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

[Jer_Ger]

Trish, how about this one?

[ALnCORY]

Jer,
Nice looking rig... it is laid out very similar to the Ford based rig I picked up last year, except mine has the split bed/bath area in back. I still have the old dodge for the kids to borrow and it also works perfectly to take to my mother-in-laws in the spring and fall to do the heavy lifting yard work for her. That way we don't have to sleep in the house and have her dog wake me up at 3 in the morning.
Anyway, great job looks like a nice unit.... see you out in the wilds of Idaho some time.
Al

[79powerwagon]

Trish Davis wrote:
Yeah, you do. Better get on that... ;-0)

79powerwagon wrote:
Sweet!

But admittedly, I have a lot of catching up to do here... 😉

I'm tryin'! I'm tryin'!!!! 😉

[Leeann]

Jer, reverse what you put in the linky fields. If you click on it, all you get is http://here and, at least on my iPad, I can't copy the whole text to paste in another tab because the forum sticks ... In the middle....

Thanks 😉

[Jer_Ger]

Well, I know this is for Dodge's, but here's the finished re-build of the RV I acquired a couple of months ago that replaced my Dodge: Here.If you look in the other albums, you'll see how it looked to start with. I wonder how long if will look like this with 3 dogs? :W

Edit to fix link

[Trish_Davis]

Yeah, you do. Better get on that... ;-0)

79powerwagon wrote:
Sweet!

But admittedly, I have a lot of catching up to do here... 😉

[79powerwagon]

Sweet!

But admittedly, I have a lot of catching up to do here... 😉

[Trish_Davis]

Ah-ha!
I got my 1949 Chrysler hubcaps. For $45.
One's dented, 3 are perfect. Rubber hammer + 2 hockey pucks, it'll be fine.

Petey is going to look so good.

[Trish_Davis]

If'n you're wantin' yer own Petey, there're a few considerations.

At, or about 100K, the water pump is going to die. No big on a normal vehicle, but the frt half of a PT engine has to come off to get to the water pump.
I would not kid about a thing like this.

Also, the timing belt needs to be changed while you're in there.
Ask me how I know this.

Stock frt end bushing are, frankly, sh!t.
Urethane bushings are spendy and worth it. Summitt.

The way the tie rods are designed,one bolt, inside a steel sleeve, takes all the stress of the frt end.
Got a machinist buddy? Have the sleeves machined made from medium carbon steel and heat-treated for stress. This is one time when tensile strength actually matters.
Ditto for the bolts, they need to be low or medium carbon steel and will need heat-treated.

NO! Not all stainless is the same grade /made with the same alloys.
Carbon steel is always preferable because iron (ferrite) really is the sh!t.

Treat carbon steels with POR-15 and paint with Rust-Oleum. It'll last decades.

Wheels. The pretty chromed stock wheels are chromed aluminum and bend.
Why do you think Petey got new shoes and socks? You seldom see a PT with stock rims. But Cavalier, Neon, Sunfire stock rims (5x100) fit perfectly. :0)

Later models have plastic-ey cheap interiors. Petey is an '01 and his interior has held up very well. And if you find an underseat box for the pass seat, BUY IT!

Transmission cooler and lines really like to be cleaned out every few years. No one does this, then their PT's run like crap. Jack, jackstands, 3 hours, some dirt, you're done.
All auto PT's are gear-bound. But I refuse to contemplate changing a clutch in a PT.


Aren't those Chrysler wheel covers sweet? I covet them; heartily, I do.

whiteknight001 wrote:
OK, Trish... you started this!

Looking at Petey just triggered a whole bunch of
thinking, which is dangerous, and resource-consuming
for me...

So, I'm looking for me a Petey now. Dang you.

your little fat buddy

Mark

[whiteknight001]

OK, Trish... you started this!

Looking at Petey just triggered a whole bunch of
thinking, which is dangerous, and resource-consuming
for me...

The Oklahoma State University mascot is "Pistol Pete",
and I can see a bright "hugger orange" PT Cruiser in
my near future. If I opted for the 'vert, that would be
even sweeter. I have always loved convertibles, they
make me feel less confined. And no, I don't look any
better with my hair "tousled" by the wind. Just more old
and frumpy.

So, I'm looking for me a Petey now. Dang you.

your little fat buddy

Mark

[whiteknight001]

Trish Davis wrote:
Petey is auto, which sets up a whole bunch of towing difficulties.The lighter any hitch or base plate is, the better. I intend to keep the frame's 2' extension for The Big Box but use that space to tote whatever.

Trish,

If nothing else, and with the fact that Petey is an automatic, a tow dolly might be in order. This would mean the least amount of mods to towing vehicle and "toad", and the wiring for lights will be relatively painless. Just my thoughts. Me? I like the idea of the dolly. It does
"eat up" some things as far as towing goes, but short of finding a toad that's manual, or "towable automatic", (which indeed is an oxymoron) it is not too bad of an option.

I like flat black too. Had a '72 model Chevy Luv truck I nicknamed "Chet". He got the "stealth" paint job long before it became all the rage with the Air Force. But it didn't help worth a damn with "land-based radar" lol... The hubcaps? Vintage? SWEET!! But they would probably disappear in a hiccup, unless Petey had some big hairy friends with large teeth and a deep bark! The steelies are almost as sweet, but there's something about seeing that "Chrysler" logo...

Don't even contemplate a set of "Daytons" unless you REALLY REALLY LOVE concrete blocks under the axles...

And it's just wonderful to be able to see a pic of you! It pleased me so much I had to turn up a couple glasses of single malt in your honor. I'll try to post a pic of me as well, either my infamous "Geriatric Punk" or the equally weird "Phantom of the BiPAP"... lol... One of the respiratory techs we used to work with heard that I'd been "supercharged" and told my wife that because of that, I had joined the ranks of "Zorro", "the Phantom of the Opera" and the "Lone Ranger"; then asked her how she felt about having the pleasure of sleeping with a "masked man". She said later that her sides haven't hurt that bad in a LONG time!!

The cape part is kinda tricky. Especially if you get it hung on something whilst navigating to the bathroom about 2 am...

your happie friend,

Mark the windblown

[Trish_Davis]

it will be silver.
Scrub (again) with bleach, sand, roll and tip with Rust-Oleum.
But I'm keeping my bottom stripe flat black, bumpers, too.

Petey is auto, which sets up a whole bunch of towing difficulties.
The lighter any hitch or base plate is, the better. I intend to keep the frame's 2' extension for The Big Box but use that space to tote whatever.

Bob is out of the picture. He doesn't know anything about fiberglass work, anyhow.
The new/old Travco is inside at the junkyard and the azz-end graft will take place there. It doesn't run (413 block minus heads, rad, pulleys) and there's very little left on it of any use; what is left will be parts for mine. No glass except 2 small side windows. Even the step is gone.

[Leeann]

Silver. Still my vote.

Another Travco? Graft the butt end onto yours? Bob think you're nuts?

Tow the PT. Hmmm. I'm guessing a Blue Ox baseplate. I haven't looked into that 'cause we tow raceboats...

[Trish_Davis]

Yeah, well, you started it.

So I need to add to the compendium. Which means I need advice.
On the other hand, I have pictures.

So. My son's '01 PT Cruiser is sort of mine by default. It's a cute little roller skate but absolutely comfortable for my poor, benighted (nothing to do with you, Mark) back.

So then. The day after I sold my Exploder, I bought a new hatch and a new left rr door for Petey. A doe, a deer, a female deer tagged the door and an idiot on the Rte 22 Parkway inbound did for the hatch and a light.

Actually, they weren't new, I found a junkyard with a silver PT for parts. Got prices and arrived with my cane --and the walker all folded up in the back in case this guy decided he was not going to change my hatch. And door.
What? He was gonna turn away a middle-aged woman walking with a cane.

Back in Jan '09, I bought my son low profile tires on hellacool wheels completely unbeknowst to him. He was so happy.

But I hate those wheels. I want grown-up wheels.
I really want 15" steelies with baby moons and beauty rings.

Then I saw this: http://www.ptcruiserlinks.com/forum/wheels-tires-suspension/44185-1950s-hubcaps.html
Then I found these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/400311562367?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 before I saw these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/150641934789?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 but I think I'm going to have to settle for these ones: http://www.ebay.com/itm/110645725450?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649.

Petey is silver and I have not yet painted the Travco. I have decided firmly against flat black, even though it's my favorite vehicle color.
Leeann voted for silver, but I don't want my Travco to look like an Airstream.
However, if the Travco was towing Petey, now how cool is that.

So.
How do I tow Petey? He's frt-whl, auto.
Yeah, yeah, I've seen a thousand tow bars, but which ones will fit the Travco's frame?
The Travco's frame has had enough diddling; simpler is better.


And, yes, I bought another complete Travco, an absolute wreck of a thing to graft its azz-end onto mine. Which is going to be the mother of all projects.


Leeann, Eric, Griff, eyeteeth, Mark, speak to me, please.
And realize this all because a deer ran into a door.

whiteknight001 wrote:
This thread never ceases to amaze me; someone once called it a "compendium".

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.

Go figure... It's great to be back with y'all.
And wonderful to hear from you!

Mark

Petey, Margaret and Me:

[Trish_Davis]

Duh.
It's McCurtain, down in the SE corner.
I bought the Travco from a woman in Macomb, MI.

Middle age is not being kind to me.
Although if this is middle age, does that mean I'm going to live to 104?

It's more hot & humid -and miserable-- than usual in the Ohio Valley.
Yankee like me would melt in OK.

whiteknight001 wrote:

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