Skyliner
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Re: How many of us are there? Owners of Dodge based RV's?
Not sure if I am in the right place to ask this question, but here goes. I have a 76 Dodge RV with 8x16.5 tires. I am wondering if anyone would know if the 8x16 rims from a mid 90's Ford would fit on this vehicle. With the price of the 16.5's I would really prefer to switch to 16's, and I found a great deal on the full set of 6 tires on a Ford at the local scrap yard. The lug pattern looks the same but I am concerned that something may be different and not work out. Any ideas would be appreciated.219Views0likes0CommentsRe: Fixing water damage on the old Dodge (pics)
I finally finished the tear out of all of the rotten wood in my cabover. I ultimately had 2 issues. The first was a leak in the vent, which was the reason for my ceiling starting to sag. When I tore things out I found that the vinyl had separated from the wood backing. As I pulled it down, that last layer of wood stayed in place with the foam insulation behind it. It was dry so not sure if I will tear that out or not yet. All of the studs in the ceiling appear to be dry and solid. The big issue was leaking below the front window and a bit along the bottom side seams. I could see where the PO had caulked the heck out of those areas, but after tearing everything out, I found a bunch of little pin holes in the skin along the front and corners. I am not sure if these were the result of screws or staples rusting out, and the small pieces migrating to spots where they continued to rust against the aluminum, or if it was something else all together. My lower end was so rotted out that the wood was literally turned to compost. What was there was mostly mush and came apart when I pulled the decking up. I was lucky in that some of the pieces were labeled with their lengths where I could still read it. I am using that as a guide, but for the most part am redesigning the platform and adding some additional support along the way. I have some pictures, post tear out, that I will post when I get a chance. I will also post some pictures from the rebuild. I think I am lucky as it would appear I can do all of this from inside. The bright side to this project so far is that one of our local home building supply stores is shutting down for a remodel. Everything was on sale for 30% off, and I was able to pick up everything I needed to do this job, plus a few tools I was missing, and at a good discount. They had rolls of repair tape for aluminum roofs, so I bought 4 rolls, which should be enough to seal all of my seams in the roof and also shore up some of those areas with the pin holes. I will be sure to turn on all the interior lights and walk around it at night to spot any other holes I may not have noticed so far.211Views0likes0CommentsRe: Fixing water damage on the old Dodge (pics)
I am going through something similar with my 75 Brougham. The PO seemed to think that caulk was the answer to everything, and basically let lower part of the cabover rot away. I started tearing in last week and was amazed and the damage in there. Basically everything from the bottom of the windows down needs to be replaced. I filled 5 trash bags with wood so rotted it was basically compost. After the tear out, a week of running the dehumidifier and fans got things nice and dry. So far I have been able to do most of the work from the inside and it is coming along well. My plan is to rebuild it stronger than original. It is impossible to find original trim and such, but the local home supply store has things that are close enough so it should look better once done. I bought the RV knowing there were issues, so the scope of the project is no real shock to me. The rest of the coach is really solid with no water damage, so once everything is done and sealed up well, it should be a good rig for years to come.325Views0likes0CommentsRe: How many of us are there? Owners of Dodge based RV's?
Hello Everyone... I recently traded an old car for a 1975 Sportsman Brougham. It is a decent old rig with lots of little issues to keep me busy. I have read through the entire thread on the old Dodge based RV's, and have gleaned some great information in the course of the discussions. I am sure I will be jumping in with questions from time to time, but overall just really enjoy reading about these great old rigs and the people who own them. Personally, I think they have so much more character than the cookie cutter boxes you see out rolling around on the highway these days. Add to that the lack of a monthly payment, and any elbow grease or $$$ (within reason) makes them a real value. In bringing this rig back to life, I am starting on the obvious stuff, belts, hoses, fluids and of course tires. I am comfortable with all of that and the house is in remarkably good shape overall. I found some old water damage in the cab over area, but have a friend who has repaired several in the past and will be helping me with that aspect. If all goes well, I should be taking her out on the maiden voyage in early July. Looking forward to meeting everyone and discussing these great old rigs. Patrick278Views0likes0Comments
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