Another Newbie - To free, or not to free?

[Dodgy71]

Hello everyone!\n I have the opportunity to acquire a 1971 built Travco 270 for free via an estate settlement. It was delivered new in Jan. 1972 to my wife's parents in southern CA. The MH has some sun damage (cracked gel coat, etc) as it has been stored in a car port for most of its life. It has about 60K miles on the odometer. Tires have lots of tread but are probably 15+ years old (7.5, 17, 5 lug split rims), are Goodyear bias ply, and have the expected age cracking. I don't believe that the MH has run in about 15 years. It has a 413-1 engine. Interior is in pretty nice shape, all things considered, but may have some minor rodent damage.\n I have read practically every post on this forum to get as educated as possible, and understand that 17" split rims, availability of tires, and availability of brake parts for a 71-72 (probably the "early" version), could be a very serious problem/show stopper.\n I am quite proficient with automotive repairs, but have not done much on MH's for many years. My wife has many fond memories of family travels in the Travco, so we would like to make it a functional and reliable(??) vehicle that we can take on family vacations of 2k-5k miles, annually.\n All of this having been said, I need to decide whether to take the Travco as-is, in hopes of making it functional again (I have about a $10K budget for repairs) or just letting it go. I'm not afraid of hard work, but am concerned with parts that are unobtainium. I think I know the answer, but would really like those of you that have been living the 40 year old Travco dream/nightmare to weigh in.\n\nThank you!

[77Travco]

Welcome!\nA $10k budget is very doable if you want to get an old sleepy Travco back on the road. You just need to make a choice about just how sentimental this motorhome really is.\n1) The first option is to put it on ebay, etc and just sell it. Getting a buyer to commit can take some time due to "shipping" issues but it is possible. There are plenty of people out there who love these things.\n2) If you decide to keep it then I would look for a set of 19.5 wheels in order to get a one piece wheel and a tire size that is obtainable. Maybe even a complete front and rear axle swap. If its been parked for years then it will probably need brake work (like wheel cylinders), fuel system cleaned, hoses, belts, tires, generator work, maybe a carb rebuild, batteries, wiper blades... you get the idea.\nAfter 2 years of ownership, I finally have gotten my Travco to the point where I would be comfortable driving it any distance... I think. Like I said, not impossible and much more probable with a good budget. good luck!

[Acesneights]

Well, from someone who has owned several, the one I miss the most is the one in my Avatar. I grew up in it. I wish I had kept and restored it.\n10k is really a matter of what you wanna do and how nice you wanna make it. Parts are not that hard to get. That is why I started this site to get parts sources up to date. It takes a little patience but most stuff it still available. Keep searching RV junkyards in Indiana and everywhere else. The Winnebagos used the same chassis(older ones) so rims are out there. \nThe biggest expense is dealing with the cracked gelcoat..IF it bothers you. Most people just leave it and give the old rigs a good compounding and repaint the stripe and call it a day.. They look good 5 ft away. Aside from extensive paint and body work you should be able to get it roadworthy for a few grand assuming no major issues. \nI just acquired a 2001 Vking Pop up yesterday for a few hundred dollars because water got in it and destroyed it. That is what is awesome about Travco over all others, even 100k newer ones. They are fberglass over steel so if water gets in it really doesnt do much except wreck the inside panels which are pretty easy to replace compared to a newer unit. These things really can be a blank canvas and were built really really well. Looking at this Pop up I am about to harvest for parts, I love my Travco even more. There is almost no point (save fire or major collision) that a Travco cannot be restored from.

[Acesneights]

The biggest downside of the pre 73's is the front drum brakes IMHO. I like the look of them better though.

[Acesneights]

Also I am not entirely sure the 17's are not available. A good truck tire dealer like Pete's tire barn should be able to get something.Split rims are ok if the tires and tubes are new, just no one wants to deal with changing them. I have a cage for doing them and I still don't like them.

[Dodgy71]

Thank you 77 and Aces.\n Went to Petes Tire Service, here in SoCal to get one tubes replaced with the 17" split ring. They didn't seem to have much heartburn with the split ring. They also confirmed that these are not the dreaded "widow maker", but also confirmed that the split rings do require great care when inflated from zero, or low pressures. Cost to replace tube and remount existing tire is $38 plus cost of tube and flap, if necessary. So about $75.\n I'm not too concerned about the cracking gel coat. Can deal with that later.\n My biggest concern is part availability for the brakes (wheel cylinders, etc.), as Dave78 at the Classic Winnie forum says the "early" 71 flavor is near impossible. (Not exactly sure if mine is early or late.) I wonder if anyone can rebuild the ones that I have with stainless or brass sleeves? I should say, that at this point, I don't know if they are bad, but I'd guess the probability is about 90% that they are.\n I'll let you know if and when I get her fired up. Once I can get it to move, I can better assess the real needs.\n One last question for this reply: Which Dodge manual do you recommend? I see that there are Dodge Truck Chassis-Parts Catalog and Dodge Truck Chassis-Service Manual. Do you recommend getting both?

[Acesneights]

I would think most of the wheel cyl brake stuff is still available, just finding the correct current part# is the challenge. I have spent hours on Raybestos, wagner and NAPA's websites looking at pictures to identify what I had. You may find the correct part but for a different year or even model. Like AFAIK the 270 and 220 used the same Master cyls and Brake boosters for the most part. The Boosters can be sent out as well.

[77Travco]

Your gonna want that service manual for sure.\nAlso - when you do go to an auto parts store for parts... the big box stores are useless unless you know the exact part number you need, etc. Places like CARQUEST and some NAPA's seem to have more knowledgeable people instead of some kid that just wants to know "what year and engine" so he can type it into a computer. Man that kinda stuff bugs me... I recently went into a parts store for an alternator on an 85 Chevy pickup and the guy asked me if it was 2 or 4 wheel drive.

[Dave78Chieftain]

While I hate referring anyone to him because of his high prices, Alretta Truck Parts Inc. normally can help you with most brake parts for the early chassis'. If you do use him I sure would like to know part numbers of what you get.\n\nDave

[Dodgy71]

I'll post all of my brake findings in the "brakes" section, when I get to doing them. Need to find out if they are bad, first. Thanks for the info.