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jayemright

Toyota Advanced Member
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Everything posted by jayemright

  1. I know that there is a big cable running from the negative terminal on the battery to one of the mounting bolts on the starter. The auto electrical folks seemed to be big into grounding things, but I will go in and check again to make sure everything is tight. Part of the problem is that, due to it's intermittent nature, no one has actually ever seen it malfunction. The last time it did it to me was at the pumps at a crowded gas station in Phoenix, so I was in no position to run any diagnostics. I will take at it with my wrench and look for loose ground wires, though. Thanks very much for your advice!!
  2. Hello Everyone! We are on the tail end of a 3 and a half month road trip:8500 miles done, 1500 to go. Our 1985 Sunrader has been plagued by an intermittent starting problem that has dogged it since we first got it 8 years and 25000 miles ago. In that time we have replaced 2 batteries, we are on the third starter, and an auto electrical place went in and replaced every cable in the ignition system. Every time we do something it works well for a while, but it always comes back to the same symptom. When it is warm, occasionally, it will just sit there and "click": It doesn't crank, just a click at the starter (the 85 has the solenoid built in) Then when it goes, it turns over like normal and starts right up. Battery reads 12.6 volts, and doesn't drop much when cranked. About half an hour later it usually goes and takes right off. I have a "power pack" which is essentially a car battery, and that will not start it, but if you jump it from the higher voltage of a running automobile, it takes right off. We have also noticed that it is more likely to happen if you leave the key in the ACC postion and listen to the radio or check the GPS or something like that, even or a minute. New battery a month ago. No problems for a week. New starter 2 weeks ago, no problems for a week, then two instances of non-starting. I am close to the end of the trip and visiting family and friends in Detroit so I would like to deal with it now. Getting tired of being nervous every time we try to start it. I am thinking it might be the ignition switch, as that is the only part of the system I have not replaced yet. Any suggestions that any of you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, James
  3. Wow, that is perfect! And if I can't find it at a local RV store, we drive right through Houston where the supplier is located the day after tomorrow (after the forecast winds let up) Thanks very much!
  4. The tank is about 4 feet wide and runs along the entire width of the sink and cabinets. The cabinet was installed after the tank was. When it comes out, it will be with the assistance of a reciprocating saw. I have thought about placing a small jug under there and routing the piping into it. I think it would pull from the top and would not require an airtight seal from a fitting screwed into the bottom of it. This would enable us to drink the water in there as well. At present, considering that the tank is 30 years old, and I have only had it the last 8, we don't drink the water in there. It would also keep the weight down, carrying 5 gallons instead of 30. I have only ever worked with water pumps on my well at home in Canada. Am I correct in assuming that this type of system just sucks water and is not as sensitive to having airtight connections like a domestic system?
  5. Went through all the connections, dried them with a hair dryer, put some water in and while all of the fittings stayed dry with no leakage, water seems to be coming from the bottom of the tank. I am afraid I have a cracked tank. Any ideas on how to fix that without totally tearing out my cabinets? I never drink the water from the tank anyway, but use it mostly for washing dishes and flushing toilets. Looks like we get a bigger jug. I was wondering if there is something I can put down the tank that would seal up the bottom? When my blackwater tank was leaking I poured some thinned out epoxy down the toilet, and It sealed the crack. Anyone know of a similar substance I could use on the road for one last ditch effort?
  6. Air pressure: Of course! excellent idea! I will see what I can do. Thanks!
  7. Spent a lot of time on this last night and this morning. I only found the one pop drain right by the pump. I took the hot water heater out last year. The plumbing appears to have been re done since original. I have traced everything back from the pump, and can't find anything else leaking. It appears to be right around the pump and where the pump attaches to the tank. I tightened the compression fitting where the pump draws water from the supply line, and thought that might do it, but no such luck. It always leaks out from that area, where the pump is, right in front of the sink. It is hard to pin point it though as it is leaking into the shag carpeting that is still under there. It seems it is either where the supply line to the pump meets the tank, or it is at the bottom of the tank near the front. Kind of feel like Charlie Brown and the football. I find something not a hundred percent, tighten it all up, put some water in and then bingo, soaked carpeting again. As Homer Simpson would say: "Doh" Next time I go past an RV place I will yank all of those lines out, and get them to replicate them.. If it's not that, then it has to be the tank, in which case, we'll have a water jug in the kitchen and a milk jug full of water in the bathroom. I will rip it out when I get home. Hopefully it is just the line...... As always, thanks for your advice. I really appreciate it.
  8. Thanks for the info everyone. I found the pop drain by the tank, where the line runs to the pump, and it was down. I went and tightened all of the fittings, etc, put three gallons of water in it, and same thing: Water leaking through the floor and onto the ground and nicely soaking the rug right in front of the sink. The carpet is wet and nasty in the area around the pump, but we can't seem to see it leaking and it leaks before we ever turn the pump on. The water system looks quite simple, but I'll be darned if I can figure out what is going on there. Have followed all lines coming from the pump as well as the fill tubes, but no luck, everything dry. Other than that, the camper is performing beautifully, getting between 12 and 14 mpg and we get lots of positive comments. Another few days in Cajun country and then we head for Texas.....
  9. Hello again, and thank you to everyone for all of the advice. We are currently in New Orleans, and will be in Louisiana for approximately one more week before heading west to Texas.
  10. Hello, We are in the middle of an extended trip; 2000 miles down, 8000 to go, and I have noticed a green streak forming from the head gasket right by the exhaust manifold on our 85 Sunrader with a 22RE. I am pretty sure that it is coolant, although I have not lost more than 4 or 5 ounces of coolant over in over 2000 miles of driving. I do not want to do the head gasket mid trip in some unfamiliar city or town, but and want to continue the trip uninterrupted. I am thinking of going the Bar's leak ( or some similar substance) route. Any suggestions? Thanks
  11. Hello Everyone, We are 2000 miles into a 3-month, 10000 mile trip to the US South and Southwest. We started from our home in New Brunswick, Canada, and once we got to Mississippi, where it was above freezing, I went to fill the water system, and lo and behold, there was not as much anti freeze as I had added in the fall, and water started leaking out into the carpeting around the sink and from underneath the vehicle. Any ideas on what the source of the leak could be? I am afraid that perhaps some water had frozen in the tank prior to adding the anti-freeze and damaged it, or a fitting that didn't get anti-freeze in it, or what. It is a massive tank, and to take it out would require removing the kitchen cabinets. I am wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem and how they overcame it. Is there something one could add to the tank to seal it up from the inside? Any advice anyone could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
  12. The saga continues.......... Took the camper to my mechanic who replaced the starter. No dice. Still the "click" he went and replaced cables etc. to improve ground and connections-worked several times. Stopped for lunch on the way home, went to re-start it-No dice. Got a boost, and away it goes! Battery is reading 12.5 volts, 450 CCA. As soon as you put cables on it, it goes like nobody's business. It used to only do this once in a while, but has gotten worse this year. Not much left in the starting circuit to replace. Taking it back early next week. I don't know-Could it be the ignition switch? It makes the starter click, but perhaps the contacts have become corroded over the 27 years that this vehicle has been around that not all the juice is making it through to the starter. Getting a bit frustrated with the whole thing, and not sure where to look next. I welcome your suggestions and thank you in advance. James
  13. Thanks to everyone for their input. I ordered a starter from Amazon.com (Rare electrical) and will put it in this coming week when we return from a family vacation in Quebec. . I will keep you posted!! Thanks again for all of your advice.
  14. Hello, We are the proud owners of a 1985 Sunrader with 54K on it. It is a great running vehicle with one exception. It will not start if it is not up to a full charge. If it has been sitting for a while and the battery only has 12.5 volts in it, then it just "clicks" when you turn the key. Sometimes if you hold the key in the start postion for 5 or 10 seconds, the starter will go, and turns over very quickly. Most vehicles, if the battery is down a bit, will crank slowly. This one just doesn't go. I have replaced the engine battery, and that seemed to help for a while, but it is back to its old tricks. Could it be something in the starter or ignition switch? Once started, the alternator show 14 volts, so I know it is charging OK, and once It has started for the day, it seems to be OK for the rest of the day. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Camping season is upon us!!!
  15. Thanks everybody for this discussion. I just got my 85 Sunrader out of storage and couldn't get the heater going. I followed some of your tips and bingo-we are warm and toasty!!; I just retired so we are looking forward to putting a lot of miles on our camper, and the heat will come in very handy!!
  16. This seems to be a common problem with these. I have an 85 Sunrader which we purchased 3 years ago. We live in Eastern Canada and flew to Detroit to purchase it and drive it home 1000 miles on the May long weekend. Imagine my shock when I went to fill it up for the first time when I suddenly heard a splashing noise, and saw a river of gasoline running from the bottom of our newly-purchased motorhome to the street. We nursed it home never putting more than 10 gallons in it at a time and discovered that the vent hose for the filler cap was rotted -about a $2.00 repair. The tank is in great shape as I imagine most of them are, as they do not see much winter weather. I still get a whiff of gas if I fill it right up, so I am guessing a rubber seal on the filler tube is probably a bit dried out after 25 years. I hope it is something minor like that for you. Good luck. You are in for a lot of fun-We love our Sunrader!! James
  17. Hello Everyone, We live in the wilds of eastern Canada and have spent much of the late summer and fall doing battle with the mice. I go out daily to our 1985 Sunrader to check my "Trap Line" and and have taken out about a dozen from the traps, and lots of droppings. I have crawled all around underneath, looking for a place that they might be getting in but have not seen any openings that they could be getting in. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I should be looking to plug the holes, or if there are any other things I can do to keep them out? Thanks in advance for your help. James
  18. Thanks for your help, advice and pictures. I think I will take it to my trusty welding shop and see what they can do. Putting a "J" rack on the roof for hauling a 15' tandem kayak as well. Thanks again everybody. This is a great group to belong to.
  19. Hello, I am just wondering if anyone has built a rack or used a hitch rack for hauling a scooter. I have seen some discussion on the topic, but never saw if anyone had actuallly done it. We were looking at a small 240 lb scooter (Yamaha Vino 125). I have seen several products that go in a receiver hitch, and also have a good Welder who could custom build something for it. My RV is an 85 Sunrader 22RE auto, and there are generally just the two of us. I would appreciate anyone sharing their advice or experience. Thanks, James
  20. Just got back from a trip there! It is a beautiful part of the world. A less known part of the park is located across the bay at a place called Schoodic Point. Not sure about fishing, or stippers, for that matter, but it is a beautiful spot, much less crowded from the zoo at Bar Harbor. AND best of all, there is what I think is the greatest campground in the whole world. Ocean Wood Campground in Birch Harbor Maine. 1/4 acre sites, many right on the ocean. Sadly, after 24 years, they are getting squeezed out by greedy land developers and corrupt local officials, so this is your last chance to enjoy what is a pristine jewel of a campground. It is in the woods, but has super clean facilities, and has a lovely cobble beach if you don't get an ocean front site. I live about 3 hours away in New Brunswick Canada, and my kids spent every summer playing on the rocks, looking in the tide pools, etc. Lots of sites suited to your 86 Sunrader-We have an 85 Sunrader. What part of Michigan are you from. I grew up in Metro Detroit-Royal Oak, and later Commerce Township. I bought my 'Rader in Waterford last year. Almost 9000 miles later we're still loving it!! Happy Camping!! James
  21. Hello, My mechanic is going to adjust the valves on my 85 Sunrader, 22RE Auto. My Hayes repair manual doesn't give the specific clearances, and also said that they should be adjusted when the engine is warmed up. Is this true? Other cars I have had, I always adjusted them cold. If anyone has those clearances and info re. the temp of the engine I would greatly appreciate it. Getting ready for the next trip! James
  22. Hello, I have an 85 Sunrader with a 22RE auto. It now has 50 K miles on it. It has always had this sort of squeaky tapping noise when cold. I acturally thought it might be the fan belt as it was slightly glazed, but that made no difference. It has always done this noise a bit but it seems to have become slightly worse. On a recent 2600 mile trip it was always there when cold, and the thermostat seems to have stuck open, so it took a while to warm it up. I tried to keep the revs down until it got a little bit warm. The bolts on the thermostat housing are frozen so I stuck some cardboard in the rad. to get it into the normal operating temp. range until I could get it home to my mechanic. The question is: should I get him to adjust the valves when he is working on this? Could the noise have anything to do with the timing chain or its tensioner? Perhaps this is a typical noise from this engine, and with a new thermostat on it it will be at operating temp so quickly It won't be an issue. Otherwise the engine runs great. Drove it up some nasty hills and into some nasty sea driven winds and still averaged about 14-15 MPG. Any advice re. this noise, possible sources and courses of action would be greatly appreciated. James
  23. Hello All, Just got back from a 2600 mile round trip (not including ferries) from New Brunswick Canada to Newfoundland, Canada in our 85 Sunrader. Thanks to all the good advice I got on this forum, the vehicle performed perfectly, and is really THE way to go for exploring this unique part of our continent. If you haven't been to Newfoundland and Labrador, you should go. It is a beautiful part of the world, right on the doorstep of eastern Canada and the eastern U.S. Having spent a couple weeks there, I will gladly give travel advice to anyone interested in heading that direction. With ferries, etc. there are a few things you should know, but there is nothing to deter you from exploring this unique part of our planet. Thanks again to all those who gave me advice on taking care of a few electrical problems before we left. Now I just have to replace the thermostat, which seems to be stuck open (much better than stuck shut) and adjust the valves, which a quite noisy when it is cold. Averaged around 15 MPG overall, and in that part of the world there are a lot of hills and a lot of wind. It would have really sucked to do it in a tent, and hotels and the like would have been way too expensive. I will post some photos later. James
  24. Love it!!! We have an 85 'Rader' and may follow a similar path. Well done!! Happy Travels! James and Jane
  25. Hello, I just had the exhaust manifold done on my 85 Sunrader with a 22RE engine. The mechanic sent the manifold off to be milled and that cost about $40, and a gasket and a couple hours labour , so my guess is that part was about $200. That is Canadian prices, but I think they are pretty similar to US ones. Good Luck! James
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