GM heritage center

[Boom Sounds]

See attached example, find more info here, select Chevrolet Trucks:

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-...tion-kits.html

[kidjedi]

Nice! Great to have this information on my P30 chassis and 454 straight from the source!

[Boom Sounds]

P30 Series Chassis, Type (IMHO) is a P32 Motorhome chassis........

lights the blue touch paper and leaves the room...

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Boom Sounds

P30 Series Chassis, Type (IMHO) is a P32 Motorhome chassis........

lights the blue touch paper and leaves the room...

Correct. Some minor differences. You may not find auto apply park brake in the p30 info. To my knowledge, only the p30s built for frito lay had auto apply. They custom (in volume) ordered alison transmissions and 6.5l diesel in their units. There was a service supplemental manual produced for those units.
When I was responsible for that account, they had about 3200 of them.

[Boom Sounds]

My take on what is different between the P32 type Motorhome chassis (P30 series) and the standard Forward Control P42 (P30 series) chassis used in all the bread trucks etc. Please take aim and highlight any corrections/ommissions:

• Wider frame
• Dash A/C
• Larger fuel tanks
• Tuned suspension
• Steering wheel box/linkage
• Stabilizer bars
• Different rear springs
• Different front suspension
• Different brake system (JB8 vs JB9) within the P32 type Motorhome chassis
• Belts/Hoses
• Fuel lines
• Different axles (19.5” vs 16”) within the P32 Motorhome chassis

Thoughts?

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Boom Sounds

My take on what is different between the P32 type Motorhome chassis (P30 series) and the standard Forward Control P42 (P30 series) chassis used in all the bread trucks etc. Please take aim and highlight any corrections/ommissions:

• Wider frame
• Dash A/C
• Larger fuel tanks
• Tuned suspension
• Steering wheel box/linkage
• Stabilizer bars
• Different rear springs
• Different front suspension
• Different brake system (JB8 vs JB9) within the P32 type Motorhome chassis
• Belts/Hoses
• Fuel lines
• Different axles (19.5” vs 16”) within the P32 Motorhome chassis

Thoughts?

Hmmm,wider frame? Not sure, never heard that, but I didn't directly deal with P32, I was a commercial guy. P32 was handled out of our department since it more closely resembled a commercial business flow than retail. A good friend, in the cube across the isle handled ALL P32 stuff. Never remember he and I discussing frame differences, other than length and tag axle upfit problems. Doesn't mean it's not true. Frames came into the plant already assembled.

Some P30s had A/C and most didn't...so difference or just a low volume of P30s? I doubt it was a different system though. Ya know...cost and all.

Fuel tank - definitely different

Tuned suspension - a laughable moniker. Just capacity differences. Nothing on that antique, but charming, chassis is "tuned".

Steering wheel - sure, retail vs. commercial. Steering box, I don't recall, but it is logical that a 32 would have a box borrowed from a medium duty application.

Stabilizer bar - yes

Springs - sure much higher gvwr

Brakes - sure, much higher gcwr

Belts hoses - engine for engine, I don't recall that.

Fuel lines - sure, longer, different routing and provisions for frame extension on 32

Axle - sure - again much higher gcwr on 32....however, I think you may find the 30 axle on the shorty Argosys. I'm not also sure all the brake differences are on the shortys.


It has now been 25 years since I dealt with all of this ...and some nightmares you really try hard to forget, so give me some slack.

[Air345Fly]

Wow, that is great stuff from GM. I see that the manufacturers suggested
price for my frame (345) was $11,950.66. GM also had a diesel option
for this frame but not for the 345, i.e. the longest frame. Did Airstream
ever offer a diesel using the GM engine?

They even had the manual for the '64 Cadillac that I owned as a kid way
back when.

[Boom Sounds]

Yup, super interesting and I have never seen it before, so not sure if it is all new. It looks like it goes back to the earliest Argosy's in the 70s.

[martin300662]

Judging on the the fact that the 1974 motorhome literature is for a stepvan, and it is 1975 before the literature actually applies to a 'motorhome chassis, it seems to indicate that the first year motorhome (like Brad's) were not a motorhome specific chassis at all.

Also worth noting that the early 350 V8 supplied chassis had the TH400, not TH475 transmission that were widely thought to be 'standard'.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by martin300662

Judging on the the fact that the 1974 motorhome literature is for a stepvan, and it is 1975 before the literature actually applies to a 'motorhome chassis, it seems to indicate that the first year motorhome (like Brad's) were not a motorhome specific chassis at all.

Also worth noting that the early 350 V8 supplied chassis had the TH400, not TH475 transmission that were widely thought to be 'standard'.

As Martin suggested my 74 Argosy was based on the step van chassis. My parking brake release is a pull lever up under the dash. Also my parking brake cables were the same as the step vans. I had a hard time sorting through the differences.

My brakes are the JB7 (front disk, rear drum). I don't know about the transmission because it was gone by the time I obtained the Argosy.

Also, my front suspension used the step van ball joints instead of the P30/motorhome chassis ball joints.


Brad

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by bkahler

As Martin suggested my 74 Argosy was based on the step van chassis. My parking brake release is a pull lever up under the dash. Also my parking brake cables were the same as the step vans. I had a hard time sorting through the differences.

My brakes are the JB7 (front disk, rear drum). I don't know about the transmission because it was gone by the time I obtained the Argosy.

Also, my front suspension used the step van ball joints instead of the P30/motorhome chassis ball joints.


Brad

Bella has the pull e-brake as well, which actually causes an issue in the UK where e-brakes have to have 18% of the total brake efficiency to pass the annual inspection. There is just not enough leverage on the pull type lever to achieve that. Luckily Bella doesn't have to have an annual inspection now that she is over 40years old.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by martin300662

Bella has the pull e-brake as well, which actually causes an issue in the UK where e-brakes have to have 18% of the total brake efficiency to pass the annual inspection. There is just not enough leverage on the pull type lever to achieve that. Luckily Bella doesn't have to have an annual inspection now that she is over 40years old.

Maybe you just need to do a few arm exercises

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Maybe you just need to do a few arm exercises

Attachment 386848

I needs me spinach!

[Boom Sounds]

The information below does appear to be accurate. The attachment here is from the Heritage Centre's Motorhome Guide for 1971 (dated March 15th 1971). It clearly shows the P32 type designation was part of the P30 chassis series (see page nine). The P42 Forward Control type chassis is also shown as part of the P30 series. Obviously, does not mean that Airstream used the P32 Motorhome chassis at that point, but it was available as a specific option from 1970 onwards.


Via Barth Forums: 'I am retired GM Engineer, and we established the P32 chassis designation, in 1971, to seperate the Motor Home Chassis from the P42 Forward Control Chassis, which was currently in production......the very first P32 MH chassis were built in the Janesville Plant on Dec. 23, 1970. I remember the date distinctly, because my wife has NEVER FORGIVEN my boss at that time for keeping me working until Christmas eve, which was her birthday'

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by Boom Sounds

....... does not mean that Airstream used the P32 Motorhome chassis at that point.....

That hits the nail on the head; no doubt it existed, equally no doubt Airstream didn't use it!