Repairing/Maintaining Vintage RVs

If you own an older "vintage" or orphaned RV, you may have found it difficult to get some parts for it.  The good news is that many of the components and appliances in vintage RVs are commonly used in many makes, models, and years.   If you need parts for your furnace, water heater, or range, check the make and model of the appliance.  You can often still get parts for many older appliances through the manufacturer.   Likewise for mechanical problems with the drive train or chassis.   Some RVs have custom built chassis but most are built on a commercial truck or bus chassis.   Chevrolet P-30 chassis are fairly common on older Class A motorhomes.  So are Dodge and Ford chassis. Bigger luxury motorhomes may be built on heavy duty truck or bus chassis like Freightliner, White, or Gillig.   Drive train components (engine, transmission, differential, brakes) are usually "off-the-shelf" brands like Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Cummins, and Caterpillar (for engines and sometimes the entire drive train).  Allison transmissions are used in many brands of motorhomes and matched to many different engines.   Be sure to check with the appropriate service centers for your chassis and engine/transmission.

You may find it financially attractive to purchase an older RV that needs work, especially if you have the skills and tools to fix it.  Because there are so many late-model RVs at bargain prices, some older or damaged units may have to be really marked down in order to sell.  Renovating an older RV can be a challenging but rewarding experience.  There was an article in Motorhome magazine about a couple who restored a one-of-a-kind 1951 Prevost "Land Yacht".  It took a lot of time, money (about 9 times its original cost when new), effort, and patience.  As they said they "went through hell restoring it but the results are heavenly".   Know what you're getting into and be certain you have the resources (time, tools, training, and/or money and qualified technicians) to do the necessary work.  You don't want to dump a lot of time, effort, and money into something only to find out you can't finish it.  They spent nearly10 times the Prevost's original cost rebuilding it.

Appliances and mechanical parts are often standard across many brands and often across several years.   With that in mind you may be able find used parts from "donor" vehicles of about the same age as the one you're working on.  Because of the light use many RVs get, used appliances and running gear components may actually have gotten little use and yield many more years of good service if you have to replace yours.  You may find donor vehicles in junkyards or you may be able to buy one from a private party or as salvage from an insurance company.  If you are seeking to restore rather than repair or recondition your vehicle, seek one as close to the year, make, and model as you can find.  If you want to repair, recondition, renovate, or update your vehicle you might look for a newer model that may have upgraded appliances and features you can adapt.

Cosmetic parts for older machines are usually going to be harder to find than appliances or mechanical parts.  If you're really lucky you may find a seller who has some NOS (New Old Stock) parts.   Some distributors specialize in buying up and reselling obsolete inventory.  If you can't find the NOS items you need, you may have to settle for good used parts. Google "vintage RV parts" to find possible sources for both NOS and used RV parts.  There are several web sites and dealers who specialize in vintage trailer and RV parts.  Of course you can always try ebay and craigslist as well as search your local classified ads and local junk yards.  There are junk yards that specialize in RVs but you might find a few RVs in your regular junk yard.  I like to browse through the "pull it yourself" junk yards and see what they have.  I seldom find a particular RV part I need when I go looking for one, but I often find other items of interest to add to my own personal inventory for future projects.  I once picked up a furnace from a camper in a "Pick A Part" yard for $25!   It was perfect for my 1972 Journeyman Smuggler toyhauler.

Finding major body parts for older RVs could be a problem.  Manufacturers generally don't have parts for models more than 10 years old and finding usable parts in a junk yard may be difficult.  Fortunately, a lot of cosmetic damage can usually be repaired by a competent body shop.  Should you shatter the fiberglass "front cap" of an older motorhome, it may be impossible to repair or replace.  That's when having full insurance coverage could come in handy.  If it can't be repaired or the cost of repairs exceeds the "blue book" value, it would be declared a total loss and you'd be paid the book value so you could try to find a replacement.  Of course the book value doesn't take into consideration things like the thousands of dollars you may have invested, in, for example, a replacement engine or other upgrades.  And, if your vehicle is unique or somewhat rare, finding a replacement may be impossible.

Replacing or upgrading some components may be an option if you can't find matching parts. Appliances, plumbing fixtures, and holding tanks are the most common candidates for replacement. Getting an exact replacement may not be possible.  Designs and sizes change over the years.  Try to match the size and configuration as closely as possible.  Consider any gas, electrical, or plumbing connections or fresh air vents and try to get a new unit that can be easily adapted to the configuration of your RV.  In some cases you may have to modify cabinets, wiring, or plumbing in your RV to accommodate the new unit.  If your goal is an accurate restoration you will need to match original equipment and fixtures as closely as possible.  If you merely want to make the unit usable you can go with modern replacements that may be more efficient or more powerful that their original counterparts.

Exterior components on vintage RVs can be difficult to find replacements for.  Some units made use of lights, bumpers, grills, etc. from the chassis manufacturer and that helps.  But if you need to replace outdated exterior paneling, you'll be at the mercy of the NOS and used market.  Or you may have to resort to a bigger renovation than you had planned.  Sometimes it is possible to achieve satisfactory results by replacing and entire panel instead of patching it.  That may lead to replacing all the panels to get truly appealing results, so be cautious when using this approach.   I've seen several acceptable repairs done by installing a common household furnace vent over the damaged area and painted to match the RV to disguise the unsightly tear in a damaged exterior panel.  Taillights for older units can be hard to find, but, unless you are doing an authentic restoration, you can often replace them with modern units and gain the benefits of LED lights.  Match them as closely as possible to the originals so they cover the site of the old installation for the best cosmetic repair.

Custom manufacturing of replacement parts will probably be cost-prohibitive for most people but is sometimes a possibility.  Sometimes damaged fiberglass parts, like front or rear end caps, shower pans, and bath tubs, can be custom made when OEM replacements are not available.   Unless the supplier already has jigs or molds for your particular make and model, expect to pay the cost of building them in addition to the cost of making your parts.  That is one reason custom made replacements are so expensive.   Metal parts can sometimes be recreated by your local machine shop. Here again, expect to pay premium prices for custom work.  Although custom made replacements can be expensive, they might allow you to salvage a vintage RV that otherwise you'd have to scrap. Consider the over all repair costs versus writing off the RV and buying another one.   If you particularly like your vintage RV or it has some valuable history, it may be worth investing in custom made replacement parts.   There are companies that can fabricate entire front and rear fiberglass caps.  If you don't find it feasible or attractive to make the repairs, consider selling it as a donor vehicle to someone else with a similar unit who may be able to salvage some parts of your rig.

Decals, emblems and stripes are often the first things to deteriorate on older RVs and finding OEM replacements may be difficult if not impossible.  Straight stripes can often be rejuvenated using vinyl striping tape available in a wide variety of widths and colors.   Graphic images will be tougher to find but you might be able to have them custom made at a sign shop if you can come up with a digital photo of what it should look like.  I've heard of people who cast their own aluminum letters to replace missing parts of the name plate on a classic RV but that is beyond the scope of what most of us can do without professional help.   Standard striping tape is fairly inexpensive.   Custom made decals are going to cost a bit more and getting custom made graphics to replace the giant swirls on some RVs is going to be quite expensive.  An alternative is to hand paint the damage stripes and graphics -- if you have the talent for that.    If you are going for a restoration you'll want to match everything as close as possible but for repairs or just a renovation to improve looks you can choose paint and/or graphics to meet your personal taste.  When I needed some striping tape for a restoration project I was able to find an exact match in color and width readily available from a graphic/sign company at a reasonable price.  A proprietary brand decal was badly faded on one side of the RV but the one on the other side was in pretty good shape.  I was able to take a digital photo of good one and have a sign shop create a new one to replace the damaged one on the other side.  You might be able to find a rig similar to yours from which you could get photos of hard to find decals and have them custom made.  When the lettering for the brand name was badly cracked and faded on an older motorhome my wife hand painted it to restore its original appearance.   We bought a can of spray paint in a color as close to the original as possible.   Then she sprayed a little paint into the cap and used water color brushes to paint over the cracked and faded letters.

Tin Can Tourists is a nationwide organization of vintage RV fans.  If you have a vintage RV or an interest in vintage RVs, they are a good place to find people with like interests and get advice on the care and feeding of your vintage RV.  Their web site includes photo galleries, classified ads, and forums where you can post questions or share information.  Restoration implies using OEM or equivalent parts and making your rig as close to its original factory condition as possible.   Repair means fixing things so your vehicle is usable and attractive and exact matches are not as important as they are in restoration.  Why would you want to invest in restoration instead of simple repair?  Well, if you have a unique vehicle, restoration will help maintain resale value if you are decide to sell it.   If you plan to keep the vehicle and use it and your goal is usability, simple, attractive repairs or replacements are acceptable -- and often less expensive.  For example, replacing OEM tail lights and clearance markers can be difficult or even impossible to find for some older units but you can obtain current lights at reasonable prices.  If the new fixtures are smaller than the originals you may need to buff out or repaint the area around the fixture to eliminate the "shadow" of the original fixture for a good looking installation.  If you have to replace fixtures, try to match the original size and shape as closely as possible.  You won't have to worry too much about the "shadow" if you're planning to repaint the unit.

If you have a particularly unique RV, you may want to keep an eye out for backup vehicles to serve as spare parts donors for yours.   If you're lucky, you may find candidates that are being retired but still have usable parts on them.   One such motorhome that comes to mind is the Corvair Ultravan.  These are unique Corvair powered motorhomes.  Only a limited number of them were made (about 400) and often anyone who has one (it is estimated about 100 of them are still on the road) intends to restore it so you might have trouble talking the owner out of one.  Airstream trailers have been popular forever and there is a large following of vintage Airstream owners.   Sometimes you can hook up with an RV club for your brand.  These clubs are often a good source for parts and technical tips.  If you're in the market for a donor vehicle, make sure you research availability.  You may need to be prepared to act quickly and decisively if/when a candidate comes on the market.  If you can't find a matching vehicle, you may be able to locate vehicles from the same era that have compatible appliances and other useable components.   It may not be possible to find an exact match to use for a donor vehicle but you can often salvage appliances and some other vintage parts from just about any RV from the same period.  Appliances within a year or two either way are usually pretty good matches.

Routine maintenance is particularly important on older vehicles.   You want to catch any needed repairs as quickly as possible to minimize the extent of the damage and the difficulty and expense of fixing them.  Do lube and oil changes religiously.  You might want to consider using one of the special engine oils designed for older vehicles.  Check frequently for any signs of water intrusion and re-seal the offending opening as quickly as possible.   Keep appliances clean and properly adjusted. The sooner you can find and fix any problems, the less likely they are to get worse and more costly.

Fix it up!