Repairing an Older LD April 07, 2018, 03:08:45 pm New to this forum so applogies if this has been asked a hundred times already. Can someone point me to some posts or info elsewhere regarding updating and repairing an older (86) LD. We are wanting to properly repair issues to the coach (water damage) that happened before we owned it. Im pretty handy but dont have the knowledge or the time at the moment to handle a repair like that. Any help is appreciated. Thank you
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #1 – April 07, 2018, 08:56:43 pm Search the forum above. Several have done it,especially Larry
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #2 – April 08, 2018, 01:51:30 am If the damage is bad, sell it and move on.Paying someone to repair it can cost much more than what the LD would be worth if in good condition.If you have decent woodworking skills, make it into a long-term project, assuming the rot has not destroyed too much critical structure.Some rigs cannot be repaired without major disassembly.If you live near the Mothership, and can take it to them and get an estimate.The cost will probably scare you.Good luck.Larry 2 Likes
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #3 – April 08, 2018, 06:03:29 pm Appreciate the responses. Not necessarily scared of cost and understand it may be more than it is worth (a lot of times fixing up older vehicles falls into that category). We love the vintage motorhome even with the rotting and have gotten a lot of use out of it. While we have thought of selling it at times (usually when it is having a problem), it has created awesome memories so far. Plus, I am thinking its a little bit of a rare model with the roof tent option. I have been told they only made a few hundred of them and have had many a Lazy Daze enthusiast chase me down at various parks. We had got a ballpark repair figure a few years back when I discovered it but there may have been more to do than they realized at the time. Not sure. We live in Phx. Didn't realize Mothership would work on older ones especially this type of work. Would they be the best source for repair? Anyone else to ask about repairing it if that is the direction we decide to run with. Is there even a chance of finding interior panels, trim, etc. from the 80s models? Appreciate all the help.Thanks Jon 2 Likes
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #4 – April 08, 2018, 10:28:36 pm "Would they be the best source for repair?"How could the original builder NOT be the best choice? Would there be someone else that would know more about a Lazy Daze than the factory itself? 2 Likes
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #5 – April 08, 2018, 11:12:41 pm Value wise they may not be. I am sure there are many an RV repairman that does quality work at a better value than the dealer/maker. Obviously, the Mothership does excellent work but at what cost compared to someone else doing excellent work. There is ALWAYS a cost to benefit analysis here.
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #6 – April 09, 2018, 11:51:00 am I wouldn't bother. I repaired a section of the lower passenger overhead cab on our '93 5 years ago. It was pretty straightforward and fairly limited, so it turned out pretty nice and is still tight & dry.However, I'm not sure I would have undertaken anything more extensive. There's a fine balance between an ok fun project and a nightmare. It seems like you already have a lot of good memories. I'd let the LD slowly die, rather than waste money, become frustrated, and forget the good times.The calculus with an old(er) LD is the value + time/effort/cost vs a new(er) LD and higher depreciation. Anything in the ballpark of $5-10k - total, including engine, brakes, running gear, etc, not just water damage - seems to be the sweet spot. Cheaper than a boat, cheaper than dropping $20-30k+ on depreciation, but more than season tickets, or whatever other interests you may have.
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #7 – April 09, 2018, 01:36:22 pm Quote from: snerf - April 09, 2018, 11:51:00 amI wouldn't bother. I repaired a section of the lower passenger overhead cab on our '93 5 years ago. It was pretty straightforward and fairly limited, so it turned out pretty nice and is still tight & dry.However, I'm not sure I would have undertaken anything more extensive. I can appreciate what you say. How bad was your repair? It sounds like everything could be done from the inside. No exterior panels needed removed? Is that right? I am curious where one even finds it to replace damage or what needs to be ripped out to make repairs. Do most just find something similar looking and deal with it or are there sources for old LD interiors to match up?
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #8 – April 09, 2018, 02:29:20 pm You might find the information at this link very useful if you decide to go ahead with the project.Major Water Leak Repair
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #9 – April 09, 2018, 03:35:52 pm Yes, everything was done from inside. The only thing I had to remove was the window. LDs are built with 2x3 - if you've ever done any (light) construction, it's all very familiar. However, the difficulty level ramps way up if you need to take off any exterior panels, or the underlying roof/floor joists are damaged.Paneling is pretty straightforward as well - 1/4" luan veneer. The trick is find wallpaper that matches (or closely resembles) the existing interior paneling. The way to make the whole thing look professional is to make certain any replacement studs are perfectly aligned/fitted. If not, the paneling won't look seamless.Seriously, if it was anything more, I wouldn't have bothered. A slowly rotting LD could easily last 10 years or more. If it's mechanically sound and does what you want/need, just drive it until you're done. In any condition, you could probably still sell it for $2-3k as a vehicle for the burgeoning motorhomeless population.LD owners seem to be a pretty anal-retentive lot; I count myself in that category. It's sometimes hard to let something go and not get it ship shape. But my motto is, if you can't finish the job, then don't bother getting started. Nothing is worse than an abandoned project - it's the worst of all worlds. We can probably all point to cases of boats/RVs/cars just sitting in driveways/garages gathering dust. 1 Likes
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #10 – April 09, 2018, 05:38:15 pm "...my motto is, if you can't finish the job, then don't bother getting started."snerfThanks for the ride down memory lane!Hanging on the wall of my 3rd Grade classroom was a saying, one I have always remembered, even from that young age:"If a job is once begun, never leave it till it's done.Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all." 1 Likes
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #11 – April 10, 2018, 08:33:29 pm I appreciate all the responses. I am not sure what we are going to do exactly. We may go the slow death route. It will be hard for me b/c I like my things to work properly. There are some things I would like to improve/fixup on the motorhome but it kind of defeats the purpose if you know its got a major problem that you are avoiding. If there are any other past posts that you can refer me to that may give more pics or info on doing water damage repairs I would certainly check them out. Otherwise, thank you all again.
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #12 – April 11, 2018, 12:15:31 am As others have said, there are dozens of threads about repairing rot. Here is one I posted. I had to do a quick search to find it. Photos of LD showing what happens when end caps aren't sealedIn My quick read of your query I missed reading what area is rotted. My experience was at the rear end caps.
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #13 – April 11, 2018, 02:23:49 am Some types of damage are beyond most DIYers.Below is an example of a rig where all the overhead cab's structural members were rotted away rearward to the where the overhead starts. There is no easy repair for this degree of damage.Cabover leaks and rot | FlickrOther, less serious rot can be repaired at home. Matching the paneling can be next to impossible. Paint or vinyl contact paper can be used. In the bunk area the walls can be decorated with foam insulation, with a matching cloth glued to its surface.Even if time and/or money doesn't allow for an immediate repair, finding and sealing the source of the leak(s) should be done ASAP. Cutting small holes in the paneling should be done to remove any wet fiberglass insulation and to allow drying.I spray the wet and rotted areas, several times, with bleach to kill fungus spores.Resist the urge to use rot-filling epoxy, while the literature sounds great, the stuff usually ends up leaking out and forming hard puddles below the rot.Larry
Re: Repairing an Older LD Reply #14 – April 11, 2018, 10:26:26 am I removed windows frames, inside paneling, and exterior components. It was a fun job, but not one most people should do. Nor most dealers who don’t understand how Lazy Daze are built. Stripping a Lance or Winnebago etc. is not the same as an LD. Think of rebuilding an 1890 Home vs a 2015 home. Bring a lot of patience, knowhow and determination. As to matching the paneling? LOL. All vinyl seems to fade and turn color at different rates. Though some of the stuff they used at the Mothership when they built the offices may be a match...I used an application like Bora-Care, or TimBor. Both are boric acid treatments that are said to be more effective than bleach to kill the organisms causing rot. Don’t get these onto the aluminum window frames though.I opened the areas, removed insulation, then removed all rotted timbers, dried the area as well as I could in 40% humidity, soaked the areas with the solution and dried these areas twice, then began rebuilding. I tried the epoxy injections. A waste of money, but I didn’t listen.If I did it again, I would, but not if the problem was the overcab area. 2 Likes
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