Dodge did have a 1ton van in the 70’s. I seen them before. They came as campers and as normal van. Very cool van. I would put a custom box on it. And daily drive it. Great video
Are people generally OK with opening/accessing their vehicles like that? I understand that you're doing no harm and mean well - just wondering how people usually react to you being so forward with investigating their cars.
If it's unlocked and clearly not being actively used I'll usually open the door for a quick peek. If its locked or it looks like it's being driven then I admire without messing with it.
I was at a local car show(UK) and there was a couple eastern European guys opening car doors, sitting in them and opening hoods of 1920-30's Bentleys . They were doing so perfectly innocently and clearly were just car enthusiasts from a place where that was normal etiquette. I wonder how owners of the £250000+ cars would have reacted if they had seen them. In saying that I have seen people do such things at cars shows in Europe, but maybe not with such expensive cars. I like the idea of living in a place where everyone could trust everyone, but I wouldn't feel that way where i'm from.
I have a 1977 440 Dodge Sportsman van Class C 3 axle motorhome that I'm going to rip all the motorhome off and build a super long hot dog man out of two vans. One van will be from the front bumper back to the drive axle and I'll have to get a second van to create the extension over the tag axle
I worked at a Dodge dealer in mid and late 70s. That truck is a box truck chassis sometimes referred to as a cutaway van and the engine is a big block, 400 or 440, you can easily tell by the front mounted distributor.
I know a guy that did the same thing,shortened the body added an airbag axle, the back door opened and had a fithwheel plate for hauling his fifth wheel camper,he live in Kettle River Mn
cool old van. I'd get it just to scare the everyone. Wanted to thank You for the video about the mercedes fan resistor replacement. Sure enough my local guy quoted $1000 us dollars to fix it. I watched your video ordered the parts and fixed it myself. I got the exact replacement part for $65 (hella/behr) and the cabin air filters for $6 apiece (need) altold $100 shipping and tax included. Oh and got to use my torx screwdriver to boot. Your doing the lord's work sir. Thanks
Pretty cool rig.. it would be nice to see it restored. looks to be a 440 pretty sure the 360 had the distributor on the rear of the motor. cool video thanks for sharing 🍻
my principal in high school had one of these (circa 98-99) and it was the same but i think it was a newer model either 80;s or early 90's. all the kids called it a vruck van-truck. way better shape then this one and complete. looked like a fresh paint job. i thought it came from the factory like that till you showed this one. no idea what the inside looked like but it had a truck bed on it. it could of been a chevy but its been way to long. sadly i dont have a picture of it. just remember someone had put like 3 vehicles together into one but was done professionally/ hugs and love :D
After giving up hope on finding a video on one of these tonight I finally found a video I have searched for many years for ideas on how my 76 Ford motor home would look like if I done except with working back doors
Emmanuel Guevara I say go for it. You could take the motor home portion of the vehicle off and put at least a portion of an Econoline van and maybe have a truck bed. Make it similar to a Cabriolet conversion.
I've had the entire motor home portion torn down for a couple yrs now leaving cab alone just haven't been sure how I would mount the back end of a ecoline to that while leaving the back doors working and useable while making a dump bed at the rest of the back end
That does look like it was a smallish RV Motorhome. The title did mention 440 though, that would definitely make it a Motorhome chassis cab. Seeing as how Dodge Vans as far as I know never had 440’s in them. Because an x brother-in-law had a Dodge 3500 Van he bought new in 1977. He bought it to convert into what most folks were back then, a Van Camper Love Wagon! It was a plain Jane HD SRW Van in long wheelbase. When he was looking for a new van he drove every one he could. He wanted a Chevy Van, but could not find exactly what he wanted and they were more popular and expensive, just like a Ford Econoline. But when he drove the Dodge he ended up with? He bought it right on the spot. The Van was an amazing drive! That came with all the HD suspension and coolers, along with towing package, but the best was the honking 360 Magnum 4 brl Dual Exhaust with HD automatic transmission and 3:92 Limited slip rear differential. I remember driving that van! That it could light up both rear tires with ease and tow the families heavy wooden boat like it wasn’t there! But that’s the biggest engine available in the Dodge van in 1977!
Its on google street view parked in the same spot from 2018, it was a old camper. The street view picture looks even stranger they cut only half of the camper body and had a aluminum flatbed on it.
I built one that was a 67 Chevy cab. Seafoam Green. Made it into a car hauler with a 3/16 2×3 tubing with heavy expanded metal bed at an incline. It's out in Hillsboro now in his driveway for sale. Sharp rig. Needs some work. Mostly from just sitting a number of years.
It's pretty good, it may just need a new body, chassis, engine, suspension, gearbox, electrics and an interior wouldn't go amiss. Other than that, A1 vehicle. Almost as good as something that has been submerged for a year.
Yes its a class C motor home. The flatbed as you say is the original metal floor of the van. They would ship the van cab and floor to the manafactures with no bodies.
Late 70s I have a 80 and dude isn't that just awesome. It looks like the motor home it would have midas on it if it was but the sportsman badge probably means it was.
That's a big block mopar, probably a 400 or 440. The small block mopar engines had the distributor in the rear just like a chevy. That thing is pretty wild! Would make a cool hauler. The real question is, will it actually do 100 mph as the speedometer says haha
I had a 77 and wanted to turn it like that Van but was told it wouldn't work because of its Bowl shaped sides and then discarding the idea and now after seeing this I still wish I still had my 77 dodge Van!. The van is a 76
P.S. Google the Centurion. It was a Ford based tow vehicle that was van based, very popular amongst the horse and rodeo contestant crowds in the 1980's and 1990's. It had a sleeping/passenger space behind the cab, and either a Ford F-series pickup bed (the doolie version of course) or a custom flat deck optimized for towing fifth wheel horse or travel trailers! Centurion later progressed to making stretched limousines out of Ford Excursions...
mopar couldn't get carter 4bbl carbs in the mid 80's, used the spread-bore Rochester. (originally this came w/a big 2bbl, manifold been swapped out along the way) & the HD 3 had a little better power and c.r. than a car spec 360.
He talked to the owners son in law . I just assumed he asked permission to check it out. I didn't even think twice about it, but that is the way the internet works.So easy to judge from behind a keyboard.Ford had the same idea some years ago that RV res loved. I would like to find one to haul my toy hauler .
In Europe you could get these vans as a cab and chassis on varouse cab sizes and even coach built bodies over the engine cowl. Looks for Dodge 50 series and also many were only Perkins diesle powered .
That be cool take them back doors off the back of that thing weld some sheet metal Over the Hole shorten that frame and put a put a truck bed on it make a pickup truck out of it that make a pretty awesome pick up
Trim's too nice for a work truck. Was definitely an RV chassis for a Class C motorhome. Chrysler/Dodge owned 90% of the market for RV chassis in the 1970's (including manufacturing Class A chassis for companies such as Winnebago)
Toussantlbisso I’ve seen the Econoline conversions where it had 1/2 to 2/3 of the van with a truck bed for fifth wheel hauling. Assuming they used a cutaway cab from the factory and used other Econoline vans as donors.
If i had a rough van that i wanted to turn into a truck i would have done the same just with cab corner sections that way it looks a bight more like an actual cab yet it still looks great.
He said 360. That's a 440 big block. The distributor was in the back of the engine on the 318 and 360 small blovks and the 440s had them in the front as well as 383 and 400. On the 440 the coil was mounted under the air cleaner on the front of the intake where on the other Chrysler Big Blocks the coil was mounted to the left of the distributor in the front of the engine on the driver side. The coil is the give away on it being a 440.
That's a big block motor. 383, 400, or 440. I know because the distributor is in the front. Also known as a B motor. The LA series small blocks started in 1967 were 273, 318, 340 and 360. Distributor was in back. Sometimes called A motors. Also I do agree it ain't cool to open up any vehicle that dose not belong to you without owners permission. Now if it's on a lot or public land, has a for sale sign and is unlocked then it's fair game. No disrespect intended, just common sense. I am from the south where we are raised to always be respectful of other people's belongings. Again no disrespect implied or intended.
I can't believe no one commented about the button tuck work inside the vehicle, with a 1/4" of bondo on the outside, wouldn't you paint it before you started on the interior? I like how he decided he only needed 4 lug nuts per wheel, I guess it's OK since there's no load, but personally if the studs are there, I'd put nuts on them.
If i had the means fix it up i would make a living quarters in the back half and use the bed for like a hot shot rig i would be one of a kind definitely a head turner (needs a cummins though )😎
Make sure there's no rust under he bondo and finish it up nice, make up some more of the side trim for the rear. Paint it in true vanner fashion. The interior is diamond tuft, not tuck n roll.
I've seen a handful of those actually done by some factory conversion 80's ford and dodges with like a truck bed setup for 5th wheel.. .probably a race tow vehicle
Trucker Daddy - AKA John in Québec you are correct. I believe 78 was a transition year with the front being similar to 71-77, aside from revised side markers, to the rear setup 78-93 since I believe 79 was the first year of the wraparound grill.
Please learn the difference between a big block Mopar and small block. This is obviously a big block, not a small block 360. This could have a 440 (RB), being that the last 440 was offered up to 1978. It could also be a 400 (B), which were more common in the mid to late 70s.
The floor in the rear is still there it is some type of dully van or a camper, i think it's more likely to be a camper that some bored weird guy decided to cut in half, it looks useless looks like no one fits and nothing can be carried on the back too, if I had one of those old camper vans I'd fix it the way it was and use it for road trips
This is really too old to be useful for anything. However, this type of concept should be applied to modern day cutaways and fitted with a gooseneck hitch. Something like that to me would be more practical for towing LTL loads for hotshot trucking than a dually pickup truck. . That way you could build a DOT accessible sleeper into the back of it, as you really can't do that to effectively with a pickup truck.
My wife would be thrilled if I brought this home and parked it in our driveway
Gary Vallone “thrilled”
Would love to see the look on her face. Oh yeah! 🤣
i genuinely laughed hard
Dodge did have a 1ton van in the 70’s. I seen them before. They came as campers and as normal van. Very cool van. I would put a custom box on it. And daily drive it. Great video
My brother had a one ton box van so I don't really know
My daddy had a 1 ton van in the 70's , V8 and a 4 speed, powerhouse, but terrible brakes
The box van is called a dodge karyvan I believe
My parents had a 77 Dodge Tioga motor home when I was in my teens.
The steering wheel is a sign of a motor home chassis as well as the rear axle. The vans had slightly different ones
Yes this was definitely a Walter white starter rv.....
Agree with Stuart Woody -- that's a big block, not a 318 or 360!
Love cars with a story. I used to have a truck called the Phoenix that once lit up. I have an old reservation runner as well.
Something tells me a CDL got taken away so he went out and made his own rig with sleeper cab.
Are people generally OK with opening/accessing their vehicles like that? I understand that you're doing no harm and mean well - just wondering how people usually react to you being so forward with investigating their cars.
That was what I was thinking
It's for sale. Nobody cares.
@@Mekhanic1 Pretty sure the owner's son said it was not for sale and would be brought back into the shop soon for more work.
If it's unlocked and clearly not being actively used I'll usually open the door for a quick peek. If its locked or it looks like it's being driven then I admire without messing with it.
I was at a local car show(UK) and there was a couple eastern European guys opening car doors, sitting in them and opening hoods of 1920-30's Bentleys . They were doing so perfectly innocently and clearly were just car enthusiasts from a place where that was normal etiquette. I wonder how owners of the £250000+ cars would have reacted if they had seen them.
In saying that I have seen people do such things at cars shows in Europe, but maybe not with such expensive cars. I like the idea of living in a place where everyone could trust everyone, but I wouldn't feel that way where i'm from.
I've built 2 of them on motor home frames in California . One was a guttless 360 dodge and a ford 460 that would pull anything .
I have a 460 in my Mallard motorhome, the thing is suprisingly quick.
I have a 1977 440 Dodge Sportsman van Class C 3 axle motorhome that I'm going to rip all the motorhome off and build a super long hot dog man out of two vans. One van will be from the front bumper back to the drive axle and I'll have to get a second van to create the extension over the tag axle
I worked at a Dodge dealer in mid and late 70s. That truck is a box truck chassis sometimes referred to as a cutaway van and the engine is a big block, 400 or 440, you can easily tell by the front mounted distributor.
I know a guy that did the same thing,shortened the body added an airbag axle, the back door opened and had a fithwheel plate for hauling his fifth wheel camper,he live in Kettle River Mn
cool old van. I'd get it just to scare the everyone. Wanted to thank You for the video about the mercedes fan resistor replacement. Sure enough my local guy quoted $1000 us dollars to fix it. I watched your video ordered the parts and fixed it myself. I got the exact replacement part for $65 (hella/behr) and the cabin air filters for $6 apiece (need) altold $100 shipping and tax included. Oh and got to use my torx screwdriver to boot. Your doing the lord's work sir. Thanks
I’ve seen some Ford vans done like that, never seen a Dodge one before. Interesting.
That’s how I always thought would be the best way to make a old rv into a truck
Not a fan of vans, but that’s awesome. Put a decent flatbed on it... maybe a ginpole and a big winch... primo automovantruck! Nice find!
Pure HILLBILLY!!!! I love it !!!
Pretty cool rig.. it would be nice to see it restored. looks to be a 440 pretty sure the 360 had the distributor on the rear of the motor. cool video thanks for sharing 🍻
my principal in high school had one of these (circa 98-99) and it was the same but i think it was a newer model either 80;s or early 90's. all the kids called it a vruck van-truck. way better shape then this one and complete. looked like a fresh paint job. i thought it came from the factory like that till you showed this one. no idea what the inside looked like but it had a truck bed on it. it could of been a chevy but its been way to long. sadly i dont have a picture of it. just remember someone had put like 3 vehicles together into one but was done professionally/ hugs and love :D
After giving up hope on finding a video on one of these tonight I finally found a video I have searched for many years for ideas on how my 76 Ford motor home would look like if I done except with working back doors
Emmanuel Guevara I say go for it. You could take the motor home portion of the vehicle off and put at least a portion of an Econoline van and maybe have a truck bed. Make it similar to a Cabriolet conversion.
I've had the entire motor home portion torn down for a couple yrs now leaving cab alone just haven't been sure how I would mount the back end of a ecoline to that while leaving the back doors working and useable while making a dump bed at the rest of the back end
That does look like it was a smallish RV Motorhome. The title did mention 440 though, that would definitely make it a Motorhome chassis cab. Seeing as how Dodge Vans as far as I know never had 440’s in them. Because an x brother-in-law had a Dodge 3500 Van he bought new in 1977. He bought it to convert into what most folks were back then, a Van Camper Love Wagon! It was a plain Jane HD SRW Van in long wheelbase. When he was looking for a new van he drove every one he could. He wanted a Chevy Van, but could not find exactly what he wanted and they were more popular and expensive, just like a Ford Econoline. But when he drove the Dodge he ended up with? He bought it right on the spot. The Van was an amazing drive! That came with all the HD suspension and coolers, along with towing package, but the best was the honking 360 Magnum 4 brl Dual Exhaust with HD automatic transmission and 3:92 Limited slip rear differential. I remember driving that van! That it could light up both rear tires with ease and tow the families heavy wooden boat like it wasn’t there! But that’s the biggest engine available in the Dodge van in 1977!
Its on google street view parked in the same spot from 2018, it was a old camper. The street view picture looks even stranger they cut only half of the camper body and had a aluminum flatbed on it.
I built one that was a 67 Chevy cab. Seafoam Green. Made it into a car hauler with a 3/16 2×3 tubing with heavy expanded metal bed at an incline. It's out in Hillsboro now in his driveway for sale. Sharp rig. Needs some work. Mostly from just sitting a number of years.
Cool. Years ago I cobbled together a ford van in a similar fashion
Yup, that's exactly what you need. Spend the rest of your days figuring what it's good for.
It's pretty good, it may just need a new body, chassis, engine, suspension, gearbox, electrics and an interior wouldn't go amiss.
Other than that, A1 vehicle. Almost as good as something that has been submerged for a year.
That would be a good dirtbike hauler.
77 B300 van had the 360 and eight Lug axles and same dashboard steering wheel. Was a work horse pulling Beast.
If the vans a rocking, don't come knocking.
Lots of potential here.
Yes its a class C motor home. The flatbed as you say is the original metal floor of the van. They would ship the van cab and floor to the manafactures with no bodies.
Late 70s I have a 80 and dude isn't that just awesome. It looks like the motor home it would have midas on it if it was but the sportsman badge probably means it was.
That is bad ass,that is a awesome catch.i would jump on that
A buddy of mine had a 1985 Dodge D30 dually truck with a 360cid V8 and a Rochester Quadrajet 4bbl carb plus a 4 soeed manual trans.
That's a big block mopar, probably a 400 or 440. The small block mopar engines had the distributor in the rear just like a chevy. That thing is pretty wild! Would make a cool hauler. The real question is, will it actually do 100 mph as the speedometer says haha
With so little chassis and the right gears I'm sure that big motor would have no problem
Maybe it can do 135 but you wouldn't want to.
@@markg7030 Hah! No doubt!
I had a 77 and wanted to turn it like that Van but was told it wouldn't work because of its Bowl shaped sides and then discarding the idea and now after seeing this I still wish I still had my 77 dodge Van!.
The van is a 76
P.S. Google the Centurion. It was a Ford based tow vehicle that was van based, very popular amongst the horse and rodeo contestant crowds in the 1980's and 1990's. It had a sleeping/passenger space behind the cab, and either a Ford F-series pickup bed (the doolie version of course) or a custom flat deck optimized for towing fifth wheel horse or travel trailers! Centurion later progressed to making stretched limousines out of Ford Excursions...
I like it, most likely look better when all dolled up.
Can’t get more custom than that!
nice video i love it the old doge van 2 stroketurbo
mopar couldn't get carter 4bbl carbs in the mid 80's, used the spread-bore Rochester.
(originally this came w/a big 2bbl, manifold been swapped out along the way)
& the HD 3 had a little better power and c.r. than a car spec 360.
oryray amenay I have a box of old Q jets that were manufactured by Carter under license
He talked to the owners son in law . I just assumed he asked permission to check it out. I didn't even think twice about it, but that is the way the internet works.So easy to judge from behind a keyboard.Ford had the same idea some years ago that RV res loved. I would like to find one to haul my toy hauler .
It is a big block mopar. The distibutor is in the front of the motor.
In Europe you could get these vans as a cab and chassis on varouse cab sizes and even coach built bodies over the engine cowl. Looks for Dodge 50 series and also many were only Perkins diesle powered .
That be cool take them back doors off the back of that thing weld some sheet metal Over the Hole shorten that frame and put a put a truck bed on it make a pickup truck out of it that make a pretty awesome pick up
Not enough cab-over-engine trucks around, those are mint
May have been a box van. They were often built on the heavier Chassis.
Trim's too nice for a work truck. Was definitely an RV chassis for a Class C motorhome. Chrysler/Dodge owned 90% of the market for RV chassis in the 1970's (including manufacturing Class A chassis for companies such as Winnebago)
that's a cool put-together vehicle
Reminds me of the Economack ! Nice concept w cool motor !
Toussantlbisso I’ve seen the Econoline conversions where it had 1/2 to 2/3 of the van with a truck bed for fifth wheel hauling. Assuming they used a cutaway cab from the factory and used other Econoline vans as donors.
It was a cube van with a box in the back. I did the same with a Chevy years ago.
Dodge van with flat bed is great.
DETROIT!!!
Diamond in the rough. Lol. Pretty cool though.
Looks like a 1 ton van with that floor for a flat bed.
brilliant idea who would have ever thought of anything like that ?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16
Beautiful van, greeting from Argentina!!!...
Awesome video
If i had a rough van that i wanted to turn into a truck i would have done the same just with cab corner sections that way it looks a bight more like an actual cab yet it still looks great.
How can someone dislike a video like this :( , nice video
He said 360. That's a 440 big block. The distributor was in the back of the engine on the 318 and 360 small blovks and the 440s had them in the front as well as 383 and 400. On the 440 the coil was mounted under the air cleaner on the front of the intake where on the other Chrysler Big Blocks the coil was mounted to the left of the distributor in the front of the engine on the driver side. The coil is the give away on it being a 440.
That is pretty cool.
😂SALUDOS DESDE DALLAS TX
BRO ✌
used to be a guy in placentia calif who would do custom chop.pick up conversion smooth out looked factory
Would make a cool pick up truck project
Thats cool. I like that.
Extend the frame a little. Put a longer bed with a dove tail add a tire rack and you've got a decent car hauler with somewhere to sleep at the track.
That's a big block motor. 383, 400, or 440. I know because the distributor is in the front. Also known as a B motor. The LA series small blocks started in 1967 were 273, 318, 340 and 360. Distributor was in back. Sometimes called A motors. Also I do agree it ain't cool to open up any vehicle that dose not belong to you without owners permission. Now if it's on a lot or public land, has a for sale sign and is unlocked then it's fair game. No disrespect intended, just common sense. I am from the south where we are raised to always be respectful of other people's belongings. Again no disrespect implied or intended.
Short trip to the back of the bus!
Super cool! Loved it!
That's a big block, 383,400 or a 440. The distributor is in the front
Nice thats dually
Thats a 440 in it. WOW , only 68,000 miles on it !
Motorhome miles are like 3:1 or more of a normal vehicle.
50-70k and they can be pretty clapped out by then.
That could have spun over once or twice. Note that it's only a 5 digit odometer
@@isaakwelch3451
If that was an RV,sure you could have rolled the odo a few times and probably rebuilt it more than a few times too.
I can't believe no one commented about the button tuck work inside the vehicle, with a 1/4" of bondo on the outside, wouldn't you paint it before you started on the interior?
I like how he decided he only needed 4 lug nuts per wheel, I guess it's OK since there's no load, but personally if the studs are there, I'd put nuts on them.
Just in time for Halloween. A frankenvan!
If i had the means fix it up i would make a living quarters in the back half and use the bed for like a hot shot rig i would be one of a kind definitely a head turner (needs a cummins though )😎
Loved this one !!!!
Make sure there's no rust under he bondo and finish it up nice, make up some more of the side trim for the rear. Paint it in true vanner fashion. The interior is diamond tuft, not tuck n roll.
What a beauty.!!!😺
Very nice
Slap a sleeper berth and a 5th wheel for a gooseneck hauler!
We have vans like this in europe photos.app.goo.gl/s4cxxZoBiyEL5HJW7 they can cary 4.7 tons
Just like the Ford Econoline Cabriolet conversions done in the 80s.
That dash was for a camper, certainly not for a box truck. My windows in back did not open.
distributor in the front, not a 360
Someone finish the van out. It has potential
well-would you just LOOK at THAT?
Газель по американски! 👍
440 big block.
I've seen a handful of those actually done by some factory conversion 80's ford and dodges with like a truck bed setup for 5th wheel..
.probably a race tow vehicle
Trent Robey I’ve seen a handful of Ford’s that had that done.
Old Dusty. Cars in NH sold custom vans
I wouldn't open the door and look around that be considered trespassing at least that's the law where I live but it is an interesting project
You should get it
The back might be a 77. I had a 77. I think in 78 they had vertical taillights.
Sportsman was camper. Tradesman was a van.
Trucker Daddy - AKA John in Québec you are correct. I believe 78 was a transition year with the front being similar to 71-77, aside from revised side markers, to the rear setup 78-93 since I believe 79 was the first year of the wraparound grill.
Mob tvv was here from LA ? Mr Goldman da rapper
Reminds me somehow a beefed-up Renault Trafic Rodeo
Awesome if it was cleaned out a bit
Hola está bien el proyecto
Please learn the difference between a big block Mopar and small block. This is obviously a big block, not a small block 360. This could have a 440 (RB), being that the last 440 was offered up to 1978. It could also be a 400 (B), which were more common in the mid to late 70s.
The floor in the rear is still there it is some type of dully van or a camper, i think it's more likely to be a camper that some bored weird guy decided to cut in half, it looks useless looks like no one fits and nothing can be carried on the back too, if I had one of those old camper vans I'd fix it the way it was and use it for road trips
I have a 88 Ford 460 been thinking how to do it it was a canper
Cool
Offer candy out of it
Cmon now.
obvisouly an old box van chassis with the box removed and the back of another van was stuck there
Alain Bourassa for sure
If it were a motor home the roof of the cab would have a cutout
Just Traveling I think it depends on the company who manufactured the motor home portion of the vehicle.
This is hilarious 😂
Отлично👍
Big blocks are front distributor
This is really too old to be useful for anything. However, this type of concept should be applied to modern day cutaways and fitted with a gooseneck hitch. Something like that to me would be more practical for towing LTL loads for hotshot trucking than a dually pickup truck. . That way you could build a DOT accessible sleeper into the back of it, as you really can't do that to effectively with a pickup truck.