Hello group, I just joined and want to introduce myself. My name is Kirk Hoffman, and I live near Stockton, IL. I am fixing up my 1973 Grumman 25 foot class a RV. in hopes of hitting the road next year. I bought this rig in 1997 and have had a bunch of good times with it till the fire in 2002. It had blown a power steering hose and ignited the fluid that was all over the engine compartment. So, after completely re-wiring and making up new control cables and a lot of other work it is once again drivable. Still have a lot to do, but it's getting there!
I just turned 70 years old and still do all my own repairs. Since the fire I have rebuilt the transmission, re-wired the engine compartment and rebuilt the4 brake boosters. I am working on interior repairs over this Winter and hopefully will do some polishing of the body once it warms up again. Keeps me alive! Looking forward to interacting with other owners of RV's on International chassis, and the Dodge chassis that used the same 5 lug on 8 inch wheel pattern, they have the same brakes.
Kirk
TRAILERKING said
05:16 PM Nov 27, 2014
Welcome aboard.............Sorry to hear of your issues with your motorhome. That's good your mechanically inclined and do a lot yourself. I do all my own stuff too. Here's the guts of my Allison MD3060 when I rebuilt it...
-- Edited by TRAILERKING on Thursday 27th of November 2014 05:19:06 PM
kchmn said
05:44 PM Nov 27, 2014
Hi Trailer King,
That Allison looks like a hand full! Mine has a MoPar Torqueflite 727, Not anywhere near as complicated as that Allison. If needed, I do have a 4 speed Allison that will bolt up to my engine. I was thinking about using that, but it was a lot cheaper ti go through the Torqueflite. I am thinking about switching to a 4 speed manual, except for the idea of sitting in traffic pushing the clutch repeatedly with my bad hip! Might not be fun. If I went with the stick I'd switch the rear end to the 2 speed I have along with 20 inch tires. I need to check my ratio charts and decide if I'd be better off that way. If I can save some fuel it might be worth the work of swapping. I get around 10 MPG on gas, but am going to try some E-85 and see what happens with it. My pickup which was also an International went from 12 to 19 MPG on E-85, so I'm hoping the RF would do the same. if I can get up to even 15 MPG it would help a lot.
My lady friend informed me today that next year we are making Thanksgiving dinner in the RV on the road, and that sounds real good to me, as long as it's warm where we end up! So, I have some work to do yet! Take care.
PD CFK said
05:46 PM Nov 27, 2014
Welcome aboard! Pat and Charlie K. (also from the class of '44)
TRAILERKING said
06:26 PM Nov 27, 2014
I am a MOPAR guy......kchmn. I do Torgueflites blind-folded. Hahaha
Jim and Barb said
08:14 PM Nov 27, 2014
Welcome Kirk, you will find a lot of knowledgeable individuals within this group.
Hello group, I just joined and want to introduce myself. My name is Kirk Hoffman, and I live near Stockton, IL. I am fixing up my 1973 Grumman 25 foot class a RV. in hopes of hitting the road next year. I bought this rig in 1997 and have had a bunch of good times with it till the fire in 2002. It had blown a power steering hose and ignited the fluid that was all over the engine compartment. So, after completely re-wiring and making up new control cables and a lot of other work it is once again drivable. Still have a lot to do, but it's getting there!
I just turned 70 years old and still do all my own repairs. Since the fire I have rebuilt the transmission, re-wired the engine compartment and rebuilt the4 brake boosters. I am working on interior repairs over this Winter and hopefully will do some polishing of the body once it warms up again. Keeps me alive! Looking forward to interacting with other owners of RV's on International chassis, and the Dodge chassis that used the same 5 lug on 8 inch wheel pattern, they have the same brakes.
Kirk
Welcome aboard.............Sorry to hear of your issues with your motorhome. That's good your mechanically inclined and do a lot yourself. I do all my own stuff too.
Here's the guts of my Allison MD3060 when I rebuilt it...
-- Edited by TRAILERKING on Thursday 27th of November 2014 05:19:06 PM
Hi Trailer King,
That Allison looks like a hand full! Mine has a MoPar Torqueflite 727, Not anywhere near as complicated as that Allison. If needed, I do have a 4 speed Allison that will bolt up to my engine. I was thinking about using that, but it was a lot cheaper ti go through the Torqueflite. I am thinking about switching to a 4 speed manual, except for the idea of sitting in traffic pushing the clutch repeatedly with my bad hip! Might not be fun. If I went with the stick I'd switch the rear end to the 2 speed I have along with 20 inch tires. I need to check my ratio charts and decide if I'd be better off that way. If I can save some fuel it might be worth the work of swapping. I get around 10 MPG on gas, but am going to try some E-85 and see what happens with it. My pickup which was also an International went from 12 to 19 MPG on E-85, so I'm hoping the RF would do the same. if I can get up to even 15 MPG it would help a lot.
My lady friend informed me today that next year we are making Thanksgiving dinner in the RV on the road, and that sounds real good to me, as long as it's warm where we end up! So, I have some work to do yet! Take care.
I am a MOPAR guy......kchmn. I do Torgueflites blind-folded. Hahaha