Buying 85 IDI ATS turbo motorhome!

This 1983 popped up in the DFW area for cheap, but it's definitely a gasser. The fuel gauge says nothing under the bars (my 85 says diesel fuel only) and the hard to see dummy lights when driving to the left side only has one marker, where as it should have 3 if it was diesel ("Glow Plug", "water in fuel", "engine temp"). Nice project though, being more rigid fiberglass like it is, it can't suffer from delamination like mine. Probably gets the same or worse MPG as the bigger one I have now. If I was anywhere near DFW right now, I'd consider looking at it though.



Sadly the plastic fender that sticks out the passenger side is all broken, although it's not really needed.

Ha! look at this thing... a 1972 dodge. Probably gets 5mpg though.

That Dodge is so fugly it’s cool…..

That gasser one looks decent…. I understand the position you are in…. Can’t have your house falling down around you…..

snicklas said:

Can’t have your house falling down around you…..

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It's not quite that bad (yet). It does have a steel skeleton so unless that breaks from rust, it should stay up. The walls are a bit floppy in places due to rotten wood, and the trim like I had to fix likes to come loose sometimes. That can be fixed if I rip out the walls from the inside and replace the rotten wood in small sections, such as around the windows so I don't have to completely remove the windows. It would be better to for resealing them, but they are huge and I'd need 2-3 people minimum to help so they don't get dropped.

Here is very low res pic of a brochure I found on eBay for this make of motorhome. You can just make out that the first two words in bold says "Steel construction". It goes on: "Underneath all of the style and luxury of the 1984 ElDorado mini motorhome is the widespread safety and reliability of steel (????) brand new in 1984."

I can't make out all of the least sentence but it looks to just be more advertising fluff about safety.

But the drawing is what's useful, you can see how much steel framing they put.

I guess I'll keep on using this one until it gets to the point of no return, but maybe I can give it at least a few more years by replacing the wood. 2x3 boards cost about $4 each for 6' lengths so they are cheap. Wall panels to replace inside are what will be most of the cost, materials wise.

The only special tool I need to get is a power stapler, either electric or a small air compressor and a pneumatic one.

Yep, wood joints on RVs are held together with staples. It allows movement between the joints so they don't crack/break from being too rigid.

snicklas said:

That Dodge is so fugly it’s cool…..

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I thought that it looks like something that the Jetsons would drive if their flying bubble broke down.

After sitting for 15 nights on a slight uphill, naturally it had air intrusion again, but I find that pressing the throttle when cranking helps. I don't have to crank as long/as much, since it helps purge the air faster. Anywhere from about 1/2 to close to full throttle works best.

Ugh. It's always something. The RH outer axle seal started seeping within the past week. It held up a year without any RTV and the LH side is still sealed up. The inner wheel on the inner is dry, so I know it's not the inner seal. (I'd hope not, I did those seals too). I guess I should have put RTV on the outer seals, but I didn't. I wonder if the bolts have worked loose?

I'm about ready to leave off the pretty chrome simulators. I will have to jack it up and take off the lug nuts to remove the simulator to get at the axle shaft. It triples the work! Considering I have to the job in a parking lot, that stinks. So, I think the simulator is gonna go inside the trailer after I take it off to do this job. Maybe I'll put it back on some day.

It's such a minor leak, I'm not too worried about it. It mostly shows up worse on the simulator after lots of driving. I noticed it 475 miles and 5 days ago though, so it's not TOO bad.

Cubey said:

Ha! look at this thing... a 1972 dodge. Probably gets 5mpg though.

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Just needs a turret with a 50 cal machine gun to make it really cool. Bill Murray would be jealous they did not do something as cool for him in the movie Stripes.

IDIDoit could do the custom work, convert it to an IDIT, and knock it out in a weekend for you. It’s California so it BYO .50cal.

Sorry to hear the old Gal is having issues.

Big Bart said:

Sorry to hear the old Gal is having issues.

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All things considered it's nothing too bad besides the grey tank supports. The straps are holding up ok and I try to avoid going very far with more than half a tank. I've been able to park pretty level lately so no air intrusion problems lately, aka long cranking. It's been getting pretty darn good MPG lately, but the downhills and tail winds probably helped with that.

The other day I had a nagging feeling to stop and check my oil level due to the leaking turbo line (or something) so I took the next exit to a PFJ. The oil level was ok, but it was still a good thing that I stopped.

A younger guy who was at the PFJ overnight (got into mid to upper 20s early that morning) couldn't get his 2000 Ford Econoline chassis shuttle bus with a PSD started (used to camp/live in). He was totally new to diesels so had no idea about anything diesel specific. It had weak (slow cranking), mismatched, and undersized (830CCA + 450CCA) batteries, and probably some bad glow plugs too. I ran my big generator for his ~750W block heater (the cord wasn't rotten yet, thankfully) and my HFT smart battery charger on the 15A "boost" setting. He finally got it started after about an hour and many repeated tries. I told him to go get a pair of Walmart Maxx 65N (850CCA) batteries, since that's what IDIs take and they are pretty cheap ($100/each) and have held up well for me in my RV. (Turns out the 7.3 PSD takes 850CCA too) The special battery compartment could have probably held a pair of group 31 batteries, but Maxx 65N are 3 year free replacement and he can warrant them at any Walmart, so that's probably the better choice. He showed up at the next Walmart down the highway and got the batteries. He said it did turn the starter much faster (though the engine was warmed up by then) so hopefully they'll get him to his destination in Michigan (from Northern New Mexico). I told him he might need glow plugs too, and now he knows the block heater exists and where to find the end of the cord, should he have a way to use it in the future. He gave me $5 for the use of the generator and battery charger.

That's why I carry all the extension cords and tools that I do. I had to use a 50ft cord to reach his block heater and a 25ft for the battery charger. And why I like having the big 4000W genset.

Hopefully you can save it and all the good money you have put into it.

But if you change your mind you can always sell your motorhome and buy a travel trailer, fourth wheel, or a portable bathroom to tow behind behind your pickup and camper!

Big Bart said:

Hopefully you can save it and all the good money you have put into it.

But if you change your mind you can always sell your motorhome and buy a travel trailer, fourth wheel, or a portable bathroom behind behind your pickup and camper!

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That's why I have kept my truck as a backup. But the repairs haven't yet been anything too horrible, yet. I'd even get the transmission rebuilt on it probably if it were to suddenly go. I might consider an E4OD though, if I could find a good used one or core to have rebuilt for the extra gear/MPG, depending on the cost difference vs a C6 rebuild.

You also can always run her till she dies. Then rent a Suburban or Tahoe 1 way to get your trailer home. There is no hitch delete option so all the rental vehicles still have the hitch. Just get a brake controller installed and your on your way. Sounds like she has a few more good miles in her yet.

Big Bart said:

You also can always run her till she dies. Then rent a Suburban or Tahoe 1 way to get your trailer home. There is no hitch delete option so all the rental vehicles still have the hitch. Just get a brake controller installed and your on your way. Sounds like she has a few more good miles in her yet.

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The trailer doesn't have brakes, never did. And have you ever SEEN the prices for one way rental vehicles? It's several thousand dollars. I'd do better to find an ugly but otherwise decent Ford Taurus or similar car for $1500-$2000 and put a trailer hitch on that to get back to the truck. Then I'd still have a car I can resell when I get back instead of every penny going to a rental. That's why $1500 for a C6 rebuild wouldn't bad so bad, all things considered.

The truck is only 2 years newer and has a more worn out engine... so it could have mechanical problems the same as the RV.