Hope to get Awesome Chinook side entry rear bed tomorrow!

[Hollis87]

Hi! I’m new here.
Tomorrow I’m going to have my mechanic check out a 1995 Chinook Concourse with bed in back and side door entry. I’m super excited. She has 87,000 miles her but looks immaculate. I’m wondering what your thoughts are about this little beast? I’d love to have a Quigley 4x4 put on this thing!
I’ve had a Ford Falcon Camper Van, but hated the bed couch thing in the middle, always in the way. There’s some things I want to change, I’d like an oven, this one doesn’t have one, other than that she’s a beauty! 400 watts of solar already installed.
I’ve wanted a Chinook for as long as I can remember and am very happy to have found this forum.
Thx in advance!
H

[Skillet]

Looks great and welcome aboard! At some point can you post a pic of the solar? Curious as to how it's set up on the roof.

[markatherton]

Looks like an awesome Chinook. The side entries are definitely rare. Anyone know what percentage of the side entries were made. I know that ended in 1998. Where are you located?

[Blue~Go]

Looks nice - fingers crossed!

My thoughts (since you asked):

1) The rear door can be a pain at times (of course sometimes it's a plus, just depends), so side door could be nice. Door under the awning is good. I think I'd prefer a side door all else being equal (but of course all else is never equal).

2) I've never thought they looked as classically good as the rear entry, but everything is give and take.

3) 1995 might have been one of those electrical transition type years (maybe only one house battery under hood, etc.), but perhaps that's already been changed if you have 400 watts of solar.

4) Pre OBD-reader-friendly older engine family, which may be a plus or minus to you.

5) No passenger airbag (that came in 1997); again, may or may not matter to you.

6) Separate "bedroom," which is obviously a plus for you

7) Bathroom opens to living area vs. to hallway.

8) Potable water tank is outside on side entry models (as always, may or may not matter to you).

9) Propane tank is smaller on side entry models.

I would guess the side entry models didn't come with an oven because the kitchen is smaller (and maybe shallower in places). But one member here added one to a side entry. I removed mine even though I have the rear entry. I do like an oven, but realized that most of the things I (personally) make in one are kinda junk foody anyway (frozen pizza, cookies, etc.). There is SO MUCH storage space to be realized where the oven was and I'm not sure I need to encourage myself to eat more pizza and cookies I saved it though, just in case I change my mind.

If you end up looking for a shallower oven/range for your rear entry, have a look at the Force 10 marine propane ranges. The two burner models are only around 14-1/2" deep and come in several widths and heights. Expensive (like $1200+) but they are NICE (have had a couple on boats and helped a bud put one in his RV). If you need to rationalize they are safer because they have a flame cut off, unlike any RV ranges I know of (said buddy almost exploded his rig with his RV range as he had been leaning on the counter while chatting with visitors and must have inadvertently rotated the burner knob. Then he went outside and when I went into his rig to grab something for the group it was filled with propane That can't happen on a proper marine type range/stove.

Okay, but you don't have yours yet (but hey, never too early to dream up projects!). Good luck with it!

[Scott]

Good list, Blue. To add... It's probably not for everyone, but I like being able to haul long things like lumber with my rear entry. Also, I've been in a few really tight parking spots at parks and such, and the rear door is nice for getting in and out, especially with a big dog. And it's just nice having the rear door open when backed into a beautiful spot with an ocean view or whatever. The side entry is nice for its fixed bed and the ability to mount a motorcycle to the rear hitch. I could live with both layouts, but frankly I didn't even know about the side entry model until way after I bought my Premier. It seems like the people who want a side entry really want that feature, which suggests a demand, which makes me wonder why Chinook made so few.

4) Pre OBD-reader-friendly older engine family, which may be a plus or minus to you.

Just wanted to point out that OBD1 code readers are available for the 460. Maybe I misunderstood you .

... unlike any RV ranges I know of (said buddy almost exploded his rig with his RV range as he had been leaning on the counter while chatting with visitors and must have inadvertently rotated the burner knob.

I guess that's an advantage to having a cook top versus a range; my cook top has the knobs on top which makes them pretty difficult to inadvertently turn.

[Blue~Go]

I think I was wrong on the OBD. Maybe what I meant was "OBD II," which I think you need for running something like a Scan Gauge II (which reads codes but also gives continuous readouts of selectable engine/transmission parameters). I think that came in 1996 for the Ford vans?

I did have a previous car with OBD 1 (a 1989). All I ever did with it was "read flashes" under the hood, but perhaps it can do more (even this seemed like space-aged tech to me at the time )

There are so many pros/cons to side vs. rear entry. As you say, long lumber or kayaks? Just toss them in the rear entry, no big. OTOH, more of a pain for carrying things on the hitch. And I find I have to pay more attention to not "wracking" the rig by having the wheels off kilter when camping (door sticks). But you can't beat it for efficiency in a small rig, in terms of inside layout. Meaning, two long, uninterrupted swaths of usable space for furniture, storage, and etc. But then you can come up with an equal (but different) list of pros and cons for the side entry.

Just like boats, there is not one perfect one that I know of. Guess that's why a bag of golf clubs contains more than one club

As to why Chinook quit making the side entry? Just a guess but I think they were a bit of a compromise in terms of "Chinookiness." I'm sure many requested the big, permanent bed, but then maybe they didn't like the little dinette or couch but not both, small kitchen, etc. And Chinook just really had the rear entry layout down pat. Whereas with the side entry, maybe there were more other choices so they were not so unique among the brands (for the general buying public; not saying those of us here don't appreciate them). And they had to do different windows, different tanks, etc so more $$ in stocking stuff. Course who knows, really. Maybe it was something as "simple" as the mold was damaged and they decided to just stick with the rear-entry mold. Sometimes arbitrary things like that happen.

[Scott]

I think I was wrong on the OBD. Maybe what I meant was "OBD II," which I think you need for running something like a Scan Gauge II (which reads codes but also gives continuous readouts of selectable engine/transmission parameters).

Correct. If you want to run plug-in devices like a Scan Gauge, OBD2 is required. OBD1 was not standardized like OBD2, so aftermarket devices like code readers must be tailored to the vehicle manufacturer's ECU. But honestly, the stock gauges tell me everything I need to know except trans temp, and I added a gauge for that. Since we're already way off topic (apologies), I'll add that there are a few home brew devices that tap into the factory harness to gather data and send it to a laptop or tablet; these can work on OBD1 or 2 and will tell you EVERYTHING that's going on. But they can be a lot of work to get going and are used primarily for remapping ECUs to tune modified engines.

I think that came in 1996 for the Ford vans?

I think that's right. The federal cutoff was anything after 1995 1/2. So yeah, 1996 was very likely all OBD2. Ford trucks had some exceptions though, primarily for the superduty, but for vans I think it was across the board.

I did have a previous car with OBD 1 (a 1989). All I ever did with it was "read flashes" under the hood, but perhaps it can do more (even this seemed like space-aged tech to me at the time )

Haha counting flashes is like using a slide rule. It works but ... I have a code reader for my 460 and it works just as nicely as the cheap dongles you can get for OBD2. I linked to it on this site somewhere a while back.

[Chinnin-about]

Must be busy closing the deal since we haven't heard anything today.

There's buddyboy's beautiful Chinook in Beaverton Oregon, a 2000 in Bellingham Washington with 40,000 miles for 28K, 1995 in Corona California with 47,000 miles for 19.5k, and a 96 Premier in Newport Beach with 70,000 miles for 19K.

I've never seen such a selection of nice low mileage Chinooks on the west coast all at once. Usually Chinooks are more rare than unicorns. Spring in the air or something?

[SMan]

Hope he is not one and out.

[Hollis87]

Here’s the solar set up from roof as requested.