Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: How many of us are there? Owners of Dodge based RV's?

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Topic: How many of us are there? Owners of Dodge based RV's?

Posted By: Chipmunk222 on 08/17/10 09:46pm

Jer&Ger wrote:

Chipmunk222, here is where my fuseable link is attached. I couldn't find out what size to use, so I just replaced it with a regular fuse holder. I just checked and without a fuse in it, the RV acts just like you discribe yours is doing. I think I would check this one out as you say yours is not connected to anything. Oh yes, my RV is a "77" with a 360 in it.

Thank you so much for the photo, hopefully tomorrow I can go out and look at mine to see if I can figure it out from your picture, it seems to me that I had two wires though, I will at least try to put mine like it is in your setup to see if it helps. I had to order an ignition switch and have been waiting for that to come in, supposed to be here tomorrow. I put in a new ignition module, regulator and it will have a new switch, it has a new coil, I sure hope that we have good luck when we hook the switch back up. What exactly happened to yours when you pulled the fuse? We have had so many different things happen all at once and with no warning, making the whole issue very confusing. The rv would crank over good but no spark, next morning we had nothing. Thanks so much!

Posted By: Griff in Fairbanks on 08/17/10 09:50pm

Jer&Ger wrote:

Replacing the fusible link with a fuse or circuit breaker is a very good option ... easier to detect a fault and easier to fix. This is what I plan to do ...

1970 Explorer Class A on a 1969 Dodge M300 chassis with 318 cu. in. (split year)
1972 Executive Class A on a Dodge M375 chassis with 413 cu. in.
1973 Explorer Class A on a Dodge RM350 (R4) chassis with 318 engine & tranny from 1970 Explorer Class A

Posted By: Chipmunk222 on 08/18/10 07:03pm

Update on progress!!!

Brought our new key switch home, installed our new in line fuse, and she started right up, YAY !!! and we have lights!!! How exciting!!! Well, we have some lights, turn signals work great, no brake or running lights on rear, the PO removed the clearance lights front and back, front ones have been reinstalled and work fine

I have a couple of wires up front under the hood that have been cut one green and one brown, I didn't hook them up the other day because I wasn't sure if they were supposed to go together, someone had already cut the harness ends and just haphazardly slapped the wires together, I cleaned up the mess that they left and now I'm left with two wires, guess I'll put them together and hope nothing blows up. They were the only two that weren't connected together.

I was positive we had brake lights when we brought the old girl home, but who knows, that was a year ago.

Thanks so much for everyone who helped with the no start/no power problem, I'm just extremely happy that she runs !

Posted By: Chipmunk222 on 08/20/10 08:10am

Can anyone give me a heads up on what size gas tank should be in my 78 dodge 440?

Thanks!

Posted By: Leeann on 08/20/10 02:46pm

Ummm...that actually depends what the coach manufacturer either spec'd or installed....

You could have a 35 gallon tank, a 50 gallon tank, a 60 gallon tank, a 70 gallon tank, a 90 gallon tank, 2x35 gallon tanks...

You'll have to get under there and look and measure. That's what we had to do on ours, which only came with one 35 gallon tank. We ended up installing another 35 and a 27 we scavenged from a '74 Winnie on its way to the junkyard.

'73 Concord 20' Class A w/Dodge 440 - see profile for photo

Posted By: ALnCORY on 08/20/10 02:59pm

chip,

my tank is around 40 gal on my 74 Brougham... I imagine yours is somewhere between 35 and 40, but as Leeann stated, you have to measure them or run it dry and fill er up.

I don't think anyones dying statement ever contained the words "I wish I had spent more time in the office", so lets go somewhere!

Posted By: Jer&Ger on 08/20/10 04:39pm

I just checked the manual on mine and it says mine is "36" gal. so I guess that means it's a 35 gal. Not to hi-jack his question, but just curious, is there a way to calibrate the guage to the actual tank so you can have a reasonable ides of what you have on board? I hope my spelling is OK, I have a bad head cold.

Jerry & Gerry, our pets (dogs), Byron, Coco
1976 Monaco, 440 ci. Dodge Sportsman chassis

Posted By: oldtrucker63 on 08/20/10 04:42pm

Chipmunk222 wrote:

Can anyone give me a heads up on what size gas tank should be in my 78 dodge 440?

Thanks!

Is it a plastic tank?? If so, It should be 36 Gal....

Without Trucks,....America Stop's

Posted By: oldtrucker63 on 08/20/10 04:49pm

Jer&Ger wrote:

The sending unit is located in the fuel tank of the car. It consists of a float, usually made of foam, connected to a thin, metal rod. The end of the rod is mounted to a variable resistor. A resistor is an electrical device that resists the flow of electricity. The more resistance there is, the less current will flow. In a fuel tank, the variable resistor consists of a strip of resistive material connected on one side to the ground. A wiper connected to the gauge slides along this strip of material, conducting the current from the gauge to the resistor. If the wiper is close to the grounded side of the strip, there is less resistive material in the path of the current, so the resistance is small. If the wiper is at the other end of the strip, there is more resistive material in the current's path, so the resistance is large. As resistance increases, less current passes through the heating coil, so the bimetallic strip cools. As the strip cools, it straightens out, pulling the gauge from full to empty.
The bimetallic strip is a piece of metal made by laminating two different types of metal together. The metals that make up the strip expand and contract when they are heated or cooled. Each type of metal has its own particular rate of expansion. The two metals that make up the strip are chosen so that the rates of expansion and contraction are different.

When the strip is heated, one metal expands less than the other, so the strip curves, with the metal that expands more on the outside. This bending action is what moves the needle.

Some newer cars, instead of sending the current directly to the gauge, use a microprocessor that reads the output of the resistor and communicates with the dashboard. These systems actually help improve the accuracy of the gauge.

Posted By: goreds2 on 08/20/10 08:44pm

goreds2 wrote:

Leeann wrote:

^ ditto.

And good luck getting Good Sam to reimburse you...

I mailed out the reimbursement "application" yesterday. I will keep you up to date. [emoticon]

That above quote was from 8/10/10.

Today, they called me and said the "application" has been approved for reimbursement. He (Eric) said I should receive the check within 3 to 4 weeks. [emoticon]

I guess I will not believe it until I cash the check and it clears.

He also said they are investigating why I did not receive service faster the night I was broke down. I will keep this updated.

See Picture In My Profile
I have a 1989 Dodge XPLORER RV Class B - Purchased 10/15/10 IN CASH
Fiance' purchased a Class C 2002 Dynamax Carri-go on 5/1/15 IN CASH
We've got the best of both worlds

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