Just did a bunch of repairs and upgrades

[Eggs Benedict]

FWIW, I just spent about 4 weeks fixing up the Passport I bought as a first-timer last year. It was pretty weathered and beat down, but I really didn't know what to expect. 2007 sounded pretty "new" to me. Only after I started using it did I notice how many things were broken. The rear slide/bed had been removed and boarded over before I bought it - most likely had let in a lot of water damage. I found soft spots in the forward part of the roof, too. The trailer had had been stripped of any accessories (like LP tanks, batteries).

Most of the parts I got on ebay. Some from eTrailer and RV Parts Country. Happy to answer questions if it's helpful to anyone, and I'm kinda pleased with how much nicer the unit is, so here's a list of what I did/replaced:

- Cut out soft spots in the roof. Removed TV and radio antennas. Moved radio antenna cable to starboard side near the roof vent. Replaced rotted wood with 5mm birch plywood. Filled roof cavity in the repaired area with polyiso foam board. Moved the small amount of fiber insulation into the cavities in the roof trusses. Patched the roof with a new piece of membrane; eternabond tape over the seams. I didn't replace the entire membrane since a large part of the roof area is now covered with solar panels. If I get a hint of any future leaks, I'll fiberglass the roof - I have a lot of fiberglassing experience. I received quotes for repairing the roof and replacing the vinyl membrane for $4000 and $5000, so I decided to take some time and DIY. In total, for replacing a ton of other stuff in addition to the roof, I spent about $1300. $600 of that was solar panels. The roof repair itself took me a total of about 20 work hours, including head-scratching and working with some stuff like eternabond tape for the first time. It was not too big a deal - certainly not a $5000 deal. Well worth the time to DIY.
- Replaced cracked skylight dome with new, white one (to reflect the most heat).
- Cut off ALL caulking and replaced with eternabond tape - around all penetrations and edges. So much nicer.
- 2 coats of Heng's roof coating
- Added soft-start capacitor to the AC.
- Glued vinyl roof membrane to the cracked AC shroud, since I'm going to replace the AC with a more efficient model sooner or later, and don't want to spend $250 for a new roof shroud.
- Removed entire awning assembly, ordered new fittings for all the broken cast-metal parts, cut a new notch in awning arm where old fitting had torn out, installed new awning fabric, re-attached awning and gutter with new gasketed screws, butyl tape behind, and eternabond overhanging the roof edge. Did I mention butyl tape is hell. Even when just removed from the refrigerator, by the time I climb up to the roof to start working with it, it turns back into bubble gum. Hate it!
- New gutter spouts
- Patched a hole where awning mount had torn off the side of the unit, with sheet metal. Re-attached awning mount with Molly bolts. This is not going to be a 'forever' repair - I will be able to access it from the inside next season, when I replace the front fiberglass panel, and put a new piece of wood inside the wall.
- Replaced bath hatch vent fan blade - old one had completely broken away
- Replaced range hood exterior vent
- Replaced broken 30A connector; cut opening in the electrical hatch larger with a Dremel, since new connector has a nice big handle that won't fit in the stock hatch.
- Replaced LP regulator and pigtails, added LP tanks as they didn't come with the trailer; mobile mechanic came and lit/checked the LP system as well as suspension, tires and bearings.
- Replaced bathroom doorknob. Cheap original one broke.
- Replaced all interior bulbs and passy bulb with LEDs. You get a 10-pack for about 12 bucks on ebay.
- Mounted cell booster antenna to the side of the AC shroud.
- Mounted horizontal radio antenna to the side of the refrigerator vent
- Added 4 flexible solar panels to roof. Used plastic home&garden type lattice as a spacer to keep the panels off the hot roof, and aluminum flooring transition strip front and rear of the panels to prevent wind lift. Wired it all down the refrigerator vent to an all-in-one Bluetti power station which I store in the trailer pantry. At the moment I'm running the whole trailer on solar, which (until I can figure out how to get better at it) means somewhat minimalist usage, but it does meet all essential needs: refrigeration, appliances, lights, and using the AC just a little bit.
- Reinforced pantry floor with plywood to support 66-lb power station; cut hole for cabling
- Made 15-amp cable to plug the power station into the 30A connector. If I stuff the 30a connector all the way into the trailer (into its cable compartment), I simply plug it into the adapter cable to the power station - low tech; all electric in the trailer works like normal (no special outlets, etc) as long as I don't run more than 15 amps of stuff at the same time. Boom. Done. If I try to turn on more than 15 amps, the power station beeps and displays fault mode, so I know to turn off whatever appliance overloaded it.
- Replaced LP leak detector and CO detector
- Replaced broken stubs of former cargo door catches with magnetic catches
- Added round clip-in rigging points to 4 locations just below the roof. They will let me anchor the awning arms in transit (just in case), attach a sun shade to any side to help keep trailer cooler, and tie down the tarp I put over the roof in winter, under the full trailer cover.
- Replaced almost all the vinyl insert molding trim around the whole trailer.
- Scraped off all the old decals - SUPREMELY TIME-CONSUMING - buffed the finish.
- Caulked any misc holes; greased the jacks and steps

It's by no means done. As soon as I get some more time off, I'll get to work on the interior. Also the front fiberglass panel is pretty seriously wrinkled and bubbled. I am thinking of getting a "NoseCone" wind deflector, which will cover at least half of the front height.

Next round of upgrades planned:
- Replace countertops with Corian
- Upgrade stereo head unit and speakers
- Independent suspension
- Aluminum wheels
- Replace exterior lights (most are cracked) with LED units
- Replace subfloor and flooring. There is some carpet glued down over a soft spot in the floor.
- Replace black tank valve. Currently it doesn't close; I don't use the black tank for solid waste anyway, but I do want it work just in case.
- Add cabinetry above the sofa. There are no overhead cabinets in the living area - presumably because of the former bed slideout.
- Replace some of the paneling; the removed rear bed was just boarded up with 3/4" plywood, so I'll construct an insulated wall there and may add a rear window
- Replace the fixed door window with a screened one
- Figure out a magnetic door holder for the entry door. The hinged thingy that holds the door at 90 degrees is too much of a pain.
- Replace blinds with something nicer
- Replace valances with gear shelves (like Ikea picture shelves) over the windows. I don't need stuff that is only decorative.

In the end, I may have spent enough time on it to equal just buying a newer unit, but I really like the floor plan, it's really light, and I like fixing and customizing things, so I'm OK with it. I figure it has been a good way to learn a lot about how TTs are constructed.

Thank you for reading my report on "how I spent my summer vacation"!

[JRTJH]

Not much will outdo a "baptism by fire".....

Rebuilding a wreck "literally from the ground up" can be rewarding, and most that take on the challenge will, after it's all over, tell you that it was a "learning experience"... Few will add "And it was cheaper than buying one already rebuilt"... The difference? The man hours (and hours and hours) of "sweat-equity" you now have that would have been included in the purchase price of the "already rebuilt one"...

It's a choice that either becomes a "labor of love" or a "quick anullment/divorce"....

Congratulations on your "labor of love"....

[Eggs Benedict]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Not much will outdo a "baptism by fire".....

Rebuilding a wreck "literally from the ground up" can be rewarding, and most that take on the challenge will, after it's all over, tell you that it was a "learning experience"... Few will add "And it was cheaper than buying one already rebuilt"... The difference? The man hours (and hours and hours) of "sweat-equity" you now have that would have been included in the purchase price of the "already rebuilt one"...

It's a choice that either becomes a "labor of love" or a "quick anullment/divorce"....

Congratulations on your "labor of love"....

Thanks so much! I had to do the project completely on my own with no one around who was interested in the progress, so it means a lot to be able to share it with folks who speak the language!

[wiredgeorge]

First off, congrats on the work so far. Some pictures would probably tell a better story. The best thing about doing stuff yourself is that you now understand what has been done. If you need to go back and dive into some aspect of the work, you will know best how to do that. Jumping in the first time is a bit intimidating and overwhelming.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Eggs Benedict

FWIW, I just spent about 4 weeks fixing up the Passport I bought as a first-timer last year. It was pretty weathered and beat down, but I really didn't know what to expect. 2007 sounded pretty "new" to me. Only after I started using it did I notice how many things were broken. The rear slide/bed had been removed and boarded over before I bought it - most likely had let in a lot of water damage. I found soft spots in the forward part of the roof, too. The trailer had had been stripped of any accessories (like LP tanks, batteries).

Most of the parts I got on ebay. Some from eTrailer and RV Parts Country. Happy to answer questions if it's helpful to anyone, and I'm kinda pleased with how much nicer the unit is, so here's a list of what I did/replaced:

- Cut out soft spots in the roof. Removed TV and radio antennas. Moved radio antenna cable to starboard side near the roof vent. Replaced rotted wood with 5mm birch plywood. Filled roof cavity in the repaired area with polyiso foam board. Moved the small amount of fiber insulation into the cavities in the roof trusses. Patched the roof with a new piece of membrane; eternabond tape over the seams. I didn't replace the entire membrane since a large part of the roof area is now covered with solar panels. If I get a hint of any future leaks, I'll fiberglass the roof - I have a lot of fiberglassing experience. I received quotes for repairing the roof and replacing the vinyl membrane for $4000 and $5000, so I decided to take some time and DIY. In total, for replacing a ton of other stuff in addition to the roof, I spent about $1300. $600 of that was solar panels. The roof repair itself took me a total of about 20 work hours, including head-scratching and working with some stuff like eternabond tape for the first time. It was not too big a deal - certainly not a $5000 deal. Well worth the time to DIY.
- Replaced cracked skylight dome with new, white one (to reflect the most heat).
- Cut off ALL caulking and replaced with eternabond tape - around all penetrations and edges. So much nicer.
- 2 coats of Heng's roof coating
- Added soft-start capacitor to the AC.
- Glued vinyl roof membrane to the cracked AC shroud, since I'm going to replace the AC with a more efficient model sooner or later, and don't want to spend $250 for a new roof shroud.
- Removed entire awning assembly, ordered new fittings for all the broken cast-metal parts, cut a new notch in awning arm where old fitting had torn out, installed new awning fabric, re-attached awning and gutter with new gasketed screws, butyl tape behind, and eternabond overhanging the roof edge. Did I mention butyl tape is hell. Even when just removed from the refrigerator, by the time I climb up to the roof to start working with it, it turns back into bubble gum. Hate it!
- New gutter spouts
- Patched a hole where awning mount had torn off the side of the unit, with sheet metal. Re-attached awning mount with Molly bolts. This is not going to be a 'forever' repair - I will be able to access it from the inside next season, when I replace the front fiberglass panel, and put a new piece of wood inside the wall.
- Replaced bath hatch vent fan blade - old one had completely broken away
- Replaced range hood exterior vent
- Replaced broken 30A connector; cut opening in the electrical hatch larger with a Dremel, since new connector has a nice big handle that won't fit in the stock hatch.
- Replaced LP regulator and pigtails, added LP tanks as they didn't come with the trailer; mobile mechanic came and lit/checked the LP system as well as suspension, tires and bearings.
- Replaced bathroom doorknob. Cheap original one broke.
- Replaced all interior bulbs and passy bulb with LEDs. You get a 10-pack for about 12 bucks on ebay.
- Mounted cell booster antenna to the side of the AC shroud.
- Mounted horizontal radio antenna to the side of the refrigerator vent
- Added 4 flexible solar panels to roof. Used plastic home&garden type lattice as a spacer to keep the panels off the hot roof, and aluminum flooring transition strip front and rear of the panels to prevent wind lift. Wired it all down the refrigerator vent to an all-in-one Bluetti power station which I store in the trailer pantry. At the moment I'm running the whole trailer on solar, which (until I can figure out how to get better at it) means somewhat minimalist usage, but it does meet all essential needs: refrigeration, appliances, lights, and using the AC just a little bit.
- Reinforced pantry floor with plywood to support 66-lb power station; cut hole for cabling
- Made 15-amp cable to plug the power station into the 30A connector. If I stuff the 30a connector all the way into the trailer (into its cable compartment), I simply plug it into the adapter cable to the power station - low tech; all electric in the trailer works like normal (no special outlets, etc) as long as I don't run more than 15 amps of stuff at the same time. Boom. Done. If I try to turn on more than 15 amps, the power station beeps and displays fault mode, so I know to turn off whatever appliance overloaded it.
- Replaced LP leak detector and CO detector
- Replaced broken stubs of former cargo door catches with magnetic catches
- Added round clip-in rigging points to 4 locations just below the roof. They will let me anchor the awning arms in transit (just in case), attach a sun shade to any side to help keep trailer cooler, and tie down the tarp I put over the roof in winter, under the full trailer cover.
- Replaced almost all the vinyl insert molding trim around the whole trailer.
- Scraped off all the old decals - SUPREMELY TIME-CONSUMING - buffed the finish.
- Caulked any misc holes; greased the jacks and steps

It's by no means done. As soon as I get some more time off, I'll get to work on the interior. Also the front fiberglass panel is pretty seriously wrinkled and bubbled. I am thinking of getting a "NoseCone" wind deflector, which will cover at least half of the front height.

Next round of upgrades planned:
- Replace countertops with Corian
- Upgrade stereo head unit and speakers
- Independent suspension
- Aluminum wheels
- Replace exterior lights (most are cracked) with LED units
- Replace subfloor and flooring. There is some carpet glued down over a soft spot in the floor.
- Replace black tank valve. Currently it doesn't close; I don't use the black tank for solid waste anyway, but I do want it work just in case.
- Add cabinetry above the sofa. There are no overhead cabinets in the living area - presumably because of the former bed slideout.
- Replace some of the paneling; the removed rear bed was just boarded up with 3/4" plywood, so I'll construct an insulated wall there and may add a rear window
- Replace the fixed door window with a screened one
- Figure out a magnetic door holder for the entry door. The hinged thingy that holds the door at 90 degrees is too much of a pain.
- Replace blinds with something nicer
- Replace valances with gear shelves (like Ikea picture shelves) over the windows. I don't need stuff that is only decorative.

In the end, I may have spent enough time on it to equal just buying a newer unit, but I really like the floor plan, it's really light, and I like fixing and customizing things, so I'm OK with it. I figure it has been a good way to learn a lot about how TTs are constructed.

Thank you for reading my report on "how I spent my summer vacation"!

Our 1st 5th wheel was a 1978 Layton, already 12-14 years old, that was only 16-18' long from stem to stern, the mattress laid on the floor upstairs & had to crawl into it.
Our 1st trip the water line under the u shaped dinette at the rear blew off due to very poor job by the PO flooding all the lower portion. I spent several months of evenings & days off stripping & rebuilding from the floor up. It turned out very nice & we enjoyed using it for a couple years before my job transferred me & I actually lived in it for 4 months til the kids finished school & they & the DW could move.
Would I do it again? No way! Too old to bend like I had to then. Do I regret doing it? Not one bit!!!