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Comment by William Briggs on June 28, 2011 at 12:06am

Ron & Kathy: forgot to tell you I've had to rework the attachment on a couple of awnings, and rework the power step which had ceased to function. Let me know if you have either of those problems.

Comment by William Briggs on June 27, 2011 at 11:50pm

Ron & Kathy: I am very interested in seeing pics documenting your progress. My renovations will begin this fall but unfortunately there is no female here to give advice on color schemes, etc. I will begin by replacing the 26-year old Roman shades and the bedroom curtains with 2" wood mini blinds. This decision (mini blinds vs curtains) will provide extra insulation against the single paned glass. The pink windshield curtains will be replaced with off the shelf curtains in a beige color.

The rust~color carpeting is still in good condition but eventually will be replaced with laminate flooring underlaid with underfloor heating pads. It is actually cheaper to replace the sofa and dining chairs than to recover them. A pair of nice seat covers from the auto parts store will hide the ugly upholstery on the captains chairs in the cockpit.

I am still undecided on the replacement wall covering in the bedroom but I believe it will probably be that plastic washable wallboard sold in the home improvement stores. That particular job will require removing the bedroom windows, installing the wallboard, then cutting openings for the windows, then replacing them. That same plastic wallboard may also serve as a new backsplash in the galley area. As I am typing this I am realizing the new wallboard probably should be installed at the same time as the blinds.

That will be the major interior renovations required. All the systems are working as designed although the hot water tank needs to be replaced in the near term. At this point it is still working but is the original tank. I am getting frustrated at the short "military showers" and am desperate for one of those tankless water heaters which provide an endless supply of hot water! I suspect the furnace ought to be looked at by a professional to make sure it is operating correctly.

The engine is in good shape, though my mechanic is saying I can eliminate a slight vapor lock problem by hiring him to install a return gasoline line. I am having occasional "hot start" problem which is common for this engine. There are a couple of solutions but at this time it is not a major inconvenience.

Finally, I believe I would like to eventually repaint the exterior. I am excited about a dude on this web site who repainted his PA by himself for about $500 out of pocket. I would like to see a fresh coat of paint on the exterior; topped by some modern graphics.

Everything else including the generator seems to be working as designed. Getting an occasional drip on the interior from the AC unit. Need to find the source of that drip and correct it. Right now the solution is a big bowl in the bedroom floor if the drip starts.

Tires are only six years old so I can probably run them for a couple more years. Would like to install a motorcycle carrier on the rear of the rig. It would be SO NICE to have a clothes washer in the rig but I haven't yet convinced myself to give up that large closet space next to the cooking range.

Let me know when you get pics posted.

Comment by Ron and Kathy on June 27, 2011 at 10:15pm

Very cool!! Thanks! I hope we haven't broken a taboo, we decided to lighten up the interior. We've been photo documenting everything to encourage others to pick a great older vehicle and do things themselves. When we post them-You will see the same old gal with a different color dress, but pretty much the same gal.

Comment by William Briggs on June 21, 2011 at 12:35am

Ron & Kathy -- if you haven't yet found it, there's an antenna connection and 110 V outlet hidden underneath the passenger side dashboard. Makes for an easy TV connection there!

Comment by Ron and Kathy on June 21, 2011 at 12:03am

We are in the final stage of our 85 fleetwood with identical layout-we've been trying to figure out where to put the TV until we saw yours-great Idea.