Jmark40 Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 The side walls are framed and covered with thin plywood. Glued and screwed. I will be laminating the roof framing next. I am bending 1/4 inch plywood in 2 inch wide strips 6 at a time to make the curve for the roof. Then the end walls can go in. I will upload pics from my desktop later. The pics from my iPad end upside down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Making the roof bows. I bent 1/4 Baltic birch to a form. Six laminations to each bow. It was rainy in Denver this weekend. Slowing my progress. Hope to have the roof on by the end of next week. The birch was cover sheets from the shipping boxes. The price was right. All the plywood except the floor was cover sheets. My hardwood supplier has big stack of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Interesting ideas. If I were redoing the framework for a motor home I would look into running 3/4" stock as it originally was with 3/4" foam and then an inner 3/4" framework run horizontal to the outside with 3/4" foam. Not needed for a workshop. Nice collection of clamps! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Jim, the walls are 1 1/2 thick poplar. I used pocket screws to hold most of it. I plan on installing Dow foam between the walls. National built the side walls on a table with everything but the metal siding. Then they screwed the panel to the sides of the floor. Leaving interior paneling to rot below the floor line. The wall framing was 3/4 pine with thin fiberglass insulation. The original floor framing was just as bad in regards to structure. I found areas over 32 inches void of any support. Just a sandwich of 1//4 FRP, 1/4 foam and 3/4 plywood.The FRP did keep the water off the bottom. I did weld in quite a bit of angle iron to better support the floor.We need all those clamps for building curved handrails. Our day job is stair construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Kind of looks all to elegant to be a work truck. Reminds me of this http://www.motherearthnews.com/~/media/Images/MEN/Editorial/Blogs/Green%20Homes/A%20Biofuel-Powered%20Hybrid%20Home%20on%20Wheels%20by%20Sunray%20Kelley/SunRayGypsy-026-lo-res.jpg Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Kind of looks all to elegant to be a work truck. Reminds me of thishttp://www.motherearthnews.com/~/media/Images/MEN/Editorial/Blogs/Green%20Homes/A%20Biofuel-Powered%20Hybrid%20Home%20on%20Wheels%20by%20Sunray%20Kelley/SunRayGypsy-026-lo-res.jpgLinda S I've seen it. Kinda cool. Not quite what ours will look like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinaDalphina Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Greetings! My partner and I recently purchased a 82 Dolphin and just started to remodel. I would love to keep this thread going! We're in the process of figuring out what wood to use and how best to frame our new layout. We are thinking of putting in some more storage that can be multi-functional and turn into a desk or cushioned bench. If anyone has any suggestions on best wood to use and framing techniques, please do share! I am new to this and would love to hear from the more experienced. Here are some pics of what we ripped up: BEFORE: AFTER: We're glad we decided to remodel because much of the frame wasn't held in place properly from rotting wood and the shaking of the vehicle over time. We are hoping a new frame and structure will help create more reinforcement. We're going to keep the fridge out and probably use a cooler instead, as we don't really need a fridge. Does any one have any remodeling advice to share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Does any one have any remodeling advice to share? Yes. Keep it as light as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Aluminum angle is light weight and strong. Not the cheapest of materials but their are advantages to it and it is very easy to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I reconstructed my Toyota Chinook with aluminum angle and box metal, along with marine-grade fir plywood. I wouldn't say aluminum is "easy" to work with though. You can't weld it with a common arc welder. Also have to be real careful about joining it to dissimilar metals like steel. Even using steel bolts to hold it can cause problems. I used plastic barriers between metals and only stainless-steel bolts when joining to steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 A few photos of where I had to use aluminum angle/box and steel. Then used marine 3/8", four-ply plywood coated with epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dolly Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Having been in RVs since the 1970's., I have seen fashions come and go in RV ownership. Everyone wanted an Airstream and the old ones got bought up and ruined by people who thought they needed to upgrade and remodel them.They would tear out all the original interior, get halfway through the remodel and quit, then sell it as a useless piece of junk. Now everyone wants a Dolphin. The same thing is happening again. The whole idea of having these classic rigs is enjoying the stock, original designs and keeping them on the road. I had a 1965 Airstream and kept it in restored, original condition. I now have a Dolphin and intend to do the same thing with it as much as possible. I would like to say, if its not how you want it, don't buy it and tear it up. Someone out there is looking for that original rig and you just took another one off the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Some of these little RVs would be in a junkyard or scrapped if somebody didn't buy them and rehab them. I too like things original when that "original" was sufficient. When not , I change it. Going by the "leave it as it was" mentality - anybody with a 1985 or older that received the Toyota-sponsored full-floating rear-axle upgrade - would be tearing them out and going back to 5 lug semi-floaters, dually add-ons, and axles that break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 GoNe for a couple weeks and look what happen! We have not had a whole lot of time to put in ours. Here are the newest picks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 A few photos of where I had to use aluminum angle/box and steel. Then used marine 3/8", four-ply plywood coated with epoxy. I used steel angle iron welded to the frame on ours. 3/4 plywood floor. I epoxy coated the bottom before I laced them in. I used the outside boxes as headers to the floor instead of extra angle iron. Used pocket screws and polyurethane subfloor glue to hold it al together. The floor does not move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Having been in RVs since the 1970's., I have seen fashions come and go in RV ownership. Everyone wanted an Airstream and the old ones got bought up and ruined by people who thought they needed to upgrade and remodel them.They would tear out all the original interior, get halfway through the remodel and quit, then sell it as a useless piece of junk. Now everyone wants a Dolphin. The same thing is happening again. The whole idea of having these classic rigs is enjoying the stock, original designs and keeping them on the road. I had a 1965 Airstream and kept it in restored, original condition. I now have a Dolphin and intend to do the same thing with it as much as possible. I would like to say, if its not how you want it, don't buy it and tear it up. Someone out there is looking for that original rig and you just took another one off the road. Sorry Dolly but some are not worth restoring. A National being one of the worst constructed Rvs These are not GMC or Airstreams or even Sunraders. This was on the way to the recyclers if I had not taken it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Greetings! My partner and I recently purchased a 82 Dolphin and just started to remodel. I would love to keep this thread going! We're in the process of figuring out what wood to use and how best to frame our new layout. We are thinking of putting in some more storage that can be multi-functional and turn into a desk or cushioned bench. If anyone has any suggestions on best wood to use and framing techniques, please do share! I am new to this and would love to hear from the more experienced. Here are some pics of what we ripped up: BEFORE: AFTER: We're glad we decided to remodel because much of the frame wasn't held in place properly from rotting wood and the shaking of the vehicle over time. We are hoping a new frame and structure will help create more reinforcement. We're going to keep the fridge out and probably use a cooler instead, as we don't really need a fridge. Does any one have any remodeling advice to share? Try not to tear any more apart then you need to. More of these projects end up not getting completed. Bite off small things. Take it camping. Coolers work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Had yours out camping lately Jmark?? Jim SW FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmark40 Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Had yours out camping lately Jmark?? Jim SW FL No, but I hope to come your way after January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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