The Travco

A Motorhome from 1967

Travco a 1967 Dodge motorhome

Dodge built the Travco Motorhome from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. It was a Class A Recreational vehicle built on a Dodge motorhome chassis, and its body made out of fibreglass. The price in the early years was $ 9000.00. The Travco motorhome was regarded as amongst the very best in the industry and owned by both the famous and ordinary families. Some of the famous people who owned a Travco were Johnny Cash and William Shatner. Travco was considered a leader in the industry and was the first manufacturer to create and mass produce a vehicle that defined the modern-day motorhome. The original power was the Chrysler 318 Polysphere engine, and a Torqueflite automatic transmission with a dash-mounted shift lever.

The Luv Shk is a 27-Foot model with living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. The original engine has been previously replaced with a Chrysler 360 but other than that it was mechanically original.

After the camshaft blew up on our first trip and destroyed the engine, the towing company that hauled us back to the nearest town was accommodating and generous. They gave us a ride to a local auto wrecker to pick up another 360 and hauled it back to our dead RV. They let use a corner of the parking lot and even the use of a small forklift to do the engine swap. It took us four long days to get the engine swapped, and we were on our way. Many many thanks to the awesome people at Cle Elum Towing and the friendly folks of Cle Elum Washington USA.

That experience led to the following changes.

A 1989 Cummins 12 valve diesel engine (non-intercooled) including the transmission and rear axle from the donor truck and a disc brake front axle from an early 1970’s Dodge motorhome. We have made many other modifications over the years and now have a relatively reliable and efficient drive train. The paint job is obvious, and we have done lots or interior renovations.

We gave it a bit of a lift, a big bumper and a set of Toyo M55’s (indestructible tires) for our next big adventure. We always pack along all our tools and do as much of our work as possible. If you see us broke down on the side of the road and Cliff crawling around under the RV stop and say hello.

A diamond in the rough

In 2010 we found and adopted the unique 1967 Dodge Travco Motorhome BC and
moved her to her new home in Cranbrook BC. After changing the gas engine to a Diesel engine, gave the RV a new transmission, new breaks and changed her colour from brown to flame green. The Travco changed from a backyard project to our home and a dream come true adventure for us.

 

It is true, it takes a village and a bit of resource to bring a 50+-year-old Motorhome back to life.

the luv shk

After getting the Travco mechanically sound we repainted the RV with lime green Flames and named her The Luv Shk. After many countless trips in Western Canada and the USA, we decided 2019 to break the norm and drive from  Cranbrook BC Canada to the Southern point in South America.

With over 159 years between The Luv Shk Cliff and I, there should be enough physical and brain power to have an adventure of a lifetime.

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