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1983 Toyota Dolphin Micro Mini Camper


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Well i officially joined the club yesterday...

traded a serious POS ford f150 truck and a little cash for a 1983 toyota dolphin... 105,000 miles... starts right up and purrs... no exhaust leaks or noises... drives well... could probably use tires... the ac units work in the cockpit and on the top back... it is the kitchen/bathroom in the back design...

there has been some water damage. in the vent above the couch/table there is about an 8 inch patch of totally rotten wood... i can see daylight when i look up at the vent... so i need to get this thing sealed PRONTO...

I dont know that I even want to take on the job of sealing it...

all the windows need sealed and some wood needs replaced in about 2-3 places...

does anybody have any idea what kind of money i should plan on spending to get the thing all sealed up?

also...

I can get everything to work when i am plugged in... as far as lights and AC... havent been able to get at the water yet... lock is froze up ... on the access door....

i cant however get anything to work off of the deep cycle battery even though i drove for an hour and i had it plugged in for about 6 hours...

I believe from the maintenance records I have that the little camper i now own has probably sat for 4 or 5 years without use...

it seemed to me like it drove and ran well enough to take the chance that i would maybe be able to make it livable for weekender trips...

its really a neat little space inside...

I could really use some ideas for where to go from where i am at...

do i need to get this thing inspected?

do I seal it first or repair it first?

how in the world do i determine if the deep cycle battery is properly connected or even still usable at all... my guess is it needs totally replaced...

I did notice that the red terminal was hooked up to the battery that was clearly marked NEGATIVE!!!

i cant imagine hooking up black to positive and red to negative...

I just cant believe how complex this little thing is...

HELP !!!

lol

its really daunting...

but even with the huge camper and amenities... it still gets better gas mileage than the ford f150 did.

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Well a tube of sealent (at motorhome place for motorhomes) is $6 - $10, shouldn't take that much? $50 maybe? to replace the wood inside, can't be more then $50. probably more like $20.

Your lucky, from what I can see you have the 6 lug rear axle. The rear axle was recalled on almost all these older toyota motorhome, yours was changed/fixed. That saves you $700 - $1,500

Looks good, nice trade...

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:ThumbUp:

Well i officially joined the club yesterday...

do i need to get this thing inspected?

do I seal it first or repair it first?

yes... tho you might not need emmissions anymore... you'll have to call your local guys and ask.

and

no... just needs to pass safety standards... lights, winsheild... etc

on a side note tho... I would have the entire gas line tested for leaks professionally. just one of those things that you MUST have working correctly to sleep well.

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yes... tho you might not need emmissions anymore... you'll have to call your local guys and ask.

and

no... just needs to pass safety standards... lights, winsheild... etc

on a side note tho... I would have the entire gas line tested for leaks professionally. just one of those things that you MUST have working correctly to sleep well.

Glad I live in CA where you can drive whatever piece of crap you think you can go down the road with, with no brakes and gas leaking it to your motorhome haha (like mine was when I got it, gas that is)

If you saw how your motorhome was put together you wouldn't think you can mess it up haha...

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i took a look at yostfmx's profile yesterday and saw a bunch of cool pictures of his restoration process that looked very fun... hey Yost you have a GREAT spot to work out there in Cali... i like the way the sunraiders coach body looks so much more than my dolphin...

where is the project at as of right now????

please show more pictures

are you going to brace the rear AC unit when u put it back in???

wish i had your tools man... u r really lucky

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I'll add some more pictures soon,

It had no AC on the motorhome, and is not going to have one. Thats what the beach is for haha.

Yea, the sunrader is, I and alot of other people would say the best toyota motorhome cause its made out of one BIG fiberglass shell. The only way that it can leak it at the vents and windows + body is very strong. I had everything out out of the inside and cut the roof off and it was still solid!

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so i have been stripping the cab-over of the 83 dolphin down all the way to rotten wood... i sure wish i could find a good resource on RV restoration...

1. i am thinking that i need to seal the roof and stop the leaks before I can start putting in new framing and paneling...

2.i assume i have to take any wet or rotten wood out... replace it and then staple the new panels on...

(Do i have to put the ceiling in before the walls...?)

3.i guess i have to take all the windows out of the camper where i am replacing wood... reseal them...

4.do i take the old damaged panels out and then use them for templates? how do i get the shapes to cut out the window and vent holes and odd shapes to "cut in" the cab-over area?

5.can anyone spot the odd thing about this photo?

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i wish.

just catching a leak and trying to be clever...

but you noticed it first so you win!

maybe i will send you an extra hatch or running light...

;)

what year is your rader allen?

I have been spending so much time working on the toyota ever since i got it...

wish i could make the leaks stop so i could finish the interior...

i shlda bought eternabond

:(

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Hi again Johnny,

One of the things about these little motorhomes is that it gives you the ability to develop and practice abilities that you never suspected that you had.

I feel for you guys with the roof leaks. When I first got my rader it had a small leak from a wornout gasket for the roof air conditioner. $15 and a little time later it was fixed with a new gasket.

You need to get to the source of the leaks and get those stopped before you do anything else inside. On the roof, clean it as best as you can especially at all of the seams, remove any old caulking and/or sealant. It may cost you a few bucks to get a proper roof covering/sealant/etc but it will be well worth it.

Window and vent/hatch covers should be removed and the old caulking cleaned off. You can buy rolls of the super sticky caulking at a RV store, I forget the name of it, but it's relatively cheap. There is a better product that a lot of guys use but I forget the name of that too (I'm old so it's legal to forget). You just stick on the new stuff and put your windows back in place and trim off any excess.

Carefully remove your old interior panels as best as you can, and yes, use them as templates. Observe how everything is put together and rebuild or repair as deemed necessary. Most of your panels, wood, etc is available from your local home parts store.

Once the panels are out, repair or replace the ceiling before you replace the walls.

As you work along you'll learn to do whatever you need to do, some things are easy and some harder and more expensive, but once you fix it, you'll know it got fixed and you may even find a better way to repair something.

My rader is a 1983, 22R engine and 4 speed manual. Almost all of the interior had been replaced (by former owner) with custom oak cabinets, and wall paneling that looks like it came from panels for a bathroom. The ceiling was replaced with white bathroom panels and it looks good. Almost everything worked. The only thing that didn't work was the oven. My wife complained so I put in a new stove with piezo electric ignition. I removed the old worn out stripes and replaced them with new. The gas tank leaked, I dropped it and replaced gaskets etc. I painted the whole underside with a special paint that bonds with surface rust. I replaced the front and rear brakes. Installed a new deep cycle battery. Replaced the old TV with a 12VDC/120AC small tv with DVD. Replaced old vinyl floor in kitchen area with oak parquet flooring. Removed the old bent 4" rear bumper and custom built a new one and welded it back to the frame which I had beefed up with extra framing and installed a new hitch. I painted the air conditioner inside panel with plastic spray paint to brighten it up. Installed two 12VDC fans to cover the area around the sofa and chairs. Had to replace the water pump after it froze one winter. Replaced the dual propane tanks with new updated ones. Got tired of lighting the water heater in the rain, so I installed a new electric ignition larger water heater. The furnace stated making a noise, so I replaced it with a bigger btu furnace. Most of the items that I replaced could have been repaired, but the worn out part is almost a third of the full cost of a new unit. I did all of the work so there were no labor costs.

A couple of months ago I had to replace the clutch, so I put in a heavy duty one and while I had the transmission out I installed a new hydralic slave cylinder for the clutch, and a new starter motor.

The past few days while it poured rain, 8" this month so far (no leaks), I installed a new 12VDC/120VAC LCD HDTV (Best Buy $199) that looks like it was made especially for the space in the Sunrader that was built for an old tv. The space behind the flat panel will hold my DVD, satellite receiver, AB switch, signal amplifier, and inverter. The tv picks up the digital broadcast signals extremely well with my boomerang antenna on the roof.

Once you start working on your motorhome you won't know when to stop, you'll keep improving things long after you've fixed everything, I'm just lucky I'm in the position right now to spend the money, I'll be retiring soon and everything will slow down drastically.

Allen

PS..I bought 7 each yellow and red LED running lights when I found them at Walmart on the clearance shelf. I'll install them if it ever stops raining long enough. I could use a can of the La Toy though. :)

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thanks for the great reply allen...

your sunrader looks fantastic... awesome additions...

i appreciate the advice... that was the info i have been waiting on...

i wish i could find some local roof sealing help...

You need to remove all of the windows, hatches, aluminum seam covers, running lights, and vent stack covers and put them back down with new butyl putty tape.

Check your windows to make sure that the weep holes are not blocked. If you don't have weep holes get out your drill and make some.

The best way to keep water out is to get a good quality RV cover and keep it on when you are not using the RV. ADCO makes a good quality cover and the side zips up so you can roll it up and get inside to work without having to take the cover off.

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Mike,

Does ADCO actually make a cover that sorta fits our Toyotas? Most covers that I have seen all seem to fit the larger class c's.

Allen

I just put the cover back on the diesel today but don't have pics of it.

What I got was the smallest Tyvek class C (20' and under) and it is a little large for my 17' model. This is the smallest Tyvek class C model that ADCO makes but it should fit a 21' Toyota very nicely. It is just a tad big for my 18' Sunrader.

ADCO will custom make a cover that fits like a glove. They have patterns for just about every motor home ever built.

Their custom ordered covers are more expensive then their off the shelf (one size fits all) covers. I have spoken to people who have opted for a custom ADCO cover and they are very pleased.

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This is what a 20' Tyvek ADCO cover looks like on a 17' Toyota

http://www.toymike.com/diesel/pics/dieselCovered.jpg

It would fit nicer on a 21' Toyota but it isn't too bad of a fit on a short shorty....

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thats a really cool avatar with your diesel in it Mike...

I want to "get lost" in my toyota on dirt roads...

maybe one day I will feel confident enough in my rig to drive it anywhere... That is if my nosy stuck up neighbors dont force me into getting rid of the toyota b4 then...

:ranting2:

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thats a really cool avatar with your diesel in it Mike...

I want to "get lost" in my toyota on dirt roads...

maybe one day I will feel confident enough in my rig to drive it anywhere... That is if my nosy stuck up neighbors dont force me into getting rid of the toyota b4 then...

:ranting2:

Get a copy of the condo owners/association bylaws and see exactly what restrictions are placed on RVs.

You need to read that document.

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