B Class Dodge

[Ballenxj]

How about using "camper van" as the description of what you are looking for or "camper van with no over-cab bed?"  That gives you the van "size" and says no C-type bed.

Tried searching CL with the camper van description with no luck.

440's are good engines and should be no problem dropping in a 360 in the future to go from 10 to 15 mpg or keep the 440 if you have plans on towing around a small moon

I do plan on towing a 6x10 enclosed trailer a lot of the time. Problem is, he's not too sure either. He said he "thinks" it's a 440.

 

[B and C]

I do plan on towing a 6x10 enclosed trailer a lot of the time. Problem is, he's not too sure either. He said he "thinks" it's a 440.

A 360 engine will have a radiator bypass hose (for when the engine is cold) on the front of the engine that goes from the top of the water pump to the intake manifold (short and 90 degrees and a 1/2 inch as I remember and a b*tch to replace when hot).  The 440 will not have that hose.  Fastest way to tell.

Brian

 

[Ballenxj]

I just thought I would let anyone interested in a Roadtrek group in the Northwest, let me know.

PS, Nelda, I sent you a PM.

 

[BamaDuke]

It does make a difference to your insurance company. When I bought my Sportsmobile B I could not get insurance as a "daily driver". The title says MH. I saw a RoadTrek for sale while I was looking, and it was titled as a Van. The RT was much more of a camper than my Sports. Just dot your I's and cross your T's when looking at all of the options.

Bama

 

[Ballenxj]

A 360 engine will have a radiator bypass hose (for when the engine is cold) on the front of the engine that goes from the top of the water pump to the intake manifold (short and 90 degrees and a 1/2 inch as I remember and a b*tch to replace when hot).  The 440 will not have that hose.  Fastest way to tell.

Thanks for that tip.

The title says MH. I saw a RoadTrek for sale while I was looking, and it was titled as a Van.

That's something to think about for sure. I wonder if DMV will give you that option on an RT?

 

[BamaDuke]

I think that the title designation is chosen at the first sale. That is, the first sale from the dealer to the initial buyer. I know it is hard in Texas to change the designation.

Bama

 

[Almost There]

Word of warning about changing designations on DIY campers - make awful darn sure that you can get insurance on it if you change the designation.

DMV and the insurance world are two totally different stories when it comes to what the insurance companies will and will not insure.

You might save a few bucks a year with a RV designation but then find that you either can't get insurance simply because it's a DIY or that your rates will go up because they've changed the risk category.

The same goes for having a 'conversion van' that's titled as a 'van' changed to RV. One of the guys here noted that he had trouble getting insurance for the van titled as an RV because he was planning on using it for a daily driver. RV insurance coverage typically is for occasional usage. The 'other' world thinks that one goes camping on the weekends and for 2 weeks vacation not that one would actually live in their van either part time or full-time. It seems that it's beyond the comprehension of those nice tie and white shirt guys that run the insurance industry...

 

[WriterMs]

Ditto on what Almost There wrote.

I titled my homemade RV out of South Dakota and even there it took me calls to about 6 or 8 insurance companies to find one that would insure me. I was honest about planning to live in it nearly full time (otherwise if you need to collect after an accident and they find you lied they can deny the claim).

I found a Good Sam Insurance (now National General) agent, and they insured me as a personal vehicle that is also an RV (which only means I have contents coverage up to a few thousand dollars).

 

[Ballenxj]

I did have an interesting discussion with a lady at DMV when I was considering converting a box truck I had bought. She told me that after the truck met all the requirement of an RV, meaning it had sleeping quarters, cooking facilities, some sort of commode, (porta potty) and anything that would be required of an RV, I could then have it inspected and they would change the title to reflect that. For multiple reasons that project went by the wayside. She did change the weight from 12,000 to 10,000 at my request right after she told me that would save me a substantial amount of money for registration. 
Thanks a lot for all those helpful replies people. For now the search goes on.

 

[GrantRobertson]

I did have an interesting discussion with a lady at DMV when I was considering converting a box truck I had bought. She told me that after the truck met all the requirement of an RV, meaning it had sleeping quarters, cooking facilities, some sort of commode, (porta potty) and anything that would be required of an RV, I could then have it inspected and they would change the title to reflect that.

I looked up the Texas laws on this about a year ago and the law only says that you have to have pictures of the interior to show that you meet the requirements. And they were pretty lame requirements. It doesn't have to be finished or pretty. Nothing has to be a permanent installation, so you can set up temporary stuff to make it "campable" get the title changed, then live in it while you fix it up.

Here is a link to my previous post: https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-R...ered-a-Class-B-motorhome?pid=115928#pid115928

 

[offroad]

Interesting discussion. Makes me like the idea of getting a f150 truck, and a well built light weight camper insert even more. Insured as a generic truck. Has all the built in things a truck camper needs like self contained tanks. Can be separated. The light weight fiberglass versions are really well designed.

 

[Ballenxj]

Interesting discussion. Makes me like the idea of getting a f150 truck, and a well built light weight camper insert even more. Insured as a generic truck. Has all the built in things a truck camper needs like self contained tanks. Can be separated. The light weight fiberglass versions are really well designed.

I thought about the truck with camper idea, but if I were to spend any length of time in it I would need the room of one with an overhead sleeper. After looking hard at those while researching them, I found too many complaints about the over cab area leaking. Same thing for class C's with the over cab sleeper.
I would love to find a descent deal on a step van that is only in the 20 to 22 ft range, but if you can find a good one it is usually priced somewhere around the nose bleed area.
The end result is that I have now come full circle, and looking at class B van style campers. The extra width of what I call a B, along with slightly longer length might suit my needs better. It would also have to be capable of towing a small enclosed trailer.

 

[DannyB1954]

I would love to find a descent deal on a step van that is only in the 20 to 22 ft range, but if you can find a good one it is usually priced somewhere around the nose bleed area.

I found a great deal in Carson City Nv. on a step van. I couldn't find an insurance carrier. As soon as they got the Vin # they said no thanks. Auto carriers said it was commercial.   Commercial carriers said I was not a business and they don't insure personal vehicles. Rv carriers said it had to be converted first and then they would consider it at an unknown cost. Nevada DMV said to change title to rv I would have to have the work done certified by a licensed mechanic.  Too many hassles. You can buy a class C, gut it, anyway you like even change the whole body, and it is no problem to register or insure.

Before you do a conversion, get the Vin# and secure insurance before you spend any money. Maybe your State and insurance regulations are different. Here it would be a major hassle and cost more than a rig already built.

 

[Ballenxj]

 Nevada DMV said to change title to rv I would have to have the work done certified by a licensed mechanic.  Too many hassles. You can buy a class C, gut it, anyway you like even change the whole body, and it is no problem to register or insure.

Interesting, I'm not too sure that a licensed mechanic knows a whole lot about converting a camper/motorhome? Checking your suspension, wheel bearings, engine and transmission I'll buy, (there are some licensed mechanics I wouldn't trust for those things either)
 I suppose it all depends on what person you get at DMV. The lady I spoke to said to get it converted, bring it to the DMV for inspection, then you're done. This was in Nye county.
Now the insurance situation is a whole other ball of earwax. Again, I suppose it depends on where you are, and who you talk to.

 

[offroad]

DannyB -- good idea about gut rebuild on a class C for insurance and registration. It's already classified as such. Just find one that is mostly rebuilt, and fix the rest.

 

[DannyB1954]

Ballenxj, I am in the kingdom of Nye also. (Pahrump). This was about a month ago.

It would be nice if there was a listing of RV's that had metal frames instead of wood. I almost bought a Newmar Class C that was pretty rough but the bones was good. Price started at $4k, then eventually dropped to $1.5k. This model had an aluminum frame and cost a fortune when new. The only thing that stopped me was it was 27' long. I already have a 30'er. I was looking for a small class C or van. Something like 21'. I don't need stealth as much as I do parking ease. If I go to a city, it will probably be as a day trip.

 

[Ballenxj]

I don't need stealth as much as I do parking ease. If I go to a city, it will probably be as a day trip.

I hear you on that one.
PS, I too like your idea of getting a C class to build out.
I'm just wary now of that darned overhead bunk area after hearing all the horror stories about them leaking.

 

[roadtrekker]

Some of the better built Class C motorhomes are built well, like the Chinook, Born Free, or LazyDaze. But you could get one that is in good condition now and seal the snot out of the overhead before it springs a leak. Avoid anything with a forward facing window on the overhead since these are a major source of leaks.

 

[Ballenxj]

  Avoid anything with a forward facing window on the overhead since these are a major source of leaks.

It seems that everything I find has forward facing windows on the top. :dodgy: 
I did just recently find a class C that has a fiberglass shell though. It looks more impervious to rain, but I don't know for sure.
The guy say it doesn't leak, but................
Any thoughts on that?

 

[Gary68]

there are c's with full fiberglass shells and i think they are o.k. much better then the tin shed style