New to RV ownership looking for advice

[theora71]

My fiancé and I just bought a 1986 (?) Fleetwood Jamboree . We have 3 kids ranging from 4 to 14. It is in need of some love on the interior, some minor leaks in the roof, but it is mechanically sound (my fiancé is a mechanic). We are hoping to get it fixed up enough that we can make some small weekend camping trips with the kids this summer. Obviously we need to fix the leaking first, but after that we have no idea where to start upgrading or repairing next. Would love to some remodel ideas or list of things we don't need to have right away and things that we would need right away. Right now the Stove and refrigerator we know need to be replaced but I don't think that is something we need to fix for short weekend trips at this time as we have camping stove and coolers. We just parked it in our driveway last night. Looking for a starting point for our new family project. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thank you all.

[marjoa]

Long list for an RV this old but safety for the whole family of course is the place to start.

New fire extinguishers, totally sanitize the entire water system and YES the roof leaks...ABSOLUTELY 1st thing. If mold starts growing in there it's done. Change all chassis fluids. All of them from bumper to bumper. While doing this check belts and hoses. Good thing he's a mechanic. Hope he's a good one.

The next place to start before you go anywhere is check the tires. If more than 6 or 7 years old at the latest, REPLACE them. I don't care what the tread looks like. Your lives and the kids ride on these tires.

Finally battery bay. Very important area. This needs to be gone over with a fine tooth comb and make sure it's up to the task. If not, rework batt bay.

Others will add more items...

[theora71]

Thank you. This is a good start and yes he’s a good mechanic, one of the best I know.

[arcaguy]

Something to add to the list is to check for any penetrations of the floor, underneath, inside cupboards, around pipes, you get the idea. As cute as mice are they are best when they are cute outside your rig. Some folks think you should use steel wool, personally I like the stainless steel pot scrubbers or expanding foam better. The foam makes a mess but it does seal well. Also look for any mouse/wasp/hornet's nests in the outside covers for the refrigerator and water heater. I would also inspect all of the inside compartment for those cute little furry creatures too. If found, evict immediately, preferably many miles away, or dispatch them if you must. Good luck and remember that the shiny side goes up and the dirty side goes down.

[450Donn]

Find someone who can teach you what you dont know. And believe me there is a lot you dont know. All else comes with doing.
Making it water tight is your first priority. Fixing stuff wrong is second.

[theora71]

Thank you for you insight. My fiancé is a mechanic and a damn good one. He used to work on a fleet of U-Hauls and has 25+ years experience in the automotive world; so I'm not concerned about the mechanics not being done right. We already are working on making sure it's water tight and safe for our children, we aren't irresponsible teenagers.

[theora71]

Good point. Definitely will evict the little furry freeloaders should we find any. If they refuse we have a cat the would love to play with them. Thank you.

[TonyMac]

Inside the rig, you'll need a smoke alarm, a propane alarm, and a carbon monoxide alarm, especially if you'll be sleeping inside with the windows closed up. I'd not trust the original 1986 versions to work.

[D Gardiner]

Nice,...our first RV was a 23 foot long 1984 Jamboree, with a Chevy engine, back in 1989.

Upgrades: There is some much, where to start?! You have gotten some great ideas and tips already.

After your husband starts on the mechanical inspection/repairs, and check off the boxes on the safety items already mentioned. You can slowly do some minor things to make the rig more your own. We went with a colorful vintage themed plastic plates, and cups along with some red colored cookware. You can also replace the window covers with more colorful pieces to make it more fun for you.

Note: Traveling with kids can be fun and frustrating. Our 12 year old had a three day meltdown because his smart phone would not work in the Grand Canyon.
One thing we did was to get the kids down to Walmart and have them pick out the bedding they'd use on the trip. You can also have them pick out some fun plastic cups, or the alike. We also take some board games, cards and movies along as well.

As you said, the stove and refrigerator can wait a bit. A nice Coleman camp stove and cooler works great. We travel with our Coleman stove, and cook outside on picnic tables quite often.

Some current trends for interior upgrades include painting, and or wallpaper. Quite a few videos on Youtube available to check out. We did install a stick-on back splash behind our stove to give it that new feel (pics below). Things you may like for yourselves might be some USB charging outlets for your smart phones and tablets. LED TVs are great and save a lot of weight verses the old TVs. LED lights are good to conserve night time battery power, and a nice Citronella candle as well.

[Brob]

I am a general contractor who is mechanically inclined.
As such, my first priority is always the roof. You have to stop water intrusion or all other things will be deteriorating.

Stop the leaks first, then you can do the rest at your leisure.

[beamisl]

Hi Theora,

Welcome to the Forum! You came to the right place to learn about RV'ing. I came here 6 yrs ago and have had an amazing experience learning. Lot's of info once you learn how to navigate this forum.

Congratulations on the new to you rig. Great way for the family to play and experience the world.

In your profile if you put the model number, engine size / brand, it can help a great deal for people here to answer your questions.

The comment about tires is absolutely vital for your families safety. These rigs carry a lot of weight but mostly they carry your family. Tires "AGE" out before they wear out. If cost is a huge factor at least replace the front steer tires and then get the others next year. Maybe ask for a tire as a gift for Christmas or birthdays. Get a few of those and you are good.

The roof! There are a lot of videos (as mentioned) on YouTube about anything RV. Start looking at them. Depending on what kind of roof you have, you will need to prep first. Remove all old caulk around vents, a/c's, pipes, seams. Clean the areas and then re-caulk with a good caulk. Then seal the roof. Henry's elastomeric roof coating can be bought at Home Depot. It can seal the roof, insulate a bit, and be a sound barrier for rain storms. Most important is sealing from leaks.

You can be the one to remove the old caulk, clean the areas, and re-caulk. Then both of you do the coating. Get that done and then worry about the inside. Sounds like your boyfriend has the engine stuff figured out.

I would suggest you find a thread called "Total Rebuild" and have your boyfriend start at the beginning. It is more than you will need to do but this guy has some wicked skills and he explains and videotapes a lot of it. Good place to learn. He will not need to read the whole thing, just his rebuild on the 5th wheel.

To find a thread go to the top of this page and in the search engine enter "Total Rebuild". You can also use this to find any subject. How to empty your tanks, rebuilding your water heater, you get the idea.

To sterilize your water system, run Clorox through the system. Usually 1/4 cup of Clorox for 1 gallon on water. Let it sit overnight and then flush it out. Takes care of all the bacteria and then you have no worries about the water. Will also let you know if you have a leak in the plumbing. CG's (campgrounds) ate notorious for having high water pressures to get the water out to all the sites. Get a pressure regulator valve. Rig plumbing can usually take up to 90 psi in it's lines but some CG's are running at 110 psi. You do not want to blow pipes inside your rig. Good Camco filter for the water too. Both can be bought at Walmart for around $30 for both.

You can camp in your driveway or yard. Plug it in and use it there. Kids will love it but what you get is if you forgot to pack something it is right inside. Need a tool, it is close by. Pan, food, you got it all inside. You also learn your rig without worrying about making a mistake and being to far away from home. You can go back inside if need be. Gives you an idea of what you need. Rule of thumb is if something can serve 2 uses then it is what you want.

Are you towing a car or driving it for a while to get used to things? Your car can also carry things you need. We drove both the MH (motorhome) and the car for a while while we were learning. You can also talk to other people at CG's for advise. Hey, I am new to this and would you mind showing me???????. People love to talk about their rigs. Especially if you see someone with one like yours. Worth of info there. Talk to them.

Donor trailer! What????? When you go looking for a new fridge, stove, find an old trailer that is toast due to those roof leaks, remove the working fridge, stove, water heater, roof vents, a/c and then trash the trailer. Good way to save money. Some people will almost give these things away. The things listed above usually are the same size from RV to RV whether a motorhome or travel trailer so do some measurements and then go check sizes and save yourself some money on appliances. Make sure the appliances are working before buying. Can get cabinets this way too.

RV Salvage yards. Look for them in your area for those appliances too. Can save you some money. Just be vigilant checking things out.

That is probably more than enough for right now. To PM a person here, click on their name and a drop down menu appears. You can send a message to a person. If you want to do that with me I would love to e-mail you more info and pictures of what I have done to our rig.

Good luck and enjoy the journey you have set upon. When you are camping with the kids and sitting at your first campfire you will know you made the right decision.

Lynne

[leadman]

On the exterior check not only the roof but include the lights, vents, end cap seams, etc. Water getting in behind any of these can cause major damage. Look underneath for any holes in the floor. I used expanding foam on most of the holes. It is common for a hole to be much larger than needed for something like the propane line to run from outside to the inside. There is usually a rubber hose on the propane tank leading to inside or a copper line. I would replace it and the propane tank regulator due to age.
The led lights will make a big difference in the power used compared to the old bulbs. The led replacement bulbs can be bought cheaply on E-Bay.
Even though the refrigerator is not working now look at it for any leakage of the pipes on the back. Not to scare you but there could be a yellowish/greenish substance coming out of them. This is accessed from the panel on the outside of the coach. If leaking pull it out. There is ammonia and other harmful chemicals in it. There are many threads on here about the refrigerator problems.

[beamisl]

Theora,

Hope you are still on the Forum. It really is a great place to learn what you need to know. Please post some pictures if you are. Would love to see your rig.

I have been repainting my decals on my rig. Improves the appearance a lot and you can change up the colors to personalize it.

Lynne

[EyezOpen]

I wish i had started my own restoration thread earlier but i have not, but i will contribute. I guess i should start with ive restored boats for many years a deep mechanical background and have learned the art of budgeting along with results.

Advise simple get your running gear in order, Brakes systems....gas lines....carberation.....electrical....You know just basic fundamentals... once there just ask. What can be done for just a few dollars is rather extraordinary both in results and costs.

Boating on a budget became a theme for myself.....Now its on to RV's...a solid foundation is the start. By the way my grammar and punctuation is quite well i need some improvement...lol