Hey Carlos, what a nice coach.. I have always loved the lines on on the Barth class C. Is is so classic, as well as the floor plan is extraordinary for this size coach.

For the rear end, you can look at air bags but I would first look at a set of helper springs.



Price for you coach is around $200. and they are adjustable. And they don't have to be pumped up.

Helwig Website

Fuel economy on cars '71-'74 was generally atrocious, although trucks, less so, generally because spark was so much retarded that fuel economy hit the toilet.

My '89 SOB with the 5.7L GM got 8 mpg when I got it. New Bosch platinum plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor improved it some. So did replacing the thermostat with one that worked properly; the engine was running too cold. The EGR valve on mine had broken free of its housing and was replaced, but it's a good idea to remove and decarbon that even if it's intact.

A reman carb jumped it up considerably, but the main improvement to 9+ (sometimes 10) mpg was to fiddle with the timing...this shouldn't be done by someone inexperienced, as timing should be advanced to where incipient knock is detected under load, then backed off 2 degrees, but an old-school mechanic (usually has the name "Red" or "Slim" on his shirt) can do it in an hour or so.

Emissions, BTW, improved with the timing adjustment.

Anyway, all fluid should be changed (don't forget the differential), and the cooling system, as has been mentioned, needs a thorough flushing; replace with distilled water mixed with the anti-freeze. The fan clutch is probably deceased.

Hi all I too have a class C and I love mine. I had a water leak that we couldn't find, but now it is all fixed and my baby Barth can go camping with depends ( diapers ) I too have done some new stuff since I used to post. when they found my water leak it was my tank so had to replace that and to do that they had to take out my fridge so I bought a new one. My oven didn't work so I had the stove/ oven taken out and slid in a stove top and had my microwave built in where the oven was. I had a coppression check and my moter is good I to had all the belts replaced and a full tune up and other motor stuff done . I also had new springs put on the front.Jack you were asking how to shine it up my sidekick Taylor ( grandson) for mothers day has part of mine done and you can see yourself like an airstrem. It is hard to do he used mothers wax for wheels. Oh yes and now he has his drivers permit. We went on a 5 day trip last week to Eastern Wa. via the columbia gorge. I barley got to drive. This has been such a love affair with the baby Barth for both of us !!! I talked to a interior designer today and she is going to help with the inside. I want to put laminate or wood flooring in it, does anyone know anyone who has done that? Carlos sure would like to find the fabric on your seats! It is great to be back Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by ryegal:
It is great to be back

Welcome back Ryegal. I was thinking (to myself) the other day about several people who use to post and your name popped in. Glad to hear that everything worked out on your repairs.

That grandson of your will have some great memories. Have fun and be safe.

Bill N.Y.

Thanks Bill great to be back! I work at a very fine elegant retirement community and Taylor has worked there with me for 7 yrs. The people love him one asked is your grandma a good cook? he said I don't know but she knows of real nice hotels and campgrounds. My 3 grand kids will never think of my cooking ( which I make a mean hot dog on my stick)but they will always remember "our trips "
3 yrs ago I took all 3 to Ireland we have been to Canada, the rockies and to the ocean. Guess I would be happy being remembered that way.

Hey Ryegal, I was afraid you'd dropped off the end of the world. Welcome back, & I'm glad to hear you still have the love affair with your coach.

Re: Laminate - I put laminate in the bathroom of my Barth shortly after I bought it. I used some lower-priced laminate from Home Depot that had its own foam backing. The hardest part was cutting & fitting around the toilet. A minor disadvantage for the bathroom was the need to seal the seams. No big problem with purpose-designed liquid sealant, but a little tedious.

Last year, I installed laminate in our dining room, kitchen & den at home. This time I used a product from Costco that requires a separate foam backing that comes in a roll.

Both products snap together as they're installed. There's little difference between them in the difficulty of installation, but IMHO, the self-backed stuff is best for a motor home.

Costco's roll-type backing is slick, designed to allow the floor to slip as it expands & contracts with heat & cold. I think in a motor home a panic stop or a collision could turn the floor into a pile of missiles.

The foam backing attached to the kind I used in the Barth isn't slick, it's firmly adhered to the individual planks, & I think could be glued to the floor around the perimeter.

Another alternative I didn't consider for either job is some foot square wood parquet Home Depot had. It was less expensive than any of the laminates, & in retrospect it would have been easier to install in the bathroom because of all the cutting & fitting necessary.

Measure your floor, clasp your pocketbok tightly, & take a tour through the flooring departments at both Home Depot & Lowes. You might find something you can both afford to buy, & can't live without, & it might be some other product entirely.

Good luck, & keep having fun.

quote:

Originally posted by olroy:
Another alternative I didn't consider for either job is some foot square wood parquet Home Depot had. It was less expensive than any of the laminates, & in retrospect it would have been easier to install in the bathroom because of all the cutting & fitting necessary.

How would it stand up to the bathroom moisture, dripping and splashing.

Hi Thanks for the information and I will check it all out. Another queston is I'm going to re-do my breakfast nook ans sofa. My cushions are good should I keep them? they are the orginals. Is anyone going to the gtg in Idaho? I could probally make it .thanks

Both my dinette & sofa are getting threadbare. If I were to re-do my dinette, I'd use firmer foam, but that's a matter of personal taste. My sofa is a Flexsteel, upholstered couch, & I'd get that re-upholstered.

Pull the cover off one of your cushions. If the foam is crumbling it would be a good idea to replace it. If not, then it's your choice. With covers that zip on & off, you can always replace the foam later, if necessary.

Why is a Barth special? I just know I love mineand I like when I go camping people want to know what is it ? I have now moved into it. I was having trouble sleeping in the house and everytime I went camping I slept better so after returning from a camping trip I decided to stay in it for awhile, never went back to the house except to get my things! and I love it. I want to replace the carpet with any other flooring but the man at my rv shop said vinal won't work without putting a plyboard floor in it first. and He does not recomend liminate any suggestions??? I will not put carpet in! Thanks Donna

Donna, if your Barth is like mine, your subfloor is plywood screwed to the framework underneath. From personal experience, I'd say that whether or not vinyl will work depends on the quality of plywood in the subfloor.

My experience: I removed the bathroom carpet in my Barth & replaced it with laminate. The subfloor looked like "A" grade plywood. With one caveat, I would have no concern about putting vinyl there. The caveat is this: the subloor is screwed to the framework, & all the screws were driven below the surface. To install sheet vinyl, or stick-on vinyl tiles (a DIY alternative) would require the holes to be filled & the surface smoothed.

Some years ago we built a house, & I used a water-based putty called "Rock Hard" to fill screw holes & other imperfections in the plywood before installing sheet vinyl. Worked just fine, but be sure the wet putty is flush with the floor. It's hard as the dickens to sand out any but the smallest imperfection that sticks up, once the stuff becomes "rock hard."

Another experience: the plywood subfloor in a stick & staple park model we had, was so poor quality that vinyl wouldn't work without additional underlayment. I used cement board on that one, but awfully heavy & somewhat pricey for your purpose.

The only way to be sure of what you have is to pull up some carpet. If you find smooth plywood without a gazillion surface imperfections, you can do-it-youself with self-sticking vinyl tiles. Vinyl sheet is difficult for an amateur.

You sound like a lady who will try anything, so talk to your friendly floor coverings person in Lowes or Home Depot. Remember, though, that like your man at the RV shop, that person will be more interested in selling you a job, than giving you the best advice.

And buy the book they have on installing vinyl tile & sheet goods. (Better yet, spend a few minutes on a free read of the book to be sure you want to get into it that deeply.}

IMHO laminate would be heavier than you want, & is susceptible to water damage if not perfectly sealed.

P.S. I see I gave some similar advice in a post last May, in which I also suggested parquet squares, & Bill H wisely questioned their susceptibility to water damage.

quote:

Some years ago we built a house, & I used a water-based putty called "Rock Hard" to fill screw holes & other imperfections in the plywood before installing sheet vinyl. Worked just fine, but be sure the wet putty is flush with the floor.

That product sounds like Durham's Water Putty - IMHO, one of the unsung and under-appreciated products out there.

Rusty, I think you're right about the putty brand. I remembered their brag because it is true, but I didn't remember the product name. I agree with your opinion of it.

Another Durham's Rock Hard fan here. Fixall is pretty good for that, too. And quicker. Most of the time, I reserve Rock Hard for finer work, like cabinetry. A thin mixture really fills open grain.

Regular readers know I go on about this like a broken record, but the rubber brake lines in older Chevies are prone to collapse. This allows the fluid to be forced to the caliper but doesn't allow it to return when the brake peddle is released, mocking a sticky caliper. The lines are a cheap fix, compared to new calipers that may not be needed.