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

[Griff_in_Fairba]

79powerwagon wrote:
We're all re-examining our own state of sanity... 😉

Speak for yourself, I enjoy my state of sanity.

eyeteeth - the 2006 date on the last entry is a typo ... I just haven'e gotten around to fixing it just like I have gotten around to adding updates.

A lot of what I have done since that last update has been discussed at length on other forums.

- Frame has been torn apart, sandblasted, and mostly welded back together. Need to clean up a few welds, redo the extensions ('cause I screwed up the first attempt), tweak it a bit, and prime it.

- New bushings and pins have been purchased for the springs and the brackets and shackles are being sandblasted and powdercoated just as fast as I can get to them. Only remaining problem with the suspension, other than work, is finding the one @#$%^& replacement spring shackle I need.

- Replacement heads have been bought and custom built specifically for fuel economy. (And they sure are purty ... pictures were posted on another forum a while back.)

- Still trying to find the last of the parts I'll need to make the new headlight mounts.

- Have all the instruments I need for the new dash. Need to powdercoat the aluminum stock I have for the new faceplates and have the dial marking silkscreened on them.

- As soon as I have enough money, I need to get the short block done, including having the rotating mass rebalanced.

- Need to put together my new Miller Autoset 140 welder and practice wire-feed and MIG welding.

- Need to clean and organized my shop 'cause I'm still trying to fit 512 square feet of stuff in a 12 foot by 12 foot space.

Oh, yeah ... if I have any spare time between that and work, I need to update my web site.

But, don't worry ... I sure am having fun in the meanwhile.

[79powerwagon]

No one's harping on you (specifically) Trish. We're all re-examining our own state of sanity... 😉

[Trish_Davis]

Jeez, guys, quit b*tching at me.
I reserve the right to complain about working on the Travco.
And the Merc.
Oh, and the bike.
Plus the S-10 and the Ford --lucky, they are both hassle-free.

[Leeann]

Heh - he's worked on it, he's just totally ignored the site (oh, and the site was last updated Jan '07!).

[eyeteeth]

So... you haven't worked on it since 2006? You need some updates!!!

[Griff_in_Fairba]

79powerwagon wrote:
It's like my hot rods I build- the fun is in the build, not that actual driving of them!

I AM sick, aren't I?:h

Yeah, but yours is a mild case. (A more advanced case.)

You are correct, "the fun is in the build," at least for some of us.

[eyeteeth]

ALnCORY wrote:
Yours is a real nice looking rig Eyeteeth, I know the water damage repair is a pain,(mine has been too) but you will have a great rig when you get it fixed.

Thanks... I'm kinda partial to it. It has the perfect floor plan for us, and Holiday Rambler was one of those companies that was at the front of development and not a follower. So even being older, it has some features and designs that I wanted to try and find when looking at older units. I just don't think it was worth was I paid for it...

Still... she's been cleaning up real nice and photographs well.

Keep reading the forums... and you'll find stories of almost brand new units with many of the same problems we're dealing with. I heard a story just this morning of someone who bought a brand new TT off the lot just the other week, and was planning to go for a trip this weekend. They started un-doing all the winterizing and storage stuff the dealer had done only to find out the pipes had frozen while on the lot over the winter and they had to pull the bathroom apart to replace them. Brand new... not used once... it's the nature of the beast. They're either old and warn, or new and made a cheap as possible to try and keep them from costing more than the house you own.

[mowermech]

I sometimes wish I had kept the old 27 foot Pace Arrow, on the M400 (I think) chassis. It had the 440, of course, which I would want if I ever get another one. Good running rig, comfortable ride.
Then I remember the lousy (to us) floor plan, and the fact that if anybody was in bed the bathroom was unavailable, and I remember why we got rid of it.
Maybe someday...

[79powerwagon]

mowermech wrote:
I have been thinking about getting a late '70s or early '80s Dodge based Class C, but after reading about all the work that is going on on these things, maybe not.

They aren't for everyone. Problems Dodge specific? No way, every old MH is a junker in spirit. But since I paid less than $600.00 for mine, I can afford a few repairs, and I actually like doing them.

It's like my hot rods I build- the fun is in the build, not that actual driving of them!

I AM sick, aren't I?:h

[ALnCORY]

Yours is a real nice looking rig Eyeteeth, I know the water damage repair is a pain,(mine has been too) but you will have a great rig when you get it fixed.

[eyeteeth]

Just shop carefully. You can find really nice older units out there. With the exception of what I'm dealing with currently... none of the projects have taken more than an hour or so to resolve.

Stay away from water damage. That's what is killing me. The PO told me there was none except for the bathroom counter... and THAT was supposedly from someone leaving the window open during a storm. If you search back a page or two you'll find that to be a slight understatement. I should have passed on it but a number of circumstances made that very difficult to do... so I'm stuck with it, and repairing it.

But... again... apart from that. Stuff's been fairly short projects. Fixing the water heater... just required a new flue and thermo coupler. A few of the gas line joints needed new sealant and a tightening. Fixing the cabinet latches... outdoor light... new waste valves... cleaning... The only other "big" project I undertook was sealing the cab floor, installed heat shield, and re carpeting. Took me a couple nights of a couple hours each. Mainly 'cause I have no idea what I'm doing. Had the PO kept up on basic maintenance, the water damage wouldn't exist. so... Get an older one without water damage, pay cash, and keep inspecting the roof and seams and you're covered. If you don't mind working on a few things... IMHO... it's still the way to go. Just "Choose Wisely".

[mowermech]

I have been thinking about getting a late '70s or early '80s Dodge based Class C, but after reading about all the work that is going on on these things, maybe not. I have more projects now than I can ever complete, and I am too old for some of this stuff (work two hours and hands hurt for two days).
Maybe I can find one like my son has, a Serro Scotty Highlander built on a '96 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD chassis, with manual tranny. Now, THAT is a neat motorhome!
VERY hard to find, though. Dream on...

[79powerwagon]

Here you go!

Kewl Van Bits

[79powerwagon]

OK guys! It's an eBay store. Do a search for Dodge van parts, spoilers, and you'll come upon it easily. They have all those cool old things for most years and brands!

Don't buy them all, I want some too!!!! 😉

[DeadeyeLefty]

I have actually considered that myself from time to time, eyeteeth. Strip it down to the chassis and start all over again. Then I realize it's time for my pills again, lol ! But still....

79PW, I too would like that site. I need (not want) a front airdam !