toyota222

I am very familiar with the Outer Banks, and you're right, Dennis. The sand is a much softer base and drifting constantly. I've helped people with FWD vehicles dig themselves free from dunes that they tried to "fly" over on their way to the beach. You're right, the front wheels dig down to the rims, the frame bellies to the dune and the car is perched on sand. Then the fun begins... Last fall I parked my RV in a wooded lane, a truck path that I had no business parking on, but I was putting it away for the winter and my main concern was tarping it for the weather. When it was time to move and de-winterize the RV in the spring, I ended up burying it to the axles. I chained it to a Ford 9N tractor, started the RV and put it in Neutral. I jumped on the tractor and in low gear spun the tires. Too much dead weight to pull! I then got my daughter to pilot the RV, with the instructions to drop it in low gear and lightly feather the accelerator when I took up the chain-slack with the tractor. With the RV's dually axle pushing, the inertia was enough that I was able to pull it free from the muddy lane onto a gravel driveway. What I am trying to visualize is a leader vehicle (4WD 3/4 ton pickup) that would, in low gear, pull the RV (which is also in low gear) through the barrier dune(s) and break thru to the much firmer shore sand. Of course, if it worked, I may just consider myself lucky, make camp right there, surf fish and the heck with 15 miles.

Thanks, Bunneys, the sand ladders are a good idea... but not too practical for the distance. Maybe I'll call the vehicle ferry terminal and ask if they've transported similar 2WD RV's and what the success rate was. I may get laughed right off the dock, but they do issue parking permits for a parking lot at the South Core Bank's ferry dock. Maybe hitching a ride to the southern end (14 mi.) as Linda suggested is the practical solution. But that kind of defeats the purpose of having the RV on the island. Well, these are the kind of problems I think about when I'm stuck in traffic...

I'd be interested in getting new gaskets (driver's side is badly fitted). Also, it seems as though the driver's window comes up about 1/8th inch too short in the mid section divider. Had to caulk with silicone and it eventually failed. I have an '89 Sunrader. Is that enough info? I'd like a price list, if possible, for windows AND gaskets. Thanks alot! Mick

First let me say that with every fishing trip I take, I'm planning the next two. The following scenario won't take place until November of 2012. There is a fishing destination on the Outer Banks of North Carolina called Shacklesford Bank. It is located at the southern tip of Core Banks and called Cape Lookout. There is a vehicle ferry from the mainland (Davis, NC), which will drop you off at a point that is about 20 miles from Cape Lookout. There is a closer ferry to Cape Lookout, but it is strictly passenger. I used it last fall to scout the area and see if this vehicle-camping expedition had a snowball's chance. When I arrived at Cape Lookout, I witnessed 4WD vehicles coming from the northerly direction on a single lane path that was maybe a dune's distance removed from the surf. My initial reaction to imagining my Sunrader doing 20 miles on this terrain was "No way." My question concerns the possibility of driving my 21 foot 2WD dually Sunrader behind and in tandem (chain? towing strap?) with a 4WD truck. It wouldn't be a case of pulling "dead weight" - the 4WD would be pulling an active, dual-axle vehicle. Anyone ever done anything like this? Any tips? Input is welcome! I want to fish! mick

Thanks, this is the kind of feedback I'm seeking...do you mind if I ask a few questions? 1. What is the dimension (area) of your panel? 2. Does the 20 degree tilt cause any noticeable air drag when driving at 55 mph (+) ? 3. How many and what kind of storage batteries do you charge? 4. If you use more than your house battery, where do you stow the other battery(s) ? My 21' Sunrader is winterized for the season, but that doesn't keep me from planning a fishing trip to the Everglades come March. Thanks in advance! Mick22240

Is anyone out there using solar panels on their rig? Last winter I bought a Harbor Freight 3 panel kit (45 Watts) and toyed around with it on sunny days to learn what the energy recovery entailed. I have an Idea how I would mount it and where the wiring to the inverter would go, but IS IT WORTH THE BOTHER? Hoping for feedback from someone who has tried it. Thanks!

Hi Bob, I'm a bottom-line guy, so I'll cut to the quick. I've got an '89 3.0 6 cyl. automatic. I average 16 mpg. Gasoline cost's (87 octane) are pushing $4 per gallon. That's 25 cents a mile. The window is big enough (14 - 17 mpg) ; ($3.49 - $4.09 per gal.) that you can count on 25 cents per mile. If that sounds like a lot, see what a 30 ft. diesel pusher is getting... Mike

Does anyone out there have an electric winch hook-up? I don't know if this would warrant installing one, but hear me out. I have a 14.5 ft. kayak that is loaded and unloaded with a 2-person crew. And I'm tossing around in my brain whether this chore could be done with one person. The chore currently requires center/vertical positioning of the kayak by person (1) at the REAR of the vehicle (21 ft. Sunrader), while person (2) pulls a rope attached to the bow of the kayak (top) from the FRONT of the vehicle. As the rope is pulled from the front by person (2), person (1) in the rear simultaneously lifts the aft (bottom) of the kayak until it tips and is nuzzled in the roof saddle/carrier. It's not the weight (75 lbs.) of the kayak as much as the awkwardness of the situation. I thought that a winch on the rear of the vehicle could be threaded to the bow's rope in the front and be controlled electrically, while physically stabilizing the kayak on it's ascent to the carrier on the roof. Just want to think this one out-loud to the community before I jump in... thanks!

So here's what I did... went to the last light that worked, and daisy-chained a ground and a hot wire to the next light and the rest of them came to life! Had to peel about 15 inches of fabric from the headliner above the front cab window on the passenger side to thread the wires through, but it beat tearing everything up there apart! Thanks for the tip, John. Mick

I have an '89 Sunrader 3.0 6 cylinder. I decided to pull my 5 rear (red) and 5 front (amber) incandescent clearance lights and replace them with LED's. To be clear (no pun intended), I'm leaving the side clearance lights (4 red; top and bottom, and 2 amber; top) alone until I get another surge of fix-it cash. I changed the rear lights methodically, figuring the 2 ground wires and 2 hot wires (braided) to be some kind of parallel connection. The lights worked as I replaced each from passenger side to drivers side and when I finished, I stopped to admire my work. A good day! The next day, I removed the 5 front (amber) incandescent lights, left them braided in pairs as I did in the rear, and began replacing them from the passenger side to the drivers side, like the rear lights. I had 2 completed, but the center light had no electricity. Neither did the remaining 2. Nor did the top driver side incandescent marker! (the passenger side did.) Am I looking at peeling away the wall above the driver's seat in the sleeping cab? What am I looking for? Help!

My wife and I did a 2 week getaway to Florida in mid-March. Both coasts, interior, Everglades... Florida state parks are very well thought out. Nicely appointed (privacy), full facilities, hook-ups - and about $30 per night. Private campgrounds may be less expensive, but from experience, you get what you pay for... Mick

Just a hunch - take out the sleeping pad over your cab and check for wetness on the fiberglass shell's floor. On either side to the rear corners (front are the windows) there are ports that carry wires to the cap's lighting and probably the front clearance lights. These ports shoot straight down and could possibly channel water that may be leaking through the window gaskets up there. I had a big leak that landed in my lap while driving through a HEAVY thunderstorm. I pulled out the padding and discovered a puddle in the center rectangular section that has "Sunrader" scripted on the outside - between the windshield and the plexiglass windows up topside. I stripped EVERYTHING out over the cab (not that difficult) and viewed the bare fiberglass. There were boards (1"x3"x36") that were in these side channels that led to vertical ports and it would be easy to visualize water running through the channels and dumping down these ports to the area you described in the picture. I didn't notice if there were drain holes for these ports under the chassis, but to tell you the truth I didn't investigate. My problem was failed gaskets surrounding the plexiglass windows in the front. After I stripped the cap area, I hosed the windows with water, determined where the failures were and caulked with 35 yr. silicone (clear). Maybe your's is dry topside, but I'd look to rule that out before replacing the circled gasket in your picture. Another thing to consider before you tear into things - when you park your rig in it's favorite spot, is it perfectly level? Or is it on a slight incline and canted a little to the left (drivers) side? Hope this helps - good luck! Mick

I have an '89 21 foot Sunrader ; 3.0 6 cyl. automatic. I just completed a 1,000 mile round trip to the southwestern tip of Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. I bought a Hobie Cat kayak (14 ft. tandem) at BluHaven Marina and loaded it on a PVC roof rack that I made. Strapped it down, wallowed through D.C. rush hour (3 hrs.) and the PA turnpike. Zero problems down and back. With 5 fill-ups that ranged between $20 - $50 (17 gal. tank), my lowest mpg was 15.3 (huge thunderstorm on turnpike going down), and the highest mpg was 16.9 (coming home with the kayak mounted - and at night). I Didn't use the cruise control, and my speeds ranged from 45 - 60 mph (usually 50 - 55). I was surprised that the kayak didn't foil the wind as I expected ; I got better mileage with it ON than my trip down to pick it up! But I also noted that the best recorded fill-up (coming back) didn't have the 10% ethanol blend. Or at least it wasn't registered on the pumps (Exxon). I try to be consistent when fueling. When the pump "clicked" at a full tank, I resisted the urge to top it off. By my calculations, the trip (with tolls) cost about $225 ($3.82 - $3.99 per gal.). Mick222