Hi, I bought a Chinook Newport a couple months ago. I've been browsing this forum a bit lately, and joined the Yahoo Chinook users group. I've seen enough posts from people here who seem to have really good advice for me, that I figured it'd be a good idea to join.
The Chinook is, unfortunately, depressingly, parked for the winter. Will be April or May before it drives again, but I've already camped 4 nights in it, and love it. In the spring I'll be replacing the tires (they're new, but unfortunately they are car tires, not truck tires. I don't trust them), probably adding a leaf or two to the rear spring pack, replacing all wheel bearings, a little carb adjustment and full tune-up, replacing a leaking propane regulator, and depending on how motivated I get...someone somewhere along the line painted over all the nice wood paneling with turqouise...so I may replace the walls and cabinets with new wood. All in all, for a 35 year old vehicle, that's not bad. It didn't sit for those 35 years. It's been used, but never abused. 48,000 miles. Just a summer, short-trip weekend warrior vehicle, it seems like. I drove it from Seattle to Montana when I bought it, and it did great, could easily go faster than I felt safe going (55-60mph seems to be the top of the safe zone), and got between 17 and 20mpg, and that's with it needing a tune up.
Next summer it'll get worked on a bit, and go to music festivals and some other trips. The summer after that...unless I get tied down somehow, will likely be my home while I travel and visit friends, relatives, and basically take the time to do the things I never have time to do. Kind of an early, temporary retirement. Might last the summer, maybe a year, maybe...who knows?
Photobucket seems to be all screwed up for me right now, and I haven't figured out how to upload images to this site yet from my computer...so no photos right now...