Hello everyone let me introduce myself, I am Keven
I have a hobby of restoring stuff. I have restored cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, even two airplanes... but never an RV
I have just bought a new to me 1976 Dodge chinook mobile lodge, It is the most beautiful design I have ever seen..
I know nothing about this RV or RV's in general.. Except I saw a chinook as a kid and always wanted one... it took me 20yrs to find one... These are extremely rare here in Oklahoma, in fact I went to South Texas and trailered it back home. Oklahoma, like most pretty flat states are the lands of the 5th wheel... Since I do not want to haul or really much like 5th wheels it was a search but I finally found and got a chinook.. BTW I could have bought a chinook many times in the last 20yrs, but since I restore stuff I am frugal (cheap) haha..
besides I am a total Mopar nut... I own 5 of them now...
I am trying to decide which 360cid motor to build for it a roller (magnum) or standard. I know I will be backing it up with a 46-RH transmission giving me overdrive and locking torque convertor... I have the same transmission set-up in my 1998 dodge ram 2500 4x4, except it is a 46-RE (electronic overdrive)…
Anyway, does anyone have any information (books, manuals, instructions, operation, etc...) on the RV part of this chinook? I wanted a club style but I got the bunkhouse model with the two sofas on both sides..
Since I have never owned an RV I don't know the first thing about where to start... any help would be appreciated...
Thank you to everyone in advance,
keven
Newest Chinook owner
Re: Newest Chinook owner
Keven, I would start with the user manual, if yours is available on the Reference subforum (I don't think so, but some of the info on Concourse maybe applicable to yours). The Mobile Lodge maybe a difficult one to find info on, so it will be more difficult and more interesting for restorers. Good luck and welcome to the forum!
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
Re: Newest Chinook owner
I have checked the reference material and looked at the 1978 manual but there is a lot of differences... I am still searching for info on the rv part...
like:
sunbeam overhead a/c
furnace
water system
electrical system
This chinook originally had a generator but it was removed sometime in it's 45 yrs. So it is still wired for a generator but gen is missing...
thank you in advance,
keven
like:
sunbeam overhead a/c
furnace
water system
electrical system
This chinook originally had a generator but it was removed sometime in it's 45 yrs. So it is still wired for a generator but gen is missing...
thank you in advance,
keven
Re: Newest Chinook owner
The electrical going to be a pain to figure out unless you have some experience with troubleshooting. I assume it is very different from my Concourse.
If you do not have a genset, you may want to consider your specific use case. For some people, where they do extensive camping in the wild, a generator is the only option. For those that only need it for a few minutes for the microwave or a coffee maker, they may be able to get away with a so-called "solar generator" which is essentially a large lithium battery with an inverter, and do not need to use the genset.
The furnace and roof top AC should be easy to figure out if you can find the label on it. There should be a thermostat of some sort in the rig that connect to it, and you need to figure out the LP system to test it out to make sure it is working as expected. Both DC and LP needs to be running for the furnace to work for most rigs. Hopefully the AC still works after all these years, since they do need to be run every once a while for it to last.
If you do not have a genset, you may want to consider your specific use case. For some people, where they do extensive camping in the wild, a generator is the only option. For those that only need it for a few minutes for the microwave or a coffee maker, they may be able to get away with a so-called "solar generator" which is essentially a large lithium battery with an inverter, and do not need to use the genset.
The furnace and roof top AC should be easy to figure out if you can find the label on it. There should be a thermostat of some sort in the rig that connect to it, and you need to figure out the LP system to test it out to make sure it is working as expected. Both DC and LP needs to be running for the furnace to work for most rigs. Hopefully the AC still works after all these years, since they do need to be run every once a while for it to last.
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
Re: Newest Chinook owner
Thanks for all your knowledge...chin_k,
The AC and DC system works great just as expected... I hooked up shore power and I also hooked up my 4000k generator and both seem to work flawless.. When hooked up to shore power or the generator it charges the old and bad house battery, the battery stays on after I disconnect shore power even when I shut off the main in the breaker box... Electrical troubleshooting is easy for me it just takes forever to trace back... I was hoping I could find a wire schematic... really easy then...
I have not put water in the tanks or the system yet... I am thinking I am just going to change out all the piping for pex... I am also thinking about on demand hot water instead of a tank, that has to heat and re-heat all the time...
The A/C had issues but I took it apart and cleaned it and rebuilt the squirrel cage blower and it works great as well.. really cold in 105degree Oklahoma heat in my driveway a few months ago...
This is as far as I have gone with the house side... I have been busy rebuilding a motor for it and then to rebuild the transmission... I have to shorten the drive shaft about 4.35" so that the overdrive transmission will fit. I need to take the driveshaft to the driveline shop so it is on the list of thangs to do..
I am having a heck of a time finding an old set of van doors... mine are rusted through at the bottom and midway down....
Thank you for all your advise,
keven
The AC and DC system works great just as expected... I hooked up shore power and I also hooked up my 4000k generator and both seem to work flawless.. When hooked up to shore power or the generator it charges the old and bad house battery, the battery stays on after I disconnect shore power even when I shut off the main in the breaker box... Electrical troubleshooting is easy for me it just takes forever to trace back... I was hoping I could find a wire schematic... really easy then...
I have not put water in the tanks or the system yet... I am thinking I am just going to change out all the piping for pex... I am also thinking about on demand hot water instead of a tank, that has to heat and re-heat all the time...
The A/C had issues but I took it apart and cleaned it and rebuilt the squirrel cage blower and it works great as well.. really cold in 105degree Oklahoma heat in my driveway a few months ago...
This is as far as I have gone with the house side... I have been busy rebuilding a motor for it and then to rebuild the transmission... I have to shorten the drive shaft about 4.35" so that the overdrive transmission will fit. I need to take the driveshaft to the driveline shop so it is on the list of thangs to do..
I am having a heck of a time finding an old set of van doors... mine are rusted through at the bottom and midway down....
Thank you for all your advise,
keven
Re: Newest Chinook owner
I am also fiber glassing in the huge windows down the side since I cannot get any replacement parts or glass. I am replacing them with large Artic rectangular windows.
I have designed full solar, with four 6000KWH batteries for storage, back up generator, diesel heater, cassette toilet removing low hanging black tank, fresh water reclamation system, all propane removed, super efficient chest style fridge, induction cook top, convection/microwave.
My chinook is on 16" Alcoa Aluminum wheels.
So that is about it for now..
I am contemplating in doing an RV chassis swap instead as of two days ago.. My church has a 2003 3500 ram 14 passenger van. that was damaged in the upper rear box... so the drivetrain and chassis are straight... So taking initial measurements I can make a cut away with this newer van and move the RV house to that chassis of course upgrading to super single rears or dually rear end... the van currently has a dana 60 rear, the Chinook has a dana 70 dually rear end... it does sound interesting and a slight challenge but not real hard to do... but would give me all the newer van features I am wanting.. besides I would own a 2003 dodge chinook...it would be pretty rare...lol
I have designed full solar, with four 6000KWH batteries for storage, back up generator, diesel heater, cassette toilet removing low hanging black tank, fresh water reclamation system, all propane removed, super efficient chest style fridge, induction cook top, convection/microwave.
My chinook is on 16" Alcoa Aluminum wheels.
So that is about it for now..
I am contemplating in doing an RV chassis swap instead as of two days ago.. My church has a 2003 3500 ram 14 passenger van. that was damaged in the upper rear box... so the drivetrain and chassis are straight... So taking initial measurements I can make a cut away with this newer van and move the RV house to that chassis of course upgrading to super single rears or dually rear end... the van currently has a dana 60 rear, the Chinook has a dana 70 dually rear end... it does sound interesting and a slight challenge but not real hard to do... but would give me all the newer van features I am wanting.. besides I would own a 2003 dodge chinook...it would be pretty rare...lol
Re: Newest Chinook owner
nice do you have any pictures?
1995 chinook concourse soon to be cummins power
Re: Newest Chinook owner
Are you sure you can't get new windows? I have heard that Peninsula Glass (Motion Windows) will create windows (even tinted) for you of whatever shape needed.I am also fiber glassing in the huge windows down the side since I cannot get any replacement parts or glass. I am replacing them with large Artic rectangular windows.
This thread has the info and a discussion: Mike, Re: 2004 - 2100 Window above Sofa, Post by cidevco » June 1st, 2020, 11:20 pm
https://chinookrvforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=16243#p16243
Bob
2000 Concourse, Ford Triton 6.8 V10