Hey everyone, this is my first Toyota Motorhome and so far I'm loving it. Right now, just going through everything to make sure I'm OK to take the family on a trip.
A List of Problems That Got Solved
1. WONT DRIVE IN REVERSE, BUT ITS NOT THE TRANSMISSION - As soon as I got the motorhome in my driveway there was a show-stopping problem. When I went in reverse, the passenger side tire would lock up. I didn't know what the problem was. It truly felt like the emergency brake was on., but there was a definite "clunk" sound coming from underneath the vehicle. My wife was standing outside and told me that the front passenger wheel was not turning. I was leaving skid marks on my driveway. The weird part is the motorhome drove fine forward. The problem was only in reverse and only on that passenger wheel. The brake master cylinder had been replaced by a trusted mechanic prior to my buying it, but he just visual'ed the pads and said they were ok. I drove 6 hours from where I purchased it to my home in Orange County, CA without a single issue. Many people (including a master mechanic in my family and also the guy who installed the master cylinder) gave their opinion as to the problem, without any consensus; all over the map from a seized wheel bearing to a tie rod to gravel stuck inside the wheel. I hired a mobile mechanic off CL and said a prayer. I explained the problem to him over the phone and he said he would figure it out. He removed the tire and saw that the rotor was rusted. He said that wasn't the issue, but it needed to be cleaned up nonetheless. He also sprayed some lubricant on the wheel cylinder in case it was bound. I could tell he wasn't finding what he was looking for until suddenly he said in a loud voice "That's it!" He said that one of the bolts that held the brake caliper onto the wheel was completely missing. When I went forward, the caliper stayed in place due to the other bolt. But when I reversed, the entire caliper would cock and bind with the wheel. It took him longer to find the automotive grade bolt than to actually fix it. It cost me $300, but it was worth it. If it wasn't for the fact that the motorhome was stuck on my driveway, which is uphill, and it was raining, I probably could have discovered this myself and saved a lot of money. Sometimes it's the simple things you never think are the problem.
2. Fixed some leaks: We had some unusually heavy rainstorms right after I bought the motorhome and when I ran out from my house to check on the motorhome, there was water on the floor by the stove and and back by the dinette on the walls. I couldn't tell with just a flashlight where it was coming from, but it was definitely from the roof. The next morning, I investigated and found three sources: The roof leak was from the A/C, which leaks through the vent holes. The leaks in the rear were from a passenger side window and a spot on the back by the ladder. As a temporary fix, I wrapped some saran wrap around the AC unit to close off the vent openings until I could come up with something better. I also ran a good bead of silicone around each window and some suspicious areas round back by the ladder. It rained again a few days later and lo and behold, everything was dry! Success #1
2. Side Mirrors inadequate for seeing what's going on behind: I Installed a rear, always-on camera.I will post pics when I'm done fixing her up. The company will send a 2nd camera for free apparently. I plan on installing 2 more outside and 1 in the inside rear to keep an eye on my kids. It works perfectly, but the guide lines are off. I wired it to the license plate light, so I need to run with my lights on in the daytime. I've accidentally left my headlights on a couple of times (noticed when I was walking away from the motorhome), so I need to find a way to install an alarm or something. Success #2
3. Passed Smog: I planned on doing the full tune up and cleaning out EGR prior to going to the smog station, but pulled the 1st plug and realized the tuneup had been done by previous owner (new wires should have clued me in). I decided to just go with leaving the EGR alone. It passed without issue. Success #3 that I had nothing to do with.
4. Gas Fill Compartment/Cubby is broken: I don't know if this was a previous owner "upgrade" or if it was stock, but the gas fill tube terminated through an inset fiberglass or plastic cubby with a locking door. The cubby had broken in many places where the fill tube had been screwed to it and was essentially worthless as well as looking really bad. I went to Home Depot and looked around for a solution in sheet metal. I found a roof vent that worked perfectly with a little bit of trimming. I lined it up with the mouth of the fill tube and marked holes for the screw holes and put self-tapping sheet metal screws to hold them together. Now it is nice and rigid and it also looks so much better. Success #4
5. Water leak when using City Water Connection: I hooked up to my hose bib and turned the water on low. I did not have a pressure reducer thingy, but it was far from full pressure. Nevertheless, I could have caused this problem. The water leak seems to come from above the gray water tank. I looked inside the bathroom and found everything OK. It seems to be somewhere in the lines or fittings that run under the truck. If someone has a diagram of the water system for an Odyssey, I would appreciate it. I have many years of plumbing experience for a house, so I have an idea how everything must be run. But, it would be helpful if someone had such a diagram. Failure #1.
I appreciate any and all input on #5 or anything else related to my 1986 Odyssey Mesa. I promise to post pictures soon.
