Mothra Metamorphosis

[compassrose]

The big "hole in the wall" next to the door is the vent for the RV refrigerator. Even residential refrigerators need the air flow, especially if they are built in. We actually added it to the bus. I put pleated vent filters and window screens in the grill work to keep bus and dust out while still allowing the heat build up off the compressor motors to dissipate.

Grant,
If you decide to leave the shell intact and rip out from the inside (which you can do a section at a time). You need to make some roof supports to put inside. Once you remove all the tall cabinets and interior walls, there will be nothing to support the ceiling. And if you remove the roof, there will be nothing to keep the walls standing upright. You may find it prudent to build a temporary "wall" so that you can shift it as needed. We pulled ours down to the skin and rebuilt part of the wall framing from the inside. So it is doable. We used 2X2 and screwed it together then screwed the new framing to the old frame that we kept. But you could do it in sections and simply screw new frame to your previously installed new frame.

May I suggest you find and join the Nomadic DIY group on Facebook? Some of them have done what you want to do. They can answer more questions about the construction than the folks here.

 

[LoupGarou]

Anything's possible if one has the time, funds, skill set, tools and a place to do the work;

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

I like the idea of building a tiny house on it. Either way, I am confident you can make it nice

 

[GrantRobertson]

Well, I got it home, though it took all day. I'm treating myself to Schlotzkis now. Phone battery almost dead. Will write more tonight.

 

[GrantRobertson]

Mothra Homecomming: The Best Laid Plans of Moths and Men...

So, I finally got my "new" rig home. It was quite an ordeal because I didn't have anyone in Austin who could help me. Here is how the saga played out:

1. Though the previous owner (PO) had offered to follow me back from San Antonio to Austin in my car, I decided that would be a bit too much for me to ask of him. So I decided to take a Greyhound bus down there and just have him pick me up at the station. I told him I would give him $20 for his trouble, considering that Uber would have charged me $23. I bought my ticket last night for $11 including fees. The bus was scheduled to leave at 10:45am.
2. I couldn't get up as early as I hoped, so I had to skip breakfast.
3. I drove my car to an old, abandoned shopping mall near the bus station.
4. I walked about half a mile to the bus station.
   {Got a Snickers, a Payday Bar, and a Coke for breakfast, at the station. I met a guy who was sitting in the bus station with only a dollar in his pocket, tying to figure out how to get back to New York. He had come down to Austin because someone had told him that Texas was great and he would be able to make money as a musician. Yes, he went to see the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue. He tried to sell me his shoes. I told him to go down to 6th street and play his guitar and beg for a day or two. He hadn't thought of that. I knoooow.}
5. Rode the bus down to San Antonio. The bus station is right in the center of town. San Antonio is pretty huge.
   {Geez, did that take a long time. Yet we did get there on schedule. It just seemed like forever. Spent the time talking to a cute college girl who was a republican feminist studying to be a history teacher so she could teach Texas history, even though she expects to leave Texas when she graduates. OKaaaaay?}
6. Had to wait till after 1:00pm for the PO to pick me up. So I waited around in a park that was dedicated to remembering the "Fallen Confederates." Yup, seriously. And it was in the middle of an "underprivileged" neighborhood. It was a pretty park other than the giant monument to some confederate general.
7. The PO picked me up and took me to the far south-west corner of San Antonio to get my inspection paperwork.
8. Then, after driving almost as far is it is from Austin to San Antonio, we stopped in an auto parts store to pick up a replacement mirror glass because the one on the right of the RV was missing the mirror.
9. Then we finally went to the PO's house where the RV was. The PO had to just drop me off and leave to go pick up his daughter from some event.
10. I taped the temporary mirror onto where the old one used to be. At least the frame was still there.
11. I headed out towards Austin.
12. About half-way there I got stopped by the Highway Patrol because there was no license plate on the front bumper. It was laying in the front dash and I had just bought the thing, so he gave me a warning. He kept asking all kinds of questions and I finally had to cut him off and remind him that I wasn't required to answer any of them. I mean, seriously, I couldn't have looked suspicious at aalll. :angel: 
13. Drove the RV back to where I had parked my car. Got delayed by over half an hour by The Austin Traffic. Now I see why people hate it. It was dark by the time I got to my car.
14. Drove the car back home. 
15. Had planned to ride my electric bicycle out to where the RV was and then throw the bike into the back of the RV. It only barely fits in the trunk of the car, so that is why I swapped vehicles. However, the tires in my bike had gone flat and I couldn't find my air pump anywhere. The only thing I can figure is that I had left it in the garage and my son had accidentally sold it in his recent garage sale. Oh well, I'm going to get an electric one for the RV anyway.
16. So, I walked the 7 miles from the house to where the RV was.
17. Drove the RV (I guess I should start calling it Mothra. I am actually not a big fan of nicknames, as you can tell by my "handle.") to my son's house where I am staying. I was able to park it within 1" of the curb on the first try. (Possibly beginner's luck.)
    {The thing has a tighter turning radius than my current car, a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville.}
18. Got back in my car and went to Schlotzki's. That was the first real meal I had had today.
19. Was going to go to Walmart to get some cheap, white paint to paint the ugly black burglar bars on that screen door, just to make it not look quite so ugly for now. But my feet hurt so bad that I just came home.
20. Came back home and posted the following sign on both sides of Mothra:
    "Yes, it is very ugly. However, I beg your indulgence for a few days while I pretty it up a bit. If you have any problems or complaints, please call me first," with my phone number.
21. Came in the house, sat down and started writing this saga.
22. Now I am going to bed.

Good night.

P.S. Yes, I had already gotten insurance. I'll tell about that later.

 

[ainley53]

Grant, congratulations on getting a rig.  If you haven't noticed it yet; your whole attitude and outlook will change for the better now.  Trust me on that.  Stay positive and stay busy.  As they're so fond of saying on this web site "Let the fun begin!"

Just in case you don't have it ready for RTR 2016, you can still go.  You can read the offer I made in "Gatherings....".  Austin would be a very easy to do detour from Houston.  In the mean time; keep the updates and pics coming.

David

 

[GotSmart]

Grant, You will do just fine.  Keep up the writing, and you will have a best seller book about the rise of the Phoenix Mothra!  

Keep taking pictures!

(Feminist republican Texas history major!  Sounds scarry!) 

 

[GrantRobertson]

I was able to create a YouTube channel called "Mothra RV." I also took an initial video of just how crappy my RV is. However, I didn't have time to upload the video. I accidentally said Mothra was based on a Chevy 350. Nerves, I guess. So, I gotta figure out how to fix that before I post it.

I will definitely be taking lots of pictures and videos. However, I will have little time to actually post any of them. Please be patient. I write most of my posts, using Tapatalk, while eating before work, or during breaks while at work, so I can't easily post pictures.

 

[mayble]

Spent the time talking to a cute college girl who was a republican feminist studying to be a history teacher so she could teach Texas history, even though she expects to leave Texas when she graduates. OKaaaaay?}

Talk about your oxymorons!

 

[GotSmart]

Talk about your oxymorons!

Have you ever watched Oscar?

 

[29chico]

Some Spec's:

• 1993 Fleetwood Tioga Montar
• Ford E350 chassis
• 7.5L (460 cubic inch) engine with electronic fuel injection.
• I think it has the 400 turbo transmission
• 21' 6" long  (just the right size for me)
• 14' x 7' 9" body behind the driver's seat (inside dimensions)
• Both front seats swivel. {Of course there are no back seats.}
• Onan 30 amp, 1000kw generator
      {That supposedly works but the kids wore out the starter solenoid playing around, starting the generator from the inside switch over and over again. I'm sure I will be able to get it up and running.}
• Propane tank is intact. Don't know if it is up to spec or not.
• All tanks are intact underneath. Though I don't know how coated with crap they are. (literally and figuratively)
• Water tank is stuffed in the shower stall for now. Will probably want either a bigger one or an additional one anyway.
• Water pump is there, lying on the floor.
• Breaker panel is there and still hooked up, though lying on the floor.

It is actually not entirely hollowed out. There are still some upper cabinets along the driver's side that I will yank out. And the bathroom walls are still up. I will tear those all out as well so I can repair all the exterior walls and ceiling. There is still some random electrical scattered throughout. That will come out too. For safety reasons, I will not use an inch of it.

Grant,

The 460 is a great motor.  Just thirsty.  But if you don't drive it much and use a bicycle/motorcycle lots, your combined fuel mileage could be quite good.  If you ever need to replace the fuel injectors be sure to get the Gen III Bosch injectors as an upgrade, way better fuel economy and reliability.  Getting the old school exposed pintle style stock injectors as replacements would be a huge waste of money and time.

The turbo 400 trans is a GM unit.  If your trans is 3 speeds forward w/o overdrive, you have lucked out as you have a C6 Ford trans, quite possibly the most reliable trans ever made.  Cheap to rebuild also. 

If you have 3 speeds with overdrive, AKA four speeds forward, you have a Ford E4OD trans.  The E4OD is a C6 with OD slapped on.  Unfortunately, the reliability was not there at all like the C6.  If an E4OD trans has been rebuilt and updated by a good shop it can last a good while, but not as long as a stock or rebuilt C6.  Not cheap to rebuild, especially if you have a high end builder that really knows how to make an E4OD last. 
If an E4OD goes bad on a rig like yours, the smart money is to swap in a C6.

Enjoy the build!

 

[Sabatical]

Grant I also use the tapatalk app and an app called resizemypix. Resizing them first makes posting a bunch easier. Great project. Looking forward to your build.
Scott

 

[sassypickins]

Hope Mothra gets a passing mechanical grade. Your ideas are interesting and I'll enjoy following your build.

 

[GrantRobertson]

If you have 3 speeds with overdrive, AKA four speeds forward, you have a Ford E4OD trans. 

So, I guess that means I have a E40D.

Guess what, I'll be taking it to the transmission shop next week. Even IF I have to replace the tranny, I will still come out ahead. The way I see it, I could have bought a $4000 RV and still had the tranny go bad. This way, I'll know I have a reliable one.

 

[masterplumber]

The best thing you can do for an E4OD is put a temp gauge on it and watch it. I had one in my old Ford. I towed and hauled all the time with it. I did have it rebuilt at 120,000 miles, but really it turned out that most of the issue was the torque converter. When I sold it at 216,000 miles the tranny and engine were still going strong.

 

[GrantRobertson]

I painted that black, wrought-iron door white and put some white "bathroom panel" in the spaces where screens are supposed to go. I glued it all down with tons of cheap caulk. This is just temporary, till I figure out what I want to do with the thing. It still needs another coat.

I've been thinking of putting in a split, country-home type door. If I did, it would go with a whole country-cottage, tiny-house theme. On the exterior, I would pain it to look like giant moth wings, but then silk screen a pattern to make it look as if it is shingles, even though it will still be smooth. All done in soft tan and light brown colors. (I have no intention of building a giant sail to catch the wind as I go down the road.)

Of course, all that would come AFTER finishing the inside. Mothra can't spread its wings till after it finishes its pupa stage.

Right now, I think of it as being in a catapillar stage. It is going to be eating all my green while I get the mechanicals in order. [emoji6]

 

[GrantRobertson]

Here is a brainstorming question:

I've been told to not leave the roof flat, to avoid water pooling. I also don't like those rooftop A/C units. So, if I'm gonna bow the roof a little, why not bow it a lot? OK, maybe by a foot and a half? Yes, I would have to build trusses to support it. At least some of them would need to have a member that goes straight across from the tops of the walls, for structural stability. But not all of them, if the tops of the walls are stiff enough. The curve would grow from flat at the front to max curve about a third of the way back. Then maintain the same height the rest of the way back. Kind of like a really shallow boat, (or the back of a moth?).

The whole thing would be covered by multiple layers of thin plywood to follow the curve.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

if you are going to go to the trouble of putting a new roof on it, you might want to consider having it curve back to the rear as well to improve your aero dynamics, check out ecomodder.com for the ideal shape. it is between 12 and 15 degrees. ideally come in a little on the sides on its way back.

 

[rvpopeye]

View attachment 5386

Here is a guy that does some cool builds , might give you a few ideas.
If it's not watermarked into the picture...SunRayKelley.com

 

[Gary68]

in the concrete world,1/4 inch of fall per one foot is what is called,so 1 inch for 4 feet,so if you keep your roof center line at norm and drop the walls by 1 inch each should be enough