Thought i might pick this puppy up...

[Brock Samson]

i spied it in the dark,.. so i'll go scope it out seriously tomarrow,  This 1978 dodge tradesman camper conversion is VERY CLEAN, 59K miles,.. $4,200. no scuffs, dents or signs of wear,.. NONE!

I think i'm in love!  If ya' didn't know, i've been looking for something just like this..   

[Brock Samson]

 Aint she a Beauty! 

[bull]

Yea, looks brand new.

[The70RT]

Nice Salmon.

[whitehatspecial]

Is there a hitch on it?

[Old Moparz]

Hey Brock, it does look clean, but there are a lot of things to look at that can need to be repaired or replaced when they get that old. I had a 1979 travel trailer & also a 1987 that had their issues. Now I have a brand new one I got in 2005 & the payments aren't too bad.

Things that you have to look at are:

Refrigerator.....Some are 2-way (LP gas & Electric) & 3-way (LP Gas, Electric & 12V) which is what runs them. Neither are cheap to replace & anything that old may not have parts available. The 1979 I had needed a burner for the flame & I couldn't locate one locally. A friend found one somewhere in the midwest. A small fridge that is like a counter high one will cost $700 or so to replace.

Water Holding Tanks.....fittings & lines are plastic & can crack from age or if the vehicle was never winterized & subjected to freezing temperatures. The gray water & black water tanks, (Sewage & sink water) can be lined with crud & not easy to clean.

Furnace/Heater.....Either they work, or they don't, so it's easy to check. A big problem is from lack of use. They get moisture from sitting & the corrosion keeps them from lighting. Also, spiders & mud wasps like to get into the exhaust vent if it's not screened.

Roof.....That is an old motorhome & the roof may be dried out if it's rubber, or the seams if it's aluminum. Fiberglass, which this one appears to be, can crack & leak too. Check the edges, windows & skylights, vents, & any other component that protrudes through it. The air conditioner too. Hopefully the owner did what he had to over the years & sealed it. A roof leak may go undetected for a long time & rot the walls & ceiling out from the inside. Look for water stains & patch work on the interior. I looked at a used trailer that had so much rot in the rear wall that the window was loose at the frame & would have fallen out on a bumpy road.

Towing.....if there isn't a hitch & you want to consider towing something, it could mean that the body may not be able to have one mounted. That's something I do not know how to look into, but any place that installs hitches can probably let you know for sure. A friend bought a motor home hoping to tow his race car, but later found out that the back end didn't have the provision to mount a hitch receiver & was disappointed.

Awning.....Might sound like nothing, but make sure it isn't ripped & it opens & closes okay. A retractable awning is over $800 if you can find one the right size. Size matters, too. (That's what she said.) Make sure it's able to clear windows & doors, some people mount things & don't check or care.

There are a few forums & sites related to campers, trailers, & motor homes that are pretty good. One that I can recall offhand is RV.net with a message board like this one. I'm on there as Old Moparz, but haven't posted in ages.

Here's the link:  http://www.rv.net/community/

Forum link:  http://www.rv.net/forum/



By the way, I thought you were getting a dog & not a motorhome   

[nh_mopar_fan]

The water heaters aren't that bad to deal with. Just make sure you use an anode rod and throw a new one in there every year (depending on use).

[Chris G.]

Shiloh Says:

[ramit]

That is nice for a 1978!  Does it have a 318 or 360?  I am guessing since it is a dually it is probably a 360.  My dad owned a 1978 Dodge trans van with a 318 for over 20 years and he loved that thing and used it for just about everything.

[Charger_Fan]

That's funny, I've been looking at motorhomes locally in about the same year range, too. There's been a couple pf them in really good shape, but just a tad out of my current budget. One of 'em only had 43,000 miles on it & looked GREAT!
From what I've looked at, those either had a 360 or 440 in them...short ones like that usually had 360's.

By the thread title, I thought you were getting another dog, too.

[Brock Samson]

  It's a bit more then i had in mind originally, parking it, or trying to and keeping it clean and maintained could be a deal breaker,..
I've had two Dodge short wheelbase 318s and they were awsome vehicles. i had converted both of those to part time camper/band/moving Biz. duty with pull out cots, shelves and curtains. my first a '74 tradesman i had the engine rebuilt and it was a real rocket.
I was originally thinking af a Mark III conversion van, and i've seen a few too  far away to deal with... Fla. East Coast, etc..
  ideally i've been looking for a short wheelbase low top in a white or  light color for heat dissipation.
my budget is approx $4K, but I'm very picky, and whatever it is it must be super clean... which usually means low miles too.
I'd pay more for a "perfect" example.
From time to time some really nice ones come up/around, and they seem to be awfully cheap too,..
i'd concider a four wheel drive varient for going off road... should ya' find any good prospects i'd appreciate your help.
i got a bit of paper work to knock out this morning, then, i also need to look into renting one to do a price comparo...
but this particular one warrents further investigation. 
As for the Dog, I had to do a bit of a reality check and clean my plate, not add to it, it's still not out of the question, but i don't take that responsibility lightly.
Thanks fellas!

[Lowprofile]

That is a sweet lookin Motorhome Brock. Looking forward to the daytime pics! 

[TUFCAT]

Brock - - that thing is ike NOS!  What a cool find.  I'd be proud to own it.   

[69charger2002]

that thing is incredible for a 78. there are some decent ones around here for 2-3k with say 60-70000 miles on them, but they wouldn't hold a light to that one on condition
keep us updated
trav

[Mean 318]

That thing is VERY cool, talk about a blast from the past! That would be cool to go to yellow stone in! Good luck and cant wait to get pics!

[Brock Samson]

the seller speaks only limited english, meeting him at 7 pm. I've arranged for a shop to help me go over it with a fine tooth comb tommarow (comp. check etc.) if,  i can get the seller to get it there... i took a really good look at it today, and it's got some wear like a crack in the plastic grill and some fading of the graphics,.. of course it looked better at night,.. it was just smogged and registered and has new personaised plates... has a solor panel on the roof and the interior though mid seventies style looks new,.. it does seem to have a hitch too, thanks for those links Bob! 

stay tuned. 

[BigBlockSam]

i dig it .

[Brock Samson]

met the seller, at 7:00 but there was a newly arrived irish couple test driving it around the area... they came back about 20 minutes later and it sounded like a big block  It is.. a 440,.. so I'm trying to get some info on it from the seller,.. I made out that he bought it from a wealthy couple in Hillsborugh, perhaps his "Patron" i thought i understood him to say,.. it was rather difficult, but he was as cooprative as he could be... the problem was that tommarow is street sweeping day and he was trying to get a good parking space for it on this crowded street, and the folks in the houses there were all jocking for position and then comming around to look at it and climbed in ...  just as I got the engine cover off, they all spoke spanish and were inviting all the kids to come check it out,..  so there's all these rug rats and mamas and cousins poking around in it while i'm trying to get a good look at stuff, the whole damn time their jabbering a million words a minute and totally distracting the owner from answering my questions. after a half hour of that they finally leave but now it's gotten pretty dark... 
anyhow,.  it started right up, the motor looked untouched from day one, possibly new plug wires... no smoke, no leaks underneath. reved strongly without any knocking or tapping, oil presure seemed normal and it charged well beyond idle... belts squeaked alittle, the A/c blew what seems to be cold air because the engine heat was conciderable with the cover off.
all the normal dash acc. worked well, the stereo cassete dates from mid-'70s Remember Archer?.. 
i tried to get to examine the stuff in the back, stove, fridge etc... holding tanks but was having trouble doing all this cause he didn't seem to have ever used them himself. 
Said he's only put 500 miles on it driving to casinos and everything works "perfecto", but I remain dubious... 
it's pretty clean for being 30 years old though...
I finally convinced him to give me the keys so i can check it out at the shop tommarow, i get the imprression he's anxious to unload it.
The for sale sign at one time listed it for $6K. I don't know it that's because of gambeling debts or fuel bills or both..
the interior is as clean as a 30 year old camper can be, but the fridge wasn't cold and the stove and water wasn't running, all the aux lights worked well as long as the motor was running. here's some more pics...
anyone wanna guess as to the gas mileage?..   

[Brock Samson]

  dash is missing the little plastic piece that goes in the turn signal indicator,.. and the front of the drivers door jam has the paint rubbed thin.
other wise looks pretty cherry..

[Brock Samson]

stove area:

[Brock Samson]

shower/toilet

[Brock Samson]

more stuff..

[Brock Samson]

      cords, bee gees, and wide lapels... 

[Brock Samson]

that funny lookin thing in front of the seats is the engine cover BTW:

[Red Ram]

Very cool! Someone took great care of it. Austin Powers might call it a "shaggin' wagon". Yeah baby yeah!

[Brock Samson]

i gave it as good a look as i could,.. everything seemed o.k. but tommarow i hope to really get into it...
Paul's shop is big enuff to open the awnings and all that fun stuff...
I'm more concered with a cold fridge, cool a/c, warm heater, fire in the burners, water from all the tapps and shower, a flushable toilet,..
and anything else you might suggest i double check... all the seams looked fine today.
 

[Bandit72]

are you sure it is a 440? i though all 440's had 4bbls....could it be a 413? i know they made them for industrial purposes long after they were discontinued in cars...

[rt green]

for that price, i'd snag it before someone else does. thats without finding something thats horribly wrong with it.

[Old Moparz]

Sounds & looks good Brock, I hope everything checks out to be in good working order. Please remember like I posted earlier, the big ticket items could add up to quite a bit of money if they have to be replaced. The good thing is that most of the appliances are a standard sizes & replacements can be found if you need them. I understand that everyone is saying it looks great & that you should buy it, but you definitely have to keep it in perspective.

It's not a car for transportation or a restoration project, & the specific items that make it a "mobile living space" are the ones you are buying it for. Think about it this way. If you have a heater, air conditioner, refrigerator, roof, windows, plumbing fixtures, & other things in your home from 1978, how many of those almost 30 year old items still work flawlessly, or need to be replaced, or even have been replaced? The ones in a motor home see even more abuse from vibrations, rapid changes in temperature, & lack of everyday use.

I was just thinking of something else, you probably won't be able to check the heater/furnace or the stove if the propane tank is empty. The same with the fridge, but it may be tested plugging the electric in, but it would take a couple of hours to get ice cold. I don't want to be the only one saying all the negative things about it, but I've looked at a lot of trailers & motor homes over the last 15 years & have seen a lot of overpriced junk. I'm on my 3rd trailer now which I bought new, & I don't miss fixing the old ones.

[Brock Samson]

  Thanks Bob, I think  were on the same page, I've got the keys till 7:oo tonight,.. and a bit of research should go a long way...
Sure for pure vintage it's hard to beat, but it dosen't even have a Microwave, a T.V. or decent gas milage, could you help venture a guess?.. 
  thinking overnight leads me to the realization it's just me these days, i dont need so much vehicle so I may very well stick to my original intent...

Anyone else interested?.. I bet i could talk him down from the $ 4,200 asking price..

[Old Moparz]

  Thanks Bob, I think  were on the same page, I've got the keys till 7:oo tonight,.. and a bit of research should go a long way...
Sure for pure vintage it's hard to beat, but it dosen't even have a Microwave, a T.V. or decent gas milage, could you help venture a guess?.. 
  thinking overnight leads me to the realization it's just me these days, i dont need so much vehicle so I may very well stick to my original intent...

Anyone else interested?.. I bet i could talk him down from the $ 4,200 asking price..

I didn't want to scare you off from buying it, I just wanted to mention things that might be a problem. Those things may heve been replaced at one time & not an issue anymore. A microwave & a small TV can be cheaper to add than to fix the other things. It does look like it was stored indoors since it's so clean, but we've all seen a pig in a dress, like a car from 20 feet restored by Helpgagme in Lake Vile.   

As for MPG, I bet that you'd never see any better than 12 MPG highway. That thing is HEAVY!

[Brock Samson]

i talked him down to ...








wait for it..








        ..wait,..













$ 3,200.oo

We checked everything mechanical we could, full road test, it's affected by headwinds as you might expect but all belts hoses filters tires are original, the belts are glazed so they squeek, everything i could check works all lights flashers, cruise, radio, cassette player,
no smell not even the Fridge! I took it to a R.V. place but they have a waiting list, but i got on it for their resident expert to check it tommarow at noon. turn on the stereo and Purple Haze is on,.. hey what else could could ya' ask for?.. 

So, i do think i'm gonna go for it.
like 'ya say, add a TV. Microwave replace the few things that may need it. 


I practiced parking it at the house, and the widow accross the street i've been helping out since her husband of 60 years died, came out and offered to let me store the muscle cars in her garage and driveway.   

Some of the folks in the neiboorhood have stopped by and are stoked, ive even gotten a thumbs up... one guy looking it over guessed i paid over $ 20 G.s for it... 

Oh, I went to the dump and weighed it, it's 7,360 Lbs. unloaded no gas.
and turns out it was "donated" last Month. by a Therston G. Howell III, that's the name that came up on the DMV check...
(or something rather close to that) 

more later...

[Old Moparz]

Well Brock, if the new lower price offsets what could be wrong with it, it may be worth getting anyway.   

I know some people do not do any dry camping at all, which means no water, sewer, or electric hook ups at wherever they are camping. I like to go to different places, & sometimes they have no services, so I need the fridge to run on LP gas, & have good water storage tanks for both fresh water & sewage. It never matters if I have electric since I have a battery to run the lights & pumps.

The new trailer I have now did come with a microwave, but I think we've used it maybe 2 times in the 2 years we've had it. We do use the stove & oven, & we bought a coffee maker & a portable TV with a DVD player in it for our 8 year old daughter. She loves to go camping & hates when it's time to pack up to go home. The TV with the DVD is great for rainy days.

If you get it & start to do some traveling & make it to the east coast, let me know. You're welcome to use my house as a pit stop to plug in, get some water & sleep, & even a cold one.   

[chargerman68]

wow looks nice and for sure the generation fabric dates back awhile......

[Brock Samson]

are you sure it is a 440? i though all 440's had 4bbls....could it be a 413? i know they made them for industrial purposes long after they were discontinued in cars...

7.2 liter is a 440...

anyone else here have a camper R.V.?...
maybe we could start another thread on them?..
Bob, old moparts,..I'm confused,.. "Dry Camping" is without the hook ups or without the use of the amenities?.. 
one more question, i would like to pressure wash the dirty bits, like the engine,.. any tips on how to go about that?..

ok i'm off to DMV, lots of research to do today..

only thing comparable i found on e-bay..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chinook-Class-B_W0QQitemZ280152322271QQihZ018QQcategoryZ50057QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

here's the entire chinook list,.. new ones are approx. 50K plus! 

http://motors.search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=pf&sbrftog=1&saspi=2&from=R10&samcm=6000&satitle=chinook&sacat=6000%26catref%3DC6&a6=-24&a41067=-24&alist=a38%2Ca6%2Ca85%2Ca3801%2Ca41067&pfmode=1&reqtype=1&gcs=1813&pfid=2574&pf_query=chinook&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=ZIP%2FPostal&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search

[Mean 318]

SWEET! Hope you get it!

[Charger_Fan]

anyone wanna guess as to the gas mileage?..   

8


Congrats Man, that's gonna be fun to go see the country in.

[Old Moparz]

Bob, old moparts,..I'm confused,.. "Dry Camping" is without the hook ups or without the use of the amenities?.. 

Correct, dry camping is without any hook ups to services at all. 

Privately owned campgrounds offer a combination of services at each campsite, & price it accordingly. Most prices seem to be between $25 & $55 per night. The difference in cost per service is usually just a few dollars. Most sites have the basics, like water & electric, then have a dump station that you connect the flexible 4" diameter hose to when you're leaving to drain your holding tank/s. There are other sites that have water, electric, sewer, cable TV, & even internet. The dry camping is usually an overflow field for when the sites with services are sold out.

State campgrounds, in most cases of the ones I've stayed at, seem to have less services over the private ones. The ones I have stayed at, at least water & electric. The state ones are generally cheaper, like $15 to $35 per night, & have dump stations as well. I like the state ones better for several reasons. They're usually less crowded, they're cheaper, the grounds are nicer, & usually wooded as opposed to parking in a grass field in the sun. It never mattered to me if I had cable TV or the internet, I'm not there to watch TV & be on line.

If you go to a large car show like Carlisle or the Mopar Nationals, you end up in a field without any services. I'm not sure what you would end up doing with the gray water from your sink, & the black water from your toilet though. In some cases, a campground may charge you $10 or $15 to dump. Dumping is simple & takes about 10 to 15 minutes including some rinsing out. There's a lot of small gadgets to make all this easier & less messy, it just takes time to find out what you need after having been camping a few times.

[Brock Samson]

  I just got back from having a 20 step camper inspection done,.. the Dodge scored 96 out of a 100 points needing only the empty tanks and lines blown out and filled... 

I got the cash and in about a 1/2 hr. she'll belong to me...   



Note:
scoff if ya' want but praying works.

[The70RT]

  Cool. Looks and sounds like you got a good one. Now all you need is gas money

[Todd Wilson]

are you sure it is a 440? i though all 440's had 4bbls....could it be a 413? i know they made them for industrial purposes long after they were discontinued in cars...

Thats what I thought!  Probably a junk 400. I dont think they put 413's in the van style camper.



Todd

[Brock Samson]

Chinooks are made in Canada and the engine size is listed on the Aftermarket Manufacture door tags as a "7.2" liter which is a 440, right?.. 
Matt the cool owner of the camper/truck place said he'd only do a full tune up, change the Alturnator, the carpets and get a GPS unit for it. says the duelly rear end 440 and the hitch are specifficly fow towing.
I'm was thinkin of going over to a four barrell and O.D.   
 

I didn't do the deal cause the dude now wants more money, $300.oo for the thing,.. says his 3.2K price was a one time deal, act now price.. he has no paperwork, recepts or manuals other then the pinkslip, not even a second set of keys...
so dispite this i offered to split the difference, but he refused,.. so i walked...
told him I'd think about it, or, he could call me...
way i figger it' i spent 160 bucks checking it out at two shops incl. 20 bucks in gas.. you guys think i'm wrong?
  it may still be a deal)but i was kind of offended by his sudden tactic.. Am I wrong here?..
it's gonna cost another few hundred at least to bring it up to snuff... 

[Brock Samson]

 I'm bumpin this for your feedback,..
my gut is to go for it cause it was exactly as advertised, everything works.
but i'm kinda' annoyed that when i arrived with the cash he wants another 300 bucks,..
like i said i spent $160 plus eight hours over two days checking everything out...
but to be fair, i expected to pay approx $7K for a smaller Conversion Van that didn't have all the amenities...
and I had the windfall of Albertina my neighbor across the street offering both her driveway  for the RVs parking and garage for the muscle car/s...
so I figure it's a great deal even at 3,500,.. But damn If he had just said something like,..

"Well I was thinking about it and... to recoup my money..." or something to that effect,.. but to comeback later and say... "Oh no,... that was a one time deal"...
kind'a rubbs me the wrong way, ya' know?..

[deputycrawford]

     Brock, I'd say get it. It checked out fine, has everything in great shape, you know how to operate it now, and you have looking for one anyway. It's simply an awesome price and you would be the talk of the shows you go to .
     Hell, park it in the show field next to your show car. You could leave the door open during the day. I would vote for that thing. It's just to cool to pass up. It even runs better than my Charger right now. Go For It.

[Brock Samson]

 
  i know, huh?..   

[69charger2002]

get it. don't let his attitude sway you. that is a NICE old camper. and once it's back at your house after a day you will forget you spent an extra $300 on it. just be done with it. the main thing is that it checked out good and he didn't lie about the condition..maybe once you had it checked out and he saw just how sweet it is he decided to raise his price?? lol either way go get it man!
trav

[Old Moparz]

At $3500 it still isn't a bad deal. Raising the price is s**t, but sometimes you just have to eat s**t to get what you want. Make sure he has a clear title before you fork over any payment or deposit though. If he's funny about the transaction before it takes place, imagine how he'll be if he has all or some of your money.

When people get weird on you, you have to get the whole thing done before they get even weirder. 

[Brock Samson]

I trust your opinions, allways good to get feed back from the community of experts and enthusiasts,..
I know that to some folks these are simply Old Cars,.. But we know better and have appreciation for these rolling sculptures huh?..
Matt the Camper Guy told me yesterday, he'd rather have this old '78 then a new one,.. and he's an expert supposedly,..
I couldn't help thinking though, he probably sees a $ windfall in Biz. from this old can 'o worms...     

[Todd Wilson]

I'd say F him and go look for another one. If its been for sale a while  and the price has dropped then let him come to you  on your price or dont do it. He'll think about how long its been for sale and how serious you were having it checked out and call you back in a few days. While its a nice unit theres bigger campers out there for the same or less money that are newer. EVeryone likes pickups and trailer campers now so you can leave your camp ground and go drive around without having to pack up your entire operation to go to the other side of the lake.



Todd

[Brock Samson]

 Damn You Mr. Wilson!! 

[Todd Wilson]

Damn You Mr. Wilson!! 

You are da man with the gold! He is playing games with a one time price and now its this price he will come down again!

If he's got your # let it ride! Besides you should be on your way to Kansas right now for the Charger Fever meet this weekend!   



Todd

[The70RT]

 If you don't get it you lost the money you already invested.

[Brock Samson]

 We split the difference. I'm now literally a Happy Camper.. 

[MOPARHOUND!]

Good to hear Brock!  Great score!

Looks well cared for.  I see some advertised around here, 76-79 Mopar powered models with similar spec's for around the same money, but are well worn by comparison.

First 440 2-barrel intake I have ever seen in 27 years of mopar collecting, unless it's not a 440 (RB), or it has an adaptor under the 2-barrel carb.  If you switch to a 4-barrel, PM me, a 440 2-barrel intake would make a great conversation piece to hang on the wall.

[TruckDriver]

Cool deal Dave

[deputycrawford]

Good for you Brock. Best of show camper. It will be an endless source of conversation at the meets. You will be talked about at all the shows as the true Mopar guy with that thing. 

[Brock Samson]

 under all that grit and oil is the truth,.. i think a good presure wash is in my/it's future... anyone got some tips to determine if it's an RB or not...
...the data plate does say 7.2 though...  i'm also wondering about the tranny, if the 727 truck with OD is behind the mystery two barrell motor, my '89 Ram van 150 had one (Overdrive) and the cost of replacing it was a rude shock compared to the regular 727. Approx. $ 2,000 bucks while the  "normal" 727 i finally had to adapt to my small block (replacing the 8O4 i broke twice in the Charger) was $600... in 'early '90s money...
  I bet Todd knows the letter designation of the 727 with overdrive,  I've forgotten,..
  Replacing the carpet is gonna be kinda fun, i can use the old as a template and buy remnants,..
  I got my "other" friend Steve on the lookout for some old '70s style beer mirrors, he's a Bass Player too.... 
  and collects old crap he sells to Vintage stores... he finds some amazing stuff, like my 1957 Gibson guitar for example...

[Todd Wilson]

What a sucker! If you had held out for a day you coulda got it cheaper!   


I am not sure I know the # of the tranny. A518?!   Didnt think Chrysler ever had a big block OD auto tranny. Its gonna be a gas guzzling pig with an old big block in it. I'd like to have the dual rear rims off it though!



Todd

[Brock Samson]

well i've gotta a learning curve ahead for sure... this classifies as a truck though eh Todd?.. 
gonna take me two weeks to get my first trip togeather, i'm thinkin either Big Sur or Bodega Bay for a weekend...
though i guess i could go out there  and spend the night,... i could wait till the neighboors are going to work and come out in my bathrobe,..  prolly not.. 

[The70RT]

Im sure you gotta hell of a deal.  Look at this pos for 2700   

http://topeka.craigslist.org/car/421790703.html

[Todd Wilson]

well i've gotta a learning curve ahead for sure... this classifies as a truck though eh Todd?.. 
gonna take me two weeks to get my first trip togeather, i'm thinkin either Big Sur or Bodega Bay for a weekend...
though i guess i could go out there  and spend the night,... i could wait till the neighboors are going to work and come out in my bathrobe,..  prolly not.. 

Yeah with a 440 and duals it could be a truck.   You got 36 hours to be in Kansas! You on the road yet?


Todd

[Brock Samson]

sorry todd i'm off to DMV to file the papers and get insurance today too...
by next yr. it's a distinct possibility though...  70 rt i just saw that link, thanks,.. not alot of info on that... 
there's an R/V show here this weekend.. ya know i'm gonna be all over that,.. i'm thinking a back up rear camera... 
sight lines out the back suck!

[Neal_J]

I smell a ROAD TRIP!

Congrats Dave. 

Neal

PS - Phil gave you a nice yearbook page, BTW.

[Brock Samson]

"PS - Phil gave you a nice yearbook page, BTW."

huh? what u talkin about?.. 

o.k. Found it...     wow!..

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=28&entry_id=18246

[Old Moparz]

Hey Dave,

Thought you might be able to use a link to a decent camper supply place. I've ordered a few things from here & the prices are okay too. If this is your first RV you'll go through a learning process of what you'll need or don't need as far as accessories. When I moved up from a tent to a trailer, there were tons of things I found out the first time I went away with it. You'll probably be fine, but the few things that I discovered that were needed were electric plug adaptors, heavy duty extension cords, sewer connectors & hoses.

Here's the link:   www.campingworld.com

This piece connects to the holding tank fitting that you dump from: http://www.campingworld.com/browse/products/index.cfm?prodID=2096&src=SRQB

You don't need it to actually dump, but I have one & it makes dumping a lot easier. You can connect a water hose to it so you can rinse the holding tank out after you drain it. The other great thing is that it's clear, & you can see when the dirty water has finished draining.

Of course you can just buy things from the local RV supply, but they are generally more money. There's another problem too, it's the tendency to want the gadets you see & touch that you don't really need when you're in the store. Storage starts to become an issue if you hoard these things. (Don't ask me how I know, lol.)

[Brock Samson]

Quick update:

  I finally got the interior all cleaned out to my satisfaction, alot of work!
  Poking about inside the compartments yealded all the original 1978 purchase records and recepts in a large blue binder, complete with stove, fridge stereo, C.B. T.V. Ant. Powered step, Heater, and the original Chinook, sales brochures. 
little things I also found included, after-market Powered Door Locks, All tinted windows,.. All the seats swivel 180 degrees.
a large Solor Panel On the roof which is hooked to Re-charger the Aux. Battery.
Bug screens for the front windows, a perfect white vynal wrap around sun shade for all the front windows incl. bag for storage, a large Tupperware box filled with extra bulbs for all the lights (and there's plenty of them) power cord adaptors, various fittings for water tanks and propane heaters... Hoses and attachmants for the gray water removal and a crispy mouse under the Aux. Battery. (deseased) 

I managed to fix the extra-noisy Oven Fan. but the adjoining light fixture above the stove is Non-Op. I just need to diss-assemble an old lamp for that.
I took the Kids bunk out and re-stapeled the loose Naugahide cover. I seriously cleaned everything and that took a couple weeks work.
I've been driving it around the city and found it parks perfectly within a parking spot of 21 feet, but requires two empty spots to manuver  into one spot, doesn't clear trees too well.   
  I have questions still about the Gas Capacity as it's listed at 36 Gal. but seems to fill up on only $30 of Premium,.. A fifty mile trip takes a little over quarter tank, and it's sweet spot is appox 63 MPH, and it back fires every five Min, at 55 Mph.
  Unloaded i drove the living daylights out of it down a seriously winding steep hill and aside from some swaying and creaking it left the traffic behind,.. waaaay behind...   

I think i'm gonna paint a large Pentastar and a large 440 on the spare tire cover in back.

I'm really enjoying it!
and looking forward to a week at Big Sur.
i'll resize and post a few pics in alittle while...


 

[TruckDriver]

Cool! 

[Old Moparz]

I knew that's where you've been. 

Glad you're having fun with it, once you get used to all the options & the way things work it'll be even better. I just went to Hershey, PA this past weekend with my wife & daughter & dragged the travel trailer along. The hotels at Hershey run $150 & up per night, but the campground we stayed at was $45. It was nice to just hook up & go at the last minute when we made up our minds to go. Nothing planned, just spur of the moment.

[Brock Samson]

more pics. 

[Brock Samson]

 

[The70RT]

W W Nice & Clean 

[Blakcharger440]

Geeeez! That sucker is very clean! I would say you got a good deal! It looks really cool also! 

[Lowprofile]

What, no pic of the "crispy mouse"? I feel robbed. 


Dave, thats a great little RV you got there. Enjoy Bro!

btw, Now ya got to get ya a travelin' buddy! [aka, the puppy]

[Brock Samson]

i went out yesterday and bought some household items like a small carpet and stick on hooks, drawer liners and a silverware tray etc... kinda' funny that the interior is about seven shades of brown from caramel up front to dark chocolate in back... There's this really heavy Orange Shag Carpet in a few covered areas like the clothes closet in the back corner,.. makes me think of Jovan Musk... My first cologen from 1976