McShank

Eric, I think I can envision your radiator compartment modification. How has this changed the looks of the front end? My gears are spinning again about a conversion; we are all looking forward to pictures. Seamus McShank

Eric, Can't wait for pictures. That has got to be the tightest fit immaginable. My question is about your radiator, how large it is and how it mounts. The bolt-in v8 radiators used by rockcrawlers fit into 4x4's but are blocked in 2x4's by framework supporting front allignment rods. I'm in the southwest desert where engine cooling is the biggest problem. I have been considering a Buick 3800 v6 until I realized the clearance problem with a larger radiator. Seamus McShank

Nam, I also resized the compartment to fit the Onan 2.8. I had to cut away some of the floor and fabricate a larger enclosure lined with sheet metal. A welder moved one of the support brackets over about 6" so the exhaust had clearance. It drops in from the top, under the couch, but runs quietly and powers the rooftop ac while we're moving down the road in 100+ temperatures. Leaving for vacation tomorrow, heading through the California desert (ac on) to Morro Bay and Paso Robles wine country. The Onan is so much quieter than the 25 year old Kohler, which I gave away to another Toyhome owner. Seamus McShank

Bryan B. Great looking swap. I've been dreaming about a swap since I bought my rig. One question I have is about the aftermarket radiator. I know of these radiators that bolt right in but are listed as being 5" taller, or in other words extend 5" lower than the stock one. In my '88 2wd 4 cyl the area directly under the rad is blocked by brackets attached to the front end allignment rods. How did you fit in a radiator large enough; I live in the desert southwest and need all the cooling I can get. Seamus McShank

I finally got around to bypassing my altitude switch and replacing it with a dash mounted toggle. At the same time I installed a vacuum gauge to help me know when I should downshift from whatever gear I'm in. I spend a lot of camping time at higher altitude and the noise of the high rpm's even when I'm just going downhill was so very loud we couldn't hear each other. (Insert marriage jokes here - we just celebrated 22 yrs.) With my 4 cylinder engine the vacuum gauge spends most of its time in the bad zone but it still tells me when I am leadfooting with no benefit. Seamus McShank

Jim, Did you use the existing radiator from the 3.0? McShank

Utterly Confused, Make sure the tires you get are rated 8 ply, weight rating D. The difference in the C and D is an additional layer on the sidewall - our top-heavy motorhomes place a lot of stress on the sidewall even when driving in a straight line; passanger car tires do not need that extra strength. Safety first. When I bought my Sunrader it had barely used C rated tires on it and upon inspection the sidewalls had already shown some bubbling and cracking. Don't just look at how many pounds it is listed to hold, look for 8PR "D". 185's or 195's works, but the 205 size will rub together on the dual axle. I replaced all my tires with Nexen 185's, but you can also find Hankook and Continental. Seamus McShank

One swap not being mentioned is a Buick 3.8 V6. The 3800 Series II began in mid '95 and rear wheel drive versions can be found in '95 and newer Camaro and Firebird F-body platform. Stock hp is 195 with 230 ft. #'s of torque - comes with 4L60E automatic trans. Conversion info, bolt-in radiators, motor mounts and other parts through Advanced Automotive, very popular with rock crawler enthusiasts. If and when my 22re dies I will convert to the Buick; I have also extensively looked into the 4.3 Vortec (firewall clearance problems plus 3" lift kit necessary) and the Lexus 4.0 V8 (JDM engines cheap but 300 hp a bit much) but have concluded the Buick fits easily and will give me the torque to pull those hills without holding up traffic. Seamus McShank

The main problem was to increase the size of the opening in the floor because the Onan is wider and deeper than the Kohler. I also had to relocate one section of floor support and have it welded to the inside of the frame for clearance at the back and at the same time move the right-side bracket over so both are better centered under the Onan. I built a box with top to enclose it with insulation all around the inside and caulked completely in. I had found a used one and had it serviced, was told it ran great and tested out fine but now I have it installed the starter is giving me some trouble and won't engage. This guy backs up his work so this will be only a slight delay. We're going to Quartzite in a few weeks and would love to have it running by then; also, I began this months ago and if I don't put the couch back together again soon and clean up my construction mess I'll be in too much trouble to think about Quartzite. Seamus McShank

Crasster, I used to own an '82 Dolphin with a tank set up like you have described. Your engine and generator both run off the stock tank only - the one that has the "unleaded only" decal. Your second larger tank is mounted slightly higher on the frame than the stock tank. One setting of the toggle would get my gas gauge to read the stock tank level. Switching the toggle to the other side would (1) read the level in the spare tank and (2) open a valve that allows the larger tank to gravity drain into and refill the stock tank. I would watch as the gauge would slowly drop and in about 15 minutes my stock tank would be refilled. Check it out by filling the second tank, run the stock tank until nearly empty, switch the toggle for awhile and watch the level drop, switch back and see that the level once again reads high in the stock tank. Seamus McShank

I rsponded to toycoach but have not yet heard from his sister-in-law. I think the weight is 125 lbs. plus I have a small muffler and remote start switch which might add another few lbs. I'll be glad to have it be useful to someone. Seamus McShank

Those stackable locking squares are available at WalMart for under $25 for a bag of about 10. They are called Linx Levelers. Another useful item is a set of 2 levels that mount onto the back and side of your rig. These are slightly curved and have marker lines on each side that correspond to 1" increments. You look at where the bubble is in the tube and count how many lines the bubble is off of center - each line represents 1" of height to adjust for with the levelers. Its pretty easy to see you need to raise the rear 3" and one side 1", for instance. Seamus McShank

My Sunrader came with a Kohler 2.5 generator that I have removed. It ran for awhile, had carb cleaned, ran some more but was really loud. I have replaced it with an Onan Microlite, so if anyone out there wants the Kohler for parts or project you are welcomed to it. I will be at Quartzite in January and could bring it with me. Or pick it up at my home north of Phoenix. Seamus McShank

Due to the weight of over 6000 lbs. the sidewalls of the tires sustain a lot of stress. There were new 6 plys on mine when I bought it and were showing sidewall cracks after only a few thousand miles. Our Toyhomes don't handle great to begin with but a sidewall blowout can happen quickly and be very dangerous. 8 ply tires have extra sidewall strength and I think these are a must. Look for "8PR" and "D rated" to be safe. I think I bought from "tires-easy.com" and had Nexans delivered to my door for under $70 per tire. WalMart can mount them for you. Seamus McShank

Yesterday I saw a posting on the toyota campers site from Tika about this years' Quartzite rally. $7 pernight camping fee and a one time registration free of $8. Pot luck dinners, cruising around all the rv exhibits, gathering around the campfire, all sounds like a good time. I hope lots of Toys can get there. Seamus McShank

I have given up on the old and original Kohler 2.5 generator in my Sunrader. I can't keep it running smoothly, it cuts off after about 20 minutes, its louder than an any generator I have heard and much too loud to run in a campground. I bought a used Onan Microlite 2.8 and now I have to figure out how to resize the generator compartment. Has anyone done this conversion? Seamus McShank

David in Idaho, This is the Arizona Quartzite. In mid winter there are many thousands of motorhomes and campers who come to Quartzite. It is known as a rock & mineral show but there is one week that the ehxibits are mostly about motorhomes and camping. Another week is dedicated to arts & crafts and then the rock & mineral show. The year round population is probably about 4,000 but swells to (I'm guessing) over 100,000 with many snowbirds camping on federal lands and enjoying the Arizona winter. Check it out on line. Seamus McShank

We are wondering if there will be another Toyota rally in Quartzite this January. I think Tika organized it last year and we had a decent showing despite the storm and heavy rains the week before. We will make the trip anyway but would love to gather with other Toyota Motorhome owners. The RV week show is awesome. This year we will look for led lighting, stove tops, new galley sink and brouse through the hundreds of RV related exhibits. Seamus McShank '88 Sunrader 21'

Those marker lights can be found at any RV parts store or even Checker Auto or WalMart. McShank

My '88 has 127K on it right now. It leaks a little oil, has had a tapping valve since I bought it but runs cool and has always started right up. On my way to the Aqua Caliente Rally last spring I was able to take a picture of my odometer as it read 1-2-3-4-5-6-.7. I wonder if I will ever be able to see 2-3-4-5-6-7-.8. Maybe. Seamus McShank

Wickerman, Thanks for the links. The "hacking family" explains the reality so much better than any salesperson I have talked to. It looks like I will need a real monster system if I want to watch football all Sunday while dry camping. Seamus McShank

Onetime I came across a chart that tracked how many amps are generated by a solar panel throughout the day. I know in the 4 peak hours midday the panels put out close to their max rating, but in the hours before and after midday the rate drops off. I'm looking at a 135W Kyocera panel that puts out 7+ amps; how many amps would I expect to produce in a normal summer day. Seamus McShank

Jerrye, Most of the Toyota homes still on the road came with big transmission coolers and 3 row radiators. Mileage wise, expect around 14 or 15 with the 4 cyl and a little lower for the v6. If you need to cruise at 70-75 you are looking the wrong direction; big v8 gas hogs can cruise at Interstate speeds. These little rigs weigh around 6000 #s and were never meant to go fast. I usually run at 55-60. Take your time on the backroads and enjoy the ride. Seamus McShank

Mikie, Plugging in to 110v shore power should engage your converter/charger, your voltage should rise because of this, and if that makes the furnace work I would guess that without shore power your battery is not holding enough charge on its own. Pick up a cheap digital meter and compare the voltage of the battery unplugged vs. plugged in. Seamus McShank

mmtoy1, I have an '88 Sunrader with a Kohler 2.5. These use a Tecomseh engine and my muffler was totally rusted out too. I found a "quiet muffler" thru "Jacks Small Engines" for about $80. It took some customizing to support and connect. I'm not sure if its quieter with the new muffler or without any. Its so loud I cringe whenever I start it up. I think a muffler shop might be able to fit a better muffler by extending the exhaust pipe back under the rig but at this point I have other more pressing improvements and I only run it when I'm driving in my Arizona heat and want to run the rooftop ac. I even looked into the Onan 2.8 MicroLite for the future - it would fit into the compartment if I cut a bigger opening in the fiberglass body, but again its still now down the list of priorities. Seamus McShank