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look what followed me home!
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Author:  xbird [ Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:46 pm ]
Post subject:  look what followed me home!
Que up some ELP "Welcome back my friends ..."

Got old school and picked up a '78 Dodge Jamboree 24-footer last week. Rebuilt 440, Onan genny in mint shape, interior original and in damn nice shape for being 38 years old! Orange shagalicious carpeting and upholstery baaaybeeee!

Inspected thru '17 with good rubber and ready to go. Couldn't pass it up at $3,200, plus its been to line Mtn a few times. Gotta install the brake controller and do a bit of clean up here and there, otherwise, no more sleeping in the pickup bed at the races!

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Author:  Papa Rich [ Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
Congrats on the new to you camper.
Author:  poordad [ Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
congrats :D
Author:  pud [ Wed Jun 15, 2016 12:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
Pretty good looking old rig ya got yourself xbird.
You'll be shagging in the shag now :lol:
Author:  xbird [ Wed Jun 15, 2016 5:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
I'd been looking for a 24-26 footer for several months, anything in my budget was in such poor condition that most were either scrap, full-on gut and rebuild projects or needed major mechanical attention.

I consistently found that anything from the 1990s-up, under 5k, with the smooth siding had major water damage and had leaks far worse than anything from the 80s and earlier.

This one popped on CL 10 minutes away from me and I managed to grab it same day. It's the only one within 100 miles that I could drive home without issues and have ready to camp in on the spot.

I'm the 3rd owner, first owner was an engineer/tinkerer, so it's got all the gimmicky fuel saver devices, has been converted to a 1-wire alternator with stand-alone diode/rectifier and has a trip log detailing everywhere it went.

Only real issues are non-working dash AC (compressor issue) and the aux and main fuel tank sending units are reversed on the switch and the main's doesn't work. needs a valve cover breather gasket and some new valve cover gaskets. exhaust is brand new, brakes were completely re-done 4 years ago with very minimal mileage and tires are 95+ percent with no dry-rotting.

It's first outing will be next Line Mtn. race 2nd week of July. That's when she's gonna get the real test of pulling the trailer up thru the coal mountains.
Author:  PGH [ Wed Jun 15, 2016 8:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
Congrats. Let's see the inside of your shagdom.
Author:  00dawg [ Wed Jun 15, 2016 9:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
Awesome
Author:  pud [ Thu Jun 16, 2016 12:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
PGH wrote:
Congrats. Let's see the inside of your shagdom.


Xbird must be easy cleaning his shagdom or just don't want to share it with us. :D
My folks had a 70 some model can't remember what year champion motor home big flat nose all windshield.it was shagged out.
I had my 70 model orange Chevy 4x4 wall to wall carpeted with white leather vw buckets seats,rhe chicks dug it :D

I like old stuff it had style
I would like to have xbird new camper it would be nice to take to mountains and camp.
Author:  xbird [ Thu Jun 16, 2016 7:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
I'm just jammed up with work. Biz is in-season and I'm pulling 10s-12s 7 days a week plus trying to take care of a couple minor items on the Rockhound.

My wife is in clean and organize mode on the camper, so til she's done going thru it and putting our stuff in it, not much to take a pic of that isn't cluttered up with boxes. Gimme a week ! LOL

I also scored some nice deep brown HD indoor/outdoor carpet to replace what's left of the rubber taxi-cab matting in the driving area.

I'm going to put some padded heat shield down with the rug on top. Also will re-do the doghouse inside with the heat shield and put the deep brown on the outside of it.
Author:  PGH [ Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
I love the rubber flooring in my trucks - That's one of the reasons why I choose the XL or Tradesman trim level. I can pull out the floor mats, sweep it out run a wet rag across it and look like new.
Author:  pud [ Thu Jun 16, 2016 12:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
I was just messing with you xbird sounds like the wife is happy.its been a while but I remember what it's like to get a camper ready to go out.
Have fun
Author:  xbird [ Thu Jun 16, 2016 10:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
PGH wrote:
I love the rubber flooring in my trucks - That's one of the reasons why I choose the XL or Tradesman trim level. I can pull out the floor mats, sweep it out run a wet rag across it and look like new.


I hear you on that, the one piece thin rubber mat in this is about 6 pieces and pretty dried out. I bet JC Whitney has a perfect match for it. :)
Author:  xbird [ Tue Jun 28, 2016 8:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
No pics yet, wife had interior all put together after i told her not to and i promptly gutted it of all cushions etc so i could work on the wiring. Pulled close to 100' of old, dead systems wiring out of it ranginh from fuel saving devices, original alternator wiring and some that I have no clue what they were for, but had nothing on one end or the other.

Trailer brake controller is wired in and installed, controller unit is working, but not getting apply at the trailer. trailer works on my truck, so i have to check the pin-out at the trailer plug to see if it goes somewhere other than the "eb" on the socket side.

I sourced off the camper brake light wire as is normal, but that has a Ford underdash socket and light wired into on the positive side and the negative side of it feeds to the ground on the main/aux fuel toggle switch ???? Lights up when i hit the brakes. wondering it that's cutting supply to the controller down too much. This thing had toooo many 3m wire taps under the dash. Hate them things.

Anyhow, but for chasing down the trailer brake issue and needing to test AC clutch and low pressure switch, the rats nest has been turned into organized spaghetti.

All added holes in the firewall for the excess wiring got dum-dummed and most of the grommets needed to be installed correctly and sealed. Got that done, added 3m sound deadener to the flooring and am presently re-insulating and heat-proofing the doghouse. Got some dark brown indoor/outdoor carpet rough cut. Trim that in, install doghouse, get new valve cover gaskets and a breather grommet and she should be good to go.
Author:  xbird [ Thu Jun 30, 2016 9:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: look what followed me home!
The pictureless saga continues! LOL Seeing as that I hadn't buttoned up the dash, engine compartment, engine over or floor I decided to delve deeper into the wiring to see if i could get the Air conditioner to work.

Talk about bring on the pain!
First check was the compressor clutch, which had its power wire sheared by the pulley long ago. Apply 12V, get a reassuring "click" and engagement. couple water-proof terminal connectors and that's good to go.

That led to a search for the low pressure switch --- fruitless since I have pretty much figured out that the system didn't use one, or it was eliminated. Direct-on deal with a York upright compressor.

So i plunk down some dough for an r-12 conversion kit, and find nothing in the system. mess with the wiring awhile and i can't get the clutch to trigger through the system's on/temp range or on/fan speed switches. Grrr, this is getting messy!

Pretty much tear apart the dash, can't isolate the power feed. parts, screws and wires all over ))).

Found an unused 12v ign-only-on wire, tap a switch into that and feed it to the compressor on/expansion valve feed. compressor cycles on with the engine running now, but no fan.

use the same feed and put some juice to the AC blower ...motor works ... feed it through fan switch, switch good. hmmm,

So i juice it back to the compressor on and low and behold the fan triggers, compressor runs, and I manage to get a charge in the system. Some rather STALE dusty old air (should've bottled it and sold it as 1980s restoration AC gas) but it's blowing cold.

If i can't find the 12v feed source issue easily, I plan on putting the toggle in line to the AC On and using the same source i tested with and just having a primary and secondary power on switch.

Engine cover is insulated, so it's going to be time finally to button up the dash, trim the carpeting and figure out the electric brake and get back on some buggy work for the next race in two weeks.
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