1988 Winnebago Chieftain 22 RC Restoration

[lemortede]

I wish I had started a project thread months ago but didnt really take the time to explore all the sub forums.
Now I think this will be more of a documentary of what I have done and documenting the completion of the project going forward.

First, some background.
I purchased this Winnebago from a good friend of mine for $500 who was tired of watching us tent camp from their toy hauler.
Before you start saying I got a killer deal (I would now finally agree with you) let me draw you a picture of the condition this Motorhome was in.

My friends dad had purchased this motor-home with the intent of traveling the country with his wife (my friends mom). 
Soon after purchasing it he had serous health issues that restricted his ability to travel.
My friend mother's health had also began to decline.
There the Winnebago sat in the field next to their house. It sat for years.
Through events I am not 100% clear on my friend's brother ended up moving back with his parents.
He developed a drinking problem. After some time his parents kicked him out of the house (with reason) and let him live in the motorhome with his dog.
My friends father passed away after some complications and a few years later his mother passed away.
His brother had continued to live in the Winnebago through it all.
His alcoholism continued to devolve to a point where he was drinking things he shouldn't....
One night he passed out in the Winnebago and fell over backwards in the isle bending at the knee and ended up laying with his calved behind his back cutting off the blood flow at the knee.
It was a few days before my friend found him and at that point his legs were dead from the knee down.
The shock of all the toxic 'blah' getting into his body was too much for his already trashed liver and kidneys and he ended up passing away a few days later.

Needless to say, when I first started into the renovation I really wondered what I had gotten myself into and if it was even going to be salvageable or worth salvaging.
From the description above you can only imagine what the interior was like inside and sitting after for 6+ years in a field. Nasty does not do it justice.



What I have done.

   
• Rewired the "smart stick" removing the brights and windshield wiper controls
• Rewired the dash including fixing the shorts in the headlights, adding switches for the brights and the wiper controls
  
• Rewired the battery box replacing quite a few parts while I was at it.
  Before:
  
  After: Coming Soon

   
• Rewired the horn and horn relay
• Fixed many plumbing leaks in both the drain and fresh water lines.
• Added a new fresh water drain line
• Sealed the leaks in the roof
• Fixed the furnace.
• Ripped out all the carpet
• Pulled the liner off of the ceiling
• Fixed and replaced most of the windshield wash system
• Rebuilt the front brakes replacing everything but the rotors. I had those turned.
• Replaced the front bearing and seals.
• Greased the zerks.
• Total tuneup of engine( plugs, wires, cap, rotor, filters and replacing vacuum lines.)
• Changed the various fluids including the transmission fluid and filter. That was fun because someone had over torqued 2 of the bolts and they snapped when I was taking them off. I had to drill and tap the holes.
• Rebuilt the rear drum brakes replacing all the hardware and hydraulics and making new lines.
• Replaced the read bearings and seals.
• Replaced the front section of the emergency brake cable.
• Painted the floor with Killz primer.
• Cleaned out the GIANT black-widow colony that had formed under the motorhome.
• Rebuilt the generator and got it running
• Replaced the shelf above the front seats with a pull down bed.
  
• Build a new rear bed frame. (The old one was nasty...). Still need to buy a new mattress. Sorry its not rotated...it is on my edited copy.
  
• Replaced many of the exterior lights with LED's
• Made new bed cushions for dining area.
• Sealed the leaks in the exhaust system.
• New tires

I have a ton of pics. If there is something specific you would like to see let me know.

What is left.

   
• Replace the front airbags
• Replace the shocks
• Paint the outside
• Get the flooring down
• Get a new mattress
• Make curtains.
• Replace the Propane on/off valve
• Figure out why the high speed isnt working on the Coleman A/C unit.
• Add a backup camera
• Replace the radio antenna
• Add USB charging ports and a battery monitor

It has been a colossal learning curve since I have never worked on a P30 chassis before nor really understood the Coach/Chassis relationship.
We are hoping to take it on a short local test trip here this next weekend.
Wish us luck.

[joanfenn]

Wow, a lot of people would like to know the history of their rigs, I am sure that there is a lot that you didn't know about yours.

Good luck this weekend and start making happy memories in yours. 

[lemortede]

A few weeks ago we made our test over niter.
This last labor day weekend we took it out for a maiden voyage to Manti-Lasal National forest.
Driving up the canyon was...interesting.
Fully loaded and pulling a trailer full of motorcycles and four wheeler's up a 6-7% grade was a test of the mechanical work I had done.
I am happy to report that I made it....sometimes at 20 mph...but I made it.
Everything worked fine once I was out there.


Coming home was stressful...going up was slow...coming down I was able to keep slow using the tranny and the brakes.
I am happy to report that my brake repairs seem to have done the job and I was able to stop...

[legomybago]

That's awesome! You sound a lot like me when it comes to "covering" everything you can think of on these rigs...sometimes it holds up the party though! That's where Im at, just need to do a few more things BEFORE the maiden voyage..lol
Your kid picture is great, that was me when I was a kid camping with my grandma and grandpa dirt biking...very important stuff there.

The part about the guy laying in that thing for a few days then dying...boy, I think your friend should have just given you the rig.

[LJ-TJ]

Was it worth all the work. I think the kid picture says it all. 

[M & J]

 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Nice!!!

Kev

[JessEm]

Yeah you said nasty didn't do it justice but that looks fabulous.