best source to replace antenna on A-108 van

My stock antenna broke off recently while driving, and I need to replace it. Does anyone recommend what to replace it with, and the best place to get one? I didn't know if a antenna from another brand of forward control van would mount or not if I can't find a Dodge antenna.

I used one from the old VW bus of those times. That fits pretty well.
But I dunno any sources in the US.

69 wrote:I used one from the old VW bus of those times. That fits pretty well.
But I dunno any sources in the US.

The other day when I looked online I coudn't find a antenna for a Dodge A van but I did find this, for a VW bus. It looks similar. So if you used one from a old VW bus I guess this should fit, thanks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323594497684?hash=item4b57bc2e94:g:PTgAAOSw1d9cEEm1&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4E9cKe7FOR9SSkj9rK42cd%2FJ3wRA7Y62PkJMq6HAQm5XICOXJqGLlsV%2B4QLvTvsM%2ByoERexXuuiSHc3SEvG0z%2FeaZDWWWw9Z8dr4As%2BsDuvyFcDG9o9Y0LWQO4xan88huorcaeZqnyqv%2FcSemPtSF2go6hkZic6YHyMxvSIDWqygU5PkPdE4qD4ECrnlNQyAlf1xT3%2BqqYg8GQPyZGXZu0v1CkF6x%2FhqK7AqFfEdEIp8HYjWgzVMCPDMKVzBxKf4z%2BFxo1kiQMTJF7uc8%2BIRyCCJEzQ1gb3pj6BfIyGjeky0%7Ctkp%3ABFBMzrHHrspi

kermit wrote:

69 wrote:I used one from the old VW bus of those times. That fits pretty well.
But I dunno any sources in the US.

The other day when I looked online I coudn't find a antenna for a Dodge A van but I did find this, for a VW bus. It looks similar. So if you used one from a old VW bus I guess this should fit, thanks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323594497684?hash=item4b57bc2e94:g:PTgAAOSw1d9cEEm1&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4E9cKe7FOR9SSkj9rK42cd%2FJ3wRA7Y62PkJMq6HAQm5XICOXJqGLlsV%2B4QLvTvsM%2ByoERexXuuiSHc3SEvG0z%2FeaZDWWWw9Z8dr4As%2BsDuvyFcDG9o9Y0LWQO4xan88huorcaeZqnyqv%2FcSemPtSF2go6hkZic6YHyMxvSIDWqygU5PkPdE4qD4ECrnlNQyAlf1xT3%2BqqYg8GQPyZGXZu0v1CkF6x%2FhqK7AqFfEdEIp8HYjWgzVMCPDMKVzBxKf4z%2BFxo1kiQMTJF7uc8%2BIRyCCJEzQ1gb3pj6BfIyGjeky0%7Ctkp%3ABFBMzrHHrspi

I might get one of those. I have tried the powered remote internal antenna, and they don't work so well.

kiwimopar wrote:

kermit wrote:

69 wrote:I used one from the old VW bus of those times. That fits pretty well.
But I dunno any sources in the US.

The other day when I looked online I coudn't find a antenna for a Dodge A van but I did find this, for a VW bus. It looks similar. So if you used one from a old VW bus I guess this should fit, thanks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323594497684?hash=item4b57bc2e94:g:PTgAAOSw1d9cEEm1&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4E9cKe7FOR9SSkj9rK42cd%2FJ3wRA7Y62PkJMq6HAQm5XICOXJqGLlsV%2B4QLvTvsM%2ByoERexXuuiSHc3SEvG0z%2FeaZDWWWw9Z8dr4As%2BsDuvyFcDG9o9Y0LWQO4xan88huorcaeZqnyqv%2FcSemPtSF2go6hkZic6YHyMxvSIDWqygU5PkPdE4qD4ECrnlNQyAlf1xT3%2BqqYg8GQPyZGXZu0v1CkF6x%2FhqK7AqFfEdEIp8HYjWgzVMCPDMKVzBxKf4z%2BFxo1kiQMTJF7uc8%2BIRyCCJEzQ1gb3pj6BfIyGjeky0%7Ctkp%3ABFBMzrHHrspi

I might get one of those.  I have tried the powered remote internal antenna, and they don't work so well.  

I'll let you know how it works. If it works almost as good as my old antenna, it'll be great. I was pulling in stations from very far away. Although talk radio dominates the AM band, I can still listen to the ball game when they are playing, and there is still an oldies AM station within range of where I live. I can easily get a Canadian station, day or night, but then Canada isn't that far away. At night I can get Mexican stations.

When I was in southern florida I was easily picking up WLW 700 to listen to the ball game, maybe a thousand miles away. Although I don't plan on taking the van to Florida again, I'd still like to get that kind of radio performance.

kermit wrote:

kiwimopar wrote:

kermit wrote:

69 wrote:I used one from the old VW bus of those times. That fits pretty well.
But I dunno any sources in the US.

The other day when I looked online I coudn't find a antenna for a Dodge A van but I did find this, for a VW bus. It looks similar. So if you used one from a old VW bus I guess this should fit, thanks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323594497684?hash=item4b57bc2e94:g:PTgAAOSw1d9cEEm1&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4E9cKe7FOR9SSkj9rK42cd%2FJ3wRA7Y62PkJMq6HAQm5XICOXJqGLlsV%2B4QLvTvsM%2ByoERexXuuiSHc3SEvG0z%2FeaZDWWWw9Z8dr4As%2BsDuvyFcDG9o9Y0LWQO4xan88huorcaeZqnyqv%2FcSemPtSF2go6hkZic6YHyMxvSIDWqygU5PkPdE4qD4ECrnlNQyAlf1xT3%2BqqYg8GQPyZGXZu0v1CkF6x%2FhqK7AqFfEdEIp8HYjWgzVMCPDMKVzBxKf4z%2BFxo1kiQMTJF7uc8%2BIRyCCJEzQ1gb3pj6BfIyGjeky0%7Ctkp%3ABFBMzrHHrspi

I might get one of those.  I have tried the powered remote internal antenna, and they don't work so well.  

I'll let you know how it works. If it works almost as good as my old antenna, it'll be great. I was pulling in stations from very far away. Although talk radio dominates the AM band, I can still listen to the ball game when they are playing, and there is still an oldies AM station within range of where I live. I can easily get a Canadian station, day or night, but then Canada isn't that far away. At night I can get Mexican stations.  

When I was in southern florida I was easily picking up WLW 700 to listen to the ball game, maybe a thousand miles away. Although I don't plan on taking the van to Florida again, I'd still like to get that kind of radio performance.

Can you receive FM also - or do you just have an AM radio?

Did any of the original antennas have a Chrome base cover ? Cust.sportsman ?

kiwimopar wrote:

kermit wrote:

kiwimopar wrote:

kermit wrote:

69 wrote:I used one from the old VW bus of those times. That fits pretty well.
But I dunno any sources in the US.

The other day when I looked online I coudn't find a antenna for a Dodge A van but I did find this, for a VW bus. It looks similar. So if you used one from a old VW bus I guess this should fit, thanks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323594497684?hash=item4b57bc2e94:g:PTgAAOSw1d9cEEm1&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4E9cKe7FOR9SSkj9rK42cd%2FJ3wRA7Y62PkJMq6HAQm5XICOXJqGLlsV%2B4QLvTvsM%2ByoERexXuuiSHc3SEvG0z%2FeaZDWWWw9Z8dr4As%2BsDuvyFcDG9o9Y0LWQO4xan88huorcaeZqnyqv%2FcSemPtSF2go6hkZic6YHyMxvSIDWqygU5PkPdE4qD4ECrnlNQyAlf1xT3%2BqqYg8GQPyZGXZu0v1CkF6x%2FhqK7AqFfEdEIp8HYjWgzVMCPDMKVzBxKf4z%2BFxo1kiQMTJF7uc8%2BIRyCCJEzQ1gb3pj6BfIyGjeky0%7Ctkp%3ABFBMzrHHrspi

I might get one of those.  I have tried the powered remote internal antenna, and they don't work so well.  

I'll let you know how it works. If it works almost as good as my old antenna, it'll be great. I was pulling in stations from very far away. Although talk radio dominates the AM band, I can still listen to the ball game when they are playing, and there is still an oldies AM station within range of where I live. I can easily get a Canadian station, day or night, but then Canada isn't that far away. At night I can get Mexican stations.  

When I was in southern florida I was easily picking up WLW 700 to listen to the ball game, maybe a thousand miles away. Although I don't plan on taking the van to Florida again, I'd still like to get that kind of radio performance.

Can you receive FM also - or do you just have an AM radio?

I have a FM stereo that is in a dual speaker holder laying on the floor, but I don't use the radio part at all. When I use it it's for the CD and mp3 player. The main reason I wanted to replace the antenna on the original AM radio from 1968 in the dash was to listen to the ball games during the summer, and also the AM stations have more traffic reports than FM. (although with Waze on my phone it almost makes CB and radio station traffic reports obsolete) If you need an antenna and have an AM/FM the cable that comes with the antenna should work, it has a standard male type plug in common to car radios in general.

I don't know now if the old antenna that broke is an original Dodge antenna or not, because it looks exactly like the one I ordered from Ebay that claimed to be a VW bus antenna. It's possible one of the many previous owners at some point in the last 55 yrs. replaced it with this type of antenna. Although it came with a new cable for attaching to the back of the antenna mount to the back of the AM radio, I didn't need it, thank goodness. It would've been more difficult to get my hand to the back of the radio. Getting to the back of the antenna mount wasn't too hard. The small nut at the bottom is 8mm, and a 3/4" wrench works for the large top nut. You have to take off the knurled fastener that holds the cable to the back of the antenna and pull it off, then remove the nuts holding the base to the van. I had to loosen the knurled cable fastener part with a pair of pliers at first, then it just came loose using my fingers. Re installation is the reverse.

Now I'm getting all the stations I used to get before, including the one with the ball game. Unfortunately now that I replaced the antenna, they're now losing more games than they're winning. At this rate they don't have to worry about going to the playoffs.  Anyway, there's at least 2 oldies music AM stations I can pick up, even during the daytime.

gary h wrote:Did any of the original antennas have a Chrome base cover ?  Cust.sportsman ?

I don't know about the original Dodge antennas but the antenna I bought to replace my broken one (and is supposedly a VW bus antenna, see ebay link above) there was the exact same type of antenna available in a chrome base instead of the black I bought. I could've bought it but it cost a little extra.