johnnyonthespot

also... i really dig the "quest for cosmic camping" title... you definitely got a STELLAR deal that was OUTTA THIS WORLD. as long as you dont leak any fluids (or druids) I think you got a great Celtic Camper is the dinette in the back? those are my favorite design... i am jealous.

congrats shanda!!! she looks awesome already... i cant wait to see more!!!!! show us the interior too!!! i wanna see how you get it from A to B... or Z! once you start you cant stop until you are bankrupt! i gotta get some that purple stuff motoy is talkin about... mine is GRUNGY.

thanks for the great reply allen... your sunrader looks fantastic... awesome additions... i appreciate the advice... that was the info i have been waiting on... i wish i could find some local roof sealing help...

i wish. just catching a leak and trying to be clever... but you noticed it first so you win! maybe i will send you an extra hatch or running light... what year is your rader allen? I have been spending so much time working on the toyota ever since i got it... wish i could make the leaks stop so i could finish the interior... i shlda bought eternabond

wow pager i thot your rig looked nice b4! that looks sweet... why does something called dolphin always have a brown color??? u put the aqua blue back in the dolphin.... nice work.

i think i have your manuals Robert... you still on here?

coming from a guy who is madly patching up leaks on an 83 dolphin... (aluminum sided coach) I tend to think the sunraders construction being all fiberglass would be LESS prone to leaks and water damage... I have read that the dolphins were known for nicer interiors... this is obviously a generalization... But it would seem that there are ALOT of people who are adamant that the Sunraders are the nicest Toy Houses out there... I think that this thread is a good idea but doesnt take into account the condition you can get some of these in... regardless of brand... if you have an opportunity to buy a nice toyota camper with Low miles and the 6 lug axle... I wouldnt be as worried about the brand... I have seen ones of any brand that were a steal... craigslist seems to be a great place to shop for one... good luck... if you buy one you wont be sorry... they are very addictive and fun to work on... and you better like work because most of them need work or will need work very soon... mine is 25 years old! maybe there is someone out there who has owned two or more brands that could give you a better comparison????

for way less $$$ i would buy a sunrader with low mileage... there is something really cool about an old Chinook though... I like in the picture of the newer version how stuffed to capacity the cab-over is.... look in the windows!!! lol good luck with your project and finding the answers you need... looks like one of those projects that could get very tricky...

if i knew your answers i would surely help you... welcome aboard... I am a newb too... 1983 Toy Dolphin... 2. if i were buying tires right now it would be the Yokohama 185 R 14 no contest... not even that expensive.... there is alot of off brand stuff out there but i would avoid them... 5. the owners manuals are fun to have but mine is so vague that it wasnt very helpful... trial and error seemed alot more informative... 7.so many sealer products... i like the eternabond sealers and the kool coat style roll on roof sealers... but hey what do i know???!?!?! good luck and welcome aboard... I hope you have a HUGE freshwater tank if you are going south of the border... montezumas revenge is NOT GOOD when running laps between the coach and cab...

where is the surf betties gonna ride if no passenger seat? so how many hours a week you puttn into this hog? I just cant wait to see more pics...

pager: your 86 looks like it is 20 years newer than my 83.... I need repairs!

hey moosepucky... how would a guy go about re-sealing his roof if he doesnt have a nice scaffold and garage like yours??? i cant walk on the roof of my 83 dolphin can i?

so i have been stripping the cab-over of the 83 dolphin down all the way to rotten wood... i sure wish i could find a good resource on RV restoration... 1. i am thinking that i need to seal the roof and stop the leaks before I can start putting in new framing and paneling... 2.i assume i have to take any wet or rotten wood out... replace it and then staple the new panels on... (Do i have to put the ceiling in before the walls...?) 3.i guess i have to take all the windows out of the camper where i am replacing wood... reseal them... 4.do i take the old damaged panels out and then use them for templates? how do i get the shapes to cut out the window and vent holes and odd shapes to "cut in" the cab-over area? 5.can anyone spot the odd thing about this photo?

FANTASTIC DEAL shandamac.... for that price... if you find that somthing doesnt work... you just replace it and SMILE! no matter what happens from here you can never say you took a loss... that test drive alone was worth what you paid... welcome aboard and make sure you stay onboard and write up your progress and share your adventures... great story... what state did you score this 81 'rader in?

LOL why are neighbors such idiots? everyone at my condo is so passively aggressive about my toy dolphin.... i think they are just jealous they didnt get one first... they all want to believe i am just going to use it for a quick vacation and then return it... little do they know i have already gutted the cab-over in prep for a long due water damage renovation... just wait until i break out the power tools... ! i would have sooner drove my ford f150 (what i traded for my toyota) through my neighbors front window than to get rid of my dolphin which fits snug in a parking spot, just to appease a bunch of nosy neighbors... ok the more i type the madder i get...

in the late 80s my aunt and uncle moved to york maine and have lived in cape neddick also... its amazing up there... "Mainers"

love the story about the doctor dropping 8 grand instead of 7500... or less... 1.I love the idea of a Doctor getting ripped a new one with no anesthetic. 2.If a dr can afford most anything they want... i like the idea of one buying a toyota camper. I think there is just something about these toyota campers that instantly appeals to certain people... i knew instantly that i really wanted one, love at first sight... i didnt buy the first one i saw .... maybe i should have waited for a lower mileage or newer one but... I am very happy so far... my friends acted like i was nuts when i first bought the dolphin.... now they want to come take a trip in it... i have already started gutting the cab in prep to re panel and fix the sticks so to speak... So far my biggest problem is a few leaks in the roof... i may need new vents!!!

cant wait to see the pics and write up! good luck with the trip...

thats an unbelievable deal! great score... I BELIEVE IN THE POWERS OF CRAIGSLIST! I got my 1983 dolphin on craigslist but i had to throw in a ford f150 and nearly what you paid... yours is much newer and lower miles... I have been repairing at least one thing a day since i got it... lots of fun.... but i live in a condo parking is very tight here... people already frowned on my ford f150 and next thing you know, I leave with the ford and come home with a 21ft toyota camper back it in the parking spot up to my porch and shore the power up to an outlet by my front door... MY NEIGHBORS LOVE ME (not) so my "renovation" is very low key and clandestine until i get it properly tagged and insured... do me a favor and post more pics of the 89 dolphin and how you repair the water damage... I am kinda nervous to rip all the cabinets out of mine to get to the ceiling panels... but its gotta be done soon!

u ever get this thing running? my 1983 dolphin is a little bit hard to start... i am worried that i may be looking at carb issues after reading this... 400 bucks for a new one is alot of cheddar since i spent "the ranch" buying the Dolphin... i dont have the patience for mechanical problems such as carb rebuilds... when i was 18 we put a 350 small block in a chevy s10 and after that i was ruined on engine work... it was such a nightmare ...i still cant stand working under the hood. i have been looking through your profile and the restoration... very cool... what are your overall plans for it? i noticed the big couch... pretty neat but is it heavy? looks like you have totally gutted all of the old camper parts... are you putting anything back in? where are you at with it now??? I have water damage in my dolphin... above the couch/bed in mine there is a delaminated mess of a hole... wood needs replaced... roof needs sealed... vent needs replaced... also where the awning is attached... it is pulling the siding away from the roof... creating a gap that water just flows in and does god knows what.... i need to really get on some repairs... in the meantime.... duct tape.

i took a look at yostfmx's profile yesterday and saw a bunch of cool pictures of his restoration process that looked very fun... hey Yost you have a GREAT spot to work out there in Cali... i like the way the sunraiders coach body looks so much more than my dolphin... where is the project at as of right now???? please show more pictures are you going to brace the rear AC unit when u put it back in??? wish i had your tools man... u r really lucky

my windshield has cracks does that mean i cant get it licensed?

hey thanks YOSTFMX... well that gives me a little direction... the local rv store. i have no idea how to replace the wood... short of just carefully tearing things apart and seeing how it was built... i just dont want to mess it up.

Well i officially joined the club yesterday... traded a serious POS ford f150 truck and a little cash for a 1983 toyota dolphin... 105,000 miles... starts right up and purrs... no exhaust leaks or noises... drives well... could probably use tires... the ac units work in the cockpit and on the top back... it is the kitchen/bathroom in the back design... there has been some water damage. in the vent above the couch/table there is about an 8 inch patch of totally rotten wood... i can see daylight when i look up at the vent... so i need to get this thing sealed PRONTO... I dont know that I even want to take on the job of sealing it... all the windows need sealed and some wood needs replaced in about 2-3 places... does anybody have any idea what kind of money i should plan on spending to get the thing all sealed up? also... I can get everything to work when i am plugged in... as far as lights and AC... havent been able to get at the water yet... lock is froze up ... on the access door.... i cant however get anything to work off of the deep cycle battery even though i drove for an hour and i had it plugged in for about 6 hours... I believe from the maintenance records I have that the little camper i now own has probably sat for 4 or 5 years without use... it seemed to me like it drove and ran well enough to take the chance that i would maybe be able to make it livable for weekender trips... its really a neat little space inside... I could really use some ideas for where to go from where i am at... do i need to get this thing inspected? do I seal it first or repair it first? how in the world do i determine if the deep cycle battery is properly connected or even still usable at all... my guess is it needs totally replaced... I did notice that the red terminal was hooked up to the battery that was clearly marked NEGATIVE!!! i cant imagine hooking up black to positive and red to negative... I just cant believe how complex this little thing is... HELP !!! lol its really daunting... but even with the huge camper and amenities... it still gets better gas mileage than the ford f150 did.