Paint and body work - San Diego

rogers112869 · 10-26-2009, 11:32 PM

We have a 92 SMB that is in need of some repainting and body work.
Couple of questions......would you keep putting money into this vehicle? It has 118K miles and runs perfect! There are a couple things remaining I want to do to complete its upgrades......
Replace carpet with loncoin
Resurface the mdf cabinets either painting or putting on laminate sheets
Replacing the original sink and countertop
Replace stock rear bumper
...finally repaint and repair some body work.

I love the vehicle and dont put a lot of miles on it per year so I think we will have it for awhile or should I stop spending money? Is this a money pit?

Pic is from Burning Man 2009!!!

bburrito · 11-09-2009, 09:09 PM

I have a 1991 which is the older body style and I have been upgrading it and fixing stuff as I see fit. I mean... why not? The vehicle runs great, is awesome for road trips and whatnot (BM 2010!), and does everything I need a vehicle to right now and it is my only vehicle. (I bike to work) I recently scored pop-out windows with privacy glass, replaced all of the suspension bushings, and am getting ready to do a complete front end rebuild replacing the king pin, steering gear, brake lines, bearings, and more and eventually will be converting over to run on vegetable oil. Here is the way I see it, if you are going to have an adventure vehicle, for which an SMB is exactly that, might as well have it ready to treat you well on the highway regardless of how old it is. The last thing I would want is for an adventure to turn into a disaster a thousand miles away from home.

Psomaki · 11-10-2009, 09:50 AM

James, our '93 SMB has slightly fewer miles than yours, but your mileage is actually quite low compared to the potential life span of the basic truck. Your list of upgrades does not include major changes, like "change the cabinet layout" or "different sleepng arrangement." As long as you're not facing major mechanical issues like a cracked head or serious rust-out, you might ask yourself the same questions we did - how many $$$ would it cost to get something else as good or better, and would we like it any better? We figured out that what we spent on the whole vehicle, plus all repair and upgrade costs to date, is less than the interest we would have paid on a loan for a new one. The key for us is that we have a good, honest, capable local mechanic who really knows both Econolines and RVs. Just keep going and enjoy!!

rogers112869 · 11-14-2009, 06:03 PM

Hey guys...thanks for the info all. I ended up picking up the SMB off craigslist for $5K, then put another $3K or so in major engine tune up, stereo, back up camera, wheels, lift, etc. I figure that I can spare another $7K for paint/body, put in rubberized flooring and redo cabinets, replace l/r seats, then I am DONE!!! I figure for I can keep it for multiple years as I dont put hardly any miles on it, then can always sell it and get $6K back. All in all, not bad for a SMB....so my mind is made up....fix it up so I enjoy it while I have it!!