Kathy Laurin

I have a 1988 18' Sunrader that I am going to be selling but have not yet listed it. It is currently winterized and covered and anxiously awaiting warmer weather. It has 72,000 miles and is in excellent mechanical condition. I have owned it since 2002 and it has been well maintained. It is going to be difficult for me to part with but it is time for me to make some changes. I am hoping it goes to someone who really wants and appreciates having a Sunrader. I am not in a hurry to sell and thought I would list it in the spring when it is not a problem to fill the tanks (it lives in Montana). If interested feel free to contact me.

I used a 2" latex topper that has worked really well. I decided not to use the memory foam because in cold weather it can be pretty hard until you get it warmed up.

Thanks for all the comments. I have decided to replace with pex (at least all that I can get to). I am gathering parts. I am having a difficult time trying to find the inline T drain valves. In regards to the city fill valve, thus far I can not find one that fits the Sunrader. I have to give some thought to possibly modifying it. You can buy the whole box and door assembly with the two valves attached for about $80.00 but the valve positions are reversed and that stark white box just wouldn't look good. I am still hoping to find a replacement valve that will work. In the meantime I decided on the $2.95 fix. I bought a screw in plug and think that will do the trick. As I took a much closer look under the sink I noticed my fresh water hose fill line to the tank looks to be getting pretty brittle near the fill valve. It would be much easier to replace that line with the water pipes out of the way. Hoping I can find some replacement hose tomorrow am. I will provide an update as I make progress. The one tool that would be great for this project is long skinny arms which unfortunately are not in my tool box :-)

My 88 Sunrader decided this is the year for water issues. I am wondering if anyone has replaced all the gray pipe with pex with the cabinets in place. Is it possible to do without an enormous amount of frustration and does anyone have any words of wisdom to share? I also have a bad valve on the city water fill and when I turn on my pump it is now leaking fresh water back out the valve at a pretty good rate. I don't use the fill valve as I am usually boondocking but I don't want to be losing fresh water. Any advice on where to find the replacement valve and what is involved in changing it out? I recently had a fresh water line crack and leak a substantial amount of water on the floor. I must admit, I had been thinking of tearing out the carpet. I wasn't quite ready but needless to say the leak necessitated action. I removed the carpet and the floor (once dried out) is in pretty good shape. I had to pull the converter to replace the broken pipe section. Since I have things somewhat torn out I am wondering about tackling the job of replacing the water lines before installing new flooring. Thanks in advance for any help.

I thought I had the same problem but it was just the valve stem that was causing the slow leak. Easy cheap fix.

Thanks for the info Kevin. Has anyone installed one of these on a Sunrader with the rear storage pod? If so, what did you determine to be the best placement and how did you attach it?

I have had my Sunrader for almost eight years. I love it. If I were looking again, I would absolutely be partial to the Sunrader but my most important criteria would be the condition of the motorhome and the layout. I have camped all over the Rocky Mountain region as well as having done some long road trips to other places. I usually do dispersed camping on national forest or BLM lands. There are lots of options for traveling solo. Do whatever you are most comfortable with. If you want to venture to Montana sometime, let me know.

I have an 88 18" same engine. My AC was a Toyota add on. I had the same problem at high speed or with the engine under heavy load (climbing steep passes). I did not have problems overheating but the needle would be so close to the red zone it certainly caused alot of worry. I have done all of WME's suggestions as part of ongoing care/maintenace/repair. I did replace my radiator with the largest core that would fit, and replaced the water pump at the same time. Also changed the thermostat. The AC has been serviced as well and the engine is well tuned and cared for. This helped but did not eliminate the problem. I still take precautions. I do not run the AC when climbing steep hills nor do I use it at idling speeds for any extended time. High altitude is also hard. If I stay at 55-60 mph it is fine. If I drive any faster the needle on the temp gage rises to the top pretty fast. I have not had any problems overheating but I do watch that temp gage pretty close.

Do you have any pictures of this?

Don't know anything about them but a 1979 was just listed on Montana's craigslist for $2000. http://montana.craigslist.org/rvs/1238180075.html

I took a look at these but they do not appear to be the right size and I am not really sure as to how to measure these recessed units (edge to edge of the outside frame; recessed part, etc). I have a 88 Sunrader with the original Reflect-O-Lite #400. Do you know if these will fit?

Doing some touch up on my 88 Sunrader and wondering if anyone has found a source for replacement of any of the exterior access doors/vents. I was able to easily locate a replacement door for the hot water heater but not for the furnace or small stove vent. In lieu of replacement, has anyone found a 20 plus year faded colonial white paint for touch up on the metal vents? Thanks in advance for any help.

Thanks Greg. After doing a bit more searching I came to the same conclusion and will be doing the same as you suggested. The CO detectors do have an expiration date. I know it is recommended the Propane detectors be replaced every five years. Not sure if they actually become inaccurate after this time, if it is just a safety measure, or a good way to sell more detectors. I would also be curious to know if the life cycle of all these units is pretty standard or if there is some variance depending on make and model.

Has anyone upgraded their propane detector to one of the dual propane/co models from Atwood, Safe-T-Alert, or some other brand? If so, where did you mount it and do you like the unit? Any problems with false alarms? Any thoughts on these combination models and the fact that normally a co detector would be mounted at least 4-5' high since the gas is lighter than air and the propane unit is mounted close to the floor since it is heavier than air? Do you think this is a non-issue in a small toy? Thanks in advance for any input.

Hi Mary. I have an 1988 18' Sunrader. I mostly travel throughout the Rocky Mountains but have done other long road trips as well. Passes and strong headwinds will slow you down but you will get there eventually. I have been very happy with my Sunrader. I agree with Greg, in that your first priority should be getting the floor plan you will be most happy with. As far as the air goes, it really depends on how/where you plan on using your camper. The cab air is nice but I would not necessarily pass up a nice unit because it did not have it. I also saw your posting on Craigslist. I am also in Missoula. Would be glad to discuss things to consider in more detail with you.