What's better than a motorhome barn find? A free one, and that's what the Boudreaux family encountered in this video, courtesy of Roadschool on YouTube.
The head of the Boudreaux family has always wanted to restore a VW Bus. In a coffee talk, he was told that there's one that has been sitting on a property in Rexford, Montana. The sellers of the property wanted to get rid of the old camper, so they traveled to fetch the van, only to find out that it was actually a 1972 Dodge Tradesman.
The motorhome was pretty much in an abandoned shape but since it's a free barn find – or a yard find, rather – the Boudreaux family took it. It had a raised roof and a roll-over tent, which makes this a perfect base for a motorhome restoration. All of the four tires were deflated but good thing they brought a small air compressor so they could move the vehicle.
The Dodge's windows and main door were jammed, though, so the Boudreaux family had to break in. Inside, the condition of the van wasn't any better. The space wasn't much but it could probably make do for a two-person camper. There was a counter for a kitchen, a bed, and some storage spaces, which will probably all go to make way for the restoration.
According to the family's road trip website, they will not keep this 1972 Dodge Tradesman camper, most likely because they are actually looking for a VW Bus to restore. A friend of theirs will be taking over the vehicle and its restoration after the family gets it up and running. A new video will be up on April 18, 2022, to see if they can get start the van, in case you're interested.
Of note, the Boudreaux's is a family of 7, currently on a goal to visit all 50 US states and "paddle board" in each one of them. They ditched their suburban home in 2016 and started the adventure in an RV, while noting that the kids are currently schooled on the road, hence the channel's and the website's name.
