Western NY Newbie

[Shogun]

So this is me introducing myself. My name is Shogun, I have a "real" name but I'm known as Shogun mostly irl and I tend to prefer it. I am a professional tattoo artist, about to turn 40, and me and the little woman just took our first step towards towards full time van/rv life today with the purchase of a 77 Chinook Concourse.

Found it on craigslist, looked it over, and from my mediocre mechanical knowledge it seemed fairly solid, at least solid enough to give me a start. I have to wait till saturday to bring it home and quite frankly Im feeling like Mike Tyson punched me in the stomach thinking about how I may have just spent our meager savings atm on a nearly 40 year old vehicle. I would post pics but I have no idea how to on this site.

Going to start gutting the interior to see what can be salvaged and what needs to go and then I need to come up with a floor plan that will work for being able to live and tattoo in such a tiny space.

I look forward to learning and sharing with this community, seems like a great place. So thanks for having me and anyone with experience with these vans feel free to throw me suggestions and/or advice.

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Think I figuired out pics....let me know what you think

 

[Moby T]

Nice find ! I always liked the older Chinooks. I'm originally from the Finger Lakes area.

 

[Shogun]

Thanks MobyT, like I said Im kicking myself a little because of its age, we were looking at just finding a cargo van and using it for a home and I would figuire out other arrangements for an out of the shop studio. But this popped up on cl for 2000, paid 1750 which was pretty much every penny I could get my hands on atm, and we talked about it and figuired at worst if mechanically it was a loss we could pull the fiberglass shell and find another van to try to mount it on. Im really hoping it wont come to that, it looks really heavy lol.

Im hoping that within a year or two I can also say that Im originally from western NY

 

[storm6398]

Welcome Shogun. I'm over by Little Falls. It looks like a nice rig.

 

[Shogun]

Thanks for the welcome storm, Im currently in webster though my location around the rochester area seems to bounce about the last couple years. Been rather nomadic my whole life, once I get the rehab on the chinook finished I guess Ill just be making it official, and will definitely be more comfortable than the cars I was forced to live in for brief periods of time in my past

 

[Shogun]

For anyone interested/following I got the beast home today, the hour drive was a bit worrisome. Defintiely needs some mechanical work with the steering and I think a wheel bearing on the front passenger side. Theres a small exaust leak that can definitely be smelled in the cabin, but other than those things it had no issue with the drive. Im definitely excited and finally feel like Ive taken a step forward after years of procrastination on doing this. Okay, well Im off to start tearing apart the inside, got big plans to modernize the coach.

 

[Fearnoevil]

Hey cool, getting your "project" home and ready to convert/rebuild is an exciting moment! It's like a blank canvas waiting for the artist first brush stroke, lol. Good luck and hope you keep a log posted of your progress, and as Patrick would say, "Pictures, we LOVE pictures!"
;?D

 

[Shogun]

There will be pictures, I really like documenting my projects, though my joy of today has been burdened with the sadness of the loss of my "real" mother ( I have a "real" mother and a new mom, long story). so the project may have to fall on the back burners. In a wierd way I feel its all kind of connected though. It was her dream to full time rv back when I was young and I believe I got that spirit from her. Just sad that the first step of my journey turned out to be the last of hers, I do believe Ill be naming the rig after her.

 

[wagoneer]

welcome shogun, one of my favorite films is Shogun Assassin.

 

[decodancer]

Welcome and sorry to hear of your loss. I think naming your rig after her is a nice tribute. She can travel along on your journey.

 

[storm6398]

Shogun, so sorry for your loss. I agree with Decodancer naming your rig after her is a great tribute. Take care and know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[PYSCHOWard]

Nice Rig, Welcome from NW Pa.

 

[Shogun]

So for anyone interested in an update, no I have no pics yet. Long and short of it, the gutting of the coach has been a PITA every step of the way and Im only about half done, the bathroom reeks like human poop and Im wondering how disgusting it will be to just rip the black tank and bathroom out of it. Things are going slow and painful and Im starting to wonder if this is all worth it or if I should have waited for a better/newer vehicle. On top of all this in the past week and a half I have had 2 cats pass and now my third is missing. Im starting to feel as if Im cursed.

 

[user 2252]

Hi Shogun, Welcome! I'm in Palmyra, NY, just south of you. If I can help with some mechanical repairs, give me a shout.

 

[DC Fuse]

If the bath is basically solid i'd hesitate to rip it all out. If the black tank and its mount are all solid get to a RV dump station and hose it down into tank w/ dump valve open. Pull the toilet first so you can get in their real good. Bleach is a good suggestion. Test on all surfaces first for problems. Regular bleach is 1% bleach whereas swimming pool bleach is 15% bleach. Get one of them 2 gallon pump for pressure tanks and spray what you can inside and and then spray underneath. Final spray for me would be using a strong mix of lemon juice inside and out.

I'm guessing but the old owner might have just not dumped it for some time and that odor is at least coming from a tank and dump pipes which can be cleaned.You'll probably need to fill your tank w/water and chemicals to break this down and let it soak in.

Nasty job but I had to do it too. Consider it a rite of passage.

If your floor is solid and the black tank is hanging right you just have a crappy job in front of you.

Other sources for dumping could be a friend who has a mobile home or a sewer cleanout access in someones yard.

 

[Shogun]

Thanks for the encourgement everyone, its been a rough last couple weeks for so many reasons I think I just let it all overwhelm me today. Von Brown if you ever have time to help I definitely wouldnt pass up a helping hand though Im not sure if I have the finances at the moment for any of the parts needed for mechanical repair. The tattoo business has not been booming in Rochester and my normal trips to clients in MD havent been able to happen for awhile now. Thanks again everyone, tomorrow is a new day and hopefully will be a more productive and happier one.

 

[jonthebru]

As some have said a trip of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Go through your vehicle and break it up into the various systems. The car, the house, the bathroom, the kitchen, the exterior, etc. Prioritize the potential solutions, you will work it out.
An important consideration in your area of the world is the salt used on the roads. The tanks and other parts on the bottom of the vehicle are attached by steel straps. Check all of these and fix or replace them. (You may not have thought of this and never looked under the vehicle. I apologize if you have or if you find problems and it further complicates your life.) With luck it may not have been driven much during the Winter and damage may be minor.

 

[Shogun]

Thats sort of what Ive been doing, underneath she's surprisingly clean, the only major rust is to the propane tank and Im doing away with that system anyhow.

 

[jonthebru]

Thats sort of what Ive been doing, underneath she's surprisingly clean, the only major rust is to the propane tank and Im doing away with that system anyhow.

Excellent!

 

[Shogun]

So on happy notes the kitty turned up happy and healthy, I got my hands on a pneumatic cutting wheel which did the job on cutting the lip off the old water heater so that I could put the panel back on the rv and not have a 1'x1' hole in the side of it. Tomorrow is stove fridge and furnace removal and if all of that gets accomplished the old carpeting will be coming out on thursday and then maybe tackle the bathroom on friday...maybe lol. I almost just want to seal the door shut and forget that its there. Thanks again for all the encouragement folks, I should have some pics up this weekend after the tearout is complete.