Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
You all always give me the best advice for my Dodge truck so I'll ask for advice for my 1974 Dodge Champion Motorhome. All original with only 25K miles and purrs like a kitten. But, it has some problems, most probably due to lack of use. Here they are:
1) Both 50 gallon gas tanks are full of rust/crud. This is my biggest problem. Tried tumbling one full of pea gravel strapped to my tractor tire - no luck. . Can't find anyone within 50 miles that can clean/boil them for me. Should I replace with plastic tanks? Where can I get plastic tanks? How do I get rid of the old rusty gas? How do I dispose of 2 rusty old 50 gallon gas tanks? You see the issues here...
2) 318-3 motor mounts are shot and almost completely falling out. Should I replace or overlook it? I wonder if I could even get a new set or if I would have to make some.
3) Frame is extremely rusty. Smack the aluminum siding and I get a pile of rust in my driveway. He He. My daughter likes this.
4) Brakes won't release sometimes. Has air power assist. The whole master cylinder and rest of the assembly is rusty. All rubber boots are decayed. Maybe just a cleanup and rebuild will do the trick. I skiied through a gravel parking lot with the front brakes locked up so my daughter and I could get behind the gas station to sit under a shade tree until they released. Oh what fun
Other than this, it seems pretty solid. Everything works and works good! I would really like to take the family on a trip but I am afraid we won't make it out of the county. Last year, we took it on a 500 mile trip just after we got it and it ran OK. Brakes were on for first 50 miles due to rust, I guess. so there was not much pad left when I needed them. Had to stop and buy fluid. Then, on the way home the front gas tank clogged with rust so I switched to back and limped home sputtering. Speedometer cable broke about 20 miles from home. Chirped like a bird then. This winter I replaced about 1/2 of the ignition parts before I finally found a ballast resistor bad. Now she cranks again.
You all have fun with this one.
Thanks in advance for the suggestions.
David
1) Both 50 gallon gas tanks are full of rust/crud. This is my biggest problem. Tried tumbling one full of pea gravel strapped to my tractor tire - no luck. . Can't find anyone within 50 miles that can clean/boil them for me. Should I replace with plastic tanks? Where can I get plastic tanks? How do I get rid of the old rusty gas? How do I dispose of 2 rusty old 50 gallon gas tanks? You see the issues here...
2) 318-3 motor mounts are shot and almost completely falling out. Should I replace or overlook it? I wonder if I could even get a new set or if I would have to make some.
3) Frame is extremely rusty. Smack the aluminum siding and I get a pile of rust in my driveway. He He. My daughter likes this.
4) Brakes won't release sometimes. Has air power assist. The whole master cylinder and rest of the assembly is rusty. All rubber boots are decayed. Maybe just a cleanup and rebuild will do the trick. I skiied through a gravel parking lot with the front brakes locked up so my daughter and I could get behind the gas station to sit under a shade tree until they released. Oh what fun
Other than this, it seems pretty solid. Everything works and works good! I would really like to take the family on a trip but I am afraid we won't make it out of the county. Last year, we took it on a 500 mile trip just after we got it and it ran OK. Brakes were on for first 50 miles due to rust, I guess. so there was not much pad left when I needed them. Had to stop and buy fluid. Then, on the way home the front gas tank clogged with rust so I switched to back and limped home sputtering. Speedometer cable broke about 20 miles from home. Chirped like a bird then. This winter I replaced about 1/2 of the ignition parts before I finally found a ballast resistor bad. Now she cranks again.
You all have fun with this one.
Thanks in advance for the suggestions.
David
