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TheLittlePuppy

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Posts posted by TheLittlePuppy

  1. We have a '84 Dolphin 300. Replaced the tires when we got it, but were sold the wrong tires for a motorhome. We drove around for awhile with passenger tires not rated for the weight of our mh...BIG huh oh. Had them replaced with Yokohama 185R14 Y356 and the difference is very noticeable with a much smoother ride and better handling. Be sure and have metal valve stems installed when you get the new tires. We don't have air bags on our mh so can't comment on that. We do enjoy our new tires and recommend the Yokohamas.

    Smooth riding!

    Charles & Dianne & The Boys

  2. Highly recommend it! I put it in all the cabinets to keep things from sliding back and forth when traveling. It's great to wrap around breakable items or to keep things from rubbing against the walls while going down the road. Also use it under the microwave and t.v. to give a firm grip while camping. If anything gets spilled on it, just rinse it off, let it dry and use it again. It is great stuff and affordable. Also makes a good gripper to open jars. :weight_lift:

    Dianne

  3. Hi Michael,

    Yes, we have stayed at Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds and love them. They are well run, grounds are mowed, restrooms clean and modern, nice camping sites on lakes, and have manned gates during camping season. Gates are locked at night for added security. The Corps campgrounds in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Texas we have seen are very nice. They do have a reservation system and sometimes it's hard to find a vacancy during the summer especially on the weekends. So, if you have a chance to stay at a Corps facility, go for it! B)

    Charles & Dianne '84 Dolphin

  4. Hi MMJ,

    We bought some Yokohama Y356 185/R14 D tires recently and the recommended tire pressures were:

    Back Tires: 65 psi

    Front Tires: 29 psi

    Haven't taken The Little Puppy out on the road with the new tires, but around town the ride is smooth and doesn't seem to be too hard. We like the new tires!

    Charles & Dianne '84 Dolphin

  5. Hey Colleen,

    Good for you! It's nice to see that the spirit of adventure is still alive and well. Hope you and your 'new' Rockwood Roamer will have many great adventures roaming around together. That initial 1,450 mile trip was a good bonding time and only a broken a/c belt to mar the trip. Sounds like you found a peach!

    Have fun!

    Dianne '84 Dolphin

  6. Hi Gayla,

    Welcome to the wonderful world of Toy motorhomes! Lots of us live in Toyland and really enjoy it even with the problems that will pop up with these older MHs. They are both fun and sometimes a little frustrating -- just like life!

    Two things I would do before hitting the road home would be:

    1. Check the age of the tires and, if they are old, definitely buy new tires before leaving. Do not go by the way the tire tread looks, but by the manufacture date on the sidewall of each tire. This is a major safety issue, so don't overlook it.

    2. Get emergency road service so if there is a breakdown or flat tire, no one will be sitting and wondering who to call. We bought Good Sam ERS and have been very pleased with it.

    Like Shanda said, it will take a few miles to get used to driving a MH. Keep an eye on the side mirrors, leave room to stop as these are heavier than a car and don't stop on a dime and be prepared for crosswinds that can be strong sometimes. Good ol' common sense will take one a long way when driving any vehicle and these Toys are no exception.

    We have a '84 Dolphin 300 series and really enjoy it. Here's hoping the Dolphin fun continues for you all, too! Don't forget to give your MH a name!

    Dianne "The Little Puppy" (we have three small dogs that love TLP!) :wub:

  7. One of these days soon, we want to replace the radio in our cab too. It is am/fm/cassette with not to great sound and when we turn on the truck lights, no radio. Somebody must have got the wires crossed. It would be nice to be able to hear news or music at night.

    Dianne '84 Dolphin

  8. Hi Kathy,

    Welcome to the forum! You will be right at home with all of us here in the Toy motorhome world as we generally stay both excited and nervous about our Toys! :lol: They are easy to drive and park. Just be sure to keep an eye on what is behind you by watching your side mirrors frequently. They don't stop on a dime, so leave lots of space to stop if someone pulls out in front of you. Since you already own a Prius, you know the quality these Toyotas are built with; they are sturdy little machines especially if they have been well cared for down through the years.

    Sounds like the '89 Dolphin with 26K original miles is one of them that has been taken care of by the original owner. That's a big plus because he/she can answer lots of questions you will have and also be able to show you how everything works in the coach.

    There will be some things that you will probably want to change/fix, but more than likely they won't have be be projects that go on and on. With this motorhome only having 26K miles, it most likely doesn't have a lot of wear and tear on things. Some people like to keep their coaches the way they came from the factory and some like to totally change them and update to a more modern look. That's up to you and what you like and dislike about the coach. This is something you can take your time doing so it doesn't have to consume all your time and money at once.

    Parts are generally available when things break or don't work. You will find lots of info here on this forum that will help in that area.

    Look for leaks around windows and ceiling vents. Check inside cabinets also for signs of leaks. Check for soft spots on the floor. Check the roof. By having the original owner walk you through all the areas, you should be able to see if the propane is working, the fridge is working, the a/c and furnace, the gray and black tanks and toliet are working as they should, etc. Ask how old the coach battery is (this is different from the battery for the truck) and you may need a new one if it is really old.

    Check the tires for the date of manufacture and any weather checking. Even if they have lots of good tread left, if they are old tires please get new ones. This is a major safety issue that should not be overlooked. The '89 Dolphin should have the full-floating heavy duty rear axle so that shouldn't be a concern.

    You may want to ask the present owner if they have a transmission cooler installed on the transmission. Our Dolphin is a 4 speed manual so we don't have that. Someone on here that has an automatic can explain it better to you.

    Dolphins are very popular MHs, but all the others have their charm and it just depends on what you are wanting and what shape it is in. If you find one that fits most of your needs, you will most likely be happy with it and enjoy it.

    Since it will be you and your cat getting out and about, you will have lots of room to relax and learn about traveling in a Toy. There are lots of them around so don't be afraid to go for it. We travel with our three small dogs and have a great time. Hope this answers some of your questions and hope you have found your Toy!

    Best wishes,

    Dianne '84 Dolphin "The Little Puppy"

  9. Hi Joni,

    You could try putting activated charcoal in some plastic containers and place them around your coach and the cab area. Don't use regular outdoor charcoal that is for grilling, but get the activated kind found at pet stores and used in aquariums. You might also try placing some dryer sheets with a fragrance throughout the MH. Some of these dryer sheets have a lot of fragrance and might help to eliminate the campfire odor; you may have to use the entire box. Some smells are really tough to get rid of so hope these help.

    Dianne '84 Dolphin

  10. Looks like everyone had a grand time on your first trip! There will be lots of memories to be made in your Toy MH and may they all be special. It appears the pupper was happy, too . . . what more could anyone want?

    Best wishes,

    Dianne '84 Dolphin

  11. My wife and I just purchased a 1986 21' New Horizon. Woot Woot! Grandma and Grandpa purchased this thing new and drove to 49 states. It has 131,000 and runs great with no leaks and up Utah mountain grades for over an hour at a time without warming up a bit. I'm really impressed.

    Thanks to everyone for all the great reading and support everyone is providing us members. Great Site! Great People! Hope to see you on the road. We're off to Great Basin National Park tomorrow to see the oldest trees in the world.

    Stu

    Hey Stu,

    Your rig is just barely broken in!!! These Toys are super tough and will take you lots of places just be nice to them and treat them right. They are kind of like the famous E-bunny . . . they just keep on going and going and going! Have a great time looking at the oldest trees in the world in a New Horizon that's not quite that old . . . yet! :D

    Dianne

  12. Hi Robyne and Spirit,

    The voices of knowledge have spoken here and they can be trusted! Yes, you will be able to get where you want to go even in the mountains with a Toyota motorhome. Those little engines are gold and they will get you there. :weight_lift: So far, we haven't come across anyone in these that have made to the top and are stuck there!!! We have some mountains here in Oklahoma and in Arkansas and Missouri and even if they aren't super steep like the western mountains, they can slow you down. We have made it up a few of them in our '84 Dolphin and we didn't turn a year older doing it and we didn't have too many drivers behind us wanting to run us off the road either! So, if you want a Toy MH, then go for it and enjoy it. You will get to wherever you're going just like the BIG rigs yes, you will. BTW, Spirit is a lovely dog! We have three dogs that travel with us in The Little Puppy and they love it. Let us all know what you get, okay?

    Dianne

  13. Hey Jay,

    We are happy for you and your Sunrader! Sounds like you will be having fun with it in the next few months and we wish you well! With Good Sam ERS and a good head on your shoulders, you should do just fine. Don't forget to baby it and give it a name! Keep all of us informed about how the maiden voyage is going if possible. May all your Sunrader days be smooth sailing!!! Enjoy B) !!!

    Charles & Dianne '84 Dolphin

  14. We second the Good Sams Emergency Road Service! Believe us (and we know you will after your ordeal), this will be the best money spent for peace of mind if you break down on the road and need a tow. :help:

    We know this had to a horrific experience, but the way you wrote about it showed that you kept your sense of humor through it all!!! We had a few chuckles especially when the officers discovered you 'tooling down the highway of life' on a overloaded trailer, etc! You're a gifted writer so keep us all informed about the outcome of your 'adventure' in RVing!

    Sending you sincere best wishes for a brighter Toy future! B)

  15. Hi,

    We have Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service and have been very pleased with it (this is our 2nd year to use it). Get online and do a search for RV ERS and read what others have and if they are pleased or not. Good Sam usually has a reduced price for the first year so check them out.

    A 1,200 mile maiden voyage is a BIG one! Definitely have your rig checked by a very good mechanic (unless you are skilled in this area) so you don't have any awful surprises that could make your trip a really bad memory. :waaa: You must and I mean MUST check your tires! If you see any weather checking on the sidewalls, they must be retired (pun intended!). The manufacture date of each tire should be on the sidewall, so that will tell you how old the tire actually is. Unless the previous owner very recently replaced them, you will most likely be looking at having to get new tires (don't forget about the spare tire). This is a major safety issue so don't overlook it. There is a lot of tire info on this forum, find it and read it and many questions will be answered for you.

    You will most likely need to stock your Toy with sheets, light blanket(s), pillows, towels/wash cloths, personal items (razor, soap, etc.) Food, dishes, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, pots/pans, cooking utensils, coffee pot . . . goodness, the list could go on and on; just depends on what you need and want and have the time to gather up before your trip. You will find out what you need and don't need as you travel so make a list. Look for Walmart as you travel for shopping needs.

    Hope your maiden voyage goes well and you enjoy yourself and your Toy! B)

    Dianne '84 Dolphin

  16. Hi Guys,

    We had 6 Hankook tires put on our '84 Dolphin last year and we think they are great. Did some review investigation on various tires and called around locally and decided the Hankooks were for our Toy. They were priced at $57.00 each and the total with metal valve stems, etc., came to $360 without tax. We used a local tire company. We could tell the difference immediately with the new tires with much better ride and handling. Hope you all find the best deal on tires for your Toys.

    Charles & Dianne

    STOP THE PRESSES!!! NEW TIRE NEWS!!!

    In doing further investigation on our Hankook tires that we purchased last April, we discovered the local tire company had put the WRONG tires on our '84 Dolphin. The tire salesman sold us passenger car tires. The more I looked on here and did other searches, the more I knew we had the wrong tires. Charles called the manager of this tire company and told them we have a micro mini motorhome, read him the tire number on our invoice and asked him if these were the correct tires for this type of motorhome. The answer: "NO, those are the wrong tires." Charles then told him, "Well, your tire company sold us these tires last year." Dead silence on the other end of the phone and then, "We will do what is right to correct this. We will find the right tires immediately." We wanted Yokohama Y356 185/R14 Load Range D 8-Ply tires.

    They ordered these from Tire Rack and yesterday we had them installed on The Little Puppy. They gave us a $399.00 refund on the wrong tires they sold us and the total price on the new Yokohamas was $464.71. They could not tell us why the salesman sold us the wrong tires last year, but they said he is no longer working for them. We only put a 1,000 miles on the other tires and God sure was watching over us out on the road tooling around with the wrong tires on a motorhome!! So our advice (if it's worth anything) is take a look at your tires and make sure you have the CORRECT TIRES installed. One would think that a place that sells ONLY tires would know what they are selling and not make this mistake, but this proves that it isn't a perfect world and mistakes happen. We are so thankful that we didn't have something go wrong in a huge way while we were driving on the wrong tires. BTW, the new correct Yokohamas ride great and we didn't notice a hard ride even with the Load Range D.

    Dianne

  17. Hey There Bear,

    I found some type of updated Contac Paper at Walmart and put it over the old wallpaper in our '84 Dolphin last fall. I used a small plastic squeegee to really press it against the wall and it has stayed just fine. I used a pin to make tiny holes to get rid of air bubbles that showed up. Be careful when pressing down over round screw tops so you don't tear a hole. I didn't see any health warnings on the package and it doesn't have a strong plastic smell. I covered the inside of the bathroom door also. Let me tell you, it wasn't the easiest thing I ever did as I had to practically stand on my head to get behind the toilet. Make sure you have a fan pointed in your direction as you are working so you can stay cool or plug in to your house outlet and turn on the air conditioner if you have one. We are happy with how it turned out and are willing to live with it. I chose a pattern that didn't have to be matched which made it much easier; I would definitley stay away from any plaids or stripes unless you are very patient. I imagine lots of :ranting2: would be coming from the bathroom area of your Toy if you choose to go with that look!!! Hope this helps and I wish you the best in redoing your bathroom walls.

    Dianne

  18. COYota,

    Oh, no, the dreaded GOATHEAD THORN SURPRISE :lips-sealed::devel: and in your newly purchased Toy!!! Yikes!!! I hope you were able to get them all vacuumed up so there will be no more surprises from these little :devel: s. What an awful thing to run across in your motorhome ... as if mouse nests weren't enough! We had a run-in with some goatheads and our dog many years ago in western Nebraska and hope to never have that 'wonderful experience' again!!! If the mice did manage to bring them in and stash them under the cab seats, that's another reason to add to the list to keep those little aggravators out. :thumbdown:

    Best to you on all the fixing and the axle swapping!

    Charles & Dianne '84 Dolphin

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