Gulfstream Greg

I recently got an email for a 4x4 Chinook for sale. Here is the link http://www.greenwest.net/toyota/

If you have the old 6300 series converter you might try looking at the transfer relay. Its inside the converter. These go bad. What it does is redirect where the 12 volt dc comes from. When plugged into shore power it supplies 12vdc power from the converter to the coach and when on battery it of course supplies power from the battery. At any rate its a good place to start as the power goes thru it before it reaches the fuses. The switch itself is the rectangular brown on the top. Remember to be careful when on shore power as there are some live 120 volt ac circuits in there. If you are looking at the top switch I think the blue wire you see in the front goes to the fuse panel. On the back there is another blue wire which is 12dc supply from the converter and the large red is from battery and small red is from the charger. When running on battery power the back red will be connected to the front blue. So when on battery both the red and front blue should be hot with 12vdc. If the blue is dead and the red is hot then the switch is bad. Here is a link to the schematic http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/uploads/...1_48_166304.pdf As a side note if the switch is bad you might consider upgrading to a newer solid state model. http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/magnetek_6...es_retrofit.htm Greg

Hi Marty and welcome to the group here. You may post the photo The 4x4s are a hard machine to find. When they do come up for sale they usually sell quickly. There was one for sale up in Oregon for 14k by a dealer that was listed for along time and I do not know if it sold or not. I have not seen it listed anywhere for a couple of months now. I have heard two stories about how many have been built. I was told by the previous owner of ours that they only built about 26 4x4's mostly before the the feds required the new full floating rear axle and that only two turbo versions rolled out. One turbo was wrecked in Arizona and we have the other. I have also heard that 2000 were built and 1000 stayed in the states and 1000 went overseas. If there were 1000 in the states I would think more would be seen. As far as I know only the 180RD 18ft models used the 4x4 chassis. Greg

Here is the number for the original Sunrader factory. Give them a call about windows. They once told me that they still have the original front window molds. 707-252-8188

I think you need to stick with the propane. There are no quiet generators except the small Honda's etc. You really did not say why you want to remove all the propane devices. Our rig had a microwave in place of the oven when we bought it. Worthless for us as many of the places we go have no shore power. We bought a new stove with oven and threw out the microwave. Took off the roof AC for same reason and replaced it with a Northern Breeze 12 dc fan. We don't have a generator but would not mind having one of the Honda's to charge my batteries when needed. But solar panels would be good for that also. How many watts does a hot plate need? How big a generator will you need? A gas stove and oven is instant on, an electric is not. It will cost more to run the gen than using propane. I have never heard of anyone replacing their gas appliances with electric.

I think you have a good deal there. I have seen many at that price range that are in bad shape, the bad axle, non of the appliances work and the interior looks like some tasmanian devils lived in it.

I also use a cpap. My new one will run on 12 volts dc. I also use a small 150 watt inverter to run it from 12volts dc to 120 volts ac. Unless someone installed an inverter in your rig and wired it up to your plugs I would guess there is a 99.9% chance that when unplugged from shore that the outlets do not work. Greg

I would carry the front as a spare. If you get one flat on the rear you can still remove it and run slow with the still good of the dual. But you have not mentioned what rear axle you have. So speak up and fill in all the details, full floating rear axle or the old welded together dual setup? An 85 if it has the new full floating axle, I would definitely carry the spare for the front. If you have the newer full floating rear you can always remove the flat and run slow on the good one. Hmmm did I say that already? The option of course is to get a spare for the rear full floating rear axle and carry a spare for the front and rear.

From your description in that the alarm stays off when the windows are open but sounds when closed it sure sounds like you have a leak. The sensors can detect gas even when you can not smell it. Propane is heavier than air and will settle on the floor.

Hi John and welcome The Sunraders can get leaks but they usually are limited to around windows and vents. Ours had a past leak at one of the rear windows and I found one at a front cab over window. Greg

Look here in the gallery and in the yahoo group files section for some manuals on appliances. Most all the rigs have the same appliances so just search for the right models.

One thing I would be looking at is weight distribution in the coach. If you have too much weight behind the rear wheels it can make the front end light and create the exact condition you are experiencing.

Those leds they are using for flashlights now, the Luxeon LED. Not sure if anyone has direct replacement for 12 volt bulbs but building something should be easy, and they are bright if you get the three watt versions. One of the problems with the RV fixtures is the bulb is inserted sideways. So you almost need a right angle led to shine in the right direction. I played around with regular leds and gave up, just not enough light wide enough. Luxeon though is like a little square chip that emits really bright light!

Leaks around the windows and roof vents. Check the interior wallpaper for signs. The front windows do tend to leak and the signs can be hidden behind the wall covering and carpet. A couple of years my wife was complaining that when she slept in the overhead next to the front window that she rolled towards me all night. So I switched spots with her. Sure enough it was like being on a hill. So I pulled the carpet up there and using a straight edge found that there was a 3 inch difference. Anyhow I found the front widows were leaking after I removed the carpet. I would have never seen it if I had not pulled the carpet. So what did I do about the level problem. I added a 1/2 inch ply on top and shimmed it where ever needed and made the entire bunk flat from side to side and front to back. We sleep much better now! Sorry for the side track Leaks around the windows and vents. The floors can become delaminated (they are a sandwich of 3/8 ply, foam core and aluminum bottom skin). I put down 1/2 inch ply on the floor because of that. Did not glue it down, just screwed down in case I have to remove one day. Probably should have placed a 2x4 under the floor and screwed from the top down into it to create a sandwich.

Its a flat lander hitch

Well, I say get up there and make some whoopi with the Misses and if you find that when its all over and your laying in front of the radiator then there is a problem. I think the BIGG factor here is do not put a ton of cargo up there when your motoring down the road. That weight and the G-Forces of the road can or could be a problem. Sleeping though - well maybe if you have a bunch of wood rot from a water leak. I think most of the toy motorhomes have the overhead bunk lying directly on the cab roof.

I do not really have a plan. Well maybe sorta. I plan to install a small catch tank or bucket near the black water tank and reroute the shower drain to it. The drain into the black water tank will have to be plugged. In the catch tank I am going to place a boat bilge pump that has a float switch that will turn on the pump when it fills with water. The pump will pump the water over to the grey water tank. I am also going to install a valve that will be able to divert the grey water into a hose if I am in the woods and can run the water out and away from camp. But as to exactly where to place the bucket or how to tap into the grey water tank is still a mystery. I have gone so far as to add a lighted power switch in the coach for power when I am ready to connect it all. It will hopefully be a summer project added to my already 10 foot tall pile. When I do get around to it I will attempt to document it all with photos and create a page for it at the main site. Greg

That's an interesting concept. I seem to remember some saying that there is an after market dip stick with a sensor built into the end. Here is a good article on installing it in the pan http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/trgauge.html

I suppose you could use plastic washers but they should be able to withstand oil and temps of 300 degrees plus. The thermal range of outside air temp to 300 plus temp will cause some expanding and contraction and the washers may leak after awhile or worse, work the inside nut loose. And you never want the possibility of it coming loose and draining your oil. Welding or braising a fitting into the pan allows you to screw the sensor directly in and it and will never leak and never come loose. What ever way it is mounted in the pan make sure where you place it that there is enough room inside so that the sensor does not interfere with or touch any internal parts. Any how one day I am going to pull the pan and braze a fitting into it. There is one huge draw back though so maybe mounting with washers would be better and that is the sensor. If it fails and you have to go to a different manufacturer will the new one fit the mount. I suppose you could put in a large mount and use adapters to re-size it down to fit the sensor. It is important to note here that usually you want the sides of the sensor to be exposed to the oil. It may be necessary to drill out any adapters in order to give some side clearance. Even with the tee in the line method I drilled out the barb fittings so that they were closer to the oil line inside diameter so as to not restrict the oil flow to much.

There is not a specific one just for the Toyota. But any transmission or oil temp gauge can work. It just needs to be able to read 300 degrees plus. JCWhitney has an analog and a digital one. I would suggest the digital as it is easier to read if you have vision age. And yes they are great to have. Right now you are guessing on the temp assuming its high during one point or cool. The reality is it will be running hot when you think it would be cool. Having the gauge will allow you to discover driving methods that will help keep the temp down and from reaching critical temps. The sensor would best be placed in the oil pan but that requires welding in a fitting for it. So most opt for using a TEE and placing it in the cooler line that runs from the transmission to the radiator. One thing to watch for is to make sure that when the tee and sensor are assembled that they do not restrict the oil flow. In other words the sensor should not protrude down into the flow line. I drilled out the fittings so that there was max flow and that also allowed oil to flow around the sensor. I have seen a couple of installs where the sensor poked way down into the flow channel basically cutting off the oil flow. Use of adapters to raise the sensor out of the channel is required. Also since most gauges and sensors are electric you must fabricate and attach a ground wire to the tee assembly to get it to work.

Bought my last tube (hand squeeze) at a Ace Hardware

Brendan Welcome to the group here! I can't say about the A/C but here is a link that may be able to help with hard to find parts http://www.rvdoctorgeorge.com/ He is up in the Sacramento area. Greg

Give her my congrats!! I have been doing the practice tests on www.qrz.com not great so far. I have a book on the way. We have a testing date coming up next Saturday but I will not be ready. The next testing date is on the 21st but I will be at a Toyota Motorhome Rally in Big Sur. So I guess its into May. I should have no excuse for not being ready by then. $200 for that kenwood is a great deal. Hope I find one like that. As for my wife getting a ticket I really do not know why she is holding out, I think she is afraid she can't learn the stuff. I tell her about all the young folks who pass the test. Ya it was easy for me because I have a radio and electronics background but really its just study, take the practice tests and before you know it its done. Greg

I am a lexel fan. Been using it for years. Definitely never apply under anything to seal unless you don't mind some damage if you have to remove the item. I always just make a bead along the edge of something to seal. I will though apply it over screws to keep water from getting in there. The reality is what ever your sealing usually needs to stay sealed for several years if not permanently. I have used it to glue down stuff, like the antenna mount below. I did not want to make the mount permanent or screw it down making holes so I used lexel to adhere it to the roof. Each radial was also adhered down at each end with lexel. The photo is actually before it was painted and installed but will give you an idea what it is. It supports a 52 inch tall antenna and shows no signs of coming off. WD-40 and a rag will take it off the fingers.

Steve There is a Rally this April in Big Sur. Last I heard is that there were no more reservations left but still worth a try, be good to see you there! And congratulations! http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/big_sur_toy_in.htm Greg