tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70612534082860656832024-02-19T21:22:15.782-05:00The Blue Whale - Restoring a 1975 Travco MotorhomeRestoration of a 1975 Travco 270 motorhomeCarlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-67397302914890637292021-08-30T10:53:00.003-04:002021-08-30T10:55:01.657-04:00First camping trip since the pandemic!Camping Belle Vue, Ste-Croix, Lotbinière, Quebec.Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-60296455943014050152019-10-14T18:53:00.003-04:002019-10-14T18:55:16.809-04:00
Just to show that the Blue Whale is still alive and kicking!
End of the 2019 season at Camping des Voltigeurs, Drummondville (Quebec).
Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-24178187843613949482016-06-27T20:34:00.000-04:002016-06-27T20:35:01.635-04:00New hot water heaterThe Travco was without a hot water heater since the old heater was removed because it was leaking.
Quick reminder: the original water heater in this motorhome was not a propane unit. The water was heated by the engine, via some coolant lines running all the way from the engine to the rear of the vehicle, where the hot water tank was mounted. It worked good - as long as the engine ran for aCarlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-44276536098337167082015-07-07T20:32:00.001-04:002015-07-07T20:32:26.650-04:00Solar powerSolar power
Late June 2015, first trip of the summer for the Blue Whale, up north to the Saguenay region, for the Bagotville International Airshow. They stayed at the St-Félix d'Otis municipal campground, just a few miles east of the military base, where they met my brother Luc & family with their popup camper, and Dad's cousin Roger in his Class B Safari Condo RV.
After the airshow, Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-9273077098939080702014-09-07T12:04:00.000-04:002014-09-07T12:04:03.659-04:0050th Anniversary2014 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.
Like every summer during Labor Day weekend, we went up to the Lac St-Jean area, about 300 km north of Quebec City, for our annual family gathering and corn roast. Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-25541654912692227412014-06-01T09:59:00.002-04:002014-06-01T17:07:33.436-04:00
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 Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-27155806276852977702013-09-22T21:43:00.000-04:002013-09-23T15:22:33.154-04:00
Exhaust manifold (part 2)
After having replaced the right side exhaust manifold with a used one, Dad also had to work on the left side manifold. The gasket had a slight leak, and the manifold had a corner broken off. The manifold was not replaced, but Dad took it off and reinstalled it with a new gasket.
As with the right manifold, it was no easy task. One of the studs had Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-62757827367139759702012-09-13T15:47:00.001-04:002014-05-17T11:38:49.233-04:00Ticking noise...
tick-tick-tick...
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 Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-12452952905355352252012-05-27T21:14:00.000-04:002012-05-27T21:14:46.624-04:00We're still here!
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 Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-35555026800927484012010-08-29T12:44:00.008-04:002010-08-29T13:38:05.556-04:00Magazine star!Wherever it goes, the Blue Whale doesn't go unnoticed. I guess this blog helps somewhat: last May I was contacted via the french side of this blog by a journalist from the french-language Camping Caravaning magazine, published by Féderation Québécoise de Camping et Caravaning (FQCC - Quebec's campers and RVers federation, the largest campers and RVers association in Canada) who wanted to write anCarlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-23277595077474803542010-07-16T20:39:00.005-04:002010-07-16T21:59:24.143-04:00Summer 2010About time for an update, isn't it?We're already mid-July, and of course Dad has spent some time working around his motorhome.Oil leakThere was a leaky oil seal on the Whale's engine. Nothing to worry about, however when Dad was visiting relatives or friends and parking the Travco in their driveway, he always had to slip a piece of cardboard under the vehicle to avoid oily stains on the ground. Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-19355465926926229602009-11-12T09:32:00.014-05:002009-11-12T11:24:32.152-05:00End of the seasonHere are the last few additions to the Travco that Dad worked on lately. They really are add-ons, rather than repairs or restoration projects. Seat beltsDad replaced the old style 2-point seat belt with a modern 3-point belt on the passenger side. The driver side will also be converter to a 3-point belt later. Those "new" belts came with the "new" seats bought 2 years ago to replace to old Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-8362320956966777992009-08-22T07:36:00.012-04:002009-08-22T23:14:50.656-04:00A lot of stuff!As promised, finally an update on pretty much everything that was done on the Blue Whale since last spring. Enough stuff and pictures (don't forget to click to enlarge) to keep you busy reading for some time! Water heaterUnlike most modern RV water heaters, a Travco water heater doesn't use propane. The Whale's unit works either on 110V or engine heat. There are coolant lines that run from the Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-60683654684215541622009-08-01T20:54:00.008-04:002009-08-01T21:56:10.374-04:00Travelling WhaleSorry I didn't write much lately, I'm always running out of time. Also, despite the poor weather of the last weeks, the Travco was used for what is was built for: travelling! Indeed, since the end of June, where the Whale went to our annual group camping in Stoneham, the Whale has been on the road almost continuously.On their frist trip my parents brought the Whale to the Lac St-Jean area, north Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-31053558922462368952009-06-07T08:06:00.011-04:002009-06-09T16:23:36.460-04:002009Hello everyone!The Blue Whale's 2009 season is finally beginning!Just like last year, the Whale quietly slept through the cold season in its winter shed. Dad has already fixed a couple issues on the motorhome, I'll start with the wipers and the speedometer.WipersThere's nothing more annoying - or more dangerous - than wipers that quit working in the middle of a storm on a highway. Pretty Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-33704988276745471532008-11-08T21:55:00.009-05:002008-11-08T22:56:52.464-05:00The Blue Whale's 2008 camping season officially ended after the Thanksgiving weekend on Oct 11, 12 & 13th. Just like last year, the last camping trip was at cousin Roger's place, in the Beauce region, about 120 km south of Quebec City.This post will also be my last for 2008, I will resume posting next spring.Dad didn't put much work on the motorhome this fall. He instead worked on the Whale's Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-197769313101162572008-09-18T19:01:00.008-04:002008-09-18T20:01:49.136-04:00September projectsFurnace air ductsHot air from the furnace is ducted throughout the motorhome by two pairs of 4" flexible air hoses (similar to clothes dryer hose). The first pair of hoses run under the couch, in front of wich are two small vents where the air comes out. This couch, wich is permanently attached to the floor, can be transformed into a bed, and is also a useful storage compartment. The other pair Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-22892019919694746222008-09-11T16:49:00.008-04:002008-09-13T11:01:28.013-04:00Travelling aroundOver the last few weeks, the Blue Whale has been travelling quite a bit. Mom and Dad are finally enjoying the motorhome and are travelling around. The Blue Whale first went to the Montreal area, where my two brothers are living, and then came back to Quebec City after a stop in Sorel, where my aunt lives. A few days later, the Whale went to Edmundston, New-Brunswick, my Mom's hometown. They spentCarlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-64243140298587605002008-07-31T08:08:00.010-04:002008-07-31T11:10:47.346-04:00SummertimeStonehamJust 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.The big challenge was to get the motorhome out of its Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-40836146625484806922008-06-17T20:26:00.006-04:002008-06-17T20:34:10.507-04:002008's first projectsHere are the jobs Dad started this spring on the Travco.First, Dad dropped the fuel tank to inspect it, along with the fuel line that runs from the tank to the engine. Dad feared rust damage, but it turned out that there was only some light surface rust on it, the tank is in very good shape. So Dad simply sprayed it with a good coat of antirust paint.The fuel line was also in good shape, no Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-81755591617188865612008-06-06T14:41:00.008-04:002008-06-08T17:00:54.174-04:00We're back!We're back!2008 winter has been long and harsh, the Blue Whale got buried under the 17ft+ of snow that we got this winter, an all-time snowfall record for the Quebec City area. But the Whale survived: well sheltered inside it's tarp cocoon, the motohome stayed dry and clean and wintered without any issue.At some point during winter, Santa drove by and left something under the tree that in 1975, Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-35661373835861436972007-12-06T19:00:00.000-05:002007-12-06T19:23:07.870-05:00HibernationThe 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.The shelter is made with a huge Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-32570542333463544202007-11-21T09:19:00.000-05:002007-11-21T10:32:24.757-05:00Brakes - again!The brake parts took almost 2 weeks to arrive. Seems like nobody has them anymore, they had to be ordered from the US. Meanwhile, the Travco was parked in Dad's driveway, unable to move since it had no brakes at all. Dad took all the ld brakes line out, rusted or not. He wanted to start from scratch and get new brakes lines everywhere.Dad repainted the frame with some anti-rust paint, and Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-90826666928314324162007-10-26T17:27:00.000-04:002007-10-26T18:49:05.924-04:00Fall has arrived, winter is approaching fast over here, the camping season is definitely over. The Travco went on its last trip for this year, from Oct 5 to 9 (canadian Thanksgiving weekend). Roger, Dad's cousin, has a wood lot in the Beauce region, about 100km south of Quebec City, and for the second year in a row we went to Roger's lot for our last camping weekend. We were a group of 7 RVs, theCarlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7061253408286065683.post-89730368992205713952007-09-22T14:03:00.000-04:002007-09-23T11:10:46.610-04:00ElectricalIt all began at the air conditioning unit. We were in for a few surprises on the 110V electrical system.First, you need to know that Travcos have two rooftop openings, on wich can be installed an air conditioning unit, a fan or a simple vent. Inside the motorhome, located on the ceiling beside each of these openings, is a standard 110V outlet. I figure they are designed to power their respective Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942820700615456910noreply@blogger.com2