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ToyoGuy

Toyota Advanced Member
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Everything posted by ToyoGuy

  1. Welcome to the blog and modi-fest John! I used to rock IH's when I was a kid and a buddy of mine still has one of his two Scouts (the old one is an off-road firewood truck now) I am a Rader guy, but during my resto time, I have several times been sorely tempted by a Chinook or three.... Also, I'm with you, if it's cheap, get an extra for a donor, wish I could do that with my Rader,... I could go faster and not worry so much. BTW, that vintage stove is sweet for a small rig! Be looking for your prog reports.
  2. Thanks Karin, that one's a keeper. MLike you I figure might as well make a bunch and set them aside. Pretty high-class matching the color, whatdidja use to etch them? TG
  3. Saw these in a newer small trailer and was impressed. They have foil backing turned outward for heat reflection and insulation value and appear reasonably well made. Could not find mfg info anywhere on them. Anybody know where to purchase ? Thx, TG
  4. An additional issue I have encountered with the stock window set, after removing, buffing and re-mounting my 84' wrap-arounds some time ago, is that, no matter how much soaping and sliding you do, they just don't fit quite right. There is a pronounced contour differential between the coach and the windows on the corners. Could have been the molds, could be they were cut out by same workers that they blindfolded to cut out the back window ports. (I have had to re-size/re-glass all of mine to cure the leaks) I vote for retrofit with more stable material that will stand up to the sun. Uhmmmmm,.... it IS called a SunRader right ?
  5. The axle is over the leaf springs in the rear. I should have taken a few more shots but I was pretty roasted from travel fatigue. I was in Laos and Cambodia 3 wks, back now. It was amazing and I didn't want to come back. The art of free-form vehicle fabrication is alive and thriving over there. However, those shots were the only RV I saw.
  6. Saw this at the night market in Laos. Couldn't find the owners to get a look inside. The sticker on the back says: "Polycamper" Cheers, TG
  7. I used some stuff that worked OK on the coach, but didn't work worth beans on the cab. Still haven't got the striping off the cab most of the way. The stuff was called Vinyl-Off and it's made by Chrystaltek (West End Products, 1000 Union Center Dr. Suite D, Alpharetta GA 30004, 770-643-8501). It's biodegradable and fairly tame but a bit pricey. I think it works better on newer vehicles and it's slow at best on the coach with baked-on stuff like mine. If you send off for some, get the little bottle, I got 3/4 of a qt now that's basically a door stop 'cause I can't think of what else to use it for. My next stop is the auto paint store to buy the little gum-rubber wheel that goes in an air tool and is supposed to (carefully) erase them off. Best of luck all, ToyoGuy
  8. Sorry John, late to the party, as usual. If you're still looking for de-install hints etc. I will just say that doing this is tough to do without scaffolding across the hood. Possible maybe to use 2 good sturdy ladders with a 2 x 12 (or two 2x6's stacked) pushed through steps depending on a person's weight. There is a rubber bead that can be tough to find the ends of in the center of the stock gasket for the windows, Take an awl and carefully pry out the end when you find it. See below: If it is old, it may come out in pieces. Otherwise, it can be carefully pulled out all the way around the perimeter. Once it is out, if not caulked,the gasket will fold right back into the interior. You may need a thin plastic putty knife lubricated with soapy water to separate the gasket. The window can then easily be pushed back into the overhead bunk area. The install is outlined in one of the other links before mine. BR, Toyoguy
  9. Hey Perry, My condolences. Unreal, so hard to look at,... but fixable. Rebuilding the wheel-well will be time consuming, but you have one to copy. (And you can make the new one better to boot ) The siding work will be the priciest I think. I'm no wizard and have zip cred here, but it seems to me you need a punchlist/pricelist before you commit. Check these guys < http://www.all-rite.com > for your main structural pricing on siding and RV-only material to get an idea of where you'll land on building materials price. Don't know where you live, but they're real nice folks and it'll give you a reality check before you have to figure out what YOUR TIME is worth. RV Doctor George or some other salvage yard can round up a lot of the other stuff and the harness may be something you can farm out to an electrician who needs the work. It's ALL do-able, good luck, Toyoguy
  10. Hi Adel, Welcome to the forum. Wow, sounds like a awesome trip! I'm jealous! I'm sure if you search through the posts, you'll find some good tips that'll apply to your particular travel "circumstances". Can you tell us anything about your route? For any trip, it's good to make a checklist for your vehicle, but there are many other folks here who can help you with that better than I. There's also the other Toyota camper website with lots of good info. What size is your coach? Did you ship it there? Have you seen any others? Hope you'll share some pictures after the trip! Cheers, ToyoGuy
  11. Would hate to put the old discolored stuff back. Does anyone know where to get this type of trim/weatherseal? Not sure if it's used on other types of rigs. Here it is installed: Sized like this: Thanks, Toyoguy
  12. Wow, Yost, your ride is taking on some epic shades of palacial splendor! Is that the library I see under the sleeper loft? Very nice work, I am currently pulling out of a stall and laying out new bracing for the flooring. BTW, I can appreciate how many times you've moved that couch. Since I couldn't get my shower out the door, it has become a constant companion moving from one end of the coach to the other. I am actually going to have it re-gelcoated white (it's pink now) inside the coach, when I finish the floor and before the panelling. Where'd you get your panels, they look better and sound thinner than the luan door skins I figured on.... Keep up the awesome work, I can't wait to see pictures of the end product! Are you having a maiden voyage party? Toyoguy
  13. Just saw this today. (Sacramento listing) 950280189@craigslist.org Pricey, but looks to be in good serviceable shape with key. BTW, the retrofit / work on my Rader to a regular Bargman RV lockset made this look cheap. BR, ToyoGuy
  14. Couldn't find the photos of the new deadbolt setup under your previous post, did you ever take any ? Thx TG
  15. Anyone out there tried to re-route the filler hose and breather to the wheel-well instead ? Not sure if there's enough rise to do it, or if it's legal, but it sure would be nice not to have a fuel line running under the kitchen sink or stove. Also, not sure if anyone else noticed, but apparently, at the factory, they sawed right through a main floor support to cut the hole for the hoses. Hence, so many sagging or soft floors in front of the shower and wardrobe. It seems like the floor almost sits on top of the tank, so it could use the full support of that missing brace. Thanks for any input Toyoguy
  16. About to take the plunge. My hardware(and door) are "hosed". The Bargman L-300 is the only game in town as far as I've read in these posts and others. Has anyone done this retrofit ? Any showstoppers? I will be doing fiberglass work to fix the door anyway, so that doesn't scare me. Seems like the left side of the door will need to be mortised. Just don't want to order the lockset if it's not a do-able thing. Thanks, Toyoguy
  17. Just thought I'd add my 2 cents, I weighed my gutted 85' 18ft. 4WD with absolutely nothing but the fiberglass shell and one seat with 1/4 tank of gas and the weight was 3,840 lbs. It'll be interesting to watch that number grow as I correct various engineering "oversights" and add cabinets etc. My Garner sticker shows a GVWR of 4,650, Toyota sticker shows GVWR of 4,800. Go figure. An auto shipping website shows a stock 85' Toy 4x4 (not a Rader, 4 wheels) weighing about 3,415. It's an interesting topic.
  18. Thanks to both of you guys for your speedy reply. I got sidetracked by an unforseen medical issue. It truely is a luxury having the benefit of another guy's sucesses ( and defeats) ToyoGuy
  19. Sounds good, how abrasive is the stuff? Would be interested in finding out the best way to remove the old baked-on striping decals etc. I was going to try using a "judicious" amount of heat from a heat gun and a new razor blade. I look forward to your pictures. Also, what's the party line on cleaning off oxidized paint and wax? My guess is the first order of business is buying a low RPM buffer. I have also heard of using a marine product called Penetrol to revitalize the gel coat and seal it once it's clean. Anybody done this ? Thanks, ToyoGuy
  20. A work of inspired art for sure. Cool that the shower strips worked out. Looked at the inside picture and saw what seem to be some screw heads on the bracing across the back and possibly near the front vent. Did you screw them from the outside the coach in some places ? Whats your plan for inside decor ? I am going to put some 3/4" PVC tubing along an upper corner of my coach, before I panel it, so I can pull stereo or other wires through later without tearing up the walls. After cutting out the original bracing, I bought steel for the cross-bracing under my 18' coach. Two sticks, (2"w x 3/4"h x 1/8" thick, rectangular tubing, 73" long ), then lifted the coach and set them under it. The rear one is fine, but the middle one near the dinette hole bent a bit. (This is with an almost empty coach except for the A/C on top) Looks like I'll have to gusset-weld it. Nice having a straight floor though. I gotta come up with a plan for bracing in front of the wheel wells too. Love the tractor shots, a surfing farmer, ...wow !
  21. Finally got word back from this custom 4x4 RV guy. Here's what I'm going to use. I'll probably double-wall, one layer on the fibergalss and one layer against the paneling back in the walls. (It's comparativeley cheap supposedly) Here's the contact NFO if you're interested. Sorry it took so long. TG
  22. Hmmm..... I must have the earlier version, here's mine: No threads I can find, just this big rubber flange with a "slip-fit". Gotta heat up the top of the tank to straighten it out where it's puckered though. Oh yeah... Here's the stock straps for the tank: TG
  23. Wow, what a difference ! So much cleaner looking. Robert, you missed your calling. Any tips for those of us aspiring to do re-carpeting/upholstering in the future ? Are you going to use the existing carpets for patterns to do the cab floor ? BR, TG
  24. My 2 cents... My toilet was sealed with caulking and it wasn't liquid tight. I'm going to do it right this time (whatever it takes). I suspect, as with all plumbing, if all new seals are installed and the the outer surface / flange where the "throne" sticks down into the tank is nice and clean, (0000 steel wool ?) it should't leak. All that said, the floor vibrates etc., so make sure the tank is in tight, up against the floor and the seat tight against the flange. As I recall, you removed the shower, so I don't know what the bottom of the throne is sitting on. Usually, I'm not a fan of silicone for compression fitting in common plumbing, but it takes what it takes. I haven't looked for new seals yet, I'd try an RV supply. As to the other, I just removed the tanks (both) on mine and they both had stock straps that were about 1" wide of thin steel strapping with fender washers under the nuts. Definately not plumbing tape. I would think having banding with holes in it wouldn't be a good thing what with undercarriage exposure and all. You probably don't want to do this more than once. The black water tank is a little bit of a hassle to get out because of the vent pipe though, I had to cut mine about 1/2 way up the wall and I'll splice it. Hope this helps, ToyoGuy / Paul
  25. Hey Yostfmx, That picture I thought was maybe your rig was actually a guy in the group called bajadulce. I didn't put it together until I was digging thru some strings tonight . ANyway, he has a topic called: "put the sawzall down". It has some good pics of his rader surf-rig along with his roof-raising / insulation solution. Maybe you can get some ideas, anyway, interesting project. As far as insulation for me, I am going to check in with a guy I saw who had a Ford van 4x4 that was very "tech'd-out". He used a very thin product that was very flexible with a supposedly very high R rating. Not sure of the price. I'll check back when I get the info. ToyoGuy (Paul)
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