Fiberglass Campers - With Or Without "hobos"

[zero]

I posted in this separate thread so it's not considered a "crap" post by authorities.

Three nice looking fiberglass campers here in a 1980 magazine.

Also a few other interesting ads. I find the Airstream 15 MPG diesel kind of neat. I wonder what engine it had in it? In 1980 - a marine type Mitsubishi 6 cylinder diesel was very popular for RV swaps. Dodge later tried it for one year in full size pickup trucks.

[zero]

For some reason - not all the campers posted. I'll try again.

[Totem]

0-50 in 29.7 secs... how does that stack up to a 21 foot toy with 4 banger?

I am thinking on flat land I can do maybe 35 seconds?

[linda s]

Quote from Airstream forum history.

Linda S

In 1982, Airstream began offering an Isuzu 6 cylinder Diesel, in both normally asperated, and Turbo versions. It is our understanding that the Turbo was a factory fitted option by Airstream, not Isuzu.

Later a Cummins BT6 Turbo Diesel was offered in place of the 454

[zero]

0-50 in 29.7 secs... how does that stack up to a 21 foot toy with 4 banger?

I am thinking on flat land I can do maybe 35 seconds?

Here are a few road tests to compare to Datsun Toyota and some big V8s in Class As.

1977 Dolphin RV on Toyota chassis. 16’ 4” long.

6’ 4” wide, headroom – 5’ 10”, 4.11 to 1 axle-ratio

2189 cc engine. 4 speed manual trans.

3600 lbs. wet (not passengers), 8’ 4” high

Rear axle = 1970 lbs., front axle = 1630 lbs. (wet, no passengers)

15 G water, 15 G waster, 5 G propane, 10K BTU heat, 2.5 frig

7.50-14” front tires, rear L60-14”, 10” wide

0-60 MPH = 37 seconds, 40-60 MPH = 19 seconds

Combo of city and mountain driving – 13.8 MPG

Combo of city and freeway driving – 14.2 MPG

All highway driving – 15.1 MPG (Trailer Life 8/77)

1979 Odyssey 19’ on Toyota

2.2 engine, 4 speed manual trans.

4.11 rear axle, 7.50-14” tires, duals in rear

Wet weight – 4,470 lbs. (no gear or passengers)

Weight on rear axle – 2,925 lbs., front-axle – 1,545 lbs.

19’ 9” long, 6’ 8” wide, 92” high plus 11” for ladder

26 G water, 20 G waste, 5 G propane, 12K BTU heat, 4 cube refrig

Test done @ 55 MPH, flat, 17 foot altitude

0-60 MPH- 32 seconds, 40-60 MPH – 19 seconds

Fuel mileage: 13.2 MPG to 16.6 MPG (Trailer Life 2/79)

1980 Datsun truck and Mobile Traveler 5^th wheel camper

2 liter gas engine, manual trans.

Trailer – 17’ long, 7’ wide, 97” high, 3000 lbs.

0-60 MPH – 28 seconds, 40-60 MPH – 17 seconds

Fuel mileage: towing – 15.9 MPG, empty – 23 MPG

1978 Galavan 400 on Toyota chassis.

16’ long, 6.5’ high, 6.5’ wide, roof height – 82”

Wet weight (no passengers) – 3,730 lbs.

Weight distribution: front – 37.5%, rear – 62.5%

Tires – 7.50-14” 6 ply, rear axle – 4.11, 4 sp. stick

2.2 liter engine. 46” X 70” dinette bed, 41” X 67.5” over-bunk bed,

5 gallon water, 5 gallon gray-water, 2 cube ice-box (standard)

Options: 11,600 BTU furnace, 2 cube refrigerator, 25 lb. LP tank,

2 burner range, converter with charger, dual battery with isolator, portable toliet

0-30 MPH – 5.7 seconds, 0-60 MPH – 20.5 seconds, 40-60 MPH – 11.5 seconds

Fuel mileage: 15.9 MPG highway,

1978 Kings Highway Granada 32’ 9” long

M600 Dodge chassis, width – 7’ 10”, height – 10’ 10”

440 V8, 4.56 rear axle, 3 speed auto trans

Wet weight – 13,560 lbs.

0-30 MPH – 8.1 seconds, 0-60 MPH – 27.3 seconds, 40-60 MPH – 15.3 seconds

Fuel mileage @ 55 MPH – 7.8 MPG

1979 Sportscoach 2700, 26’ 8.5” long

7’ 11” wide, 10’ 3” high, wet-weight 10, 670 lbs. (no passengers or gear)

Chevrolet 454 V8, 210 HP @ 3,800 RPM, 340 lb. TQ @ 2,800 RPM

3 speed auto trans, 4.56 rear axle

0-60 MPH – 22 seconds, 40-50 MPH – 14 seconds

Fuel mileage @ 55 MPH, 800 feet, flat 8.6 MPG

Kountry Aire 23’ 2” long

7’ 9” wide, 9’ 6” high, 9,390 lbs. weight

460 cubic inch Ford V8, 3.73 rear axle

0-60 MPH – 20 seconds, 40-60 MPH – 12 seconds

Mixed driving mileage – 6.6 MPG

1983 Winnebago Centauri, Lesharo, Phasar

First one – 2 liter non-turbo diesel and manual trans.

28 MPG @ 35 MPH, 16 MPG @ 55 MPH

0-50 MPH 36.4 seconds (could not hit 60 for the test)

weight –empty – 5830 lbs.

[zero]

Quote from Airstream forum history.

Linda S

In 1982, Airstream began offering an Isuzu 6 cylinder Diesel, in both normally asperated, and Turbo versions. It is our understanding that the Turbo was a factory fitted option by Airstream, not Isuzu.

Later a Cummins BT6 Turbo Diesel was offered in place of the 454

Isuzu made some of the best engines in the world back then, and still do. Longevity tests shows them outlasting Cummins and Mack. I know in the 90s. four-cyinder Isuzu or Cummins swaps were done to a lot of motorhomes. Both 3.9 liter. Here's the Mitsubishi that was commonly swapped into RVs early 80s.

[Totem]

so 29.7 seconds seems pretty good. that airstream at 15 mpg at that speed seems pretty darned nice. I think I have only ever seen one of those things in my life though , they are or were rare yes?

[zero]

I've never seen one in real life. Or if I did, I didn't know it.

[Totem]

http://www.viewrvs.com/motorhome/airstream/1991/1991-airstream-motorhome-300-c.php

a bit pricey at $45,000 but then again housing in Ca. is overpriced. At least you could drive away before being fined for taking a shower.

[zero]

http://www.viewrvs.com/motorhome/airstream/1991/1991-airstream-motorhome-300-c.php

a bit pricey at $45,000 but then again housing in Ca. is overpriced. At least you could drive away before being fined for taking a shower.

Hey - our Michigan water might wind up there some day. There's been talk by "authorities" on the west coast about harnessing all the "extra" water in the Great Lakes. Maybe means Michigan? Our state has the most fresh water of any of the contiguous US states.

[Bob C]

JD, There is currently something called the Great Lakes Compact. " The Great Lakes Compact is a formal agreement between the Great Lake states. A parallel agreement includes the two Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. In these agreements, the states and provinces agree to manage the water in the Great Lakes watershed collectively. The agreements also ban Great Lakes water from being "diverted," or piped out of the basin with a few limited and strictly regulated exceptions."

I don't mean to start a political arguement about the subject, just throwing out some information.

[Totem]

Jessie Ventura did an expose on Chinese freighters that were filling ballasts and returning to china.. They simply did this in the lake. When home the freighters sold/stored the water... no pipeline needed.

The lakes have also been in decline for years; this is easily verifiable by depth readings year or year going down. Now I also am aware the lakes are slowly leaking away to the oceans via the falls, but the fact remains, they WILL and ARE coming for our water, make no mistake. The governors can fight it for a while. This is one of the few things I think Carl Levin gets right here. He caught companies stealing water within the state itself and passed the regulations you speak of and this was because in part to the "Conspiracy Theory" reporting of Ventura.

I wish more people watched Venturas show before the govt ripped it off the air. People call it crazy because they don't want to think about the horror of the truth.

[zero]

JD, There is currently something called the Great Lakes Compact. "

Yes, I just hope it gets stuck too and not ignored like the US Constitution has been many times. Around 10 years ago - Lake Huron and Superior were hitting very low levels and some people here in Michigan were blaming Canadians for causing a big "leak" somewhere. Funny thing is now - Lake Huron and Superior are very high. So - I wonder how we can blame the Canadians for that?

I lived for years in a part of New York state that had some of its best water sources piped nearly 200 miles down to New York City. To add insult to injury - we even had NYC water police in our neck of the woods telling us what, and what not to do. I'd had to see that happen to Michigan. But the West Coast is pretty far away. It would take on heck of a pipeline to get Michigan water out there.