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

[StingrayL82]

PolCat-76-Avion wrote:
Not necessary but just annoying! Are the dash lights plug in bayonet style or the newer all glass style? Can you reach up and find them from behind?
This is the dash in it.

They are the glass type that fit into a plastic fitting, which is twisted into the circuit board. You'll notice in the pic what I wrote. The reason is because some B-Vans had an idiot light, instead of the oil gauge. Leave it empty.

On edit: Unless you posted a generic picture of a '76 dash, I just noticed in your pic that you have the idiot light. If you do, disregard my earlier statement.

[PolCat-76-Avion]

Not necessary but just annoying! Are the dash lights plug in bayonet style or the newer all glass style? Can you reach up and find them from behind?
This is the dash in it.

[Ballenxj]

PolCat-76-Avion wrote:
Went out at noon left fuel pump run til count of 10, full choke no pumping of the pedal. Started right up 🙂

It would seem you have now found your start up system. Congrats! 😉

[PolCat-76-Avion]

Went out at noon left fuel pump run til count of 10, full choke no pumping of the pedal. Started right up 🙂

The 3rd part of that video answered my question on the accelerator pump 4:35.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8CnQWTUSNU

[StingrayL82]

PolCat-76-Avion wrote:
I found this on YouTube, it is what mine looks like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzNhCLg9veg

Yep, the venerable Thermo-Quad. When it’s properly built and tuned, it’s one of the best carburetors out there. There are many people out there who hate it, because they don’t know how to work on it. You’ll get arguments that the phenolic bowl cracks or warps. I have never seen one warp in my life and I’ve built quite a few. The reason they crack most of the time is because people either over tighten them or they forget that there are two screws that are down the primary bores and they try to use a screwdriver to pry it open.

If you take your time, and you use the factory service manual for your motorhome, you can get a really good running carburetor that gets decent mileage and gives you lots of power. Switching from a two barrel to the four barrel really woke my engine up. Plus, i really like the distinctive “moan” the Thermo-Quad makes, when the secondaries engage.

[PolCat-76-Avion]

I found this on YouTube, it is what mine looks like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzNhCLg9veg

Part II shows these tabs. 5:50 into the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huzO53WB_1c

[StingrayL82]

eyeteeth wrote:
I recently re-built my Carb, re-glueing the well caps in an effort to solve the same problem. It did not. If you have a second guess, I'm open. Was starting the link the fuel line may just be old enough that its in need to replacement... But I can't figure out why that would cause problem with fuel that should already be available in the bowl.

From my extensive research on the subject, the aforementioned epoxy is the only one that seems to have success in keeping the well caps firmly in place and leak free. The key is to make sure that the old epoxy is completely removed from the fuel bowl and the caps, make sure that you give it a good key with some sandpaper, then clean with denatured alcohol, apply the epoxy, install the caps firmly, and let it cure for a couple of days, otherwise the ethanol will destroy the work you’ve done.

[eyeteeth]

I recently re-built my Carb, re-glueing the well caps in an effort to solve the same problem. It did not. If you have a second guess, I'm open. Was starting the link the fuel line may just be old enough that its in need to replacement... But I can't figure out why that would cause problem with fuel that should already be available in the bowl.

[StingrayL82]

PolCat-76-Avion wrote:
StingrayL82 would you have pictures of this? My experience is with vintage snowmobiles not larger carburetors.

Here you go. Keep in mind that there is an identical well cap on the other side of the bowl. Almost everything on the Thermo-Quad is siamesed.



Of course, this is ASSuming that you still have the original Thermo-Quad on your 440, and not a replacement, like Holley or Quadrajet.

[PolCat-76-Avion]

StingrayL82 would you have pictures of this? My experience is with vintage snowmobiles not larger carburetors.

[StingrayL82]

PolCat-76-Avion wrote:
My question to the group is does the 76 Mopar 440 carburetor have a primer pump? If you pump the foot pedal does it pump gas into the carburetor throat? It has sat for a week and now will not start. It has an electric fuel pump on it so I let the pump run for awhile before trying to start it. Last weekend we went camping and when we went to leave it was a hard start.

Update: went out and let the fuel pump run for 2 more minutes and it started right up 🙂

If you are having to run the fuel pump that long to get it to start, the most likely culprit is going to be the fuel bowl well caps that sit underneath the phenolic resin bowl on the Thermo-Quad. I’m going through that right now and just bought some Loctite E AE–120HP resin to re-epoxy them. It’s almost identical to what Carter used when they were assembling them.

[Leeann]

We turn on the fuel pump, pump the pedal gently 3-4 times, then turn the key.

That’s on a ‘73 440, so I’m not sure if there’s any difference.

[PolCat-76-Avion]

My question to the group is does the 76 Mopar 440 carburetor have a primer pump? If you pump the foot pedal does it pump gas into the carburetor throat? It has sat for a week and now will not start. It has an electric fuel pump on it so I let the pump run for awhile before trying to start it. Last weekend we went camping and when we went to leave it was a hard start.

Update: went out and let the fuel pump run for 2 more minutes and it started right up 🙂

[RvFNG76]

I've considered driving and living in permanently and my van but Michigan Winters

[Leeann]

Oh, man. That just sucks. I mean, having to sell the RV is bad, but divorce sucks.


Goreds, glad to hear yours still runs so well. It’s nice having a spare vehicle that’s also a spare ‘house’.