toyota222

I am very familiar with the Outer Banks, and you're right, Dennis. The sand is a much softer base and drifting constantly. I've helped people with FWD vehicles dig themselves free from dunes that they tried to "fly" over on their way to the beach. You're right, the front wheels dig down to the rims, the frame bellies to the dune and the car is perched on sand. Then the fun begins... Last fall I parked my RV in a wooded lane, a truck path that I had no business parking on, but I was putting it away for the winter and my main concern was tarping it for the weather. When it was time to move and de-winterize the RV in the spring, I ended up burying it to the axles. I chained it to a Ford 9N tractor, started the RV and put it in Neutral. I jumped on the tractor and in low gear spun the tires. Too much dead weight to pull! I then got my daughter to pilot the RV, with the instructions to drop it in low gear and lightly feather the accelerator when I took up the chain-slack with the tractor. With the RV's dually axle pushing, the inertia was enough that I was able to pull it free from the muddy lane onto a gravel driveway. What I am trying to visualize is a leader vehicle (4WD 3/4 ton pickup) that would, in low gear, pull the RV (which is also in low gear) through the barrier dune(s) and break thru to the much firmer shore sand. Of course, if it worked, I may just consider myself lucky, make camp right there, surf fish and the heck with 15 miles.

Thanks, Bunneys, the sand ladders are a good idea... but not too practical for the distance. Maybe I'll call the vehicle ferry terminal and ask if they've transported similar 2WD RV's and what the success rate was. I may get laughed right off the dock, but they do issue parking permits for a parking lot at the South Core Bank's ferry dock. Maybe hitching a ride to the southern end (14 mi.) as Linda suggested is the practical solution. But that kind of defeats the purpose of having the RV on the island. Well, these are the kind of problems I think about when I'm stuck in traffic...

I'd be interested in getting new gaskets (driver's side is badly fitted). Also, it seems as though the driver's window comes up about 1/8th inch too short in the mid section divider. Had to caulk with silicone and it eventually failed. I have an '89 Sunrader. Is that enough info? I'd like a price list, if possible, for windows AND gaskets. Thanks alot! Mick

First let me say that with every fishing trip I take, I'm planning the next two. The following scenario won't take place until November of 2012. There is a fishing destination on the Outer Banks of North Carolina called Shacklesford Bank. It is located at the southern tip of Core Banks and called Cape Lookout. There is a vehicle ferry from the mainland (Davis, NC), which will drop you off at a point that is about 20 miles from Cape Lookout. There is a closer ferry to Cape Lookout, but it is strictly passenger. I used it last fall to scout the area and see if this vehicle-camping expedition had a snowball's chance. When I arrived at Cape Lookout, I witnessed 4WD vehicles coming from the northerly direction on a single lane path that was maybe a dune's distance removed from the surf. My initial reaction to imagining my Sunrader doing 20 miles on this terrain was "No way." My question concerns the possibility of driving my 21 foot 2WD dually Sunrader behind and in tandem (chain? towing strap?) with a 4WD truck. It wouldn't be a case of pulling "dead weight" - the 4WD would be pulling an active, dual-axle vehicle. Anyone ever done anything like this? Any tips? Input is welcome! I want to fish! mick

Thanks, this is the kind of feedback I'm seeking...do you mind if I ask a few questions? 1. What is the dimension (area) of your panel? 2. Does the 20 degree tilt cause any noticeable air drag when driving at 55 mph (+) ? 3. How many and what kind of storage batteries do you charge? 4. If you use more than your house battery, where do you stow the other battery(s) ? My 21' Sunrader is winterized for the season, but that doesn't keep me from planning a fishing trip to the Everglades come March. Thanks in advance! Mick22240

Is anyone out there using solar panels on their rig? Last winter I bought a Harbor Freight 3 panel kit (45 Watts) and toyed around with it on sunny days to learn what the energy recovery entailed. I have an Idea how I would mount it and where the wiring to the inverter would go, but IS IT WORTH THE BOTHER? Hoping for feedback from someone who has tried it. Thanks!

Hi Bob, I'm a bottom-line guy, so I'll cut to the quick. I've got an '89 3.0 6 cyl. automatic. I average 16 mpg. Gasoline cost's (87 octane) are pushing $4 per gallon. That's 25 cents a mile. The window is big enough (14 - 17 mpg) ; ($3.49 - $4.09 per gal.) that you can count on 25 cents per mile. If that sounds like a lot, see what a 30 ft. diesel pusher is getting... Mike

Does anyone out there have an electric winch hook-up? I don't know if this would warrant installing one, but hear me out. I have a 14.5 ft. kayak that is loaded and unloaded with a 2-person crew. And I'm tossing around in my brain whether this chore could be done with one person. The chore currently requires center/vertical positioning of the kayak by person (1) at the REAR of the vehicle (21 ft. Sunrader), while person (2) pulls a rope attached to the bow of the kayak (top) from the FRONT of the vehicle. As the rope is pulled from the front by person (2), person (1) in the rear simultaneously lifts the aft (bottom) of the kayak until it tips and is nuzzled in the roof saddle/carrier. It's not the weight (75 lbs.) of the kayak as much as the awkwardness of the situation. I thought that a winch on the rear of the vehicle could be threaded to the bow's rope in the front and be controlled electrically, while physically stabilizing the kayak on it's ascent to the carrier on the roof. Just want to think this one out-loud to the community before I jump in... thanks!

So here's what I did... went to the last light that worked, and daisy-chained a ground and a hot wire to the next light and the rest of them came to life! Had to peel about 15 inches of fabric from the headliner above the front cab window on the passenger side to thread the wires through, but it beat tearing everything up there apart! Thanks for the tip, John. Mick

I have an '89 Sunrader 3.0 6 cylinder. I decided to pull my 5 rear (red) and 5 front (amber) incandescent clearance lights and replace them with LED's. To be clear (no pun intended), I'm leaving the side clearance lights (4 red; top and bottom, and 2 amber; top) alone until I get another surge of fix-it cash. I changed the rear lights methodically, figuring the 2 ground wires and 2 hot wires (braided) to be some kind of parallel connection. The lights worked as I replaced each from passenger side to drivers side and when I finished, I stopped to admire my work. A good day! The next day, I removed the 5 front (amber) incandescent lights, left them braided in pairs as I did in the rear, and began replacing them from the passenger side to the drivers side, like the rear lights. I had 2 completed, but the center light had no electricity. Neither did the remaining 2. Nor did the top driver side incandescent marker! (the passenger side did.) Am I looking at peeling away the wall above the driver's seat in the sleeping cab? What am I looking for? Help!

My wife and I did a 2 week getaway to Florida in mid-March. Both coasts, interior, Everglades... Florida state parks are very well thought out. Nicely appointed (privacy), full facilities, hook-ups - and about $30 per night. Private campgrounds may be less expensive, but from experience, you get what you pay for... Mick

Just a hunch - take out the sleeping pad over your cab and check for wetness on the fiberglass shell's floor. On either side to the rear corners (front are the windows) there are ports that carry wires to the cap's lighting and probably the front clearance lights. These ports shoot straight down and could possibly channel water that may be leaking through the window gaskets up there. I had a big leak that landed in my lap while driving through a HEAVY thunderstorm. I pulled out the padding and discovered a puddle in the center rectangular section that has "Sunrader" scripted on the outside - between the windshield and the plexiglass windows up topside. I stripped EVERYTHING out over the cab (not that difficult) and viewed the bare fiberglass. There were boards (1"x3"x36") that were in these side channels that led to vertical ports and it would be easy to visualize water running through the channels and dumping down these ports to the area you described in the picture. I didn't notice if there were drain holes for these ports under the chassis, but to tell you the truth I didn't investigate. My problem was failed gaskets surrounding the plexiglass windows in the front. After I stripped the cap area, I hosed the windows with water, determined where the failures were and caulked with 35 yr. silicone (clear). Maybe your's is dry topside, but I'd look to rule that out before replacing the circled gasket in your picture. Another thing to consider before you tear into things - when you park your rig in it's favorite spot, is it perfectly level? Or is it on a slight incline and canted a little to the left (drivers) side? Hope this helps - good luck! Mick

I have an '89 21 foot Sunrader ; 3.0 6 cyl. automatic. I just completed a 1,000 mile round trip to the southwestern tip of Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. I bought a Hobie Cat kayak (14 ft. tandem) at BluHaven Marina and loaded it on a PVC roof rack that I made. Strapped it down, wallowed through D.C. rush hour (3 hrs.) and the PA turnpike. Zero problems down and back. With 5 fill-ups that ranged between $20 - $50 (17 gal. tank), my lowest mpg was 15.3 (huge thunderstorm on turnpike going down), and the highest mpg was 16.9 (coming home with the kayak mounted - and at night). I Didn't use the cruise control, and my speeds ranged from 45 - 60 mph (usually 50 - 55). I was surprised that the kayak didn't foil the wind as I expected ; I got better mileage with it ON than my trip down to pick it up! But I also noted that the best recorded fill-up (coming back) didn't have the 10% ethanol blend. Or at least it wasn't registered on the pumps (Exxon). I try to be consistent when fueling. When the pump "clicked" at a full tank, I resisted the urge to top it off. By my calculations, the trip (with tolls) cost about $225 ($3.82 - $3.99 per gal.). Mick222

The date codes on your 1995 tires - where is it located? I've got 7 Jupiter 185R14's (Korean) on my '89 Sunrader that have good tread, but a few tiny cracks in the sidewalls. I'm probably going to replace all 7, but I'm curious about their age. And I'd like to crack the code. Thanks...

Is there a way you can tell which gasoline stations do NOT add ethanol to their fuel before you pull in to fill-up? Or is it a federal mandate to add 10% ethanol to all petroleum sold in the US? Thanks!

Do you know if the V-6 engines with Auto have the 6x6 inch transmission coolers? I noticed on the U-tube video that the cooler on the passenger side had "toyota" stamped in white, suggesting (to me) that it was a stock item. I wondered, when you stated that '87 and '88 chassis' came with them, if the cooler was specifically for the 22re (4 cylinder) engine. I have a V-6, and I assumed that a cooler would be strapped to the side of the radiator (like the Mercedes-Benz's of the '70s and '80s) rather than on the front. I've not had the grill of my Toyota off (yet), so I just thought I didn't have one. To tell you the truth, if my rig wasn't winterized and tucked away for the season (Northeast Ohio's weather to date is not suited for knuckle-busting), I'd do some exploring. If anyone knows if these coolers were stock or special order when the vehicle was originally purchased, I'd be curious to know... thanks. mike

I noticed the same thing driving thru Idaho and Utah from Oregon. Kind of startled me; I even refused to fill-up at a station, thinking it was an inferior product. The next station had the same fuel ratings, so I figured that the altitude may have something to do with it. Crossing the Great Divide (800 miles?), I didn't experience a noticeable drop in mpg's. The hardest climb was Medicine Bow (I-80 East) between Laramie and Cheyenne, Wyoming. 35 mph with a Sunrader V6 Automatic. And that was with the 85 octane.

I bought my first toyota motorhome in the summer of '05. It was a GranSport - 19' (extended bumper with cargo box), single rear axle, automatic transmission, 22R 4 cylinder with 124,000 miles. Not much to look at, but an HONEST 18 mpg. I put about 5,000 miles per year on it, and sold it in the fall of 2010 after buying an '89 Sunrader V6 automatic. An HONEST 16 mpg. The GranSport, in my opinion, is more suited for a manual transmission drive. The 22R engine is durable, but the auto downshifting on hilly terrain can be annoying. The V6 is better in that regard. I think the secret to extended life with any engine is constant monitoring. Fuel stops, rest stops, etc., I always make it a habit to "pop the hood" and eyeball the course of fluids, wiping down components to check for leakage. I'm usually asked if everything is ok by a passer-by, and it usually is. I just don't care for mechanical surprises. In the middle of nowhere.

Thanks, Greg. I'm under the impression that an electric igniter nullifies the need for a pilot flame. In my mind, a pilot flame (similar to the refrigerator's flame that heats the ammonia / freon) would provide a tempering agent to keep 6 gallons of hot water warm to a degree (no pun intended), and at least slow the cooling process. So I guess this is an either/or situation. It's just when I switch that water tank igniter to re-heat and hear the turbo WHOOSH of propane being fired, I think there should be a more efficient way. The thermo switch sounds like a good idea, but the modification sounds a bit hazy. If you have time, could you post some pics? It sounds interesting... thanks!

I drive an '89 Sunrader 6 cylinder. The water heater is ignited by a switch located near the stove and oven. I switched it on for a shower and by the time I used it (15-20 minutes?), I could have made coffee with the hot water! Do these units have a thermostat, or do you just fire them until the water seems hot enough? I looked at the unit outside, but didn't notice a thermostat that gauged temperature. Anyone figured this thing out? It would be nice to have a constant water temperature, or am I asking for too much? thanks...

Does the water heater have a thermostat that will shut off the propane burner when it reaches a certain temperature, or is it just firing constantly until you shut it off? I have an '89 Sunrader 6 cylinder. I fired up the heater one time for a shower and when the time came (15-20 min.?), I could have made coffee with the hot water. Checked the unit outside and couldn't find any heat adjustment. Anyone figured this out? thanks...

Kim - I have an '89 21 foot Sunrader Classic; rear door entry. I just looked at your video and you're right - the bracket was cut off. Mine is attached to the frame with vertical square stock in the rear and then welded horizontally on the left and right side of the step (where yours appears to be torch-cut). The step then slides out on a simple, slotted channel. Looks like a kit. You could fabricate something out of angle iron, but mine is a single step. My step is a perforated plate that is a 10 1/2" tread and 20 1/2" wide. It has about a 9 1/2" drop (riser) from the bottom of the door's metal frame. Mine is about 16 1/2" from the ground (with air suspension at about 75 lbs.) which is insignificant; your suspension may be lower than mine. But definitely ONE step that slides out and locks. Good luck! mick40

Hi Tressa, I have an '89 Sunrader (21 foot) and have been thinking the same thing - ditch the carpet and put in laminate flooring. If this only took you 6 hours, I'm impressed. I'm looking at tear-out, remove 2 post mounts (table and bed support) and the toilet to get a clean look the entire aisleway (to the rear shower). I project a 3 day job. Did the flooring cut easily? Was the padding easy to work around in such a confined space? Were there any toilet issues - or is yours behind a door? I'm estimating the cost of materials to be about $100 - close? Anyway, sounds as though you did the right thing...mick222