TravelMaster

Okay I've been super busy but I haven't forgot about this project. I got a 95% good version made but it was late and I had too much beer while operating the mill and should've used a smaller drill bit for the tapped hole. My mechanic was getting impatient at having my RV parked at his lot so I gave him Scotts mount in the meantime. I'll get some more stock from my buddy and cut a perfect one this Thursday! Here's some pictures! Original steel stock with the holes drilled. This is where I goofed up! The middle hole is where it should have been smaller for putting in a tap/thread. Another angle to see how I mounted it to the aluminum plate. Vice grips rule for quick jobs like this! With the bracket mounted to the aluminum plate underneath I was able to remove the vice grips and then cut the outside of the mount. Was using a 3/16th (0.1875) carbide end mill 3 flute doing a .025 depth of cut at 3 inch per minute. We had the air blast on the Haas on the whole time to evacuate the steel chips and the compressor and air dryer got a good workout running near constant for about an hour! Scotts mount is on top, then the mount I cut based on AutoCAD modeling, then the 1 to 1 print of the model:

I got two of the brackets in the mail yesterday from Spalding auto parts. I had a few minutes yesterday evening to hit them with the grinder and clean them up and then hit them with some black spray paint. They cleaned up pretty good! I think the bracket Scott sent may be sitting in my mailbox right now! I'll get it corrected tonight in AutoCAD.

Yes, I can add a z dimension and upload it to thingiverse. That's a great suggestion!

Okay I had a little bit of time to work on this so here: I think I got the part mostly correct in the dimensions but I still think something is a bit off. Perhaps due to reflections in the scanner. Does anybody know of a good place for long term file uploads? Most sites either don't tell you how long they retain a file or delete it after a few weeks. Scott, can I take you up on your offer? It sure would be great to get this part 100% factory correct before I have it cut on the water jet.

Gary, If you could scan it and send it I think that would be the fastest route to success! That way I'm not inconveniencing you or Scott more than I already have. I can post the DXF file here when I'm done with CAD so anyone in the future can benefit.

The "bat wing" is different for the 300 six motor. I lost 1 off the motor before I could get the AC working and had to make 1 and because it was from alum. I made 2 to match. Dave ---- Dave, Those aluminum brackets look pretty dang good for a replica! How long have you been using them? I bet you had one already for the 300 so you had two made because the 300 used two right? Did you go with aluminum just because you had it available or to reduce the weight? I bet aluminum is probably okay just due to how thick it is for this particular bracket.

The "bat wing" is different for the 300 six motor. I lost 1 off the motor before I could get the AC working and had to make 1 and because it was from alum. I made 2 to match. Dave ---- Yeah that looks like the one Gary! That bracket is like unobtanium around where I live! I've called 7 or 8 salvage yards today and nobody had anything earlier than an 1989. If you have the time and skills to CAD it up I would appreciate it! I could paypal some dough for your time as compensation or just pay it forward in the future somehow... As a second choice if you have a flatbed scanner and you can scan it in as a 1-to-1 ratio and send a PDF of the scan, I can import it into Corel or AutoCAD and trace it out and make a DXF out of it. I've done that with a bunch of non-purchasable gaskets over the years for compressors and different motors and we've used a friends Epilog laser cutter to cut them out of either cork or rubber. Works like a champ! You start to think in very different ways when you have the skills and equipment to just go grab the old gasket, scan it, CAD it and then cut it - It's weird but when I was younger I used to only be able to just go research/buy stuff, now with the age of 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC machines you can make a whole lot of things yourself. I've got a friend with an entire machine shop full of Haas CNC machines and a Haas CNC lathe and I have a friend has a hookup with a waterjet machine who can probably cut it out for a low cost.

Rembrant, Sounds like a great deal of fun! Yeah, I've had other projects go sour during this Covid-19 thing and I've had others that went smooth as butter. This RV is a bit in between, I managed to get it for a great price $8,000 and took it out for a few weekends then we had the wife's sister stay in it one weekend and it rained a lot and the second day the whole rear twin mattress was soaked. Haha so she had to stay in the house that night. Off to the RV repair shop it went and they fixed it for $600 another with a few other little things. I'm a big hands on kind of guy and love to do it all myself but I'm also taking some hints from the wife recently that I should just pay someone and get it done so I can spend more time on fun stuff with the family. I think the RV is getting about 10 MPG is my guess? She can go 65-70 MPG easy down the highway. I can't wait to take out again.

Thanks ArdWrknTrk! Not trying to troubleshoot anything at this time as I was able to get all of the AC components sorted out except a bracket I'm missing. I posted in the Want To Buy section. I can't wait to get a few more things touched up! I've already gotten a few thumbs up while going down the road! I guess there's not that many of these old RV's are still on the road and in good condition? I'll get some interior shots posted up soon!

I love the grey exterior with red interior, such an awesome look. I first saw that combo when my high school shop teacher gave me a lift home when I missed the bus as a freshman. RIP Mr. Julig you showed us boys how to work on everything!

I was doing endless amounts of google searches for AC brackets and kept coming to some site that said garys something or other... Finally I found a graphic on this site that had a PDF that detailed the diagram of the engine AC system: http://www.icsarchive.org/icsarchive-org/private/Ford%201980-1989%20Truck%20Master%20Parts/16%201980%20fotpi-heat%20&%20ac.pdf Googling those part again led me to this place. So if you have an older Ford truck, all roads lead here!

Sorry Gary, I've been having problems with my email today. I just did an introduction post! Here: Thanks for the cool forum it seems like a really cool community glad to be a part and make some friends.

Hello, I bought a 1987 TravelMaster RV about 3 months ago. It's a 28 foot RV based on the Ford E-350 chassis. It's had the interior totally redone and when you fire up the engine it idles smooth as a kitten. I've taken it out once with the wife and other than that I now have it parked under a canopy to keep it nice and dry. One thing I'm totally blown away by is that the rig has two fuel pumps! One apparently in the gas tank and one up front. The gas generator is also powered from the same tank. Right now the AC in the cab doesn't work so when we drive anywhere I have the gas generator running and then powering the main AC in the RV. In the next few months I'm going to get the windshield replaced and replace the door seal, have someone reupholster the doors and put in a rubber liner for the front

Hello, I've got an 87 TravelMaster RV which is based on the E-350 and it has a V8 7.5 liter 460. The previous owner had a problem with the compressor and decided to remove the whole compressor brackets and his mechanic got rid of them. I've managed to track down 2 of 3 missing brackets so I'm just looking for the last one which is proving elusive! Anybody know of some place I can get this bracket? Does anybody have one lying around? I really wish I had the shape and dimensions as I could have a friend cut one on the waterjet. It's listed as a 19D897 also part number 2889: I was able to get 2 out of 3 of the brackets from Spalding Auto Parts in Spokane Washington but their lots didn't have this last one. If anyone has one or has even a clue of a salvage yard that might have one please let me know! Thanks!