Have to rebuild my Fun Funder X 189FBS and have questions

[wolfgheist]

I got a 'good' deal on a 2008 Fun Finder X 189FBS. The seller in Houston was selling it for $10,500 and I found they had it listed on Ebay and forgot to put a reserve. I ended up winning it for $5600. I had a friend look it over before I sent the down payment and picked it up.

On the surface it looked nice. Everything was clean and a nice brand new looking floor which is what first set off warning bells in my head. Sure enough after I got to opening the nooks and crannies, pulling the microwave/fridge etc.. I found that the trailer had been a haven for Palmetto bugs from its orginal location in central Florida.

To make a long story short, I am going to have to disassemble everything. All panels, all walls etc.. and will be ripping out the new floor so that I can rip out the original floor that is under the new floor and new plywood so that I can completely clean the trailer of all bug residue.

There is bug residue in every single fixture, so it means that even though the ceiling is solid foam core board, they either made new tunnels or just travelled along the tunnels for the wires. How difficult will these ceiling be to take down to clean behind it?

[profdant139]

Well, 5600 is a great price. But I am afraid you will be putting a lot of time into this project. The foam is glued -- laminated -- to the backing. Very hard to get it off. You will probably have to scrape it with a paint scraper, without destroying the backing.

Here is a cheaper idea -- have you thought about leaving the tunnels and bug residue in place?? Just fumigate the trailer -- maybe even with a tent and chemicals. After all, when a house has been infested with bugs, they do not tear off the walls.

The fumigation should kill not only the bugs but also the bacteria living in the bug residue, right?

Let us know how this goes!

[wolfgheist]

There are not any live bugs, just the residue. The issue is the dander from the old feces and spit, as my youngest is very asthmatic.

If it is not possible to do without destroying it, perhaps I will spray Killz in the holes and then seal each hole with wiring with a spray foam insulator.

I will be removing all of the wall panels, boards, cabinets etc and scrub brushing them down with pine sol and then spraying them with killz before putting them back in and repainting.

I have several months until our planned trip, so time is not an issue. I might even consider doing some upgrades while I have it stripped down.

So to clarify, the ceiling backing is glued to the foamboard and the foamboard is in turn glued to the actual metal of the trailer ceiling?

[profdant139]

It is hard to say how the panels are attached. If I recall correctly, 2008 was during the time that Cruiser was converting from gluing on the assembly line to pre-laminated foam sandwiches. So without tearing into the panel, there may be no way to tell.

But like they say, a crisis is an opportunity. If you have the skill and the time to rip everything out, you can rebuild the interior just the way you want it, rather than having to accept the stock layout. For example, you could replace the MDF cabinets (which are heavy and bulky) with cabinets made of quarter inch birch plywood. In this blog post, I have some pix and text on how I did exactly that:

http://lookmomimcamping.blogspot.com...-new-lmic.html

But the difference is that I did not have to tear out the foam -- just the old cabinets.

Here is an idea about the foam -- once you have ripped out everything inside the trailer, re-insulate with ordinary pink fiberglass, instead of foam. It is a lot easier to work with -- just sandwich it with luan panels, screwed into the studs.

Although the fiberglass will provide you with good insulation, it might not be as good as the styrofoam. And it will not deaden the sounds outside nearly as well. Easier and cheaper, though!!

Good luck!

[wolfgheist]

I had thought about rebuilding all of the cabinets and inside walls with better materials, but a little worried about altering/increasing the weight. MDF is pretty heavy, so do you think I should be safe with the birch?

[wolfgheist]

I had thought about standard fiberglass, but I think I would like to keep or replace with foam for the extra sound blocking and insulating properties. Hopefully when I get everything out, I will see some method that the ceiling panels are attached with and that they are not glued to the ceiling.

Also wondering about any increased weight in the slide out, not sure how much the motor can take.

[wolfgheist]

profdant139

What was the cost and benefit of the axle/suspension replacement?

[wolfgheist]

profdant139

What you did with your shelving is exactly what I was envisioning to better utilize that same space.

[profdant139]

The birch is kind of expensive but worth it, I think -- it is light and easy to finish, and the sides do not have those big holes that plywood often has. The only problem is that the panels are usually sold 5x5 -- does not fit in the back of my truck. Have to put them on the roof.

The axle flip is helpful if you need more clearance. Our old 2003 Fun Finder used to hit the sewer valve going in and out of steep driveways. If you plan to go off road, more clearance is great.

But if you do not have clearance problems and do not go off road, do not do an axle flip. It raises the center of gravity and adds wind resistance.

I also got an extra beefy axle to handle the bumpy forest roads in the Sierra. Again, you may not need that -- it depends on where you travel.

[Sadfunfinder]

Dear GAWD, OP, I would try to return that POS. what a disaster!

[wolfgheist]

Sadfunfinder, I paid $5600 instead of $12,000. It is still worth keeping for the price I paid even with some extra work.

[wolfgheist]

Originally Posted by profdant139

It is hard to say how the panels are attached. If I recall correctly, 2008 was during the time that Cruiser was converting from gluing on the assembly line to pre-laminated foam sandwiches. So without tearing into the panel, there may be no way to tell.

But like they say, a crisis is an opportunity. If you have the skill and the time to rip everything out, you can rebuild the interior just the way you want it, rather than having to accept the stock layout. For example, you could replace the MDF cabinets (which are heavy and bulky) with cabinets made of quarter inch birch plywood. In this blog post, I have some pix and text on how I did exactly that:

http://lookmomimcamping.blogspot.com...-new-lmic.html


But the difference is that I did not have to tear out the foam -- just the old cabinets.

Here is an idea about the foam -- once you have ripped out everything inside the trailer, re-insulate with ordinary pink fiberglass, instead of foam. It is a lot easier to work with -- just sandwich it with luan panels, screwed into the studs.

Although the fiberglass will provide you with good insulation, it might not be as good as the styrofoam. And it will not deaden the sounds outside nearly as well. Easier and cheaper, though!!

Good luck!

You used 1/4" Birch plywood for the shelves and doors. What did you use for the framing/front?

[profdant139]

I mostly used pine furring strips, 1x2. But I tried to use the best ones I could find -- no knots, straight and clear. They were anchored into the walls with spiral drywall anchors.

[mooneybeem]

If you are patient you can see snippets of the rv body roof installations in these vids... Hope it helps in some way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v0CwyWm8H4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrDQAdvzg2g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIvTq3YISZQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tGM-vcDSoc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX1RLf3Pn50