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Hi, thank goodness for this site! My husband I and recently purchased a 1991 Toyota Dolphin. We think we got a good deal at $1000 and 80,000 miles. Mechanically we think she.s in decent shape, but needs some fixing up. Our concern is with the seemingly entire rotten wood frame of the living quarters. So far we pulled out the couch and eating area and pulled out the overhead cabinets and the whole left wall (drivers side) is rotten. The roof seems to be in OK condition and the sleeping area needs total repair. We plan to finish gutting it and rearrange the space with our own much lighter setup. 

My questions are - where do we start reframing? What materials are ideal to use and do we have to remove the fiber glass or can we rebuild from the inside?

Did we get a good deal?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be really appreciated :)

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If you have the ability, time and desire to do an awful lot of work and the drivetrain is in good shape, you'll be OK. If the rot is that extensive, I can't imagine it hasn't gotten into the roof though. I do like the idea of gutting it and rebuilding the interior to suit yourself. Wouldn't mind doing it myself someday. But I would do it to a Sunrader.

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hi there, your rig does not look horrible from your pics, although there is no pic of the rot in the walls that you spoke of. i must agree with 86rader, that if your walls are as bad as you stated i would certainly be suspect of the roof framing as well. any project can be accomplished with determination, time and money. there are probably several people here on this site that may have encountered your situation and have some advice or instructions for you. the people here are great with being very, very helpful. maybe if you posted some pics of the damage, it may help in offering specific suggestions for you. by all means good luck and i hope all goes well.  joe from dover

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The roof joists are metal going across and appear to be usable. The perimeters are wood (headers) connected to them with what appears to be 1x something framing, pressed into foam with a disintegrated luan over it all, then a vinyl paper over that. We have taken it down to the foam. We are committed. We work in the remodeling field and are confident. Thanks! The pics are of the driver side wall. In the process of removing gas lines and remaining cabinets. Another thing to mention is that the roof appears to be in decent shape. We plan on replacing the ceiling panels and any wood thats rotten. Thank you again.

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hey there gypsycloud: those pics really show the damage. you have a great advantage by being in the remodeling business. you no doubt have the knowledge,skill set, and tools to do the rebuild. i am a retired carpenter/cabinet maker so i am sure you have the confidence needed to take this project on. remember there is a lot of help available at this site, and hopefully you can keep us all informed as you go with pics. good luck , i am sure it will turn out great. and by the way, what area of the buckeye state are you from? curious as i live about 30 minutes south of canton.  joe from dover

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Based on the photos I would take a very long look and the roof and the header. It looks that joint is where the leaks started. Or the water got in via a vent/AC opening and migrated over to the side and then down.

This is a video of building a Jayco travel trailer, your rv was built in the same manner. This will give you some idea of what your dealing with. Note this trailer has a rubber roof, your Toy has an aluminum one that is a simple butt joint with a putty seal.

 

Edited by WME
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Check all the joists, some RV used metal to support the AC and wood elsewhere.

 

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