Repair/Remodel

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 08:02 AM

I spoke about starting a thread that was with a non-Keystone product. I received the ok as pretty much most RVs are built with similar products and techniques.

Anyway, this is an 2002 Monaco Diplomat. I’ve been bouncing around the idea of another RV as the Alpine is now “home” for awhile. (Whole other story)

I had to jump in this as the short diesel pushers are near impossible to find. This is the shortest Monaco at the time, 35’. It was in Phoenix. I had my bud go look at it. He said it everything worked and looked “solid” on bones. So I bought it and he drove it to his place in Yuma. We drove down this last weekend to get to work and bring it home.

Here are some of the specifics:
ISC 8.3 330hp Cummins
Allison 3000
7.5 Diesel Gen
8 bag Air ride Roadmaster raised rail chassis
Towing capacity is 10k, which for this age and length was a mandatory. Many coaches up till 03 were only 5K as they were built on Freightliner chassis

Couple unique build items:

It has “Hung” wall exterior. The walls are not sandwich laminated between foam. It’s my understanding that the gel coat siding is adhered to the aluminum frame and not glued to luan/foam. There is no delamination on the coach.

It has aluminum rafters, and aluminum roof. I’ll get pics on strip and reseal latter this week. Doing new vents and tv antenna as well.

The slides appear to be all aluminum frame with a small section of luan for the inside/outside. There is a filon like material on the outside. There isn’t any plywood built in the slides. It’s laminated to the luan. It’s not a good design at all. The rear bedroom slide will need some work. There is a company that has a fix and will be contacting them.
The seals are a joke. Must have been before wiper seals. Will be replacing them on both slides.

Now the bad. We got it cheap as the floor is soft, as in gone in the tub area. Ripping it out now and will get pics of the process. It also has a good size scrap down the side that will need filled and painted. And it’s dated in the decor

Follow along and add suggestions/comments. I’m no expert by any means. My bud here in Yuma is a carpenter by trade so he’s helping the the subfloor.

Hope to get a little time to Fish and hit the Desert Bar out of Parker while here.

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 08:24 AM

Tearing down.

Turns out the tile floor is taller than the carpet. The tile is stuck down on its own 1/2” OSB sheets. These sheets are floating on top of the subfloor.

The tile runs in the kitchen, bath, and partiality under the shower, fridge, and interior walls.

So now have to build up the cabinets and interior s about an inch as the new plank floor will go right to subfloor.

notanlines · 02-22-2021, 08:28 AM

Justin, if the saying "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" has any truth, this project will keep you 'golden' in God's eyes. But from the pic's, it does appear to have good bones.

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 08:30 AM

Here’s how we ended last night

I’ll upload damage subfloor photos here shortly

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Justin, if the saying "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" has any truth, this project will keep you 'golden' in God's eyes. But from the pic's, it does appear to have good bones.

Hopefully “done” by May LOL

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 08:40 AM

I will say this, Arizona is the place to be in February

Hey, look I’m a poet and didn’t know it

Ibdagriz · 02-22-2021, 01:50 PM

Looks like you are curing the "dated decor" as you repair the rest. Nothing like doing your own buildout and way cheaper when you can do some of the work yourself.

Griz

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibdagriz

Looks like you are curing the "dated decor" as you repair the rest. Nothing like doing your own buildout and way cheaper when you can do some of the work yourself.

Griz

That’s my thought process anyway. Don’t know any other way. Can’t seem to pay someone to do stuff I can’t figure out.

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 04:48 PM

Decided on a new shower. We took down the wall and cabinet that bordered the shower and slit it from the bed. So know a more “open” floor plan.

We lost the pocket door which kept the bedroom private from the bath. The toilet is already in its own room, so really the wall and pocket door didn’t make much sense. No one sleeps in our rvs that often. We ditched the jackknife sofa as well and will put in theatre type Seats.

Also, here’s a look at the soft floor. As near as we can tell the ice maker took a dump and flooded the area. This was backed up when the neighbor popped in and said his Holiday Rambler did the same thing and his tile is cracked. Evidently was a recall on it back in the day.

Further deduction, the ice maker line has a new cap on it.

There was also some sort of power toilet at one time. There is power to the toilet area, but it had a standard dometic 300, which was lag bolted to the floor as it was soft. They used a heavy metal ring to try and stabilize the toilet as I’m sure it was a ride on the soft floor.

**chuckster57** · 02-22-2021, 04:51 PM

Looking good so far!!!

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Looking good so far!!!

Thanks! Haven’t had to many big issues. The tile was on its own subfloor, on top of the subfloor so kinda threw us for a loop.

I’ll get into the bedroom slide tomorrow. Simple fix I think

Thanks!

**JRTJH** · 02-22-2021, 06:43 PM

It probably had a Thetford power-flush toilet as OEM. They had/have an electric pump to swirl the flush water. If it failed, the previous owner probably elected a Dometic 300/320 as a replacement. The power-flush is about 4 times the price of the best Dometic... That would explain the 12 VDC line at the toilet.

It looks like you're making some progress. Ain't the "double sub-floor a hoot" ????

Fishsizzle · 02-22-2021, 07:18 PM

Yeah didn’t realize there would be 2 subfloors. Now we have to fur up the cabinets and walls about an inch. Going to use some Trex deck like product as it’s waterproof.

Biggest obstacle is the subfloor is glued to the foam in places. Kinda of a scrape and see show. New patched subfloor tomorrow and a few coats of Kilz on the floor.

Then up to the roof for peel and seal

We have the Trans getting serviced Wednesday morn. Oil was done about 4K miles ago. Need to flush rad when we get home.

Going replace both fuel filters and install a FASS pump between the filters. I’ll go into why when I doc the install

**chuckster57** · 02-23-2021, 06:51 AM

You a very busy man!! Wish I was there to help.

travelin texans · 02-23-2021, 08:23 AM

That looks like a project I wouldn't mind helping with either.........as long as it's on someone else's credit card!
We gave $2000 for an old Layton 5th wheel that was only about 20' long that I replaced all the flooring & the paneling in the rear u shaped dinette back in the early '90s. Then I transferred with my job & lived in that tiny thing for 5 months til the wife & I found a house.
Would I do that again? HELL NO! But at the time I had the time, tools and the $$. Nowadays I have LOTS of time, a lot less tools & very little money.
Good luck! Have fun!

Fishsizzle · 02-23-2021, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

You a very busy man!! Wish I was there to help.

Thanks, another hand or 2 would help! Gotta get on the roof tomorrow

Fishsizzle · 02-23-2021, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin texans

That looks like a project I wouldn't mind helping with either.........as long as it's on someone else's credit card!
We gave $2000 for an old Layton 5th wheel that was only about 20' long that I replaced all the flooring & the paneling in the rear u shaped dinette back in the early '90s. Then I transferred with my job & lived in that tiny thing for 5 months til the wife & I found a house.
Would I do that again? HELL NO! But at the time I had the time, tools and the $$. Nowadays I have LOTS of time, a lot less tools & very little money.
Good luck! Have fun!

I totally get what you are saying.

We have kicked around a MH for years. Situation presented its self. I had to block time off work, and will have to do it more.

I have a budget on it. If I was to sell it after done I’d make $10-$15 I believe.

But we want to keep it. A big house just doesn’t have the appeal anymore. We’d like to enjoy some time and see some stuff. Our parents are now in 70s and we want a little freedom to leave, but we still have some roots in town to get back to them and care for them. That’s a whole other thread to start.

I’ll the spread sheet filled in so everyone can get an idea of what it took to get it done

Fishsizzle · 02-23-2021, 11:27 AM

Subfloor almost all up.

Looking at the ducting, we are going to get pull the tin up and replace. The air is just ruining between the beams with a plastic bottom.

Will go a long ways to help my wife feel that the rig is “Clean” and they had a cat which she is allergic to

Fishsizzle · 02-23-2021, 11:42 AM

Kinda cool as well, color code for wiring

Fishsizzle · 02-23-2021, 07:00 PM

Opened up the HVAC to move a vent down and clean. Buttoning up subfloor in morn

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