This rig probably would not pass inspection.

[John Linck]

This rig may not pass inspection. Click for video to see it actually rolling/sliding down the road. And I think I disagree with calling the driver a brave soul. Other adjectives come to mind. ;-)

Perhaps they need a high quality sealant on the seams. It might be a bit leaky as is.

John

[Neto]

It'll Buff Out.

[TomK]

I think it's running on the rims. That explains his spare. Are those California plates? Wow!

Tom

[Borrego Dave]

Wow, the drugs have been good to him..........what's the problem officer??????

[Cliff Hotchkiss]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder......

[Mikmay]

See a lot of similar models parked on the side of the road in LA ,must be the cheap rent.

[Jon in AZ]

I won't comment on the specific situation in the original post, but decrepit RVs are everywhere. It is one of the faces of homelessness. Whether by choice or necessity, misfortune or sloth, mental illness or sound mind- is often complicated. They are on the streets, in parking lots, in the boondocks, and in campgrounds. When I meet one on the highway, I give it a wide berth.

We return regularly to South Carlsbad State Beach campground, and there's always one or two. This year it was a large motorhome with cracked and missing trim, peeling panels, and every window piled with hoarded junk. Sometimes it is a person living out of an old broken-down car. Given that rates aren't exactly cheap, nor gas to move a large motorhome, nor keeping a vehicle in running condition and legally registered, I have often wondered exactly how that lifestyle works...

When the occupants are out and about, which is rare, I find myself giving a friendly nod and greeting, preserving the fragile illusion that all is well in the world and they are just enjoying a day at the beach.

[John Linck]

I'm guessing the Hunk of Junk's wheels, frame, etc are "OK", but the wooden framing on the camper's shell is rotted out and allowing the exterior skin to drop down. A lesson to all that rainwater and plumbing leaks are not good in an RV. Keep an eye on your sealants and plumbing.

I love that my fgrv has so few possible leak locations. Stick-built or Tin on Wood Framing depending on glue and staples to hold it all together is a very short term design, especially when you factor in roadway vibration and twisting and thermal cycling from hot sun to cool night.

As much as I like my Scamp's bubblewrap insulation and rat fur, they can hide water leaking in. Water then works its way down to the floor and rot begins. One warm Summer and damage begins. I try to get up on top of the Scamp at least once a year to examine the sealants and touch up any suspicious areas (none yet).

If I am still Scamping when the rig is ten years old I hope I can remove vents, windows and do a complete reseal. But probably they won't let me work on my Scamp in the old folk's home parking lot.

John

Pic of my homemade Stick Built c.1974 in the Smokies on our way to Guatamala. I suspect this rig has long since journeyed to that great KOA in the sky. Strangely Winnebago never called me for design consultation. Lucky for me the DW is still the beauty as then and loves camping.

[Cliff Hotchkiss]

Originally Posted by John Linck

I'm guessing the Hunk of Junk's wheels, frame, etc are "OK", but the wooden framing on the camper's shell is rotted out and allowing the exterior skin to drop down. A lesson to all that rainwater and plumbing leaks are not good in an RV. Keep an eye on your sealants and plumbing.

I love that my fgrv has so few possible leak locations. Stick-built or Tin on Wood Framing depending on glue and staples to hold it all together is a very short term design, especially when you factor in roadway vibration and twisting and thermal cycling from hot sun to cool night.

As much as I like my Scamp's bubblewrap insulation and rat fur, they can hide water leaking in. Water then works its way down to the floor and rot begins. One warm Summer and damage begins. I try to get up on top of the Scamp at least once a year to examine the sealants and touch up any suspicious areas (none yet).

If I am still Scamping when the rig is ten years old I hope I can remove vents, windows and do a complete reseal. But probably they won't let me work on my Scamp in the old folk's home parking lot.

John

Pic of my first homemade Stick Built c.1974 in the Smokies on our way to Guatamala. I suspect this rig has long since journeyed to that great KOA in the sky. Strangely Winnebago never called me for design consultation. Lucky for me the DW is still the beauty as then.

Really appreciate homebuilts, where I a few years younger it would be tempting to give it a shot. This past summer saw a very impressive one built from an aluminum framed utility trailer. Had everything except a bathroom, did have an outside shower.

[John Linck]

Originally Posted by Cliff Hotchkiss

Really appreciate homebuilts, where I a few years younger it would be tempting to give it a shot. This past summer saw a very impressive one built from an aluminum framed utility trailer. Had everything except a bathroom, did have an outside shower.

My homebuilt was quite a project. I had a free semester after graduation waiting for the DW to finish up. My job night managing a liquor store was only 40 hours so I had plenty of time during the day to tinker while Jill was in class. After buying the $250 truck and rebuilding the engine and adding new 6 ply tires I removed the steel bed. Some guy said it was better than his and was thrilled to get it for free. I then built a floor with treated 4x4s and plywood. Then I glued and screwed cedar exterior plywood to 2x2 framing and insulated with sheet foam. The roof was ½ inch plywood covered with aluminum flashing I bought from Sears. We even wallpapered the bathroom. I also added a 30 gallon gas tank under the frame since the behind the seat tank went away when we cut a hole to enter the camper from the cab.

We had a cassete porta potty that worked well. I borrowed a beer keg from a liquor store for our pressurized water supply. I still miss the dead quiet, externally vented, gravity heater. I would buy one in a New York minute for my Scamp if I could find one.

One of my many faults is a tendency to overbuild things. The camper was no different and that led to many adventures South of the Border. We did need the two spare tires in the picture. Anyway the whole rig was pretty heavy and the tire rims would crack along the bead. When the crack would get about 2 inches long the inner tube would bubble out and explode with a loud pop. This happened about 4 times. Three times we hunted down a Mexican welder and they banged the rim into alinement and welded a patch over the crack. And three times the tires were OK, just needing new tubes. Not sure how I kept the top heavy rig on the road during each blowout. Luck of the young and foolish I suppose. Once back in the states I purchased 3 part split rims and all was well for the 3 more years I had the rig.

It was a great trip, great warm and welcoming local folks, and really great scenery. But, the extreme poverty of the local folks and having federal machine guns in our face multiple times made us very happy to get back to the good ole USA.

US customs really had a hard time inspecting our rig when we crossed back. They were sure we were loaded with maryjane. One guy spent about an hour inside going thru everything. We may have looked subversive, but were naive and innocent. Never did take part in the 70's drug culture. I think we did bring back a quart of vanilla.

After selling "han llamo" we went back to tent camping for about 20 years before buying our first well used Scamp 16. But that a whole different adventure.

Cheers,

John

[MAP 56]

I built a camper from an old oilfield building it is good for -40 .it is 95 % recycled junk .wet weight about 1500lbs. folding step on the back. fun to build.

[Jon in AZ]

Great story, John!

I was also young and naive when I took a camping/fishing trip into Mexico with a friend, his parents, and a couple of their friends in two vehicles. Coming back, we got separated in Nogales traffic, so it was just my friend and I, both in our 20's, in a shiny new red Toyota 4x4 pulling a well-worn tent trailer, and carrying all the gear for six people in the bed of the truck.

All kinds of red flags went off at US customs. After unloading and going through the cargo in the truck and inspecting the inside of the trailer thoroughly, they were taking measurements of the thickness of the pop-up roof. I'm convinced they would have begun dismantling the trailer if my friend's parents and their friends had not finally shown up in the Buick.

That was 1987, and it was the first time I ever looked straight into the business end of a military rifle.

Mike, very nice. I love the "porch"!

[Kai in Seattle]

That decrepit RV...maybe they were taking it to be scrapped?

Kai

[Cliff Hotchkiss]

Originally Posted by MAP 56

I built a camper from an old oilfield building it is good for -40 .it is 95 % recycled junk .wet weight about 1500lbs. folding step on the back. fun to build.

Really nice!

[John in Santa Cruz]

my kid's home build, still work in progress, is a former ambulance that was built on a 1995 Chevy 3500 dualie diesel 4x4 pickup chassis... he's built a nice folding bed for two, and has a pullout inside for a bolted down propane stove, and his DC refrigerator/cooler on shelf. still no water system. 200W of solar on the roof.

[panhead_mike]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I won't comment on the specific situation in the original post, but decrepit RVs are everywhere. It is one of the faces of homelessness. Whether by choice or necessity, misfortune or sloth, mental illness or sound mind- is often complicated. They are on the streets, in parking lots, in the boondocks, and in campgrounds. When I meet one on the highway, I give it a wide berth.

We return regularly to South Carlsbad State Beach campground, and there's always one or two. This year it was a large motorhome with cracked and missing trim, peeling panels, and every window piled with hoarded junk. Sometimes it is a person living out of an old broken-down car. Given that rates aren't exactly cheap, nor gas to move a large motorhome, nor keeping a vehicle in running condition and legally registered, I have often wondered exactly how that lifestyle works...

When the occupants are out and about, which is rare, I find myself giving a friendly nod and greeting, preserving the fragile illusion that all is well in the world and they are just enjoying a day at the beach.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Jon in AZ

That last paragraph tells me you are a good man, Jon...I like your style !

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

That decrepit RV...maybe they were taking it to be scrapped?

Kai

That was my first idea, too. But then I had the thought that most people with the wherewithal to properly recycle an end-of-life RV (as opposed to just letting it rot away somewhere) wouldn't attempt to move it on a highway. A flatbed trailer or calling a professional scrapper would be much safer.

We may never know...

[MAP 56]

Might be going in for Warnty work. i can hear a wind noise and a creaking sound.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by John Linck

This rig may not pass inspection. Click for video to see it actually rolling/sliding down the road. And I think I disagree with calling the driver a brave soul. Other adjectives come to mind. ;-)

Perhaps they need a high quality sealant on the seams. It might be a bit leaky as is.

John

Hopefully they were on their way to a junk yard and it was close by. Very dangerous situation. Can't believe it could even move.

[crowwing]

It will buff out! I love this group!
John