls have sagged some over the years. I'm thinking the addition of air helper springs would be just what she needs.  After some Internet searching it looks like Firestone is the only choice for both front and rear air springs. Other brands are available but don't have a fit for the front. I ordered them from Michigan Truck at www.TruckSprings.com. They had a fair price and everything was in stock. The big box arrived just yesterday! I've elected to go with an on-board compressor with half gallon tank. Individual control of each spring will be managed with Firestone's Quad Control Panel. There are two gauges each with two needles and four pneumatic switches. This will allow me to completely level the motor home at the camp site. The system will also help when we pull the utility trailer. Installation looks pretty straightforward especially now that the floor is removed. The instructions indicate I won't even need to drill any holes in the frame. I'll write another article after I install everything.posted @ 02:25 PM PST [link] Monday, September 4, 2006They don't call it Labor Day for nothin'Well it's Labor Day and some good old fashioned labor seemed in order. My dear wife Elsa has taken it upon herself to polish the aluminum trim on the old girl. There is a great deal of trim on her so it will take a long time to complete. But, given the results so far I'm certain it will be worth it. (spoken by someone other than the one doing all the work) posted @ 09:58 PM PST [link] Friday, June 2, 2006Brakes, Phase 1Time to start on the brakes. For the first phase I installed the new master cylinder and the brake boosters. I also replaced the brake lines between them. Here are a couple of pictures of the new boosters installed in the frame. Click for a larger view.   posted @ 07:19 AM PST [link] Thursday, May 25, 2006Engine Replacement KitOn the occasion of my birthday, my good friend Alan gave me a wonderful gift. A replacement engine kit for the old girl!!!!  What a great idea - no greasy old engine with a myriad of small problems to repair but rather a complete new engine ready to install. And it's a Hemi at that!All all I have to do is follow these simple instructions....  Here is the contents of the first package, a digital caliper for measuring the contents of the second package - a perfect 1/6th scale model of a 426 Hemi. All I have to do now is replicate about 2500 parts. I'll keep you all posted on my progress.And I sure hope Alan is planning on coming over to help. posted @ 11:34 PM PST [link] Monday, May 1, 2006Spring Shackles While I was getting ready to start the brake system restoration, I thought I would clean up a little around the rear wheels. The rear spring shackles looked a little greasy so started to scrub them with a wire brush. Wow, there was a lot of caked on grease. I switched to a screw driver and chiseled away for 15 or 20 minutes before I saw steel! These are pictures taken when the first one was complete and before I started the second.What a difference! You may notice that I've also started priming the frame with a special rust preventative primer. posted @ 03:25 PM PST [link] Saturday, April 29, 2006Brake Fluid Access Hatch One of the most annoying things about this old girl is that there is virtually no access to the master brake cylinder. It is tucked up under the floor with barely 2 inches to spare. Very difficult to add fluid and impossible to see inside without a mirror. And given the impending brake system replacement, I thought it was time to fix it. I found this nifty deck plate at West Marine. The hole it presents is 6 inches in diameter and the cover threads on. There is a rubber gasket that will provide a waterproof seal. I figure if it is good enough for the deck of a boat, it should be good enough for this problem. They also come in 4" and 8" sizes. You can even get one with a clear lid. I used my handy Roto-Zip tool to cut the hole to the right size and popped it in. 6 #8 stainless screws finished the job. Once I'm done with the carpet, I'll be sure to add some silicon to prevent leaks and some eterna-bond to protect the plywood edges.posted @ 10:38 PM PST [link] Wednesday, April 26, 2006Photo AlbumsA new feature. I've collected some of the photos we've taken into web based photo albums. These are listed in the right hand sidebar. I'm not happy with the layout yet - just used one of the default photoshop templates. I'll refine it over time and add captions where appropriate. posted @ 07:14 AM PST [link] Saturday, April 22, 2006Holding Tanks The original Winnebago appears to have had only one holding tank. Somewhere along the way a previous owner added a second tank and separated the plumbing into gray and black water systems. All of this old stuff left during the demolition and new parts were ordered.I found two suitable tanks on the web at Plastic Mart. Their model 10H and 27H seemed to be the best pair to both fill the available space and fit around obstructions such as the rear springs. The pair will give us 22 gallons of black capacity and 29 of gray.  Both tanks have similar mounting lips that will support them from above. Best part is that the outlets line up with each other and are recessed to help with ground clearance. I've added standard Valterra valves and a few fittings from Home Depot to complete the system. I have also just received the tank monitoring system. It is a SeeLevel II model 711. The sensors mount on the outside of the tank - no holes to drill - and it will monitor the fresh, gray and black tanks. It will also monitor the battery voltage. I'm considering hooking it up to the chassis battery rather than the house system. The house already has an elaborate monitoring system as part of the inverter system and this would allow me to monitor the chassis as well.posted @ 09:38 AM PST [link] Monday, April 10, 2006The Point of No Return...Well, today was the day. Given the uncertainty over the braking system, I have been exploring options for a few days. So far, most of the money on this project has been spent on components and accessories - items that could easily be used on a different chassis. But this is different - this is putting real money into this particular vehicle. With assistance from the wonderful people on Classic Winnebagos, I found Geoff from Alretta Brakes. I spent much time on the phone with him - a very patient man. He is remarkably well informed about the brake systems on these beasts - it is clearly a passion for him. Geoff was able to fix me up with every part I will need to completely refresh the braking system. While not inexpensive, his prices seem more than fair given the circumstances. No turning back now! posted @ 11:08 PM PST [link] Monday, April 3, 2006That's Not Steam!!!I thought disaster had struck the other day. As mentioned in the last entry, it looked like I had water in the engine. Now I was getting myself cool with replacing head gaskets but I thought I should confirm that I hadn't messed up with the exhaust manifold bolts as they appear to enter the water jacket. Anyway, I started her again and..... no steam! While at first glance that appears to be a good thing, these things don't generally fix themselves. Repeated the exercise a few times over the next day or two with no steam. So, while still very confused, I thought I would take that drive around the block I'd promised myself. Brakes felt a little soft so I topped up the brake fluid, pumped the pedal few times, looked over my shoulder to back out of the driveway and steam! With it running I went to the back and it didn't smell like coolant. And it didn't dissipate like steam. It acted more like an oil smoke cloud but it wasn't blue. I thought about what it possibly could be and brake fluid from the vacuum boosters is the only other fluid that can enter the system. Damn. So my previous head gasket disaster now looks trivial by comparison. Ancient brake systems - something new to learn I guess. And I bet American Express will be happy. posted @ 08:26 AM PST [link] Thursday, March 23, 2006We Have Steam!!And that is a bad thing unless you drive an old locomotive. Celebrating the new wiring job, I fired her up for a drive around the block. As she warmed up, white smoke started to come out of the tail pipe! As the engine got warmer, more and more smoke came out. Shortly, our street looked like a war zone. Now that's a bummer. White smoke means coolant in the engine, probably a head gasket - maybe worse. posted @ 07:14 AM PST [link] Thursday, March 9, 2006Lights!!!The wiring of the main lighting circuits is finally complete. In fact, it was flaky grounding in the headlight circuit that started the whole rewiring drive in the first place. Still have to deal with a few things - the heater and wipers still aren't done and the upper running lights will have to be replaced when I replace the roof - but it sure will be nice to be able to drive at night and I can't wait to signal a turn or two :) posted @ 09:24 AM PST [link] Saturday, February 17, 2006New Fuse PanelsI have finished installing the new fuse panels. I used Blue Sea Systems marine fuse panels from West Marine. They are a little pricey but very convenient and easy to wire. Each panel can handle 100 amps total, up to 30 at each connection.  There are actually 3 separate panels for the 'truck' portion of the electrical system. The first panel is 'always on', fed through a maxi fuse directly from the battery. Items such as the horn and the emergency flashers are fused here. The second panel is driven by a relay connected to the accessory side of the ignition switch. Items connected to this panel are only on when the key is either in the accessory or ignition positions. The final panel is relay driven from the first and is only engaged when the ignition is on. The fuel pump, choke and the like are connected here.There are also 8 relays installed. Two are used to switch the secondary fuse panels and the other 6 switch the horn and various lighting circuits. I will be fashioning a cover for the entire panel once we make decisions about interior finishes. posted @ 07:43 AM PST [link] Monday, January 30, 2006She Runs Again Actually, she always ran. Sort of. But, I needed to remove the doghouse (cool rv'er name for the engine cover), remove the air cleaner, give her a shot of quickstart and then hold the choke with the handle of my hammer.Certainly not the smoothest maneuver.  So, I installed a beautiful new carburetor this last weekend. Very easy install and it runs just great. For the technically inclined out there, it is an Edelbrock 750 cfm 4 barrel with an electric choke. It even came with this nifty air cleaner. And note the new wiring job in progress.Of course the rest of engine looks terrible in comparison. Maybe I should look into some cool chrome valve covers. Should make her go faster.... posted @ 09:54 PM PST [link] Saturday, January 14, 2006We Have Gauges!Well, I just keep getting deeper and deeper into this thing.... In trying to get the lights working it became clear that the wiring was shot. Too many strange repairs over the years. I have the factory wiring diagram and I couldn't begin to figure it out. So, out went the wiring, gauges and all.  The nice thing about an engine this old is that the wiring is a piece of cake. I found a cool fuse panel at the boat store, picked up the rest of the items from my neighborhood Napa store and set to work. It took a couple of Saturdays to complete but it was well worth the effort. I picked up a set of gauges on the web. In addition to the usual speedo, tach, fuel, water temp, oil pressure and voltmeter I added a second fuel gauge as well as trans and oil temperature gauges. They are VDO Vision gauges from EGauges.com. Excellent price and fast service from them.  I'm not sure what I'm going to need for switches and such at this point so I just stuck the gauges in a temporary piece of plywood the same size as the original panel. I'll make a nicer panel when the restoration is closer to done.posted @ 08:53 PM PST [link] Sunday, December 11, 2005Floor RemovalRemoving the floor is an interesting proposition. Fortunately, the construction of early Winnebago's is quite simple. The Dodge truck chassis is basically two large beams that run from front to back. The engine sits between these beams and all mechanical components such as the suspension, brake boosters and fuel tanks are attached directly to them. On top of these beams are a number of 2" x 2" steel joists. Most run the width of the motor home. And on top of these joists, rests the actual floor. Virtually no components are actually attached to the underside of the floor, which makes removal a little more straightforward. The floor itself is constructed as follows. At the bottom is a layer of aluminum sheet for protection from the elements. Above this is a layer of 5/16" plywood. The next layer is a combination of solid wood, plywood and rigid blue foam, all 3/4" thick. The solid wood boards are generally at the edges, with the plywood in areas that need more strength. The foam is used everywhere else. It appears that about half of the floor is wood and the other half is foam. Another layer of 5/16" plywood covers the wood/foam layer. And this is topped off with flooring or that lovely orange shag. The sidewalls of the motor home are called thermo-panels I believe. Essentially a sandwich of the exterior aluminum skin, an inch and a half of foam and thin plywood on the inside. These sides extend below the floor line and are attached to the floor via screws from the outside. Most of the screws have long since rusted away. This is where it gets interesting. If I simply remove the floor, there will be nothing to keep the sidewalls from falling to the ground. Not a pretty picture.  So here is the solution I came up with. I started with the passenger side between the door and the rear wheels. I removed the floor from about the middle of the Winnebago. I then cut a 2x6 plank to fit the distance between the door and the wheel well and bolted it to the steel joists mentioned above. Using a couple of bottle jacks, I was able to jack up the sidewall and get it the exactly the same height as the driver's side. I then used a few 2x4's as cleats. These are attached vertically to the interior sidewall such that the end of the 2x4 rests on the 2x6 thereby supporting the weight of the wall and roof. I then used a couple of lag screws from the outside (I removed the exterior trim molding first) to snug the wall into the 2x6. So far this has worked out quite well. Once complete, the entire floor will be gone with only a perimeter of 2x6's as a temporary support system. I can then repair and/or replace all of the lower items before putting the new floor in. I will be replacing the exhaust system, the fuel gauge senders, the black and gray water tanks, the plumbing, the propane lines and all of the wiring. I will also be able to get the parking brake replaced and am considering adding air springs. If I get energetic, I may even put a coat of paint on the frame.posted @ 01:14 AM PST [link] Monday, November 21, 2005Great License Plate My lovely wife Elsa, found this terrific license plate for me on E-Bay. It is the same year the Tenement was built and it is from Ontario, Canada, as am I. I'm a lucky man. posted by @ 01:41 PM PST [more..] Sunday, November 13, 2005Parts, Parts and More Parts! Now that we've decided to completely rebuild the Tenement, we need to acquire the new parts - lots of new parts. So far we have been primarily picking up the items that we need to measure or have on hand early in construction. Currently there are exhaust manifolds and a muffler, a new freshwater tank and a bathtub, an inverter and even a satellite dish!Not only have I taken over the driveway with the Winnebago, I've also taken over the living room with all of the parts - what a tolerant wife I have. posted @ 02:21 PM PST [link] Friday, November 4, 2005Rats!!! It looks like there was another tenant living in the motor home. A big old rat! It was long expired but being dead didn't make Elsa like it any better.  And as an added benefit, we can add Hanta Virus to the mould and wood rot we've already encountered.This project may kill us yet. posted @ 01:01 PM PST [link] Wednesday, October 26, 2005Demolition The components aren't the only things that need replacing. Once we removed the fridge, the extent of the damage became apparent. It appears that the roof vent over the fridge has been missing for some years. Rain has entered many times and has delaminated the all of the plywood. Even the floor will need to be replaced.Well, at least it will be easier to fix the muffler with the floor removed. . . . posted @ 11:03 PM PST [link] Monday, October 17, 2005Classic WinnebagosI was sure happy to find out that there is an entire community of owners of classic Winnebagos. In fact, I don't think I would be brave enough to consider restoring this beast without knowing that a group of dedicated true believers is out there with help and advice. Be sure to check it out.  posted @ 08:03 PM PST [link] Friday, October 14, 2005It all has to leaveElsa and I spent a couple of afternoons just staring at this beast. And the more we look at it, the more we realize that all of the components need to be replaced. The fridge, the bathroom, the stove - everything. This just keeps getting worse.... posted @ 09:54 PM PST [link] Friday, October 07, 2005Oh my God!Well, we got her home and started to survey our new purchase. I still can't believe it. Here are some pictures.  The Cab  Breaker, breaker - gotta love the orange shag carpet!  The master bedroom suite.  At least it came with a free bunny flag!  Speechless, just speechless.... posted @ 09:22 PM PST [link] |
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