WhidbeyDave Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 SO my wife and I have been talking for a few months about buying our first RV. Class B, Class C, fifth-wheel + a new truck - we really have no experience with all this. We came close to buying a used truck and a new Jayco 5th wheel last week, but chickened out when we realized how deep it would put us back into debt again. Decided to wait until the right thing came along and just be open to the winds of fate, and within two days came across a Craigslist ad for an 85 Dolphin for what amounted to pocket change. Spoke with Dad who's been driving around the country in a similar Toyota Motorhome, and got some good info, so went out and bought the Dolphin today! It's now sitting in the back yard, waiting for a dry day for us to go through it and clean it all up. It's in pretty good shape given it's age, and my level of ignorance as to the definition of the term "pretty good shape". I did start making a list of things to be done on it and stopped after one and a half pages........ Mostly cosmetic stuff, but a couple of leak issues - one exterior compartment that is wet inside, and a roof vent that is cracked and needs replacing. I'm fairly handy and willing to do the work, but need to learn a whole new field of repair. Any suggestions for good Toyota RV specific books to guide me? I'm sure I'll be on this site a lot looking for help, but I'm old fashioned enough to prefer book-larnin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86rader Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 SO my wife and I have been talking for a few months about buying our first RV. Class B, Class C, fifth-wheel + a new truck - we really have no experience with all this. We came close to buying a used truck and a new Jayco 5th wheel last week, but chickened out when we realized how deep it would put us back into debt again. Decided to wait until the right thing came along and just be open to the winds of fate, and within two days came across a Craigslist ad for an 85 Dolphin for what amounted to pocket change. Spoke with Dad who's been driving around the country in a similar Toyota Motorhome, and got some good info, so went out and bought the Dolphin today! It's now sitting in the back yard, waiting for a dry day for us to go through it and clean it all up. It's in pretty good shape given it's age, and my level of ignorance as to the definition of the term "pretty good shape". I did start making a list of things to be done on it and stopped after one and a half pages........ Mostly cosmetic stuff, but a couple of leak issues - one exterior compartment that is wet inside, and a roof vent that is cracked and needs replacing. I'm fairly handy and willing to do the work, but need to learn a whole new field of repair. Any suggestions for good Toyota RV specific books to guide me? I'm sure I'll be on this site a lot looking for help, but I'm old fashioned enough to prefer book-larnin'. what are these leaks you speak of? -sunrader owner not that i can tell much from that pic, but the exterior looks like it was well cared for. i could have sworn that the cab was a newer one at first. good luck and don't forget to go to the yahoo toyota MH group site. It is laid out badly, but has much more traffic and lots of very knowedgable posters. good luck and welcome to toyhome ownership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COYota Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 (edited) Welcome WD, That rig looks pretty clean in the picture. Does it have a full-floating 1T rear axle? I don't think those were standard yet in '85. If you're not sure, pull one of those rear hubcaps and make sure that it has a protruding hub surrounded by little bolts. If it doesn't, that should be your first priority project. I think the Livingston book is pretty good for general RV repair and maintenance info: http://www.amazon.co...69870231&sr=8-1 There's a new edition due out in May, so you may not want to buy it just yet. You can probably find it at your library. As far as Toyota specific information, I doubt that you'll find much in books. This site and the yahoo site: http://autos.groups....toyota-campers/ are the best places to look for that. Have fun! Brad '84 Sunrader 180RD FtC CO Edited March 29, 2010 by COYota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinite no longer here Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 SO my wife and I have been talking for a few months about buying our first RV. Class B, Class C, fifth-wheel + a new truck - we really have no experience with all this. We came close to buying a used truck and a new Jayco 5th wheel last week, but chickened out when we realized how deep it would put us back into debt again. Decided to wait until the right thing came along and just be open to the winds of fate, and within two days came across a Craigslist ad for an 85 Dolphin for what amounted to pocket change. Spoke with Dad who's been driving around the country in a similar Toyota Motorhome, and got some good info, so went out and bought the Dolphin today! It's now sitting in the back yard, waiting for a dry day for us to go through it and clean it all up. It's in pretty good shape given it's age, and my level of ignorance as to the definition of the term "pretty good shape". I did start making a list of things to be done on it and stopped after one and a half pages........ Mostly cosmetic stuff, but a couple of leak issues - one exterior compartment that is wet inside, and a roof vent that is cracked and needs replacing. I'm fairly handy and willing to do the work, but need to learn a whole new field of repair. Any suggestions for good Toyota RV specific books to guide me? I'm sure I'll be on this site a lot looking for help, but I'm old fashioned enough to prefer book-larnin'. I've had an '85 Dolphin for about 12 years now. I'd be happy to help you with what I've discovered in that time. If you have specific questions, post them here or send me an email at jjamieson2@yahoo.com. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhidbeyDave Posted March 30, 2010 Author Share Posted March 30, 2010 I've had an '85 Dolphin for about 12 years now. I'd be happy to help you with what I've discovered in that time. If you have specific questions, post them here or send me an email at jjamieson2@yahoo.com. John Thanks, guys, for the responses. I'm literally such a newbie I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask.... But here's a start: How tough is it to replace a roof vent that is broken? The prior owner says he stepped through the plastic dome while on the roof one day. I don't know yet if the frame is bent or broken, but the plastic certainly is. Second, and while we're on the roof, there is a tv antennae that cranks up and down and can be rotated by a crank in the ceiling. Is this any use? I don't have a TV or plan to put one in anytime soon, but maybe...? Since the broadcasts all went digital are these antennas obsolete? And back to leaks, the right rear storage compartment is quite wet inside, and the seal between the body and the frame looks pretty old and cracked - are these easily replaced or should I just go at it with a caulk gun and seal around the outside of the frame? That'll do for a start! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickerman Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 The tv antenna will work fine. Any of the newer tvs have a built in digital converter, if you use an older tv you will need the digital converter box to pick up stations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoyhomme Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Congrats on the "new" motorhome. Bob Livingston's book on RV Repair is pretty good, it's what I use. For the Toyota part, a Haynes manual (or similar) for the Toyota pickup is required. All motorhomes all basically use the same items like stoves, furnaces, etc. These are generic to the motorhome industry and not just Toyota based. The 14" roof vent is pretty standard for all motorhomes and very easy to replace. Mine had aged from UV and finally cracked when I accidently put my hand on it while on the roof. I put a new one on by just connecting up the hinge and crank coupling. They can be found at almost all RV stores or RV websites, just make sure to buy the exact same one that is on your Dolphin (some have different hinge connections), this makes it easier to install. You probably just need the plastic lid and not the frame. Allen 83 Sunrader Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Since the broadcasts all went digital are these antennas obsolete? No. It was an antenna before, it's still an antenna. What's changed is the signal and what your TV tuner can/can't do with it. I won't comment on the efficiency of the rv antennas, as I have no experience with them. However, being small and not mounted very high, I have my doubts compared to a large UHF (where most digital TV is broadcast) antenna atop a 30' tower! Derek '91 SeaBreeze Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 No. It was an antenna before, it's still an antenna. What's changed is the signal and what your TV tuner can/can't do with it. I won't comment on the efficiency of the rv antennas, as I have no experience with them. However, being small and not mounted very high, I have my doubts compared to a large UHF (where most digital TV is broadcast) antenna atop a 30' tower! Derek '91 SeaBreeze Well yes it still is an antenna however at the same time they went digital they also changed frequencies so the old antenna is not designed to receive the new higher frequencies and yes any TV made before May 07 will not receive digital broadcasts with out a converter box. If you are really interested in TV in your MH you probably could mount a new antenna to the old parts they are much smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Agreed that frequencies changed, but they're still UHF frequencies, so if the antenna can pull in UHF signals, it'll work. VHF Lo is pretty quiet now, AFAIK. Not sure how a ChannelMaster HD4228 would work on top of a Toyota, but I've got one waiting to go on my tower when the weather clears up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D. Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 I bought a crank up Antena off Ebay. The critacal thing for me was to have the signal booster. That makes a big difference. I think you can buy a signal booster and add it to the antena. I also bought a small flat screen TV which sets almost flat on the wall. TDS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoyhomme Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Old antennas should work. My 83 Sunrader has one of the "bat wing" antennas that was installed by the previous owner. It is visible in the photo in front of the A/C unit on top. It neither raises or rotates. One of the photos show the image received from a transmitter about 50 miles away while I was camping in Tennessee, on my old 9" analog TV prior to the changeover to digital broadcasting. The other picture shows a digital picture received after the digital changeover on my new LCD digital flatscreen, again about 40 to 50 miles from the transmitter. Tony is right, I added a signal booster that really helps especially for digital. The batwing may have a passive booster installed in it, don't know. Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Hello Dave, Another option to replace the crack vent lid is to put a Maxx Air vent cover over it. They cost about $25 and easily attaches to the side of the vent frame. The great thing about a Maxx Air vent cover is that you can keep your vent fully open while driving, during rain storms, and during winter storage (allows moisture to escape). So, if you vent lid is just cracked, I would consider not replacing it and just put the Maxx Air vent cover over it. Most RV stores, online stores, and eBay sells them. Dennis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel_Aggie Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 There are several styles and colors of 14" vent caps. It would be best to pull yours off and take it to your nearest RV dealer. They run about $15-25. On top of the RV on the hinged side I have see screws on either side holding the hinge pin on or fold down tabs that will lock the pin in. You may also have to disassemble the the inner crank mechanism to maneuver the vent off. If so there is typically a square plastic cover inside the RV with a phillips head screw and each corner. The plastic cover now pulls down. There may also be a screen above the inner cover which is held on by phillips head screws. The crank handle is typically held on by one screw and then pulls away. The actual crank mechanism above this handle is usually held on by two screws. You can now freely move the assemblys around from the top until you can slide the large wheel on the vent lid off thru the corresponding hole on the lifting mechanism. Now just reverse for assembly. Sometimes you can accomplish this strictly from the top without extra disassembly. I highly recommend replacing both and them always having a spare with you. They get brittle from the sun in a few years in southern climates and even the smallest hail or impact can crack them. Once I figured out how they work I can easily do them in less than 15 minutes. On the exterior compartment (I'm assuming you mean flip up door?) look at what the original seal was. It is often just thin foam like you might see in the door/window insulation aisle at Home Depot. It only lasts a few years and gets brittle, compressed and starts flaking apart. Others have a better quality rubber seal. Most of these doors leave you a variety of options for fixes. Just see how thick you can go and still have the latch work properly. I like either using rubber seals or the EPDM sealing strips from Home Depot. More expensive, but a better seal and longer lasting than the cheap foam. A larger RV parts department probably has a variety of seals to pick from as well. Most Home Depot stuff is peel and stick....just make sure you clean the area well first. If you find a rubber seal that you need to glue on, 3M Weatherstrip Adhesive is outstanding. Comes in yellow and black and large and small tubes. Most any auto parts store should have it. I like the black as it blends in better. It's a little tricky to work with as it's very tacky and stringy. It's often referred to as "gorilla snot"! Make certain you wear chemically resistant gloves as it is very irritating to skin. If you skip this step your fingers feel weird, tingly and numb. In case your leak is around the fixed frame of the door, the part that is screwed to the outer wall of the RV, that is a little different. You will probably have a 1/2" or so plastic cover that is easily pried out with a screw driver. Under this will be screws. Often they are square head bolts. These screwdrivers can be found at Home Depot. Be aware there are 3 sizes. Unscrew these and the outer frame will pull off the exterior of the RV with some work/rocking. Be gentle as many frames are easily bent aluminum. Almost always there is a putty like substance under here called butyl tape. It can be found at RV dealers and is cheap. Clean the old stuff off, get the proper width tape, apply it to the frame, stick the door frame on and insert screws. This should reseal it for many years. Left out something important. Stick a few screws thru first to help you get lined up when you stick it to the RV since you won't be able to see the holes. Looks like your RV is in great shape from the pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 The screw type Aggie refers to is more correctly call a 'Robertson' type. They're far more common this side of the border, very common in (pre-Ikea) furniture assembly and other wood assemblies. The most common size here is a #2. I've only recently bought a Toyota MH (2, actually) and neither are here for me to go and look at, so I'm not sure what size you'll need. At a pinch, if you have a good selection, you might find a flat head or Philips head screwdriver that MIGHT work, especially if the screws aren't too tight or corroded in place. The main advantage of the Robertson vs Philips or flat screw is that there's less tendency for the screwdriver to 'torque' out of the screw and bugger it up! http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Ontario/robertson_screws.htm Hey, if it was good enough for the Model T, it's good enough for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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