benbraymer
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Posts posted by benbraymer
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I haven't been on here in a while and I feel I owe a lot to this site for helping with my decision to purchase and improve a Toy. I bought our 1984 Dolphin last August and since have taken many trips up and down the coasts of Michigan, plus one 8,000 mile trek from Michigan out to Oregon and down the California coast surfing and kiting. Any problems? Just a flat tire, no fault of the rig. Mountain passes where slow and the shlog back along I-80 in the heat was slightly disheartening, but other than that I couldn't have imagined it any better. So, here is what we did to our rig. Nothing major, just some adjustments. First I needed a roof rack to get my surfboards out of the living space, and I wanted a box up there for kiteboarding gear. I installed a Yakima roof rack by drilling into the roof. I was scary but I needed to get the gear up there. Then my wife and I repainted the inside and replaced the carpet with a overlapping laminate floor that made it water proof for all the wetsuits and beach sand. My wonderful wife also sewed all new curtains (with a cool beach style pattern) and we bought some fitted sheets to go over the old upholstery. Mechanically, I had all new brakes done, new tires, and a new exhaust system. Here are some pics.
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Hey Everyone,
I clicked on the furnace in our 1984 Dolphin and after about 10 seconds all power shut off. I checked all the circuit breakers and fuses in the coach and under hood, replaced the deep cycle battery and still no power. Any ideas? If I plug the rig in everything works again.
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Here is our girl Mara looking for her Dad out the windshield on a surf trip.
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Welcome!
Also, since you are located in Michigan, the 4th annual Toyota MidWest Rally will be the first
weekend (1st-4th) in October in NW Illinois. Hope to see you there.
Dennis...
Hey Dennis,
I ended up installing a yakima system on the roof of my Dolphin. It works really good! I will post some photos this spring when we get the rig back out. Thanks for the advice you gave me back in the fall.
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I am a born and bred Michigander and am very stoked to hear you are coming our way. I would also highly recommend the UP as it is one of the most tucked away beautiful places in the country, especially Pictured Rocks National Park along the Lake Superior coast. If you are coming from the south I would come over to US 31 on the Lake Michigan coast and take it all the way up to the Mackinac Bridge and into the UP. I live in Grand Haven about halfway and you are welcome to boondock an electric cord and full sized shower on your way through. The Lake Michigan coast is dotted with beautiful sand dunes and quaint little beach towns. You will enjoy the whole trip for sure! check out www.michigan.org for more great information on festivals and happenings along the way. The colors will be amazing in the fall!
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What a runner! I was a little worried pulling out the driveway and heading a few hours up the Lake Michigan coast with our new 1984 Dolphin. But, she ran beautifully! Our annual Labor Day canoe trip with friends was much more enjoyable from the comfort of our new little home on wheels. I was amazed at how smooth it drove for being so old. Super stoked and ready for many more missions coming this fall.
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We live in Grand Haven Michigan. Just bought a 1984 Dolphin, our first motorhome and are leaving tomorrow for a Labor Day Weekend canoe trip with it. So pumped!!!
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Man, that floor looks awesome! Was it pretty easy to do around the steps? I was thinking of doing the same thing in my new Toy.
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We are brand new owners of a 1984 Dolphin! I was looking for a long time and really appreciated some of the advice I read on this site and forum. Just bought it about 2 hours ago! Super stoked!!
Replacement Seats
in General Discussion
Posted
We recently did a 8,000 mile round trip tour of the Northwest, and back to Michigan. It was amazing, but my lower back did bother me eventually. The seats in our 1984 Dolphin are getting pretty bad. I would really like to replace them with some nice fresh new seats. Anyone out there recommend a new aftermarket seat that bolts up nicely to an 1984 Toy?