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]

JC Whitney has insulating kits and heat resistant material. I am sure other parts suppliers have similar stuff.

mbryanr, if your wife is a seamstress that is great, here is a pic of the cushions my wife recovered and some of the curtains she made. Really dressed it up to replace all the old covers etc.

[mbryanr]

any suggestions for insulating the doghouse?;)

[mbryanr]

Thanks to this forum and Alncory, eyeteeth, and Griff for the advice.

And thanks to Treeseeker for a great follow-up question.

Passed your suggestions on to the "boss" and she says "we can do that". She's a seamstress so...I'm going with her advice as well. 😄

I'll post pictures when we are finished.

[ALnCORY]

TreeSeeker,
I did just use regular carpet pad. So far I haven't noticed any problem. I left a little gap around the drivers side of the doghouse as that is where it gets the hottest. As for the wheel wells, I just used the self tapping screws and I formed it and screwed it down as I went, starting on the floor and then moving up and over the wheel wells. I also used a little carpet glue in a couple spots. The hex screws dissapear into the nap of the carpet and don't even show. I am not saying that its a pro job or as smooth as a fitted mat would be but it looks pretty good and is much better than the old worn out stuff that was there.

[TreeSeeker]

AlnCory,

The difficult part seems to be the wheel wells. How did you handle those compound curves?

And what kind of pad did you use? I worry that the usual rubber padding can't take the heat.

[ALnCORY]

mbryanr,
Here is a pic sort of showing how my new carpet looks.
Hope that helps,
Mine is a 74 Brougham by the way.

[ALnCORY]

mbryanr,

Like eyeteeth I went cheap. I went to Homedepot and bought a bound carpet 5x7 I think. (measure your cab to see how wide it is) I also bought a piece of pad that size. I laid the pad down, cut it to fit, then did the same with the carpet. I used short self tapping hex screws to attach it to the floor. It turned out pretty well and only cost me about 30 bucks.

[eyeteeth]

acchan wrote:
the source of the leak has been patched up so i'm guessing i'll just have to live with a soft roof!

and the fridge is all good... just not getting very cold.

thanks eyeteeth!

I still say check the airflow first. 🙂 Also... another though, use an air compressor to blow dust, dirt out of the cooling fins.

[eyeteeth]

mbryanr wrote:
I have a '77 Broughman and am looking to replace the carpet in the cab. Anybody recommend a good place to find a replacement molded carpet? Will a '78 fit properly? Or will I end up fabricating it myself?

Thanks in advance.

I just made my own for $25 worth of scrap from a carpeting place. Talk to 'em nice, and you might even get it free. Doesn't take much. Trying to find pre-fab was hard, and expensive... and I'm cheap.

[Griff_in_Fairba]

mbryanr wrote:
I have a '77 Broughman and am looking to replace the carpet in the cab. Anybody recommend a good place to find a replacement molded carpet? Will a '78 fit properly? Or will I end up fabricating it myself?

Thanks in advance.

Assuming the '77 Broughman is a Class C (I don't have time to look it up to make sure), look for carpeting for a '77 Dodge B100/B200/B300 van. JC Whitney probably lists it, as well as many, many other sources.

[Griff_in_Fairba]

acchan wrote:
the source of the leak has been patched up so i'm guessing i'll just have to live with a soft roof!

and the fridge is all good... just not getting very cold.

thanks eyeteeth!

The fridge may need to be 'burped'.

[Griff_in_Fairba]

Some thoughts on leaks ...

1. Water happens, which is why Noah invented bilge pumps.

2. Water goes where it wants to go. You can't stop it ... at best, you can merely slow it down and make most of it go where you want it to go. (Most roofers will tell you this is true and Army Corps of Engineers careers have been built on this basis.)

3. Water abides by the Boatbuilders' Law of Dropped Tools and Hardware. (i.e., a dropped tool or hardware will always wind up in the most inaccessible part of the bilge ... corollary: If the bilge is not the most inaccessible place in the boat, dropped tools and hardware will defy gravity to reach the most inaccessible place.)

4. A significant portion of motorhome water 'leaks' are not due to external sources. Instead, they are due to excess internal humidity (from respiration, cooking, etc.) saturating and condensing in the exterior framing and insulation.

[acchan]

the source of the leak has been patched up so i'm guessing i'll just have to live with a soft roof!

and the fridge is all good... just not getting very cold.

thanks eyeteeth!

[mbryanr]

I have a '77 Broughman and am looking to replace the carpet in the cab. Anybody recommend a good place to find a replacement molded carpet? Will a '78 fit properly? Or will I end up fabricating it myself?

Thanks in advance.

[eyeteeth]

It can take a fridge overnight to really get cold. The tubes on the back should be warm/hot to the touch after about 45 minutes. If it's not getting cold, make sure nothing is blocking the top vent, and that air can move freely behind the fridge. If that area is entirely clear, and your tubes are warming up but the fridge isn't getting cold, then you have a problem.

Also, sometimes the fridge will work on electric but not LP or vice versa. Try both before you give up on it entirely. (Although for me, LP is a necessity.)

Is the water damaged area 'soggy' or 'soft'? Did it get damp? When looking for the source of the leak, keep in mind that area is just where the water ended up, it could be entering somewhere not directly over the spot, and running to that area.