Nick's 52 Chevy COE build

Willowbilly3 said:

I don't think that Chevy has a real frame. Same with the Dodge class C, only the Ford. You have to look toward a class A motorhome or the P chassis like the delivery. for a separate chassis.

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The guy with the van got back to me. It has a SBC. Not what I'm looking for. I can wait to find a van, box truck or motorhome with a 454. I really need the goods with the 454. The motor I have has nothing since it came out of a drag car. I know I can find it all at a yard but I won't need to if I get the right donor rig.

Willowbilly3 said:

I don't think that Chevy has a real frame. Same with the Dodge class C, only the Ford. You have to look toward a class A motorhome or the P chassis like the delivery. for a separate chassis.

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Why wouldn't it have a real frame? The other guy that recommended I use a van used a GMC Vandura 3500 on his COE

Chevy and GMC 3500 have a unibody frame. My Dad and I built a custom fifth wheeler hauler out of a 1988. The frame is welded to the floor pan.

I would suggest a old Winnebago also. The one I plan on using in my Coe was gave to me and has a running 440 in it. With a little tinkering we drove it home.

21willys said:

I would suggest a old Winnebago also. The one I plan on using in my Coe was gave to me and has a running 440 in it. With a little tinkering we drove it home.

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I've been knee deep in CL looking for Class A motorhomes in Southern Missouri, Arkansas and Eastern Kansas. I'm not buying some rusted out junk from up north where I live. Funny though that One of the Winnebago factories is about twenty miles from my house and the Home of Winnebago is forty miles.

this is going to be cool!

Don't rule out a class C motorhome. They are basically a 1 ton van with the back of the cab cut away.

Not sure if anyone here gets to go to PRI. This gem was my favorite.

pics of my BBC. 12.95:1 compression. Will be interesting tuning it to run on E85.

Bamamav said:

Don't rule out a class C motorhome. They are basically a 1 ton van with the back of the cab cut away.

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Class C Dodge and Chevys are unibody.

Willowbilly3 said:

Class C Dodge and Chevys are unibody.

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All of them? I was thinking the 80's back had a frame. Have seen a lot of 70's and 80's class C Chevys and Dodges, so they had to have a frame.

No, they really don't. I spent a lot of time under those things trying to weld them back together. Any thing that resembled a frame ended at the rear spring hangers and a lot of them just buckled right there if they had too much rear overhang. The chassis were delivered to the coach maker with a floorpan because all the torque boxes are welded to it. I'm not sure on the newer stuff, this is 80s stuff I am familiar with.

Been busy over the Holidays. We spent a week in San Diego on vacation. My youngest and I have been deer hunting as well. Just waiting for the big feller to get in range.

Did score some 500 lb casters from Amazon. I'll start building a cab cart next week.

nick50471 said:

Did score some 500 lb casters from Amazon. I'll start building a cab cart next week.

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San Diego is my neck of the woods, hope you had a good trip.

NickFish said:

San Diego is my neck of the woods, hope you had a good trip.

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I lived in SD in the early 90's in the USN. Lots has changed. Still a very nice place.

Cab cart.

Hey Nick.
You will be surprised how light the cab is. I was prepared for mine to be heavy but it wasn't. I lifted mine with my motor hoist.

I have a friend building a chevy cabover like yours. He is using a 1994 GMC cube van for a donor. It IS a unibody....NO FRAME! Thought you would want to know.

Lynn

So I took a little break from work and designed up a quick cab cart.

Using 2"x2"x 1/4" angle and 2"x4"x 3/16" tube. 6' wide x 10' long. length and width will be adjusted once I get to measure the cab mounts.

Steel $102.20
Casters $94.67
Hardware $10.00