I just picked up a 2WD 1988 Provan GT in excellent mechanical shape. 80k original miles, no leaks, good compression, no metal floating around in the gear boxes, front end tight, etc.. But the coach needs a little work to repair some water damage. I picked it up for $4800 (sorta) sight unseen. I had a buddy check it out for me since it was 300 miles away- told him specifically to look for mold and water damage. He said it looked ok, but when I got it home I found otherwise. Anyway, lesson learned, water under the bridge...
There are some small roof leaks easily remedied with some Proseal and Proflex, but the lift panels are rotted. They work, but the front one needs to be replaced sooner or later. Also, the pop-top liner (canvas?) looks to be in decent shape EXCEPT for some mildew and probable mold issues, and possibly in the roof liner too. Even if I wanted to replace it, the roof screws holding the top of it in place are covered in Eternabond tape. Its also a 3-layer material (water proof vinyl or canvas material on the outside, some kind of insulation in the middle, and a thin liner on the inside) that seems like a recipe for trapping moisture and doesn't seem like it can be simply scrubbed with Tilex and rinsed like a single-layer canvas. Otherwise, everything else in the coach is good to go- furnace, fridge, burners, toilet, water pump, electrical system, cabinets, cushions, etc.. Outer paint is decent, but definitely looks like an 88...
So what I'm wondering is:
a) If I remove the lift panels and build 2x4 supports to keep the roof propped up, does anyone know if its possible to use some kind of commercial steam cleaner with mildew-specific chemicals to clean the liner from the inside? Maybe contact someone that specializes in removing mold from houses? It just doesn't seem like you can simply scrub it because of the inner insulation material. If anyone has experience dealing with this liner-type advice would be greatly appreciated!
b) Should I get new lift panels made from synthetic material from FWC for about $900 and install them myself? Or I should I fabricate them myself? Both options sound like a headache and time-suck. The third alternative is the local RV shop can make/install new wooden ones for roughly $900-$1000.
In the end I don't want to spend much more on the repairs than what the vehicle is worth. That said, if I remove the Eternabond tape myself, order a new canvas, strip the old canvas and roof liner myself, then let the local RV shop put it all back together, I could be looking at dropping $2000-$2500 into the vehicle. But if that brings the resale of the vehicle closer to $7k than I would certainly consider it.
Thoughts?
There are some small roof leaks easily remedied with some Proseal and Proflex, but the lift panels are rotted. They work, but the front one needs to be replaced sooner or later. Also, the pop-top liner (canvas?) looks to be in decent shape EXCEPT for some mildew and probable mold issues, and possibly in the roof liner too. Even if I wanted to replace it, the roof screws holding the top of it in place are covered in Eternabond tape. Its also a 3-layer material (water proof vinyl or canvas material on the outside, some kind of insulation in the middle, and a thin liner on the inside) that seems like a recipe for trapping moisture and doesn't seem like it can be simply scrubbed with Tilex and rinsed like a single-layer canvas. Otherwise, everything else in the coach is good to go- furnace, fridge, burners, toilet, water pump, electrical system, cabinets, cushions, etc.. Outer paint is decent, but definitely looks like an 88...
So what I'm wondering is:
a) If I remove the lift panels and build 2x4 supports to keep the roof propped up, does anyone know if its possible to use some kind of commercial steam cleaner with mildew-specific chemicals to clean the liner from the inside? Maybe contact someone that specializes in removing mold from houses? It just doesn't seem like you can simply scrub it because of the inner insulation material. If anyone has experience dealing with this liner-type advice would be greatly appreciated!
b) Should I get new lift panels made from synthetic material from FWC for about $900 and install them myself? Or I should I fabricate them myself? Both options sound like a headache and time-suck. The third alternative is the local RV shop can make/install new wooden ones for roughly $900-$1000.
In the end I don't want to spend much more on the repairs than what the vehicle is worth. That said, if I remove the Eternabond tape myself, order a new canvas, strip the old canvas and roof liner myself, then let the local RV shop put it all back together, I could be looking at dropping $2000-$2500 into the vehicle. But if that brings the resale of the vehicle closer to $7k than I would certainly consider it.
Thoughts?
