idtracey

My next door neighbor owns a garage in town, so I thought I'd ask his opinion. $2000 is probably about right if you have it done in a shop with the shop sourcing your axle. If the shop sources your axle, they're going to mark it up 25% over cost to pay for their time in locating and bringing it in plus a little profit. He said the swap would be about a six hour job and he bills $85 an hour. He figured his cost to bring in an axle and hardware to be about $600, so he'd bill $750. Brake shoes, assuming the drums are good, will run $60. Rim's will run about $300. Four new tires will run $480, and his six hours of labor is $520. Grand total by his rough estimate - $2110. If you do the work yourself, it's significantly less.

Only you can answer if it should be a deal breaker. For the right deal, I personally would not let the 5 lug axle stop me from picking up a coach that was otherwise ideal for me. BUT, I would NOT put any kind of mileage, carry any kind of load or move at highway speeds until the axle was swapped. Cost for swapping depends on your experience level. I've seen axles listed for a few hundred dollars (in fact, I think I recently saw one listed on craigslist for $300 in Scottsdale). If you don't get the rims with the axle, that can cost another couple hundred. If you can do the swap yourself, you can save the labor charges. I've seen a couple of people mention that labor for this runs about $500. Once the axle is in, it's just basic maintenance. Axles can be found. Mechanics and wrecking yards can be a lot of help in locating one.

I went and looked at an '85 Escaper earlier this week. The inside measured 72-1/2".

Where in BC are you? Gundie's in Bellingham WA is a RV salvage yard. They may be able to help. The number I have is 800-444-4344, but don't know if that toll free # will work in Canada or if it's a states only #.

Part of the reason you're not finding what you're looking for is you might be looking under the wrong manufacturer. Toyota didn't make motorhomes. The Dolphin was made by National RV. NADA Guides has RV values for the Dolphin series, but you need more information (model, lenght, features, etc.) than just the brand. The 400 series (rear bath) is fairly common for that year and carries an average retail of $7300 assuming no special features. You should visit nadaguides.com and complete the inquiry form showing all of the available options for a more accurate value.

Sounds like a really great deal! We should all be so lucky. There are lots of good products for cleaning both interior and exterior. For hard surfaces, I like a product called LA's Totally Awesome (http://www.lastotallyawesome.com/index.html). Does a great job and the even bigger bonus is that it's cheap - a lot of dollar stores carry it. For curtains, wash them on the gentle cycle with some Woolite. For carpets and upholstery I use a little bit Oxy cleaner for the tough spots and then for general cleaning I mix a weak solution of Awesome, spray it over the carpets and upholstery, brush with a soft bristle brush and then vacuum up with my wet/dry shop vac. When I had to replace my vents I found the best deals on Amazon.com. Most of them are marketplace items, so no free shipping, but it was still a better deal than I found elsewhere. The dent can be a bit of a challenge. Number one, you want to make sure it didn't cause any leaks. Leaks will put you in world of hurt real fast - my Dolphin is currently undergoing a near total rebuild because of water damage. The location and severity of the dent will determine the best way to fix it. If it's real bad, the only effective way to get the dent out is from the inside - which means removing and replacing the paneling the covers the area. Smaller dents can be repaired from the outside using items like cotton rope and a hot glue gun. If you can post a picture of the dent, it would help with suggestions. Since it's an '85, did you check to see if it has the upgraded axle? If you're unsure, read the post Toyota Motorhome Axle Facts (http://www.toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=6). Hope this helps.

That's a little different than what I was picturing. Polyurethane sheathing is a good product, but it doesn't have quite enough bend to it to make the curve in that nose. You can use regular fiberglass insulation in that area - 1" is what they normally use in these homes - or you can fill the void with expanding foam after you get paneling in place. I'd go for the foam for the better insulating value. An inch of fiberglass is R4, the foam will get you to R6.5. There's not a lot of structural support in the nose area, so getting your paneling secured properly isn't as critical. Are you going to replace the paneling on the sides? It looks like they got pretty saturated as well. Good luck!

Hi. Sorry to hear about your water damage. Hopefully you were able to get the leak stopped to prevent any further damage. I haven't done that type of repair in a Winnie, but I did have to make similar repairs to my parent older Dodge. Replacing the inner structure with the fiberglass shell intact can be a little difficult because you have limited angles to work from, but it can be done. Start by rebuilding your wood framing. Make sure it all fits snug, but not too tight. Bond the joint together with Gorilla glue, drill a pilot hole and screw them together at an angle. One the framing is in place, replace the foam. I'm not sure what Winnie used in theirs, but I would recommend a polyurethane sheathing, something like Thermasheath. It's got a good insulating value and is foil backed which helps provide a radiant barrier. Cut the foam so that it fits snugly inside the wood frame. It wouldn't hurt to use some contact adhesive to hold the foam to the fiberglass shell until you get you paneling back on. When you put paneling back on the frame, be sure to apply a bead of glue the the frame and then use panel nails or staples to lock it in place. Make sure your paneling fits good and tight into the corners and don't forget the glue - the paneling provides part of the structural strength, so it's important to make sure it's a good fit and it won't move against the wood frame. Hope this helps and good luck!

Congratulations on your purchase. There is a lot of good information in the files and manuals section of the photo gallery as far as info on your coach and its accessories. I've found a lot of good restoration advice by simply perusing the existing posts. Some of the members here have done some really nice restoration work on their rigs. Restoration is a pretty broad topic - anything from some simple clean up and minor repairs to a total rebuild. It would help if you gave some specifics about the type of restoration you're doing.

I started demo on my rig last night and, after looking at the skeleton frame, I have a much better idea on the approach required to build the slideouts. Beefing up the frame won't be too much of a problem, but keeping the weight down to something reasonable will be. For the overcab area, the slide can basically be a big drawer and pulled out by hand since it's only a foot and won't be supporting tons of weight. Sliding out the seating area is going to be more of a challenge. I have the wheel well and gas fill for my second tank to deal with. Framing and mechanicals will add about 300#.

I'll PM all the pics you want. I'll be able to shoot them in the morning. Tanks and plumbing, right? You need about 410 lineal feet of 12" material (that's assuming you'll keep your wooden floor). Does your $3.38/ft include the resin required? If you're using the lighter weight material, that's about 105# of resin. If it's the heavier weight material, then it's 165#. Another though I had last night (as I surveying the amount of water damage in the walls and roof of my rig) was to build my own structural foam panels. I still have some research to finish on strenght and weight factors, but it looks like I might be able to cut my weight by more than a third at about $1/ft.

What is your siding made of? Fiberglass or aluminium?

Dennis has a good thought on changing your floor plan. I have the 300 series with the kitchen and bathroom in the back. I'd be glad to send you pictures of how my tanks and plumbing are set up if you'd like. I'm always a little leery of the $49.95 how-to videos. I personally can learn a lot more by taking things apart.

It's possible the connector is located someplace else, although most were near the brake cyl on the right hand side. Maybe someone else on here with an '87 can cofirm the exact location. If you replace the O2 sensor and it solves the problem it will not clear the code stored in memory, but it will stop the check engine light from coming on. The light only comes on when a trouble condition exists, so once the problem is solved you stop seeing the light. If you want to clear your codes, just disconnect the negative battery terminal for about 10 minutes.

Yes, you can use a paperclip to read the codes. The basic steps are: Extracting Trouble Codes (1987 Toyota): 1. Turn the ignition switch to ON. Do not start the engine. 2. Using a paper clip or jumper wire, short terminals T and E1 of the check connector. 3. Read the diagnostic code as indicated by the number of flashes of the "CHECK" engine warning light. Your check connector is under the hood near the brake cylindar. The connector has three rows of terminals that look something like: xxx_x_xx xxx___xx xxx_x_xx E1 is third from the left on the top row, T is second from the left on the second row or: E1 xxO_x_xx T xOx___xx xxx_x_xx Hope this helps. From your symptom, I suspect you'll receive a code for your oxygen sensor (code 21) If you need more info on the codes, let me know. Good luck!

Sounds like your restoration project will be even more ambitious than mine. I'm not doing a total demolition, but I have to replace the entire floor, which is the base for the rest of the cabin structure. I'm starting the project this week and will be posting pictures of the entire process. Seeing things disassembled may help you in your project. My Dolphin has the bath and kitchen in the rear, but the basic structure will be the same. Radiant Barrier is a reflective sheeting that goes over your insulation. It's just a thin film, so it's doesn't need any significant amount of space to install. I'll be using it as well. I'll use solid foam sheething in the walls and place the barrier between the studs and wallboard. It should keep the cabin nice and cozy warm. I've read that the full floating axles up to '89 are a drop-in replacement. Read through the posts in the Engines/Tramissions.... section. There is a lot of good information in that section on the axle issue. Good luck with your project and I hope you'll post pictures of your progress.

Can you provide a little more information? Not turning over can mean a lot of things. Is it sounding like the starter is laboring to move the engine and it's just not going, are you just getting the clicking of the relays or are you getting nothing at all? How high is your engine temp getting when this problem happens? The aux battery running down quickly may be related or may be a separate issue. What are the symtoms here? Is anything running in your cabin? Is it the correct type of battery for the application? Try disconnecting the aux battery and see if this solves the problem. The cabin 12v electrical is isolated from your engine electrical system until the ignition key is turned on. If your aux battery is bad or you have a short in your cabin, there could be enough of a draw placed on your main battery to keep the engine from starting while hot. If disconnecting your aux battery solves the problem, start by having the battery tested. Even a new batter can have a bad cell.

I'm considering adding a couple of slideouts to my '81 Dolphin. I have the 300 series which is the one with the rear kitchen. The first slide would be in the overcab area - something to push it out about a foot so that I can fit in the bed (I'm 6'-5"). I'd also like to slide the sitting area out by about 18" to give a little more floor space in the main cabin. Has anybody on here actually added a slideout to their toyhome? Any advice/problems you'd like to share? Thanks!

HHO boost systems CAN increase your mileage, but be very cautious of anyone claiming an increase greater than 40%. It'a a matter of chemistry and physics - you're not going to get more energy out of the HHO gas than it takes to create it. In reality, you will get LESS energy from the HHO gas, about an 80% return is considered the maximum using a modulated power source to create the gas, about 65% from straight DC power. The gain in mileage does not come from the HHO itself, but from a faster and more complete burn of the gas or diesel fuel when combined with HHO. Part of that more efficient burn has to go towards replacing the power used to create the HHO plus the 20% - 35% (depending on your method of electrolysis) lost in the conversion. What's left over is your mileage gain. But there is lot more to consider. First and foremost, HHO is a dangerous and explosive gas - remember the Hindenburg? Proper safety precautions must be taken. For optimum fuel efficiency your 22R will require about 2.75 liters of HHO gas per minute at highway speeds. Producing gas at that rate (without proper safeguards) it does not take long to produce enough for a significant explosion. Next, dismiss any claims that an HHO system will not void your warranty. Even if the system can be removed and in no way modifies any part of your engine, it is considered to be abuse and will void your warranty. The byproduct of burning HHO is water. The small amount of water created will not harm your engine while it is running, it is the time your engine is not running which can create a problem, especially in an older engine. I've seen many claims that burning HHO will increase your oil life. This is chemically true, but what they fail to mention is that you will lose a small amount of in the more efficient combustion process, So, while your oil will not break down as fast you will undoubtedly have to add oil more frequently. Pre-1985 22R engines look to be an ideal test for an HHO system, but these coaches are at a disadvantage. Unlike the cars used for your daily commute, your ToyHome sits for days, weeks, or even months at a time. This makes the engine vulnerable to two effects of HHO - excess moisture and insufficient startup lubrication. Newer cars (computer controlled) create challenges and require a modification to handle the change in exhaust gas chemistry. All that being said, it IS possible to increase your mileage. Double? I doubt it. 40%? Possible, but not likely. More probable with your gasoline 22R is about 30%. If you're still interested, don't get scammed by those out there charging money for so-called complete HHO system plans. I'll be glad to direct you to free resources which will provide the same information.

Easy is a relative term. But assuming you have the original Dometic fridge, it's not too bad. The electrical and gas connections can be disconnected from the access panel on the outside of the coach. On the inside of the coach, along the two sides of the fridge door, there are either 4 or 6 screws (depending on the model of fridge) attaching the fridge to the built in cabinet. With these removed and the electrical/gas disconnected, you can just slide the fridge out into the coach and then out the door. Don't forget to disconnect your street and battery power and turn off your gas at the tank before you begin. And keep the tank off until the gas line is either reconnected or plugged off. What will you be replacing the old fridge with?

I acquired my '81 Dolphin from a friend's grandmother earlier this year. She hadn't used it after her husband died 4 years ago. Up until 4 years ago it had been very well kept and the chassis is still in excellent mechanical condition. The problem is the coach. On top of it being old and mostly original, she didn't understand proper storage so there are a few issues I need to resolve. The water system wasn't properly drained and the water heater ended up bursting during a hard freeze – which left water sitting on the floor in the front of the cabin for however long it took to dry out on it's own. The home also wasn't properly covered and leaked around the roof vents and door causing some additional water damage to the ceiling, wall and floor. Because of the water damage, the floor has two large soft spots that need to be addressed. The coach is also nearing 30 years old and is beginning to show signs of rear end sag with a total drop of nearly 1 inch from the spot where the frame extension meets the original Toyota chassis to the back wall. Most of the repairs and renovations I have figured out and can do in stages so that I don't have to take my toyhome out of service for an extended period. Even the floor sag will be only about a days worth of work to straighten the frame extension and weld in some reinforcements. It's the floor that has me stumped. I'd really like to avoid using an overlay to reinforce the floor since that option adds weight and brings the floor that much closer to the ceiling. But I'm not exactly sure how to go about replacing the floor. One thought I had was that I could pre-build some sandwich panels and replace the floor in sections working from the front to the back. That way I wouldn't have the entire floor removed at one time and would only have to disconnect a portion of the chassis mounts with each section replaced. It would also let me save the rear section (which requires removal of the bathroom) for this fall after I've done all my camping for the season. Will this work? Has anybody else replace their floor or know of one that was replaced? How was it done? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

It's the one they're calling 20'. I'm sure once I fill all my tanks and load 'er down for a long trip the mileage will drop to more like 15.

I just got my '81 Dolphin, so I've only taken some local trips to test things out. Managed to burn through most of my first tank of gas and averaged 19.2. I wasn't climing any mountains, but I wasn't driving on all flat ground either. Since they were short runs, I wasn't fully loaded up, so I expect I'll get a little lower when I take some extended trips.

Thanks Allen. I do have a copy of that file. It's for the 1985 models. The 1981 and 1985 are very similar in features, but there are also few differences. The manuals are not a wealth of important information and I can get by without it. The main reason I'm looking is for my project file. I'm in the process of restoring and upgrading this coach and I'd like to add the manual to the "before" section. Tracey

Thanks Dianne. All I'm finding are the old sales brochures, but no manuals. Is there a link somewhere I'm missing? Thanks, Tracey