1975 Rockwood Roadking 2002 - the new "family truckster"

[craig71188]

We're definitely looking at "Good Sam" RV campgrounds. I've heard from a few folks talk about driving on 23 instead of I-75. I work off of whatever Waze tells me, but will keep that in mind as we're likely travelling south the week up to July 4th.

 

A couple of handy apps - "RV Parky"-lists free places to park/stay (Walmart / Cracker Barrel) along with RV parks/reviews, "ParkAdvisor" - RV parks with reviews. Both can be spotty with their reviews, but have found some neat state parks close to our route that have been worth staying at vs. some of the commercial parks. Both are also good for finding services (dump stations) for when "The shitters full Clark!"

[zeitgeist57]

I’m surprised you mentioned RV Parky, only because there are several other, higher-rated apps. Going to take a look!

 

Thanks a ton for the apps recommendation, Craig! That’s definitely the way to plan.

[craig71188]

I’m surprised you mentioned RV Parky, only because there are several other, higher-rated apps. Going to take a look!

 

Thanks a ton for the apps recommendation, Craig! That’s definitely the way to plan.

 

To be honest, I downloaded them several years ago and haven't really "shopped" for updated/better options. RV Parky is definitely the weaker of the two I mentioned. Thanks for the reminder - I will take a look at updating!!!

[zeitgeist57]

Summer 2020 Update:

 

Our plan was to use the RV to move our family/pets all the way to Naples, FL to sit out COVID for the month of July in our condo. For my wife and I it was a sort of hybrid vacation/WFH arrangement. After getting the RV as mechanically sound as I could, we strapped a 3500W Predator generator to the back (to power the main A/C, engine-driven R12 A/C doesn't work) and took off on Thursday, July 2nd for an RV park in Chattanooga, TN. Friday would be a couple-hour stretch to see family in ATL, stay overnight in their driveway, and finish the 600+ mile leg from ATL to Naples on Saturday, July 4th.

 

 

We departed on Thursday morning. RV was cruising around 65MPH like a champ. I'm quickly getting comfortable with the big guy - affectionately named "Sam" by my kids for the old Good Sam campground sticker on the cabin body, and "Jim" by my wife and I after the P.O...we called him "Samuel James" to keep everyone happy - and as we pass Kings Island my wife tells me "A/C stopped working!". I immediately pull off at Fields Ertel Road, and stop at Home Depot. Mind you, it's 90+ degrees and we have a 7mo-old baby, with a cabin full of people. It's getting hot in hurr...

Go out back and check the generator. Digital display shows "Overload". I shut it off, fire it back up and try to get the A/C going. Every time the A/C tries to start the compressor the generator loads up heavily (nearly dies) and the A/C shuts off for a few seconds. My wife starts calling RV dealers and repair shops around Cincy. It's Thursday before 4th of July...we're politely told by 6 shops that they are booked solid. Sitting in a hot RV in Home Depot parking lot idling, the RV stalls. I fire it up and give it gas, but it won't idle. I start driving around a service road, but come to a stop sign and it dies. My wife and kids are being troopers, but stressed out, I call it and we drive back north towards C'Bus - still hot - to figure out the A/C and stalling.

 

 

God bless CR. Once we get home around 5:30p on Thursday, I post up on CR FB about start/run capacitors and immediately get suggestions. Meanwhile, I stop up at NAPA on 161...they have one carb rebuild kit in stock for the 1975 2bbl Holley. I get a couple of CR bros over to my house to drink White Claws and rebuild the carb late into Thursday night. Wife is happy, but unless I can fix the A/C with parts on Friday, we're going to have to wait until after the 4th for Grainger/Carr Supply to open up for parts.

 

Friday morning, I drive downtown to Carr Supply and realize most shops will be closed today in observance of 4th of July. FB Messenger out to some dudes, and CR bros Duff and a new guy get me all the capacitors the old RV A/C unit has - if I'm on the roof, f**k diagnosing which capacitor is bad, they're ALL getting replaced - I run up to Duff's shop and they are out in a box waiting for me.

 

 

I get home, jump on the roof to install new capacitors, plug the RV into my house and the A/C unit works perfectly. Fire up the Chrysler 360 with the rebuilt carb and we're back in business!

 

 

We pass Kings Island - where we stalled the day before - and the RV's running great, A/C and all. There was a LOT of construction/4th of July traffic around Cincy going south where 71 and 75 merge, but the rebuilt carb idles great, no stalling. I recognize the blessing we had that the A/C and stalling happened on Thursday when it did: close enough to get home and fix it, not leaving us stranded somewhere at the mercy of some repair shop$$$ or worse, without the ability to go anywhere.

 

Friday night, make it to ATL and stay overnight with family. Rested (admittedly I was mentally exhausted from an eventful 24hours Thurs-Fri), we leave Saturday morning for FL.

 

 

The RV drives through GA and FL on 4th of July like a champ. A/C overloads the generator a couple of times in south GA, but it's 93+ degrees and 100% humidity: having ANY A/C from a 1975 unit is a miracle. I average 65MPH and 9.6MPG Quick pull-off and restarting the generator got things going again.

 

We pull into Naples late on Saturday, and catch countless backyard fireworks along the way.

 

 

It was a heck of a 1200-mile adventure, and we're looking forward to making it back to Ohio tomorrow.

 

LESSONS LEARNED:

- It's way cheaper to replace preventative maintenance yourself with tools at home, rather than risk getting stranded on the road. I could only imagine what I would've had to pay some shop to repair a rooftop A/C unit on a 1975 RV.

- CR remains a priceless resource in my life.

- When you get an old RV, you're gonna have to fix stuff. but.... if it's older, the tech is simpler and easier to fix.

- When you get an old RV, your spouse/significant other better be 100% on board with the plan. My wife was bottom-drawer; I couldn't ask for a more understanding and supportive partner after we were stranded for hours with hot-sweaty kids and a baby figuring out what to do.

- I'm a cheap but easygoing guy. However, as a father I was emotionally wiped out after putting my wife/kids through Thursday. The 1.5hour drive back to Columbus had me feeling the most defeated I've experienced in a long time. I've got a wife-approved list of repairs/upgrades to make to the RV to get it running even better and more comfortable.

- RV/Campers, even Airstream 5th-wheels towed by dually diesel trucks, just don't go above 70mph. The 360 in my RV, with the GearVendors OD and long-tube headers, is beefy...but at 3100RPMs+ to go over 70 it just doesn't make sense to spend the gas pushing that brick through the air for 1200 miles. 65MPH is a happy place.

- If you've got a family, the kids will remember RV trips. There's just something unique about rolling down the road together in a living room that bonds people on a long trip.

- Having a working fridge/freezer when it's 90+ degrees on a road trip is amazing. Getting a cold soda and a fresh turkey sandwich while you're driving is a surprising luxury.

Edited July 28, 2020 by zeitgeist57

[gillbot]

Best story on CR right now! Thanks for sharing.

[Gergwheel1647545492]

You are a fucking maniac!!! I would never even consider doing this and you tried it TWICE!!

 

Props to you and I'm super glad you made it down there without any other major issues.

 

Clay, you have balls of steel for attempting to drive this thing to FL

 

[greg1647545532]

Your wife is a fucking legend. I can tell you exactly how that would have gone in my household, and it would have started out with "You are not buying a 45 year old RV."

[2 Sweet]

Awesome

 

Thanks for the story and the pics

[cruizin01]

Thanks for sharing. I think I would have burned the camper down on the side of the road. Props to you for keeping it together.

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Hopefully the trip home is far less exciting.

[zeitgeist57]

Thanks, everyone! I should also mention that the 3” header collectors - which leaked before but I replaced with new gaskets and Ultra Copper RTV sealant - failed within a few hours. In addition to the noise, the radiant heat coming from the floor was pretty intense.

 

 

I had to pay an old-school muffler shop $150 here in Naples to simply cut the collectors and just weld 2.5” pipes to the exhaust. This is a job I could’ve done myself back in C’Bus, but a SMALL PRICE TO PAY TO GET MY HEARING BACK AND NOT SWEAT THROUGH MY OUTERWEAR WHAT I STILL CANT HEAR MY WIFE AND KIDS IN THE BACK

Edited July 28, 2020 by zeitgeist57

[carl1647545492]

We are all getting the feels for RV ing over here bc of the family bonding part.

 

I Dont know if Robin would ever put up with all of the setbacks so kudos to wifey,you will have some good memories there.

[Otis Nice]

"I get a couple of CR bros over to my house to drink White Claws." You're suppose to treat folks who help you better than that.

 

All kidding aside, great story. Glad you decided to stick with it and made it safe. Be safe returning home. Also, that pic at the gas station with the fireworks in the background (didn't notice that when I saw it on IG) is a killer shot.

[cstmg8]

Awesome Clay, I'm glad you guys got the trip in on the second attempt. Much respect to your wife!

Though I'm sure it was mentally daunting, you probably felt a well deserved sense of accomplishment upon completing the voyage.

 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[zeitgeist57]

Completing the drive definitely made me reflect on how our parents and grandparents dealt with long trips. We truly take for granted that cars easily drive well over 100k miles in any weather with comfort, speed, safety, and reliability these days.

 

I remember as a child, i would ride in the backwards facing seat of our family’s Caprice Classic Estate wagon from OH to Long Island, NY many summers in the 1980s to visit extended family. On more than one occasion, it would stall and we’d be stuck at some repair shop in the middle of PA. I also remember the air so hot you could cut it with a knife, and my sweat sticking to the tan vinyl interior. Now, I realize the A/C didn’t work...but that was just what I was used to. I still chew the ice from a fast-food fountain soda, as it was a survival instinct to keep cool from when I was a child. I didn’t know any better!

 

Yes, the RV is old, but making the trip WITHOUT A/C??? That would’ve been an absolute dealbreaker.

[xlr8tn]

Sounds like you're the perfect person/family for that RV....or any RV actually. It takes a certain mindset to see all the challenges as part of the trip. We've had our 5er for 10 years and I had 2 pop ups prior to that. As a family we've camper for most of my kids lives so it's just what we've always done. We had to skip our 10th annual VA beach this year due to covid stuff but went to PA on a river where I keep it all summer. Looking forward to next year when hopefully we can do our beach trip. Hiccups are always part of any trip. You can limit those with good maintenance and a good check list. One thing I haven't seen you mention...or missed it if you did...are condition of the brakes. Imagine you took care of that when wheels were off but if not I'd revisit that. Good luck in your travels and enjoy the experience.

[cstmg8]

After reading this thread, and watching the latest Hot Rod Garage episode with the bagged, LS swapped, Caddy boat of a car. I remembered that....... Clay is my hero. Can't wait for my shop to be finished so I can pick up cheap toys and play.

 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[Trouble Maker]

The blessing of the built in a/c not working and using the separate system is your not sucking half of the power from the RVs engine.

 

Epic story and trip, your family are troopers for sure.

[Aaron]

- RV/Campers, even Airstream 5th-wheels towed by dually diesel trucks, just don't go above 70mph.

 

I think this has more to do with average driver age vs capability.

 

I can assure you my dads 17 duramax with travel trailer can be pulled with zero sweat at its maximum speed (governor).

 

Hell of a trip, pretty cool.

[Trouble Maker]

Clay, ditch that RV and get wait you really want.

https://barnfinds.com/1972-chevrolet-caprice-harmon-shadow-camper/

[zeitgeist57]

Clay, ditch that RV and get wait you really want.

https://barnfinds.com/1972-chevrolet-caprice-harmon-shadow-camper/

 

Wow, I gotta say that is a truly one-of-a-kind setup there. I can smell the mustiness from the pics. Dig it though.

 

Went camping last weekend to Dillon State Park, weather this late summer/fall has been amazing. We’re going to do one more trip in October and then time to winterize and work on some spruce-up projects.

[xlr8tn]

I think this has more to do with average driver age vs capability.

 

I can assure you my dads 17 duramax with travel trailer can be pulled with zero sweat at its maximum speed (governor).

 

Hell of a trip, pretty cool.

 

My old duramax and now cummins have zero problems towing 70+. I never do it though. ST tires are not meant for those speeds (65 max) and ST tires are not known for their dependability. I'm also 50 though so maybe that's it.

[zeitgeist57]

I've got Load-E tires all around, and aside from the inability for me to balance bolting on the dually rear tires they run like a champ. I need to research how to balance the tires...they don't use a bolt-centric ring, and only a small dowel to align both wheels. I heard online that guys use 2 acorn-style lug nuts, torque the inner wheel to seat it, then put the outer wheel on, using the acorns to seat that before torquing it all down with the flat factory lug nuts.

 

We have neighbors two houses down that bought a 2018 Forest River trailer from RCD used, shortly after we got our RV. Their first trip to Tennessee, on the way home a China-Bomb tire on the trailer blew up, sending tread through the wheel well, damaging the siding, floor, and sending the furnace into the cabin. The guy swapped the tire with a spare, and the SPARE BLEW outside of Stringtown Road on I-71. The insurance company almost totaled the 2-year old trailer, over a cheap tire.

 

Tires Matter.