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jdunton

North Carolina

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Posted: 05/31/12 11:56am

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Looking for the good, the bad and the ugly and buying a 1978 Dodge Xplorer. Driving cross country with my 4 dogs.

How's the gas mileage?
Will it be hard to get the AC fixed?

Rebuilt 360 motor.

First RV...

Thanks for any insight...

SkipJ

Michigan

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Posted: 05/31/12 12:24pm

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Roof A/C or van?
SkipJ

1992 Airstream B-190 van
1989 Airstream 25' Excella Trailer
Outfitter Apex 9.5 Truck Camper Ford F-350 Diesel 4x4

robsouth

Near Atlanta, GA

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Posted: 05/31/12 12:57pm

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Unless it is nearly free, I would think twice about buying a vehicle that old. Are you a good mechanic? You might inherit any number of mechanical problems that will expensive to repair unless you can do it yourself. Good luck!

"Sometimes I just sit and think. Sometimes I just sit." "Great minds like a think."

1995brave

San Antonio, TX

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Posted: 05/31/12 02:26pm

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A 1978 with a 360, you may be able to get 10-12 mpg out of it if you keep your foot off the gas. Trying to keep up with modern highway speeds (70-75) you will be lucky to get 7-8 mpg.

jdunton

North Carolina

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Posted: 05/31/12 02:37pm

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Posted By: SkipJ on 05/31/12 02:24pm

Roof A/C or van?
SkipJ

It has the roof A/C.

jdunton

North Carolina

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Posted: 05/31/12 02:40pm

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SkipJ, The A/C that's not working though is the van A/C...(I think I misunderstood your question).

GizmosMom

Central Texas

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Posted: 05/31/12 02:53pm

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We have a 2000 Xplorer on a Dodge 360 and in the city with stop and go, stop and go, I only get about 8 mpg. On the highways we get about 12-13 mpg but we take the state roads when we can, not the interstates. We never go beyond 65 mph and it is usually 62 mph which is comfortable for us. Those numbers are when we are not towing the boat...then it goes down to 8 mpg again and with the dash AC running, maybe 7 mph.

We only have about 82,000 miles on it and our mechanic says that the engine should last another 100,000 miles.

No sure how much the dash AC would be to fix.

There are other systems that you may want to have checked out, too: Tanks, propane, water, etc.

Good Luck!

Marilyn w/ Joe, 2000 Xplorer Class B van, usually pulling a Ranger bass boat.
Smudge, (in photo) a Shih Tzu/Yorkie Mix and Gizmo is waiting at the Rainbow Bridge

stevelv

Living on the island

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Posted: 05/31/12 05:27pm

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The AC system will probably be R12 which you can find on Craiglist but is very expensive. Best to convert to R134 which means every O ring needs to be changed, a new receiver/dryer and each part needs to be flushed. Assuming that there are no major faults with the compressor, evaporator or condenser then you are looking at around $600-$800 - a rebuilt compressor would be another $300, an Evaporator is $200 and expensive to install usually and a Condenser another $200. Pipework would be $150-$200 if required.

A failed engine AC can be enough to make an old car/van worthless unless you are handy enough to be able to fix yourself.

Handbasket

Asheville, NC

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Posted: 05/31/12 06:13pm

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RV's that age are best owned by either good, patient general DIY fixer-uppers, or folks with pretty deep pockets.

But if you're inclined to get into it, be sure to read the FAQ's here on the B forum about buying used first.

Jim, "The buck doesn't even slow down here."

'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison (aka 'Loafer's Glory') www.tigervehicles.com

Buzz-ette

Oregon

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Posted: 05/31/12 10:36pm

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I have a 1980 Xplorer. Last trip I got 15 MPG traveling from Southern Oregon to Puget Sound (Washington State). I cannot keep up with the 70-75 MPH traffic. I don't try to. I go 55-60 and stay in the slow lane. If traffic gets heavy, I pull off the interstate. My Xplorer drives like a 1980 vehicle. The steering seems loose, but has been checked and operates the way it was designed. I do have a suggestion by a fellow RVer on how to improve that. I'm not a mechanic, so when something goes wrong I have to pay a mechanic to fix it. I love the old girl, though.

1980 Dodge Xplorer
Pixie Honeybun (Rat Terrier) and Itsa (kitty)