Found a possible candidate!

[stude53]

Lugh,
Only this one piece of advice...
Don't let the stars in your eyes blind you as you inspect the camper. Yes, you will probably have things to replace and repair, this is normal with an older rig.

Be sure to look underneath for any significant rust or road damage.

Overall, the pics look very promising. Hope this is the one for you.

Good luck,
Bob

 

[LughTheBard]

Thanks Bob! Especially good advice for me! I have a tendency to get a little over-excited. I'm going to have a list of questions to ask. I'll be taking pictures. There's a built-in cooling off period because of my having to wait for my disbursement, so hopefully I won't go off half-cocked.

The underside should be fascinating to look at because this rig has a sunken aisle which should give me the equivalent of a hitop without it being that tall. I'm very intrigued by the way that's implemented!

In its day, this was an extremely innovative rig. (I spent several hours researching it last night. I figured a couple of hours of lost sleep that could be made up later would be a good investment. After all, knowledge is power!) I was fortunate to find a YouTube video from when someone was selling his grandfather's rig that he'd done a partial restoration on. My biggest worry is that it could be a "money pit". But, even if it is, once I move in, I should have enough to fix a fair amount of stuff since I won't be paying rent.

Wish me luck! Oh, you did! <grin>

Lugh

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Lugh....Looking at the pics in the ad, the Dodge seems to have been cared for. I don't see anything torn up or abused. Check it carefully, but I think it may just be a cool find.
I'm wondering about the bubbletop in the pic. I've seen a couple of them that I recall as smaller dimensions, but would pop straight up. It would really be cool if this one did.

A sharp eye and cool intuition is the order of the day

 

[LughTheBard]

Overall, it seems to have been taken care of. The last person who had it seemed to be in process of making changes. The dinette seems to have been taken out. Also the bath is gone to make more storage, which may be a good thing. The bed area in the back seems big enough for me to sleep. I may see about having a a special made mattress. We'll see how it turns out. I do have a little feeling that he's not telling me everything, but I also have a feeling it'll be okay.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

So...It drove good and shifted well?? No whine or clunks from the rear end/driveshaft?? I'm guessing no bad leaks and the oil/tranny sticks looked and smelled right??
Is that top just a bubble or does it raise up??

Hopefully the seller has given you the straight skinny on everything.
When I'm selling I try to be up front, but also am reserved, letting the buyer draw their own conclusions. Maybe that's where he was at

 

[LughTheBard]

Sounded real good, very smooth. Oil and tranny fluid looked healthy. I think it's got a little bit of an oil leak around the oil-pan gasket. That might just be a case of tightening the bolts. (Hopefully not stripped!)

The top is just a bubble which is not very tall. There is a sunken aisle along the kitchen area making it pretty close to full standing area for me which I really like!

Yeah, he might've just been being reserved. I didn't get the feeling he was trying to rip me off. He may have been worried that I was gonna try to talk him down further because it's a '78. Personally, even if I have to make some semi-expensive repairs, I think I got a good deal. I have a feeling he might've gotten it REALLY cheap and he was worried I try to cut that down. I feel pretty good about it.

---

Oh yeah, I'm feeling like the u-joints need to be checked. No clunking, just a feeling. Like you said, intuition.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Glad you liked the rig. I've got a good feeling about it and I think its gonna serve you well.

U joints are often overlooked till they get toooo bad. Easier to replace them at your leisure than to drop the shaft hauling ass down the road.
Also, if the back brakes need adjustment, you might just be hearing/feeling that "slack" when you shift thru the gears while parked.
You know how to check those joints, so no worries there.
Might need a grease gun under there.

Now, tradition calls for a worthy name for a worthy stead, so what we gonna call this rig???

 

[Bdog1]

Sounds like z great set-up. Let the pic's begin.....

 

[LughTheBard]

Yeah, had a u-joint let go on the highway on my first vehicle, which, oddly enough, was a Dodge van. Really would prefer not to repeat that experience! *grin* Pics coming this evening!

 

[LughTheBard]

Okay, gonna see if TapaTalk will let me post some pics. Wish me luck!

This is the first of the pics from the CL ad. I think it's better than any of the pics I took this morning.

This is the stove inside the rig. Looks pretty good to me. Couldn't test it because the tank was empty. Fridge is right below.

this is the sink, located behind front passenger seat.

view of inside over the shoulder of the driver's seat.

Front view of van. Yeah, she's a classic!

For some reason, most of the pics I took this morning aren't accessible (yet). I'll work on that.

Enjoy!

Lugh