What will it take to get a 520 original MOTORHOME across the country to the East Coast?

[Roger]

A 520 modified by Perris Valley into an actual motorhome is for sale in Washington state. Don't believe that it has run recently, if not for decades. Considering buying it and driving it home (2800 miles), but it will need to be prepared first, if this is even doable.  It does not have hardened valve seats, so either a lead addative or cylinder head work needs to be done. Complete brake overhaul and clutch hydraulics, for sure. New tires. Rubber hoses and things. What else?Wikipedia says the 520 can carry 2200 pounds, while the 521 is set up for only 1100. Something wrong there. This truck is way loaded down with the camper. Eventually, a Nissan dually axle would be fitted. Can airbags be installed? How about swaybars. This thing surely needs all the suspension help it can get! An L engine transplant would be a good idea as would disc brakes. Are regular maintinance and repair parts available? Imagin you were going to do this. What would you do? Driving it,  as opposed to trailering it or shipping it, would be part of the adventure. So would be bank deposits and creditcard payments s s s s s.Thanks for any imput!

[Roger]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/398966824687350/

 

Here it is.

[thisismatt]

Ad says it "runs quiet" 🤷‍♂️

 

Main concern would be brakes. Too bad it's not a 521 since it's easier to get L motor parts.

[Roger]

Probably needs a carb

[datzenmike]

2,800 miles is not a long enough distance to significantly wear on the valve seats. Add a pint of vegetable oil to each fill up.

 

The 520 has a payload of 1,000kg or 2,200 lbs. The later 521 is half that. I think they have the same rear leaf springs and this is just a paperwork rating. It'll carry 2,200 pounds but legally only 1,000.

 

Sway bars, disc brakes, air bags, engine swap are all things much farther down the road. The priority is to get running and get it home.

 

 

 

First get running, this will tell you if it's worth trying to drive it home. Does it burn oil? Does it start every time, restart when hot? does it overheat on hills? Is the steering ok? Brakes ok? electrical ok charging? lights work? wiper (because you just know it will rain) All the gears there? shift ok? any drive line noises?

 

 

Assuming all above are at the least a pass I would put in new plugs, wires, cap and rotor. New fan belt. Replace the fuel filter. Engine oil and filter change, (NOT fram filter) replace the transmission and differential oils. Drain, flush and replace the coolant with a quality anti freeze mix replace the rad hoses now if needed rather than in 1,200 miles and all new antifreeze... again! New shocks, new tires. Have alignment checked. These are not a waste as you would have done this anyway at home.

 

Buy or take along a good assortment of tools metric ratchet set, spanners 12, 13, 14, 17 and 19mm at least, slotted and philips screwdrivers, vice grips, hammer, electrical tape, test lamp, zap straps, duct tape, booster cables, jack and lug wrench. (that work) Check your spare! I'll add more as I remember them. The rest is a fat wallet and just buy what you need and fix or have fixed on the road. Hell you got a camper. Sit tight for 3 days while the parts come in. When I travel, I travel light, I buy what I need as I need it and if I need it.

 

It's a leap of faith, an adventure you can tell your grand kids about.

 

 

[Charlie69]

2 hours ago, Roger said:

A 520 modified by Perris Valley into an actual motorhome is for sale in Washington state. Don't believe that it has run recently, if not for decades. Considering buying it and driving it home (2800 miles), but it will need to be prepared first, if this is even doable.  It does not have hardened valve seats, so either a lead addative or cylinder head work needs to be done. Complete brake overhaul and clutch hydraulics, for sure. New tires. Rubber hoses and things. What else?Wikipedia says the 520 can carry 2200 pounds, while the 521 is set up for only 1100. Something wrong there. This truck is way loaded down with the camper. Eventually, a Nissan dually axle would be fitted. Can airbags be installed? How about swaybars. This thing surely needs all the suspension help it can get! An L engine transplant would be a good idea as would disc brakes. Are regular maintinance and repair parts available? Imagin you were going to do this. What would you do? Driving it,  as opposed to trailering it or shipping it, would be part of the adventure. So would be bank deposits and creditcard payments s s s s s.Thanks for any imput!

Roger please look through my 66 520 thread as to what I did to swap a L20B automatic transmission.

The leaf springs are different between the 520 and the 521.  My 66 was rated as a 1 ton truck and had a massive spring pack.

That is a sweet truck but the ceiling shows water damage.  That truck would make a great roll back after a frame stretch.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Charlie69

[Roger]

Thanks. How about the old carb with old rubber parts? Cant be good still. Actually I know almost nothing else about it as I have not called the owner. I'm surprised members here have not decended upon it already. It looks ok but the home part needs rebuilding to save it as a motorhome. Doesnt have a shower though smaller ones based on early Hilux have them. Ugly as sin but cool this is. I'm thinking it is too far fetched an idea that I can get it home. Price us ok.

[Roger]

I bought a 71 521 in OR 10 years ago and had it shipped to MD for $1300. It was in excellent condition and could have driven the distance. However, it had a recent head as the po told me he had it rebuilt without new seats. Ran it 1000 miles wo lead and it destroyed the valves. Add veggie oil. great idea.

[Roger]

I read in Wiki that the rear end ratio to 4.875:1. Wow! Thats how you get 1300cc to carry 1 ton.

[thisismatt]

I bought my 521 out of state and drove it home 1000 miles.  It wasn't a fun drive...fuel filter kept clogging, wipers don't work for crap, lost headlights from the crappy fuse connections, sunk a couple valves trying not to get creamed on the freeway 😅, lost a lash pad and thought the motor was going to blow...stopped and did an oil change in a Walmart parking lot part way just in case 🤷‍♂️

[datzenmike]

A carburetor won't have rubber parts that would come in contact with gas. I haven't bought a carb kit in years. Mostly they get dirt inside or out of adjustment or both. With care the old gaskets come off and can be reused. Clean it and put back together and set the float height, choke, choke un-loader. There's not much that can wear out other than the accelerator pump.

 

If the valve seats would erode in a thousand miles then they are already toast. I'm pretty sure you could cross the country without a problem. In the long term they won't last as long as the hardened seats, for sure.

 

Get it shipped. Anything that goes wrong after, will then be at home.

[]2eDeYe]

1 hour ago, thisismatt said:

I bought my 521 out of state and drove it home 1000 miles.  It wasn't a fun drive...fuel filter kept clogging, wipers don't work for crap, lost headlights from the crappy fuse connections, sunk a couple valves trying not to get creamed on the freeway 😅, lost a lash pad and thought the motor was going to blow...stopped and did an oil change in a Walmart parking lot part way just in case 🤷‍♂️

 

Sounds like a great time 😄

[bilzbobaggins]

Driving this back sounds silly as fuck.  

[datzenmike]

5 hours ago, datzenmike said:

 

It's a leap of faith, an adventure you can tell your grand kids about.

 

 

 

I've done some crazy shit. My wife and I, 3 kids a dog in a '79 Cutlass pulling a POS home made trailer with all our possessions 2,900 miles cross country from Ontario to BC through the northern US. Yes, it was interesting. We got 150 miles before the frame broke on the Olds... I could go on for hours about our experiences that week on the road. A leap of faith, an adventure you can tell your grand kids about.  

[wayno]

Hello Roger, it has been a while, maybe close to 10 years.

 

I look at this and cringe, I believe it has a J13, the fact is if you drive this truck across this country, if you make it you will be floored most the time except when going down hill then you will be riding the brakes as the engine compression is not going to slow it down, drum brakes do not last long when going down a pass, I suspect 50/55mph is going to be top speed on level ground with a tail wind.

I am one of the few on here that knows what it takes to move weight on a daily basis with a Datsun and what the issues are moving it, I do not know about the J13 but I know about the L20b, I drove to central Florida and back to Vancouver WA with 5 hang gliders on top of the canopy and everything needed to exist camping for 1.5 months out doors, I had basically a race head built for the trip, the back of the truck was squatting, by the time I got home I had went thru a dogleg 5 speed transmission and I had run out of valve adjustment on a few valves, it turned out that the head was built without hardened seats, this happened because I was floored for hours and hours keeping up freeway speeds and my truck likely weighed less than this 520 as it was not a work truck back then.

I would not attempt to drive this truck across the country unless you have a lot of time as my guess it is not going to make it without repairs, yes it has 4.8 gears in the rear as that is what it takes to get these early trucks moving, but 65hp is only going to move it so fast with all that front surface area trying to move thru the air, did I mention you will likely be floored most the time?

An engine upgrade, well the L20b will likely not be enough, I do not believe I would be happy even with an LZ23, a VG30 will likely be too tight as it is tough getting that into a 620(ask Yello620), you see the 520 has around 3" or 4" less room front to back in the engine compartment than the 521, not sure about other engines but they will likely all be tight, I do not know if the LD20T would be good for this.

 

If you want this have it shipped like you did the 521, sorry about being negative but that is a lot of truck for a J13, ask DanielC as I recall he used to haul a horse trailer around with a 520 with drum brakes, it takes a certain type for this kind of Datsun.

 

 

[Roger]

Shipping would be more than $2000 for this, I'm sure. That's a lot of parts and about as much as it would cost in parts and gas to get it home. Being a 1967, it is amazing so early on in the Japanese import invasion that people appreciated the quality and durability  built into these trucks to build a home on back. I think they did it with Fords and Chevys, but a Datsun? What's that? Don't believe it is near sold yet, but it is a big project in 105° weather. Interstate hwys may be dangerous with 1300cc. Humm...

 

 

 

 

[Roger]

Gonna have to pass on this one. My blessings to a member here who may be interested. A unique vehicle. 

[difrangia]

If that were a regular pickup of the same model it would be very uncommon and collectible. The very early 520 with the single larger headlight on each side are much more uncommon than the four smaller headlight models. Being a camper conversion, and what was a very nice and complete one makes it even rarer. Granted, it might have limited appeal, the 'Right' caretaker really needs to acquire it. If I were interested in that kind of project, I'd locate the largest E-J series engine that I could come up with and change the rear axle ratio for more cruising speed for driveability. Keep all the original parts with the machine for future caretakers. One mans opinion.

 

As far as driving it home across country, a person would need to be well-heeled (financially flush with $$) or retired or have no requirement to hold a steady job and also have plenty $$ to get it ready for that trip. You'd either need to be able to pay someone, who you'd trust, to get it ready for the trip or travel to the source and borrow/rent/lease a facility with all the required tools to do what needed to be accomplished to get it ready and lodge/feed yourself during the process. Practicality wins in the end. Nice find though.

Edited July 1, 2021 by difrangia

[Roger]

These early motorhomes were all overloaded, and a Toyota voluntary recall was made for dually axles. They all need it, this too with a Nissan dually axle. Very hard to come by. What I was and am searching for is a 1978 Toyota motorhome(because they are the short ones)when I came across this one. It could be the very first jap vehicle motorhome, soon followed by Chinooks and Dolphin and about 20 others. The recall ended most in 1986 and Toyota refused selling chassis in 1994. They just don't make stuff like this anymore, so if you want it you have to be some degree of impractical.  A new something close to these would cost $100k. Someone  in the NW should get this. You have so much to see out there.

[thisismatt]

Not sure if you'll be able to see this, but here's another option 😅

 

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/205185201195821/?ref=browse_tab&search_query=Chinook&tracking={"qid"%3A"6979981396269959380"%2C"mf_story_key"%3A"4496407930386939"%2C"commerce_rank_obj"%3A"{\"target_id\"%3A4496407930386939%2C\"target_type\"%3A0%2C\"primary_position\"%3A-1%2C\"ranking_signature\"%3A0%2C\"commerce_channel\"%3A503%2C\"value\"%3A0}"}

Edited July 1, 2021 by thisismatt

[Roger]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/582018905882322/ This is an example of what I'd like to find.

 

Thanks. Need a bath in mine, and Chinooks and this Datsun don't have one. Had a pop top Vanagon Weasfalia camper once. Most Hilux motorhomes w/o terminal rust, or water damage beyond repair are on the West Coast, so travel to get one is most likely in the cards. This Datsun seems to have water damage on the roof. The roof must be sagging as the siding on the driver's side near the top has popped out of position. Needs lots of repair there but could still make it home ok. Slow speed by nature helps.

[Charlie69]

The trouble with buying out of California is the inflated California prices.

[yenpit]

Keep an eye on the various Colorado's craigslists, as there have been two 620 campers in the last 6 mo's!  If in Denver area, happy to check out for you.

 

Where in Maryland?  I grew up in Silver Spring.  Wonder if David Weitz in SS has any leads on a camper?  Do you know him?

 

TJ

[yenpit]

FYI for anybody looking at that 520 camper, if I am not mistaken, the front hubcaps are the early production 1970 240Z caps with the "D" canter cap.  All of the later 1970-1978 Z caps had a "Z".  If they are, they can be worth $250++ each to an early 240Z guy!  I can't see if there are the same caps on the rear..........??