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Sunrader Floor Repair, Gut and Rebuild


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I rode my bike across the city to one of the only open auto parts stores we have here. Showed them my old one and gave them the part number of the Bilstein. I'm naive, but I trusted the 'expert' behind the counter who gave me a bunch of options and explained how each works and doesn't for my application.

I settled on the one I got after listening to him and weighing all the pros and cons.
Not ideal, but will be fine for now.
I just can't and won't spend $5K on all the various mechanical things I need to get this up and running for inspection. I have to pick and choose some battles.

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At least give us the part numbers for the Monroe so we can check them for you. Or better yet here are the right Monroe shocks for our vehicles and you can check them yourself. Substitutes won't do.

Linda S

 

 Manufacturer: Monroe  Brand: Gas-Magnum
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Part Number Position Package Qty
 
34953.jpg
 34953
Front 1 Regular Price: $45.72
Our Price: $36.57 each

Save 20%
Free Shipping
On Orders $75+
 
 
34803.jpg
 34803
Rear 1 Regular Price: $46.32
Our Price: $37.05 each

Save 20%
Free Shipping
On Orders $75+
 
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Yes, the front shocks are the Monroe 34953 Gas-Magnum Shock Absorber. And I just finished getting them on. All good. I need to get in better shape. :)
And the steering damper is this one https://www.amazon.ca/Monroe-SC2914-Magnum-Steering-Damper/dp/B000C53XES
I got the Damper on now. Tough to get that bolt out, but finally figured out a way.

 

 

 

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Hello again. re: SHOCKS

And... apologies Jay for completely taking over your original thread here.... :)
Can anyone please advise me if I need to take any special precautions, or do I need any special tools to remove the rear shocks on my 1986 Sunrader?

There are coils on the outside of the old shocks on there now.

Ok, pulled one off without a problem. But second one has a stripped top bolt pinched up tight to the bottom of the floor.

 

 

Thank you. Rick

Edited by canadasunrader
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Springs on shocks are either way cool new school hot rod coil overs or really old school clamp on overloads. The overloads were a cheap way to level up the rear end.

Are you saying the nut is rounded off or that the threads are stripped and the nut won't back off?

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Thank you.

I am installing the Monroe 34803 in the back. Basic, but recommended.

I was asking about the coils because this is my first experience with shocks and I just wasn't exactly sure how they came off.
Part of me was worried it was going to be like a jack in the box apon pulling the bolts off. But everything came off fine on the first one, and the replacement went in fine.

On the second one the bottom bolt came off easy. It is the top bolt where the problem lies. It is tight up against the floor. The floor has dropped down a bit and won't allow a ratchet in there.

The nut is rounded and everything I've tried so far has failed to get it to budge.

Tried heating it up, banging it with a chisel etc etc. Also, it's hard to get at because the muffler is close beside it.

 

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Make sure that the MH is chocked and blocked. Take the needed length of 2x4 and jack up the floor just enough for a socket to fit.

They make a weird socket just for stripped nuts, here is an example..https://www.amazon.com/Nut-Bolt-Extractor-Tool-Set/dp/B07YZ9SC5S/ref=sr_1_25?crid=2UP7H5PJ39CT&dchild=1&keywords=stripped+nut+remover+kit&qid=1591243884&sprefix=stripped+nut%2Caps%2C237&sr=8-25

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Yes, an impact wrench would have been good, but no way.

As you can see, the floor has sagged down around the top of the shock.

I went to the old reliable Canadian Tire where I found a pack of six nut bolt extractors on sale for 75% off.

That and jacking up the floor did the trick. Finally got the nut/bolt out, but getting the new shock on and a bolt back on was equally fun.

While it is satisfying work once over with, I am glad I don't do this every day for a living.

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No worries Rick! Looks like it was quite the pain but you were successful in the end! I think I have a similar problem in the rear that the floor has sagged over one of the top shock bolts, but for now I'm leaving those problems for another time haha.

 

Glad you were able to work through those problems and get it fixed.

 

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Managed to get the cabover area pretty much done except for filling in the gap and some minor detail work, now I'll start working on the main cabin and figuring all that out.

 

 

 

 

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Edited by JaySam
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  • 2 weeks later...

Jay. This looks so good. How is all the wood attached at the front? Mine is still sitting unfinished. This looks like it may be an answer.
Also.... did you say that you replaced your insert trim on the outside? Which width did you go with? I measured mine at 3/4" and so far it's hard to find.
I am having a hell of a time getting some of the screws out. The entire front section of them will not budge. Looks like they have been sitting in water for 40 years.
Most of the sides and back have come out.
Did you just cover the ones that stripped with a little goop and moved on?
Mine are so rusty I am reluctant to just leave them.... but I've tried everything to get them out and no way.
And.... all good here. I finally got my inspection competed so I will be on the road soon.
Rick
 

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Looks really great Jay.  I like the indirect lighting and the little shelf.   The natural wood is a good look.

 

The state allowed us to open back up so I am back to 13 & 14 hour days. So, it looks like fall before I get much more done, unless I squeeze in a little here and there.  

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Thanks guys, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Also learning about the wonderful world of varnishing and the pitfalls of it all. 

 

I glued furring strips along the front, one the entire length above the windows about 1" and another below the windows 1", and a strip down the middle connecting the two. Then I screwed the cedar planking into those. The bottom slope of cedar isn't screwed into anything, the upper lip slides under the furring strip and along the bottom I used a few screws to tack it down. I put 2" board foam underneath for a bit of support and warmth. I used a gorilla glue similar to liquid nails but that is rated for fiberglass, it's holding up really well. Same glue I used for the roof rafters. The sides are just held in with the window frames.

 

I did replace the trim, I used 3/4" as well. I ordered it off amazon. Installation tip, do it when it's hot out. I tried when it was cold and I about wrecked my fingers, once it warmed up it was pretty easy. As for the screws I had the same problem, probably half of them were rusted and stripped out. I just left em, hit em with silicone and moved on with life. I also painted a layer of polyester resin along the inside at the screw joint, as well as grinded down any screws poking through.

 

Glad to hear you passed your inspection and can hopefully get on the road soon. I have resorted to building a temporary setup so I can begin to use it for work through the summer, which will give me time to plan and think through all the final versions of what I'm going to build and how to install all the systems back in. For now it's nice being able to stand up, have lights on a switch and real ceiling fans for airflow.

 

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On 1/21/2020 at 10:55 PM, Ctgriffi said:

Just a friendly suggestion: I’ve done a lot of peel-n-stick floors, with many good results, but I would never do it again for an RV: wide temp changes cause that stuff to lift, buckle, and spread apart. Vinyl sheet or click-lock plank would be my preference, in hindsight. 

I whole hardheartedly agree with this...

Peel and stick in something flexible just tears itself apart..

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I used peel and stick flooring in our 1991 Itasca about 5 years ago and haven't had any trouble with it yet. The average temperature inside the RV stays around 120 degrees when parked at home in San Antonio during the summer. We travel around a lot but never go up North during the winter.

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  • 1 month later...

Oh man it's been awhile! Time has just slipped away! Things have been going ok on the rebuild although I've slowed down a bit, I think after all the major repairs and construction I was just a little burnt out on moving straight into redoing the whole interior. But I have got a few things done.

Getting the dining area closed in and insulated, and I've built some temporary tables and countertops so I'm able to use it now while I continue to add things in.

Solar is almost done (just waiting on a new battery) and then I'll be moving onto adding the fridge back in and setting up the propane tank and lines for the heater and the stove.

Then I'll probably work on putting in the kitchen sink and the water storage tanks after that.

The list of things to do almost seems to get bigger as I move along lol.

 

How is your rig coming along Rick? Have you enjoyed the trips you've gotten to take in it so far?

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's a few pics of the back dining area, I've finally got the walls up with insulation and the battery/solar compartment completed. Next will be to do the kitchen sink with the new water tanks/pumps and a sink/faucet.

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Wow that looks beautiful could you describe a little more about what kind of wood and paneling you're using. I'm going to do something like that to mine.

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Thanks! yeah I'm using 1/4" tongue and groove cedar planking I bought at lowes for the dining are. I make up panels by glueing all the planks together and then I cut it to fit and apply finish after that. Just a few coats of clear gloss urethane followed with 2 coats of clear satin. The bench seats are just 1/4" plywood that I put a stain on and then finished in the same process.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very nice, Jay. Love the before and after.
Seems like a lifetime ago we began this crazy Sunrader process.
And apologies I am late in replying.
I know what you mean that the to-do list only grows as you move inside. :)

I am nearly finished outside. Painted the fiberglass, and still needs a bit of touch up here and there.

And finally moving along with electrical. In the process of getting all the parts together, then install.
This 22RE has always gone through quite a bit of oil, and that is concerning. This we need to address soon. :)

Why did you decide to place your solar panel on the side rather than up front?
We have done a few trips now, and loving the Sunrader more and more each time out. Often we are with friends who are car camping/tenting and they all are rethinking their original thoughts on vanlife/RVs.
We don't love the bed up front [awfully tight] so we have been using the bed over the dinette. It is a bit of a pain to put up and down, but using the front area for storage etc works well.
It has been so valuable to travel without the inside completely finished. It has given us more ideas of exactly what we want, and don't want.

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Nice Rick, sounds like things are moving along for you as well. I agree, spending time using it before it's completely built definitely helps with design decisions and understanding how you want to utilize the space  most effectively. Living in a slide in camper in my truck the last few years definitely helped me learn what I wanted out of a rig and what I didn't need which has been helpful.

I'm getting towards the last appliances install now, the water is halfway in (just need the grey water tank and drain hose) and then it's just the stove and potentially a furnace left.

Mine eats quite a bit of oil as well, the previous owner said a mechanic checked it out and had a leaky head gasket which is pretty common on these i think, there was a recall on the head gasket for a number of years so that might be the same issue your having as well. Unfortunately it's rather expensive to have a mechanic do it because it requires taking apart quite a bit of the motor to access the gasket.

I put the solar panel on the side because I didn't want to drill any more holes in the roof and it allowed me to use the old access hole for the antenna in the back to run the wires into the coach. I will probably add another panel down the road on the other side of the camper in the same manner after I add a second coach battery. I'm really pleased with how the mounting came together and it was pretty cheap for the aluminum bars running across with a few bolts to hold it all together.

Here's a few more pics of the most recent additions

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  • 2 months later...

Hi JaySam,

 

I recently picked up an 86 Sunrader that has been stripped and partially rebuilt. My girlfriend and I are doing some basic renovations before hitting the road for the next couple months. I was wondering what you used for ceiling panelling. We have cedar paneling installed on the majority of the ceiling but noticed that the area above the cabover isn't insulated like the rest of the ceiling is. The only thing I've thought of so far is to put furring strips across the ceiling, put in some insulation then nail more cedar planks to the furring strips but we would lose a decent amount of headroom doing this (a couple inches).

 

Just wondering what material you used, if it is insulated, and if you did anything different for the cabover area than for the rest of the ceiling? Your whole build looks great by the way! I'm definitely drawing a lot of inspiration from it for future projects! Thanks so much! Cheers!

 

 

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Hi Ernie, Thanks!

 

I did just what you described, I glued furring strips across the ceiling and then screwed the paneling into that. I used 3/4" rigid board foil faced insulation for everything. There's a insulation company in north Denver called Eagle Rock that carries a ton of different insulation and they'll sell it direct to the public, it was the only place I could find 3/4". Would've loved to add more but didn't want to lose the head space either.

 

I found that Gorilla Glue Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive Ultimate works well for bonding different materials together, it's what I used for all the furring strips throughout my rebuild. Seems to be the only glue I found that will glue stuff to the fiberglass.

 

Heres a few updated pics, I just finished installing the furnace.

 

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Nice, thanks! Any idea what the material was called or how to find it on their website? I'm checking out their website and it is a little confusing.

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I think it's johns manville board insulation or something. I didn't find much on the website either but when I called I just asked if they stocked 3/4" board insulation and they were very helpful. Just drove down and picked up some 4x8 sheets of it. They'll sell however much you want, even if it's just one sheet.

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Awesome, thanks for that info! Lookin like I probably won’t get around to that project any time soon but I’ll keep this in mind when I do.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi JaySam.

Your rebuild looks great

I was in the process of doing the same thing as you to the ceiling. I had planned on 3/4x3/4 steel in ceiling.  Also I removed floor carpet to lay new floor.   But after carpet removal I noticed floor sag at the walls.  I noticed that you welded braces to your frame for more floor support , were you able to jack the walls up or ??  Did your floor sag move at all when you jacked up the ceiling ? I really did not want to lose headroom by adding 3/4 plywood to floor, is there anything you wish you would have done differently to stiffen up walls or floor .  Any help would be appreciated.   I have already spent many hours and dollars on my sunrader since last year and it never seems to end. 

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Hey thanks Randy!

 

I tried to jack the floor up before I put the braces in underneath but it didn't really seem to go anywhere. I lost a little over 1" due to floor sag at the sides. Jacking the ceiling up didn't bring the floor up at all, it just raised the center portion of the roof but didn't 'pull up' the floor on the sides at all. I did jack the roof up probably 3 or 4 inches overall; I started by jacking it up maybe an inch, letting that sit for a week and the raising it up another inch. It seemed to let the fiberglass adapt and accept the 'new' shape as I slowly raised it over a few week period. I just kept pushing it up until I felt like I was entering a zone where I would start to crack the fiberglass shell or cause damage to it. It also helps to do it while it's warm out.

 

I think one of the only things I would do differently is add a strip of wool or felt paper between the metal beam and the fiberglass roof, the direct contact between the two materials leaks a lot of heat out. You can see where all the roof beams are when it snows cause the snow melts along those lines long before the rest does. Other than that I've been very happy and pleased with everything.

 

I know what you mean about it never seeming to end, the list only seems to grow sometimes. But keep chipping away at it, slowly but surely things will come together and get accomplished.

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  • 2 months later...

A few updated pics on the rebuild, the walls and all the appliances are all in although I plan to rebuild the sink cabinet and finish out the long cabinet on the drivers side. And add cabinets up top, a range top, drawers, shelves and a host of other things still left to do. It's a never ending list but she's in a good place now and it's been a pleasure living in it.

 

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I haven't made it over to the scale yet to see but I'm interested as well, I think it's maybe in the 4500 range right now? But honestly I have no idea after gutting and then rebuilding it, I'll try to make it over soon and will let you know when I do!

 

Thanks Rick! Pretty please with it so far, although now that i've rebuilt everything I wish I could do it all over with the knowledge and skills I have now haha. I heard once that your first camper you build for your enemy, your second you build for a friend and the third you build for yourself. Seems to ring true! This is my second btw

 

As of things left to do I still wanna add the upper cabinets back in, finish out the two cabinets with drawers and storage stuff and then put in the flooring. Plus a ton of little stuff but that's the major building left to do.

 

I've only done a couple of short climbing trips so far, but man it's been a pleasure!

 

Hows your rig coming along? Have you been getting out in it much?

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