Advice on a tune up for just bought 72 brave D20

[Clyde9]

From: Quickster102  (Original Message)
Sent: 12/29/2007 11:05 AM

Hello everyone, I just bought a 1972 brave D20 on a M300 chassis. I'm really new to the RV world and don't have any experience working on RV's. I have experience working on older vehicles though. I'm looking for any tune up advice on this winne. It has 100000 miles and is that a lot for an RV. I'm planning on taking a trip in a few months and probably be a 800 mile round trip. Im not to really worried about appliances right now I'm mostly worried about mechanical issues( brakes, tranny, engine etc...). The motor runs damn good and doesn't smoke at all and the tranny shifts fun through all gears. Tires are fair also brakes. How long does a brand new pair of brake pads for drum typically last? Also where is a good parts place y'all get parts from? I know this message might be a little vague but anything would help. This website already helped me so much already. Thanks a lot



From: LJ-TJ
Sent: 12/30/2007 12:54 AM

First things first...Welcome aboard. Two if is running good don't fix it. Three keep an eye on the fluids and tire pressures and you should be good to go. My experiences on the road have always led me to NAPA they have been above and beyond when it has come to on the road repairs Auto Zone and Advance Auto chaps are real helpful as well. Last but not least you've come to the right place for help there is much material that can be down loaded from this site.



From: Phåråoh
Sent: 12/30/2007 2:07 AM

There are additional listings for brake parts in the Resources side-bar option. - Sob



From: ClydesdaleKevin
Sent: 12/30/2007 10:30 AM

Welcome to the group!  And congratulations on buying a Winnie, the coolest old rigs on the road!

There is tons of information about everything you could possibly want to know in the sidebar option, "Message Search."  Just click on it, and either scroll down and read the title of the message threads, or type a clue word into the search window, and it will highlight the related messages.

If you can't find what you are looking for, then by all means ask!  Someone here will probably have the answer!

Don't worry about asking any question...there are no stupid questions.  When I started out, I knew JACK about RVs...now I live in a 77 Itasca full time, and can fix anything in the rig...lol!

Give us some more info too:  What engine does it have, etc.

We will help you in any way we can.

And again, Welcome to the group!

Kev, Patti, the Furry Kids, and Excalibur!



From: OldEdBrady
Sent: 12/30/2007 11:48 AM

If you want to know what NOT to do, and why you should ask questions, you should read the thread I did some time back on, "Who (in his right mind) wants to go camping?"

I should have asked MANY more questions than I did back then!



From: denisondc
Sent: 12/30/2007 5:14 PM

I hope you accept email. I just sent you a long windy posting of free advice - the same sort of stuff you would have found by reading old postings on the board. The other members are probably tired of hearing my advice by now, so I spared them this time.
We are definitely looking forward to some pictures, and learning which motor you have, the 318 or the 413. And tell us whether you have split rim or one piece wheels.
Good Luck...



From: SeaRaySRV160
Sent: 1/1/2008 4:48 PM

Hi Denison,

I just read your posted reply and was curious about the one piece wheels. Do you know that there are one piece wheels available to replace the 5-bolt split rims I have on my '72? And in the event they are available, will they maintain the same circumference & final drive ratio? I have not been successful in my searching and I wanted to keep the original factory speed odometer accurate. Thank you.

Best Regards,

Robert Donley
Jenison, MI



From: denisondc
Sent: 1/1/2008 7:09 PM

Yes, there were one piece wheels made for the 5 bolt Budd hubs, made by several wheel makers. They were the OEM wheels on the Dodge chassis in the later 70s for a couple of years. On a few occasions since that time wheel makers have cranked out production runs of suitable one piece wheels for replacements. They fit the old 5 bolt hubs, and take 19.5" tires. As you may know, any Light Truck tires that are a '.5 inch' size, like 16.5", 19.5", 20.5" & 22.5" were tubeless tires for one piece wheels. The 7.50-19.5" tires in the typical Light Truck shape factor have about the same circumference as the 17" tires did, and they come in load ranges up through at least G if not higher. I doubt you would notice a difference in the speedometer accuracy.
I know that Alcoa made shiny aluminum one piece wheels for the 5 bolt Budd hubs, taking 19.5" tires, and they were available 7 or 8 years ago. I saw them on a Winnebago at that time, and got the 7 split rims that the owner had removed. I know nothing about the current inventory of new wheels, and very little about the inventory in RV salvage yards. Along with other scarce wheel sizes, they may require some searching. Apparently some tire places wont even bother to make a few phone calls to find out. Maybe because we represent .001% of their business?
A business near Baltimore had planned to make a small production run of new wheels to fit motor homes a few years ago. I believe the cost would have been around $300 each. www.ricksontruck.com is his website, and you can email him to ask if he has any left. Dan Richter is the proprietor there. He also had one pieces wheel to replace the 8 bolt 17" split rims.
The other known sources would be www.azrvinc.com, & www.colawrv.com for used wheels: Or to try the list of RV salvage yards listed in the 'resource' pages of our site. I imagine Arlington RV in northern Alabama would have at least one set in their RV bone yard; but I don't think they have a website, and they told me they don't ship parts - its a 'pull-your-own' operation. (Which usually means having bargain prices.)
If you switch to one piece wheels, I would like to grab onto your old split rims if possible. Its not that I need them, as I have extras already. I just dont like see any of the originals scrapped. We are in Northern Virginia in the summers.
I remember trying to buy a replacement exhaust manifold for my Winnebago's 413 engine in 1991. It took a while to find one & it was almost $300. Since then someone has cast a decent inventory of them, and they are easy to buy for $150. It could be that way for the one piece wheels to fit 5 bolt Budd hubs.



From: SeaRaySRV160
Sent: 1/7/2008 6:39 AM


Thanks Denison,

That's good info. I appreciate it. I'll be checking out those websites.