Gulfstream Greg

Bill I think its just a matter of driving preference. The lockup converters was used in the V6 rigs. I just saw a Sunrader 18footer with a V6 so they are out there if you can find one. My Sunrader 4x4 18 footer has an A340H auto transmission behind a 22rte (turbo charged) and it does have the lockup converter. As a side note the rear axle ratio can be changed to lower gearing which will allow the use of overdrive. Anyhow my preference is the automatic. Having driven sticks most of my life I feel the auto is much more comfortable to drive. Greg

If your willing to drive down to the Santa Cruz area you can look at mine. I live in Boulder Creek and it takes an extra 45 mins to get into the moubtains here but I could drive it down to work one day where it would be easier to get to. Greg

Great information! I may have missed this but did you put any type of sealer on the gaskets. Just wondering if its good or bad to do so. My thinking is it would be bad. Greg

A guy by the name of Marco put together an excell spreed sheet that will calculate your rpm mph using tire sizes, transmission type etc.. It was dead on for me. I think 3500 to 3900 is a good power range. I (4x4) typically cruize at 65 mph at around 3200 rpm. Rigs with 14 inch rims typically cruize 60 mph at 3200 rpm. Here is the link to the calculator http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/gear_ratios.htm Greg

Bill I am not 100% sure but I think that was the price for my 4x4 rig. Mine though has the mocha interior and not the grey as written on the accessories page. You never know if Mac will sell his 4x4, he bought a bigger Motorhome. The 18 footers are pretty small, I would not recommend them for family situations. Greg

Here is an update on the 7355ru retrofit charging data It is five days later. Voltage is at 13.87 and charge current is at .02 amps. That in no way will harm the battery. I might also make a note here about the lifeline battery. It produces no harmful gasses and can actually be placed ina non vented area. Greg

Suprised no body responded to your post, any how that sounds like a bad voltage regulator or bad brushes in the altinator. Those lights usually go out when the charging system kicks in. Greg

JC Whitney, try this link Click Here $255 for the kit. Not sure about getting a replacement bag though. Auto parts stores should be able to find you a replacement if you have the dimensions. Greg

The 4x4 Sunrader was for sale by Mac in Oregon but he has decided to keep it. Here is a link to some photos of it. http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/mac4x4sunrader.htm Greg

Thank you Bill The 18 footers all have the same floor plan but there are differences. Mine is an 86. My rear dinnette table goes all the way to the rear window yet some have the seating go all the way around the back. Above my refer I have a small countertop where in others there is a small cabinit then a counter top that has a small railing around the edge. Other differences are where the heater and tanks might be located. Many of these I am sure are modifications due to different years but some may be special order. But basicly its all the same layout. The baths are small with no sink. I have a difficult time putting on my shoes sitting at the table. here is a link to the sunrader brochure showing the floor plans http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/manuals/SunraderClassics.pdf Thanks again Greg

Here is the 7355ru retrofit charging data. I first discharged the battery by turning on several of the lights and both vent fans. Total amperage draw was 8.6 amps for approximately 8 hours. I then switched everything off except for the normal systems that draw amperage like the cd player etc which amounts to .008 amps continuous. I let it sit this way until the next morning. The following will be in this format. Time, voltage, amperage. 10:30am no charge, 12.5, -.008 Charging 10:35am, 13.69, +12.8 10:45am, 13.69, +7.91 10:45am, 13.69, +7.48 11:00am, 13.7, +7.02 11:25am, 13.25, +6.35 1:00pm, 13.77, +4.24 2:40pm, 13.8, +2.95 6:15pm, 13.83, +1.32 8:00pm, 13.83, +.89 8:30pm, 13.83, +.81 12 Midnight, 13.84, +.39 7:30am, 13.85, +.07 7:15pm, 13.87, +.06 Make what you want out of these figures. It looks to me like the charger section of the 7355ru is doing what it?s supposed to do. It?s approaching a float charge state if not already there. I think I will send these figures to lifeline batteries and get their opinion if this is ok for this battery. Not being an expert but also not being a novice (somewhere in between) I would have to conclude that the above figures are good for my battery or any battery. I'll be gone for three days and I will post the charge rate at that time here again when I get back. Greg

I recently had to replace my battery because of the same problem, overcharging due to the old 6300 series technoligy. I replaced the battery with a Lifeline AGM http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/rv.php I also replaced the 6300 series with a retrofit 7355ru http://www.parallaxpower.com/linear.htm. Not sure if the charging section is like the higher priced three stage chargers though. I plan on doing some tests to see exactly what voltages and amperage charge rates after the battery has been drained. With the 6300 I was getting 4 volts of ac current on the dc side, not good for electronics. And the voltage was all over the place. Now a steady 13.8 volts dc with no ac leakage. Like I said though I still need to investigate the charger section but the 7355ru documentation says the full 55 amps is available to charge the battery if the battery needs it. Then I am guessing it reduces to a float charge. I was told by the battery shop where I bought the Lifeline that if it gets over charged it will swell up like a balloon which it has not. I will do a drain and charge test today and monitor the voltage and amperage and post back here later. So far I am really happy with the 7355ru. Deep cycle acid batterys will die if they are over charged or if they are under voltage for an extended period of time. They need to be kept with in a specific voltage range. greg

Try this link http://www.rvdoctorgeorge.com/ Allways a chance he has one laying around or something that will work. Greg

I have to agree with Jerry. The truck manuals are all the same and the coach manuals basically just cover safety issues and care. There are many manuals available for things like refrigerators, stoves, water heaters etc. So don't sweat it about not having a manual specifically for your coach. Some coach builders did include a wiring diagram though. Greg

Thats interesting that it did not cool as well with the electric fan. Something to consider. I have never had a cooling problem I just do not like the loudness of the clutch fan when it engauges. Its really loud. My catalytic converter was clogged, yours could be too depenging on milage. Toyota wants a heavy penny for one and the bolt on aftermarket ones are necked down at the inlet and outlets and overall smaller in size. For less money than toyota you can have built by a muffler shop. What about the timing chain. I think its possible that a stretched chain could throw off valve timing and cause an overheat condition. Another possibility is the water pump. The impellers do wear out or I should say off and then you get reduced water flow. greg

I have been thinking of removing my clutch fan and putting in an after market electric fan that will run for a period of time after the engine shuts down. Would you like me to move this discussion to the tech issues section? I will be out of town wed. morning until sat with no internet service. Greg

I do not have any air bags but it seems to reason that there are only four places for a leak. The first would be the valve, same as a tire valve, second would be a line possibly having a wear hole from rubbing on the frame etc.. Third would be a fitting that might have worked itself loose. 4 would be a failed air bag. You should be able to take apart any fittings and put them back together with out damage. You may have to crawl under and feel with your hand or use some soap water mixture to find the leak. Any how a crawl under is probably what you will have to do, checking everything for leals. Hopefully its a fitting or the valve stem. Air bag systems are very common and the parts should be available thru any rv parts house. Even JCWhitney sells air bags for toyota mini motorhomes. Greg

Hi Jerry I have not repaired my tank. For some reason it has not been leaking lately, maybe its because its winter. My leak comes from the two access panels where the fuel lines and gauge sender enter the tank. I just found out that when my 26 gallon tank is way way down on empty I still have 7 gallons in the tank. So I will be attempting to adjust that when I do fix the gaskets. The sender unit is around $125 from toyota. In fact the tank maker told me that they used stock toyota gaskets, and everything else from the stock tank. My tank also has a fuel pump inside so I am considering replacing all the inards so that I do not have to worry about it in the future. I have not removed the filler hose so I can not comment. Hey, welcome to the group here. Its small right now but hopefully one day it will blossum. Greg

Get a volt meter and verify that the pump is getting voltage when the key is on. I can not tell which wire that would be but there should be two sets, one for the gauge and one for the pump. Unplug one and see if the gauge still works. If the gauge still works you got the right wires. If you end up with 12 volts dc at the connection then maybe the pump is bad but maybe not. The next step would be to verify that the pump is not pumping fuel. Could be something down the line stopping the fuel flow. Maybe disconnect the line and run it into a bucket, etc.. I do not know if there is a secondary pump, maybe someone else can answer that. There is no easy way to replace the pump. Gas weighs almost the same as water, 8 pounds to the gallon. Its suggested to drain the tank then drop it with a floor jack. The fuel pump is installed thru the top of the tank. A panel unbolts and the entire assembly pulls out. Remember though, gas itself is not flammable, its the fumes that ignite. Never use light bulb type drop lights when working with gas systems. A droped light and broken bulb when on can blow you up. Any how just my suggestion to verify power and pressure before pulling it out. Can be many reasons for no power. A chiltons manual with a wireing diagram. Its more complex than just getting power from the ignition switch. Have you verified that the fuel injection system has no problems? Greg

I think he has been out of those axles for a year or more now. The wrecking yard or buying a truck with the axle is the place now. Greg

Usually if your refrigerator is bad it will not work on any thing, electric or propane. And usually they work better on propane. My guess is you may have some rust or soot build up inside the tube where the pilots heat travels up. Here is a good link http://www.rvmobile.com/. Your burner may be cloged and not allowing enough flame. So if it works good on electric it should work better on propane. Most likely just needs a little TLC. When you go to the web site above go to the page on how they work. Then open the larger picture (49k one). Down on the lower right corner you will see a "element holder and a baffle". The baffle is where the propane flame travels up, the element holder is where the heating element for the 120 volt is attatched or actually the element holder is a tube that the element slides down into. There is the of chance that the baffle has roted out and if thats the case the flame heat will not transfer into the boiler tube properly. Greg

David emailed me asking If I know who built his coach. Below are two photo's of his rig. Here is a link to a page with the pics and his email address. 79 toy Greg

Hi Kris Look under to the left of the filler. If you have the larger 26 gallon tank you will see a square steel tank. I think the stock 17 gal tank has very rounded edges and corners. Mine shuts off when filling but sometimes spills some gas. I find that for mine to fill I have to turn the nozzle upside down. Greg

Hi Kris I have an 86 Sunrader 18 footer. I have electric vents over the table and in the bathroom. Originally I bought a Fantastic vent. Its a three speed vent. I later bought a Northern Breeze which is a variable speed. I like it much better because I can turn it down lower than the fantastic and its quieter. As for power mine had an airconditioner over the table and I used and rewired that to the 12 volt side to power the vent. Not sure if your year had wire installed in the factory but I think it is inside a conduit which you will see after you pull out the old vent. If there is no wire you will have to run a wire mold to the vent as the cieling is solid and impossible to put wires inside. The fantastic vent I put in the bath and used the power from the nearby light. Batteries come in many flavors. A marine deep cycle is a cross between a starting battery and a true deep cycle. If you plan on running a lot of 12 volt stuff or boondocking you are going to want to get an actual deep cycle. Try this link for more info batteries. Batteries get charged from the altinator when the engine is running. Your year may still have the original system which is a solinoid which engauges when the ignition is turned on. It basicly connects your starting and coach battery in parralell when the engine runs and charges both at the same time. Its not the best but it works to a degree. The problems are that the starting battery can become over charged. The solinoids also go bad. Bad internal contacts can reduce the charge to the coach battery. A better system is a battery isolater.Its a solid state device that has no moving parts or contacts. You may allready have one if the old system was replaced. Solar! If you can afford it that is a nice way to keep things charged. Trouthunter Gary has two solar panels on his 18 footer and it keeps his batteries charged at all times. Costco online has a set of cells that is just the right size. One day when I can afford it that is what I will get. I don't think your in over your head. Just be patient and it will all come together! Greg

Reprint from Bettys post on yahoo's Toyota Campers. Go there for more information. April 22 and 23. Big Sur CampGround and Cabins http://www.campingfriend.com/BigSurCampgro...t.asp?file=Home $33 per night with water and electric for two people. (Maximum of 5 people only per site) Family oriented with STRICT quiet time enforced at 10 p.m. $4.00 per day additional if you bring a dog Call 831-667-2322 and tell them you are with the Toyota Motorhome Group. They are going to keep us together. Because it is so far in advance, they will request you mail a check for the first night. Big Sur Campground and Cabins, 47000 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920 If you give ten days notice of cancellation you will will get a full refund-minus $5.00 fee. Anything less than that, you lose your first night's deposit. Post #2-Update Because of the road closure Sunday Morning I am changing our breakfast meeting place. I spoke with a young man at the Ranger Station that I was referred to for possibilities of getting out of the campground and heading north BEFORE the race starts because I know some people need to get started with their traveling home. If not, you are of course welcome to stay longer. The Ranger Station # is 831-667-2315. He said if we plan to leave the campground at 6 a.m. we should have no trouble getting to Monterey. So, if you need to leave early I suggest you join me. We'll meet for breakfast at 7 a.m. here. There is good RV parking. Carrows Restaurant 300 David Avenue Monterey, CA 93940 Thanks! Betty P.S. The guy said it was really fun to drive by everything set up for the race, too. I'm still looking forward to it. Carrow's Restaurant is also within walking distance of the ocean.