1993 Coleman Pioneer Sedona

[toucan]

Just acquired a 93 Sedona for pretty cheap. Not as cheap as I could have got one 10 years ago, maybe, but not bad.
This isn't our first pop-up, we previously had a 2003 Santa Fe which served us well for 15 years until the ABS roof started cracking. In fact, it did pretty well even after the cracks started showing, but I knew it was only a matter of time and didnt want to try to rebuild a roof. So last year I sold it cheap to a good friend with the requisite warnings.

Also last year we bought a used 25 foot TT, which is pretty nice, but doesn't really get to the kind of places I like to go.
I like to get up in the mountains into tight spots and out into the deserts of Eastern Oregon to camp. I've been tenting it when I go out solo, but I am getting to the age where I would like to sleep off the ground. Therefore I started to hunt around for a smaller PUC, one thats a little more nimble than the Santa Fe. I also wanted somewhat of a budget rig, while knowing what that might entail. I found this one over in Lincoln City and bought it. I will be the third owner.

Ive been lurking here quite a while, but haven't seen too many builds of this particular model, so I am hoping any other Sedona owners might come out of the luanwork and offer up advice on refreshing this thing.

 

[toucan]

First action was to wash it, then open it up and let the air flow through. Last owner was a smoker, and though it didn't smell smokey inside, it was kinda musty. Then I wanted to inspect the subfloor. Only one way to do that.

 

[toucan]

The swing out galley was in less than desirable shape along the back wall. It looked like maybe a leak in the drain or hand pump plumbing had rotted a good deal of the material. The innards of the cabinets like the drawer slides were pretty rusted as well. Out came the galley which was a challenge in its own right. Mostly screws but rivets in odd places too. The PO had installed an electric pump which came out. The hardest part was removing the swing level galley arm and chain. By the time I had it out, I decided I didn't really need an indoor kitchen that bad after all. I still have all the stuff, so who knows. But I am thinking storage cabinets will serve me better for for my style of camping. I have a 12 volt fridge that will fit nicely in the galley spot, and I can do dishes, etc. outdoors. This camper came with the outdoor stove so I can do some cooking/make coffee on it.

Then I got after tearing out the vinyl flooring. There has definitely been some water n the subfloor, as seen in the last post, but the floor feels solid. Some squeaks as you move around on it. I am wondering how bad a floor has to be before you rip it out and replace it with plywood.

That's as far as I have got for now. I will be moving the PUC shortly out the shop at my Mom's house, where it can further dry and I can work on it in comfort over the winter. Once the floor situation is sorted, I can move on to inspecting the roof(which appears fine, no holes that I can see and no rot in the sidewalls), and dealing with other stuff like axle flip, etc.

Any advice is very much appreciated!

 

[Sjm9911]

It looked it good shape before the gut job , lol. Just make sure you replace something where the cabinets were, sometimes they add ridegedness to the overall struture. Put the inside stove back in? Sand and paint it? Its nice to have if its pouring out.

 

[samh]

I'll follow along on your journey. I've just recently gotten back into my refurbishing project of a Coleman, albeit one 10 years older than yours.

1983 Coleman Columbia

Our new-to-us 1983 Coleman Columbia. According to paperwork included with the sale we are at least the fourth owners. It is in fair to good shape and I plan to refurbish and modify it enough to successfully use it for our style of car camping on Forest Service roads which according to my...

www.popupportal.com

 

[toucan]

It looked it good shape before the gut job , lol. Just make sure you replace something where the cabinets were, sometimes they add ridegedness to the overall struture. Put the inside stove back in? Sand and paint it? Its nice to have if its pouring out.

Thanks. I could have got by keeping and repairing the galley, but it looked like there had been a plumbing or sink drain leak at some point and the eighth inch paneling had rotted in a few spots under the basin. The stove was in rough shape as well looked as if it had drooled grease or boiled over coffee down onto the drawer runners and rusted a couple almost completely away.
What I think I want to do is use the lower galley space to store my Iceco fridge. I put it in there today and theres just enough space to run the bunk end over the top of it. The dinette benches will go back in the way they were. Ill have to think of a way to replace the rigidity provided by the galley bottom.
In the meantime, is there any way to replace the inner wall paneling without taking off the aluminum top caps? That stuff looks pretty dingy even after I washed it all.

 

[toucan]

Thar galley as a whole however is done for. I dont need an indoor sink tiny as it is, and I have the outdoor high pressure stove for my small meals and coffee. It didnt have an awning either, but I will build a ghetto awning lol. This thing doesn't even have a furnace, so I guess I will use a Mr. Heater or other catalytic type heater. I suppose there might be someone in the area who would take the galley, stove and sink off my hands.

 

[toucan]

Got most of the interior paneling out today. Could have just ripped it out, but I wanted it intact for future reference.

 

[toucan]

Been a couple months, but finally got time to do some work on it. Got some eighth inch plywood and started cutting wall sections. Also found some nice flooring on marketplace for cheap for the floor. Accumulated all kinds of 12v plugs, usb, etc along with a host of other crap I probably didn't need to buy. More to come soon.

 

[toucan]

Coming along slowly.

 

[Sjm9911]

Getting thier!

 

[toucan]

I think I have decided to go ahead and replace the subfloor. Its swollen and uneven in a bunch of places, mostly around the wheel wells. Seems to be 5/8" osb, but it appears to be one sheet even though its 8'x7'. Is it common for the factory to use non standard sheets of plywood? The floor also does not seem to be anchored down to the frame whatsoever. Maybe someone replaced it once already?

 

[Johneliot]

Don’t be surprised by anything you find in these trailers. They are made to be lightweight which then means they used lesser materials. That floor looks like OSB plywood. I think that by using a higher grade of plywood to replace it if that’s what you want to do, it’s already better! Most of these boxes are not 4x8 so yes it is common that there would be multiple sheets to cover the frame.

 

[toucan]

I found the screws that hold the floor down.
4 of them but only 2 were actually there.
More surprised at the lack of wall structure. I'm going to add some of my own in when I get there.
Is it OK to put extra fasteners through the floor down in to the crossmembers? They don't exactly look burley.

 

[Sjm9911]

I would, something to understand is that the cabinets and stuff were part of the wall struture. Lol. So , rebuild it and screw and glue the hell out of it. The. When adding back stuff, tie it together, glue , angle braces, etc.

 

[Johneliot]

Me too. I’d add more screws.

 

[toucan]

Started cleaning up the frame while I have the floor out then hit it with rust reformer. There wasnt too much rust, but I figured why not do it while I have access. Will need one more can to finish it off.

Got some sawdust in the whiffletree, I guess I had better read up on how to grease it properly.

Took some other pics while I studied things. Found my passenger side leaf spring is one solid leaf. Looks like something made for a covered wagon.

 

[toucan]

Had some time today so I greased the whiffletree and hit the pulleys with silicon. Measured all the notches in the flooring(for the steel bracing around the edges, the door cutout etc), pondered my stepper door for a while, and started removing the decals. Took plenty of before pictures in case I want to re create the Miami Vice look.

 

[toucan]

Any ideas on what to lay down as subfloor? I checked into advantech, but can only get it in 3/4'. I don't really want to add that kind of weight plus it would throw off my floor clearance. I found some 5/8" birch for a reasonable price, would that work out ok?

 

[toucan]

Settled on 5/8" marine plywood since I found some closeby at a *somewhat* resonable price.
Then got to cuttin" notches.

It will have to come out of course so I can figure out where to cut out the wheel wells And then stain it up good(along with the other piece). The original wheel wells were jacked up by a blowout apparently, so I am in the process of rebuilding them.

Took off the stepper door and bulkheads, as I suspect the door is going to need some work. Drilling out the rivets for the swing arms was tough.

Just got back from a week in Myrtle Beach(conference), so the trailer has been sitting idle.
Next up is wheel well refurbishment. Probably going to line them with coil stock or similar, bedliner them and undercoat. I saw somewhere on here someone did that and it turned out pretty good.

Here you can see the passenger side ww with 20 year old duct tape over the wounds.