Intro for a New RV and Newer Owner

[Shalydra]

Hello Forum!
I'm a newbie in more ways then one. On Halloween night I had the good fortune to have an opportunity to buy an old motorhome. My hope is to fix her up and live in her but I'm certainly in unknown territory. Prior to this purchase the only vehicle I've owned with a motor is a mobility scooter. Enough about me for now, on to the important introduction!


This is my new baby:



She's a 1972 Commander on a Dodge M300 Chassis. I am told she's either 18 or 20ft in length but haven't taken a measuring tape to her  just yet. I have a feeling she's an 18 though.    Working on getting her info tracked down so I can bring her home out of the field she's been sitting in for the past 16 years. She's out of DMV records so it's taking a bit of time. Assuming no further hiccoughs with the process I'll be getting her home on the 7th. There's 67k on the odometer and having looked at the engine in situ, and heard the history of her, A mechanic friend of mine believes that's all she's traveled.


I believe her to be in fairly good condition given all she's been through. She doesn't leak, which is a miracle given the conditions she's been sitting in. Engine runs though there's an oil leak that needs to be figured out. She's been unoccupied for the past two years but was lived in for the 12 prior to that. As of 2 years ago all her appliances except the fridge worked. I'm not willing to test them just yet however, because she's been in salt air and I want to ensure no corrosion damage to the propane system before any gets hooked up.


I was unable to find any sign of rodent activity inside her. One of the first things that will be done however is her deep pile orange shag carpeting is getting removed ASAP as it's the part of her that most shows her age. It's very worn and filled with ground in dirt and stuff I don't want to speculate on. Odor is a bit of a problem, the folks who lied in her over they years were clearly heavy smokers and there's also distinct odor of cats as well. I'm believe much of it will go out with the carpet. Surprisingly the bathroom and toilet area is the most odor free.


Her door is in rougher shape then the picture implies and the bottom step just inside needs to be rebuilt. I've a few areas of dry rot that need to be dealt with but overall they're minor. The vast majority of the structure feels and looks solid. The dinette was removed in some point in the past and replaced with a folding couch I don't intend to keep. The rear main bed is gone and the platform for it is the location of the majority of the dry rot I've found.


Tail lights were working but brake lights weren't when we put a battery in her to test the systems. A friend of mine pulled the tail lights for cleaning and rewiring. The problem appears to be an easy fix rust has been ground out of the light sockets and there are two wires that need replaced entirely, but the rest just need new connectors. There are a few other minor things I'm forgetting off the top of my head.


I'll be taking my camera out to see her on Tuesday and hoping to finally have a move permit to bring her home on Wednesday. Soon as i have good photos I plan on blogging the process of getting her fixed up. It's a lot of work and I've got a steep learning curve, but I'm excited. This post has wound up being rather longer then I intended. 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Wecome to the forum!  There's a few other Dodge Commander owners on here as well.  This is the place to be if you own a vintage RV!


Kev

[LJ-TJ]

 i?? Well, welcome aboard mate. Looks like an exciting project. Now slow down and take ONE project at a time. Start with the little projects first and work your way up. There's lots of help here for you and don't forget.LOTS OF PICTURES. Welcome

[Shalydra]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Sorry about the lack of updates.

It seems it was too good to be true. Because She'd been sitting off the books for so long the DMV gave me a run around and wouldn't grant a permit to have her moved quick enough. The land owner ran out of patience and she was junked and I can't get her back. So I've got a license plate, a few photos, A repaired set of tail lights and a half stripped ignition switch left. The brand new battery, propane leak detector, some tools and a few other odds n ends went with her wherever she was impounded.  Since she "doesn't exist" as far as the government is concerned I have no further options then to write it off as a loss come tax season.  I know a lot more now then I did, but that was a very expensive and rather painful lesson.

Oh, well. There's another year yet before I hit 30 so there is still time to make the dream come true!

[LJ-TJ]

Well that will never do I guess we'll just have to go on the hunt for another. Now we got ya here we can't let ya leave.

[Shalydra]

Already a'huntin! The trick is findin something that'll come up both in my affordability range and my area. I live on my SSI without any other income sources and I, as yet, can't drive - no license and need a vehicle I can mod around my disability in order to even attempt to get a license.

That said, I came real close this time around and I've got the taste still lingering. I want more! It's looking like this winter will be harsh on my area. I'm hoping I might be able to pick up a fixer upper in spring/summer after the storms have had their way.

The way I see it, I have to custom make an interior that will accommodate my needs anyways, so if I get one gutted or partially gutted that's less work for me in pulling things out. I guess part of my outlook is that 'livable' to me is a lot lower standards than most folks have. I grew up with a family of survivalists so I do well with minimal accommodations-leastways until I can improve 'em!

First things first though I have to repay the loan I took out to get this one situated.
Realistically speaking I'm not out very much money. It just happens to feel like a lot because I'm used to surviving on so little.

What gets me the most is learning after the fact I was given false info at the start and could have gotten her if i'd gotten one particular detail.

DMV wouldn't allow me a permit unless a CHP officer checked it out and approved she wasn't stolen or anything. CHP officer wouldn't check her out unless I could get her brought to his yard for inspection - which required a move permit. This was because I didn't own the land she was sitting on. I asked If I could have her towed. This was where the officer gave me false info. Officer informed me that without his inspection I had no legal claim to her and towing her off the property without a permit would constitute theft on my part. So, not wanting to risk arrest in trying to take possession of her, I left her sitting where she was while tying to get the paperwork straightened out enough to get a permit to move her either towed or by her own power.


I wound up contacting some gov. officials about the issue and they got me the correct info - I could have had her towed on a flatbed without a permit, but it was too late and she was already gone by this point.

At this point i had a choice, cut my losses or try and find her and pay salvage/impound cost and start back at square 1. Salvage and impound costs would have run me an additional 5-10 times the amount I had already spent on her, and I had no way to get that kind of capitol.

The Official that I worked with in the end is gonna refer me to some program to help me keep a roof over my head when my landlord sells where I'm staying in Feb., but it'll just be more of the same stagnent situation I was hoping to get out of.

One of these days I will own my own little home on wheels!

[Oz]

Too bad about the Commander.  They're one of those RVs with the wonderfully ugly attraction you just can't help loving.  Not to worry... there's one out there somewhere, with your name on it, just waiting for you to adopt it.

[LJ-TJ]

Ok so lets cut to the chase. What's your handy cap and how much money do you have to work with? How big do you need? Would a 21 footer do the job for you. What kind of lay out do you need. Who knows maybe somebody around here might have a contact.

[DELTA912]

I look at listing All the time. Post an idea of what your looking for and where you are and ill see what i can find.

[Shalydra]

I've got 6 months to pay off the 500$ loan that went into the commander. 400$ was spent. so I'll be starting my payments in a few days with the first 150$ since i still have the last hundred. My payments are 50$ a month. Realistically, I could afford another 50$ a month towards something else, but that requires cutting into my food budget. 'least until I get into a rig. Locally I could park a rig in a park to live in for half what I pay in rent now, which was where I intended to get funds to fix up or pay off whatever I needed. I figured I'd post a listing onceI had my loan paid off (since I could then get another).

The commander was 150$ when i paid for her. It was everything else that added up.

As for my disability, I have partial paralysis from the waist down. I can walk most of the time but I'd need to have the central corridor wide enough to accommodate a chair for days when I'm in bad shape. I also have an extreme sensitivity to sunlight so most windows will wind up covered over and those that remain will get coated with low-E film - that I already have. The sun issue is part of why I'm interested in older units, fewer windows and smaller then many of the newer models.

I need space for my books, sewing table, easel, tools/hobby table and computer. Realistically I could live in a rig with solid walls/roof, 1-2 functional outlets with shore power, a flat floor for my sleeping bag, a buckets for black/grey water and a supply of potable water. 18ft would be a tight fit but doable. Ideally I'm hoping to find something in the 20-25ft range. Engine optional since I can't drive anyways.

As for location I'm up in the middle of nowhere. Humboldt County, CA. The climate agrees with me.

[LJ-TJ]

WOW! That doesn't seem to undoable. California, I've seen some pretty diecent rig go well with in your price range. Doesn't seem to me you'd have to rough it that bad. There's a lot of talent on this site and a bunch of folks believe in being frugal. Ya never know when somebody's going to come up with something. Ya might want to hang around for a while. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

[DELTA912]

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/rvs/3446419806.html

http://slo.craigslist.org/rvs/3384139871.html


http://slo.craigslist.org/zip/3339502080.html FREE!!!! Needs work.


Theres one for 5K but i cant find it. Found it!!!


http://kpr.craigslist.org/rvd/3414335375.html
http://www.rvusa.com/rvs/1977/dodge-commander-class-c-used-pasco-washington-679342


Pluse theres a Commander RV in my town as well, not sure if its up for sale tho.

look down south of Ca. and the Bay Area, like SF and monetary.


Ok I'm done.. sorry , i like the way the Dodge Commander's are. i still want one to.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Since you can't drive, I have a suggestion for you.  Why not get a vintage travel trailer instead?  You can get one a lot bigger for a lot less money than a motorhome of a similar year, especially if the motorhome is running.

You'd have to get someone to move it to the RV park for you, and park it in your campsite, but that shouldn't be too hard.  Ya gotta know someone with a truck, right?

Later 80s model travel trailers, like Mallards and whatnot, have wider hallways already...our 89 Holiday Rambler Imperial, although its a motorhome, has wide enough hallways for a standard wheelchair (barely, but it would fit).

A lot of the vintage travel trailers also have sliding glass doors, so you wouldn't have to widen the entry door for a wheelchair.  Yeah, you'd want to limo tint the glass, but that's easy enough.

Just a suggestion.  There are some pretty neat looking old trailers out there!

Kev

[Shalydra]

Thanks for the suggestions. Distance is a big factor in accessing things. California is a very big state and I'm in one of the more remote areas of it. About 6hours drive north of san fran and just as far from the oregon border.


Yes I'm looking for either a rv or travel trailer. I do have intention of driving one day but i need a vehicle to modify first. (hand controls plus something to block access to the foot pedels since my legs can spasm without warning.) Have to have access to something I could drive before I can drive. It was a search for just a trailer that resulted in my lost little commander experience. $150 for a motorhome in working condition and with no leaks in my rainy county was too good to pass up. In the end it was.


Keeping an eye out in my area (and those I could beg trips to) but the main focus at the moment is paying off the investment I lost on the Commander. Ya'll hear about it when I have news on a new acquisition. Just reading through the forum here helps keep the dream alive despite the setback.

[Shalydra]

Just put an offer out on a '77 Dodge Tioga. Currently there's one person who offered before me who has scheduled to see it monday. If He doesn't hand over cash on the spot then, my offer will be accepted.


Holding my breath on this one. Also heading down monday to where she's stored, cash in hand.

Title and registration exist for this one. Engine runs. Brakes need a bit of work. Toilet is busted. Propane system is in an unknown state - hasn't been touched in 10 years - but the electric has been used on shore power as recently as 2 months back.


This is the 5th time i've sent an inquiry to an ad since I lost the commander, but the first time I got a response other than 'its gone' or 'sorry can't take payments'. So I figured I'd give ya'll an update. 

It's not a sure thing yet, but I'll know one way or the other in a few days.

[DELTA912]

I'm going to say you find out Post 2012. as in any time after Dec 30/31.


I went throw maybe 10-20 listings. then found the one i have now.Not knowing it was a Travco MH.


I'm glad I waited, totally worth it.

[Shalydra]

Well The first guy got the Tioga, but It set of a chain of events that now has a cute little 14ft trailer sitting in my driveway. He's smaller than I'd prefer, but I'll be able to put the stuff that doesn't fit (and doesn't get sold/gifted/tossed) into a storage unit until I upgrade into something that will fit everything.


The new little trailer isn't much but he's a start, and a place to live. At least for the time being. I have a dmv appt. on thursday to take care of changing the title over. He's already got PTI plates so that's a nice perk. As is the two spare tires that will wind up in the storage unit (they were under the dinette when I bought it).





He's a 1972 Cardinal by Adams mfg. inc. Model 16. More photos soon. Name too as soon as he tells me what it is.


There's two patchs of damaged floor. One near the joint between sleeping area and kitchenette which is minor. The other under the dinette which is in worse condition. Short term I'll treat the wood to halt the damage then get some plywood cut to fit (painted and sealed) and lay it over the existing floor until I have the means for a more extensive repair. All windows have been broken out and will need replaced (save 1 of the door panels). There's a squirrel nut stash but no signs (yet) of nesting. Toilet is in fairly good condition. I'll know more once I hook up some water, power and propane. The existing propane can is a bit too rusted for my trust factor.


I'm also planning on redoing the cushions. While only 2 show any damage to the foam itself They're low-density cushions and I'd much prefer to utilize high density foam for my comfort. Bed is top priority, followed by dinette. the upper bunk I'll prob skip replacing the foam in (might re-use some of the low density if i put any up there) in favor of additional storage space. Also the current covers on the foam cushions aren't original, and are poorly done. I've too many years of sewing experience to not do them properly (as well as some curtains!)


Roof is holding solid currently though the vent leaks. I've tarped the vent for the time being and will re-seal the  roof over the summer when the weather will permit it.


I adore the fact he has no interior step which will make a mini-ramp/porch addition much easier.


Move in date will be March 1st.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Nice!  Another nice thing about it is that its small enough and light enough for a smaller vehicle to tow it.  Look into government grants for the disabled...I seem to recall reading somewhere that if you qualify, you can get grants for a handicap modified vehicle.  I looked into it once long ago for my late big brother Mike who had muscular dystrophy.


Looks like your window frames are square, so getting a glass shop to install new flat square panes shouldn't be too expensive.  Go with tempered glass instead of plexi if you can afford it...plexi scratches WAY too easy in way too short a time.


Look into a new wider door for wheelchair access before buying glass for the existing door...if you need wheelchair access, it would suck paying for the glass, and then replacing the whole door.


You can use a standard bbq propane tank, and its been my experience that places like Home Depot and Lowes will exchange your tank no matter what its current condition with a full newer tank.


If you plan on travelling at all, take at least one spare with you...It doesn't look like you have room for a spare tire on the trailer tongue, but maybe a bumper mount on the back?


Good luck!  And congrats on your new vintage travel trailer!


Kev

[Oz]