Tundrawolf

Pick A Part 11399 Santa Fe Ave E Hesperia, CA 92345 Map (760) 947-8799 P.S. they are having a 1/2 off sale this election weekend

So... A 5 lug will NOT interchange with a 6 lug, spindle-wise?

Hello, Off of I avenue at Bear Valley and Santa Fey in Victorville I spotted in a boneyard a Toyota odyssey and a Nissan Sunrader. the Toyota did not have the upgraded axle and the camper part was in poor condition. The Nissan, however had a heavy duty full floating axle, and the camper/body on it was actually in pretty good shape-as in-it could be fixed up without tearing it down to the chassis. I'm not sure how the Nissan rear axle compares to a Toyota, but it is there. They are located in the way back to the right hand side.

Nobody??

My friend, take a look underneath your motorhome... I did the other day and I found that whomever had it before me spliced in a far too small gauge wore for the battery, and not only that, on top of being a poor splice, the insulation was frayed down to the wire for about 2 and 1/2". this would cause the fuses to blow as soon as it hit the chassis ground, every time. Trace your wiring from the fuse box. If it goes inside the wall, look everywhere where it could possibly exit.

I'm sorry... High Desert California.. Victorville/Hesperia area.

Hello, I just got back from the High Desert Pick-A Part off of Airbase road, and I spotted TWO Toyota 1 ton full floating axles. One of the axles was actually on a Toyota camper that had been gutted down to the floor, and the other i am nto sure about. The axle on the Toyota camper has one hub cover removed and soem scarring on the studs, and the differential assembly had been removed from it as well. This axle had like 100 leaf springs on it (A slight exaggeration!). The other axle looked pretty much intact. I know this yard likes $150 for an axle wich is a screaming deal. I am not sure what everyone means by "Sway bar" but both front ends looked intact.

This is a lot of information. If I am tearing the entire camper apart down to the frame of the truck, (Which is what I will be doing anyway) I have too many options to try to sort out. Keep the suggestions coming anyway, sooner or later it will hit me as to what I have to do.

I actually have a 20' Dolphin.. If you are mechanically inclined, you can ADD space, but you have to tear into the body of the RV, which is what I am going to do anyway. Also, another reason for a generator is if you are on a long trip in the wilderness, and your solar cannot (Or may not be able to) provide for your needs for longer than a few days.. I have a lot of experience with solar, and for the money, a genset is cheaper for heavy-duty constant usage, and it is not fun to be out in the middle of nowhere camping when your batteries are dead and you can't use your 12v (Or 110 inverter) becasue it is cloudy, or your battery(ies) (Or inverter) aren't able to handle the draw. Also, is the fact that many smaller gensets have a 12V output, so if you are forced to use it, you can also charge your batteries while using the 110v at the same time. For many applications solar is adequate and will do just fine, if you have invested wisely, hwoever for remote camping I prefer to have a genny just in case/for backup. I will be using a 150 watt panel ($750)on my RV w/ a charge controller ($200) which is mandatory, or you will cook your batteries. Also a 1+ Kw inverter ($100) or a .4Kw pure sine wave inverter ($300). I routinely use a small "Harbor freight" cheapy (>$200) generator, which has the ability to charge batteries while it is putting out 110v simultaneously. I was using a 2.3Kw generator the other day intermittently where I live (Because where I live there is no power, just solar) and was shocked to see it used so little gas. I have also run my welder off of this generator and it did fine-and the unit is small enough to fit in a small compartment, minus gas tank and roll bars. Please note I am not putting solar down, because it is going to be my primary source of electricity, however I am also going to have a generator for backups, or when I may need more than what the inverter or batteries can provide.

Hello, The inside ceiling height of my RV varies depending on where I stand. I realize there is some water damage, and it looks as if they have put another floor on top of the original floor-however I could be wrong about this. I am 6'1" and Ineed this camper to be comfortable, so when I am stanging at "attention", my head isn't firmly against the ceiling. I am wondering if I need to add an inch to the overall height of the camper to accomodate my height, or if when I rebuild it I leave it as is, because due to water damage/sagging ceiling it is perfectly capable of acommodating my height "stock". I have a 1982 20' Dolphin, with the bathroom just as you walk in from the side of the RV on the passengers side. I appreciate any help anyone can give me. Thanks!! Dave

Wow... I did not know that. Tell me.. How is the difference between your RVS insulation wise? Does the older one retain heat better in the winter, and cold in the summer? I am willing to possibly go with the heavier stuff if it is better. I do not know yet... I haven't even begun tearing the camper apart.. I am planning on taking it down to the frame, and possibly adding an inch to the ceiling, because I am 6'1". Thank you!! Dave

Both, actually... I am just wondering if there is any real big gain to be had insulation wise from the wood slat/aluminum side with the marginal fiberglass insulation. I need to know, because I may be able to do this soon, and I live where there are weather extremes. Also, of course, weight is also an issue.

I will be converting my 5 lug to 6 lug on both ends, but is the frotn as easy as upgrading the rims and tires, and getting a 6 lug brake rotor? Thanks!

OK, so i understand that wood slat and aluminum siding is considered "heavy". There was a post of a couple who made their own RV out of a sort of fiberglass panneling system-however, if I were to go that route-how would I hide the wiring? I am looking for cheap (if possible), and easy to use. If I have to go with the wood slat and old aluminum panneling, I will. however, there is one more important variable, and that is: Where I live it can get 125 degrees hot in the summer and 20 below in the winter. I need INSULATION. What would be the best route for me while saving weight?

I think there might be dry rot in your roof, which means yes-it has to be replaced. I am about to replace, well, everything in my RV, stripping it down to the chassis and replacing it all. You could tack in some wood slats to get the roof to not bend in, but you would only be prolonging the inevitable, i think.

Avoid the hills. Enjoy the immense pleasure of NOT watching the gas gauge go down on your 15 gallon gas tank, even if you DO take the hills! The heater works really good in the cab. It cooked my foot. Your RV will turn on a dime! Inspect your radiator hoses. ANY swelling means REPLACE it immediatly. Trust me..... Use good oil, preferably synthetic. Enjoy!!

Thank you for that: I will use them. There are like, 8 or 9 springs on each side. Anyway, a friend told me to check the heat of the axle and the transmission while I was driving, and I did... The axle was suprrisingly cool to the touch, and the transmission only appeared to be heated from the engine (not hto at all), and the engien temperature was also surprisingly very cool. I was all in all very happy with the progress of everything. Oh and BY THE WAY: If anyone int he High Desert wants a full-floating HD toyota Axle, i saw one yesterday (10/08/08) at the high desert pick a part off of Sky Base Road.. NOT the one off of I avenue, but the one in two sections. It is on a toyota flatbed in the back of the second (rear) lot next to a most interesting Mitsubishi Arrow pickup truck. Someone took at least one of the covers off of the axle, but it should be readily repaired. I believe whole axle prices at that yard is $150, well worth the peace of mind. Call them if you can (I don't know their #) because they junk stuff all the time to make room for new.

So true, so true...

Hello, I have a 6 lug axle to replace my 5 lug unit, however I do not want to carry 2 spares around.. Is replacing the front end with a 6 lug pattern as easy as swapping disc brake rotors, or is there something special I have to do?

Make sure that the center of the axle protrudes past the rim where it bolts to the brake drum. Like this: What you do not want: O | | | O The "O" is the tire, the | is the rim. If it is flush, don't buy it. However: O | |]]] | O If there is a protrusion with several bolts in it in the middle of the axle, then go ahead. I hope that makes sense... here's an article abotu it: http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/files/Axle_FAQ.pdf

Hello! I just got done taking the 395 from Dyer, NV to Lucerne Valley, CA in my 20' Dolphin. I have the 5 lug axle, so I was worried, but not worried enough not to make the trip. I spent a lot of prep time, beings that this RV has been stored for many years by the ocean, and has not been moved more than a few feet in decades. What I did was: Changed the engine oil (I used a semisynthetic high mileage oil) Changed the engine oil filter Changed the air filter Changed the spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor, and wires Checked the coolant Changed the transmission oil (Used 1 quart of Lucas full synthetic, and the rest Lucas oil stabilizer) Changed the differential oil (There were metal shavings when I changed it, despite the claims that the guy who sold it to me had said it was "A new one". I used all Lucas Oil Stabilizer in it) Changed the wiper blades Changed the headlights I had to solder on a new ground on the driver side tail lights, it was literally corroded away. I had to do a lot of corrosion related soldering, and in the end I had my tail and turn lights, but only one marker light on the rear and none on the front. I didn't have the time to try and diagnose that problem, the wiring is in the walls and all. It takes forever to get started, I suspect a vacuum leak, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it did really well, I have a couple hundred punds of tools and gear and stuff I had to take with me, but it did very well, even over the hills. I am glad I went with the understanding that it has a 4 cylinder engine, because over some of the hills I was in 2nd gear going 25 MPH. The guy said the clutch was slipping-that is because the valvecover had 3 nuts on, all of which were hand-tight, allowing oil to leak behind the engine, and down onto the clutch. Despite these problems, the vehicle managed to do 14.3 MPG, which is phenominal considering the hills I had to overcome on the way back. I did another mileage reading after the major hills and it said 30 MPG, however, I was really tired so I have to concede that there was some error involved, there. It was really nice to be able to stop and use the bathroom inside the camper, and then stop and take a nap in the cabover. I had an issue of a radiator hose bursting the final mile of my trip (Literally, less than a mile left), and since then I cannot go more than a few hundred feet before the engine overheats. I have replaced the hoses, the thermostat, and the pump, however it has been suggested I have a pinhole leak in the radiator-which is my theory. It was a pleasure to drive, it did very well. I have a 1 ton full floating axle I am going to put in it as soon as I get a ball for my truck. I have one question: The axle I have as a replacement for the 5 lug has a bunch of leaf springs, 2-3 times more than what is on the Dolphin. Should I use these extra leaf springs-will they do me any good with this motorhome, or should I just use the original ones?

I have been giving this a lot of thought.. My camper does not have a generator, but it will. How much wattage do you need? A small 1Kw 4 stroke job should be enough to do most things. It will also fit just about *anywhere*. Now... If you purchased a "regular" type standalone generator >3Kw, you would be surprised at just how small the engine/gen unit actually is. It wold probably fit in most storage compartments. All you'd have to do is tap into the fuel tank somehow. However, if you did go that route, you would have to get out and pull strart the thing every time. There are many generators available out there, finding one and stripping it down should be pretty easy. Piping out the exhaust gasses properly is up to you, of course-because you do not want ot be found dead in your RV because the muffler was facing inward and the compartment had a hole in it!

Wow... I always hear people saying they are only getting mid 20's, but then again those guys have 4x4s with huge tires, too..

That's a great blog! I may have to tear down my RV and just wait until I can come up with a solution I can afford. It would cost me $1,300 in the panels that they used plus resin alone! I was thinking about wood, but it appears that wood is heavy... I don't want to do a halfway job, but this is definately going to cost me more than I thought..

I think your biggest issue would be beefing up the basic structure of the RV to accomodate the slideouts. This would add weight-something that is precious on these RVs.. Where there's a will, there's a way though.