These pages are copies from 2005, use at your own risk.
Thanks to Bob Spear for creating them.

This page is intended to share technical information on problems encountered by owners of Sportscoach motor homes. This information could be helpful tips, howto's, repair info or other similar data. At the end are links to general RV tech sites. Many have good generic information. Email sam@samstoybox.com to have your info published. Links to additional Sportscoach information is at the end of this page. I am very fortunate to have former Sportscoach people contact me who have offered their technical assistance and expertise. Many of us are available on Yahoo at the Vintage Sportscoach group. If you have questions, send email to the group and we will gladly help. If you need info specific for Coachmen produced Sportscoaches, you can contact Mel Williams at Coachmen Industries. Mel's number is 574-825-7000.

The VSO has been contacted by MasterTech OEM of Elkhart, In. They have been dealing with Sportscoach for over 15 years and took over the Sportscoach parts and service number 574-522-6224 almost 6 years ago . They say there is little they cannot get or mfg! Just take a look at the Before and After pictures of this 1992 CrossCountry that was involved in an accident with a semi. From Doors - Windows - Siding - Windshields - Grills - Bumpers - Moldings - Chassis AC - Holding Tanks - Fuel Tanks - Etc. Email Timthervman at Mastertech OEM for the hard-to-find Sportscoach windshield gasket kits if you need them. Update as of 2/19/2005 they have a new 22,000 sq ft facility at 28717 Holiday Place, Elkhart, IN 46517. Please make note!

Another source has been found for Sportscoach windshield gaskets. Austin Hardware Company, 800-634-4293. 1 piece gaskets are part #AS1536 and 2 piece gaskets are part #AS1488. Available in 50' rolls only for around $70 plus shipping. The 50' roll will make 2 complete gasket sets.

Sportscoach III owners, the mystery of the missing circuit breakers has been solved! Thanks to Bob Bishop, he found a secret sliding panel located just below the builtin night tables next to the bed. Look directly at the one with the switches for selecting which A/C operates. Just below those switches is a hidden panel. Push on it just right and the panel "pops" to revel the circuit breakers.

The following tip comes from Bob Redditt.

When we got our Sportscoach, the Door lock wouldn't work. I found that the groove in the slide plate had been bent and widened from repeated stress over the years. The barrel that you pull & push on the inside of the door was supposed to block the slide plate when you push it in thereby locking the door. However, because the slide plate had been stretched out the barrel wasn't big enough to block it anymore. Solution:

1. I went to the hardware store and got a brass bushing a little bit bigger around than the original barrel.
2. Found a long bolt that threaded into the same hole that I took the barrel out of.
3. Thread a nut about 1/2 way up the bolt.
4. Slide the Brass Bushing on the Bolt snug against the nut.
5. Thread the bolt in the lock.

This tip is a lead on good replacement baggage door locks. John Hissink has a Sportscoach IV and according to Coachmen, the locking type compartment door lock is P/N 474584. They are available from Freeway Easy Living, Banning, Ca 909-849-6785. The non locking unit is P/N 474585.

The following info comes from Jere Duke, formerly of SCA.

Radiator hose replacements: Go to a parts store that has: knowledgeable people that are willing to LOOK, and a Goodyear hose catalog. Goodyear appears to be the only company that has a competent catalog relating to motor homes. Take your old hose with you along with the make and chassis type Dodge M500, Chevy P30, etc., + the engine size). Use the chassis year if the chassis year and the coach model year are different. The only other choice if you cannot find the correct hose is to fabricate one out of some sort of tubing (stainless best but exhaust pipe in a pinch will do) and use shorter pieces of radiator hose to finish it up. NAPA does NOT have a good listing of these parts. One other thing: NAPA does not list a 1973 chassis with a 454, only a 350. And just because NAPA says so doesn't necessarily mean it is so. I have a '73 chassis (with '73 brakes......different and much more expensive in '74 and later) with an original 454.

Here's another readers comments on the GM hoses. This info comes from Bob Smejkal.

I had a friend that is a GM parts manager do some research and some of the original factory hoses for the mid 70's are still available. My chassis was built on 6-75, and home on 9-75. The title lists it as a 1976. Both radiator hoses for my MH were still available from the factory. The top hose is part #6259953 and the lower or bottom is #343414. According to my research the 6259953 fits 1973-1981 454 motor home chassis. The 343414 fits 1974-1981 350 & 454cu in. It is also listed for 1982 350cu in units. The 343414 (lower) makes a 180 degree turn around a frame crossmember and would be difficult at best to fabricate. Both of these part numbers were a perfect fit on my unit. Hopefully this information may be of some value to others.

Have you had any problem with rain leaking in thru the top of the coach door. It can and WILL happen if the caulking that seals the rain "gutter" above the doorway has fallen off. Make sure you check this when you do your fall or spring inspections.

If you need to replace your Trucklite model number STI-71 rear lights, they are replaced by Grote part number 52892. The units are sealed and you cannot replace just the bulb. Pop the entire assembly out of the rubber gasket and replace with the new one. Easy job and about $10 for the part.

Click here for my Thetford Aqua Magic toilet repair procedure.

The upper freezer door hinge broke on my Dometic refrigerator. I checked with Camping World and other sources and was told my only solution was to buy a complete door for $150 or so. Not liking this answer I called Dometic. They said that kits are available to repair all of the door hinges and are available through All Seasons RV Appliance Parts & Service in Elkhart, IN. You can reach them at 800-348-7697 or 800-344-0673. The upper and lower hinge repair kit cost $18.95, can be charged to a credit card and shipped anyway and any place that you want. Since having this occur I have talked to two others that have paid for a full door ($350 or so) as well as a freezer door. This company is a valuable resource for us to know about.

Just wanted to post this in case anyone has an electrical short (blown fuse) problem they are trying to fix in their rig. Use a simple test device consisting of a 12V bulb wired across the fuse receptacle. My particular problem was with the tail light circuit. So I picked up a 12 Volt halogen bulb at Radio Shack, used crimp connectors to attach a 10 foot section of wire to each lead, then crimped on a couple of spade connectors to the other ends of the wires. I plugged the spades into the fuse receptacle and turned on the headlight switch. The bulb glowed. Then I started shaking wires, watching the brightness of the bulb. It took about 30 seconds to find the problem. Somewhere in the RV's past, some knucklehead in an RV service Dept. had spliced into the 12V supply for some yet unknown reason. He ended up shorting the 12V positive to ground. As I shook wires, the light changed intensity. Didn't take long to figure out where the problem was. One step closer to the road.

The gas filler plastic recess part number is 610 for Sportscoach, don't remember the wholesale catalog, but if you call RVS Corp. at 408-779-3173 they will know what one is looking for. They also have an 800#, don't know if it works outside CA, but is 800-821-2266. Their address is 10900 Monterey R. Morgan Hill, CA 95037. Thank you Gerry Ducey for this information.

And now the $64,000.00 question: I'm beginning to see signs of corrosion on the aluminum sides of my coach, how do I fix it? I spoke with some very good repair folks regarding this problem. You cannot separate the sides from the bond beam. You have to cut the siding underneath the bond beam and separate it from the foam backing. A new piece is then laminated to the foam. There is a widely held belief that the fasteners used by SCA are causing the aluminum to corrode. This is entirely FALSE! Aluminum will corrode from exposure to the elements over time. The repair is expensive if it is to be done right. Once you make the repair, treat the coach with an anti-corrosive treatment similar to what is used on airplanes. Now it will outlast you!

Owners of 1980 -1989 Pathfinders and Cross-Country coaches, if you need wiring diagrams or other technical info that the VSO cannot provide, please call Mel Williams, SCA Service 574-825-7000. Mel will do his best to help you. Please tell him Bob Spear from the VSO referred you. Mel works at Coachmen Industries and has access to extensive data for these coaches.

Wes Johanson sends the following info for owners of Cross Country Sportscoaches. The seller told me the Generac generator stopped putting out full power. He had several service people look at it and some tried to diagnose over the phone. After helping to rewind the rotor AND the stator and check out the Briggs engine, one service man found the kill switch was shorting under load on one side only. Replacing the kill switch seems to have solved the problem. Note* the L.E.L. sensor in the kitchen seems to draw significant battery power. If there seems to be an abnormal draw, check this.

The Travco Mailing List welcomes any Sportscoach owners with a Dodge Motorhome Chassis who may wish to join. There are many common interests between Travco and Sportscoach owners especially related to the Dodge Chassis/Power train.

Here's some important info I've dug up regarding original equipment suppliers for Sportscoaches. Some of the companies may not be in business or be able to supply replacements but the info is good to know. I will try to mark the businesses no longer available in orange.

Dodge Brake Parts

Alretta Truck Parts, Inc Boston, Ma., is a nationally known specialist in the wholesale supply of hydraulic brake system parts and related subsystems. Our parts are available for overnight delivery and we remain a major service brake replacement parts supplier. We manufacture all the flavors of Dodge brake rotors, M300/400/500/600 and we offer any Chevy service brake parts and Ford parts as well. We supply individuals with in-depth knowledge about their brake system and offer all master cylinders, wheel cylinders, hoses, hardware and many drums for these Class A and Class C chassis from 1965-1981. We know what to look for and how to identify each and every item for the peace of mind of the retail end user. We make the brake shoe return springs for 1969-1973 M375/M400 rear shoes size 14.125" x 3", FMSI # 355. We have self adjusting kits that are obsolete. We have the correct Bendix wheel cylinder for the 1972-73 rear drum with SAE line flare. We will make people who have wandered around looking for parts smile!
NOTE: The President of Alretta Truck Parts Geoff Rosenberg sends the VSO email indicating that anyone who needs parts can contact them and they will be happy to assist you. Parts can be delivered where ever you need them directly from Alretta Truck Parts, just call 508-788-9409 voice or 508-788-9499 fax. Orders go out same day, if called in by 3 pm. (A personal "Thank you" from Bob Spear to all of you who have mentioned the VSO when calling Alretta Truck Parts!)

Workhorse Chassis has all the parts for P30 based Sportscoaches. Please have your VIN and chassis numbers when inquiring about parts.

Continuous Duty Solenoids used in the dual battery setup are Delco #1114218 or Cole Hersee #24059.

Recarbco Fuel Systems can supply you with quality replacement carburetors. I called them for a replacement Thermo Quad for my Sportscoach and I highly recommend them. They have fast service, knowledgeable people and a great product!

Bilstein shocks for all Dodge MH chassis (M400/500/600) are B46-1318 for the fronts and B46-1319 for the rears. Chevy chassis uses Front Heavy Duty: B46-1173, Front Comfort: B46-2137, Rear All: B46-1587.

Special Dodge valve cover gaskets, the ones that fix your leaking problem forever, are VS5877HP available from Performance Gaskets.

Exhaust Manifolds, exact stock replacements but made better and they will not crack. Both Chevy and Dodge are available from Bishop Engine Replacement Parts, Inc. 301 Corinth St., Dallas, Tx, 75207. Call them at 1-800-231-1104.

Decals for Sportscoaches can be had from Gino Sanfilippo, 8014 211th Street Court East, Spanaway, WA 98387-5322

Waste Holding Tanks models 31E and 18A came from Thetford Corporation, Ann Arbor, Michigan (313)-769-6000.

Water Tanks and Holding Tanks can be remade by Inca Plastics, 948 E. Belmont, Ontario Ca. 909-923-3235. Bill Odell of Inca Plastics says they still have some of the original molds to replace Sportscoach waste holding and fresh water tanks. If exact replacement tanks are not available, they will work to help find a substitute or in some cases depending on popularity, they would consider re-building the tooling. They can make replacements from dimensional measurements or copy an existing tank. Original water tanks for Sportscoaches were model numbers: SK72 + SK74 (side bath coaches) SK75 + SK73 (rear bath coaches).

Another source for water tanks is Marine and Mobile Water Systems Huntington Beach, Ca. (714)-897-2144. About 60 tanks from 3 to 133 gallons.

Windows, sliding sash, from LeVan Specialty Co, Los Angeles, Ca. (213)264-0940.

Hehr International, 1103 W Pearl Street, Chesaning, Mi., has replacement windows too. Ask for Al Toma, project engineer, 989-845-3061.

DCM Company has RV glass, windows, wipers and wiper motors for Sportscoaches and others. You can call them at 888-303-8570. The NAPA number for 20" wiper blade assembly is 60-2005, the Trico number is 70-200, the Trico number for the wiper arm is 73-300C.

Propane Tanks came from Manchester Tank Corp. and was a model 6564 for rear bath coaches or model 6547 for side bath coaches.

Water heater exchanger is a Bowen Product, model GH6.

Need parts for a Dometic refrigerator? Call Dometic direct 1-888-666-0722. Nice folks and they are willing to make sure you get what you need.

RV Refrigerator Specialists Our main stock in trade is the rebuilding of ammonia absorption cooling units.

Auxiliary Heaters came from Evans Products Co, Grand Rapids, Michigan (616) 361-2681. The rear is model HV212197, the front is HV212194.

Your Mirrors came from Velvac, Inc. Milwaukee, Wi. 800-783-8871. If you need to redo your mirror brackets you need the following parts; 704069 clamp kit (2), 723080 aux mnt bracket (2), 747070 adj arm (2), and one bracket kit number 757015. Many thanks to John for this info!

Got Ramco Mirrors? Go to Ramco and have a look.

Wiper Motors from American Bosch and are model WWC 12K2612.

Wiring Harness came from Air Tes Wire Harness, Inc. Mesquite, Tx and was model number PSC35CM w/pole throw generator breaker.

Holiday On Wheels, Paterson, NY (914)878-0400, has lens covers and the monitor panel.

Onan offers a free generator manual loaded with tips. Write to: Onan Handbook, Department 241-MH, 1400 73rd Avenue, N.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55432.

Herf Manufacturing, (517)845-3061, has felt and rubber parts.

Screen Doors from John Olson, 10031 E. Kamm Ave., Selma, Ca. (209)896-1198

Gas Tank Renu 1-800-997-3688 can restore your tanks to better than new condition. UPS shipping, quick turn-around, patented process.

For owners that still have their original Thermador Microwave oven, the fan above the browning coil is held on with a 5/16" nylon nut. I found one in a good hardware store, cheap!

Need your original Perfect Circle Cruise Control fixed? Call United Speedometer, 2431 University Ave, Riverside, Ca. 92507 1-800-877-4798 or 1-909-684-0292. Prices start around $100 depending on the service required.

Warranty Experts For 18 years we have helped hundreds of thousands of RV, Auto and Boat owners save money on their warranties. Warranty Experts are "The Consumers Choice Warranty" Award Winner for the past 3 years, where you can save as much as 60% off dealership warranty policies by purchasing direct from us.

A cheap replacement auxiliary heater control switch for older Sportscoaches can be found at NAPA automotive stores. Use STANDARD IGNITION (brand) heater switch part number HS-98. Cost is a couple of bucks at most!

For those of you with older Coleman III air conditioners, the large fiber filters are no longer available. Go to a heating supply store and ask for a filter for a heat pump system. It's about 24" x 36" square, fiber filter that is trimable to any size. Make a copy from your old filter. Cost was less than $4.00

Want a neat storage solution for those little fuses, screws, bulbs, etc? Try fly boxes from the fishing department in any good sporting store. They come in all sizes and are under $5.

Your Sportscoach Monitor panel has a clock and it doesn't work, how do you fix it? Simple, contact Klockit for a replacement quartz clock motor! They are guaranteed six years, run on a single AA battery, simple to install and are under $10 including new arms! How can you beat that?

BondWel Adhesive is AMAZING GLUE! Why? Start with it's 40 Year Shelf Life. It is Waterproof, Non-Toxic, Environmentally Friendly, and withstands high temperatures. It will not dry up on you in the bottle when opened for use. We even guarantee our glue. Great for water pipe repairs, rear view mirrors, leather seats, plastics, metals, glass, wood, and much more. It is the best tool to keep in your RV. Email BondWel for more info.

The library is now on its own page: VSO Libary page