News:

This website's purpose is to share information with clipper owners and others who are interested in clippers or have old Dodge B300 chassis motorhomes.  In an attempt to share as much information as possible to as many people as possible PLEASE first post your questions in one of the forum boards rather than sending a PM to the webmaster or another member. This will allow other members to find information that may help solve their problem.  By PMing your questions, you decrease forum activity and create more work for active members who end up repeating information to individuals looking for the same information.  Thank you.

Main Menu

First time clipper owner. I have a LOT of questions. Please help!!!

Started by GRUNGY_FOXES, January 25, 2017, 06:41:43 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

GRUNGY_FOXES

Hi so I bought my clipper a couple months ago. 1978 with the Dodge 440 engine. When I bought the clipper it ran and drove so we took it to a shop to get a general inspection of the engine and the in house stuff. (Propane lines, stove heater, fridge, water tanks ect) After a couple weeks they replaced the propane lines and put in a new stove because they said that is where the propane leak is from. The kinda screwed me over and did not check anything else. $900 later I decided to take the clipper elsewhere. At this point the clipper started dieing- it will start up (sometimes it takes a couple times) and after it warms up if you come to a stop it will die if you push the gas. So the next shop replaced the fuel lines, fuel filter and pump and said that was the problem. A month later (yes it took them THAT long to just do those 3 things...) we came to pick it up, made it a couple miles down the road and it had the same problem. However we decided against taking it back to that shop who has charged us and arm and a leg. (Another 850 for that work.) My questions are do you think it is the carburetor creating the dieing problem? We were able to drive it the 30 miles back to our house without it dieing once but we know the problem still exsists. If anyone has had a similar issue I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also our in house thermostat
heater will turn on and blow lightly but no heat...it has propane so that's not the problem.  I'm trying to become a member but with the recent expenses of trying to fix things in my clipper I'm strapped for now. Any information will help thank you for reading and your time!
Thanks a bunch,
Desiree.

rvanarsdale

First: you might want to check for sure that the '78 does have a 440. The engine will be huge. I thought mine was a 440, but the '76 has a 360 in it. I haven't got the manuals or anything, but I know it will be written on the underside of the engine block.
Second: I'm not big on engine repair yet. I've only ever really worked on small engines (scooters and go-karts and lawn mowers), but I had a similar issue with a carbureted scooter once. I could get it to turn on, but if I pulled more than about 1/8 throttle, the engine would choke. If the pump and filter and lines are all solid, you could clean the carburetor. It's not expensive or overly difficult to take your carb out and clean it, and they make sprays that are designed just for it. There are lots of guides online.
Third: best of luck with your new clipper! I hope you like it. I like mine. And welcome!

ClipperJoe is pretty active and he seems to know his stuff. If you get his attention, he'll know more than me.
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. - Bertrand Russell

Clipper Joe

Hello You New Clipper Owners,

Welcome & Sorry You Have Had To Put So Much $$$$ Into Your American Clipper.
Yes These Old Vtg. Clipper, Are Old & Take Some Money To Get Them Back On The Road.
If They Were Not Maintained Over The Years, You Get The Bad Luck of Trying To Bring Them Back To Life.
With All That Said; I Hope I May Try & Answer Some Of Your Questions.Its Hard To Trouble Shoot Your Rig Without Seeing Your Problems.We Are All Novice At These Old Rigs, So It Is Sometimes Trial & Error.
1.) If Your Clipper Has Been Sitting For 1 Year Or More, Chances Are Your Gas, Is Really Bad. Also There May Be Water Or Debris Floating Around In Fuel Tank,/Tanks. I Have Replaced My Carburator With A Rebuilt One, & Have Found A World Of Good From That.
But Remember Not Every Mechanic Knows How To Adjust These Old Style Carbs, And Adjust The Linkage Properly. Even Though You Have Changed The Fuel Filter, Note: Change It Out With A New Metal Fuel Filter For Next Few Months To Get Any Stuff That May Still Be Spashing Around & Out Your Tank.

2.) Desiree, On Your Furnace There Are An igniter With Two Probes On Left Front Of Furnace, Make Sure They Are Sparking, & They Are Also Clean, These Appliance Should Be Repaired, By A RV Tech, That Knows How To Work On Your Style Of Heater. Mine Clipper Is A 1977 Rear Kitchen, So It May Be Alittle Different Than Your 1978. Don't Give Up There Is Light At End Of The Tunnel Just May Cost Alittle To Get There, These Clippers Were Built To Last & They Still Have A lot All Over The Country Running & Giving Great Service To Many Campers & There Families.

So Hope This Helps, & Remember, That The Small Fee To Join This Clipper Club, Will Save You Hundreds In Long Run With All Info On This ACOC Forum & Data Base. So Please Try & Get Your Membership In To Kathy ( Membership Officer ) Thanks & Good Luck,

Clipper Joe

   
1977 Dodge 440  Rear Kitchen
Note: Clipper Sold: (Miss It)
ACOC#3749
Now Own 2002 Class A Diesel Pusher

Toedtoes

Hi and welcome.  FYI: the older (76 and earlier) clippers were often, if not always, a 360 engine.  The newer (77 and newer) were almost always the 440.

From experience, I can tell you that what you're experiencing with the shops is pretty standard.  For most of us, our goal is to fix the problem that we've identified as inexpensively as possible.  Unfortunately, with these old engines, we are often just fixing a symptom of a bigger problem.  But shops are hesitant to suggest doing an engine or carb rebuild because of the cost and because the owner is likely to want to just get rid of the vehicle instead.  So, they continue to fix the symptoms.  If we're lucky, that gets us through a few years of minor stuff until we're invested enough to agree to go through a rebuild.

So, with that, it sounds like it's a carburetor issue.  You can try a simple clean out of the carb and see if that works.  Mine had a 2 barrel carb on it and I ended up rebuilding it for a few hundred dollars.  It worked a LOT better.  Then about a year later, my engine blew and I had it rebuilt.  I ended up putting in a new 4 barrel carb with the rebuilt engine (my 2 barrel is in storage for future use if needed).  It cost a lot to do, but (knock on wood) I haven't had any engine problems since).

Replacing all your fuel lines was a good investment.  It may not have solved the problem you went in for, but trust me, you do NOT want your lines leaking fuel as you drive down the road.  Clipper fuel lines are 40 years old and are more than likely covered in tiny pinsized holes.  They had done a smoke test on mine because I kept having fuel leaks.  The leak I kept finding was actually spitback in the intake line - the fuel would go in to fast, get backed up at the bend, and when it was pushed back up the line, it leaked.  But, when they did the smoke test, they told me they couldn't see any leaks - because the smoke was coming out all the way down through every line.  The lines were just rotted out.  I went from under 5mpg to 8mpg just by changing those lines.

Also, a "general inspection" is very basic.  They normally check brakes, lights, steering gear box, fuel pumps and filters, hoses and belts, etc.  The big common stuff.  They don't get into the wiring (which is often a problem on these old rigs) or catch minor problems.

A couple more observances from "been there done that":

There are very few mechanics out there who have any knowledge of these old rigs anymore.  My shop has one guy that can work on mine - the others don't have a clue.  Even with the mechanics who do have knowledge, they see these old engines so seldom that they often end up trying several different things before they get it right - they just don't do enough to remember what worked the last time they saw this issue.

I was always very relaxed about how much time my clipper was in the shop.  When I bring it in, I tell them when my next planned trip will be and the date I'll need it back to go on that trip.  Then I tell them to take as long as they need (within that framework) to fix it.  I'd rather have my clipper at their shop for 3 months than have them rushing to get it done in a week and missing something.  While it's in the shop, I always do my own internet research.  I spend a lot of time reading through Dodge forums, etc., looking for possible solutions.  I will print them out and give them to the shop if I find anything.  My family owned a Dodge dealership for years and worked on these exact engines all the time - and even now, if I ask one of those old guys, they will have 10 possible solutions for every one problem.  It's the way things were in those days (no computer system to tell you "X sensor is bad").

In the end, the way I look at it is that I am still way below what I would have spent on a new/newer motorhome (by about $30-40K).  And the clipper is WAY BETTER than anything out there now.  So, I put in money as I go, repairing/replacing/modifying, and as long as I am able to drive my clipper to a campground for a few days, I'm satisfied with my expenses.  I never link how much I put into fixing my clipper with how much I can get if I sold my clipper - if that is important, then don't buy an RV ever.
'75 American Clipper Dodge 360 821F; ACOC #3754

rvguy101

for my, it sat for 4 years,. i did a rebuild engine, & the transmission wish, i did it on it,. & put about, $ 2500 in-to her,. i did put new Fuel Tank, & lines in,. i put a 55 gallon fuel tank,. i have a 2 barrel carb on her,. but i do all my own, auto work,. so it save a lot of money,.
77 dodge clipper, with 20,000 miles. & a 85 Vogue motor coach diesel 35 foot.