'73 Concord 20' Class A w/Dodge 440 - see profile for photo
Maya.215 wrote:
Hey what's going on I am new to the rv world and new to this form I just purchased a 1979 dodge cruisemaster with 33,000 miles, I've come to find that is the b300 chases small block 360, it has been a blast bringing her up to date a bit on the inside along with refreshing her up motor and Body wise on the outside, my family has done a lot of tent camping all mainly close to home and now that we have gotten this new toy everybody is so excited for the next road trip, so far things I have done to it. I've completely gutted the inside took the L shape countertop away and built a nice new one with a nice tiled top, instead of the bed in the rear we have turned it into a table/bed/sitting aria, we have ripped that 1970s shag Rugs up and put some nice clean new carpet down. Painted everything inside lol ,I've done a full tune up plugs/wires/distributor and cap,battery,filters, oil change, new altinator, and power steering pump. I still have to do the oil pan gasket,change trans fluid and rear fluid. The brakes seem to be sticking or dragging and it's hard to push on the brake pedal (seems real stiff), I was told I had to lift the engine to change the pan gasket witch so far seems like it's going to be the hardest task being I know the oil pumps in there and probably is going to be a pain to get at. There's a few other minor stuff to do but I'm really glad to see my family ain't the only ones riding around in a classic rv, and it seems as though there's quite a few experienced people here with similar Rvs that will be able to help me with problems I run into with this new family toy witch I'm positive I will need I will post pics when I get a chance.
Hey what's going on I am new to the rv world and new to this form I just purchased a 1979 dodge cruisemaster with 33,000 miles, I've come to find that is the b300 chases small block 360, it has been a blast bringing her up to date a bit on the inside along with refreshing her up motor and Body wise on the outside, my family has done a lot of tent camping all mainly close to home and now that we have gotten this new toy everybody is so excited for the next road trip, so far things I have done to it. I've completely gutted the inside took the L shape countertop away and built a nice new one with a nice tiled top, instead of the bed in the rear we have turned it into a table/bed/sitting aria, we have ripped that 1970s shag Rugs up and put some nice clean new carpet down. Painted everything inside lol ,I've done a full tune up plugs/wires/distributor and cap,battery,filters, oil change, new altinator, and power steering pump. I still have to do the oil pan gasket,change trans fluid and rear fluid. The brakes seem to be sticking or dragging and it's hard to push on the brake pedal (seems real stiff), I was told I had to lift the engine to change the pan gasket witch so far seems like it's going to be the hardest task being I know the oil pumps in there and probably is going to be a pain to get at. There's a few other minor stuff to do but I'm really glad to see my family ain't the only ones riding around in a classic rv, and it seems as though there's quite a few experienced people here with similar Rvs that will be able to help me with problems I run into with this new family toy witch I'm positive I will need I will post pics when I get a chance.
Oh the shag carpet. When I bought my 78 B300 I tore it out. The installer of that shag carpet must have been listening to John Travolta disco with a staple gun in each hand.
Have your brakes checked, could be your not used to the old school feel. Have them looked at for sure.
Pan gasket could be a fall or winter project? In the meantime just add oil.
Good luck!
I got lucky; mine had vinyl flooring, not shag. Easier to cover with laminate
![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
Leeann wrote:
Never seen a 70s or 80s Dodge based RV with rear disc. It's drums.
I got lucky; mine had vinyl flooring, not shag. Easier to cover with laminate
Never seen a 70s or 80s Dodge based RV with rear disc. It's drums.
I got lucky; mine had vinyl flooring, not shag. Easier to cover with laminate
There was an article in an off-roader magazine (and echoed on the 'web) about converting a Dana 70 to rear disc brakes. Likewise, a previous owner could have swapped in a different rear axle, such as a Dana/Spicer 80 or a Silverado 2500HD rear axle.
However, I'd be willing to bet Leeann is correct. (I sometime make bets but I don't gamble.) The Dana 70 was standard equipment and is, in my opinion, an ideal rear axle, even considering drum vs disc rear brakes. Keep it topped of with gear lube and replace bearings and seals every few hundred thousand miles and it will last millions of miles and a century or more.
I've come to hate carpet. It collects dirt and grime like no other floor covering and is difficult to clean. I've seen a few motorhomes where the carpeting trapped and held moisture against the plywood subfloor, causing the subfloor to soften and -- in one case -- rot.
I put premium residential shag carpet in my '77 B200 when I turned it into a Class B and wound up regretting it.
I consider Leeann's laminate flooring just about ideal and will likely follow her example in MLP.
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
Griff in Fairbanks wrote:
The Dana 70 was standard equipment and is, in my opinion, an ideal rear axle, even considering drum vs disc rear brakes. Keep it topped of with gear lube and replace bearings and seals every few hundred thousand miles and it will last millions of miles and a century or more.
The Dana 70 was standard equipment and is, in my opinion, an ideal rear axle, even considering drum vs disc rear brakes. Keep it topped of with gear lube and replace bearings and seals every few hundred thousand miles and it will last millions of miles and a century or more.
My 1983 Sportscoach on a P30 chassis had disc brakes on the differential. For the life of me I don't know what differential it was, all I know is it was big.
Downsizing ">
Ballenxj wrote:
My 1983 Sportscoach on a P30 chassis had disc brakes on the differential. For the life of me I don't know what differential it was, all I know is it was big.
Griff in Fairbanks wrote:
The Dana 70 was standard equipment and is, in my opinion, an ideal rear axle, even considering drum vs disc rear brakes. Keep it topped of with gear lube and replace bearings and seals every few hundred thousand miles and it will last millions of miles and a century or more.
The Dana 70 was standard equipment and is, in my opinion, an ideal rear axle, even considering drum vs disc rear brakes. Keep it topped of with gear lube and replace bearings and seals every few hundred thousand miles and it will last millions of miles and a century or more.
My 1983 Sportscoach on a P30 chassis had disc brakes on the differential. For the life of me I don't know what differential it was, all I know is it was big.
The differential is the "pumpkin" near the middle of the rear axle, and/or front axle on four-, front-. and all-wheel drive vehicles.
It's primary purpose is to allow the wheels to turn at different (i.e., differential) speeds while cornering. Without it, one of the tires on a drive axle would have to "scuff" while going around a corner.
Many older vehicles had a drum or disc brake on the driveshaft, either on the transmission or differential end, to serve as a "parking" brake. These are often referred to as driveline brakes. Most (all?) Mopar transmissions up until the early '70s had a small drum brake on the back end of the transmission.
Extremely important safety warning: Driveline brakes, as well as the internal parking pawl on most modern transmissions, ONLY "lock" the wheels on the drive axle when all tires on BOTH sides have a firm grip on the ground. Due to the function of the differential, the wheel(s) on one side can, and WILL, turn when the wheel(s) on the other side are jacked off the ground or on a slippery surface.
This is the primary reason safety experts tell you to chock the tires when changing a tire or working on the vehicle.
* This post was edited 06/10/17 04:05pm by Griff in Fairbanks *