70's Dodge RV's

[Shran]

Anybody owned one of the small RVs that Dodge "built" back in the 70's? I am looking at purchasing a small camper or something...but I have no experience with Chrysler stuff other than hearing that most of the 70's stuff is shite.

I would prefer a GM or Ford RV, but these things are literally everywhere out here...are they reliable? Not for cross country stuff or anything...just out in the sticks a few times a year.

 

[Will]

Want to buy mine? It's a '71 24' on a Dodge chassis. Interesting that I just posted this picture.

It's a 413-4v with a new Edlebrock carb and electronic ignition. It has a lot of power but I'm sure it can suck it's 60-gallons down in not much time if you drove it hard. It has roof air and a big old-style slow running Onan that will power the AC and my big tablesaw at the same time without a murmur of protest. It shucked out it's Dana 70 at some point in it's life and now has a D70HD with disc brakes, 19.5" 10-lug wheels and massive 4" diameter axle tubes with a 10,000# rating. I threw the old toilet out because it was a non functional electric flush of some type. It has a big refridgerator for an RV--about 12-ft^3. Two captains chairs with seatbelts. I haven't used it because no RV is very safe in a rollover and I'm not comfortable putting my kids in it. I've driven it around myself and it doesn't blow around at all on the interstate and is very stiff and solid and quiet. It needs some things but it would be a decent camper with a couple hours work and a couple hundred bucks--all the upholstry is nice. I'm thinking about getting a schoolbus and using the interior parts from this to convert it because I will never be able to sell this for the price of a new generator and roof air unit and big fridge, extra fuel tanks, water heater and wherever else I can salvage from this.

My other idea's were to put a roll cage in it and convert it into TRS's official hauler-

Or to make a travel trailer out of it:

 

[Simple_serf]

A friend had one similar to Will's. The motor was an industrial version, and parts were slightly difficult to find, although we found that the engine was simiar to a marine engine, then parts were easy to get, just expensive.

If you get one with an onan, let me know if you need help with that.

School bus is another way to go, I almost did that myself, but NYS makes it difficault to chage the designation of a vehicle (school bus vs Motorhome insurance).

 

[Shran]

I'd love to have one of the big ones. My neighbors back home had one...pretty damn sweet!

Most of the ones around here look like this. It's pretty much what I'm looking for...big enough for the gf, kid and me.

 

[tanbuddy]

my uncle has one just like that small one, it has the 360 in it and runs good. They seem to be reilable, he has no issus taking it on 4 hour trips.

 

[mkpecor]

i have a 79 class C 21 footer. like the one above. i got to say it has been a awsome rv. my uncle had it first then my pops got it from him and now my old man gave it to me. it has the big block 360 in it i can tow my ranger on a trailer and have no probs. the motor was rebuilt 55,000 ago, we did put pergo wood floors in it, its nice you can sweep the dirt right out the door when camping. but all in all she is awsome rig, they are fun to have.

 

[mkpecor]

ps. the really nice thing about it is when you go hunting you dont have to be scared about scraching it when getting to that good hunting spot.

 

[Will]

A friend had one similar to Will's. The motor was an industrial version, and parts were slightly difficult to find, although we found that the engine was simiar to a marine engine, then parts were easy to get, just expensive.

If you get one with an onan, let me know if you need help with that.

School bus is another way to go, I almost did that myself, but NYS makes it difficault to chage the designation of a vehicle (school bus vs Motorhome insurance).

School bus in Indiana is easy. Everything in Indiana is easy.

Mine is an industrial engine. It's got a forged crank with 8-flywheel bolts instead of 6, with a heavier block with extra cooling around the exhaust ports and each head has an external water feed going to it and the exhaust manifolds are different. That's the easiest way to tell if it's an industrial motor--the bolts are staggered and there are 2 each instead of a straight line across with only 6 total bolts that a 440 would have. You can buy them brand new still. You can also buy headers new. The intake manifolds will interchange but the industrial ones have extra mounting holes for an air compressor. The ignition parts are the same--I swapped a regular M.P. electronic into mine. Later 'Bagos ceased using the industrial motors.

A 360 is not a bigblock. It's an LA like a 318/340. A 360 would push one of the big ones just fine. Many of them came with the 318 even.

 

[Shran]

So out of curiosity. The one I'm looking at has a 440 and what I think is a 727 torqeflight. What kind of gas mileage should I expect? Obviously I know it's not going to awesome, and it's NOT a concern. Just curious

I'm looking at a '72 Dodge 22'...the guy wants around 8-900 for it, but I may trade my Nova for it. He's moving out of state and doesn't want to take it with him. Oh, and it does come with a 5000W Onan too

 

[mkpecor]

edit, [ment to say small block dont know why i said big block.] any way the best i have ever got for mpg was 15 pulling a 6x10 trailer with a 4x4 4-wheeler and some hunting gear. but its around 13-15 mpg.

 

[Sunk]

My Dad's parents had a 78 Midas motorhome, not sure how big, a little bigger than the small one posted, and with the 440 in it, they never got better than 7 MPG. We took it from California to New Hampshire 4 or 5 years ago and managed barely to squeak out 8 MPG at times.

 

[Will]

You drove that far at 8mpg? It would have been cheaper to take a taxi.

My in-laws rented RVs back when my wife was a kid. They have tons of horror stories about taking these things when they were still new out to the Black Hills or Grand Canyon and such. Transmissions dumping their secret juices out on switchback mountain roads, rear axles grinding their guts into steel wool on barren Nevada highways, fuel switch valves jamming tight and running out of gas because the range was down to 150 miles with one tank out of commish, total electrical system failures untracable because the wiring is buried in styrofoam and particle board. These were not known for their reliability. Roadside garages made millions both stalking RVers and fixing legitament problems. There was a scam where a shop would have a car follow an RV flashing its lights and honking. When they RV pulled over the driver of the car would say "Man, there's smoke or something coming out of your axle" and he would be a mechanic of course and crawl under there and come out with an index finger full of shavings. So the good samaritan would take someone back to the shop he saw back a ways and then the shop would send a wrecker to retrieve the RV. Then the people are a couple of days in the shop owners aunts hotel while they fix the burned up axle--which of course wasn't burned up as the samaritan had a pocketful of shavings. But nobody is more fucked than a family in their RV. My inlaws always rented so they didn't pay for any of the failures they endured. I think my father in law felt manly up in the driver's seat and that's why he did it. Nothing is more manly than sitting on a 1/2" sheet of plywood screwed to a pickup truck chassis while piloting a 25' styrofoam cooler down the interstate with a 400+ cubic inch motor bellowing away 4" from your ankle under a plastic box.

Here's what an old time RV looks like on the inside. It side swiped a semi trailer. The side, being styrofoam, is totally gone. The thin aluminum and thin plywood that sandwhiches it are totally gone. The wood that frames the pre-74 Bagos is gone. It wasn't even an impact, just a kiss. The driver was pulled by the passing truck out and died. The new ones aren't much better but they have a little more framing in them. I've seen pictures of wrecked ones and when they turn over the top doesn't fare any better than this one. This is why I want a bus--those are legislated to protect the passengers. Since the 1930s busses have been about like they are now--all steel with impact beams formed in around the perimeter. Since 1977 they have been rollover protected. A bus is going to be okay in about any wreck except when the driver stalls the engine while going around the railroad arm.

Here's a 1934 bus. You could line up RVs and crush them like beetles with this thing-and new ones are better. An RV would be too expensive if built like a schoolbus. Schoolbuses are government subsidized or schools couldn't afford them. And they are cheap when they are put out of service due to age. There's no better value in a vehicle. There are no corners cut in their manufacture. State's regulate the engine size, brakes, structural components, assembly even the quality of the paint and steel used. An RV is a slapped together piece of trash. It could be better to get a cut-away shortbus to use as an RV instead of the old Midas. And you could get a diesel that would give you 16mpg or something instead of 7.

 

[Shran]

Oh yeah, I've seen my fair share of trashed RVs. They usually end up upside down in the median between RC and Wall. Most of them look like a trailer park that got hit by a tornado. I would look at the bus option but I live in a trailer park, and I know the manager will raise hell if I get even a small one.

I'm not too concerned with that though...my trips will definitely be limited to the Black Hills area. One because of gas mileage, and two because of time...never have any of that to take longer trips. Besides, the woman is getting tired of tents, and taking the kid (1.5 years old) on tent trips sucks.

So I think I've found the one I'm gonna get. It's a '72 Dodge Superior 22' Class A. Looks like hell because the paint is falling off, but it is SOLID. It starts with just a touch, and has the 440, two 45 gallon fuel tanks, air, and stuff. Looks a little like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Othe...hash=item110271319704&_trksid=p3756.m14.l1318

I am thinking OD green paint is in order.

 

[Will]

Yep, that's a styrofoam cooler. I have a soft spot for the Winnebagos like I have. I just like the front and rear look. It's like the superstructure of a Norweigian trawler--all except the styrofoam part.

I'm maybe buying a bus tomorrow. I've been eating my heart out over a 9-row International with a DT360 and a 6-speed manual tranny. it's about the right length to transfer the guts from my 'Bago into and ahve a good 6' of cargo space for gear.

 

[Simple_serf]

The 360 is a good motor....Although to my knowledge it is a throwaway engine....but that won't matter much in a RV...it is still a 500,000 mile engine. I've seen schoolbusses with 500K on the original engine.