That is so cool! When you get a chance, I would appreciate any photos you would have and I can do the same - -- email address removed -- Also, if you have the original manuals (the RV part not the truck part), I would pay to have them copied since I have none of that.
First, two questions, how familiar are you with the truck part and how familiar are you with RVing? I am very comfortable working on anything related to the truck mechanicals, but I am new to RV's - we have only ever had trailers.
The first thing I did was address overall function of the RV part and roof leaks. I purchased mine from the grandson of the original owner, he did state at one time it had a leak, but was since fixed (mine spent most of its life in a barn after the owner lost his license due to age related issues). I took mine to a local RV shop and asked them to check the systems and verify the roof was sound (it was, but I still had them reseal the seams). The generator required a little of a tune, but propane tank was good, as was everything else.
On to cleaning (which I am still doing), both outside and inside. When I took it to the RV shop, I was concerned about the smell inside, since I thought it smelled like moisture. All the guys there said actually it was just a "put up smell" and was not like other RV's they have had in which it was actually due to moisture. My wife and I are clean freaks, so I knew I would not want her to see the RV before I address the cleanliness part. So, shop vac; bleach and water; Stanley Steemer for the seating surfaces (except for the front seats - more on that). I did not worry about the rugs since the grandson replaced the living area carpet with carpet squares. The squares will come up and replaced with something low maintenance - I am leaning towards linoleum. My siding was stained with mildew, I used a product called Jomax (I got from Lowes).
Check all areas between the skin and attached items - windows, gas fill, water, etc. scrap the old and use new caulk - makes sure it is appropriate and mildew resistent.
Crawl underneath, does everything look right? Essentially the RV part is just a box on a chassis cab truck. If you look at the RV part, just past the cab doors, you will notice some exposed plywood underneath (part of the wall directly behind your shoulder) I recommend sealing this - rubberized spray is good. Any wood exposed to the elements is subject to rot so I say seal it.
My engine is totally unmolested and looks like you would expect a 30K engine should. I have owned other Gen 1's, I like to strike a balance between reliability, economy, and performance (in that order). The only modifications I plan on making to the engine are - complete set of gauges (o. k. , so not really an engine mod); a 16cm housing; a new exhaust manifold; new 4 inch exhaust; new DDP injectors. The one thing I absolutely thinks make a difference with the injectors is how much smoother it idles - I was really amazed and even wrote DDP.
On the front seats, they are the original Flexsteel seats, but my drivers arm-rest is broken and it is not clear to me how/if it can be repaired. I have looked everywhere for an attaching point, but I think it is only accessible from the inside of the seat frame. Because I am not sure if I want to keep the seats, I did not bother getting them cleaned.
I do have a punch list of things I want/need to do - such as complete flush/clean of all the tanks.
Since I am new to RVing and a visual learner - YouTube has been invaluable. I can highly recommend videos by RVgeeks - very well produced and easily understood.
OBTW, don't bother trying to contact the Serro Scotty trailer manufacturer of today, they are not the same company. Mr. Serro's company started making the canned ham style trailers - they have a cult following and many organizations associated with them, but regrettably none for the RV's (I have been toying around with trying to start one). Mr. Serro picked the Dodge for their RV's because he had a Dodge dealership. The RV plant burned down in 1997 (I think), and for some reason, they decided to get out of the business. The original company still makes special purpose trailers, but apparantly sold the name for the Scotty trailer to another company. So, I think our RV's are highly collectilble since they are associated with a known name - Scotty, they were built on cabs with the Cummins (they also produced V10 versions), they had very limited production. Our RV appeals to Dodge/Mopar people, Scotty people, and Cummins people. I do believe these RV's were the first Class C's to have a diesel (don't quote on this though).