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

[ALnCORY]

OK Jerry, let me know... I had to replace all the wall paneling in the overhead and went with the 1/8 inch luann from home depot.. I knew I couldn't match anything anyway so went with the luann and then just painted all the inside. I was lucky that most of my wall problem was out in the open, not behind cabinets, fridge etc.
If ya need a hand you know where I am.

[Jer_Ger]

Thanks Al. This is going to be a long process and learn as I go also. I'll use the paneling with the plastic coating for the inside ceiling. I'm not sure how to proceed now that I know the walls are going to need repair, at least the paneling and a little bit of the 2x2's. There is a lot of delamination of the paneling behind some of the cabinets and the frig. The wall behind the sink and stove has been that way since I bought this in 2001 and I've known I would need to repair that area for a long time, but the rest I didn't know about. I'll let you know if it turns out I'm in trouble and could use some help. Thanks for the offer. I'm sure I'll be asking for advice along the way and appreciate any and all suggestions, advice given from anyone as this is all new to me.

[Trish_Davis]

bgriffey wrote:
All I know at this point is the engine runs, the transmission works and the roof leaks.

That is all you need to know --for now.

You probably have a 360. Maybe a 400. Depends.
Trans is a 727.
Eternabond for the roof.

Fix the roof leaks first. They do the most damage.

[ALnCORY]

Sorry to hear that Jerry, if you need some help let me know, I am only an hour away.
Al

[Jer_Ger]

Here's an update on my roof repair. I had to take two weeks off for a trip to CA. but now that I've been able to get going again I've found some interesting problems. First off, my roof has so many layers of sealer on it, I don't know if I'll ever get them all off. Next, I found that the roof width is a little wider than it should be to be able to be covered by an 8' wide sheet of aluminum, as a result, I found a few areas where there is no overlap at the edge. Of course this set everything up to start leaking right from the fectory. I guess as I redo this, I'll have to fix that. I have the edges clean enough of sealers that I have most of the staples out and have to nose piece removed already. We're suppose to have some rain for next few days, so I had to put the tarp back till I have clear weather again. I'll work on the inside in the mean time. This is going to be a bigger project than I was hoping it would be....Jerry

[bgriffey]

Thanks for the link, I really don't know anything about RV's, Yet! I do have a 1979 Dodge Sportsman, on the door plate it also says "Fargo" I don't know the size of the engine yet. All I know at this point is the engine runs, the transmission works and the roof leaks.

[lauchlin]

Most gas valve's work in millivolts just about any thermostat will work .you just don't want to use a millivolt thermostat were you need a line voltage stat used in a house 220 volt

[TreeSeeker]

A Lowe's, Home Depot, etc., thermostat should work. Most thermostats are effectively just low voltage switch devices.

As I understand it, most home thermostats are 24v.

[Griff_in_Fairba]

TreeSeeker wrote:
For the digital thermostat I suggest searching the forum. I remember reading about some replacement jobs, and I remember it not being as simple as it seems. Search for "hunter thermostat" and you find a number of messages.

A Lowe's, Home Depot, etc., thermostat should work. Most thermostats are effectively just low voltage switch devices. Even the more complex ones operate by simply sending a low voltage current to the furnace to turn on the furnace.

[TreeSeeker]

For the digital thermostat I suggest searching the forum. I remember reading about some replacement jobs, and I remember it not being as simple as it seems. Search for "hunter thermostat" and you find a number of messages.

[Leeann]

How bad is the tank leaking? Can it be repaired instead of replaced? POR15, among other companies, has a tank restoration kit that cleans up the inside and coats the tank so the rust doesn't continue, also fixing many pinhole leaks.

As for the thermostat, I think any thermostat will work - just pull it off the wall and check how many wires you have going to it (and note what terminals they're attached to), then get a thermostat that works with those inputs.

[rbhunter]

Well, today I got the new master cylinder on, and the brakes bled. Then I found the left rear wheel cylinder leaking. Oh Joy. I also found the gas tank leaking, so I get to try to find a new one. Any ideas? Plus, I adjusted the Holley, and timing as it is no longer at 7000 feet. Amazing how much better it runs, that 440 is such a beast. Nice to have it stop too. Now all I have to do is keep gas in it. Oh, and with the cold front the other day, it finally cooled down enough to check the heater, and suprise it works, so thats everything, it all works. But I do need a new thermostat. Thinking of a digital from Home Depot or Wally World. Will they work, or does it have to say dometic on it?

Have a good one,
Ron
1979 Beaver class c 26'

[overdrive75]

I drove a 30 foot Class A in the snow, almost a foot of unplowed on the highway last winter, for my job. Just use common sense, but with that weight it had no traction problems at all.

[ALnCORY]

no idea either goreds...... they are kind of heavy so should have better traction than your average pickup, but no personel experience,.

[eyeteeth]

I have no input on snow driving either. The one time I was driving during the winter was when I discovered the shop had messed up the brake job. I was simply taking it home, just a few miles.

Sorry.

BTW, driving was fine... but it only had front brakes, so stopping was a challenge.