Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Here is my thread for my 72 GMC 3500 Open Roads Camper. I bought this from a member last year and I gutted the camper to find that the shell and interior were damaged beyond repair. I sent it to a RV Center and that experience was poor. So I decided to bring it home and do it myself. I picked up all the materials to rebuild the sides with Filon Siding and put a new Rubber Roof on the old girl.

This one will get a Gen 5 5.3 with 8L90E and a 14 Bolt 4:10. This project will also have to share time with Sloppy Jo.

Here are some of the photos of when I started to where it is now. First series is from pic up. Put it on a rollback and ensure it makes it home.

Smitty

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

More

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Here is the inside damage. Not road worthy at all. At least we got to save the stove and it works fine. Turn it into a grill....


Smitty

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Inside look....Super Clean, rockers have ZERO rust.....

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Here is the tear down and back half rebuild at the RV center.....They could have done better....

Smitty

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

So after the last summer and into fall with my truck setting in a bay with no work getting done I decided to close the work order. Glad I did. They built the walls and put no adhesive at all in it. All staples and they were already working themselves out and the walls were loose. The first wall pic you can see the joints they installed with the metal braces on the top. I added more 1X4's and put adhesive on the back and stapled them in. Yes staples, that is how it was built from the factory. Then I built my inner wall with 2x2's and used adhesive and screws to totally tighten up the second wall and straightened it out. There were several warps on the wall and now they are gone.

The RV center did build the rear wall with 2x2's and it is still solid.

Smitty

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More....


Smitty

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Here is the heartbeat for my RV.....Getting the harness built now along with the computers re-flashed.


Smitty

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Looks like some good progress with the camper restoration. Will you be reinstalling the rear porch platform? Tagging along for the rest.

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Wow, that is awesome. I'll follow along.

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

We are canning the rear porch. I have a buddy that has a wild idea for the stove "grill" that he wants to build off the back bumper.

Thank you. This is going to be a fun build.


Smitty

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Following along. Looks like an interesting endeavor.

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Job well done!!!

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Thanks :metal:

Smitty

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Well,
Did a lot of work this weekend. Here is a time warp back for the old Green Shag Carpet. Just remember "It's just a jump to the left".......

More pictures to come tomorrow....

Smitty

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Nice truck, sorry to see on the camper portion. It stinks the RV place did you so poorly. I've been having bad ideas of building my own since these are so hard to get now. Maybe after all the other projects are done first.

I was hoping you were going to keep that rear door/deck set up. That made those the coolest set ups back then IMO. I'm in to see how the rest turns out!

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Thanks Dieselwrencher,

Sometimes you take lemons and make lemonade. These things are popping up in AZ on CL a lot. I liked the deck, but I am trying to cut some weight and it had to go in order to make it work out for the family.

Smitty

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So this weekend I pulled the old powertrain out. The wife helped seal up the inner walls with some old paint. Today we got the cab off and it is in the garage getting prepped for some new color and fix all the holes in the cab. This week the filon should be on along with some more wood repairs.

Smitty

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Good progress...you move along quickly!

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Thank you. I am retired and life is good.


Smitty

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Nice ....I'm following along too

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Looking good. You said new color? I guess your staying with a green theme with that nice original interior... And it looks like you are building around the love seat/couch. Quite a task.

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

Thanks :metal:

Thanks,
I am using the factor green on this one. Will also shoot a stripe down the side. The couch also folds out into a bed. I picked it up from a Hotel that was renovating. Near perfect condition. I had the RV center build the walls around it once they torn them down.

Smitty

Re: Re-Open the Open Roads
 

You could mount the couch on top of the camper body, and let Ellie Mae, and Granny ride up there...:D

Carry on the good life!!!

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No Clampett's in this area.......


Smitty