9 replies to this topic

[demundus]

Hey all, try not to flame me too hard.

 

I know I'm not far from Marty and crew, been in touch with them about a rebuild. I'm also really interested in doing it myself, but I just don't own a shop, or alot of these tools; and while I'd love to learn and accumulate, I'm also short on another resource: Time

 

I would love to have the pros rebuild it, but as an ode to how short on time I am, I simply cant find any area in my schedule to drive all the way up to Northern California and drop the camper off for X days.

 

Is there anyone in the socal area that's a 3rd party RV or hobbist-pro who we know that can rebuild an Grandby? I guess I could contract it out little by little with some blueprinting and direction... welders, carpenters, seamstress etc;

 

Thoughts?

[Ourayphotography]

there are businesses that rebuild them? 

[LosAngeles]

seems like an odd choice to bypass either ATC or FWV (who are both clearly experts) and instead go with someone who is far less experienced.....   the results are (in my mind) almost guaranteed to be a little or a lot inferior. 

 

add up the likely time (and cost) of teaching / mopping up redos... and you'd be better off with ATC or FWC.... no?

 

just my 2c. 

[Ted]

Can it be shipped to ATC on a flatbed?

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Why not talk to Marty and see if he could pick it up after a delivery. My 2¢ worth is ATC is going to be your best option.

[demundus]

I'd love to get Marty and crew to work on it, trust me. But I'm also assessing if I could do the gutting and planning myself and have a welder come in and fix the swiss cheese/add some re-enforcement. A carpenter to make a floorpack to dimension. etc;

 

If I took it to Marty, how does that work? Do I just leave it and fly out? Fly back in a couple weeks?

 

Thanks for the input folks

[demundus]

seems like an odd choice to bypass either ATC or FWV (who are both clearly experts) and instead go with someone who is far less experienced.....   the results are (in my mind) almost guaranteed to be a little or a lot inferior. 

 

add up the likely time (and cost) of teaching / mopping up redos... and you'd be better off with ATC or FWC.... no?

 

just my 2c. 

 

I think i'd agree with you if a lot of the build threads here didn't come out so well. I don't think its rocket science, although I'm continually impressed by these threads. I don't have a table saw, I don't have a dozen clamps for gluing, blah blah. I've even seen threads reference "I had a mobile welder come in and do X". That's what made me think more on this idea

[cwdtmmrs]

I understand what you are saying and agree with some of it as well. You didn't say what time frame and budget you are on or what shape the camper is in now. Does the canvas need replacing? Lift panels? does the camper need all new siding? Do you want a complete interior with fridge, sink, stove, heater water tank etc? Do you even want to keep the same floor size?

 

Some of the above (canvas, lift panels ) are probably best left for the professional. The rest really isn't that difficult as you state. I am assuming that you have a truck now and one option is to rent a car trailer and take it to ATC, drop it off and then return with the truck to pick it up when you are finished.

 

Another option, depending on the scope of work involved is sell what you have and buy one that is useable condition as is. Granbys aren't that rare and show up for sale all the time at some reasonable prices. I think it would be cheaper in the end to just buy a better one that to pay someone to refurbish what you have.

 

cwd

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I'd love to get Marty and crew to work on it, trust me. But I'm also assessing if I could do the gutting and planning myself and have a welder come in and fix the swiss cheese/add some re-enforcement. A carpenter to make a floorpack to dimension. etc;
 
If I took it to Marty, how does that work? Do I just leave it and fly out? Fly back in a couple weeks?
 
Thanks for the input folks

That’s pretty much how it works. Best to give him a call!!!

[demundus]

I understand what you are saying and agree with some of it as well. You didn't say what time frame and budget you are on or what shape the camper is in now. Does the canvas need replacing? Lift panels? does the camper need all new siding? Do you want a complete interior with fridge, sink, stove, heater water tank etc? Do you even want to keep the same floor size?

 

Some of the above (canvas, lift panels ) are probably best left for the professional. The rest really isn't that difficult as you state. I am assuming that you have a truck now and one option is to rent a car trailer and take it to ATC, drop it off and then return with the truck to pick it up when you are finished.

 

Another option, depending on the scope of work involved is sell what you have and buy one that is useable condition as is. Granbys aren't that rare and show up for sale all the time at some reasonable prices. I think it would be cheaper in the end to just buy a better one that to pay someone to refurbish what you have.

 

cwd

 

Sorry yeah thats important info. I paid almost 4k for the camper (truck camper combo, maybe more like 3k for the camper). Budget is probably around 4k. There are other used ones that pop up from time to time but darn they go fast. I've been on the hunt for maybe 2ish years till I finally got this over the summer of 2018.

 

Anyway, camper is a 92, in good shape. Had to repair some floor rot and overall did a decent job. Roof just got "redone" (new coating and two new fantastic fans) but found a pinhole leak that only hit the floor over the last big rains thank goodness. Recoated and sealed where it dripped.

 

Canvas is in good shape, its got grey canvas so it was redone at some point... could probably live with it for now.

 

Biggest things are wanting to gut it and redo the inside. I bought it from a couple who camped alot in it and it just needs a complete redo in layout. I love the oversize of it, i have a 97 f250... so it fits beautifully snug, so I don't want to trim it.

 

It could use new panels, but they are functional. It has the folding bed, and I want to make it a single piece. I need to redo the electrical for dedicated solar and a more modern approach. Water tank is located so far away from the sink its a risk in my personal opinion.

 

The frame is likely swiss cheese from years of adding/removing things. I'd really like to beef it up and repair the welds that I'm sure are broken or weak by now.

 

I think my goal is to strip it down to the frame to do the welding work, then redo the insulation and floor to be left with a shell, that I can do the layout with. Marty already mentioned he'd be happy to do the floorpack and gave me a great price, but I'm just exploring my options.