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gmichaelz

Toyota Advanced Member
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About gmichaelz

  • Birthday 02/15/1948

Previous Fields

  • My Toyota Motorhome
    Gulf Stream Conquest Motorhome, 1987 Model Year, 1986 Toyota chassis with 36,500 miles 07/07/09, 4 cyl. 22RE, EFI engine, Auto w/overdrive, 6 Lug Dually. 21 foot, rear bath model.
  • Location
    Nazareth, PA

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  • AIM
    Zorha0215@aol.com
  • Website URL
    http://
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Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Interests
    Bicycling, Fishing, Hand Gunning.

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  1. I found it easier to dismantle the couch, fold out bed. The cushions are held onto the metal frame with four nuts on each cushion section. Two on each side, or a total of eight nuts. Then you can carry each cushion outdoors. The metal frame then becomes easy to manuvever. You might want to apply some padding onto the metal frame to eliminate scratching any woodwork inside your ToyHome. If you are planning on storing, less room is also taken up with the sofa dismantled.
  2. Have you considered a fifth wheel trailer? You could gut it, then install the amenities you desire. Yes, your own floor plan incorporating all of your great ideas. I met a gentleman camper 2 weeks past who just purchased a 1995 GMC one ton truck from U-Haul for an unbelievably low price. He removed the box and installed a fifth wheel to pull his trailer. He also installed a single sleeper behind the cab, built in toolboxes, etc. He is quite pleased with this setup. His prior tow truck was a crew cab, on which he logged 350,000 miles, still has it, but no longer desires to take long trips with it. His next project is to take his Peterbuilt road tractor with a double sleeper, remove the sleeper and retrofit an over the road bus coach body, such as Greyhound, which was damaged in the front. directly onto his truck chassis. Nice thing about a fifth wheel trailer is that it is easily coupled with only one person. The tow vehicle can be detached on extended camping stays for touring the area, without securing all loose object in the coach. The engine is easily accessible on the GMC tow truck. His came with West Coast swing away towing mirrors.
  3. Gentlemen: Thanking You Both, Maineah and Futar, for your thoughtful replies. Took a break today from the Toyhome. Worked on two of my cars, changed oil & filters, rotated eight tires, visually inspected entire drive trains.
  4. Love Fall in Pennsylvania

  5. My Old 87 Conquest ToyHome which I purchased in July 2009 came equipped with a Triad Utrad TU-730-2 Converter / Charger. It also came with a coach battery which was completely dried InterState Deep Cycle Mega-Tron Marine #34 battery. This battery will not hold a charge over 6 volts, so it is to be used on the next purchase of a replacement deep cycle #34 coach battery. The reason that this battery did not receive proper maintenance is because it is stowed inside the camper, near the front of the L/R fender well, inside a closed case which is vented outside on the side of the ToyHome. Which requires the removal of the sofa from the coach to enable access to the case retaining bolts and enable enough clearance to remove the top of the battery holder case, then to remove the battery from the coach to test and add distilled water to make up for evaporated loss while hooked to shore power. Not wanting to spend $160 on a replacement NAPA Deep Cycle Marine Battery and also possibly fry it. My current test to this 12 volt DC system is that I unplugged this converter / charger from my Shore AC power source then I installed a fully charged spare starting battery. I am single and rarely stay inside the coach except to sleep, or rainy days to read. I eliminated the sleeper pull out sofa and am replacing it with 3/4" plywood to be used for my mountain bike and assorted gear, tools, and other plastic totes filled with supplies. No it does not look as inviting to enter as that highly uncomfortable sofa, but it works for me. These ToyHomes are just too shy of sufficient storage space, and as storage increases, living space decreases which gives a cramped feeling for an extended outing. By removing the sofa entirely, I can now physically check the electrolyte level of the this coach battery much more frequently. I am of the belief that my TU-730-2 converter is a ferro resonant style converter which is a constant voltage design which supplies 14.1 volts DC with no load or on a fully charged coach battery, which should not overcharge the battery but will cause a lot of water to be evaporated when hooked to shore power for extended times. Especially if the battery has a weak cell. Meaning frequent distilled water additions. Something which was not done by the previous owner. To minimize the time which this charger actually works while attached to shore power I plan on installing an on / off switch to interrupt the constant charging while camped and attached to shore power. I do not desire to access this unit which is also stored under the previous sofa location and unplug it when it has recharged my coach battery. My questions: 1.) Is there a potentiometer on this TU-730-2 to further reduce the charger output to that of a trickle charger? 2.) Since this unit does not supply clean power, is noisy and gets hot. Should I simply replace this bullet proof antiquated unit with a PD 9130 30 Amp unit? Or any other recommended converter / Charger such as Parallex Power RU7300 Series? http://www.rvstuffusa.com/7300replacementconverterchargerbymagnetek.html
  6. Hello Futar: I purchased my ToyHome this past July to see if I enjoy single life on the road. I have only taken short trips with it to date, repairing, maintaining, and modifying it slightly to carry my Cannondale Mountain Bike inside. My initial assessment is that these ToyHomes are too small for a serious nomadic life. Too little storage space for long term living. I have too much baggage which I need to carry, which also includes tools for those occasional mechanical repairs while on the road. So if I were to think about spending additional dollars it certainly would not be for an expensive engine swap. I would sell my Old 87 Conquest ToyHome and look to upgrade to a Class A Motorhome such as at an Airstream or Fleetwood Bounder Turbo Diesel to purchase. Yes, they are more expensive, and Yes, they are safer. Safer always wins out with me. These ToyHomes are great recreation vehicles, with many limitations. Fuel prices being most people's concerns these days, a used Class A Motorhome can currently be purchased for well below book. You seem to enjoy traveling in yours, picture yourself driving a Class A unit. Living out of a Class A unit. Then make your choice.
  7. Hello Ran: Not knowing your market area, it is difficult to give you an estimate on the value of your anticipated purchase of this ToyHome. You need to obtain the model, length, floor plan which would include rear bath or rear dinette. Extra options, such as outside awning, roof mounted AC, CD player, etc. You also need to know who the coach builder was / is. There are many, many threads at this site which can help you with identifying information about automatic transmission repairs. Then you can get approximate value from NADAguides.com here is a link to motorhome page http://www.nadaguides.com/default.aspx?l=1&w=25&p=38&f=5693&gc=rv&any=0&gtc=MH As to the Toyota transmission repair costs, are you capable of removing the transmission, and taking it to a reputable repair shop for complete rebuild? It may not need to be completely rebuilt, but as an unknown you have to consider worst case scenario when thinking of purchasing this vehicle. These heavy ToyHome driven in overdrive are a weak link to these wonderful ToyTrucks. Case in point: I own my late wife's 86 Chevy Blazer S10 4X4. I keep it for sentimental reasons. Last year the transmission failed. I removed and after it was rebuilt, reinstalled said transmission. My outlay in cash was $1000 which included the rebuild, line cleaner, transmission fluid, etc. I could not locate anyone who desired to remove said trans. for a reasonable price. Toyota 2 wheel drive transmissions are a piece of cake compared to that tight S10 with 4X4. I am comparing this recent work to my Blazer to that of a Toyota Pickup which I did 13 years ago in which I exchanged a 86 Toyota PickUp 4X4 Auto Transmission. With so many Toyota trucks being converted to $4500 potential trade in value with our governments involvement, you might be able to locate a used transmission for a reasonable price, from a truck not a RV motorhome. Any Toyota RV Auto Transmission will have more wear than an empty Pickup Truck. But, buyer beware! Same amount of work to install a defective transmission as a rebuilt one. If you are not mechanically inclined, then you also have to pay for the labor, plus the towing fee to the repair shop. So you are looking at $1000 + tax, +title, +tags, +insurance, + inspection, +towing,+labor for R&R, +rebuild, +fluids, +incidentals. Certainly adds up to thousands of dollars. Possibly if the coach is as well preserved as you mentioned in your post then you could purchase this ToyHome and have it towed to you restaurant, park it outside (if legal to do so) and use it for your siestas until you can afford to repair it properly. Think of it as an RV Trailer until it is back on the road under its own power. Yes it wants to be a respectable Class C MotorHome once again. But, please do yourself a favor and get accustomed to using this site for the wealth of material which it already contains from years of accumulated knowledge. You have to understand that replies to your post could be slow in coming. Whereas you could be studying from past discussions today.
  8. Thank you nibs, interesting reading. Smooth sided ToyHomes appear to be prime candidates for this technology. Mine is corrugated fiberglass which would require a smooth surface to be installed prior to the AirTabs. In one photo with this modification to the mounting base, it appears as though the company may sell this apron with the turbulence devices molded onto the board. Have you spoken to anyone with these devices installed? Appears as the roof should also be included. Many professional driver testimonials attesting to the improved stability, less dirt or snow build up on rear of unit, increased MPG, and longer tire thread wear due to improved stability. http://www.airtab.com/en/Product_Applications_24/RV_Applications_29.html What are your feelings about this product? Have you considered installing them onto your ToyHome? Would a row of these devices installed somewhere on the front bunk area / cabover just before the horizontal run of the roof offer any additional benefits? Thanks again for your informative thread about the aerodynamics or lack of in these ToyHomes.
  9. Thank you both: Turtle and WME for your responses. I don't want to slow down further. Turtle your response has caught me completely by surprise. My pickup has a V6, 5 spd so I don't notice the performance drop, but the motorhome has a 4 cyl, auto w/overdrive and considerably more weight. I was hoping that the wind turbulence would be redirected over the bunk area rather than hitting the windshield and the lowest portion of bunk area square on, acting as a parachute.
  10. I have had a Lund Bug Shield installed for many years on my 4X4 Toyota Pick Up w/camper cap. As I look at my overhang on 87 Gulfstream Conquest Toyhome, I envision the aerodynamic benefits which may be derived from installing a hood mounted air deflector commonly called bug shields. However, I don't recall seeing any ToyHome photos where the vehicle had a bug shield installed. I am of the opinion that my ToyHome miles per gallon should increase slightly by installing a "Lund Bug Shield." Has any member had any experience with this topic? http://deflectors4less.com/lu18009-pickup.html
  11. Just a thought, if you have a friend helping, and if it is a "LSD, limited slip differential" / "posi traction differential" where as Eric suggests that one (1) tire revolution will supply the ratio results, http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/diffs/ Try rotating the tire ten (10) revolutions for better accuracy, while counting the number of turns / spins on the drive shaft. The results could easily be divided by 10 by simply moving the decimal one place to the left in the results. 39.0 = 3.90 41.0 = 4.10 45.6 = 4.56 48.8 = 4.88 52.9 = 5.29
  12. Have you driven this truck yet, with the large tires? If you have a tach, What does it tach at 60 mph in high gear, not overdrive. So if it is a 5 spd manual, use 4th gear for this test? Looks like you could build yourself a monster truck!
  13. If you rotate your tire two (2) complete revolutions then the number of revolutions which your drive shaft made is your gear ratio. So if you turn the tire only one time, then you will need to multiply the drive shaft revolutions by 2 to obtain your ratio. Note if you have LSD posi traction, you will need to raise both tires off the ground to enable you to spin the tire. Then only rotate the tire one revolution. Here are two interesting links dealing with Toyota differential gear ratios: http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/diffs/ http://www.off-road.com/trucks4x4/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=274535
  14. Shandamac: If you place your cursor onto the icon and wait, you will see the label for the icon you are positioned onto. On this date, reading from left to right, your three displayed Icons represent: 1) Add / Remove as friend 2) PM this member 3) View gallery. Try your View Gallery link to determine if any of your past gallery posts are corrupted by the new software update.
  15. I carry my Apple MacBook Pro 15" Laptop with an additional battery. These computers are not known for a long battery cycle. I also have a 400 watt inverter installed in the ToyHome for using the coach 12v. system, which will also recharge my laptop batteries as I am driving. Computers are so much part of my life that I do not want to download a lot of information from my desktop prior to departing with the motorhome. One serious drawback to Apple Computers is the initial purchase price though. And also the learning curve as to the software, if you are a Windows PC user only.
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