snail powered Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 With the assistance of my professional product designer friend Don I am going to be creating measured drawing project plans for a DIY cabinet with lift off cover for mounting the Honda EU1000i onto the back bumper. We are good as a design team for figuring out what is going to work best for looks and for function. There is nothing on the market for that generator for a box, they are only out there for the EU2000i version. Plus they are very expensive. I will be able to detach the cover and run the generator in place without removing it from the bumper. I don't want to mount it in the way of the hitch area. Not only will it be quick to use I won't have to risk injury to my back moving it. I don't have a generator compartment or cargo door that is tall enough on my rig for the generator so I can't do a slide out drawer configuration without getting into a lot of expense for a new cargo door. The design of my new generator case will make it difficult to steal but still have it removable for servicing. I will make the exterior surface of fiberglass finished to match my Sunrader. So today I will take my computer with 3D CAD program back over to my Sunrader and create basic model of the generator and the back of the Sunrader exterior along with the bumper. Then we can design the cabinet components into that computer model. I already have my Wixey digital angle finder over there. Its come in very handy on the custom renovation project figuring out all the draft angles of the fiberglass shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Ran an errand today and stopped by a reseller of odds and ends of aluminum structural material. One of the bins was full of lengths of aluminum venting in a nice minimal, clean looking profile that provides a lot of square inches of air. The ribs are deep enough that when looking down at it you can't see into the cabinet interior. This is the type of material they build into professional restaurant equipment for fridges and such. Cost only $2.00 as they were selling it by the pound as scrap metal and that was for a 4 foot length of it. I needed it for air intake venting under my new stove top and will have extra left for fridge or electronics venting if those situations come along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Never mind the stove top, that goes on the front of truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Never mind the stove top, that goes on the front of truck. That would be showing off my newly acquired sudden wealth of precious metal rather like having your front teeth capped with gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Working this week on the cab. Started fitting the new floor covering kit I got last year but never got around to installing. But first I finished the spray painting I had to do in place on the dash. One of these days I will replace the dash but not this year. As I don't have air conditioning I need to keep the heat from the road and engine under control. I am creating my own metal backed heat reflecting insulation for under the floor covering in the cab. I have some closed cell sheet foam that is regular automotive insulation and am putting aluminum foil tape on one side of a piece, then that foil is sandwiched against a second piece of foam. So foam on each side of a reflective surface with the shiny side facing to the outside of the vehicle. That will give the proper dead air space needed for the heat reflection and it will also provide sound deadening. Then that will be topped with the regular padding that came with the kit where there is still room for it. I can also add the foil tape to the underside of the pebble texture vinyl flooring just before I install it. The 3M brand of aluminum foil is super sticky stuff so it works nicely for this job. I would not use a bargain brand but 3M was affordable in large rolls at Lowes in the sheet metal duct area. I also covered the inside of my cab door panels with the aluminum foil tape. It actually made a big difference in the temperature on the interior on the side that is facing the sun where I park the rig. Such a simple job to do and it did not cost much. I will create some sound deadening patches for inside the doors against the exterior of the door. I will also make those myself, I have some thin butyl rubber sheet, the foil tape and some adhesive for the job. No point in buying the expensive commercial product and I refuse to put the version of the stuff made for roofing that some folks use as a cheap alternative. I took a good sniff of it at the store and it does smell like driving down a road where a crew is applying asphalt. I can't imagine how much stronger it would smell when the sun heats up the metal of the door. The replacement parts for the plastic stuff, window crank, interior door latches etc. that I purchased as new items on Ebay have arrived, they all are very nicely made. Other items that I am purchasing used through a member of a car forum won't be here for a while yet as he has other priorities this week. But that batch from him will include comfortable black leather seats! Fortunately he is from a town just south of Seattle. The seats have already been modified to bolt into my cab. That will just leave the little bit of headliner to install which should not take very long to accomplish. The local store put all their replacement outdoor furniture cushions on sale today. I picked up two sets in a striped fabric that has all of my decorator interior colors in them. Those are for my new back bench seat that has a removable, adjustable back rest. The sections sewn into the cushions have the seam in just the right place for going up and over the adjustable back rest. Its so comfortable now that I spent the early evening sitting there relaxing and reading instead of heading back home. Maybe though I should wait to screw down the new floor mat until I get the backup camera installed. My friend has one he never got around to installing that he says I can have. Not going to turn that offer down even if it is not the fanciest one on the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donttreadonme Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 I replaced the city water fill assembly. The check valve fell apart right before my camping trip this weekend. I had to put a solid plug in the hose fitting to get through the weekend or my 12 volt pump would have pumped all of my water back out through the city water fill. I found a replacement locally for $18.99. It is in place and working splendidly. I just wish that I had used a silicone sealant instead of the butyl tape. It caused one side to sit out. I guess that nothing is perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I just finished replacing the tail light assemblies, rear marker lights, and license plate light assembly with new led units. It is much brighter and they now all work as they should. The old units were causing a major pain in the bumper because the light sockets had some serious corrosion, after all, they were 27 years old and the fixtures all leaked. The led lights are all sealed in epoxy so they should last pretty good. I also installed the lights by soldering the wires and used heat shrink tubing. Next will be the front marker lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 My cab area is starting to look like a black hole now that the dash is black, the new seats are black and the new vinyl floor is black. I will adding some grey slip covers over the seats and some grey floor mats as well as grey headliner which will help take away that black hole look. It actually looks very nice in all black but I prefer the lighter color as it makes the space feel roomier when looking into it from the back of the coach. The new seats from the Mercedes Kompressor are so comfortable. They were supposed to be able to bolt right in having been drilled to fit a Nissan 720 but it was done for a later model than mine. My friend Don is making adapter plates for bolting in the seats and I am glad to have his help instead of doing all that bending myself. I started installing some closed cell foam with a tough vinyl face on the inside of the exterior walls in my lower cabinets and cargo space. It is very close to the same cream color as the Sunrader fiberglass. It will cushions the walls, dampen the sound and also provide some extra insulation but its very light in weight and the surface is washable. A very easy upgrade project, cut to size and adhere it to the walls with some double stick 3M carpet tape. The material was free, I just had to buy the tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Many years ago I owned several MBZ. When somebody, who had never made a trip in a MBZ, got in the first time they always said the seats were to hard and uncomfortable. After a 400 mi cruise the comment was I feel great nothing is sore, those seats sure are comfortable. Enjoy yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 My crew showed up this evening. Don was going to work on installing the driver's seat but forgot his tools weren't in his van. However he had my coach flooring material in there and I had just made the pattern out of cardboard to use for cutting it an hour earlier. So flooring is what we did instead of seat installation. I needed the floor installed before I can start working on the lower cabinet face frames. There is an overlook deck by the sidewalk across from the storage yard where I have my rig so it worked for a good spot to lay out the grey micro dot material. The microdots are only 1/8" diameter so you can't see them in the photos above, non skid but not gritty and easy to clean. Its very durable, foam cushioned and because it is what they put in the galleys of Boeing Jets it is also reduces noise and is flame retardant too. Installation is easy, it only needs some double back carpet tape around the perimeter edges. Grey would not necessarily be my first color choice but it is a good match for my cab interior which is grey and black and it was free to me . I can always add throw rugs on top to liven the place up. Really expensive material, I could not have afforded to buy it off the shelf. Don had bought a good sized roll of it from Boeing Surplus a number of years ago. There was enough for my Sunrader and also for his cargo trailer conversion to a mobile camper/toy hauler/mobile workshop project. He is going to be putting in glass doors behind the drop down door ramp. Good for hauling his dual sport Honda Trans Alp motorcycle in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I finished putting new flooring in the cab the other week. Of course I had to move the gas pedal back and forth to check for clearance from the new flooring. When I went to start the engine the other day I discovered the throttle cable was stuck but not broken. Seems to they get that problem from old age and corrosion. Whew, I am so glad that occurred while it was sitting safely at home base instead of out on the road. Its a 1980 Nissan 720 so I had to special order in a new cable from the east coast that will take a while to arrive on the west coast. I decided not to mess around with just trying to lubricate it due to it being 35 years old. It won't be here for another week so I am working on other tasks. The radio the PO installed has an Aux in and USB in on the back of the unit. So I went on Ebay and found a cable set with an outlet plug face with USB and AUX in that I can install into the console next to the radio. Its a nice quality radio with a built in HD tuner and an option for Sirrius, blue tooth etc. The blue tooth add on has bad reviews so I did not get that extra add-on and I am not going to pay for satellite radio service so I skipped that option as well. Whoever did the radio install for the PO did a major hack job on it so I fixed that up so it looks nice now. I got a stick of JB Weld Plastic Epoxy Putty for this task and was very pleased with it. It really does make a very strong bond for plastic repair and void filling. It is also good for repairing fiberglass such as filling dings and small cracks. It dries to an off-white color but is paintable. Works for plumbing repairs too so I will keep a stick of it in my RV tool kit for emergency as well as every day kinds of repairs such as filling stripped screw holes. I sewed a new boot for my gear shift. I have the headliner in place except for the upper edge and back edge where it transitions into the overcab bed. Those edges won't get finished until I am doing the finished woodworking part of the interior renovation. Started making the pattern for the new vinyl covering against the back wall of the cab. There used to be shag carpet over that area. But I ripped all that yucky stuff out. I can't put carpet in my RV as if I were to travel with my cats they would instantly turn carpet on any vertical surface into a scratching post. That is going to be a tricky area to finish off nicely with those lumpy uneven cut metal edges but I can manage it. I bought a 22 mm socket for the nut that holds the steering wheel on. This week I hopefully I will get to O'Reilleys and get the steering wheel puller. The steering wheel is the last piece left of the old ugly UV damaged brown cab interior I have to deal with and I am thrilled to see it all go away. The new interior color scheme in the cab is black and grey. I will be glad to get the cab renovation done, its too much bending like a pretzel at awkward angles work for my taste. But I had to do it while the weather was nice as a lot of the time I had to be outside the doors reaching into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I cleaned a bit today, the outside is fairly dirty and I have been going at it a little at a time. Also been playing with different cleaners. I read about and tried LA Awesome from the Dollar store and it does seem to do well on black streaks. I also have black spots, not streaks, spots all over the unit. The LA Awesome will take them off with lots of elbow grease. Not sure what they are, but have no desire to use that much elbow grease, they look like the spots old diesel leaves behind. After experimenting with them a bit I am going to declare them mold and am using a strong soap bleach solution to remove them, some require straight bleach! The insert trim molding also looks moldy, I pulled one off and put it in a bucket, with soap and bleach. If it cleans up I will reinstall it, if not get new ones. Then I hooked up AC gauges and it appears to be holding a charge. It's noon, it's hot, time for a nap! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 "I bought a 22 mm socket for the nut that holds the steering wheel on. This week I hopefully I will get to O'Reilleys and get the steering wheel puller. The steering wheel is the last piece left of the old ugly UV damaged brown cab interior I have to deal with and I am thrilled to see it all go away. The new interior color scheme in the cab is black and grey. I will be glad to get the cab renovation done, its too much bending like a pretzel at awkward angles work for my taste. But I had to do it while the weather was nice as a lot of the time I had to be outside the doors reaching into it.' Lots of choices for aftermarket steering wheels. If you haven't got one some advice. If you have power steering then most any diameter will work, if you don't then stick to stock diameter. Get a real leather rim, not vinyl or wood. They don't work well in cold damp weather. Also use this chance to change the dish (depth) of the wheel to get a more comfortable driving position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 I don't need to do any adapting. I am swapping it out for a black one from the same year and model. Its identical other than the color. The depth of the steering wheel is OK for me. I have thin black leather around. I might cut out and lace up my own. But that is low down on the list of priorities. Makes a good craft project for when out on the road during a rainy afternoon. My tall, on-board tool closet is full of things like knives, holes punches, rulers, etc. My workbench is topped with a large cutting mat. One of the classes I took when enrolled at the University of Alaska was given by an Alaska Native. It was a class for leather, skin and fur sewing techniques. First thing we made were driving gloves using thin deer hide. Hand stitched, French seamed leather gloves made to custom fit your own hands are quite the project to learn on. We also learned the traditional Athabascan bead work techniques. Fun class, a whole semester worth of skills improvement and gained cultural knowledge too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaFred Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Getting ready for a fall trip.Replaced spring bushings,changed oil,fixed some plumbing leaks and installed new toilet.49,000 miles on rig and the old bushings were shot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyPatches Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Two 100W Renogy Solar panels mounted. Next will be tying it all into the battery bank... If 1987 could see this Dolphin now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Two 100W Renogy Solar panels mounted. Next will be tying it all into the battery bank... If 1987 could see this Dolphin now! A lot of obstructions to work around but a very good job of space planning for getting the max wattage out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyPatches Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Thanks Snail! Yea not a whole lot of real estate to use up there without taking over rear cargo area. I was up there head scratching for quite a while before mounting (the pic was only a mock up before lap sealant and screws). The panels won't get much shade from the AC and vent covers plus still able to walk around the roof... somewhat strategically in spots. Got the second battery mounted today now for the struggle of wiring everything. We actually got rain in smokey western MT today so wasn't able to drill holes in the wall and run wires. The system is a bit over kill for the battery bank I currently have (two 35 amp hour batteries) but plan to add one or two more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfisherx Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 (edited) Spent the weekend taking out 30 year old carpet and putting in vinyl. I have the pictures posted to this site (photo albums) but cannot seem to embed at this time. Will check back later as these posts sort of suck without the pictures. Edited September 8, 2015 by kfisherx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Went and checked on my motorhome for leaks after the recent heavy rain storms. I was not working on it last week and same will be true of this coming week. Had cataract surgery on my right eye last Weds and my left eye will be done tomorrow, Weds. If I am lucky I will be back to work on the interior in another week or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Not much today, pulled the driver side rear skirt? Trying to figure the best method for some rot repair. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyPatches Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Replaced old 80's speakers with new Pyle aftermarket speakers in the dash. Also rigged 2 house speakers behind the seats (classic philly ingenuity) . The dolphin is bumpin now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I installed cam locks on all the upper cabinet doors keyed alike as all my outside locks.Tapped into my propane line with a quick connect fittings for my travel BBQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyPatches Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 New rear seal on tranny and exhaust manifold leak repaired, $350 and got me in and out in a day. Ready to ride around the country for the next few months! Road trip saved by a honest awesome shop. First shop said I needed to rebuild the tranny 2200-2800! Always shop around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 New rear seal on tranny and exhaust manifold leak repaired, $350 and got me in and out in a day. Ready to ride around the country for the next few months! Road trip saved by a honest awesome shop. First shop said I needed to rebuild the tranny 2200-2800! Always shop around! I had a horrible transmission shop experience, not the Toyota. Same Galloway Ford in Ft Myers told me I needed a $2800 transmission, took it to an independent shop, Kustom transmissions in N Ft Myers, told me out the door for $1900. Talking to a buddy on the phone, he told me you have a vacuum leak, found bad hose $4! Went to 3rd shop for fluid change and checkup, decent guy, told me he had worked at the dealer and the independent shop. Said he quit both as his conscience bothered him and he could no longer stand ripping people off! Shop around, good advice. Jim SW FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 seems like no matter where you go there are rip off shops . my son got ripped off by a claimed to be trans shop some years ago . dodge ramcharger with an old time 727 torqflite behind a 318. guy rebuilt the trans for 1500 bucks and it lasted 9000 miles. by which time he and his shop had vanached. a good local shop told us we have been fixing all of his work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLGASUNRADER Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Spent the day installing the new Smartcore vinyl plank flooring. Tomorrow we will be staining the new counter top and new wall blocking off the truck cab. The AC / heat would escape so quickly and the baby fell when he leaned on the blanket we used as a wall. Can't wait to get back on the road! Thinking about installing a rear camera when this project comes to an end. Still have a lot of work to do fiberglassing the front windows in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrel Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Bought another 2 years of license plates. $208 dollars. Good until 12-2016. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Took advantage of a cyber Monday deal for email subscribers at Online Metals. I got 30% off on the aluminum angle I needed to finish up my new cabinet framing. That was the best price so far this year! Lucky for me, Online Metals is located in my neighborhood so I don't have to pay for shipping. Now I am ready for the next work session Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2ndopinion Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 ( Something to consider for stabilizing your rig , if you don't already have one ) I fixed two stabilizer brackets for the rear that the stabilizers can be slid onto the bumper brace to stabilize the toyohome while camping, just slide them off and put inside while traveling. I bought 2 scissor jacks from HARBOR FREIGHT while they were on sale for $19 each. Excellent idea! I've been trying to figure a simple way to level my Dolphin. I've made some wooden ramps to drive on, but it's still on the suspension, so wind or moving inside gets it rocking.FYI, those jacks appear to be the same as what came in almost every Toyota automobile from at least the mid '70s well into the '80s and maybe longer. I checked Pick 'n Pull's website, and they sell them for $4.99 with no core charge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrel Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I also went out with the old carpet and new carpet. Did new kitchen vinyl and cork in the bathroom. The vinyl is put down with a tacky glue. The carpet is commercial 2 foot squares, has a solid rubber-vinyl ? back and is not fastened down, floating. That way when it gets filthy I can remove it and put in a new piece. The cork I put down last year and was left over from my house. I painted the wood floor with a stain blocking paint as per instructions for the vinyl floor install. Got the carpet, was samples from a flooring store and cost 2 bucks apiece, used 8 for the job. Also made a new kitchen table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctgriffi Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 ...Also made a new kitchen table. Great work, and I especially like your new table! What kind of material did you use and what method of construction? (I need to do something similar one of these days.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrel Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 It's 2.25" fir flooring tong and groove. Used Elmer's carpenter glue. Cut the tong and groove off the two outside boards to the width you want. My table is 23" wide. I then cut to width the end boards and used a biscuit joiner for strength. Used a router to smooth the ends and used Watco clear oil. Finished with Johnsons paste wax. It looks like you have the same model Warrior as mine. 94 Warrior model 321. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVdaytrader Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 The wallpaper on the bathroom sliding door cover was boogered up. So instead of removing the paper and painting the cover, I made up a valance shaped piece of 1/4 inch ply and covered it with left over upholstery fabric that I had used on the window valances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinite no longer here Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I walked up to the Dolphin yesterday and left a mouse trap inside the coach. I didn't set it, though, because I didn't have any cheese with me and it was below freezing in there so I went back down to the cabin to stoke the fire and open a bottle of beer. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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