Bodybagger

The problem stems from the fact that the gasoline they make today has a much higher vapor pressure than the stuff they were making when these things were designed. So when you top it off, the vapor pressure can actually push liquid fuel up into the evap canister and flood it. If you REALLY top it off, you might flood it to the point where it enters your intake and makes it run rich enough to foul your plugs and your catalytic converter. See discussion at: http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.ph...=10095&st=0 In short, when the pump quits, don't cram any more fuel in there or you may experience severe problems.

"...about a half hour out of town it started sputtering like it was starving for gas" It may have been starving for gas. 30 minutes seems like about the right amount of time to develop a really good vacuum on your tank if the evap canister and the gas cap were both malfunctioning. You see there is a check valve in the gas cap that will allow the tank to hold pressure, but will allow air in to equalize pressure so a vacuum doesn't develop. There is also a check valve in the evap canister that performs the same function. Since there are two valves that perform the same function, the system is redundant and will work properly until both valves function incorrectly. One way to screw both of them up is to grossly overfill your fuel tank. This will happen if you top it off while it is leaning slightly to the drivers side. This will allow liquid fuel to be sucked into the evap canister and float the check valves into the wrong position. Take both gas caps and clean them good and wrap your lips around the threads and suck. It should allow air to flow in. Now blow. It should NOT allow air to flow out. If it passes this check, there is nothing wrong with the cap. Overfilling will allow liquid fuel to enter the evap canister. The campsite in the mountains is at a higher elevation and thus lower pressure. So the relative pressure inside the tank increased and vented through the evap canister and condensed inside as it was designed to, and exacerbated the problem of your fuel-soaked evap canister. When the valve opened, it probably allowed enormous amounts of fuel to enter your intake resulting in an extremely rich running engine, and at high altitude nonetheless (when your engine needs to run LEANER). Perfect recipe for an overheat. This may be a coincidence but it sounds like your thermostat is sticking and it should be replaced. If the temperature is in the red, your top and bottom radiator hoses should be hot enough to burn your skin off. If they are not, coolant is not flowing sufficiently through the system and the most obvious cause is a sticking thermostat. The pressure wont hurt you (UNLESS the check valves in the evap can are screwed up)... it's when it develops a vacuum that hurts you. Again, sounds like the valves may be allowing a large amount of fuel to enter your intake and it is running too rich. It may have even coated your spark plugs and, God forbid, your catalytic converter with carbon. It's because they don't have a check engine code to tell them where to look. The skills and critical thinking ability of mechanics these days have been blunted by the advent of OBDII. They all have a check valve and are vented in a way that allows air to be drawn in from under the outer black plastic cap. If it fits, it will do. They are all valved with a one way check valve. There are two varieties. regular and pre-release. Pre-release opens a vent when you rotate counter clockwise to slowly release pressure and prevent fuel spray from opening it too fast. This is a saftey feature and does not affect its funtion in any way. As I said, your cap is already vented. I can't tell you whether or not it works correctly because it is in Denver and I am here. You'll have to test it with the suck/blow method. They actually make a device to do this for you if you are either embarrassed, squeamish, or scared of gas fumes, and have a hundred and fifty dollars laying around. Yes. The thermostat is like 9 dollars. Replace it. It should be done every year. You want the 192 degree thermostat. A sluggish thermostat may not present itself until a situation like this (running extremely rich).Check spark plugs for carbon fouling from the rich mixture. Since they are already out, replace them. They are less than $2 each. Gap to .031" Have your mechanic remove the O2 sensor and check for excessive backpressure while running, as this indicates a fouled catalytic converter, which will cause EXTREME hesitation when you press on the accelerator along with overheating due to increased backpressure. But make SURE its plugged before replacing it! If you need to replace the converter, make sure you fix the problem that plugged it before replacing it, or the new one will quickly suffer the same fate. Address the evap canister. Test it as shown in the manual. If it is defective, disable it. It has 3 hoses on it. Two on top and one that leads underneath to allow air to enter (or in your case, liquid to drip out). Remove the top two hoses from the evap canister and insert vacuum plugs into their ends to prevent fuel leakage and vacuum leakage. No need to plug the hose fittings on the evap canister. Replace your evap canister when you get a chance. It is a special order item. Print this page out for your mechanic to read. Also, print the manual page which is attached as a pdf. If you find this information helpful, please let me know. evap_EFI.pdf

From his description, he has a no-cranking fault because the starter is not engaging. A no-cranking fault is much more specific than a no-starting fault... Key sends battery voltage to the solenoid magentic field repels the slug and solenoid closes, which engages the bendix gear and closes the solenoid contactor contactor completes circuit through starter current flows through field windings,through the brushes, through the commutators and through the armature Magnetic fields create torque and the armature rotates if torque is sufficient, rotation continues Fuel and spark are yet to come in the list of things that must happen for the vehicle to "go." I'd hate for him to be led down the wrong path. The part where he said "absolutely nothing happens" eliminates anything after the "solenoid closes" step. And the ignition switch is very unlikely to have characteristics that change with heat.

The fridges in these things predate the recall unless they were replaced with new 2 door models ones for some reason. If it's not a 2 door, it's not in the recall. If unsure, look for the SN on the unit. Full text: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report Date : July 8, 2009 at 04:15 AM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 06E076000 Equipment Brand Name / Part No. or Model No.: Production Dates: DOMETIC / NDR1062 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM2652 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM2662 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM2663 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM2852 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM2862 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM3662 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM3663 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM3862 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 DOMETIC / RM3863 APR 01, 1997 - MAY 31, 2003 Manufacturer: DOMETIC CORPORATION Mfr's Report Date: AUG 28, 2006 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 06E076000 N/A NHTSA Action Number: N/A Component: EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE Potential Number of Units Affected: 926877 Summary: CERTAIN DOMETIC TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATORS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN APRIL 1997 AND MAY 2003: SERIAL NOS. 713XXXXX THROUGH 752XXXXX; 801XXXXX THROUGH 852XXXXX; 901XXXXX THROUGH 952XXXXX; 001XXXXX THROUGH 052XXXXX; 101XXXXX THROUGH 152XXXXX; 201XXXXX THROUGH 252XXXXX; 301XXXXX THROUGH 319XXXXX, INSTALLED IN CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT. A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE BOILER TUBE WHICH MAY RELEASE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT. Consequence: THE RELEASE OF COOLANT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE AND RESULT IN A FIRE. Remedy: THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THAT HAD THE REFRIGERATORS INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND DOMETIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE AFTERMARKET REFRIGERATORS. DOMETIC WILL INSTALL A SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOMETIC AT 888-446-5157. Notes: CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

One of these days it's going it's not going to start even after you wait. There's no thermal protection built into the solenoid. It's probably got an internal fault that causes an open circuit when it's hot. I am assuming it cranks eagerly with 100% torque when it is working... And it doesn't even click when it doesn't work?If so, the solenoid is the likely culprit. Or possibly bad starter relay. You can get another solenoid from a starter rebuild shop for 10-15 dollars if you have a starter rebuild shop in your area. And removing the starter is not particularly difficult. Verify voltage into the starter solenoid and no voltage out of it during the fault condition to verify this failure. Whether you fix the starter for $15 or pay $150 for a new one is up to you.

You've got to cut the lip of that seal (or punch through it a screwdriver or seal puller) and pry it out - and it's very easy to nick the crankshaft. It doesn't take much of a nick or burr on the crankshaft to wear out a seal over 4 years. What's it had since then... 5 - 10k miles? 10k miles = 32 million revolutions of the cranshaft, assuming all highway 3rd gear no idling. That is a lot of rubbing. In addition to nicks which may need to be sanded out with ultrafine sandpaper, make sure the seal is seated to the proper depth so the front and rear lips are both in contact with the seal journal.

These babies are a labor of love. But they are a labor none the less. Unless it has been kept in a museum for the past 20 years, there will be issues. If you have to take it to an RV or automotive business when things happen, you will watch a large chunk of your money disappear. These things are like a boat. When you're out there, you have to rely on the systems to be operating reliably - and you have to rely on yourself to know what to do to ensure they operate correctly. Particularly driving. I've put about 200,000 miles into driving ambulances. Big overloaded topheavy vans and boxes that need to get somewhere fast as a matter of life or death. My wife and her mom call this thing "the Toy" and that is a description I despise because, in my experience, these things are as challenging to drive as an ambulance. I've heard people call ambulances names like "bus," "rig," and "gut wagon," but I've never heard them called "toy." Not even once. Of course other drivers make it harder. So yes, even driving it is a job. But have you ever heard the saying that if you love what you do, you'll never have to work a day in your life? I did say it was a labor of love, didn't I? Be reasonable about your expectations from a 20 year old vehicle, be ready to learn a lot of mechanical systems. And beware that even though this is a small motorhome, it requires the same driving techniques you'd use for, say, a garbage truck. Then, you'll be able to make a more informed choice as to whether or not this is for you.

ATF should run between 175F to 190F. Fully synthetic can tolerate a higher temperature, but DexIII is going to be cooked. You need a bigger tranny cooler in that hot air down south.

http://www2.dometicusa.com/recall.php enter mod and sn. But yours likely predates the recall by a decade.

Your vintage rooftop AC probably has an EER of 6, which makes it require over 1,800 watts... but that was when it was new. With age, compressors and blower motors draw more current. Wouldn't doubt that its using 2,000-2,400 watts now. And gensets dont get better with age either! No wonder it's stalling out. If you replace your unit with a modern 10 EER AC, the same cooling capacity (11,000 BTU/h) will only require 1,100 watts to run. Well within the capabilities of your genset. If you cant afford a new rooftop unit, ask a HVAC contractor what they'd charge you to replace your existing energy hog compressor with a modern one of the same BTU/h rating. But beware that you can buy a new window AC unit for less than the price of the compressor that's in it! Therefore, it's most economical to find a "donor" unit. That might run you 200 labor and bump you to ~8 EER, reducing power requirement to 1,400 watts.

8 hours if it's working right, overnight if the cooling unit is in marginal shape. Make darn sure it's either level or moving before turning it. Check the exhaust tube for wasp nests or other blockage. The stack should feel warm to the touch, even through the thick insulation.

I think they are talking about a rooftop AC unit. Hermetic compressor AC units manufactured within the last 50 years through the end of this year use refrigerant R-22 with very very few exceptions. Some packaged air conditioners (as in rooftop, window, or wall models with hermetic compressors) used R-12 in the 1950s and 1960s but an R-12 packaged AC is by far the exception and not the rule. The only one I have run across was a Firestone window air conditioner made in the 60's. Beginning January 1, 2010, no new AC units will be manufactured for use with R-22. They will mainly use refrigerant R-410a instead. However, R-22 will still be produced to service existing units. Beginning January 1, 2020, all production and importation of R-22 will be banned, and recycled supplies must be used. Even then, R-22 itself will not be banned. One of the main disadvantages to R-410a is the extremely high pressure it runs at. It runs over 100psi on the low side and over 400psi on the high side. An R-22 air conditioner CAN NOT be retrofitted to R-410a because it would explode at these pressures, if the compressor didn't burn up first. As of today, R-22 is running about $200 per 30lb cylinder.

I think you'll have to disconnect the gas lines and uncrew a few screws that are holding it to the floor and pull it out as one whole unit.

Yes, it is FUBAR. You're looking at 300-500 to fix the leak and recharge it, or 800 for a new cooling unit if you can install it yourself. 1000 if you have it installed. It smells like ammonia because the refrigerant inside of the cooling unit is a mixture of ammonia, water, and hydrogen gas at very high pressure with added hexavalent chromium salts to inhibit corrosion, and this refrigerant finally leaked out into the cold food section of of your fridge. You're not the first. This is what happens when they die.

You may need to crack the fitting to allow some gas to flow through. If it has sat for a long time with no pressure, you may need to purge the air out. It can take a long time to purge the air out through the pilot orifice. Crack the pilot tube fitting and see if you have gas pressure comming out when you press the pilot button. If so, and it still will not light, a piece of dust or debris has clogged the pilot orifice and you will need to replace it. An appliance parts store will have a new orifice.

My Onan would do that running an air compressor. Tune up fixed that. I also removed the carb and cleaned all its parts in an ultrasonic cleaner. Runs much better now and quicker to adjust to a load. However, don't just blame the genset. Maybe the AC is part of the problem. A worn out start capacitor can do this. Over time, caps leak or otherwise lose their capacitance. Also, a shorted start winding in the AC compressor can do this. These troubles happen to window AC units all the time. You might see if you can get a peak current reading on the compressor and see if it is comparable to the locked rotor amps on the nameplate.

Look for schrader valve fittings attached to the rear of the RV. Air bags look like 8-12 inch diameter cylindrical rubber thingies directly between the leaf springs and the frame.

Remove the plastic cover from the interior of the AC. Open the electrical connection box. Wire an electric cord to the black and white wires and the green to the ground screw. Then plug it in and try it out. If you cannot reach it with an extension cord, you'll have to remove the whole AC unit and take it to an outlet.

Dirty fuel filters tend to cause power loss at high RPMs as the delivery pressure drops when the flow is restricted at higher demands. Low end hesitation is likely the combined effect of an ignition issue and poor fuel injector spray pattern. Attention to the plug wires, coil, and distributor should show dramatic improvement. Remove the hood (it's quite light and you can do it single handedly) and try from the top and the rear. This makes it much easier to get to. I would not be suprised if the moving parts are original. The 22R is a tough engine. Probably not a bad idea since these transmissions wear out the bushings before the clutches wear out. Be sure to check the extension housing bushing as wear in this bushing is enemy #1 of these transmissions, more so than heat. After rebuilding mine, I used fully synthetic Mobil 1 ATF and installed an Imperial (Hayden) 242016 transmission cooler that was MUCH larger than the stock version. On temperate days, the tranny runs at 175 deg F, right where it should. I strongly recommend a transmission temp gauge and larger cooler. At 55mph, assuming 4.10 gears and 3rd gear on an A34D, as well as 300rpm slip on the torque converter, you are running about 3300RPM down the road. Your compressor is really kicking and is under a real load. This is not a place to skimp. To convert it and do it RIGHT, you are looking at a system flush to remove mineral oil, removing the compressor and changing the oil in it, a new receiver/dryer, and new TX valve. TX valve is located inside the evaporator cooling unit, which has to be removed from under the dash to be serviced - but that probably needs to be done anyway as they are notorious for getting mouse nests in them. You'll also have to check for Viton o-rings, and compressor compatibility will be a crapshoot. If it contains Viton seals, it's toast and there's no way you'll know until it burns up after a few days or hours of use. Compressor life will be drastically reduced due to a decrease in effectiveness of lubrication and higher head pressure (250-260psi vs 206-212psi) And after all that money and effort, if all goes well, you will realize a 10-20% reduction in cooling capacity. The only advantage is that you'll be able to top off a leaky system yourself - until sale of R-134a is restricted - and the EPA is working on that restriction as we speak.Though it has not been manufactured in the US since 1996, R-12 is not illegal to purchase and use, and is very much obtainable. Current market price is $23 per pound. A real AC shop has R-12 on hand and can do a basic service (leak check, function check, top off with one pound)for 70-120 dollars depending on location. Consider an inverter/generator. They are light and quiet, and you can probably find one that will run your AC. Good idea. You won't have problems with gallons of condensate water building up on your roof. Are you going to remove the old AC and re-roof over the hole? You definately need a tranny cooler and temp gauge.

I would HIGHLY recommend running a new circuit. Sorry, I don't have the electrical service manual.

That's like fixing a headache by cutting off the head. If you have the old axle, now you've got overloaded tires in addition to an overloaded axle.Why would someone do that? The only thing that comes to mind is a tire blew and they didn't want to buy another one.

Yep, the ACs are notorious for leaking. With time, the load of the AC unit makes the roof deflect toward the AC so that you actually have standing water right on the gasket. Even when it's not raining, the condensation will pond under the unit, against the gasket. That gasket can keep out wind driven rain, but it was NOT made to be stop infiltation of ponding water.So here's what I did... When I reroofed mine with Peel & Seal, I cut out a spacer from 1" thick high density foam roof insulation (it's the stuff they put under rubber roofs). Dimensions were 14"x14" inside and 18"x18" outside. With the new roof freshly applied, I screwed that spacer down and applied a layer of Peel & Seal over it, rolling it in good with a rubber roofing seam roller and applying heat with a heat gun, and extending the seal 6" out away from the outter edge of the spacer. So that made a 1" high curb which the AC unit sets on. Water will never be 1" deep on the roof, so the gasket will never see ponding water. You can install a similar curb for your AC using rubber and roofing adhesive and that will probably help you out tremendously. The other thing I am going to do is install a pair of condensate drain lines under the AC evaporator that lead over the right and left edges, resectively, of the roof. Probably a 3/8" vinyl tube.

Possibly your shift cable needs adjustment. If the problem persists after adjusting the shift cable, here are some other options: Check line pressure and governor circuit pressure during operation. Remove driveshaft and extension housing and inspect the centrifugal governor assembly for perfectly smooth operation.

That should have been replaced during the rebuild, but I have learned not to ever trust anyone elses work without verifying it myself. You don't need any tools or anything to check it. Just grab the yoke firmly and try to shake it. If it moves, it needs fixed. Takes about 5 seconds to check. No kidding.

You should not be looking for opinions. You should be looking for facts.FACT: the original undersized axle is dangerously overloaded when subjected to the axle load of a motorhome. We're not talking overloaded by 10%... We're talking overloaded by more than 100% FACT: the overloaded axle WILL break. Some broke at 50,000 miles. Some broke at 50 miles. It is not a question of "if," it's a question of "when" and "how fast will you be going when it happens." FACT: when it fails catastrophically, one of the sets of rear wheels will fly off. FACT: The size of the engine does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to mitigate the danger of an overloaded axle. This is the present owner blowing smoke up your a$$ because he'd rather sell it and put your life in danger, along with the lives of anyone in the vicinity, and make a quick buck unloading it rather than fix it or disclose the danger. Alright.If you read http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/files/Axle_FAQ.pdf you will find out all you need to know, but to sum it up... The original axle had one bearing that acted like a fulcrum and a shaft inside the axle that acted like a lever to balance the strain from the load. This type of axle is not designed for heavy loads because it exerts a huge cyclic bending force on the axle and fatigues it to the point of failure, right at the point of highest load... the bearing. Of course, sometimes the bearings go out first and give warning of impending axle failure. The the large hub of the full floating axle contains 2 bearings. This allows the load to be balanced between them without creating any bending force on the axle... hence "full floating." It also greatly restrains the wheels from deflecting. This should be a deal breaker unless you can find an axle. I wouldn't drive one across town without a full floater because even it is loaded to its limit.