New Member from Utah

rockrdude · March 12, 2016, 01:50 PM

Hello all. I am excited to join the community. I have recently purchased a '73 Brave to restore with a friend from Florida. I just wanted to quickly introduce the two of us. I am a recent college grad with no intentions of using my degree and my friend is an older woman that I met down in southern Florida on a road trip this summer. She has since relocated to Utah to be my travel partner. We plan on being full timers come June. We are restoring this beauty and plan on traveling the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the next three years or so. I picked up this 1973 D20T with 70k miles on the original 318 for only $500. The interior is in decent shape and I was told it only needs a rebuilt carb. We'll see about that.. Either way, I have wanted a vintage Winnebago since I was a little kid watching that old lady tear off out of her trailer park in Paulie and now that I'm finished with school, I have made my dreams come true. I gave myself a time frame of six months from my graduation date to track one down and found this within a week and bought it as a Christmas gift to myself. I have an adventure blog set up already (TravelinGavin.com) and she is working on one right now! (keep an eye out for "The Young Stud and The Old Bitty")

I look forward to being an active part of this community!

joanfenn · March 12, 2016, 02:06 PM

Welcome Gavin. Now being that your here, we like lots of pictures. Any questions that you have about things, check out the search box first. There are a lot of peeps on here that have probably been there, done that and it is well documented already. If you have questions that you can't find answers to, please ask. Some one will surely point you in the right direction. But ask only one clear question in each post. That way if another person is searching for the same answer the question and solution are easy to find.
Have fun, be prepared to learn a lot and remember, the only dumb question is the one you didn't ask.

LJ-TJ · March 12, 2016, 05:29 PM

Hey Buddy,buddy, buddy, welcome aboard or should I say welcome to the insane asylum

. Pictures man, pictures where's the pictures of the inside. Carb! shoot save yourself a lot of time and head aches and go buy a carb if that's all you need. Save yourself a lot of grief. Lots of great advice here. Our mantra is the only dumb question here is the one you don't ask. Again WELCOME ABOARD.

rockrdude · March 12, 2016, 06:56 PM

Thanks y'all! Here are a few photos of the interior on the day I bought it. I've since done a lot of cleaning and tossing out junk and it looks a hundred times better.

joanfenn · March 12, 2016, 07:00 PM

Oh well, nothing a young Stud can't handle.

LJ-TJ · March 12, 2016, 08:31 PM

Yep! That's about what they look like when they start out. AND this is what they look like finished. i??

http://www.usedrvs4sale.ca/detail/Used-1973-Winnebago-Indian/eecwrGycyzrcyeIezryf.html

legomybago · March 15, 2016, 01:14 PM

Sounds like your in for an adventure, I'm jealous!

rockrdude · April 21, 2016, 01:28 AM

Good news! I have discovered that my Brave has a 440 in it rather than a 318 so I'm a happy camper! Bad news. Debby is no longer a part of the project. I will post some photos of the interior now that it is cleaned up! I'd like to touch base with what needs attention first and foremost. I need to replace the starter switch as the ignition has been absolutely destroyed where the key goes in. I'm also confused about what type of batteries need to go in this thing. I am focusing on the chassis right now before I get started on the coach so I need to stay focused on the front end for now. I'm thinking I'll just get the recommended battery for a Dodge Ram of the same year? As far as the engine goes (I'll post photos of that as well), I know that I need a carb, an oil dipstick, and an air filter assembly. I don't even know what else I need. Please point me in the right direction for obtaining parts. I'm not sure if my local O'Reilly will be of any help or if I should be ordering them online. The other bit of news is that I have the option of getting my hands on a second Winnie that is the identical floorplan for interior/exterior parts to keep it looking original for only a few hundred dollars. I do know that the engine runs, but it is not driveable. If it's the same engine, I'm going to have it towed to my house ($550

). If it's not the same engine, I'm going to spend a day picking parts off that I need for mine. I've attached some photos of this second Brave. Lemme know what ya think!

LJ-TJ · April 21, 2016, 06:51 AM

Grab it and sell the parts on e-bay. It's worth it's weight in gold. You'll get the cost of the tow out of the engine and you will still have the tranny and rear end. Hm?

Rickf1985 · April 21, 2016, 10:42 AM

Sorry to hear the partnership did not work out. I would grab the other Winnie just for parts alone if nothing else. I see a whole bunch of stuff there that people are always asking for so I think as TJ said you would get your money back in parts sales. Be careful you don't sell stuff you need now or in the near future. I see a high demand for those vent windows but that to mean to me to keep one or two in storage just in case since they seem to be unobtanium.

brians1969 · April 21, 2016, 11:53 AM

Well, I'll give you the flip side of it. Figure out what you need and go with cash and tools and do your picking. Save yourself $550. Remember, you going to have get it towed back out to a junkyard when you're done. That's if the junkyard will take it. In CT, I know junkyards were either not taking, or were charging a premium to get rid of campers/motorhomes. It's all "fluff". No title? That may be problem too! Is your city going to have a fit if you have 2 old motorhomes in your yard?

Selling on ebay: sounds good in theory, but in actual practice (unless your a regular seller), it can be a big pain in the rump for what you're gonna get out of it. You have to get boxes for shipping stuff, package it so it doesn't get destroyed thereby causing the buyer to give you neg. feedback, and haul it to the shipping store. And you can't price the item too high or no one will touch it. I've done it and no more....

I would say, get a wish list from people as to what they want. When you pull your stuff, get theirs too.

Hope I'm not sounding too negative...just want you to be aware of the potential problems.

Rickf1985 · April 21, 2016, 06:39 PM

I would bet money that in order to get it he has to take the whole thing not gut it an leave it! I sure would not allow that, Then I have to be the one to get rid of the carcass, not to mention clean up the inevitable mess made during the stripping of the unit. It really does not look all that bad, if the body is good and the motor is good then there are 727 transmissions all over the place, cheap.

xerofall · May 03, 2016, 01:27 PM

Hey man!

Sorry I have not posted a reply, I've had a few setbacks.

You are welcome to check out my Brave anytime for ideas, I can even help you with figuring out the batteries.

rockrdude · January 11, 2017, 11:25 AM

Update: I have spent the last six months in Alabama and have completely neglected my project. I'm back in Utah now and have actually found the score of a century on another Winnebago! I'm now using the Brave for parts. I may be parting it out completely once I'm finished if anyone is interested. Side note: I'm willing to forward the owner's information for the Brave near Evanston, Wyoming as I have yet to get my hands on it and now I don't need to. I went and picked up this 1974 Indian in Logan, Utah last week. She's a D23L with the 440. Only 50k miles! Runs great. Drives great. Great tires. Wonderful floorplan. Great awning. Great flooring. Electrical seems to work wonderfully. I have yet to test the gas appliances and furnace. A few gauges on the dash aren't working quite right and I need to replace the batteries. Other than that, she's gorgeous and I couldn't be happier! I'll be removing the oversized co-pilot seat along with the overhead bunk from the Brave to install in the Indian. There are a few other odds and ends that I'll be taking from the Brave. Oh! Did I mention that I scored this rig for $240?! That's right! $240!! And drove her 80 miles home with no issues!

legomybago · January 11, 2017, 12:24 PM

paid 240.00 bucks AND you drove it 80 miles home! That will make the palms of your hand sweat for sure! Good score

plockit007 · January 11, 2017, 01:51 PM

WOW!!!! $240.00 bucks. Enjoy the rebuild. Welcome to the club.

Winnebago Warrior 94 · March 31, 2017, 01:29 AM

I like it 😃 . .nice price too😄

plockit007 · April 08, 2017, 01:19 AM

Excellent for $500.00 you did yourself right. Even if you get the other one for parts. It will make you enough pocket money to put into the original purchase.

Welcome aboard. We sure do have plenty of help available.

Don't hesitate to ask. Glad you made it here. Now you have to die to get out.