1974 Dodge Sportsman RV Specs

‍If you’re looking for an older van that can be converted into a classic RV, you should check out the specs of a 1974 Dodge Sportsman.

The 1974 Dodge Sportsman RV specs allows this vehicle to be used as a Class C motorhome, one-piece camper van, or standard van for daily driving. The 1974 Dodge Sportsman is 176 to 212 inches long and 79.82 inches wide with a wheelbase of 109 or 127 inches.

I’ve driven many conversion vans over the years and can safely say the 1974 Dodge Sportsman is one of my favorites. Though it’s an older vehicle, it has outstanding customization potential as an RV for vacationing or van for daily driving.

‍What’s Great About A 1974 Dodge Sportsman RV?

As much as I enjoy large Class A motorhomes, they can be expensive to maintain and aren’t practical for daily driving.

During my younger years when I lived more on a budget, I had to find an RV option that was highly flexible and affordable.

I really liked the idea of a conversion van since it presented me with a wide spectrum of RV customization options.

There were a surprisingly large number of manufacturers that built campers for a 1974 Dodge Sportsman, so I knew there were many camper styles to choose from.

Even if I couldn’t find a pre-built RV camper van, I had the resources to have a van converted and customized to my liking.

Great As A Van For Daily Driving

Though a camper van sometimes refers to a conversion van with an attached camper, I refer to a camper van as a standard van used as a camper.

In other words, a camper van to me is a one-piece vehicle that does not have an RV camper attached in the rear.

Since I didn’t always want to use my 1974 Dodge Sportsman as a full-sized RV, I sometimes opted to break it down for use as a standard van for daily driving.

When used as a van, I could drive it around town more easily for work, school, and other daily needs.

Compared to standard-sized vehicles on the road, a 1974 Dodge Sportsman offers much more room for passengers and storage.

Though I often used our Sportsman to bring loads of children to sports events and other weekend activities, the vehicle looked professional enough for me to drive colleagues around.

I once needed to attend a tradeshow with colleagues and ended up using my 1974 Dodge Sportsman to take along several co-workers and all the materials we needed for our exhibit.

The minimalist body design of the 1974 Dodge Sportsman makes it a great canvas for virtually any paint job you have in mind.

Great As A One-Piece Camper Van

There was also enough room in my Sportsman to sleep my whole family when we wanted to get away for the weekend.

Breaking down our Dodge Sportsman and using it as a daily driver didn’t mean we could no longer use it as an RV.

The seating in a 1974 Dodge Sportsman can easily be moved in and out to accommodate a variety of setups.

When we wanted to use the van as an RV camper, we could remove some seating and add camp tables, chairs, awning, coolers, kayaks, cooking equipment, and other gear.

When we wanted to transport more people, we could remove the camper-related accessories and add more seating.

For extra storage space, we could add a storage compartment to the top of our camper van.

The storage compartment was smoothly integrated into the overall van design and didn’t make the vehicle more difficult to drive.

Great As A Class C Motorhome

Though the 1974 Dodge Sportsman was widely used as a standard van, it was also popular to use it as a motorhome.

If you look through brochures and other materials from Dodge about the 1974 Dodge Sportsman, you’ll probably see many motorhome conversions produced by third-party companies.

I generally don’t like to drive super large vehicles, but the 1974 Dodge Sportsman RV motorhome never felt particularly difficult to drive.

Since the front cabin of a 1974 Dodge Sportsman is that of a standard van, I could basically operate it the way I would a standard car or truck.

The Sportsman gave me the driving convenience of a van with the amenities of a full-sized motorhome.

My particular RV camper had features that made life on the road much less stressful.

We didn’t have to worry about finding a place to cook, shower, use a toilet, or sleep.

Unlike tents and sleeping areas inside a one-piece camper van, the motorhome camper gave us much more space to stretch our legs and move around.

One of the best things I liked about sleeping in a 1974 Dodge Sportsman RV motorhome is the added security it provided compared to tents and other sleeping options.

We could stay warmer in our RV and had many of the conveniences of home right at our fingertips.

1974 Dodge Sportsman RV Van Specs

The 1974 Dodge Sportsman offers a solid foundation to attach a relatively robust RV camper.

My Sportsman van had enough size and power to not only include a large full-featured camper, it also allowed us to bring along plenty of camping items and other belongings wherever we went.

The speed and handling were more than sufficient for use to navigate hilly, curvy, and other types of roads we would encounter during our trips.

Whether you are handy with auto upgrades or want someone else to perform upgrades, the 1974 Dodge Sportsman van can make an excellent base for your RV.

Here are specs of the 1974 Dodge Sportsman RV van:

• Wheelbase: 109 or 127 inches
• Width: 79.82 inches
• Length from bumper to bumper: 176 inches. 194 inches, or 212 inches
• Payload allowance: 1,064 to 3,524 lbs.
• Side wagon door: Hinged or sliding
• Suspension: Front coil springs
• Front seating: Full-foam 20-inch wide seats
• Brakes: Fade-resistant front brakes and drum-type rear brakes
• Gas tank: 23 gallons
• Ride capacity: Up to 15 passengers
• Sleep capacity: Up to 5 occupants
• Electronic ignition
• Heater
• Air conditioner
• Optional power steering
• Rust protection

1974 Dodge Sportsman RV Motorhome Specs

RVs were quite popular in the 1970s, so there were many manufacturers that produced motorhome campers for a 1974 Dodge Sportsman van.

Some of the leading camper makers at the time include Coachman, Traveleze, Fan, Cobra, Robinhood, and Chinook.

Many other camper makers have appeared over time, so the camper options have expanded even more.

Here are some common standard features in a 1974 Dodge Sportsman RV motorhome camper:

• Dining table and seating
• Countertop with sink
• Curtained windows
• Stove
• Refrigerator
• Cabinets
• Gas furnace with thermostat
• Water heater
• Lighting system and lamps
• Waste tank
• Seat belts
• Heater
• Defroster
• Entry door step

Here are some common optional features in a 1974 Dodge Sportsman RV motorhome camper:

• Power generator
• Carpeting
• Toilet
• Television
• Air conditioner
• Enclosed shower
• Roof ladder
• Front and rear chrome bumpers
• Radio
• Stereo player
• Trailer hitch
• Luggage racks