Friday, November 27, 2009


This is pretty much the moment of truth for Walter. Either we’re gonna make this thing work, or just walk away. It all depends upon how the roof replacement goes.

Even before I bought Walter, I knew his roof needed replaced. Not just repaired, but entirely removed & a new roof built on. Fortunately I am not the first fool to undertake such a project. I found the following site which showed pictures of the process. http://picasaweb.google.com/thehandierman/1973WinnebagoIndianRoofReplacement#

If he can do it, I can do it. I have all the tools it would take. I was able to acquire a piece of rubber roofing. All I needed was a trip to Lowes for the 2x4s, insulation, plywood, FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) panels for the ceiling & assorted screws & trip pieces.

Demolition:

The way they build these motor homes lends itself nicely to replacing the roof. Winnebago gets the chassis from an auto manufacturer, in this case Dodge. They build a floor, erect some walls, roll out the carped, then set all the cabinets & bathroom & and closets & everthing else in before finally connecting some wiring and attaching the roof.

All that was necessary to remove the roof was to unscrew the perimeter drip railing, and unscrew the cabinets & other connection points on the inside. I ran a Skil Saw across the roof about every 4 feet, and the pieces were fairly easy to lift off.

What a fantastic sunroof. If only it could remain as spacious & roomy.




























Then the rains came. I tossed the plywood up onto the roof & tied off some plastic to keep the weather out. No harm done. Rain in the forcast for 3 days. Bummer.

1 comment:

  1. Hello, I have found myself with a 1976 Winnebago that needs a lot of work, most importantly a roof. You blog has been very helpful but I am confused on how to do certain things, such as how to make curved rafters. I should say I'm 22 years old and own a hammer and a screwdriver and nothing more. My email is maddhousephoto@gmail.com I would love to chat with you about how you exactly did it and how hard it was. Thanks

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