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

[Soon2BNewbie]

Thanks, Leeann! Haha, the madness....I have a feeling I'm gonna feel right at home here...
~Meghan

[Soon2BNewbie]

Thanks, Griff!
This is why I've been looking for an owner's manual...it'll HAVE all the specs & tell me the type of trans, like you just did & that it's reliable & hearty. I'd like to find out about this stuff before I make the long drive out there.

Because it happens to be one of the first that I came across, & the price was right, though there were no pics, i emailed them anyway & got a response the next day. The woman said her husband could call me with all the details. And before I knew it, he was telling me what work he had done to it & how it "wasn't real nice to look at". His tech savvy mother-in-law helped his wife send pics. The exterior's the original maroon & gray stripes on a white cabin. The interior is white, black hot pink. LOTS of hot pink, LOL! But hey, I'm a survivor, I can make anything work, haha!
I still have feelers out, but my mom thinks I'm too psyched about this '76 Lindy & that I'm putting all my eggs in 1 basket. I can't help it if the 1st person I made contact with has the exact body style RV I was looking for. All I told them was that I'd like to see pics because from their ad, I couldn't look up a pic, so I had absolutely NO idea what their rig looked like & there it was....They sent all the interior pics first, then voilá: I think you guys call it the cab over or over-cab design. He said bumper to bumper it's 24', but I can only find blurbs of info on 22' & 23 footers on '76 Lindys, so, I can only assume he either measured incorrectly, or the sizes of RVs do not include the bumpers, maybe?

I just wish I could get a darn manual. Shoot, maybe I'll try Amazon. They truly have everything else. (shrug) ;-/

Thanks Griff, it's nice to know someone who knows his $#/÷. You're like a walking encyclopedia. Are you a mechanic, or do you "just play one on the internet", LOL?

[Griff_in_Fairba]

Soon2BNewbie wrote:
But YES I am very concerned about the engine & trans. I haven't read about anyone in this forum having the 360 V8, & that worries me that there's a lack of longevity with this engine. And I have NO idea if I could afford AND adjust, rework, rewire & re-adapt the rig to drop a 440 in it. I'll see what the mechanic says. ~Meghan

Most of your concerns are baseless. I'll start in the rear and work forward ...

The rear axle in the motorhome you're considering is most likely a Dana/Spicer Model 70, generally called a Dana 70. It's possible, but much less likely, it might have a Dana/Spicer Model 60 (i.e., Dana 60). Both are very robust and durable.

The Dana 70 is really a medium-duty truck axle and, as such, is a bit of an overkill in all but the heaviest motorhomes. Dana 70 rear axles are very hard to damage and just about impossible to destroy. I have three in my yard that all original and in like-new operational condition. They're all dirty and greasy but can be cleaned up to original appearance and condition with little effort, in spite of all three being around 45 years old.

The Dana 60 is also very durable although slightly less robust. It is perfectly suitable for light-duty trucks, including Class C motorhomes. It was also used in high performance automobiles and, especially, "muscle" cars. The quality of the Dana 60 is demonstrated by the fact they were used as OEM equipment by a wide range of manufacturers, including the "Big Three" -- General Motors, Ford, and Mopar (Dodge, Fargo, Chrysler, Imperial, and Plymouth.)

The Dana 60 was, and still is, extremely popular among hotrodders and racecar builders, which makes it difficult to find used ones. My daughter, for example, is considering a Dana 60 as a possible replacement for the somewhat problematic stock first generation 8-3/4 rear axle in her '59 Plymouth Savoy restomod project, to handle the built-up 383 big block she's planning to put in it.

My '66 Dodge Polara, with a 383 engine, had an OEM Dana 60 and I used that car to tow a 1-1/2 ton step van 180 miles across the bottom end of Minnesota, without any difficulty. Likewise, my '49 International Metro had an OEM Dana 60 and I used it to tow a stranded, fully loaded 18-wheeler 20 miles to a truckstop.

The heavier weight of the Dana 70 tended to rule them out for use in hotrods and racecars. (Although, they are popular among extreme off-roaders and rock-climbers.) This, combined with their widespread use and durability, makes it much easier to find good used ones. Any rarity is due to many being sent off to be melted down by recyclers, due some people viewing them as being out=dated. (Please excuse me for a moment while I mourn, again, the many good, perfectly usable products that have been sent off to be melted down and remanufactured into new, generally crappy, products.)

The transmission in the motorhome you're considering is most assuredly a TorqueFlite/LoadFlite A727. (99.9999% probability) The A727 is my absolute favorite transmission, by a very wide margin, among both automatic and manual transmissions. The Ford C6 is a distant second and only tops the list when used with a Ford engine. (Don't get me started on the Ford E4OD! I've rebuilt an E4OD twice and, while it is a reasonable transmission, it's a royal PITA to rebuild. On the other hand, I'd rebuild a A727 just for the fun of it.)

I've owned quite a few A727s and stressed many of them by:

-- 100+ mph over extended distances
-- Dropping them into second gear at 80+ mph (to avoid a ticket)
-- Towing a variety of often heavy trailers on extended trips
-- Going across rugged, steep mountain passes, sometimes towing trailers
-- Stripping the tread off tires, down to the cords, by spinning and smoking 'em

In spite of my abuse, I've never managed to damage an A727 or even cause any unusual wear and tear. In reality, my "abuse" has not come any where near testing the limits of an A727 transmission. As with the Dana 60, the A727 is popular among racecar builders because they can handle the RPMs, torque, and horsepower of race engines, including the ones used in top fuel dragsters. (The A727 has been connected to engines that put out as much as ten times the horsepower of production engines, with very little internal modifications.)

In my opinion, shared by many, many otherpeople, the A727 is an example of a product that is as near to perfect as humanly possible. First offered in 1962, the A727 continued in wide-spread use well into the 90s with very little changes. It has been used in all but the lightest automobiles as well as light- and medium-duty trucks. (I have not been able to determine the heaviest medium-duty truck application but would not be surprised to find an A727 in a 5-ton truck.)

Throughout its production span, there have been very few external differences. There are, for the most part, a separate version for small block and large block engines, with the difference consisting of the bell housing bolt pattern used to connect the transmission to each family of engines. (i.e., a big block A727 cannot be used with a small block engine and vice versa.) Of less concern to most people there were different versions for push-button and lever-shift controls. (This means you'd have to also replace the transmission if you want to go from a 360 small block to a 440 big block.)

Internally, there is a wide range of variations, based on the transmission intended application. The standard A727 is called a TorqueFlite and the heavier duty version is called a LoadFlite but there actually isn't a lot of differences between these. (I could turn a TorqueFlite version into a LoadFlite by judiciously swapping some parts.) One major variation is standard versus lock-up torque converter.

The front, three-speed part of Chrysler's overdrive transmission, the A518, is essentially an A727 and many internal parts in this section are interchangeable between an A727 and A518. (This is important to those of us with older A727s because we can buy new parts to replace damaged parts, rare as that need might be.)

Fundamentally, Chrysler created the A518 by adding an overdrive gear-set to the output end of the A727. Unfortunately, the engineering of the add-on overdrive is nowhere near the engineering and manufacturing quality of the original A727. Furthermore, there is a known significant problem with the clutch material in early lock-up torque converters.

I would not, under any circumstances, consider replacing an A727 with a stock A518. The only way I'd consider it is with an aftermarket torque converter and essentially a complete replacement of the internal overdrive components. In my opinion, the advantages of a lock-up torque converter are marginal. Likewise, an easier, and arguably better, approach to overdrive capability is to connect a Gear Vendors Over/Underdrive unit to an A727. (I would recommend replacing an A518 with an older A727, assuming you wouldn't run into problems with the vehicle's computer ... newer vehicles have too many inter-related subsystems and violate a sound systems design principle.)

BTW - Almost everybody is under the false impression that automatic transmissions are extremely complex and difficult to rebuild. This impression is the only reason automatic transmission rebuilders get away with charging outrageous prices for their services. Personally, I view these inflated prices to be a scam approaching the level of a felony.

I successfully rebuilt the A727 in my '66 Dodge Polara around 40 years ago, before I learned how difficult the task was supposed to be. Since then, I rebuilt quite a few automatic transmissions and, based on my experience, I'd say that automatic transmissions are easier to rebuild than engines and manual transmissions, which I've also rebuilt.

I usually pay to have engines rebuilt by professionals, mostly to make use of their much greater experience. I rebuild automatic transmissions myself because I refuse to pay outrageous prices for what I view as a relatively simple, although time consuming, task.

There's two main reasons people believe the myth about automatic transmissions:

(1) How an automatic transmission works is somewhat mysterious. The internal operation of an engine or manual transmission is relatively easy to see and understand. As with vehicle electrical systems, the actual operation of the hydraulic system in automatic transmission cannot be seen. Both of these systems require quite a bit of effort (and a bit of faith) to understand. Unlike electrical systems, malfunction is almost always due to contaminates plugging up the system. (Torque converters tend to be especially baffling in terms of understanding how one part can transfer rotational force to another part without actually touching the other part.)

(2) Automatic transmissions contain lots of similar parts that can cause problems if they're not in the right place. In particular, the hydraulic valve body that controls the transmission operation contains many springs and check balls with barely discernible differences.

Unlike engines, most automatic transmission rebuilds serve mostly to just refresh the transmission, with internal cleaning and replacement of clutches, bands, and seals. I've never encountered the need for any machine work and most internal parts simply never wear out.

Just about every problem with an A727 can be traced to plugged filters, old fluid, insufficient fluid level, and/or overheating. Vehicles with automatic transmissions have a separate fluid cooler built into the radiator. ((Nowadays, most replacement radiators come with the internal tranny fluid cooler, which is simply left capped off when the radiator is used in a vehicle with a manual transmission.) Unless you spend a lot of time idling at a standstill in temperatures over 90 degrees, overheating shouldn't be a problem.

Simply put, it's reasonable to expect an A727 to outlast multiple engines, several vehicles, and a long string of owners. If I live long enough, I wouldn't be surprised to encounter an A727 that's still working just fine after several million miles. Based on what I've seen, an A727 could last a couple of hundred years, assuming regular fluid and filter changes, an occasional "rebuilds" to replace aging seals and worn clutches and bands, and replacement of a few worn-out torque converters.

This is enough for now. In my next post, I'll try to dispel your notions regarding the 360 engine.

Oh, yeah ... for those who have been following my ramblings, I do plan to get back to vehicle electrical systems, resuming where I left off with SLI versus deep cycle batteries.

[Leeann]

Welcome to the madness!

We bought an older rig because it was what we could afford. We quickly found out that we spent a whole lot less in repairs and maintenance - and upgrades - than our friends with brand-new rigs. And we paid a helluva lot less to begin with, too.

[Soon2BNewbie]

Thank you VERY much for the input! I will DEF get a mechanic check it out. I have a sleeping bag rated for like -35° for me & 2 matching sleeping bags that I zip together & prop open for my German Shepherd that are rated for about 20 below. We've camped in a tent in the dead of winter. I figure whatever I get, I'll have to gut & re-insulate because the older models are the only ones in my price range.

But YES I am very concerned about the engine & trans. I haven't read about anyone in this forum having the 360 V8, & that worries me that there's a lack of longevity with this engine. And I have NO idea if I could afford AND adjust, rework, rewire & re-adapt the rig to drop a 440 in it. I'll see what the mechanic says.

If all seems well, I'll rent a car & go see it. I'd NEVER buy something 'sight unseen'. It's just past the border of PA into Michigan. It'll be a hike, but I love road-tripping with Shadow, my bodyguard. I dont sleep in hotels. I park as close as I can to the bathrooms in truck stops, nap & then get back on the road. So, if nothing else comes of it, Shadow & I get to enjoy the ride 😉

Thank you so much for the info, I am a sponge...heck, I'm an RV virgin! Camping I've been there, done that, got the t-shirt, but RVing is a whole new ball game. I'm just glad I found you guys!
~Meghan

[rehoppe]

Meghan

I'd second the mechanical check!!!

The top end on the small block Dodges (in MHs), seem to need a 'head job',,,, at about 70-80k miles.

Trannys tend to need attention 50-100k miles, depending on usage, and preventive maintenance.

Rear axle seals, are old and brittle. If they haven't been replaced yet.

Front end suspension joints loose?

Rubber bushings in spring hangers?

I hope the lot you rent is in the SOUTH.... or northern Mexico..... Not much insulation, and the windows are single pane,,,,, and they tend to leak air (a lot). In these old rigs, it is cold and drafty as soon as the furnace stops. So not comfortable even if you use a ton of propane. Electric heaters on low, are on longer and thus more comfortable,,, perhaps a bit more expensive (or a lot more expensive... depending).

Probably be cheaper to rent a place for the winter?

I don't mean to rain on your parade.... but I'm sitting at 7500 feet and it's already cold and drafty in my TT (mid to high 30s F for lows)......

I'm getting ready to go back to the house in Denver as we speak.

[z89101]

z89101 wrote:

Jer&Ger wrote:

z89101 wrote:
We need the gray water tank and or the sensor - I can get a great gray sloped tank, but the sensor needs to work with the panel indicators. Ideas?

If your interested, I have a Black and Grey set of tanks I just took off of a "78 Dodge Georgetown that I was going to junk just to get them out of my way. I see your in Vegas, I'm just outside Boise, ID.
I can send you pics if your interested, you can have them. Let me know. Jerry

Hey Jerry, thanks for the offer. A few pics would be great! - z89101@cox.net

our tanks are 90 degrees out of position to yours. Thanks for the offer but rework is a bit much. :S

[Soon2BNewbie]

Griff,
Thanks for the humidity tip. I had no idea they used foam insulation. I just assumed it would be fiberglass. I think foam, I think residential exterior, like beneath siding.

I'll be sure to vent sufficiently this winter & I guess after I install A/C, updating the insulation would be my next project...provided the floor isn't spongy & it clears the mechanic's once over.

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. I welcome all you're willing to share. 🙂

[Griff_in_Fairba]

Soon2BNewbie wrote:
Hello all! I've got my eye on a 1976 Lindy Motorhome with a Dodge 360 engine. Interior has been remodeled & exterior resealed, 102k miles, new fridge (was 3-way, now only electric), new master cylinder & rear brakes, & new hoses. But I haven't seen anything but pics yet. If all seems well, I'll rent a car & make the drive from Philly, PA area to Michigan to see it before I buy. Asking $1600 obo, because the previous owner took out A/C unit & closed up the roof. I intend to rent a lot & move in, then take the winter to save up for a solar conversion kit for backup to travel & A/C. I can't find an owner's manual anywhere online to see if any of this is feasible with this model. And I don't see any Lindys in the forum, which makes me wonder about the rig's longevity. Would I be making a mistake buying her? Thanks for any feedback.
I've read through your posts since '04 & you guys are a close-knit group, been through hell & back together & it seems to have brought you closer & made you stronger & all the better for it. I'm honored to be a part of your Forum.
Truly,
Meghan ?

Welcome.

$1600 is a good price, unless it's a piece of ****. (New refrigerators cost about half that.) 102K miles is towards the high end mileage-wise for a 1976 motorhome. I'd pay a mechanic to do a compression check on the engine, although your should be able to get at least another 100K miles out of it.

Make sure the floor is solid and doesn't feel soft or spongy. Walls and roofs can be fixed without too much trouble (relatively speaking) but bad floor means you'd probably have to completely rebuild the whole coach.

If you plan on living in it through the winter, even Pennsylvania, you'll go through a lot of heating fuel. Most motorhomes in that era only had 3/4" of foam insulation, with a maximum R-value of 3.75. For comparison, R15 is considered the absolute minimum for wall insulation and most banks want at least R21 before they'll consider a mortgage loan.

You'll also have difficulties with condensation resulting just from breathing and cooking. The humidity will penetrate and condense inside the insulation, further reducing its R-value, which will make it harder to stay warm as the winter progresses and possibly lead to rot in the coach framing. (The temptation is to keep the windows and vents closed tight but in a small space like that you need to get rid of the humidity in cold weather.)

This is all "voice of experience." I lived in a motorhome into the fall and it was hard to stay warm when the temperatures dropped below freezing. (When it dropped into the subzero range, I might as well have been in a tent.)

Good luck and I hope things work out for you.

[Soon2BNewbie]

Hello all! I've got my eye on a 1976 Lindy Motorhome with a Dodge 360 engine. Interior has been remodeled & exterior resealed, 102k miles, new fridge (was 3-way, now only electric), new master cylinder & rear brakes, & new hoses. But I haven't seen anything but pics yet. If all seems well, I'll rent a car & make the drive from Philly, PA area to Michigan to see it before I buy. Asking $1600 obo, because the previous owner took out A/C unit & closed up the roof. I intend to rent a lot & move in, then take the winter to save up for a solar conversion kit for backup to travel & A/C. I can't find an owner's manual anywhere online to see if any of this is feasible with this model. And I don't see any Lindys in the forum, which makes me wonder about the rig's longevity. Would I be making a mistake buying her? Thanks for any feedback.
I've read through your posts since '04 & you guys are a close-knit group, been through hell & back together & it seems to have brought you closer & made you stronger & all the better for it. I'm honored to be a part of your Forum.
Truly,
Meghan ?

[Jer_Ger]

z89101 wrote:
Jer&Ger wrote:

z89101 wrote:

We need the gray water tank and or the sensor - I can get a great gray sloped tank, but the sensor needs to work with the panel indicators. Ideas?

If your interested, I have a Black and Grey set of tanks I just took off of a "78 Dodge Georgetown that I was going to junk just to get them out of my way. I see your in Vegas, I'm just outside Boise, ID.
I can send you pics if your interested, you can have them. Let me know. Jerry



Hey Jerry, thanks for the offer. A few pics would be great! - z89101@cox.net

Just go to my page at:photobucket . Look under the album of : Tanks. Hope this works. Jerry

[z89101]

Jer&Ger wrote:

z89101 wrote:
We need the gray water tank and or the sensor - I can get a great gray sloped tank, but the sensor needs to work with the panel indicators. Ideas?

If your interested, I have a Black and Grey set of tanks I just took off of a "78 Dodge Georgetown that I was going to junk just to get them out of my way. I see your in Vegas, I'm just outside Boise, ID.
I can send you pics if your interested, you can have them. Let me know. Jerry

Hey Jerry, thanks for the offer. A few pics would be great! - z89101@cox.net

[Jer_Ger]

z89101 wrote:
We need the gray water tank and or the sensor - I can get a great gray sloped tank, but the sensor needs to work with the panel indicators. Ideas?

If your interested, I have a Black and Grey set of tanks I just took off of a "78 Dodge Georgetown that I was going to junk just to get them out of my way. I see your in Vegas, I'm just outside Boise, ID.
I can send you pics if your interested, you can have them. Let me know. Jerry

[eyeteeth]

I am sorry... I have failed you... It was cold enough at the track this weekend, there was absolutely no need for A/C. So, no need to run the Generator for several hours. No real load to put on it. Nothing to report. maybe before long, I can run a couple space heaters off the generator as a test. lol.

[eyeteeth]

Final points race this weekend... looking forward to that. Youngest son has his first Football Game tomorrow, and oldest son starts his soccer season tonight. Busy weekend.

While at the track tomorrow, going to experiment as I think we may have figured out my Generator problem. When running right, and not chocked up with Ethenol leftovers... it will only run a couple hours or so then starts surging and eventually dies. i can restart it for a little while, but eventually does the same thing. I've tried a bunch o' stuff, but finally had the simplest possible solution suggested this past weekend. Let you know next week... But...

The Onan has a cute little fuel pump... The gas tank, being older as you know, has a vented gas cap. We think it is possible, the fuel pump doesn't have enough power, or doesn't create enough of a vacuum (or create it quick enough) in the tank for the cap vent to open. Going to try cracking the cap this weekend and see how long the generator runs.