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Notlostjustwandering

Toyota Advanced Member
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About Notlostjustwandering

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  • My Toyota Motorhome
    Toyota Dolphin 87
  • Location
    currently southern California

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  • Gender
    Female
  • Interests
    parenting, music, dancing, books, animals, travel, food, history, adventure, gardening

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  1. Right. I LOVE the design and layout and space of our dolphin, and though I keep looking at converted vehicles, I would love to fix up the one I actually have. It's ultimately a question of how much it will cost to fix her up. I will likely have to pay someone to do a lot of the work, but will do what I can! This forum really is gold- where else could I talk Dolphin?! 😜 NO one in my world gets it.
  2. Jumping back on to say that I DID get the drag issue resolved- it was a case of squashed air bags. I have posted other questions elsewhere, but am faced with so many DIY projects for Tortuga (our dolphin) that I am feeling overwhelmed. I am so grateful I checked this thread again, though, because I needed a new tire filling option- Linda, you saw that post. I needed some fill valve assistance, and your point here was just what I needed. On another note, has anyone just paid someone to put a new metal or fiberglass shell on a dolphin?
  3. I have a semi-related question- I have an 86 with the duallies and my local mechanics insist they cannot top up the air in the inside tire- is there a thread on here about work-arounds for this? I bought some valve extenders but apparently they are not going to work. trying to figure out a simple solution ( if one exists.)
  4. Hi everyone! I have been silent on here for a while due to life changes during the pandemic, BUT I still have my 87 Dolphin and have had a few adventures. Each one has revealed more work that needs to be done. My biggest concern is the shell. It is pulling away entirely at the rear corners of the rig, and -though I have not found proof of water intrusion- I have found damp spots once or twice and I am not sure if they are from leaks in the shell or in the water line (which is a WHOLE other question.) I have gotten to the point where I would like to take the whole shell and all it's contents off, put a new shell on, new floor in, and redo the interior furnishings/appliances with simpler items that require less maintenance (gravity fed sinks/shower/ composting toilet, fold away tables.) I am searching for a company to do the shell because I know I don't have the bandwidth or experience to do that without majorly screwing it up. Has anyone done this themselves with something other than wood successfully? Or found a company to attach a new shell? Or found a shell that someone else could attach? I am looking online and not finding much, but I thought it might be wise to check with the experts before I go too far down the research rabbit hole. The simplest idea is to sell it and buy something newer I can customize, but I am attached to the Dolphin, and not sure if it would really be more economical or practical in the end. Thoughts from folks who have taken one or more of these paths? I truly want opinions. My son and I love "Tortuga" but I am bracing myself to part with her if I really can't manage the repairs needed to keep her roadworthy and safe for my kiddo. I have a slew of other questions but am still looking for the right threads on which to put them.
  5. ALSO- got covers for my spare and tires for when my rig has to sit. ( i take her out every other week or so to stretch, but it can be quite brief)
  6. got my new tires! will see how they go. got a good price, and same day. SO APPRECIATE all your help- I was able to walk in and ask for exactly what I needed without sounding like the noob i am 😜
  7. i am hopping on here with a slightly unrelated but still connected question. i dont like to run my A/C too much, and have pondered removing it....was wondering if this seems like a good offgrid option to more experienced boondockers? https://www.etsy.com/listing/590660972/solar-battery-110v12v-portable-air?ref=also_bought-2&frs=1
  8. ok SO i filled the air bags through the side valves- that was the easy part. i could not take my rig out to test the balance because...dun dun dun.. i have a bulging tire. i have posted about it on another thread, trying to figure out what kind of tire i should try to get... but the other thread was....divided. any ideas here?
  9. according to various threads on here, It looks like: I need B tires or possibly a 185R14 Load Range D or maybe a C? One member has the same model I do, and said this (there was some debate about it, but i am a total rookie) "Unless you are carrying Lead, the older Toy MH's fall well within the Load Carrying Capacity of "B" Range tires (5000Lb-6000Lb loaded running). If you have abnormal wear running Load Range "B" tires (assuming the weight on EACH wheel/wheelset is within the Load Carrying Capacity of the tire and the Tire Pressure is correct for that weight), you will probably have the same thing with "C" or "D" tires as well. Look at Wheel Alignment (including bent parts) and unequal weight distribution side-to-side (which seems to be a chronic design fault/compromise especially seen in small RV's). Did all the rear tires wear equally?? We run "B" range tires on our '86 21Ft Dolphin (right at 6000Lb running down the road) and got 38,000Mi from the Passenger side Dual Wheelset but only 28,000Mi from the Driver side Dual Wheelset, due to unequal side-to-side weight distribution.1987 TOYOTA Pickup Camper Cab (DRW) with a standard tire size of 185R14/C" Then i found a WHOLE bunch of debates on this, and now feeling overwhelmed. how am i supposed to get the right tires?
  10. hey all- i am hijacking this post a bit, as I just found a bulge in my passenger side rear wheel (I have dual wheels)- toyota dolphin, 87. Do you have any specific tire recommendations? i have been researching~!
  11. This is so helpful! What I have been doing to fill my air valves is just using the air pump plugged into the cigarette lighter of my car- i run the cable from my car to the camper. sometimes i have to run it through the window, but my screens are super easy to move out of the way. I will check out the chucks!!!
  12. Hey TR! Not a problem! I think the one I have came in an emergency vehicle kit I have. I bought it ages ago. It was not this kit, but it is similar https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-stone-Bridgestone-Auto-Emergency-Kit/dp/B07J28DNN9
  13. Fine by me- i am learning so much!!! i am a total novice, learning everything quite literally from the ground up! I have a tire inflation kit that works great- will do that asap
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