bluetravco.blogspot.com
The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: September 2012
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Thursday, 13 September 2012. That's the noise that the engine was making right after startup. Then the ticking went away as the engine warmed up. Dad quickly figured it out: he had a cracked exhaust manifold. Curb side manifold, large crack in the middle of it. Last week Dad jacked the front of the motorhome, pulled the right wheel off, and got down to work. But what was supposed to be a relatively simple and straightforward job quickly turned into a nightmare. Now the 2 center studs. It looked like ...
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The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: July 2010
http://bluetravco.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html
Friday, 16 July 2010. About time for an update, isn't it? We're already mid-July, and of course Dad has spent some time working around his motorhome. Simple enough, right? Well, not quite. First drain the oil, then remove the oil pan. Might as well clean it up and repaint it. Then the seal itself. It a two part seal that goes around the engine crankshaft. Being two parts means the seal can be replaced without having to drop the crankshaft. Picture of the engine, oil pan removed:. The easiest solution was...
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The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: July 2008
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Thursday, 31 July 2008. Just as expected, getting the Travco ready for its first trip of the year was a race against the clock. There was so many things to fix! Once he had the engine oil changed, Dad started the big block V8 for the first time this year. The engine fired right up, idling smoothly, as if it had been shut down only a couple minutes before. Back to the shop! Here are the latest jobs done on the Travco:. The inside finish around the windshields and the front side windows was not very good l...
bluetravco.blogspot.com
The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: November 2009
http://bluetravco.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html
Thursday, 12 November 2009. End of the season. Here are the last few additions to the Travco that Dad worked on lately. They really are add-ons, rather than repairs or restoration projects. Dad installed a small water pressure tank on the plumbing system of the motorhome. What this tank does is store a small amount of water under pressure, so the water pump doesn't have to start everytime water is used, and the water pressure is more stable. End of the season. As you've noticed, the Whale is parked on a ...
bluetravco.blogspot.com
The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: June 2014
http://bluetravco.blogspot.com/2014_06_01_archive.html
Sunday, 1 June 2014. The latest from the Blue Whale. Yep, we're still there! But before I go on with the Whale, a few words about its owner. Dad injured its left knee last winter, just after the Holidays. A stupid thing, he simply missed a step going down the stairs. He didn't fall or anything, nothing broken, he just landed hard on its left leg, the kind of thing you usually forget right after. But not this time: the pain got into his knee and never left. So the big thing was taken out of its tray and b...
bluetravco.blogspot.com
The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: 50th Anniversary
http://bluetravco.blogspot.com/2014/09/50th-anniversary.html
Sunday, 7 September 2014. 2014 marks the 50th weeding anniversary of my parents. For the occasion, we all went on a trip to the Caribbeans. We spent an amazing week in an all-inclusive resort, the Memories Flamenco Beach Resort. In Cayo Coco, Cuba. We started at first light on saturday morning. It was like 5am, with Mom and Dad still sleeping in their motorhome, we quietly put some decorations on the Blue Whale and on the ground around it. Then we got back to bed. On the grass in front and around the Blu...
bluetravco.blogspot.com
The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: October 2007
http://bluetravco.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html
Friday, 26 October 2007. There are a lot of trails, a little cabin, a cold spring that provides fresh water, an old style outhouse, and of course no electricity. Good time to check the Travco's genset, now that the vehicle's electrcial system has been repaired. The old 6000W Onan fired up right away, and once hooked up to the Travco's 110V system it worked beautifully. Dad managed to drive the Whale back home with reduced braking power. The Travco's braking system is a bit unusual. As in most hydraul...
bluetravco.blogspot.com
The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: December 2007
http://bluetravco.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html
Thursday, 6 December 2007. The day after we parked the Whale at the end of Dad's yard, about 4 inches of snow fell. That was the first snow of the season, it never melted, and it's been snowing regularly since. During the following days, Dad built the temporary shelter that will protect the Whale during winter. Dad had already built a similar shelter over he last years for it's Class C. Before he put the tarp on, Dad slightly raised the vehicle in order to relief the suspension and tires. This blog is in...
bluetravco.blogspot.com
The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco Motorhome: May 2012
http://bluetravco.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html
Sunday, 27 May 2012. It's been almost two years now since I've posted anything on this blog, but we're still here! Last summer has been a quiet one for the Blue Whale. No large restoration projects or repairs. Mom had knee surgery last spring, and Dad had some work to finish on the house. The Whale hit the road a few times during the summer, mostly towards Lac St-Jean and New-Brunswick, where our families are from. The radiator came back from the shop with the 2 brackets still attached. Looks like th...
