Howdy

[<jwreding>]

Hi everyone.  My name is Jonathan Reding.  I'm 20 years old from Anderson, Indiana (near Indianapolis).  We've owned a 1978 Chevrolet American Clipper since 1992.  We only have made one substantial trip in it to Tucson, AZ.  The stock 400 threw a rod on the way there, and the shop could only come up with a 350 to replace it.  Since the incident, my mother has been turned off to the rig, so it has been sitting in our yard for 10 years.  This summer, I plan on giving it a much needed overhaul and using it to tow my K5 Blazer, which I take off-roading.  I am glad I found this site, I had no idea such a club existed.  I plan on purchasing a membership in the near future and look forward to getting to know you all.  My first planned project is to do an engine swap, so I'm sure I'll be picking plenty of brains come mid-May.  Just thought I'd say hello for now.  Take care everyone.

Jonathan

[dodgechargerrv]

Hey Jonathan,

Welcome    
I would suggest getting your membership ASAP.  There is a wealth of information that you will definately need if you are going to get your rig going again.  I bought a 75 Clipper that had been sitting for only a year and it had quite a few problems. Course I think it was negleted for several more.  
People in the club are great at providing info and when you join you should get all the back issues of the club newsletters.  Tons and tons of usable info!  
P.S. My wife is from Marion, IN.  I lived in New Palestine for a while and my oldest son, who is 22, lives in Indy. Go Colts!

[Horst]

Hi Jonathan,
Glad to hear you're going to restore your family Clipper.
Towing a K5 Blazer?
This is no small feat, particularly with a 350/400 Chevy - by the way - I'd definitely go with the 400 - better low end torque, which you'll need for towing.
Definitely be sure your hitch is up installed properly for towing. There is info in the back issues of the Newsletter on this topic.

Have a look under the unit - if the hitch is only attached to the extended part of the Van chassis - then you'll have to do some reinforcing - or towing that Blazer will most definitely damage your rig. The Chevy Clippers have better brakes though - and that helps with towing.

[<jwreding>]

Thanks for the welcomes, guys.  I noticed that most everyone is from California, because that's where these rigs were made.  I knew they were rare, but I didn't realize how rare.  I think I read in another post that there is one other known Clipper in Indiana.  It's pretty cool to have one of 2 vehicles in the state.  I have a pickup to tow my K5 as well, so I would only be using the Clipper to tow it once in a while.  I will definitely go through the hitch to make sure it's up to the task.  I have several other ideas for an engine besides the stock ones.  I was thinking either BBC or 6.2 diesel.  Those questions will come later, though, after I've bought my membership.  First item of business is to restore the interior.  I read some posts about ripping up the carpet.  It looks like it's going to be a daunting task, but it's something I have to do.  There is also a substantial leak in the roof (but the water drips into the sink so it's not all bad).  It is definitely going to be a project that lasts the entire summer and probably most of next summer, but when it's all done I hope to have a nice, reliable, classic RV.