JStro23

Thank you! Though I was primarily wondering of based on what is seen in the photos, this is something that can be done one problem at a time rather than literally stripping the whole thing down to nothing. For example the crack above the side door (wouldnt let me upload but the right side panel is cracked from the top right of the door to the top) Would it be a viable plan to work on let's say just a panel at a time, and the problems beneath it (like reinforcing certain areas) rather than stripping everything apart and re-doing the entire exterior. Interior work will come after I am sure the body is structurally sound. Want to make sure it is solid, water-proof, and strong enough for many many trips. Then I will be gutting the inside and fully customizing it. At that point I will be geared towards learning about the electrical system and piping systems as I put it all together. Oh also there is a small hole in the floor above the back left wheel from a presumed blowout. All things that seem like they could be done one at a time, but the last owner insisted it had to be totally taken apart and re-done (which is not doable for me)

Well the site wont let me post the pics of the crack above the door for some reason. So yea. Just looking for a finger pointed in the right direction. Will be first going through the process of registration and such so just trying build up a stockpile of info for which direction to start once I get it registered under my name.

K so the old owner said they are thinking this will need a literal total body rebuild. I will post the pic of the crack above the door, this wouldn't let me post more photos. These are of the primary physical damage. Looking for how to best approach this build and what exactly can be done and how (or resources showing how) Thank you, I look forward to getting to know y'all throughout this build. Wish me luck that the circumstances work out and I can finish it in time.

"So, the crack is right above the door frame so it's caused the door frame to bend. There is a hole in the flooring over the driver's side back tire from what i am guessing was a tire blow out from the prievious owner. The skylights are original so there's some leaking with those but im sure when you redo the roof you can reuse the casings and put them on properly. I bought a new water pump it just needs to be installed a majority of the water damage to it is above the bed on the passenger side." Quote of damage from the owner

Well I was talking to the owner who is bringing it to me on Sunday. She gave me a full run down of the damage and evidently even has detailed plans written up for the necessary fixes. The interior I will, over time, be fully customizing. For now I will be primarily interested in restoring the body itself to a sound condition. Which she had inspected and has a full run down of the problem areas. So that should assist in my initial body restorations quite well.

So I will be getting my toyota dolphin on Sunday. It evidently has a cracked body but from pictures it is not hyper bad damage, but the owner told me they got an estimate for 2000 dollars to get the body fixed. I would like to do as much of the work myself as possible so I am looking for a youtube channel or multiple channels that may have good videos on doing body repairs. Once I get into the project I will also be posting pics on here and asking for advice but I am wanting to learn as much as possible before getting it here.

She was dangling other people's offers over me so I took the plunge and paid her through facebook. Thankfully she is an old friend of one of my closest friends or I would be worried sending a stranger 800 bucks could be a scam. Wouldn't have done it if she wasn't closely connected to one of my best friends.

Absolutely. I created this account so I could ask for advice from the seasoned pros 😜 so I will most likely become a regular as I go through the process of renovations/customization.

Solar panels, inverters, compost toilet, led light conversion, and such might be further down the road.

Well I've never done work specifically on rv's but am quite handy at repairs. I have a few friends who live in rv's and could help, in addition to the countless youtube tutorials I have watched and are available. Still in my lease at the currwnt plave for 9 more months so I have plenty of time to put in the work and get it at least livable.

Thank you! My phone wouldnt let me save any photo files off marketplace. Its been a dream of mine for years and this seems like the exact opportunity I have been holding out for. Was never looking for a fully modded or tricked out model, always wanted a fixer upper due to my inclination towards customizing it. So the price in addition to solid mechanics seems like a steal for my purposes.

Ill see if there is some other way to get the pics

So I have wanted a dolphin for many years. My intention has been to completely overhaul the body itself so I primarily have wanted something with a sound engine/brakes/suspension etc. A friend of a friend recently made a post to sell her dolphin for $800. The body has some water damage and is cracked on top, but mechanically it is perfectly sound. Given that it was already my intention to completely overhaul the body and interior, is this a good purchase? The body work simply to get it back to basics (meaning protection from the elements) was estimated at $2000 and then I would begin my interior customization. Given the pricing I have seen online this feels like a good opportunity to finally follow my dream of having and living in a customized dolphin. I just wanted to consult thkse with more experience. I dont know if links work on this forum, but the facebook post would not let me save the images. Here is the link.