I have a 1977 van based RV I want to tow on my tandem axle car trailer....What does this van weigh any idea?....I'm guessin the trailer is good for a bout 7000 lbs. 2-5 lug axles. I want to buy the low milage 360 drivetrain for my 82 318 D250 and the guy wants the whole thing gone.

Is this a good idea or not?
Thanks
Rick

Van based RVs have a box added to the back end of the unibody frame to support the added RV structure. The added part is pretty good stuff, but its still added to the van's boxed sheet metal rear crossmember (most are bolted to the rear crossmember).

You will want to look at the condition of the rear van crossmember (about 2' behind the rear axle) and be sure it is still in good shape, especially if there is already a trailer hitch on the RV. The RV will do OK towing a trailer, but the rear frame is a bit weak to support a large tongue weight trailer.
If your intending on towing a box trailer, or one with a lot of tongue weight, I suggest you invest in the bus style RV.

I'm only a welding shop guy, I've had a lot of van style RVs in because "the trailer hitch is drooping towards the ground more then it was". Sometimes they can be braced, sometimes they can't. A car trailer is at the limit, in my opinion. Gene

He wants to know what the RV weighs so he can put it on a trailer to get it home. He just wants the engine and trans out of it. He isn't going to pull anything with it.

Thank you Stumpy, Poorboy does this mean if I want to remove the RV part, to decrease the weight of this thing, That it can unbolted/cutoff at this rear crossmember? I'm pondering the idea of cutting this RV apart where it is and promising the man to come back and clean up the mess.

My '79 B300 Maxi with a raised fibreglass roof and full of tools weights ~6000 lbs. Camping gear is all gone.

Is this a van with a high top roof or an actual "mini Winnie"? Either way you're going to need a bigger trailer and something to pull it.

Beware if it's a mini winne style, most scrap yard won't take em since there's too much wood and plastic in em.

It's the mini wini w the bed over the cab.....I guess we are going to cut it up where it is and go back and clean up the mess after we get the chassis home.

In answer to the question about cutting it off at the rear crossmember, you would have to remove the wood body before you could cut or unbolt the frame add on and accomplish anything more then making it a taildragger.

The whole shell is wood, including a plywood floor covering everything behind the front seats. I'd expect it to weigh 6,000 -7,000 lbs without the camping stuff.

Sorry I miss read your original post. Gene

Mine was towed on a regular roll-back, so they aren't too heavy, especially if the two or three water tanks are empty.

Strip the aluminum siding and roofing from it, sell the appliances, bonfire the rest of it!