The best deal EVER.

GoldenMotor.com

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
Got this trade done yesterday....
I swapped this bike:

for this motorhome:


Talk about a good swap! I built the bike on a $10 yard sale Huffy with a FREE 49cc motor built from parts. With some small parts to finish it, total cost of the bike was under $40.




This RV has a Dodge 413 big block with under 100k miles and runs. Been siitting awhile and might need a starter and/or battery, but even if I throw $100 at it, I can't see selling it under $2-2.5k...so considering the cost of the bike...
I could get $400 TOPS for the bike.
What do you think? Sounds too good to be true. BUT IT IS!!!
I have title signed and in hand. Heard it run yesterday before battery or starter conked out.


*dances around the yard like a complete idiot*
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
With just a little cosmetic work I think you can at least break even :)

Seriously, that's quite a deal. I'd like to have set in on the conversation between you and the original owner. Who offered who what? Did you hold out unless the battery charger was part of the deal?

Tom
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
10
0
San Antonio Texas
Very Nice Indeed!!
It runs, it's got low miles, and you can always sell it for way more than you got invested in it... Is the interior in decent condition? don't have to be pretty, but if it's all there and the plumbing & electrical works it's definitely worth the $2 to $2.5k or more...
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
10
0
San Antonio Texas
You might even try to look it up and see if it has any kind of classic value.. I'm not sure how old motorhomes do compared to cars and trucks, but ya never know...
 

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
With just a little cosmetic work I think you can at least break even :)

Seriously, that's quite a deal. I'd like to have set in on the conversation between you and the original owner. Who offered who what? Did you hold out unless the battery charger was part of the deal?

Tom
The gentleman approached me at a local grocery store when I was loading My Pig and we got to yappin about bikes and how I build them. Next thing I know, HE offers me this deal. Of course, I instantly assumed it was BS, like 99.999% of the "I want one!" talk I get while riding.
We exchanged numbers and I told him to keep an eye on CL for my builds, never expecting to hear from him again.
FF to last week. He calls me out of the blue, on the same day I score the $10 bike and asks me if I want to look at the RV. He tells me he's serious and only needs a set of trailer tires to move his boat, and he's ready.
I RUN to pull-a-part and buy two donut spares for $15 and hope for the best.
And here we are.
I'm going back over tonight to work on it some more. I have a 12v inline fuel pump so worse comes to worst, I'll run it on a gas can next to the engine to get it home. The starter is the more problematic thing I forsee.
Might have to pop for a new one if a fresh battery won't kick it past the dead spot. (Just clicks a lot now) Typical Dodge starter, regardless of the engine.
 

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
You might even try to look it up and see if it has any kind of classic value.. I'm not sure how old motorhomes do compared to cars and trucks, but ya never know...
I'm thinking the same since it's a shorty and has such cool lines.
Might go ahead and list it on Ebay as well as local and see who nibbles.
I've heard of people flying across the country to buy a particular vintage RV.
There's starting to be some restoration market for the cool ones.
I'm hoping this one is one of the sought-after models since it is so early.
 

Tyler6357

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2012
1,293
294
83
Santa Barbara, CA
Sweet!! Those vintage RVs are great. If it is running you got one heck of a deal!! If you need assistance fixing up the RV check out IRV2.com. There are lots of people there to help you with any problems. Way to go!! Now build another bike and you will be set to go camping. I put bike racks on the back of mine so I can park my RV somewhere and use the bike to travel around (depending on which state you are in). Congrats!! .shft.
 

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
A friend of mine owned a motor home that was just in good enough shape to drive 20 miles to the Nascar race track for the weekend. That motor home was not mechanically in good enough shape to drive more than an hour or so, but the interior was in great shape.
They had season tickets to Phoenix Int'l Raceway and would camp there every race weekend. The season tickets also included the Indy Car race, the Rolex Grand National Endurance race and many others.
I thought that was very clever.
 
Last edited:

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
Looks like I'm gonna need a starter. Heard the engine run, but it was still on prime so it died. Now starter dead too.
I filled floatbowl from a gascan with 12v pump so as soon as it cranks again, I'll drive it home on the pump.
$49 at autozone.
Still a great deal.
 
Last edited:

Tyler6357

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2012
1,293
294
83
Santa Barbara, CA
Looks like I'm gonna need a starter. Heard the engine run, but it was still on prime so it died. Now starter dead too.
I filled floatbowl from a gascan with 12v pump so as soon as it cranks again, I'll drive it home on the pump.
$49 at autozone.
Still a great deal.
Great News, tell me, do you know what year it is?
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
10
0
San Antonio Texas
Fuel milage in these isn't too good, but it can still come out costing less to drive it to your destination and camp out with the family or significant other than most hotel stays. We had a '72 Open Raod powered by a 454 Chevy and it got about 7 miles per gallon, then later on got a '95 Coachman powered by a 460 Ford and the milage was about the same, but it was nice to go to the beach in and would sleep 7 comfortably, gas prices weren't too bad when everyone pitched in
 

Theon

New Member
Jan 20, 2014
1,440
6
0
FNQ Australia
Give me an Izuzu or Totota deisel any day.
I imagine fuel is a lot cheaper in the states.
4.5 litres a Gal? $1.70 litre = $7.65 Gal. here.
 
Last edited:

Theon

New Member
Jan 20, 2014
1,440
6
0
FNQ Australia
I use to run a little Izuzu tipper with a 3.6 diesel, she got great economy, and would weigh in around 6t loaded. I was probably getting a good 20 MPG. Suppose you can't beat the sound of a big block though.
 

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
1,310
1
38
Vancouver, B.C.
Odds are you don't need to replace that starter, just replace the brushes in it. Back when I was a delivery guy I'd drop, strip, rebuild and reinstall my starter 3 or four times a year due to the wear it got. At the time, a starter for my '86 chev was worth $230, and a blister-pack 'rebuild kit' containing the brushes, etc went for $20. If you pull that starter and 'trade the core in' buying another that's what they'll do with your old one, and charge the next guy a few hundred for $20-$30 worth of parts.
 

Theon

New Member
Jan 20, 2014
1,440
6
0
FNQ Australia
I agree, done a hundred of them, however solenoid failure is common also.
At that age solenoid is possibly rebuild able and may just need the contacts filed.
Also try hitting starter motor with a hammer whilst someone hits the key, works 50% of the time.
 
Last edited:

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
Yeah I'm fully aware of the Dodge starter and plan on pulling it apart myself to see. I'm hoping it's just brushes and not a wasted armature. Even if it's bad, autozone says $49.
The biggest issue is there may not be clearance to drop it without MAJOR disassembly...
The drivetrain on this one is all stuffed in a box. Cannot even SEE the fan or anything much besides the carb.
But even in a worst case, it's still a kickin deal. I'd rather replace a starter than fast talk when someone tries starting it as I sell it.