How many of us are there? Owners of Dodge based RV's?
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/K1.2MViews1like8369Comments
B+ motorhomes
I just bought a Trail Lite B+ 211s with 8.1 Chevy engine. This is my fifth motorhome (others range from an old 20' Vagabond, and three Winnegagos, from 19 to 32'. This vehicle is fantastic. I am using it as a mobile office (and sneaking in a fun journey from time to time). It gets about 9.5mpg and I believe I could pull a bus behind it if I wanted! I paid low $40's which is about what I had expected to pay for a five or six year old Chinook with a nicer interior, but fewer features (slide). I am delighted thus far.992KViews0likes3721Comments
Buying a Former Rental Class C. How many of us out there?
While researching these pages for my next Motor Home I saw a few threads discussing Rentals, most were Pros and Cons but very few posts from people who had purchased one. I thought it may be a good resource and helpful to hear from these people. The good, the bad, what they liked and what they didn’t. Also if they had any problems, things they changed, if they would recommend this to others or do it again. Here is my story: I am not a novice, having owned a Class A for more than 15 years and doing the camping thing with my wife and two daughters, I can say “been there done that” But life changes, and I sold everything so I have been away from this for several years. Starting over I lurked here for a while and got a lot of good insight then went looking. My criteria was: A Class C within by budget, less than 30 feet so I can keep it at home, saving storage $, a rear bed, and a lot of storage space. What fit that was Winnebago, Fleetwood and a few others, what I found mostly was Jamboree / Tioga 26Q. In the year models 2002 thru 2006. I did my home work looking at NADA and other sites to find the fair prices for the models that I was looking for. After several months of searching the internet, Craigslist, private ads and Dealerships for a Class C that suited my budget and needs, this is what I found. Of the dozen or so I inquired about.Most were upsidedown in their payments, owing more than they were worth. All were on Ford Chassis, 7 needed tires, all had the original 7 to 10 year old tires, and they all needed repair of the awning and most needed some work inside or out and the maintenance records were sketchy, but most had low mileage. The Dealerships offerings were better but they had a profit margin to maintain so I got older models within my budget or huge up sales that didn’t work for me. My next step was looking at the rental market for sales. In my area there are 2 large companies that have rental sales, Cruise America and El Monte RV,who also sell Class A RVs. First up was El Monte RV Their units are production RVs that are made by major manufactures, with TV antennas and hookups inside and out, Ducted A/C and heat, 2 house batteries, a rear ladder and parts are readily available from those manufacture’s. I looked at their web site and it detailed their warranty and what was checked and serviced by their factory trained technicians. The unit I looked at was like new inside, the upholstery on all the seats was new as was the floor mat in the driver’s area, it had a new mattress, still in plastic and a new bedspread. All of the curtains were new also. Newer (2010 mfg date) tires with 98% rubber and the mileage was ninety thousand (90,000). Then there was Cruise America: Their units that I looked at seemed to be Spartan,no TV antenna or hookups for one,non-ducted A/C,small counter space and only one battery, no rear ladder for inspection and maintenance of roof and built just for them, they were all “refreshed” their words not mine. They offered extended warranties at a huge cost. All had high mileage, one hundred and thirty thousand (130,000) or more and the price range seemed a little high. The sales staff had a take it or leave it attitude and were not very forthcoming when asked about maintenance records and service,they claim to have proprietary info in those records,It doesn't seem to be a problem for El Monte RV. At El Monte RV I took a test ride; This Unit was a 2006 Tioga 26Q on a Chevrolet Chassis it rode Drove and handled much better than the Fords that I had driven. It also had more leg room and was quieter. We got back and I asked about the service and maintenance on it, the salesman, Joey, handed me a 28 page single spaced document asked if I wanted some coffee or something to drink and said “read this and if you have any questions I will answer them”. It detailed everything that was done before and after each rental, the mileage, generator hours and hours billed. Each time it was washed and detailed inside and outside, all fluids were checked and replenished if needed, the holding tanks were washed, LP system was checked for leaks, all torque on wheel lugs were checked, brakes front and rear checked for wear and cracks, pressure in tires, all appliances, generator oil, lights inside and outside, the list goes on and on. It also listed all oil changes,coolant change,trans service,fuel injector service and cleaning,fuel filters,air filter, new brakes, all repairs and replacements all with date, mileage and time spent in complete detail from day one to when it was pulled from the rental fleet and was refurbished. I have a complete service record on this vehicle.Also the service records on the Onan Generator,all oil changes,air filter and spark plug replacement with hours and date. I negotiated a good deal with them and am very happy with my purchase. It came with a 1 yr. 12000 mile power train warranty and 30 day on all appliances. It also came with a 28 page maintenance record that detailed everything. Also the original sales packet from Fleetwood with the manual and serial numbers on all appliances,refrigerator, microwave,furnace, AC, water heater, etc. and the manual for the Chassis. I have had no problems with it so far. (ON EDIT) 5 Years and close to 14000 miles.Just Scheduled Maintenance and new tires,old ones were at the 5 year mark and I wanted new Michelin LTX M/S2s. There were a few things that it didn’t have as it was a rental and the ones from private parties did have. • Power steps, outside Stereo/CD don’t need or want them. • An Awning, this I wanted and had installed. A Swivel Seat and a new Window in The Door that I installed. • Wheel Simulators, I like the looks so I had them installed and at the same time had Tire Man valve stem kit put on. • Replaced the Chinese WFCO with a US Made converter/charger • It came with mini blinds and not the day/night that most have, these are more practical and have a lot less failure. It also came with Stainless Steel sinks,easier to maintain than the cheap plastic ones that come in the noncommercial units. I am very happy with my Rig, it suites my needs and it was in my Budget range, I think I got a good deal. So if you bought a rental please share your experience here for others to use as a resource. Or if there are any other questions that have not been covered in these pages, just ask, there are many helpful people on this thread.633KViews1like1715Comments
Frequently Asked Questions about Class C's
This is the Class C Frequently Asked Questions list. It is the place where we save links to threads with questions that get asked over and over and their answers. Check here before posting if you are new to the Class C forum and are not familiar with our items from the last few months. Some of the first questions new posters have often ask just WHAT can be posted here. Check out the rules and guidelines for what and how to post on RV.Net and the Class C Forum. Winter Issues Winterizing519KViews0likes85CommentsTotal Rebuild of a 1979 Dodge Class C
I would say some of you have seen the start of this build that my brother bgriffey had posted, Well I have now bought the RV from him and plan to post the pixs of the build I have found a lot of rot in this RV I have torn out everything on the inside and have the rear opened up and the skin off the lower driver side, I will be buying a camera for my wife for christmas and im sure she will take the pixs if I can learn HOW to post them on here, Please remember its winter here in Kentucky so it will be slow but we will keep the pixs coming, Like I said this will be a total build from floor to walls and roof and custom inside build so I would appreciate all the help I can get this will be my first build and I will be learning as I go so any info will help. THANKS......Tony Griffey. A new RV can be very expensive and if you already own an outdated RV then you should just consider a complete RV remodel which can be a significant amount of money cheaper than the cost of a brand new model. If you are retired and use your RV to travel then why not save the money for your travels rather than on spending a large chunk of money on a brand new travelling vacation home. When you decide to have an RV remodel done you can have your old model completely gutted and rebuilt to look just like a newer RV and when the work is done you will not even recognize your old mobile home. Going about having a new RV to travel in this way can save you thousands of dollars and you will not have to worry about the payments on a brand new RV home. Many retired people are travelling this way nowadays so they can travel the country and be comfortable while doing it, and there are many others that own these vehicles that they will take on summer family camping trips. The RV’s that are made today are unbelievable and have all of the luxuries of home at a fraction of the size, these make it great fir families and retired folks to travel comfortably, and having an RV remodel done you can make your old RV look just like a brand new one. Statistics show that the amount of registered RV homes on the road is growing steadily every year, and much of this is due to the baby boomer generation retiring and wanting to travel the country in comfort and style. Having an RV remodel can make your RV brand new. Some things you may want to consider is having all new beds and appliances put in. Since RV appliances are smaller than your normal home kitchen appliances they are much cheaper, and a complete RV remodel will probably cost you anywhere from $5,000 to $12,000, depending on how many changes are being done. The latter price could even be a little more if you are having your RV completely gutted and redesigned. It will still save you a lot of money over purchasing a new RV home. Another thing to consider during your RV remodel is if you plan on just remodeling the inside or if you want to have the exterior redone as well, and if this is the case the project will cost more money but will still be cheaper than buying a new RV. Most of these vacationing and traveling vehicles have a type of siding on them, and the more modern ones are sometimes made of more durable fibreglasses and plastics, these materials are very nice since you do not ever have to worry about rusting. If you plan on getting a loan out for this remodeling job then you will first want to get various estimates, much like a home remodeling project. Once you get all the estimates you want you can then apply for the amount of money through your financial institution or credit union. The amount of money you need should not be hard for you to get approved for, especially if you have good credit. If you are a retired individual you most likely can take the money out of your pension or 401 funds, and this would be your best bet due to interest rates. Usually the place where you originally bought the RV can do the remodel for you as well, and if they cannot they can usually refer you to someone who can do the job for you. With the popularity of these vehicles constantly growing there are also many new dealerships and shops that specialize in these vacation vehicles. Having a comfortable vehicle to travel year round in or to just vacation in yearly is a great asset and can also be a great stress reliever. It is also a very popular vehicle for families to use on family camping trips, and the nice thing is that if the kids want to rough it while camping they can just sent their tents up right outside the RV.484KViews0likes3483Comments
Class C Campsite Photos. Show your stuff.
The truck camper section has a nice photo thread of their rigs at campsites. How about us Class C owners doing the same for some of our nice locations? As soon as I figure out how to do it, I will add mine, but don't wait for me. Lets get through the winter by looking at the nice places you have been. There must be tons! Don't forget to tell us where the photo was taken. Fort Desoto, Florida.378KViews0likes490CommentsWelcome to the Class C Motorhome Forum
Welcome to the group. If you have a Class C or just like to chat about them, this is the place. People sometimes get confused by Class C's called "B+", "Super C" or other things. A Class C is any motorhome built on a cutaway chassis. Class C's often have van cabs, but units have been made with the cab from pickups, medium duty and even heavy duty trucks as well. Many but not all C's have a bunk or entertainment unit in an area over the cutaway cab. As you might expect, some items get posted over and over. While folks here will discuss them, you can learn a lot by using the Search feature in the upper left hand of this window. Pulsar has written a great tutorial on using all the features, though to get started you can just type in a few words like "tire pressure" and click the "go" button. We have a Frequently Asked Questions thread, which is also a good place to check if you are new and have a question that may get asked a lot. Here are some general guidelines on posting threads and responses in the Class C Forum: - Use mixed case letters when posting rather than ALL UPPER CASE. Uppercase is considered yelling. Please help remind members who continue to post in caps of the guidelines. - Because this is a written forum, facial expressions and tone are missing. Please read all responses in the best light, not the worst. - Use a descriptive subject line that identifies the topic of your post. Posts like "Help" or "Class C" are not useful for search or to attract members to read them. - Start a new topic rather than trying to take over ("hijack") a thread with a different topic. Try to ensure that at least some of your post is on the original topic. - Use family friendly language. - Do not post private messages or e-mails from others without their permission. - Post things that have to do with Class C's. There are other forums for the best route to Pomona or your favorite campfire drink. - Please do not attempt to limit who responds to a thread. While the topics here should have to do with Class C's, courteous responses from any- and every-one to every topic are welcome. - The gas vs. diesel wars are not welcome here. - If you use the quote function or otherwise atribute some text to another person, quote the other post accurately. - Posts that are trolling for arguments or disruption such as "No fulltimer can be happy" (posted in Fulltiming) will be locked down or deleted. - Please shrink high resolution pictures down to 640 x 480 or fewer pixels (width x height). Large pictures take a long time for modem and cell-phone users to download, and mess up formatting for those not using large, hi-res screens. - The RV.Net rule against double posting is very general and applies to the same text submitted in multiple places, whether posting or responding. Enjoy yourself and remember the Forum Rules you agreed to abide by when you joined RV.Net. William and Johnny Class C Forum Moderators191KViews0likes0CommentsThor Super C (Chateau/Four Winds) improvements and mods
Hey folks, I purchased a 2014 Thor Chateau 33SW last August and right from the start I experienced the new RV owner blues. In short, after driving back to San Diego from where I flew out to purchase it in Texas, it spent its first 3 weeks in the shop with about a dozen issues, ranging from minor to major. That said, aside from all of the issues, now that I've resolved most of them either through warranty or just fixing it myself after the local Thor service dealer either did a half-assed job fixing a problem, or just flat out didn't fix it after it sat in their shop for weeks, I like this motorhome. I wanted something fairly nice and that could reasonably tow 10k+ LBS, since I have a desert prerunner truck and several motorcycles to trailer out with the family. Dynamax's were nice, but out of the $$$ range I was willing to invest on a first MH. I also looked as used medium duty chassis Super C's (older Show Haulers, etc.) but anything close to $100k was too dated looking and generally VERY used. So I saw the F550 chassis based Thor 33SW and bit the bullet. After owning it for about 7 months now, my impression is that Thor came up with a great layout and mated it to a good chassis, but as a result of both production line quality assurance issues and the general feeling that everything beneath the surface was designed to speed up build time, there are many improvements that can be made by owners to make this coach better. And frankly, should have been done at the factory before shipping off to the dealer! :) The reason I'm starting this thread is because I've noticed a few other Thor Super C owners on here and other forums, that have all mentioned having similar issues (house water pump leaks, front fuel tank filling issues, front hydro jacks too low from the factory, poor house battery capacity, etc.) I've also noticed a few very cool modifications and improvements by others on here as well, such as relocating the house batteries to one of the storage compartments and switching to a bank of four 6v batts. I figured it would be useful to try and centralize the communication of issues encountered, how to resolve them and suggestions to improve the coach. I've done a few already and will post one of them shortly. Hopefully other Thor Super C (33SW, 35sk, 35sg, Etc) will chime in as well.183KViews0likes593Comments
Shiny RV with Red Max Pro (pics)
How many of you use this stuff? We were getting that chalky finish with faded and peeling graphics. I was waxing it with Meguiars--trying to avoid the graphics and spray them with 303 Protectant instead. I spray the dirt off after almost every trip too. We've only had it 15 months--I hated to see it get "old looking" under my care. Replant just mentioned Lowes Red Max Pro and I read the links. Wow! Why not take the chance that the fiberglass would be looking shiny and new? It worked! Here are a few pics. The graphics bleed out color when washed. And they were peeling up at the edges. I took a flat razor blade holder and trimmed off the peeling edges-- This is after the trimming. They are a bit ragged in places, but at least no longer peeling. I used my little power sprayer with TSP in it and scrubbed with Bar Keeper's Friend as recommended. This is the tire cover with one side is just washed with a sponge and TSP, the other is washed with a green scrubbie and Bar Keeper's Friend. I also used the white scrubbie (1000 grit sandpaper grade and much more expensive) for scratches--it did wonders even on the cab metal but for most of the job I used the cheap green stuff. I completely wore out 4 half sheets! This is a "before" of the cleaned passenger side. Red Max Pro Step 3 ready to apply. Finished! It took me about 10 hours to do the job. Plus I washed and waxed the cab. But by this time I was losing daylight so it is harder to see the shine. I'm really pleased with the results. The recommendation is a new coat every year--that is a lot longer time period than waxing. This was a good project for the start of a great season. I think it was worth the effort!175KViews0likes413Comments