Dolphinite no longer here

From the photo of your LP tank, I'm pretty sure that you could fit a 7.5 gallon tank in there instaed of that five gallon one you've got. I did the change in mine from a five gallon to a 7.5 and it made a big difference in how long I can go between visits to the propane guy. Just a thought... John

Samsterid, Looks like you've got a bit of a cleanup job up there but not one that's too difficult. I have an '85 Dolphin with the same roof material you have and I just cleaned off as much of the old caulk as I had the time and patience for and then re-coated the roof with that white, elastomeric goo that Home Depot sells for Mobile home roofs. I put two coats on 24 hours apart and so far no leaks. I've re-coated twice since then (every two years or so) and the roof is holding up fine. I also removed the AC unit and installed a new roof vent in its place which is what I'd recommend for your roof so that you can get rid of that patch up there. If you go the roof coating route, you'll need at least 24 hours of dry weather (or be under cover in a carport or garage) so that the white goo has time to set up and dry. When I did my roof, I didn't get every last scrap of the old caulk off the roof. Some small bits were left here and there but no big piles of the stuff. The white coating is thick enough and very forgiving for an amateur like me to get a good seal. With your painting background, I'm sure you'd get a good job done. Some of my roof beams are probably a little soft from past leaks and the roof does have a few small sags here and there but it doesn't leak. Pulling off the roof is a big job compared to simply re-coating the old one. If you can live with a sag here and there, I'd go with the re-coat job. Good luck... John

Old motorhomes never die, they just stick around to drive you nuts! My '85 Dolphin is just like any other thirty year old vehicle - you're on borrowed time...Almost every exterior coach panel on my rig has been rebuilt to better than new, the engine only has about 85,000 miles on it with a new radiator, water pump, timing chain, upgraded alternator, four year old tires, freshly coated roof, and I rarely take it on a trip longer than 150 to 200 miles because I never know when something is going to fail and leave me stranded somewhere. Heck, I'm going back to a tent or a slide in camper and my little Nissan 4x4. Someone will get a good deal on the Dolphin come next Spring. John

Actually, it looks like you've got a neat, fuel efficient flatbed truck there! Have you considered leaving it that way? John

Shibs, You could use that to put antifreeze into the tank but you shouldn't have to put any antifreeze in the fresh water tank. First, open the outside drain for the water tank and empty it. Then pull the hose off of the inlet side of the fresh water pump and attach a two or three foot length of hose to the pump. Put the other end of the hose into a gallon jug of RV antifreeze (You'll need two gallons for this) and turn on the pump. The pump will pull the antifreeze out of the gallon jug and you can go about opening and closing faucets just as you would if you had filled the tank with antifreeze. This way you only use a little less than two gallons of antifreeze and none gets into your tank. I've done my '85 Dolphin this way for over twenty years here in Montana and never had a problem. John

Wheel wells are a common place for rot in our Toyhomes. I removed about half of my siding on both sides of my '85 Dolphin to repair a lot of extensive rot. I think most of the rot is caused by water splashing around in the wheel well. The water has a lot of force at highway speeds and will get into any small crack. that's available. Here are some photos of my fun time: John

Shibs, What everybody else said above plus: get a water heater bypass kit and intall it on the incoming and outgoing water heater lines. The kit allows you to just turn a couple of valves on the incoming and outgoing lines and bypass the water heater entirely. That way you don't end up filling your water heater tank with anti freeze ($$$). Leave the water heater drain valve open and drive around for a few minutes. The motion will get the last of the water in the tank out and you'll be good to go. Works for me... John

I don't know what the wire is in the picture, but the two prong plug hanging out the front of the engine sounds like its an engine block heater for Winter use. Does that make any sense? John

Christian, I sent you photos of the work in a reply to your pm. Hope everything came through. Check your inbox on this site. John

I'd probably trade for a 24' Lazydaze, mid bath model. Since they don't come cheap, someone would have to give me one for free. Right...maybe I'll find a ten pound box of hundred dollar bills, too...

Ctgriffi, You're probably going to have to rebuild that rotted area. You can try all the band aid fixes mentioned but unless you remove all of the rot, the rot will just continue on to any of the new wood you might add.This is a pain of a job to do, but not particularly technical. All of the new wood can be found at most any lumber yard and, if you use epoxy glue, the joints you make with the new wood to the old will probably be stronger than the original construction. Just go slowly when removing rot and try to document everything with photos so you know how to put everything back together. I rebuilt my cabover area a while back and I can send you some photos if you'd like. Send me a private message and I'll send you the pictures. John

What is "shuttering"?

I found a used, 11 foot awning for $200 for my 20 foot Dolphin. It rolls out of a hard case mounted near the roof line and opens using a long crank handle. Two legs swing out of the awning and sit on the ground. I love it and I'd like to get one of those screen rooms to attach to the awning. Maybe when I hit Powerball... If you do get an awning, be sure and put it away at night! John

Kathleen, That metal strip with the rubber cover, is removeable. If you have to. The cover can be pulled out by hand. Just get it started by inserting a screwdriver in somewhere and get enough pulled out so that you can get a hold of it with your hands, then pull. It'll come right out. The stuff is on there to cover up the screws that hold that metal strip on. If you decide to go this route, use an eletric screw gun or drill motor with a little 1/4" socket in it. (I think its 1/4") Back out all the screws and CAREFULLY pry the metal strip off without bending it. Clean all the old gunk off it, stick some new butyl caulk to the strip and reinstall the strip back on the RV. Use new screws. You can get them at Lowe's or H. Depot. They're 1" x #8. If the screw cover stuff is in good shape, just re-use it. If not you can find it at most RV supply stores. Be sure and get the "Heavy Duty" stuff. It lasts longer and doesn't shrink up. John

I read an account of someone replacing the original noisy fan with a computer cooling fan. I don't remember where I saw the article but the writer said that the new fan was almost silent and moved twice as much air as the original fan. John

If I had an Android or iPhone, I'd go that route. I'm still trying to figure out all the things my flip phone will do. I guess I'm going to rely on my "good eye" and the paint selection at Walmart... John

NAPA said that they could match the paint "pretty close" but I'd have to bring in a piece of the exterior siding so that they could scan it. Not gonna' happen... John

So, has anyone ever tried to match the "Colonial White" exterior paint on a Dolphin? I have a few areas to repaint and I haven't been able to find a match for the exterior color. I'd even settle for something "close". Any one have any suggestions as to where to find the paint? John

I'm getting ready to think about installing a new fresh water pump. All of the ones I've seen have a shut off at 55 p.s.i. Seems a little high for my '85 Dolphin. Anybody know of any pumps with a smaller p.s.i. shut off rating? If a pressure regulator is used, can it be installed just past the fresh water pump outlet? Confused in Montana... John

All right Linda!

Chris, You should be able to fit a piece of lexan in that hole if that's the way you want to go. That curve isn't too extreme.

I replaced my 20# tank with a 30# tank in my '85 Dolphin. Its a little tight but fits easily. I do have to remove the tank, though, to fill it. No big deal. John

Linda, I like your style with your Toyhome. It's pretty much the way I get around with mine. So far I've had some great adventures in some very remote places in the Rockies and back roads of Montana. "Furthur" is still going strong but I think its time to send the old girl on to her next owner and new adventures... John

The price is a little high for this rig and the spray can paint job makes it look like the owner is trying to hide something. Get him to turn on the propane refrigerator and get the water system up and running. If the owner doesn't want to do those things, walk away from this deal or get him to lower the price to $3,000 or less. John

Looks like you've got a plan. Keep the photos comng! John