I couldn't help replying to your post because I, too,
am restoring a 68 Overlander (or should I say that I
have been restoring it for two years?)
I had floor rot at the rear, frame separation, damaged
water supply lines, rusted-out black water tank
supports, a broken water heater and furnace, various
leaks and innumerable cosmetic issues.
On the other hand, all of the original stuff was
present, and I didn't need much that wasn't
commercially available.
I really don't know how much I've spent because I
haven't tried to add it all up. I am convinced that
it is probably cheaper to buy a unit that is already
restored if you can afford the upfront cost and your
time is worth minimum wage. On the other hand, you
can be assured of having all of the work done to your
satisfaction if you do it yourself--which brings me to
what I see as the biggest variable controlling
restoration cost.
Here's a way to test yourself. Imagine that you are
removing, say, the couch frame to work on the water
tank. Do you: a)work on the tank and promptly
reassamble the works; or, b)decide that since the
frame is out anyway, it's a perfect time to refinish
it and seal the floor under the tank.
If you answered "b" (which, by the way, is exactly
what I did :) ) the cost is gonna be way more than you
ever guessed. But, there's no one on earth who would
do the work to your standards at a cost you could
afford anyway--in other words, welcome to your new
hobby!
If you answered "a" the cost probably won't be so
high. I could have done just the running gear and the
floor rot/frame separation project for about $500,
including the tires. I just couldn't resist the urge
to restore the entire bathroom, run new piping,
refinish the woodwork (that had to come out during the
project) and install new tile.
The wonderful thing is that I have been using the
camper since shortly after I purchased it. Each trip
includes some nice new improvement, so it is very
rewarding. We have had the camper for two years and
have spent almost two months in it. If you get tired
of working on it, quit for awhile until you get the
bug to fix a particular thing. Then the cost ends up
being more like general spending money for a hobby
than a single, large investment.
Jon in SC
68 Overlander (the Lunar Schooner)
#9573