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Motorhomes AKA Chevy Express Cutaway 3500/4500 information

If i recall those t-cases are air shift . If you play with the layout you can make them aka: twin stick and front drive . Also lock ranges to be a mechanical parking brake . But been a few years from when i was last watching that stuff .
 
If i recall those t-cases are air shift . If you play with the layout you can make them aka: twin stick and front drive . Also lock ranges to be a mechanical parking brake . But been a few years from when i was last watching that stuff .
The really weird thing about these transfer cases is that the front output turns backwards and the front differential is upside down.
 
The really weird thing about these transfer cases is that the front output turns backwards and the front differential is upside down.
It saves them from expense of engineering different front chunk components like reverse cut setups and/or maybe there’s a reason they didn’t want a counter gear in the case - maybe size/room restrictions or just to get the driveline up higher.

Some of the WWII era GM trucks were like that.
When I was a teenager and just started figuring the whole reverse cut gear thing out our local fire department had a 1941 Chevy K 1-1/4 Ton brush truck.

I initially thought that it had a high-pinion reverse cut gear setup but as I was studying it I realized that the chunk was just flipped and interchangeable with the rear.

After lying under it for an hour or so trying to go through the directions of driveshaft rotations it finally occurred to me that the T-case had no counter gear which explained the direction of rotation and made it all possible.
That old truck is now owned by a friend of mine who was amazed to know someone who knew its history of being a fire truck since 1977 and a farm truck since the war effort - very cool truck.
 
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If i recall those t-cases are air shift . If you play with the layout you can make them aka: twin stick and front drive . Also lock ranges to be a mechanical parking brake . But been a few years from when i was last watching that stuff .
Yeah, on big trucks air shift makes the location of different items irrelevant, a simple airline is all it takes to control
 
So I've full on been in motorhome shopping mode for about a month.

Today I drove a 24' 6.6L/8L90e. It was a nice little rocketship to drive... but it's too small inside (only had a slide for the bed).
 
So, after driving a bunch... they're not all the same quietness inside.

Not sure what causes it.
 
How much do you plan to drive it, vs how much do you plan to stay in it? Typically for camping floorplan is #1. For driving you want the smallest one possible or a cool one designed for driving from the 70's with tons of updates, so pick your poison.
 
I want something that I can drive for 350-450 miles per day and not get fatigue. My 6.2L/8L90e extended cab truck yanking a 6500lb 31' bumper to ball camper (with shocks) is about my limit for comfort. Truck does it fine at 85 all day and it's fine. It's quiet enough inside to hear the dog snore. But I have to pay attention, especially if there is a crosswind.

I did the 70s motorhome thing (1978 GMC Royale, that I put a Cadillac 500 in... Twiced).

I want something quiet, big enough to not get sick of, but small enough to fit places.. quiet.. doesn't get stuck in wet grass... and pull a Jeep.

1978Royale_S.jpg


This is the floorplan I like best. Two seating areas. But no one makes it anymore in a Chevy. 28' overall length. There is one where the bed comes out the passenger side still being made in Chevy, but it's super rare.
260ds.jpg


This is probably what I'll end up with. 26.5' overall length, only one seating area.
230FS.png
 
Those old GMC's were cool. They had a sy-fy look to them.
Never drove one though.
 
Stock they're kind of gutless. This one destroys tires. 525/625 on the rollers on 93 octane. The cam I picked didn't develop any vacuum at 800rpm so I had to put a vacuum pump off a Cadillac ATS on it. Passes everything but the gas station. Basically a 10,000lb racecar with plumbing. Fastest it is comfortable driving is 104mph. It starts getting "light" at 95.

It gets stuck on wet grass so you end up trying to left-foot brake it to keep one tire from spinning. Super easy to drive otherwise. Turns super sharp, easy to see everywhere. Basically like driving a conversion van that never ends.

But it's tiny inside. I can't fit my feet in the bathroom. A lot of campgrounds say "no" because it's old. Not because it looks like crap, but because people with Cousin Eddie Johnson motorhomes bitch if they see one like that in it and they're denied entry.
 
Stock they're kind of gutless. This one destroys tires. 525/625 on the rollers on 93 octane. The cam I picked didn't develop any vacuum at 800rpm so I had to put a vacuum pump off a Cadillac ATS on it. Passes everything but the gas station. Basically a 10,000lb racecar with plumbing. Fastest it is comfortable driving is 104mph. It starts getting "light" at 95.

It gets stuck on wet grass so you end up trying to left-foot brake it to keep one tire from spinning. Super easy to drive otherwise. Turns super sharp, easy to see everywhere. Basically like driving a conversion van that never ends.

But it's tiny inside. I can't fit my feet in the bathroom. A lot of campgrounds say "no" because it's old. Not because it looks like crap, but because people with Cousin Eddie Johnson motorhomes bitch if they see one like that in it and they're denied entry.
I still want one some day and I wouldn't want to go in a campground anyway so...
 
All the Boomers that originally wanted them are aging out of them now. The youngest Boomers are 65 so now is the time. There are two large Facebook groups dedicated to them.
 
All the Boomers that originally wanted them are aging out of them now. The youngest Boomers are 65 so now is the time. There are two large Facebook groups dedicated to them.
I missed one in decent shape good running condition for $3500.
11 months of no work, I am broke.
It will happen someday
 
It's a thing in some places yes. 10 years old is common cut off
It’s ridiculous - a buddy of mine spent a fortune on restoring a classic Airstream Camper but is denied access to certain campgrounds because of this beyond ten years of age policies.

He’s invested more in his Classic than most of the brand new campers are worth but can’t register it to stay because they don’t want “unsitely” vehicles bringing the standards down for the other guests.
 
It’s ridiculous - a buddy of mine spent a fortune on restoring a classic Airstream Camper but is denied access to certain campgrounds because of this beyond ten years of age policies.

He’s invested more in his Classic than most of the brand new campers are worth but can’t register it to stay because they don’t want “unsitely” vehicles bringing the standards down for the other guests.
It's just another attempt to take away from the people that can only afford to live in such kind of home and keep it as a luxury.
Luckily not all campgrounds have that policy
 
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