The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Topic: The remodel of our 1982 Travco (Read 1452 times) previous topic - next topic

The remodel of our 1982 Travco

April 18, 2016, 03:12:10 pm

About 10 months ago my husband and I bought our first motor home, a 1982 Travco, who we lovingly call Bruiser. We had no idea what we were buying and since the purchase I decided to do what I thought would be a quick and easy remodel job. During the remodel process I scoured the internet for information on this classic and found very little so I thought I would share some things should someone else out there be in my position. I also quickly put together this blog: 1982 Travco Motorhome, which shows more of the process (new sub floor, rerouting of wires, relaminating the door and fridge, etc) and some before pictures. Hope someone enjoys!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #1 – April 18, 2016, 03:30:55 pm

Looking good!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #2 – April 18, 2016, 04:42:09 pm

Very nice!!!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #3 – April 18, 2016, 04:55:11 pm

Yay Bruiser! Owners are also shown under "Foretravel Sightings".

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #4 – April 18, 2016, 05:34:27 pm

What a great project! You will certainly have a unique coach most places you go...even more "rare" than the older Foretravel models.

How was the condition of the drive train (engine, transmission, suspension)? Did it require a complete rebuild?

More Photos!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #5 – April 18, 2016, 05:56:16 pm

The engine was in pretty good shape, however on our way home from our first trip we started having engine performance issues. We spent hours and hours trying to find someone who would work on it. We even took it to the Detroit Diesel Dealer in Phoenix and after a week of it being there they called and said they couldn't (didn't want to) work on it. It was very disappointing because we thought one of the benefits of a diesel was that they are easier to work on. Finally a friend of a friend who owns a tire shop that also does basic engine work agreed to take a look at it as long as we weren't in a hurry. So after it being there about 2 months they were able to find and fix the problem. Cracks had somehow developed in the fuel line between the fuel tank (in the rear) and the engine in the front. We also had to replace the alternator. And then of course the previous owner failed to inform us that there was GIANT leak in the water tank ($500 to replace). Of course with it being our first motor home purchase we didn't know better to look for something like that! We know now!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #6 – April 18, 2016, 05:59:20 pm

Quote from: Twig – April 18, 2016, 04:55:11 pm

Yay Bruiser! Owners are also shown under "Foretravel Sightings".

Thanks Twig for directing me to ForeForums!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #7 – April 18, 2016, 06:04:24 pm

Awesome job, what a great remodel -

Suggest you call the service manager at Tennesee RV (or PM him here on the forum, he is a member), James Holder. He is a great guy, knows a lot about older Foretravels and Travco's, owns one himself. Not a LOT of Travco's out there.

Please add your coach info into your signature in your profile as it will be automatically appended to every post.

Welcome! What part of the world are you in? What engine transmission?

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #8 – April 18, 2016, 07:09:42 pm

Beautiful older coach! Even though we never owned one, I have always admired them. A true classic!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #9 – April 18, 2016, 07:40:05 pm

Front engine diesel? Cummins or Detroit? Roadmaster chassis?

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #10 – April 19, 2016, 12:30:17 am

Quote from: Caflashbob – April 18, 2016, 07:40:05 pm

Front engine diesel? Cummins or Detroit? Roadmaster chassis?

It is a front Detroit diesel engine. Not sure what a Roadmaster chassis is. I know VERY little about this coach.

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #11 – April 19, 2016, 12:32:55 am

Quote from: Tim Fiedler – April 18, 2016, 06:04:24 pm

Awesome job, what a great remodel -

Suggest you call the service manager at Tennesee RV (or PM him here on the forum, he is a member), James Holder. He is a great guy, knows a lot about older Foretravels and Travco's, owns one himself. Not a LOT of Travco's out there.

Please add your coach info into your signature in your profile as it will be automatically appended to every post.

Welcome! What part of the world are you in? What engine transmission?

Thanks for the tip on the signature. I added some info. Would add more but I know VERY little about this coach other than it's a Detroit diesel and is 32' and sits on a Dodge chassis (I think).
We reside in Phoenix.

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #12 – April 19, 2016, 08:13:09 am

I wonder if it's on a John Deere chassis. I've read that JD bought the motorhome chassis business from Chrysler when they went through bankruptcy in the late 70s. The pictures on the OP's Website show some similarity to the Dodge (Chrysler) motorhome chassis designs from the 70s. I don't know whether or not it will help, but I found the following information.

http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/pdfs/PC2109.pdf

John Deere, Oshkosh, Freightliner, & others

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #13 – April 19, 2016, 08:19:16 am

Bruiser, Here is pic of my first FT a 82 Travco. Look in MEDIA here and you can see it also. It had the 440 Dodge in it tho not a diesel. I sold it when I bought a 85 Ored and for several years it was still running in and around Atlanta. Cant help you with the drive train but I may be able to remember some of the coach stuff. Good luck with the old girl,. these oldies need to be kept on the road.
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=113
Gary B

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #14 – April 19, 2016, 10:41:00 am

I believe 1982 is before John Deer got into the motor home chassis business.

My 1988 Winne was built on 1987 Deere chassis, and I understood that to be early in their short run.

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #15 – April 19, 2016, 10:54:41 am

I think it is as cute as a button. Looks like you have a good one!
Best of Travels.

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #16 – April 19, 2016, 11:00:50 am

Good bones and sensible design makes it worth restoring and saving.

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #17 – April 19, 2016, 11:19:26 am

I have a '69 270 and a '78 320 along with my '92 Grand Villa.... Let the kids have the two older ones. They have not started on renovations as yet...The '69 is a dodge m300and the '78 is an m600, both Dodge chassis.

Jim

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #18 – April 19, 2016, 12:30:21 pm

Quote from: Tom Lang – April 19, 2016, 10:41:00 am

I believe 1982 is before John Deer got into the motor home chassis business.

My 1988 Winne was built on 1987 Deere chassis, and I understood that to be early in their short run.

Thanks for the information. I knew that as a part of their bankruptcy Chrysler had agreed to stop producing the 440 engine (in my opinion the 440-3 was a very strong--although far from fuel efficient--engine) and I thought perhaps the chassis sale was also a part of the overall bankruptcy proceedings, but I wasn't sure of the timeline.

If the 1982 motorhome chassis was still a "Dodge" then I'm guessing it might have been an "M600"--but that's a guess.

Does anyone have the complete timeline of the chassis business going from Chrysler to John Deere to Oshkosh to Freightliner?

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #19 – April 19, 2016, 06:47:14 pm

A 82 Travco 8.2 liter front engine diesel would have been on a roadmaster chassis from Illinois.

X dodge chassis setup roughly.

Dim memory of changing the front disk brake calipers to get one to stop better.

23k GVW parts instead of the 21k?

Was pretty easy as the calipers were bolt on parts with bigger pads,

A good truck shop or Foretravel might be able to help source the parts.

Or not. Was fixable I remember if you notice you want more braking

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #20 – April 20, 2016, 07:54:00 am

Quote from: Caflashbob – April 19, 2016, 06:47:14 pm

A 82 Travco 8.2 liter front engine diesel would have been on a roadmaster chassis from Illinois.

Various sources such as History of Monaco Coach Corporation – FundingUniverse state that Monaco bought the Roadmaster Chassis Division from Chrysler in 1984, and if that's correct then who made the chassis under the 1982 Travco? In addition, John Deere documents from the late 80s show a chassis that looks very much like the Dodge M600 chassis.

Does anyone know the complete story? Did the Chrysler front-engine chassis business get sold to Monaco and then to John Deere, or what? To me, at least, this is a really fascinating story!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #21 – April 20, 2016, 08:18:36 am

The 82 Travco that I had had a Dodge M500 chassis if I remember correctly. 440-3 engine was unique and a lot of folks screwed up badly when they sourced parts for a 440 and found that it was very easy to overheat a 440-3 without that special heads and block. Braking on the Dodge chassis was HORRIBLE, there were aftermarket parts that placed an additional vacuum, boost unit on the rear brakes ( mine had one ), Chassis was tough except for engine overheat problems.
Body was a two piece molded shell that was seamed right down the center from nose to tail, leak proof and solid. They did lack insulation in the sidewalls especially in the rear bed area.
Unique item on mine was a macerator that was plumbed from the poop tank and emptied into the exhaust pipe. You pushed a button and left a steamy cloud behind you as the poop tank emptied. Remember , the EPA had little influence in those days.
Things have changed.
Gary B

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #22 – April 20, 2016, 08:35:50 am

Quote from: Gary Bouland – April 20, 2016, 08:18:36 am

Unique item on mine was a macerator that was plumbed from the poop tank and emptied into the exhaust pipe. You pushed a button and left a steamy cloud behind you as the poop tank emptied.

Sounds like something they copied from the Batmobile. Would be a great option for discouraging tailgaters!

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #23 – April 20, 2016, 08:41:46 am

I guess that last sentence would take care of the tailgaters 😅

Re: The remodel of our 1982 Travco

Reply #24 – April 20, 2016, 08:50:09 am

Quote from: Gary Bouland – April 20, 2016, 08:18:36 am

The 82 Travco that I had had a Dodge M500 chassis if I remember correctly.
Unique item on mine was a macerator that was plumbed from the poop tank and emptied into the exhaust pipe. You pushed a button and left a steamy cloud behind you as the poop tank emptied.
Gary B

The system was called "Thermasan" and was made by Thetford

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0ahUKEwjO49ecn53MAhWISyYKHbtVARMQFghDMAY&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gmcmi.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F05%2FThermasan-Flyer-2.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGBiTxAkD585ooPaOTpWEHSvZknGg

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