Lazy Daze Owners' Group

Thank you for the welcome! Our LD has 125k miles. My wife and I loves the MB layout. Our LD needs some love, but what 25 y.o rig doesn't?

Welcome welcome...... 
I'm sure you'll have many great adventures.   Once Lizbeth and I brought our LD we never looked back.   <smile> It's been ten-plus years and we are still adjusting this and that.  

 Please don't be a stranger.   The folks on this board have a lot of experience with all things LD.  

glen

I picked up my LD in Carlsbad literally 1 block from the beach.

Thank you for all the info and advice. Looks like I have a busy winter ahead of me. I am planning on replacing the bumper with a tube bumper, having a new tow hitch receiver that mounts directly to the vehicle chassis, and mounting the spare under the body with a cable hoist.

The existing bumper is not directly connected to the frame, instead, two lightweight pieces of steel U-channels fill the gap between the end of the frame rails and the rear bumper.


To gain more structural strength, the top plate of the bumper has a 90-degree flange that bolts into the bottom of the rear wall to prevent lateral movement. Consider finding a hitch shop and having them advise you as to how to make the new bumper tow-worthy.  An off-the-shelf hitch is not going to work without serious modifications. The lateral loading issue needs to be addressed.
You should probe the wood across the bottom of the rear wall with an icepick, accessed from under the rig.
This area often rots out due to either a leaking rear window or leaking end caps. Rot in this area can compromise the structural integrity of the rear bumper mount when towing.

The stock bumper, hitch, and its mounting hardware are not what I would call heavy-duty, ours needed upgrading to safely pull a Jeep.
This is what I want

Getting the spare out of the rear compartment of a MB is a PIA, the good news is flats are not common. In 30 years and over 200,000 miles, the spare has only been needed once.
Years ago, someone here tried mounting the spare in the vacant space between the frame rails under the rear of a Mid-Bath. The winch was mounted on a new cross member between the frame rails, the spare tire hung down low enough to be a hazard.
Make sure to measure everything before starting this project, ground clearance is important. Things being ripped off the bottom of your motorhome can make terrible noises. Something to avoid.

Larry

The rear window is probably the culprit of the leaks and corrosion. It’s good that there is no damaged wood observable.
Waterproofing everything before the winter is your primary concern, we received a lot of rain over the last two years.

The roof seams should be resealed if it has not been done already.
Check all the window seals, the Factory sealant shrinks with age and forms concave depressions along the top and sides of the window that can hold water.
Window and end caps are the most common sources of leaks.
Window and seam sealing | Flickr
Roof seam reseal | Flickr

The rear bumper is going to be a project. The top piece needs to be cut off, and a new piece of heavy sheet metal must be bent to replace the rusted top.
While the top piece is welded in many spots, the overlapping gaps are not sealed and allow moisture to enter, causing rust.
There's a good chance your rig spent a lot of time at the beach and was not washed afterward. Salt is evil.
The bumper’s vertical bolts are crucial to the structural strength of the bumper, do not neglect to install them if you plan on towing.

Larry

Hi Will, Welcome back to the world of Lazy Daze.  This too long thread has meandered for too long.   Lets return to the technical forum for repairs and modifications.  Thanks.
  So I'm locking this 'too long' thread,  And restarted it in the Lazy Daze 'Technical Forum'   RonB