1990 Fleetwood Prowler Regal 34K Remodel (aka: Project Lucy)

[Lefty]

Greetings!
In the posts to follow, I will be documenting the renovation of our latest project. The trailer is a 1990 Fleetwood Prowler Regal 34K (34.5'long), which we have named "Lucy"... for obvious reasons. If you don't get the reference, Google "The Long, Long Trailer"... Our truck, a 1994 F-350 crew Cab Dually Turbo Diesel, and the trailer, from front to rear, stretches out at a whopping 62' 8"!!!

Backstory:
Frank & I have been buying, renovating, and selling vintage travel trailers and RV's for the last 19 years. We enjoy it, and each has t's own unique story to tell. "Lucy", is the latest in a long line... being project # 11 for us. But, this is the story of the trailer that we were meant to own.
Back in 2008, we had sold our Cheiftan "Beatrice", and were searching for something a bit bigger. We usually camp about a month at a time, and wanted something large enough that we could live full time in if we wished. We looked at over 150 different trailers and RV's during the next few months, but none were a perfect fit for one reason or another. We insisted on a bumper pull so Frank would not have to go up & down stairs following his hip and knee surgery, it could not have ever had any water damage or roof leaks, had to be structurally sound, had to have separate twin bunks in the rear, and be between 34 and 40' long. It also had to be under a strict $3,200 budget (because that's what we had...).
After months of searching, we saw "Lucy" sitting on a used RV lot for sale. They wanted $3,800 for it, and were reluctant to drop the price any further (It had just been dropped from $4,500 the day before), but we instantly fell in love with it. It was exactly what we had wanted. After some serious negotiating, we got the price down to $3,200 and agreed to buy it. This was at 3:00pm on a Sat. We agreed to return Mon. morning with the cash, and left. Monday morning, we went to the bank & withdrew the money, then went to the dealer..."Lucy" was nowhere to be seen. The dealer said a man came in at around 4:30pm Sat afternoon and bought it... paying cash. We were heartbroke. But, we moved on. We eventually found an '88 Georgie Boy RV and enjoyed it. Then we bought a 30' 5th wheel, which we also enjoyed. But neither was the one we wanted.

Fast forward to 2014... My sister had recently moved back here from Pensacola Fl. and asked me to help her find a travel trailer she could live in, until she saved enough up to buy a house. So we started searching for her one. In the mean time, some good friends of ours who we used to go camping with from time to time, invited us to come see their new home and have a cookout. When we arrived, and went into the backyard, they asked if we had seen the camper they had bought since last we saw them... And, there was "Lucy" sitting behind the fence in their yard. They were the "mystery men" who had bought Lucy right out from under us 4 years ago. They had no idea we had been looking at buying it any more than we did them... it was just total coincidence. But, while there, they mentioned that they were planning on selling it soon.. as they were unable to travel much anymore due to health reasons, and recently had tried letting a guy rent it to live in... which didn't work either. Asking price? $2,800
So we went home, talked itover, and decided to sell my sister our 5th wheel for $2,800 and then buy "Lucy'. She was thrilled because that was about half what it should have sold for, and it was much nicer than she had hoped to get within her budget.

So, all that's done, and "Lucy" is now ours. Sister is happy as a clam, and so are we. It is far from perfect, but that's fine with us. It just means we can decorate it the way we want and not feel bad about messing up a perfectly good interior.

I will be posting a list of planned repairs and/or projects. This list may change as I either find more things that need fixed, or change my mind on how I want to proceed. But it will give a general plan to the project.

Enough typing.. Let's get started.
                                                         Lefty

[Lefty]

Let's start things off with a few "Before" pics...

Here is "Lucy" sitting in our friends backyard... before we brought her home.

[Lefty]

Ok, Here are a few interior shots.

Read bedroom, with platform built over twin beds to make it a queen size bed.



Front living room



Kitchen and backsplash:



Closeup... Winner of "Worst Tile Job Ever!"

[Lefty]

Ok,
Our first job was to clean it up... as it had probably not been cleaned in the past 4 years. Amazing what a little elbow grease and a pressure washer can do!! It looks 100% better already.







It helps that Frank is 6' 5" tall sometimes!! lol



There's a whole lotta trailer to scrub!!!

[Lefty]

Now... All clean & looking much better!!

[Lefty]

Time to start the first interior project... repaint the living room and kitchen.

[Lefty]

Old backsplash removed... Time to paint under it for a uniform surface for the new tile. Wait till you see it afterwards!

[Lefty]

Now it's ready for the next step... Note the factory original mauve tile insert in the countertop. I have plans for that, you'll see.

[Lefty]

New backsplash!! This was the first time in my life that I have ever laid tile. I think I did pretty good for a first time.
The hard part was all the cutting and fitting needed around the outlets and switches. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said some of the tiles took me 7-8 tries to get right. I used a dremel tool with a reinforced cutting wheel to grind individual tiles to fit. Many broke as they got thin, requiring me to start all over again... I had bought an extra sheet of tile just for this purpose.

[Lefty]

Finished result!

[Lefty]

The living room, dining room and kitchen have now been repainted. The backsplash has been updated, and a new tile insert placed in the counter top. I still have a lot of smaller jobs to do. I need to remove and repaint all the interior window frames... to get rid of the last of the lime green from the prior owners sloppy painting. Same with the outlets and switches. I have to build window valences and get new window blinds and curtains. And I want to replace all the interior lights due to the old ones having turned an ugly yellow color. But, progress is being made.
Here is the new carpet and linoleum we will be installing. We are going to carpet the front living room and rear bedroom, and use the linoleum in the kitchen and bath.

[Lefty]

Checked on the roof today. It's solid as a rock! The paint finish is as good as the sides. I will need to recaulk the joints though, as the old sealant has dried out and cracked. I sure don't want any leaks.
I will have to replace the A/C cover as well as the fridge vent cover. Both are busted, and the fridge cover is allowing rainwater to drip into the area behind the fridge.

[Lefty]

Bought two recliners for the living room.. Big Lots had them on sale for $100 off each. So I got them for $199.00 ea.
Note: this is a stock photo from their website I copied. I haven't unboxed them yet, as I won't be putting them into the trailer until everything else is finished. I don't want them to get messed up or dirty. They are a bit smaller than this pic appears. Two will fit across the front of the trailer with about 8" to spare... just right to have a small table maybe between them.

[Lefty]

To do list:
Replace all 4 tires  (I already have a brand new spare, and spare tire mount I kept off our 5th wheel.. It had the same rims and same size tires.) -Done
Repack wheel bearings and install new wheel seals -Done
Replace awning  (New one ordered today!) -Done
Replace electric brake assemblies and have drums turned. -Done
Get 10,000 equalizer hitch and sway control  (Done- $175 off Craigslist used one time and like new)
Recolor shower surround and tub white... Epoxy paint
Remove queen bed platform  -Done
Fix burned switch on electric tongue jack  -Done
Repaint graphics on front rock shield, replace vinyl graphic  Partly done, found the right color paint and also found a N.O.S. graphic... But have not installed it yet.
Replace weatherstrip on both doors. -Done
Replace bent rear bumper  -Bought new bumper tube, need to cut the old one off & weld the new one on.
Replace bent roof ladder  -Friend gave me a good roof ladder free.. I just need to install it.
Fix cracked wheel opening trim... repaint
Repaint living room and kitchen  -Done
Repaint bedroom and bathroom -Done
Replace backsplash  -Done
Replace lighting.
Install new Microwave/Convection Oven -Done
Steam clean axles,frame,wheels and suspension  -Done
Repaint frame,steps,tongue, and axles Chassis Black -Done
Purchase 30lb propane cyl. to replace missing tank
Test all appliances  -Done
Test all gas systems and check system for leaks -Done
Test water system, holding tanks, lines, and water heater  -Done
Replace waste water tank dump valve -Done
Replace A/C cover
Replace Fridge vent cover
Reseal roof seams -Done
Repaint interior window frames -Done
Rescreen original window screens

[joanfenn]

That looks great.  you are doing a wonderful job

[NottooldNottoyoung]

   Looking good!

[Rickf1985]

That has to be the longest awning I have ever seen. Also a tight fit headroom wise for Frank! Looks good.

[Lefty]

The awning is 20' long. 19' 2" actually.  It's a long one...lol  We actually are considering adding an additional 10' awning to it to cover the rear door and windows... There is 11' between the end of the awning and the rear corner of the trailer. If I allow about 4" of space between the awning mounting arms, a 10' awning would pretty much fit perfectly. Haven't decided yet, but it would add a nice addition to the sitting area, cover the rear door area, and also be able to be used or not as needed.

Here is the awning we are getting, I can't wait till it gets here to install it.
http://www.store.rvawningsmart.com/RV-Patio-Awning-Fabric-20-Approx-Width-192-Brown-Stripe-62520.htm

[Lefty]

Since it's been a while now from my lat post, I thought I'd give an "update" on our progress.
I do have more pictures, but I'll post them later, as I want to get some final pictures and reveal the finished job as a surprise.

I have sanded and repainted the entire frame with 3 coats of Satin black. Sandblasted and repainted the rims while the old tires were off Aged Copper Metallic and 3 coats of clear (front,back and inside). Polished the trim rings and center caps, and bought all new chrome lug nuts and HD chrome valve stems (rated for up to 100 psi.). Had 4 new Goodyear Marathon ST225-75R15 tires mounted and balanced. replaced all four electric brake assemblies, repacked all the wheel bearings, and installed new wheel seals.
I've also repainted the tongue, and repaired the rear stabilizers that were bent. Installed the rear mounted spare tire carrier, and mounted the spare.
On the roof, I cleaned away all the old, cracked sealant from all the seams, and applied new Dicor sealant to every seam. It rained for several days HARD... and not one leak anywhere. Yay!
We installed the new awning today! And it looks amazing! What a nightmare! The old awning apparently had been in at least one bad windstorm, and I had to repair and straighten the end of one arm, repair a crack in another arm, and straighten one rafter. Can't find the rafter lock knobs, I had them, and they are now missing. Bought new ones, but they are too short and won't screw in. Still searching for the missing ones.
Repainted both sets of steps, and installed new anti-slip pads on them.
Inside, I have removed and repainted every window and door frame in the trailer. This involved removing at least 3 different layers of latex paint, and then wiping them with Goof-off, followed by Acetone, and a good scrubbing with a 3M red scuff pad. 3 coats of Rustoleum Kona Brown on the window frames, and Almond on the door frames. They look brand new. I cleaned and repainted every screw to match as well.
Installed all new window blinds from front to back. We wanted the day/night cloth type.. but they are about $200 ea and up. So we had to go with standard metal mini blinds instead... got them at Walmart for about $235 total.
The entire interior has been repainted. And we have the new curtains hung in the living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom. Our next door neighbor is graciously sewing the curtains for our bedroom for us, but has not finished them yet.
I have removed the queen bed platform that the prior owner had built on top of the existing twin bed frames. That job was a total headache. They first built a frame above the twin beds frames with 2"X4"'s, which they bonded to the old frames with that spray expanding foam crap... and nailed them down with an air nailer using about 100 nails. Then they bonded 1/2" plywood to that with more foam, and hundreds more nails. Then they glued vinyl parquet wood flooring squares to the plywood, and finally glued carpet on top of the vinyl flooring... and then nailed the carpet down. OMG!! It took me 2 days to get it all ripped out without damaging the original twin bed frames!  Another full day to clean off all that expanding foam junk from the supports and faces of the beds... but finally I was able to cut new 3/4" plywood panels for the tops of the frames.
I have removed all the carpet from the rear bedroom, as well as the awful wood flooring made of plastic they had in the bathroom. both rooms are now stripped to the plywood subfloor and ready for a new layer of 1/8" louan plywood. I have one small section of flooring right in front of the rear door that I will have to cut out, reinforce, and section in a new sub floor... as it was so weak I partially busted thru it the other day. The rest of the floor is solid as a rock. I should be ready to install the new carpet and linoleum in the next few days.
We have purchased a new microwave, and installed it, but I have to build a frame around it, as the original metal frame was missing. I have installed my vintage Black&Decker Spacemaker coffee maker under the cabinet, which I found at a local thrift store for $4.00 still new in it's unopened original box... and I had installed in our 5th wheel, but removed and kept when my sister bought it... It is the correct color to match the interior, and about the right age too.. so it looks factory installed.
Lastly, I have cleaned and serviced the fridge,furnace,roof A/C unit, and water heater... had to install a new anode rod, and safety pop off valve on the water heater, and buy a thermo couple for the gas part of the fridge... but every system is now working perfectly.
I had one door in the bathroom cabinetry that had split at the joints.. I had to re-glue the joints and then clamp it up overnight to dry. It turned out good as new.
Things left to do:
Buy 8 new lens covers for the interior lighting.
Repair or replace 1 original florescent light in the living room
Repair the subfloor in the rear bedroom doorway.
Fit, cut, and install louan over the subfloor in the bathroom and bedroom
Fit, cut and install the carpet in the living room and bedroom, and the linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom
Build and install new window cornices for every window.
Buff and polish the exterior.
Wax the exterior
Set up and install the new equalizer hitch and sway control
Purchase one new 30 gal. propane tank
Replace a 90 deg. fitting on the drain port for the fresh water tank.. it's cracked and dripping. (thankfully, it's under the trailer and just drips onto the ground)
Buy a new A/C unit cover, and a new fridge roof vent cover... both are damaged and busted, but are still usable for now.
Buy two new 14"X14" non-powered roof vents... it has MaxxAir covers, so these aren't causing any leaks, but both have a crack in them. And one is missing the interior screen.
Re-screen all the window screens, as well as both door screens. The original screening is fairly dry rotted and has a few holes here & there.
Repair a crack in the rear taillight panel, it's causing water to get into the wall and has damaged the interior paneling behind the bed at the bottom of the wall. Will also have to replace that interior panel as well.
Clean and spray epoxy the bathtub and tub surround to change the color from harvest gold to white. I'll replace the tub faucet, shower head, and drain assembly with shiny new ones then too.
Plus a few more nit-pick things here & there.

We are leaving May 23rd for an 8 week stay in Mobile,Al. If the weather holds up, I hope to get the majority of the above finished by then, with the exception of spraying the bathtub and repairing the rear bedroom wall paneling... which I intend to wait on until after this summers camping season ends.
It sounds like a lot, but most are fairly small jobs that won't take that long.. and I should be able to finish several in a day.

The last thing will be a final clean up inside, and then putting in our new recliners,TV, and kitchen table/chairs... and loading up our gear.

[Rickf1985]

WOW! Just a little work huh? Amazing.

[M & J]

I was wore out from just reading all that.

[Oz]

I hear ya, Rock!  What a great job and totally sweet.

[Lefty]

Thanks for the compliments. Here are a few 'teaser" pictures... Hope you like them.

Here is a shot with the new awning installed.





New tires installed, on freshly sandblasted and painted rims. New chrome lug nuts aren't here yet, they should arrive Thursday...





Living room just about finished. New carpet has not been installed yet, and I still have a few minor details to do.





Kitchen area. Microwave framing not finished, and new light covers not done... will get new linoleum in a few days.





Front of frame and tongue area.

[Lefty]

few more...

Under the new awning...





Closeup of window frames





Rear bedroom color. Blinds have been installed, but not straightened up in this picture. New curtains being made.





Here is the floor area I have to repair. It's covered with a scrap of plywood for safety.

[Lefty]

Just a refresher..
Here is what I started with...



Living room originally...





Kitchen originally...





Bedroom originally..





Backsplash closeup "Before"




It's come a long ways... but at least the end is now in sight, and I'll have something to be proud of. I think by the time the final finishing touches are done, the furnishings are in, and then decorated with all the "knick-knacks" that make it a "home".. it will be a stunning trailer.