Old truck and Holiday Rambler 5th wheel

[fleamarketer]

You know Dan,as far as a automatic,if it where me,I wouldn't do anything less than a 400 with a huge cooler.Hummm,you might have to revisit the idea of using the 454 from the motor home...............

[RedneckExpress]

Originally Posted by fleamarketer

You know Dan,as far as a automatic,if it where me,I wouldn't do anything less than a 400 with a huge cooler.Hummm,you might have to revisit the idea of using the 454 from the motor home...............

Or at least an old 350, have you weighed your axles yet with the trailer to find out how much over your rear you're going to be with the tool boxes AND the pin weight from the trailer?

[Wallaby Dan]

The 454 and the th475 is the way i am going. The TH475 is bigger than the TH400. The book says that it can handle a 20000pd load on it. The max for the fifth is 3600 a axle and i am not to sure what the tongue is yet. The max for the trailer is 8800pds. I tell you the truth,it didn't look all that much weight on the back.If anything, The tires will be the bone breaker. Am looking for some wheels and tires for it.I need to get a few things done to the truck and then can start up on the work on the trailer. That list is getting bigger all the time. The front levelers are messed up somehow. One side is Bent. I also need to work on the roof on the front. I think a tube of rubber will hold it till i can fix it right. This month is get the motor and transmission out of the motorhome. Has to be done!! Don't want to start up anymore work on the front of the truck till i have the motor in. Its getting hotter all the time. Its hitting the 90's and 100's can't be far behind. I don't want to be outside out of the shade at all! I hope to have the engine fixed next month but if the weather goes nuts, i can float it back to another time. I am not planning any trips other than to the mountains this summer. Only the truck is going..we have tents and all the other happy stuff with us. Want to go for at least a month. Cooler up there than anywhere close by.Just love the Green peak area of Az. I just hope they don't go to Red Flag for the summer again. That happened last year.And the biggest fire in the state of Arizona hit with that. Anyway, It will be a challenge this summer. Happy Easter, Dan

[fleamarketer]

Dan,I think it is a good decision to use the 454.Aside from the repair you told me about for it,maybe you would want to look into a archive for that yr truck to find the part number for the heavy duty front springs to handle the extra wt.The 454 is a tad bit heavier.

[Wallaby Dan]

Yep, I am one step ahead of you. I got the prices on the front with V-8, And the springs that were used when they used the 3/4ton axles and used the coil springs. They still have them in stock at a couple of different stores i haunt. I can also get the wheels that are 6 bolt and have 16" tires and can handle 65psi 8ply tires. That is for 225/85R16 8 plys. They also have the front and rear sway-bars for it too. I can also replace the drum brakes with 4 wheel disc conversion. These are the direct replacements from newer model trucks. They have the equalizer Block for them too! If i needed it i can also get Firestone's air bags for any of the models with coil springs on the rear.I just didn't like the tires looking half flat and the axle itself pretty much level. I have been told by many that with the big block and auto tranny i should be able to handle 10000 pds.I will not be putting that much weight on the pin. I am thinking about 1500 pds. The MAX for the 5th wheel is 8800 pds. I will be waiting till after i have the tags on the trailer and i have the brake system installed. That maybe will take up to 3 months. The lady that had it died and the other kid is unable to find the title. I am going with a abandoned title for it. It seems that it may have been registered in Florida. That is what this inspector will tell me. It took about 2 months for Larry's Camaro to come to him. I will let you know how this works out. Later, Dan

[Wallaby Dan]

The bed is ready for paint!!!!! I am still red/brown from grinding and then primer. Tomorrow i will scuff and paint the bed white!! Three days later, I can install the toolboxes. Be so glad to have white again. Tired of looking at red...
Took a couple of shots, and will take more tomorrow, Dan

[Wallaby Dan]

Its White!!! Got it done today!!!!!
I got the chrome panels for the bed rails on, And the nose that would be used on the tailgate, it now is on the bottom of the bed. I missed a few places but i can get them when i paint the whole truck. That will be awhile. I got the front toolbox installed and tomorrow i will install the one at the back. Then i can put the tools in the new toolbox! Next month, i think i will do the blue stripe. Only on the bed. The cab and nose will be getting some new fenders and rocker panels and anything else i need and then the engine and transmission. I will be working on the trailer in the meantime. I will also be pulling the motor and trans out and i need to get it loose first. I would like to get that done before we start getting the 100's and higher during the daytime. Before all that, i am taking a break for awhile. I will get the roof patched and then i can work on the inside, As i can. It may be fall before i put the motor in this buggy. I can do other things for now.
Later all, Dan

[ronspradley]

I keep only seeing the back of this truck. Is it a 68 or 69? I had a 69 Chevy long bed 350 V8 auto 3 speed factory air. Nice truck. Had a Skamper slide in with a pop top. Sure liked that truck. Your truck is really looking great. Completely agree with the 100 degree problem. I am trying to get my outdoor projects done now before the Texas summer gets here. Maybe another week or two? I think I am going to re-paint my old Nissan toad before I sell it. Looking for a shade tree. Keep up the good work.

ronspradley

[Wallaby Dan]

It is a 69 Chevy. It had a 350 with the 3 speed on the tree. Someone put the six banger in it. I got a big block waiting to climbing into it. A shot below of the grill. But irt has a 71-72 grill in it. i have the right grill for it. I will switch it when i am done with all the paint and new engine is in.

[fleamarketer]

Don't know what happened to my post before...........oh well.Dan coming along nicely.Looks good.

[Wallaby Dan]

Thanks fellow. Its taken so long to get that part done. I am taking a bit of a rest. Need the break! The only thing on the list right now is to seal up two of the vents on the trailer. The one in the bedroom is in really bad. The one in the living room is bad too. The crank is bad and the winds make it open and close. Don't want to have another issue so that is tomorrows job. Have the other toolbox in and it is full of tools! The truck don't have any lean at all. I also think that the reason the tire was about half flat when i had the trailer on it. I should have checked. It was at 35 instead of 50. I am still planning to change the tires and wheels to 16". Thats all for now. When i start up work again it will be the engine and transmission. It will be fun....
Shots below, Dan

[Wallaby Dan]

Yesterday i took the bad roof panel to see where it is leaking at. It is right in the vent itself. I used some latex on it till i can get the stuff i need to fix the roof right. The roof is not in bad shape at all. I think i will reseal the roof though. Can clean the other stuff off and i will use eternal-bond and edpm sealant. Should never need anything else after that or if i croke someone else can play with it. One thing i need to do is get a new leg for one side. Its bent. Don't know if they can straighten them or not. If not i will see what Eddie down at roadrunner rv might have. It needs some exterior work to it but nothing i cannot do. I also have a generator opening that doesn't look big enough to have a generator in it. Its real small. Am thinking of taking that area out and use it for storage instead of a generator. Will let you see what i am looking at Later. Later all, Dan

[Wallaby Dan]

Ok, I had everything weighted. Max for the trailer is 8800 pds. Right now there is 3200 on the left,(drivers side) 2832 on the right side. I have 1200 on the pin. With it all hooked up i get about 1300 pounds on the truck,(front and back axles of the truck). The truck doesn't have anything about what the axles are for the front and or the back. It just says that the max is 5000pds. The truck came out 1250 on the fronts and 3310 on the rear. I have 440 pounds of weight to ride on the rear axle. So i am about maybe 1500 pounds with full load maybe? Right as it sits it is about 600 pds over on the rear. I don't think it will matter as much as we aren't planning a cross country run each year. Would be lucky to go maybe once one-way. What i don't know is how much more the V-8 will add to the weight.They list three different weights for this truck. All for the 1/2 ton. There are three different max weights but the one on the door post is 5000pds. It could weight more with different options. there is a 4700 and 5600 models, all 1/2 ton models. There is a different Front spring for V-8 models. A friend of mine told me that he loaded his truck up with tool boxes and had a flatbed trailer with two cars and a mess of parts on it. It was a 1/2 ton 1967 Chevy pickup. Had a small block 307 in it.Auto trans. But like you said, it isn't being towed all the time so he got lucky. If...we do go east coast it would be one way. Wish i could save the 6 till after we hit east side. I think it would be better to switch back to the six banger.
Anyway those are the weights of the trailer and truck. Dan

[RedneckExpress]

Yer trailer is more suited to being towed by a full 3/4 ton from the sounds of it, being over on yer axles is not a good thing on a half-ton as all it takes is a retaining clip letting go on that axle shaft and off comes a wheel!