How many of us are there? Owners of Dodge based RV's?

[whiteknight001]

I'm new here, and curious.

How many of us in Class C own Dodge B300 incomplete
cab/chassis based RV's? I know two others- Steve aka
Ripsaw, with a 1977 Brougham, and Leroy aka 1978_Dodge
_Delta who owns a 440V8 powered sharp looking 1978
Delta RV. I would like to ask, and offer, help, idea
swapping and comparing notes on our particular RV's
which are based on the Dodge B300 van chassis.

Yeah, I know. These are low tech, podgy old RV's that
would be considered "entry level" for folks like me,
but I have a deep and abiding respect for the quality
of these old "monsters of the open road". And anyone
wanting to pick brains, joke about, share notes or just
brag about our old A- Dodge-io's are certainly welcome
to PM or email me. Between all of us we can form a real
good support group, and help each other with problems
we know we'll encounter with an older vehicle.

Sure. I'd love a new RV. But I'd rather have an older
one already paid for, and a lotta great memories. Call
me frugal, an old hippie, or whatever you will. I'm proud
of my old land yacht.

Mopar Madness Manifest in the flesh,

Mark aka White Knight

P.S. Mine's a '72. Is there an older one out there someone's
motorvating in? Maybe even a Travco? W/K

[mkpj1]

79powerwagon wrote:
You'll never (OK, rarely?) get this kind of passion from the Ferds and Chibby owners! :B

There's passion and then there's insanity Lunchwagon! Whachit, I may lose my camara:B

[79powerwagon]

Leeann wrote:

79powerwagon wrote:
Thank you Leeann! (a big thumbs-up to ya!):B

I take beer in payment :W



:B

DONE! 😉

[Leeann]

79powerwagon wrote:
Thank you Leeann! (a big thumbs-up to ya!):B

I take beer in payment :W



:B

[eyeteeth]

whiteknight001 wrote:

Big_John

EDIT Wow! I just realized this was post #1000 for this thread!

You mean like the thread for B+ Motorhomes that's over 160 pages? 😉 I guess we're getting there...

[79powerwagon]

Mark, this is what being Mopar folks is all about! Not only do we have great passion for our hobbies, we have great passion for our machines! You'll never (OK, rarely?) get this kind of passion from the Ferds and Chibby owners! :B

[whiteknight001]

Big_John

EDIT Wow! I just realized this was post #1000 for this thread![/quote wrote:


WTG BIG JOHN!!!!

Congrats!! Not only the 1000th post but also the 100th
page!! We've made History somewhere folks!!! I wonder if
any other thread ever made it this far? That's worth asking
an admin or moderator to find out...


Mark

[Big_John1]

79powerwagon wrote:

And the washer bag in yours? That was common practice on mopars for years! Take good care of it because they cost big bucks today!

A few months ago, I sold an NOS washer bag on Ebay for $66. I never expected it to go for that much!


EDIT Wow! I just realized this was post #1000 for this thread!

[79powerwagon]

Thank you Leeann! (a big thumbs-up to ya!):B

[Leeann]

One more tidbit...someone MUCH earlier in this thread posted a link to the '73 B300 Sportsman Owner's Manual....so here it is:
B300 Sportsman

[Leeann]

Okay, in the manual I find a nice sketch (but not a pic) of the ignition components.





However, no mention of coolant overflow bottle - anywhere.


And here's the windshield washer system:

[Jarlaxle]

79powerwagon wrote:
Hi all! Ken, I know what you're saying about the front hubs, I just can't find any info in my books about it. The dually wheel for the front is just an adapter that bolts to the rotor/hub, right? At least that's the way it was on a friends Chevy 1 ton truck.

If that's the case, then all I need to do is get shopping on the net for a set of those, right? (insert crossed fingers here)

No pick-n-pulls anymore around here, so I'll hunt the web.

Big John, here's a pic of the rear of my machine. Not the best layout for a rear mounted spare!


If I can actually find a hub adapter, that'd be the sweet deal!

Thanks!

Eric

Looks like a tire might fit just to the left of the rear door on the bumper, just below & inboard of the taillight. Maybe pull a wheel & use C-clamps to test-fit it?

[Jarlaxle]

Open chamber vs closed ?..... you say the OPEN is the best? wrongO again ....why then is the most prized iron head the 915 67 head? ...and the max wedge heads were ALSO closed chambered.

The best STREET head is the later 906 or 452 casting...for a concours resto, sure--get the 915's or MW heads. The later heads have hardened seats (usually) larger exhaust valves, and give pump-gas friendly compression.

The 440-3's had valve-rotators? .... quote me from any factory service manual this fact.

Sorry, but can't do that...however, I can say with absolute one hundred percent certainty trhat I have torn down 440-3's with rotators.

You say a .060 cyl wall is "safe" ....not on any engine I have seen. People have junked-blocks with less than .100.

OK, so some people aren't too bright. I'll happily take a 440 block with a .100" non-thrust thickness.

Why THEN did they build the mega-block with .250 plus? ...and you say .060 is OK.

Maybe because of huge-bore race engines? Maybe because a siamesed-bore block is stiffer? Maybe because spinning a stroker 7500RPM & cranking out 1000HP requires a stiff block? (And maybe, just maybe, because comapring the Megablock to any 413 or 440 truck engine is irrelevant?)

A bigger bore is better? ... why are alot of the big inch factory motors now V-10's ?

Yet again, you deliberately miss my point...a bigger bore is better here because it gives a BIGGER ENGINE. The V-10's are used due in large part to the fact they reduce tooling costs--the Ford V-10 shares front accessories & many internal parts with the 5.4 V8.

[whiteknight001]

Well folks, we're here at page 100-

Did you ever think it'd get this far or be what it is now?
I never dreamed it. Thank all of you for sharing this journey
and your hopes, schemes, plans and dreams with me and each other.
I hope I'm around to see this crack 1000+ pages.

Think they'll condescend to give us our own forum? "The Real Life
Already Paid For Rig Forum"? Think aout a forum name for us, and
post it here. We are quite a unique group in RVing- and we deserve
to be represented, and marketed to.

Thanks again, folks- I am grateful to be counted in among you.
May God bless!

Mark, whiteknight001

[Leeann]

Heh - the washer bag was more than a little crunchy (as in I don't think I could have squeezed it at all without cracking the heck out of it).

As you can see, a PO replaced the original radiator with something that sits a bit higher. So he cut out a portion of the door and tacked screen (for some stupid reason) on the outside - we've removed that. If we feel we need it, we'll put some back BEHIND the grill...

Do you like the wiring mess? That's just a tiny sample of what we had to deal with...everything's been replaced and fixed.

On our original C, the motor battery was up front (I think on the right, but that was a '75). The coach battery went in a tiny compartment at the rear. I've got the '74 factory service manual and '75 supplement at home for the Cs - I'll find the right page when I get home and scan it for you.

The relief bottle was an option in '73 (and later), by the way.

[79powerwagon]

Ken, any help I can get will be greatly appreciated!

I think the junkers that my friend got these parts out of were 1/2 ton vans with the mastercylinder pointing straight ahead. Mine is at 90° to allow for the bigger power brake booster. I may also not have the correct radiator in there. Who knows what's been "changed" on this thing over the last 34 years! :B