We our the proud
owners of a 1977, 28' La Grande that we purchased
back in June, 2001 for $4300 dollars. At that time
I was just looking for something that I could afford
that was in reasonably good shape when I found this
one. It needed some work but overall it was in much
better shape than our old 1979, 28' Vega.
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This
was a time of changes. The silhouette changed shortly
before and the anodized aluminum had a much shinier
appearance than earlier models. |
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The
first time that I towed it I was so impressed how
well it handled. The brakes only worked on one wheel,
the front rock guard was beyond repair, there was
no awning (or hardware except for the awning rail)
and there was no battery box. This picture is pretty
much how it looked when we got it. |
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This
picture is what we have done so far. We have replace
the roof vent covers and installed new fan motors,
installed a new rock guard, completely replaced
all of the brakes, installed new tires and wheels,
and installed a new Zip Dee awning.
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We
have also added a satellite antenna. We need to
repair the floor in the bathroom but other than
that it is functional and we have used it in temperatures
that were in the low twenties.
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Our
Tow Vehicle is a 1994 Dodge B-350 Maxi-Van. It has
a 360 CU engine and a 3:23 gear ratio rear end.
I have installed a heavy duty transmission cooler
and 4 super duty shocks with helper springs. Hey,
don't laugh, it's paid for! I installed a Class
IV Drawtite hitch and I use 1000 pound load bars.
I have dual cam sway bars but I haven't installed
them yet. The rig handles well but I plan to install
them just as an added safety measure. I have to
reposition the propane tanks to facilitate it. Speaking
of the propane tanks, they are 40# aluminum and
I had the valves changed over to the OFP type. It
cost me $35 for the change (both tanks) and tank
inspection. I was assured that I easily have another
20 plus years on the tanks. I installed a new battery
box from Wal-Mart as |