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

[whiteknight001]

Jer&Ger wrote:
Nice to hear your still out there, Mark :B. I bet you never expected to see this many posts when you asked the question.

Jer&Ger,

This thread never ceases to amaze me. I remember someone once called it a "compendium". Heck, I had to look that word up. I thought that was an indigenous person, a "native". There was a time that I thought a "sacrilege" was a Bible in a brown paper bag.

Most of my life, I've had folks tell me: "Mark, you're a nice guy, but please... strike a HAPPY MEDIUM" because I'm as moody and passionate as a Russian. For the longest time I actually thought "strike a happy medium" meant to: "punch a laughing paychic".

Go figure... It's great to be back with y'all. Padded cells get real
lonely, y'know. And I never got a good fitting strait jacket. hee hee.
And wonderful to hear from you!

Mark

[whiteknight001]

Trish Davis wrote:
Mark!

How good to hear from you!

You're in OK? I've got a buddy in McComb County, haven't heard from him months.
Whereabouts are you?

Hey Trish!

Great to hear from you too! I'm in Okmulgee County, in the northern part. About forty miles south of Tulsa off Hwy 75 (Indian Nations Turnpike). McComb is a county I haven't heard of- 'course that don't mean there isn't. There's a LOT of stuff in OK that shouldn't be or isn't or ain't. There's McCurtain, McIntosh and McClain counties, though... And we lived in Pottawattomie county for a while...

Gotta be Indian or know one to pronounce all this stuff, I guess...

Mark

[Jer_Ger]

Nice to hear your still out there, Mark :B. I bet you never expected to see this many posts when you asked the question.

Just goes to show there's a need for Soooo many things that people don't realize are needed til they ask :S!

[Trish_Davis]

Mark!

How good to hear from you!

Hey, I didn't even get started on the vent /marker light / roof seam leaks.
Or the bad grounds.
Or all the other "stuff" that most of us have dealt with.

You're in OK? I've got a buddy in McComb County, haven't heard from him months.
Whereabouts are you?


Eric, if you're seriously wanting a Travco, speak to me.

[whiteknight001]

Trish Davis wrote:
Good you'll be back around. I've been mostly lurking, too.

Real good on grandchildren. Spoil them and send them home.
No, I'm not. I think my son is afraid of my all-pervasive, corrupting powers.
He always was a smart boy :0)

Hello everyone.

It's great to do some reading, and catching up. It's been too long.
When I went to reply to this, I went momentarily senile, and wound up
at the first page of this thread. 08/15/04, at 3:22 am. Somewhere in
Oklahoma (where the WILDFIRES come SWEEPING down the plain...).

This thread will be EIGHT YEARS OLD this August. 566 pages. I am way beyond "nonplussed", and somewhere outside dumbfounded.

Thank all of you. And may God bless. This is nothing short of amazing.
This single thread is referred to across Cyberspace as a REFERENCE.
I NEVER thought that would happen.

Trish and Leeann, I OWE you both a debt of gratitude for "Den Mothering" this whole happy conflagration, and keeping us all on
the straight and narrow. I had to cackle when you (Trish) referred
to Leeann for "electrical gremlins" and you saying that you cry over
them. And a "laundry list" of all the things to check out, and go through in an older RV. We all could teach an RV "Masters Degree"
here, with all that is posted here.

I hope this just keeps spiraling off into Cyberspace, kinda like the illustration on the back of the Kansas album "Leftoverture"- with the "musical score" unfolding endlessly from the end of the composer's desk and off into the cosmos...

Pax vobiscum,

Mark "whiteknight001"

that old screwball driving the very large vehicle in the lane next to you...

[79powerwagon]

Just saw a Craigslist ad posted over at Moparts.com for a Travco that is supposedly roadworthy. Um, it's pretty rough and awfully mildewy on the inside! Stranger still is all the gel-coat falling off of it in sheets!

How long has it been sitting? 🙂

Yes, I'm always checking to see what is out there, and of course, it's gotta be a Dodge! Maybe TransVan this time...

[Trish_Davis]

Good you'll be back around. I've been mostly lurking, too.

Real good on grandchildren. Spoil them and send them home.
No, I'm not. I think my son is afraid of my all-pervasive, corrupting powers.
He always was a smart boy :0)

[79powerwagon]

Thank you Leeann! It's good to be back (though I will admit to lurking about occasionally over the last few years)! I'll be around far more frequently now, I promise! 😄

[Leeann]

Hi, Eric!

Great to hear about you, Kimberley and the grandkids (!). And, especially, the job.

Glad you're back 😉

[79powerwagon]

Aw, I'm still loved! 😄

I am well! Kimberley is well! We're both HOT and dry (as are most everyone else) and life moves along at it's own chosen pace (not MY chosen pace!) We now have TWO grandkids!!!!

I still have not gotten a replacement for the old Dodge, but I do now work for a trailer manufacturer, and this site is a great resource for identifying problems people have BEFORE we build them! So I'm back! 😉

The economy remains poor, but I did get this job after 2 1/2 years of unemployment, and if things pick up, we'll be getting another Dodge RV! 😄

[Trish_Davis]

Hownh3ll are you, Eric?

Speak at us.

79powerwagon wrote:
Ah, it warms me heart to see familiar names again! 🙂 Just popping back to say hi!

"Hi!"

[79powerwagon]

rehoppe wrote:

Rockwood74 wrote:
patsquatch73tioga ---I have a 74 B300 360 and while ungoing a recent tune up my mechanic noticed a very small hose attached to the transmission that had a leak as well. Not sure what it could be or if that info helps but there it is.

Sounds like a vacuum tube for 'down shift' control. When the vac gets low enough (when you step into the throttle), it downshifts. When it gets high enough it upshifts.

I'm assuming a 727 tranny?

Dodge 727 transmissions do not use a vacuum tube for anything. The "down-shift" is an actuator that is a solid rod. There are two fluid lines that come out of the transmission, and if they leak, they NEED to be replaced. The good news is it's neither difficult, nor expensive.

[79powerwagon]

Ah, it warms me heart to see familiar names again! 🙂 Just popping back to say hi!

"Hi!"

[Trish_Davis]

Bear in mind, you asked.

Tires.
Price good 16.5's and adjust asking price accordingly.
"Good" does not mean Chinese tires, either.

Wheel bearings, wheel cylinders.

Belts; fan belt, ps and bp brake belts.

Hoses; heather hoses as well as top & bottom radiator hoses.
If a rad hose feels 'squishy' to me, I walk away.

Rubber brake lines.
Just replace these. Every 10 years.

Carburator.
Vacuum or electric choke?
Subtract for vacuum choke; I walk away from those, too. After I swear at them.

Transmission.
How old is the fluid. How old is the modulator.
If you don't know, the answer is "very old."

Driveshaft.
Carrier bearing is happy? Shaft spins free in Neutral? Any slop?

Suspension.
Frt shocks & coils. Do you like your windshield?
Rear leafs and shackles. Did you mean to keep the black & gray tanks off the ground, off your exhaust and off your last nerve?


Roof.
Rubber or....?
All roofs spring leaks. When & where & how fixed?


Water tank.
Where, how old, galvanized?
Water lines?

Black & gray tanks.
Where, how big, how old, fittings, straps?

Hot water tank.
Where, how old, clogged (they all clog), leaks?

Electrical Gremlins.
All vehicles have them or will. 3 days old or 30 years old, electrical gremlins are under Leeann's purveyorship and knowledge.
I just cry over mine ;0)


As-is, no more than 2500.
But it was you dad's, so you might as well keep it.

You'll have to go over all that "stuff" anyhow, might as well put your labor into something you'll enjoy.


When I bought my Travco, the drivetrain and chassis impressed me.
After I'd owned my Travco for 6 months, the interior and electric re-do was more than $5000.
Not counting tires, wheels, windshield. Add those, I'm well over 9K and it is not finished to my satisfaction.

Ipodhappy wrote:
I've been lurking on here for months while I fixed up my dad's old 1976 Dodge Brougham. I love it, but just not mechanically inclined enough to take it on longer trips--think I need something a little newer. Do you guys think this is a fair price or am I dreamin? I trust the opinions on here--especially you Leeann and Trish 🙂

http://lexington.craigslist.org/rvs/3176078307.html

[rehoppe]

Indeed I did, so I tore it apart for him. But it's the reality of the unit. If it needs all that it might need. There's not a great deal of equity left on the balance sheet.

If not, now,, well knock on wood and drive on. I've seen too many rigs of that gen. and mileage advertised with rebuilt cabovers, engines, and trannys.