Gulfstream Greg

OK you rear axle gurus out there. I have gotten an email from a fellow Sunrader 4x4 owner who is broken down near Yosemite with a 6 lug axle where all 6 lugs have sheared off and he needs to know how to replace them.

2007 Redwood Mountain Indian Summer Rally at Smithwood's RV Park in Felton, California Arriving October 5th Friday Leaving October 7th, Sunday Smithwood's RV Park is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains under the REDWOODS just north of Santa Cruz, California. Reservations and sign up procedures have changed this year Please go here for all the details

That's a very good point. My options for locating another cooler especially a fan cooled one i are limited. I have the biggest I can mount on the front of the radiator, certainly no room for a fan there. The only real option would be one of the frame mounted units that have a cooling fan. I have not put my hands on one and one of my concerns would be how protected is it. I drive on dirt roads allot and so rocks and sticks are a concern. Might have to fabricate a shield. Another concern is how well do they really cool as I don't think they are very big. I guess though adding even a small fan cooled unit would be beneficial but would it be enough if the radiator cooler is bypassed.

Here is the link to the kit I may install one day http://www.turboengineering.com/upgrade_bo...ort/toyota.html My friend Bruce (AC6DN in the Ham world) installed one in his 87 truck. He has been almost 100% happy with it. There were some install problems but overall its really sweet and works well with the stock ECU. Here is another link to one of his pages showing the actual kit http://www.bchawkins.com/tec_pics/tec_pics.html He has another page in the plans to explain the install problems but has not gotten to it yet. I think the total cost was around $2000 LC Engineering also make a kit for about $1500 http://www.lcengineering.com/newsletter/in...=view&id=19

YEOUCH That's a good reason for more cooling. I have not considered a cooling fan on the oil cooler. My lines do run into and out of the radiator but strange as it might seem I never see any temp rise in the radiator water. It never gets hot. I do have another cooler which is mounted on the transmission (oem) but not sure what its cooling. The auxiliary one I have in front of the radiator is really small as I was unable to fit in a larger one due to the A/C coils. When I was shopping for that one I was aware of some frame mounted ones with cooling fans so that may be a future option. I have also considered removing the stock clutch fan and replacing it with an electric one. More so to reduce the fan noise as when the clutch fan engages its really loud. But I am sure that when on windy roads when the rpms and speeds are low it would help with cooling. The hottest temps I see on average are roads where I am on and off the throttle at slow speeds of 50 mph or less. The cause I am sure is because the torque converter never really locks up and the transmission is constantly shifting between 2nd and third. Only a small portion of the oil from the transmission is being pumped through the cooler system. So here is a question for the experts, does anyone know what the flow rate is through the cooling system? What about increasing that flow rate?

That image was taken after climbing about 1000 feet here on highway 9 to the summit on a hot day. Very twisty turny and on and off the throttle, No over drive used there. What I have found with my overdrive and temps is if I am running hot and I am moving at least 60 plus mph in third gear and I engage OD I can actually watch the temp drop. I can actually watch it fall. The trick is I have to be doing at least 60 plus mph, any slower and there is no effect on the temp. I have no idea why that is but I have used the trick many times to lower temps while on the freeway. I might also note that my transmission has a locking torque converter and I am sure that has a huge effect on the temps dropping when in OD over 60 mph.

My turbo is the stock 22RTE engine. Low compression and about 6psi boost so it won't blow its top. I think some low compression forged pistons are the ticket. Have the crank balanced with the pistons and rods and it should purr like a kitten! What kind of boost were you getting?

Steve I have been slacking and just saw your post here. I deleted the second with no replys. Greg

Gallons per hour is how everyone is seeing it and yes they are my initials. 7270 sounds good. I will start putting the rig on that one when just sitting around in the eves. Be looking forward to it when you get back. 73 Greg K6GPH

Steve Let me know how the bigger altinator works out. I know a guy who is going to give a non op honda 1000. Greg

Our Sunrader roof is 3/4 inch plywood with fiberglass laminated on top and a skin on the inside. Not sure what the skin is. Its actually very strong but I would not put 4 people on top. The brochure shows a different construction than ours. http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/uploads/...1_48_201768.pdf

Having a 4x4 Sunrader myself and having driven through mud and some rather ruff stuff I would say that I am glad I have 4x4. I would have not made it out in the mud. The other point about 4x4 is that having the front wheels supply some traction takes considerable load off of the rear axles. My Sunrader weighs in at around 6800 pounds fully loaded. Sure I can probably make it up that steep rutted with big rocks incline using just the low gears in the transfer case but why? I would much prefer that the front wheels help do some of the pulling.

Post an image of the area where whatever is missing including the wires.

California will allow you to swap in an engine if it meets the following requirements. It must be from the same year or newer. It must have been originally built cal smog legal not federal. The original computer and smog related equipment must also be reinstalled. That can also include the fuel tank and fuel pump. You then have to take it to a smog referee and get it certified.

Most Luggage racks are really not luggage racks but instead TV antennas.

I would like to get the smaller Honda, its even too much $$$ for us right now. I am eventually going to remove the 30 amp cord and replace it with a reverse outlet. In other words it looks like a male plug but is built into a box cover with the water tight cover that flips open to plug in a cord. I don't have and never will have A/C so I really don't need a 30 amp cord. The one main thing I would look for when deciding on a gem system is the amount of noise it makes. Anything with a brigs and stratton engine is going to be noisy. The Hondas of course are the quietest but also the highest priced.

Dennis I uploaded the photo for you. I would lower the front if you can to keep the wind from getting under it when going 70. Looking at the photo not sure if you can lower it because of the A/C.

I have a 40 meter dipole in the air at the home QTH. Lets set a time and freq. and try a contact. Also my call changed, I am noe K6GPH, KI6BJI has been retired.

Bill - that looks good. My next antenna project on the RV will be some sorta of HF antenna. It will be mounted on the rear bumper. I just built a rear bumper mount to accomidate a 31 ft jackite pole for using a 2m 70cm dual band dipole. Here is a photo of the jackite inplace on our last trip. The middile arrow is actually the 40 meter dipole I had up.

I think some spam blockers grab the emails. They have contacted me about this and I did a test contact seller and mine went thru. So at this time we are unsure what is wrong. I will suggest they put their email in the description.

The axle is toyota. I checked with toyota just the other day about the wheels and they are not stock. My guess is they were a special build. One thing with mine is the offsets are not the same, Can't remember the exact inches but one pair is say 9 3/4 in and the other pair is 9 3/8 in. I put the shorter offset on the inside and the longer on the outside. I was also told by a toyota parts guy that Chevy 6 bolt rims will bolt on. A place several of us have considered is called stockton wheel. http://www.stocktonwheel.com/ they can build the wheels. If enough of us get together maybe we could get a discount. I want a spare as presently I only have a front spare.

Bill I passed my General a couple weeks ago and a friend AE6RF loaned me a Icom IC-730 with antenna tuner. I took his 40 meter half wave folded dipole but I also quickly threw together a 40 meter dipole as a test. My quick job worked better. So the answer to your question is no. I presently own no HF equipment. The area where we were was in a deep canyon but the 40 meter worked well. We had a MT. Lion kill a 4 point buck about 400 yards from camp. We made a contact in the Mojave desert and he made a phone call for us back to the local forest service office as an advisory about the kill. Within two hours the County Sheriff was there looking for me about the incident. We were at least 40 mins away from cell phone or repeater coverage coverage so that king of communication was really cool. An HF antenna on the RV is definitely in the future for mobile use. I think AE6RF may let me borrow the 730 for awhile so perhaps I can get the antenna up and we can qso. We just did field day (my first time) and so I am a bit tired but will do a scan where I can put up the antenna. I am surrounded by 200 foot tall redwoods so its just a matter of getting it up in the air. Also as a note. I put in for a vanity call and hopefully should take effect next week. My new call hopefully will be K6GPH 73 Greg

For anyone with 40 meter capabilities I will be attempting contact from the High Sierras on June 19, 20 and 21 at 12 noon and 9 pm. Will try to check in to the noon net on 7.2685 LSB starting at around 11:30 am. I will then move to 7.280.0 Here is the Google Earth placemarker 73 KI6BJI KI6BJI_Pacific_Valley.kmz

So how are you likeing the marine refer? Greg

Bill, that looks good. How did you mount it on the bumper? I see the top and bottom bracket but can not see how its bolted on. What brand and model is the antenna. I originally picked an Antennex with a spring coil on the whip but could not get a very good swr match. A Diamond super gainer 7500 matched up well but the draw back is no spring and its really high. Top of antenna is 12 ft 6 inches to ground. But as a note I did fabricate a spring. The antenna hits every tree on our road. Anyhow I am curios of the antenna brand and model. Greg