What did you do to your old RV today?

[ga traveler]

The only thing I see wrong is the" pretty happy" statement. You should be thrilled. Great Job.

[SafetyPhil]

Very nice looking. I see you have a 1977 Ford Chateau probably a carburetored 460. I have a 1976 460 Chateau and need to find the vacuum schematic in order to get those hoses going to and from the correct locations. When I pulled the intake manifold I took photos that didn't do as good as expected.

[Willowleaf]

I have both the Haynes and the Chilton repair manuals for the 1977 Ford E350 and another service manual for Ford trucks in general. I am at work now so I can't look into it at the moment but when I get home I will get them out of the camper and see if there is a schematic I can scan and send for you.

I would recommend buying the repair manuals -- I got them on line for less than $12 each when I first bought the Chateau last year.

One great thing about the Ford E series is that they were the most popular fleet truck chassis for years (and therefor Ford kept the bodies and mechanicals consistent to enable easy fleet maintenance). So parts are still relatively easy to come by compared to other old trucks. The older mechanics I have gone to all say they have worked on these, from school buses and service vans to U-haul trucks, and are very familiar with how to service them. They also all say that the 70's and 80's Ford E series was "the best truck ever built". Mine has only 38,600 miles on it and runs like a champ. Previous owner was an engineer and really went over the engine and mechanical systems in the 2 years he owned it. Gave me a whole box of the original warranties and all service receipts, even the pink slip from 1977!! Just before I bought it he had replaced all 6 tires and both batteries, also added a backup camera and installed a brand new huge Dometic fridge with separate freezer. I got a deal on it ($3500) due to the water damage. I probably have about 150 hours and maybe $600 into it for the rebuild. Only defect at this point is it has heat but no cabin AC (the coach dashborad still works) since I can't recharge with freon. Small matter -- I have rarely used AC when using a trailer or motorhome in the past -- I mostly travel in cooler seasons and am fine with the windows open and fans in warmer conditions. The prior owner just mounted a small house AC unit in the passenger window when he camped, but I doubt I will bother. Might eventually replace the rooftop unit (they run around $600) but am in no rush for that.

[Possum]

Originally Posted by DennisK59

AKA Cltetus, Is that 2nd Growth timber? Or 3rd?

According to my neighbour (works the same area and company) yes they are hauling first growth down off that mountain range.

[Willowleaf]

Thanks, InThe70s! I used a LOT of Eternabond tape to seal up the shell. The first thing I would tell anyone restoring an old Class C is to get rid of the danged front bunk window. Besides being a major source of leaks to the sleeping loft, it just makes it hot up there -- and who wants to sleep with windows on 3 sides of your bed?? I stripped off the whole skin with the window from the seam under the "nose" above the windshield all the way to up below the running lights. Got a sheet of aluminum painted white on both sides for $115 and the supplier cut it to my exact width at their shop. Rolled it and brought it home in the back of my station wagon. I installed it on my own (should have gotten some help, ack!) which led to getting a couple of small kinks in the sheet metal -- that's one reason for the "hippie flower" decals to cover the dings (that blank white wall was begging for decoration anyway). Since I am still an old flower child at heart, the decor was appropriate and matches the 70's vibe on the interior (harvest gold appliances and bath fixtures, orange shag carpet, original yellow flowered wallpaper in the bathroom.) I reupholstered the fold down sofa in a brown, orange, lime green and gold abstract daisy print with a privacy curtain to match for the bunk. All it needs is a lava lamp and some psychedelic posters!

[Gordon Dewald]

Nice work. The finished product looks great.

[spritz]

We tried a new spray sealer from ?m.
No leaks just wanted to try on a seal before it turns into a leak. Will keep a eye on it as its raining now and they are predicting measurable snow fall by the weekend.
I got to get off line and get back to cleaning the interior.
Arizona I'm coming,
Tim

[wschaub]

Finally got my 120 gallon ASME propane tank delivered with 100 gallons of propane.

I also bought a gallon of rubber roof sealant coating for some leaks I discovered in the big storm yesterday. (6 inches of rain and heavy winds over 2 days)

[Willowleaf]

Keep in mind it won't be enough to just re-seal the roof if you found leaks. You also ought to open the ceiling up where the water came through to dry out the internal structure. By sealing the roof you are just trapping moisture inside which can lead to eventual rot and failure of the wood frame, could even result in having termites in the structure. Take this as advice from somebody who just had to tear down and completely rebuild the entire overcab of a motorhome that previous owners left wet inside the walls and under the roof after rain got in.

I think motorhomes should be built with easily removable ceiling panels (not glued and stapled the way they are now) so that they can be sealed from inside and dried out when such things happen. When I did my rebuild I made the ceiling finishes removable for those reasons.

But then I don't think the manufacturers really care about that kind of durability.

[spritz]

I would try and get it leveled too.

[stumpnc]

I used the recliner, took a nap to make sure it was still working! The one in the motor home of course!!

[Willowleaf]

SafetyPhil, per your comment earlier this week:

"I have a 1976 460 Chateau and need to find the vacuum schematic in order to get those hoses going to and from the correct locations. When I pulled the intake manifold I took photos that didn't do as good as expected."

I checked my Chilton manual for the 1961 to 1988 Ford E series vans and there are a whole bunch of different vacuum schematics (8 pages of them in fact). If you can tell me which engine is in your Chateau I can scan the right one and post it for you. Or check your local library for the Chilton manual. The Haynes service manual I have does NOT have these schematics. Chilton manuals seem to have more information like this than the Haynes versions.

[SafetyPhil]

Originally Posted by ga traveler

The only thing I see wrong is the" pretty happy" statement. You should be thrilled. Great Job.

Willowleaf: I have the Ford gasoline 460 CI 4BBL carburetored V8. The carb is a spread bore without the power valve similar to a quadrant. I found this out on another rig that backfired during switching fuel tanks causing the power valve to fail. At any rate thanks for the help. Phil

[Willowleaf]

Does this diagram title sound like what you need?

Vacuum diagram - managed Thermactor air system, 8-460 (7.5L) EFI engine

There are also separate diagrams for the EGR and Thermactor MTA systems.