You don't owe me ;) Though that does sound like a nice place, despite the snakes ;)
American Clippers are one-piece fiberglass. One of the members - the guy who's having trouble with his 440 - has a Clipper. Ask him for photos/info - he's got more than I do. I love the style of those, though.
Other than that, all coaches will leak if not taken care of - ie checked frequently and resealed when needed. And the Clippers will have the same trouble with windows and vents we all do - so they need to be checked and resealed too.
AC replacement actually is easy. It's a 2-piece unit. Remove the cover from the inside and unbolt about 4 bolts, then go on the roof and do the same. Coupla wires and voilá! You're done. Whenever you replace, make sure to use a new gasket. Cheap insurance against leaks.
Umm...electronic ignition was an option on mine, which is a '73 (fortunately, the original owner chose that option). I'm not sure when the option was first offered, however. I'm just about positive you can pull an electronic ignition setup from any year Dodge truck/motorhome and have it work, though (someone with more knowledge/info, chime in here!).
My hitch was a factory-installed option. They beefed up the frame and welded the hitch to it. So you want to look for that. With an after-market hitch, I'd make sure it's properly secured to the frame and also that the frame is suitably strong where the hitch is attached. A PO might have added the hitch without reinforcing what it's bolted to, so check it carefully. Or added a hitch to a loooooong piece of frame, really increasing the torque on the welds/bolts.
As for weight, anything with a fiberglass body is going to be lighter. That's as far as my knowledge takes me, though :B
Well, you know, as long as it's an 70s/early 80s RV, I guess we could allow a Ferd.....:B
