adapted from a line by Dan Ackroyd: "It's got a cop motor, a 454 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?"

Well, I bought it at a state police auction. 29K miles. Set up to support a K-9 team. It's got a toilet, a generator. I will be reworking the interior to add a shower, add a kitchenette to go with the sink, and adding 4 to 6 bed spaces.

Batteries are dead. I haven't started it yet. As soon as I got to the computer I did a search and found this site, to try to figure out what I just bought. ;-)

Advice is welcome. Especially for pointers for documentation and for new interior parts. I hope to be rolling on a summer trip in 2008.

best regards,
Matt

If that thing was anything but a Barth I'd say lose it quick. Being what it is, and if you bought it right, you've come to the right place and may just be the envy of some folks who drool over a project ready Barth. Dave has this site set up to answer about any questions you could possibly come up with, and there are a ton of really knowledgable guys that seem to thrive on answering questions about Barths.We all like to see pix, especially of a work in progress, and Dave's CD is a must for a Barth owner. Welcome!

You've got great bones there for restoration & upgrade. Looks like early 1980s. Appliances, plumbing & furniture are mostly standard RV items, though dinettes, tables & cabinetry were factory built.

Your windows are smaller than RV windows, but they're standard items, too.

Job #1 - get it lubed, change the oil & anti-freeze, air up the tires. Belts, hoses, etc., & probably tires will need to be changed before any serious travel. If it were mine, I'd do what I had to, to get it safe & reliable for limited travel, then do the interior.

There are several members who have completed similar projects who, I'm sure, will soon chime in with specific advice.

Welcome, & have fun.

You've got spunk!

Do you have the build tag from inside of the coach. What year & how long? What was the name of the police dept?

Looks like a 28' from 82-87

Did you "steal it"?

It is an '87 model. I should have said the price, I paid $200. Apparently all the other bidders at the event were looking for the Crown Victorias that the state troopers use.

Yes, windows are small. Probably to keep the dogs less upset about the traveling. But I plan on taking boys on a tour of the US someday, so I might be very happy to hear advice on the topic of changing the windows.

My plan of action: get the engine running, assess the condition of the drivetrain, and suspension. Repair/replace as needed, and move on to assess the condition of the plumbing, electrics, AC, and generator. R&R, as needed. Then check for floorplan arrangements for this size Barth, and pick one for use for my Barth.

thanks!
Matt

Matt, finding this site is a lucky omen for you!

If Bill N.Y. can't tell you how to do it, then it probably can't be done....Look-up his story elsewhere here....Might give you some rough idea as to the challenges that lie ahead

Good Luck!

The winner for the cheapest least expensive Barth now belongs to you!

Read "The Story" in my signature profile to see what I got for $500.00

Take Danny's advice and get The Barth CD

Oh, welcome to the family!!! I believe we'll be hearing a lot from you!

adapted from a line by Dan Ackroyd: "It's got a cop motor, a 454 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?"

Yeah, I'd say it is definitely the new Bluesmobile. Plan to drive ONLY DURING THE DAYTIME, however; the (mandatory) wrap-around shades worn by all occupants seriously affect your night vision.

Heck ya that is the Bluesmobile. Plus your ceiling about 4 inches higher than mine so you can put a stage at one end.

That is cool and I can't wait to see it a year from now.

Bill NY> You've got spunk!
Most importantly, I have the blessing of my wife on this! ;-)

I've done a motorcycle project, car project, and a house project, this project ties it all together.

Danny, Olroy, Lee, thanks for your inputs.

This machine was run by the Massachusetts State Police before. I think it has been sitting a few years.

I went yesterday to determine if it was drivable as is. A new battery, a squirt of ether, and the 454 purrs. I am so happy about that. The automatic transmission moved it back and forth.
But the brake pedal goes to the floor and the power steering is not working. Exhaust pipe hangers are rotted out. But the engine runs, and the roof is watertight. The cabinetry inside is fine.

There was an area where communications gear would have been, the outside of the position had a telephone network port. Tires look good.

Gunner - you will be glad to know, the lighter works! (blues brothers humor)

My plan - get it towed to an RV service facility, give them the go-ahead to deal with the brakes and steering. I will then clean and wash everything. I'll start testing the AC, heating, water systems, electrical systems. I will need to find a fridge, stove, shower. I would like to try to keep the existing cabinetry. Seats will be needed, as will beddings.

Is finding a "totalled" late model RV a realistic idea, in order to get a 'everything'?

thanks,
Matt

quote:

Originally posted by BarthBluesmobile:
But the brake pedal goes to the floor and the power steering is not working.

Hi Matt, and Welcome! On the larger P30/32s, power brakes and power steering use the same engine-driven pump, so there may be a common cause there. (no political reference implied or intended)

I would also suggest disassembling the master and wheel cylinders for inspection and perhaps seal replacement. Brake systems can produce frightening stuff if unused and unmaintained.

quote:

Tires look good.

Chances are they are not. Having sat at full weight for a long time, as well as age, they could be goners. The DOT numbers will tell you the age. Perhaps someone at the place you bought it can tell you how long it sat.

see:

http://www.goodyear.com/rv/tirecare/tire_age.html

quote:

My plan - get it towed to an RV service facility, give them the go-ahead to deal with the brakes and steering.

Just be sure they are really knowledgable and experienced on P30/32 chassis. Otherwise, find a truck mechanic. The larger GM pickups and vans have pretty much the same chassis parts.

Nice buy matt!

Hey, even if you sink 10k into it, you will be light years beyond any SOB in the same price range.

I have a 1987 ex commercial unit too, so you have touched a soft spot in my heart.

How are the front seats? I have two very serviceable units from my seat conversion "do a search in this site". You may have them for the price of shipping, if need be.


I like the paint, are you going to just touch it up?

In the back bedroom I put in one of these. I didn't install the top bunk front safety cage when I put it together.



It's a full size bed on the bottom and a single on the top. You can get any one of several colors (red, blue, black, white) and then a futon matress. I have the 5" matress on mine and this is very comfortable. We put on a regular full size sheet when sleeping on it.

I then put one of these in the living room.



I liked these because it didn't have armrest to get in the way of my long (sleeping octopus) body and, as a bonus, it has underbed storage. These take a regular full size bed sheet and are very comfortable too.



You could go the route of buying another rv but why bother? Your looking for a shower and some beds. Everything can pretty much be had at Home Depot or Lowes. The beds can be had at a futon store or bedding place. The seats can be reupholstered.

I have paneling and several coats of paint on my walls. There's some trim work and carpeting. Install some flooring tiles or linoleum with a luan base, a little dash patch... you get the drift.

I'm having a hard time thinking about what I really needed from another rv... Let's see
1) overhead pulldown bed
2) awning and mounting hardware
3) new toilet (brand new from an r/v store)
4) roof vent for the bathroom (brand new from an r/v store)
5) an outside door cover for the backside access to the fridge (brand new from an r/v store)
6) door locks for the outside compartment doors (from Southco locks)
7) pedistal mount for an additional bucket seat (got this from a van)

Pretty much everything came off the shelf with the exception of the first two items.

Keep in mind that if you buy another rv you'll have to junk it later on and the interior will stink.

Do you have a black and grey tank? How big? What size is your water tank(s)?

If there's 5 of you expect to run out of water when you shower. Most people use the campground showers anyway for water conservation, elbow room and decent water pressure. Unless your going to put in a big shower and your hooked up to water and drainage...

Seeing that you have a clean slate to start with ask yourself if you really want a shower stall. Will you be staying at campgrounds? How are you going to use it? I know MANY people who have NEVER used there coach showers more then once. They soley rely on the site showers at campgrounds.

A shower stall is nice to have, it will increase resale value. But, most people use them as a glorified closet. How you'll use it will depend on what you do and where you stay.

Bill N.Y.

Rgarding the brakes-steering issue. The hydra boost for the brakes and the power steering pump are related, as I found when I replac3ed the PS pump and my brakes work better than ever. I don't know a lot about this system but one thing I DO know is to replace all the rubber brake lines in the entire system. They swell shut and mimic a sticking caliper by not allowing the fluid to escape back to the reservoir. This can be a very expensive lesson when you give a wrench the go-ahead to just do whatever it takes, and after 500 bucks worth of new calipers etc the problem still exists.

IIRC, GMN calls the brakes using Hydroboost "Power-Assisted" rather than "Power Brakes". The "power" for the brakes is a tap off the power steering pump.

The downside to this is if one loses the power steering belt (as I have on both the Barth and my SOB) or the pump, one has no power brakes and no power steering!