Hello all, I am new to this website looking for a little info on a vehicle I just received. I collect everything (mostly early radio & television) and I found this 1952 Dodge Route Van made into a remote location Radio & TV van sometime in 1953 with all original electronics. It was found up in Hibbing, Minnesota sadly waiting on a equipment farm to be found. It was originally from Duluth, Mn. This is only the third remote van to show up known to exist intact. Most were junked by the '60's mostly to have the engineer take it home & gut it for a camper. In a few months when the weather warms up a little, I want to get it running and start some restoration work on it. I love this long wheelbase "Fisher Price Toy" van and can't wait to get started on it! My question is, how scarce are these vans and who would be the best to have any good rust free front fenders? Here are a few pictures: http://www.geocities.com/julianburke/dodge1.JPG http://www.geocities.com/julianburke/dodge2.JPG http://www.geocities.com/julianburke/dodge3.JPG http://www.geocities.com/julianburke/dodge4.JPG http://www.geocities.com/julianburke/dodge5.JPG http://www.geocities.com/julianburke/dodge6.JPG http://www.geocities.com/julianburke/dodge7.JPG Also if anyone is interested, here is a URL of Steve McVoy's website of a classic TV van and what it looks like today. RCA used this brand truck and Dodges' were only custom and rare. RCA touted their trucks as only "a standard 1 1/2 ton truck chassis" and never gave a model name. http://www.earlytelevision.org/wgsf_van.html In adding to the posts, don't worry, it will not be gutted. The whole reason for buying this van was because of the electronics. The van was secondary but it will NOT be gutted. As said before, it is one of three known to exist that is intact with the '50's electronics. I want to refinish all of the signs on it to include a good paint job. This will be part of a broadcast museum!
Those front fenders look like narrowed stepside pickup rear fenders to me. I highly doubt you'll find one of these for parts with good front fenders but they're not that rusty, if you are good with a welder they should be a piece of cake to fix.
So these vans are very rare? The front fenders are rusted through on the inside top and front side. (both sides) The rest of the van is pretty much sheet metal for any replacement, frame looks good but I don't look forward to breaking the lug nuts to go through the brake system!
THAT is really cool!!! Does any of the equipment still work? I did a quick search and KDAL is AM station in Duluth MN. That would explain the rust... What are the plans?
If any of the electronics work as they are, I would be greatly surprised. Being that it is all tubes, they can rather easily be made to work again. All filter capacitors would have to be shotgunned replaced first and then gone through several times again. The monitors shown are so rare that they are more than worth what I paid for the whole deal including shipping. They are what control the cameras-I didn't get them but certainly wish I did. Apparently there were 4 cameras. The one on the left was a "field" version CCU and the three on the right were originally designed for studio use so the field version was added later or done this way for space considerations. This is a very rare find and it will be eventually restored to working condition for my soon eventual museum of early broadcast equipment.
That is cool. I hope you can restore it and keep all of the electronics. I am a sucker for old electronics, any old stuff I guess. Keep us posted.
Cool ol' truck! The fenders do look like rear stepside fenders, they were the same up to the late '80's, but are no longer available new.
neat ride but like a lot of rarer rides if will be tough finding parts. I would join the Pilothouse message board to see if they know anything bout it (though not sure if you can technically call it a pilothouse) best of luck on your project
Here is a photo of mine . It is a short wheelbase 1952. I am not sure what uses it has had. I drug mine home from Colorado.
Also curious if you have looked under yours to see the rear axle and differential yet That is one of the interesting features of the Route van design
I just looked under it mainly to see what shape the frame was in but will look at it more tomorrow. (It just came in today) I saw your truck and it looks very nice. I wish mine was more like yours as yours looks rust free. It is a cute little van certainly deserving a nice paint & restoration job. What line of work was it in or can you tell? It's in very good condition. It would look great with a baby blue paint job. You could dress it up as a bakery truck with a custom sign and call it the "Piewagon" as from the movie (was it American Graffiti?)
As both an enthusiast of old shit, and an E.E., I'm drooling. Nice find! I'm not too far from you either.
Here is one from the movie It Came from Outer Space. There was another one, but not a TV one, in The Graduate. Your links are dead, can you repost the pictures of your project? Thanks,
I am looking for a Dodge Route Van..any for sale or know of where one is located? email me please at Brandon.Byrd@mac.com
Why drag a dead thread up to post your looking for one of these? That's what the classifieds are for. HRP
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