1997 Coach House 192tb

[Chuckg]

My wife and I are planning a cross country trip reliving our 1986 honeymoon in a 71 VW Bus. Purchased this van with a 318 Dodge engine with 73k miles on it.
I am having some minor engine work done and will need to flatten my learning curve over the next year. Have never owned a, somewhat, complicated vehicle and will take us some time to figure things out. One major issue is, according to last owner, is a faulty relay which is not opening the gas valve to the stove. Any assistance on that would be helpful. Looking forward to our new adventure and living the van life for a while...

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Chuckg

My wife and I are planning a cross country trip reliving our 1986 honeymoon in a 71 VW Bus. Purchased this van with a 318 Dodge engine with 73k miles on it.
I am having some minor engine work done and will need to flatten my learning curve over the next year. Have never owned a, somewhat, complicated vehicle and will take us some time to figure things out. One major issue is, according to last owner, is a faulty relay which is not opening the gas valve to the stove. Any assistance on that would be helpful. Looking forward to our new adventure and living the van life for a while...

Welcome to the forum Chuckg!

Congratulations! You'll have fun, frustration and spend a lot of money. The good news is, your memory of the frustration and money will fade over time.

When I got my class b, I learned something new everyday for several months. I still learn something every month. But the basics you'll get down fairly quickly by trying out the equipment or better still, driveway camping.

There is usually a remote switch that activates the propane solenoid. It is usually located near the tank. I suggest turning on the main battery switch (aka battery disconnect) since the solenoid requires 12 volts, and flipping the propane switch on. You should hear an audible "click" or dull "clank" noise when it activates. Probably a good idea to get the propane tank filled before trying this. Let's hope the hoses and filler are in good shape.

If the propane hasn't been run in a while, even lighting the stove burners could take many multiple tries to get air or moisture out of the lines. The flame may be orange at first, but you'll want to see a clean blue flame to indicate it is burning correctly.

Expect a few repairs and replacements, but just ask away as there are many knowledgeable forum members ready to help.

Final comment: You've chosen an older motor home than I would have to travel in. That being said, you're in good company as the old Dodges seem to go forever with proper repairs and maintenance. Imprecise steering is a common complaint and is some less than stellar handling. But just expect some new shocks and suspension part replacement as you would on any 20+ year old vehicle.

See you on the road!

[Chuckg]

Thanks, looking forward to our next chapter...

[Joe]

Love our 1995 Side Xplorer Class B. Motor is a 360 not 318. They run forever.

[soohma]

I have a 1997 Coach House and absolutely love it. It's taken me across the US and back, across Canada and back and numerous shorter trips.


On my RV, I turn on the propane, then I flick the switch inside that makes a clicking sound. When that's finished I try lighting the stove. When the stove lights, I then light the fridge. The fridge cools much faster on propane and then before you drive you can switch to the 12V, remembering not to stay on that too long when you stop. Once you're stopped, you can plug in and use the electric setting or turn the propane back on.


People on this forum helped me A LOT when I first got my RV. I knew nothing about RVs. I always take my 3 ring binder that has all the info on all the different things in the RV. Good reference for when something goes wrong or you just need info.

[windymatt]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

Welcome to the forum Chuckg!

Congratulations! You'll have fun, frustration and spend a lot of money. The good news is, your memory of the frustration and money will fade over time.

When I got my class b, I learned something new everyday for several months. I still learn something every month. But the basics you'll get down fairly quickly by trying out the equipment or better still, driveway camping.

There is usually a remote switch that activates the propane solenoid. It is usually located near the tank. I suggest turning on the main battery switch (aka battery disconnect) since the solenoid requires 12 volts, and flipping the propane switch on. You should hear an audible "click" or dull "clank" noise when it activates. Probably a good idea to get the propane tank filled before trying this. Let's hope the hoses and filler are in good shape.

If the propane hasn't been run in a while, even lighting the stove burners could take many multiple tries to get air or moisture out of the lines. The flame may be orange at first, but you'll want to see a clean blue flame to indicate it is burning correctly.

Expect a few repairs and replacements, but just ask away as there are many knowledgeable forum members ready to help.

Final comment: You've chosen an older motor home than I would have to travel in. That being said, you're in good company as the old Dodges seem to go forever with proper repairs and maintenance. Imprecise steering is a common complaint and is some less than stellar handling. But just expect some new shocks and suspension part replacement as you would on any 20+ year old vehicle.

See you on the road!

As an owner of a 1973 Dodge b300 Hall GTC class B+ with a 360, I can testify that they DO go on forever! Since my rig is all manual valves and analog as it gets, I can’t say a thing about the gas valve. I ca, however, respond to the steering comment. It is fairly common to find RV’s with some steering slop because of the fact that you get to do a lot of steering keeping them on the road in windy conditions. They’re big. I replaced my entire steering system with new and remanufactured components, including the steering gear, pump, all tie rods, drag link, pitman arm and the fiber coupling on the steering column. All this stuff is available on-line, but the ONLY steering box worth installing is a reman unit from REDHEAD! They are better than the original and, while pricey, will give you worry-free performance. Dodges, the old ones, anyway, are solid and easy to work on. Congrats