McShank

Spiritandrobyne, I have driven my Sunrader 21' 4 cyl auto over the continental divide in Colorado several times and although it doesn't fly up the inclines it pulls strong at 12,000'. Be resigned to going 40-45 in 2nd gear on sustained grades and 25 in low on the steepest sections. These motors are stubborn and just keep going and 15 mpg is a nice trade off compared to the 8 mpg you would get with a v8. These Toys are not afraid of hills but if getting somewhere fast is a priority you won't be very happy even with a Toyota v6. Seamus McShank

MacLisa I misspoke a little yesterday. 6 ply C's have 4 on the bottom and 2 on the sides, 8 ply D's have an extra 2 ply on the side making it much stronger. My point was correct, I just needed another cup of coffee to untangle my brain. McShank

MacLisa You are quoting a C load range tire. With a C you have 2 plys on the bottom and only 1 ply on the sides, and with so much weight of these motorhomes any swaying puts the extra stress on the side walls. Load range D is the only way to go because it has 2 plys on the side and 2 on the bottom. Don't listen to salesmen who tell you an LT or C range is ok, match up the load rating of the tire and compare it with the weight on the rear axle. A 21' rig weighs 6,000 lbs or more and 4,000 or more is on the rear axle. I replaced the original C tires with D and the handling firmed up a lot and the C's I took off had stress cracks on the side walls even though they had less than 5,000 miles on them when I bought my Sunrader. Seamus McShank

vtchris Go to the "Drivetrain" forums and read the pinned posting at the top. It is a great explanation of the rear axle and why full floating is the safest way to go. Seamus McShank

There are a lot of posts about tires on this site. I bought mine through a web site called tires-easy.com. They have several options to choose from and ship directly to your home in just a few days. Seamus McShank

My bags are labeled not to exceed 90 psi. I usually run them about 75. McShank

If the generator has not been run for awhile it's possible the carb has plaqued up and needs cleaning. Once you get it running make sure you have Stabil gas additive in your tank to prevent the carb from clogging up again if it will be unused for more than a few weeks. And start it up every few weeks anyway. Seamus McShank

In my Toy the switch by the sink energizes the electronic ignition on the hot water heater.

Maineah & Gulfstream Greg, I tried the misfiring thing with the brakes depressed and no solution; a good idea but the engine runs smooth. I don't get very much time to work on the solution but hope I can find the answer before a planned long trip in September. One way I know beyond the sound and feeling in the floor is looking in the rear view mirror and watching the sink faucet image as it becomes very blurred at cruising 55 mph - and straightens out as soon as I let up on the gas or put the gas pedal to the floor. I think I have two more steps in the process of elimination - the nose cone of the transmission and trans mounts (already checked the motor mounts) and the punkin - ring/pinion in the diff. If I had a lot more leasure time I would be enjoying this more but with so many little upgrades on the list I seem to be stalled on this one. Thanks for your ideas. Seamus McShank

I bought Nexen 8 ply 185's from tires-easy and they came delivered to Arizona for under $65 per tire. I got an all-season tread because of some winter use in snow. I think I had Googled "185 R 14 8pr" and saw a selection of what's out there.

Maineah; All cv's plus the carrier bearing have been replaced and both sections of the drive shaft balanced. As far as noise, it does wind up a little song as mph's increase but nothing real loud; should I expect to have no noise at all? The differential shop I spoke to doesn't have the best overnight storage in a bad side of town so I am hoping to have my possible repair parts lined up for quick access. I assume Toyota no longer would carry these parts. I was also told in a prior posting that I could check the nose cone bearing in the transmission. Process of probable elimination. It rides smooth as silk below 50 mph but I cause a little road rage holding up traffic on state and interstate roads and I know it can and wants to cruise at 65. Thanks for any suggestions. Seamus McShank

I have had the driveshafts balanced, carrier bearing replaced along with the cv's but my vibration is still there above 53 mph. Withn the next few weeks I will be bringing my 1 ton toy to a differential repair shop to take a look. He has expressed concern over the phone that if I need any new parts other than bearings, like punkin or ring/pinion, it might be difficult to find them. Has anyone located a source for theirs? Seamus McShank

Cathy; I had a good experience with RV Workshop when replacing my awning fabric. My '88 Sunrader's Fiamma awning had a different size bead on both ends compared with what is a standard size now. Be sure to measure both ends before ordering your fabric - I matched the bead on mine to a set of drill bits to get the correct size. Seamus McShank

You should read the post in General Discussion titled "BFG 27X8" to get a better understanding of tire ratings for your Toyhome. For the time being I have left the C rated tires on the front that came with my Sunrader but replaced the rear duals with D rated 8 ply for safety and firmer handling. I'll replace the fronts as soon as cash is more plentiful. Seamus McShank

My '88 Sunrader came with a Fiamma awning. The old brown/white material was badly torn at both ends and needed replacement. Fiamma is a German company with one outlet in Florida, but the old models are not listed anymore and they could not provide me with new fabric or much help at all. I found "RV Workshop" and talked to the manager Bob who got me new fabric shipped to my home for $168. I had to give him exact measurements and bead size (very important since most new fabrics come with 1/4" beads and mine had 5/32" - 1/4" would not have fit either end) and choose the color. Installation was not difficult and I'm happy to cross off one more project for my Toy. Seamus McShank

Load range C are ok on a pickup or VW Bus but your rig probably weighs around 6000#s, most of it on the rear axle. I had load range C tires on mine when I bought it and within several thousand miles the edges were cupping and showing a little tread separation even though I had kept the tire pressure correct. With 8 ply tires the extra 2 plys are on the sidewalls where you need it to support the extra weight. Once I switched, the rear end firmed up a lot compared to the side sway I had experienced. D range street tread can be found with Yokohama Y356, Nanking N810 or Hankook RA-08. I bought Nexen SV820 for more grip in snow and mud since I sometimes camp where access is on county maintained dirt roads that become treacherous with a little moisture. Google "185R14 8PR" and see what comes up. My Nexens were under $70 delivered.

Make sure you get 8 ply tires, either 185 or 195. Just because the tire says LT does not necessarily give you the weight rating you need. Check out "tires-easy.com"

The Coopers sound good. I picked Nexen for the M&S tread design. There were 6 ply on when I bought my Sunrader and the 8 ply has firmed up the handling quite a bit.

You should use 185R14 8PR or 195R14 8PR. 8 ply is very important. I found tires-easy web site to offer a selection at great prices. I put Nexen tires on my Sunrader and paid under $75 each delivered to Arizona.

I purchased Nexen tires from the same site, picked Nexen over Yokahama because I was looking for a little heavier tread pattern because I sometimes drive in a little snow or mud. The tires that came with my Toy were new but were 6 ply load range C. For now I put the 8 ply Nexens on the rear axle only and can really feel how much firmer the tail end feels in the corners. I'll put 2 more on the front once tax refunds are in. I paid through PayPal and they were shipped to my door here in Arizona in 5 days.

I just checked the American rv web site and they list the 8520 IV for $350, but the $300 price is on their posting on ebay.

When I purchases my Sunrader it had almost new Uniroyal tires on it. They are load range C and are cupping along the edge of the inside rears. I am going to replace them with load range D but I read posts with both 185's and 195's. Can anyone tell me which I should look for. There are also many comments on the different brands: Nanking N810, Yokohama Y356 and Hankook RA-08 all seem popular but come with highway tread only. I found a listing for Nexen SV820 in all-season tread and would love to hear any comments on this brand or if going to all-season would be a good idea as I am seldom on muddy or snowy roads. I have done a little winter camping where a reliable furnace is needed and have decided to replace the old one. I have seen many prices for a new Excalibur, many quotes around $450. Yesterday I found model 8520 IV, 20,000 BTU's brand new with warranty and door included for $300 + shipping from "American RV Company" if anyone has been looking for furnace help. Seamus McShank

RV parts stores will sell a coupling called "extend-a-tee" or "extend-a-stay" which allows you to run a line to an external tank. I used one of these when I was living in a 37' unit that stayed put in the campground.

My '88 Sunrader also has a small compartment. It came with a Kohler 2.5 kw which is configured to fit the space with the engine (in view) on top and the generator portion mounted under the engine (out of view). The newer models have the engine and generator side-by-side and will not fit in this compartment. I don't know if anyone now makes a generator to fit that size space or if you could locate an old rebuilt Kohler. Mine still runs but I would like to know of any solutions if mine breaks. Good luck.

The breaker that trips is a GFI plug on the outside of my home. I haven't used the generator yet because it would not run, just spit roughly and conk out. I removed the carburator and had it professionally cleaned but it needs to be tuned up and the idle properly set before I can see if the transfer switch works correctly. Right now I have an extension cord running from the same GFI outlet and plugged directly into the converter and it is maintaining the battery perfectly at about 13v. Maybe I can get away next weekend and see that the 30 cord still works when plugged into a 30 amp supply at the campground. I don't get much time to work on it or go anywhere for more than 1 day, but I am taking a 1 week vacation up into Colorado at the end of September and anticipate no problems.