Some What New From Delaware...

poppatello · 07-10-2010, 09:57 PM

Hello there, I've been a member for a few years now but never really got into this site. Main reason is my RV was in a shop and the owner became ill. I am now about to get it back within a week. They are repairing the gas tank and stuff @ cost since it's been there for more then three years! Well, I have a wife and two baby girls, 5 and 4.

I've been in the camping world since I was 17. While living @ home @ the age of 17 I bought my first tow behind new and traveled all over in it. Then the time came to buy my first house and start my family. Well the mortgage company said I can either move in the 17' Jayco tent camper, pay it off or sell it. Well as a 20 year old I didn't have the cash to pay it off so I sold it. About a year after I bought the house, my fiancee and I bought a pop up. I then got her a newer pop up two years later. I always had my toys (84 Jeep Cj, 62 Corvair Van, 67 Ford Econoline, etc.). Well to get to my closer of this story. I have always wanted an RV. I like old things as you can tell. So I looked around, did little research and found one on Ebay I liked after about three days of looking. I kind of bought it with just looking @ the pictures. Wife and I with a brother in law drove up the 2.5 hours into Pa in the back country to pick it up. Well, needless to say it broke down on the way home. I stopped @ the mother in laws house in Aston Pa and the starter went. I called AAA and they towed it to the repair shop. There it would kind of hang out for about three visits until now. I had them install a used AC unit, repair the coolant leak, repair one of the fuel tanks, and that's about it. The last time was a brake issue but I'm not sure if it's fixed. I just need to get it out as the repairman is not go to be around much longer. A long time helper and friend is cleaning things up and trying to get the campers out. Really nice guy. Anyhow, I'm not really sure if we are keeping the RV or what. It needs a little bit of work to get it back on the road. The AC now needs charge, the generator will not even try to turn over but you can spin it by hand (maybe starter or terminals) the one tank never worked and the repaired tank leaked through again. They are replacing it with a poly tank @ cost. Removing the two bad tanks and adding the tank that is about 20 gal less then the two. I'm ok with that. The roof so far seems ok. It was replaced just before I bought it (rubber).

Now this is what it seems to need before I take it on even short trips. Front brake lines, generator repair, AC charge, water tank and lines replace. It still has the old LP valve set up so I can't use that @ the moment. It doesn't have a big waste tank. It does not have the black and gray, just the one small one. The guy that is working on my camper is telling me that it's a great unit to bring back with a little TLC. This is what I plan to do if we keep it. Install an on board LP tank, replace the floor and install vinyl, replace the carpet in the driving area, replace the aluminum water tank and copper lines with poly tank and lines, install black and gray tanks with y shut off valves, repair the AC, repaint the outside of the unit, and add chrome hub caps.

Now understand that all this would be done over time if we decide to keep it. The must is the AC, generator, and floors. I can use the rest room @ the sites and cook on the camp stove. Oh, I almost forgot, we have a 73 Dodge Winnebago not sure of the model it just said R40. I think it's a 24' but it could be a 23 or 22'. It has a great running 440 with about 54,000 straight miles on it and headers with a switch controlled carb which I'm told would help it get about 15 mpg.

I look forward to chatting with some of you folks...

DriVer · 07-11-2010, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poppatello

Hello there, I've been a member for a few years now but never really got into this site....

poppatello, I want to be one of the first to welcome you to iRV2.com!

Please drop in on the Vintage RV Forum and just post some questions in there and see what types of responses you get. I'm sure that one the classics RV owners will be able to share their experiences and perhaps this might help you.

Please do come back and visit often! √