The Dodge F40 Sportsman RV (Finding Dodge F40 Parts)
There was a time when the Dodge or Chrysler motor company made RVs. This was done over 40 years ago and some of these units are still on the road today. When looking at the pillar plate, you may be confused as the F40 comes up as a model number and not the name of the RV.
The older machines get, the harder it is to find parts. That is the way life goes. But a good internet search should turn up different parts dealers that will have the F40 part you are looking for. The key will be if the part is at the price you want to pay.
To learn more about where to find parts for the Dodge F40, just continue to read our article. it explores the issue so you can find parts quicker than you have been. Take a few minutes to get the information you need.
What is a Dodge F40?
This is one of the few RV vehicles that Dodge made back in the day. The approx time of production was between 1965 to 1980. The vans were produced until 2003 by Chrysler and they were built on the B series.
The B series came after the A series and the number after the letter indicated the type of van it was. A B-100 was the half-ton, the B-200 was the 3/4 ton and the B-300 was the 1 ton.
The motor home style was the cab over bed like a Class C RV of today and there was a roof rack for extra gear when you needed it. The van style is a typical design and would pass for a normal van on the street. Lots of windows made visibility superior and its longevity meant that it was a solidly built vehicle.
Dodge F40 Sportsman
Since production has stopped on this model of RVs and vans, it may be a little difficult to find parts. The RV may be a lot harder to find parts as there are fewer of these models on the road and many have already been scrapped or sold for salvage.
Then some sportsman models may be very easy to find parts for because there are still many of them on the road. The key is knowing where to look. The good news is that the RVs may be selling for a very low price and still be in top condition.
If you get a motivated seller you can save the hassle and buy an extra one just for the needed parts. That strategy should save you time and the trouble of searching for spare parts around the nation.
Finding 1977 Dodge F40 Parts
As we said a little earlier, the older a machine gets, the harder it is to find the right part. The reason for that is that either too many have been picked clean already or the model just does not exist in great numbers anymore.
This website claims to have access to over 7000 Dodge parts suppliers in order to get you the Sportsman F40 part you have been searching for. They should be able to save you some time and a lot of hassle.
Here is another online outlet that says it supplies parts for all Dodge models. How many they have for the 1977 Sportsman is not known and you will have to contact them to find out.
According to the web page of this car part outlet, they supply all the parts you will ever need. They list their parts by year and then model once you click on the year you need. Those links will get you started.
We cannot stress enough how valuable classified ads are when you require Dodge 1977 parts. You never know when ads will be posted by owners needing to sell their spare parts or even a van used for parts only.
Craigslist and other online or local classified ads turn up gems all the time. And it may pay off to visit eBay as that company seems to have many Dodge parts listed for sale. You would have to be item-specific in your search to find the matching part.
While garage, yard, and estate sales are slim to none chances at finding parts, every once in a while one may turn up at these places. Your better bet would be to go to the different flea markets as there should be vendors there dealing in older RV and car parts.
Finally, the junk or scrap yards will be your best bet. The number of vehicles they have in their yards should turn up something for you. Go to the ones that are closest to you first, then branch out and visit the ones a little bit further away.
Using an online yellow pages website should help you locate the ones nearest you. Plus, you can contact them to see if they do have any parts, saving you time and gas. These few suggestions should put you on the right track.
Dodge F40 VIN Decoder
There are a lot of these services on the internet. Type in the subheading immediately above and your search should turn up a very large number of options for you. This particular website may be the most helpful to you as it covers the VIN for Dodge trucks from 1936 to 1980.
For these vehicle years, Dodge did not have a uniform number for the VIN. They can range between 7 and 13 letters. It wasn’t until 1981 that they went to the 17 number format. There is only 1 VIN number per vehicle.
A couple of other options you can try is this website and this one. Be forewarned that the VIN is often changed by car thieves and you should check the VIN number when you are trying to buy another car.
To combat this problem, vehicle manufacturers have placed the VIN in several locations throughout the vehicle. This is a good way to see if any of the numbers have been switched on you. All you have to do is find the numbers and compare them.
- In the frame of the radiator, on the left arch of the front wheel;
- On the front left side door pillar (Stratus / 1995-2000 , Dakota / 1997-2004, Durango / 1998-2004);
- Left middle strut (Intrepid / 1998-2004);
- On the top of the front right wheel arch (Intrepid / 1993-1997);
- A heat-proof casing bulkhead (Stratus / 2001-2004);
- On the flip side of the hood, left front corner (Dakota / 1987-1996);
- On the left a-pillar (Caravan, RAM).
One of the Sportsman’s locations is the left pillar. Plus, the VIN should not be all numbers. There should be some letters mixed in as well. Also, not all of these decoders may work for an old Dodge F40 RV or van. The best thing to do is check them out and do a search to find out. If not, move to the next decoder on your list.
Dodge F40 RVs for Sale
There are some being sold throughout the nation. Many will be individuals trying to sell their old model off so they can pay for their upgrade to a newer model. One 25 foot 440 V8 model is being sold for $1999 right now so you know the prices are going to be on the low end of the scale.
To find yours, the classified ads are the place to start a local search. You never know when someone wants to get it out of their driveway and will place an ad. Craigslist will be a good source and with its format, you can check individual states to see if any are on sale right now.
Our search turned up websites that act like real estate agents. They list a variety of Dodge RVs that are on sale throughout the nation. There are quite a few of these services that come up in a search.
Just as there are for individuals selling their old RV and those results are not limited to one state. Then the government auctions tend to sell some with or without keys and on a salvage title basis. Check the different auction houses or government office that handles those sales to see what is available.
Some Final Words
Dealing with older vehicles is like dealing with other vintage or antique machines. It is like a treasure hunt to find the right parts to get your treasured vehicle up and running again.
This hunt can be both exciting or frustrating as well as a lot of fun. Oh, and you should try the many RV forums on the internet as well. They provide some excellent advice, information as well as leads.
The treasure hunt will take you to new locations and have you meeting new friends.
