Our *currently unnamed '76 Travo 270!

[tcharters]

We race Hobie cat 16' sailboats in the summer, and I have since i was 10 and crewed for my uncle. I have spent every summer basting in the sun without shade at the lake that we race on. I have grown to love it, but lately we realized it would be a lot nicer on those 3 to 7 night camps to have a place that had A/C and a shower. So we set out looking for the right RV last year. I am a flooring contractor who also has a mechanical background and hobbies making custom furniture with a minor in electronics. LOL!! I figured we could find something that had been taken care of and maybe neglected on the interior and or mechanics, but had a great exterior. Boy was i wrong!!! All those corrugated aluminum sided R/V's are trash from the start! It was our rude awakening. Then we found a Travco listed for sale on CL. First time ever seeing one of these things, and we were hooked. We went to check it out, and found out the PO had pretty much no mechanical experience and he bought it because it looked good and wanted to take his family to Stanley. After a few years of neglect, she started to break down on him. The last time he drove her, she overheated and had to get towed back to Boise. Thats where she sat. After talking to him, i assumed it was probably a thermostat. So long story short... after haggling, and agreeing on 2300 cash, i agreed to replace the thermo and take her as long as it fired up and did not overheat. It did not, but ran horribly. I ran a blown head gasket test right after that, and it showed no evidence of exhaust in the radiator. So we took her home. I gave her a quick tune up, and reset the timing, and she runs great! The plumbing is all perfect, the heater is awesome, a/c is cold as hell, electronics are 8/10 but nothing doesn't "work". All in all turnkey. A few other minor mechanical issues aside, she is roadworthy for sure. So we have turned our attention to the interior. A quick look around when we bought her was impressive, but the more i looked, the more i wanted to gut her from head to tail. We have started small, and only have replaced the doors on the cabinets so far. Along with a few custom cup holders, a new tv mount and am currently sanding and finishing a new table. The floor is next, but i might not be able to get to it before we take it sailing.(where it will stay for the summer.) After this summer, if we really decide this is for us, we will replace all the cabinetry with matching wood from the doors.. replace the floors and we would want to do a Duramax/Allison swap and make it a lifelong investment. Here are a few pictures of the interior.

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\nBy this time next year, hopefully all the internal wood and the flooring will be replaced. I am also almost done with a new dining room table made out of Black Wanlut and Silver Maple. I will share pictures of it in a few days when i finish the lacquer.

[RobC]

Photos Are awesome for me! Mine is the same layout but gutted. I need to rebuild it in the same configuration as the original. If you can grab a couple shots of the shower, and under the sink that would be great.\n\nI might hit you up for some dimensions as well....\n\nRob

[RobC]

TCharters:\n\nI used to race Hobie 16's back in the day on Lake Michigan growing up. Fun stuff.\n\nWhenever there were huge waves (6 to 8 footers) and huge wind (20 Kts +) we would have to close the beach for swimming ( I was a lifeguard). There was a sailing beach adjacent where all the Hobie's would sit including rentals. \n\nThat was the only time us low-life employees got to take the boats out for free so I got big air and big water experience very quickly- including some of the most spectacular pitch-poles you could imagine.\n\nYour rig will be the awesome crash pad for races.

[RobC]

TCharters:\n\nI used to race Hobie 16's back in the day on Lake Michigan growing up. Fun stuff.\n\nWhenever there were huge waves (6 to 8 footers) and huge wind (20 Kts +) we would have to close the beach for swimming ( I was a lifeguard). There was a sailing beach adjacent where all the Hobie's would sit including rentals. \n\nThat was the only time us low-life employees got to take the boats out for free so I got big air and big water experience very quickly- including some of the most spectacular pitch-poles you could imagine.\n\nYour rig will be the awesome crash pad for races.

[77Travco]

Nice Travco! \nI don't think that I have ever seen the interior of a rear bath model... Does the back window go all the way across the rear or is it more squarish?

[RobC]

Mine is the same and my back window is square-ish.\n\nRob

[tcharters]

Robc: I Live for high wind sailing!!! Its one of the best rushes you can have with your clothes on. I can imagine the carnage those waves and that wind caused you. We usually get 3 to 7 knots until around 630 then in the evening we are used to getting gusts up to 30 knots plus. It still puts me in irons 90% of the time in winds like that. It takes YEARS!! But i have a great bunch of people that we sail with and they are extremely talented and have been teaching me for the last 27 years. \n 77Travco: Here are a few pictures of the bathroom for you. The shower makes a great carrying place for beach chairs btw. (and a few empty toolboxes. lol)

IMG_1614.JPG.zip

IMG_1615.JPG.zip

[tcharters]

let me know if those zip files dont work and i will downsize the files. But one of them is a panoramic and is a bit large.

[RobC]

Thanks Charters. Zips worked just fine.\n\nI had a lot of leakage coming in the back on top of the steel piece between the frame rails. Beware the floor conditions back there (sitting on the throne, behind you to the right near the Genny box). My floor was toast and I ripped it all out. new ply and wood floor going in in its place\n\nThe floor had a weird sandwich of 3/8 treated ply then 3/8 insulating foam then 1/2 inch ply on top with stringers throughout. 3/8 ply must have been cheaper than 3/4 back in 76. I will take a few photos of mine and post em tonight if I get a chance.\n\nRobC

[tcharters]

that would be great to see that floor cross section. We really lucked out. There are no soft spots in the floor, and the only leak we have found during the fall thundershowers was one coming from the retractable tv antenna crank located above the passenger seat.