1997 Roadtrek Popular w/ Dodge 318

[ArrVee]

Hello All,

Former boater wanting to get into an affordable Class B van for 2-3 week cross country trips w/ wife and 10 lb dog and 150 mile local trips pulling small trilr w/ ATV, mostly on flats. (1,200 lb)

I've located a unit w/ 81k mi, new tranny 10K ago, new radiator, new brakes and lines, new ball joints, new ac, new cushions, new cat convrtr and sensors.

2rd owner, stored inside, clean unit. Everything works. I haven't seen it in person yet.

Asking 16K.

I d like to use unit for 10-15 years and put 100k on it.

Do any have experience w/ this engine/unit? Share history and problems to look for. I'd rather have a chevy but they sit pretty low to ground for my ATV trips. Any suggestions appreciated. I'm pretty handy but not a monkeyman.

[peppster66]

I have that exact same year and model, and it is a well built machine, the motor is strong enough and still fairly good on gas, we have driven everywhere with this Roadtrek from Northern Canada ,to the East coast to the west coast to the Florida keys, have nearly 200,000 miles on it, and it still runs strong as the day I bought it. I really like it because if it does break down, parts are easy to find, and very affordable, a lot of it you can fix yourself, I really feel it was a well built, and well planned class B rv. As the miles go up, you may have to put some dollars into it, but compared to the price of a new class B, your still better off. Its just my opinion, but It is the best for me and my family..Good luck with it, if you have any specific questions, please just ask,,,take care,,,,

[ArrVee]

Thanks for the strong recommendation. Glad you got a great unit.
A few more Q's.
What highway mpg do you get?
Are you on the original tranny? Do you have a cooler and scangauge.
This unit failed at 70K, makes me think the towed with it.
Do you like the divider?
This unit has an armoire in lieu of the jumpseat. I would have to switch out for a fold up bed for gaucho ATV camping.
What is your ground clearance?
Does it have air bags that would raise it a bit for my gravel road ATV site?

Thanks for your input!

Ted

[peppster66]

Hi Ted, Ill try my best to answer your questions, and concerns. For the MPG, I do use a scanguage, and I realistically get between 16 - 18 mpg, depends a lot if I'm weighed down with the water tanks, and all my kayaking gear, and bikes, going through mountains or the flat lands, but even with those Mpg, I'm still really pleased with it. It has a fairly large gas tank, I get close to 800km/480 miles to a tank of fuel. As for the tranny, I'm not sure if it is the original or not, I bought mine used from a dealer who got it as a trade in on a newer model, they didn't want to work on it, so I got a great deal as is, where is .But the tranny so far is holding up strong with no slipping yet. I do change the tranny fluid and filter, every spring, just to ensure it runs well. I always keep an eye on it to make sure the tranny temperature doesn't get to hot, that's the big one I think we have to watch. It did come with a fairly large tranny cooler, that appears to still be in great shape., We do have the armoire also, but the front seats sviwel around, and it does make into a third bed using the front passenger seat, and the seat behind it, it actually works quite well, and comfortable. My unit does not have the air bags, I did upgrade it to some heavy duty Monroe shocks that have greatly improved the ride and feel of the van, and the ground clearance is approxamitely 11" from the bottom of the side fibreglass fairings.I hope this helps you out, .There is one more thing I forgot to mention, is that these older Dodges have a reputation for wandering a bit due to some steering issues. On mine there is a slight bit of wander, But I have heard from others where it is quite excessive. When you take yours out for a test drive keep an eye on it, and see if it is something you notice while you are driving,, just something to look out for,,,anyways,,, hope this helps with what you need, take care,,,,,,,,,,,Josef,,,,,

[ArrVee]

Thanks Josef.
That's pretty good mileage. I like the aerodynamic profile of the top.
I will be sure to check out any wander if I get to test drive. Still in my research phase. I read somewhere on here about a spacer kit for the rear wheels. Not sure what that is about yet.
Does yours have the divider wall around the bathroom?
Ted

[peppster66]

Hi Ted, I have heard good and bad things about the spacers, from what I understand is that the rear wheel measurement is narrower than the front wheel width dimension, so people are adding spacers to the rear wheels to make them equal, and hopefully help with the wandering that is known to be on the Dodges, I have read where people have had success with them, and have also read where they can be dangerous, and prone to snapping off. I don't have them, so I really cant say either way about them. About the divider with the bathroom, On my unit, the bathroom door opens, and there is a hinged door attatched to it, so when fully open, it does become a divider, or privacy door, It does work fairly well, gives plenty of space and privacy when you need it. there is also a hinged door on the rear cupboard behind the bathroom, so when it is fully opened it will give you privacy from the rear,,,,smartly done with the amount of space that is in there,,,,,,Hope this helps,,,take care,,,let me know what you think after your test drive, ,,,,,

[Davidk]

hello Ted

We also have the same B , ours is the 170 popular. We love ours also .we have just about 300,000 km on ours. We just bought last year to see if this is how we want to travel with our 3 big dogs ( so wife and i and 3 chihuahua's )

We just went on a 7000 +/- km trip to Florida and back. Great trip no bad issues that could not be fixed, so this van works for us. We found it very compact for getting in and around places we are new to and lots of room for how we travel

About the same gas mileage as Josef, hope this helps

David

[Eraygunz]

Hi.
I have this rig too.......love it!
Just did the spacers and airbags. I can literally take my hands off the wheel for so long that it's scary.
Everything on my unit works great.
I do not run the generator as much as I should. So,I do have to play with it to get her up and running once in a while.
Added solar and batteries ....ready for anything.
The airbags are for weight and leveling,not really for raising the height. But it dose lift her up a bit.
For extra height . Would be best to add leafs to the rear,higher springs up front.
I just put on new AT tires.....still super quite....rides nice.
I got mine for a steal from the dealership I work at. No one knew what it was worth but me.
Anyway. I love mine,goes anyway a van will go.
If you have any questions just drop me a line.
Cheers and Luck.
Eddie

[jmai]

Originally Posted by Eraygunz

Hi.
I have this rig too.......love it!
Just did the spacers and airbags. I can literally take my hands off the wheel for so long that it's scary.
Everything on my unit works great.
I do not run the generator as much as I should. So,I do have to play with it to get her up and running once in a while.
Added solar and batteries ....ready for anything.
The airbags are for weight and leveling,not really for raising the height. But it dose lift her up a bit.
For extra height . Would be best to add leafs to the rear,higher springs up front.
I just put on new AT tires.....still super quite....rides nice.
I got mine for a steal from the dealership I work at. No one knew what it was worth but me.
Anyway. I love mine,goes anyway a van will go.
If you have any questions just drop me a line.
Cheers and Luck.
Eddie

Where did you get your wheel spacers?

[Eraygunz]

Hi,again.
You can get them just about anywhere. Summit racing has them ,any car site just about has them too. Even can find them on eBay.
Most sites do not list the 3500 Ram Van in the compatible listing.
But they are the same ones used on the 3500 truck/dualies.
If you want air bags too...drop me a line. I got the firestone ones from a company in Michagan.
They are super easy to install!
Might want to do both at same time,since the rear wheels will already be out of the way.
Also if you pull a trailer or load her up a bunch. You might need a little extra clearance for the tire in the wheel well.
And if your a car guy.......really gives it a better look with the tires sticking out just a bit!
I have spent thirty plus years in auto restoration. So if you have any paint or body issues. Just ask.
Thanks,hope this was helpful.
Sorry,I kinda carry on a bit.
Eddie

[sewright33]

Drove 2 Mexico from Canada 2 years in a row and definitely the only way to travel. Love it

[saenzm]

Originally Posted by peppster66

Good luck with it, if you have any specific questions, please just ask,,,take care,,,,

Where did you get that rack? Custom or ordered?

[ArrVee]

Thanks Guys,

Good information to know. I've been laying back a bit on this unit. They want $17.9K for it. Seems a bit high. Now the 4th is past maybe they will be motivated to sell. What do you think is fair price?

It does not have the extra seat for a forward sleeping position so I would likely have to modify it. It does have a new tranny, radiator, rear AC , brakes and lines and mattresses. Second owner stored inside on a 81K, 318 V8. Its over an hour away so I may try phone negotiations first.

Thanks Again. Ted

[ArrVee]

Actually they are asking 16K

[thanasis]

Originally Posted by peppster66

... if you have any specific questions, please just ask,,,take care,,,,

Hi, A friend of mine has a Roadtrek like yours and has trouble with the 3-way refrigerator which does not cool sufficiently. He thinks he needs to clean the burner area but he has no access to it from the outside, and he not sure how to access the area from inside. (BTW, I have a compressor-type fridge in my Sprinter).
Any advice you might offer would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
T.

[peppster66]

Hi, you will have to pull the fridge out from the front, its not that hard to do, takes about 1/2 hour. theres a few threads on here on how to do it, a few screws around the front face, unplug 12 volt and shore power lines, undo the propane connection, and theres 2 screws that are in the rear of the fridge holding it in place, just pull it gently, if you need more help, let me know,,,,,,thanks,,,,

[ArrVee]

Question.
Is the jumpseat behind the passenger that converts to a single bed large enough for an 5'-11" adult?

Is the jumpseat/bed same size in a 17' vs 19'?

Thanks,
PS That unit is still for sale.

[beek]

Laying stretched out on that jumpseat/front seat bed, your feet hang off the front seat under the dashboard. The seat cushions also don't lay exactly flat.

I wouldn't want to use it for my regular sleeping, but for a kid, or for rough camping, or surprise guest sleeping on a lumpy couch type situation, it works.

I'm not positive, but I believe the jumpseat/front seat bed is the same size in the 170 and 190.

Also, the Roadtrek manufacturer site has pdf downloads for brochures of all their models for all years. Here's the page
You are being redirected...


and the brochure for 1997 Roadtreks

http://www.roadtrek.com/wp-content/u...odel_years.pdf

[crvph]

Ed, sorry to hijack in on this thread but was wondering your ideas on carrying a motorcycle on a trailer hitch. i have a 2000 GWV SC. and would like to carry a bike either on the front or back of the van. ever seen such a thing and what bikes have you seen being carried? Thanks, Mike

[sewright33]

Drove to Mexico and 1 year made a small trailer to move bike seems a lot of weight on front or back