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

[Capt_Steve]

How did you do on your cruise control project? I'd like to get mine working on my '78 but I have no knowledge about how a CC works.

DRTDEVL wrote:
OK, I'm back... Finally decided to look into the cruise control today after I welded new supports for my battery tray (rusting away). Right off the bat, I noticed its plumbed wrong. The cruise actuator is under the master cylinder on the firewall, and everything moves freely by hand, but it has 2 vacuum lines, and I know its not right. Both of them go to a little tin can on the firewall... and nothing else is plumbed to it.

How does this hook up? I'm guessing the canister has a check valve in it (if not, I'll get a universal one), but where in the system is this routed? Why 2 vacuum lines to the actuator?

Its a 1980 Winnebago Minnie Winnie on a 1979 chassis... what I thought was a CB300, but I found a sticker in the cabin that this little 20.5 foot unit is actually an MB400, probably because it was ordered with the 10,500 chassis.

[Leeann]

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

I hope everyone is out using their rigs. We have some work to do to ours to get it back on the road, starting with tires. Ours are 8-17.5; the fronts are recaps that came with the RV when I bought it and are steering tires. The duals are newer we grabbed from a Winnie Chieftain a guy was sending to the dump (when we got the 2 additional fuel tanks), but don't work as steering tires - it's impossible to drive with them on the front. Monarch for the recap steering tires and Denman for the duals and spares. I bought it in 2006, so even if the tires were brand-new then they're dry-rotted trash now.


So I'm looking for tire suggestions. Same all the way around, different steer tires, what sizes and where did you get them?

[DRTDEVL]

I'm going to head out to the shop this afternoon and dig out my hand vacuum pump to see what I can see. If the diaphragm seems to hold vacuum properly and the can does as well, I'll then need to determine why this has 2 vacuum lines and where they belong. One will likely come off the canister, but the other? Maybe it was a vent line?

[StingrayL82]

DRTDEVL wrote:
OK, I'm back... Finally decided to look into the cruise control today after I welded new supports for my battery tray (rusting away). Right off the bat, I noticed its plumbed wrong. The cruise actuator is under the master cylinder on the firewall, and everything moves freely by hand, but it has 2 vacuum lines, and I know its not right. Both of them go to a little tin can on the firewall... and nothing else is plumbed to it.

How does this hook up? I'm guessing the canister has a check valve in it (if not, I'll get a universal one), but where in the system is this routed? Why 2 vacuum lines to the actuator?

Its a 1980 Winnebago Minnie Winnie on a 1979 chassis... what I thought was a CB300, but I found a sticker in the cabin that this little 20.5 foot unit is actually an MB400, probably because it was ordered with the 10,500 chassis.

On mine, which still has the original, functioning cruise control, the actuator is located on the rear, of the driver's side of the engine. I don't know what year Dodge changed it -I suspect it was probably 1978, when the body style changed slightly - but on a 1983 B150 I found in the junkyard, the actuator was on top of the hood brace on the driver's side. Here's are two pics of the '83. I actually think I have the actuator from that '83 in my garage.

[Ballenxj]

Been a while since hearing from this thread. 😉

DRTDEVL wrote:

Its a 1980 Winnebago Minnie Winnie on a 1979 chassis... what I thought was a CB300, but I found a sticker in the cabin that this little 20.5 foot unit is actually an MB400, probably because it was ordered with the 10,500 chassis.

Most likely since your chassis weight capacity has been upgraded, so would the designation have been.
Sorry, no help on the vacuum line routing.

[DRTDEVL]

OK, I'm back... Finally decided to look into the cruise control today after I welded new supports for my battery tray (rusting away). Right off the bat, I noticed its plumbed wrong. The cruise actuator is under the master cylinder on the firewall, and everything moves freely by hand, but it has 2 vacuum lines, and I know its not right. Both of them go to a little tin can on the firewall... and nothing else is plumbed to it.

How does this hook up? I'm guessing the canister has a check valve in it (if not, I'll get a universal one), but where in the system is this routed? Why 2 vacuum lines to the actuator?

Its a 1980 Winnebago Minnie Winnie on a 1979 chassis... what I thought was a CB300, but I found a sticker in the cabin that this little 20.5 foot unit is actually an MB400, probably because it was ordered with the 10,500 chassis.

[Ballenxj]

StingrayL82 wrote:

Now you just need to quit Facebook and you’ll really feel better! Best thing I ever did for my mental health. I got rid of Twitter and Instagram too and have never looked back.

I use facebook to keep track of family, friends, and hobbies.
Every now and again a sprinkling of politics among friends, but mostly cars, friends, and relatives.

[StingrayL82]

Griff in Fairbanks wrote:

Ballenxj wrote:

StingrayL82 wrote:

Ballenxj wrote:
Anybody heard from Griff lately?

Not since I got rid of Facebook.

You quit facebook, so Griff quit coming here?

I still get notifications and lurk here. However, as noted, I spend a lot of time on Facebook, mostly involving hobbies other than motorhomes.

Been busy since early last spring with unusual heat, nearby wildfires, and smoky conditions resulting in frequent angina of varying intensity.

Quit smoking with last cigarette in the evening of September 26th.

Quintuple (five-way) bypass surgery on September 27th, followed by a week in the ICU and then at-home recovery. Twice weekly cardiac rehab since, which tends to wear me out. (Traveling to and from town contributes to the weariness.)

The surgery went better than the surgeon and the cardiologist expected. (They had scheduled an average good-case stay in the ICU but were able to release me one day early.)

For me, the results of the surgery, plus quitting smoking, is much, much better than I expected. I feel better than I've felt in over five years. Enough so that I've revived some plans and efforts that I'd given up on.

Good for you! You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel, with each passing day, and how much better things are going to smell and food is going to taste.

Now you just need to quit Facebook and you’ll really feel better! Best thing I ever did for my mental health. I got rid of Twitter and Instagram too and have never looked back.

[Ballenxj]

Griff in Fairbanks wrote:

Ballenxj wrote:
Well Griff, 3 months and counting for giving up smoking. It's all about willpower, and I think you've got it whipped. I quit 20 years ago, and I'm really glad I did. The five way bypass sounds serious. Good to hear from you. 🙂

The physiological withdrawal is over. The lifetime of habit remains and I'm struggling with that.

Wait till a year has gone by. Things will just keep getting better.
Glad they finally got you in for the surgery too.

[Griff_in_Fairba]

Ballenxj wrote:
Well Griff, 3 months and counting for giving up smoking. It's all about willpower, and I think you've got it whipped. I quit 20 years ago, and I'm really glad I did. The five way bypass sounds serious. Good to hear from you. 🙂

The physiological withdrawal is over. The lifetime of habit remains and I'm struggling with that.

Yes, just about as serious as you can get without winding up in the morgue. The VA was dragging their heels on approval and everybody on our end wasn't sure if I'd last. Without the surgery, when it was finally approved, I wouldn't have made it to Thanksgiving and definitely not Christmas. Two thirty mile ambulance rides, three ER visits lasting 6-8 hours each, three more visits by EMTs not resulting in evac and ER, and serious consideration of putting me in the ICU for whatever amount of time it took the VA to approve the travel and surgery is how my summer went.

[Ballenxj]

Griff in Fairbanks wrote:

I still get notifications and lurk here. However, as noted, I spend a lot of time on Facebook, mostly involving hobbies other than motorhomes.

Been busy since early last spring with unusual heat, nearby wildfires, and smoky conditions resulting in frequent angina of varying intensity.

Quit smoking with last cigarette in the evening of September 26th.

Quintuple (five-way) bypass surgery on September 27th, followed by a week in the ICU and then at-home recovery. Twice weekly cardiac rehab since, which tends to wear me out. (Traveling to and from town contributes to the weariness.)

The surgery went better than the surgeon and the cardiologist expected. (They had scheduled an average good-case stay in the ICU but were able to release me one day early.)

For me, the results of the surgery, plus quitting smoking, is much, much better than I expected. I feel better than I've felt in over five years. Enough so that I've revived some plans and efforts that I'd given up on.

Well Griff, 3 months and counting for giving up smoking. It's all about willpower, and I think you've got it whipped. I quit 20 years ago, and I'm really glad I did. The five way bypass sounds serious. Good to hear from you. 🙂

[Griff_in_Fairba]

Ballenxj wrote:

StingrayL82 wrote:

Ballenxj wrote:
Anybody heard from Griff lately?

Not since I got rid of Facebook.

You quit facebook, so Griff quit coming here?

I still get notifications and lurk here. However, as noted, I spend a lot of time on Facebook, mostly involving hobbies other than motorhomes.

Been busy since early last spring with unusual heat, nearby wildfires, and smoky conditions resulting in frequent angina of varying intensity.

Quit smoking with last cigarette in the evening of September 26th.

Quintuple (five-way) bypass surgery on September 27th, followed by a week in the ICU and then at-home recovery. Twice weekly cardiac rehab since, which tends to wear me out. (Traveling to and from town contributes to the weariness.)

The surgery went better than the surgeon and the cardiologist expected. (They had scheduled an average good-case stay in the ICU but were able to release me one day early.)

For me, the results of the surgery, plus quitting smoking, is much, much better than I expected. I feel better than I've felt in over five years. Enough so that I've revived some plans and efforts that I'd given up on.

[Ballenxj]

StingrayL82 wrote:

Ballenxj wrote:
Anybody heard from Griff lately?

Not since I got rid of Facebook.

You quit facebook, so Griff quit coming here?

[StingrayL82]

Ballenxj wrote:
Anybody heard from Griff lately?

Not since I got rid of Facebook.

[Ballenxj]

Anybody heard from Griff lately?