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While researching my friends V6 problem, I came across the article below that I thought I should share. Toyota piston ring The BIGGEST problem I ever had with this truck was what later I found to be a piston ring defect. After a trip to Colorado I noticed a lack of power after I returned to the Midwest. I felt it could have been a bad emission sensor which wasn't letting the computer readjust to the denser air. I noticed and excessive amount of blow-by in the throttle body so that pointed to other things. After timeless research by technicians and mechanic friends that the problem was warped piston rings. Turns out that at any time the engine temperature was overheated (i.e. radiator/water pump failure) that the rings wouldn't recover and never seat properly again. This was due to the metal they were made from (as far as I know it was only 3VZE). Furthermore this problem was Toyota's and they had a low profile recall on the problem (V06 Campaign). Since this involved rebuilding the entire engine-they weren't exactly handing these out. With some inside help I submitted the truck for repairs and with only the cost of new gaskets, belts, and a few hoses it was fixed good as new. On one hand I was disappointed that it took the work it did to be accepted for this problem, but, I do understand the ramifications from it, and the other I was glad that they stood behind there product and made things right.

While investigating my friends low compression problem on number 3 cylinder, I heard something troubling. A couple of mechanics said that this was a typical problem with the Toyota 3 liter V6. I always thought that this engine was "bullet proof". Any one ever hear about this? I also wonder if there's any harm in running the engine with one cylinder at 50 psi. Is there a difference between the auto V6 and the one used in the trucks? Thanks

Well, I went over to check out the rader. It is in really great shape. It doesn't have a generator but still I can't believe she got it for $8,500. It has new Bridgestone tires which may explain her 12 MPG on her trip back. They're M&S and were only inflated to 35 psi when they're 50 psi tires. I don't like the M&S ones on the road. Also they put 195s on, which I did on my first one years ago. I started the engine and it ran good and smoothed out when it warmed up. I find that these TMH V6s lope a little like they have a truck cam. The exhaust was clean and no backfires. I listened with my auto stethoscope and couldn't here any tappet noise or mis firing. She claims that when warmed up on the road, it runs rough when she comes to a stop. I wonder if something in the emissions control system needs replacing. I'll also put in some injector cleaner. I'm borrowing a compression gauge to make sure that they didn't make a mistake. It runs too good for an engine that has one cylinder at 55 psi. I noticed the rader has the premium air bags in the rear unlike the cheapo badly installed ones on my Winnebagel. My only critique is the chassi mount propane tank. They have a tendency to rot out on the bottom in certain areas and are a killer to find and replace. I noticed a lot of little thoughtful things on the rader like a convex roof so water doesn't pool in the middle. Let ya know what I find

Sorry, we have had endless rain and hail up until lately as Lizzy knows. Just a week ago there was snow above 2,500 feet. It looks like the worst is over and we can finally start planning. Lizzy, my coast place is in Florence and the river place is in Swisshome. I am tied up the 16-21 of May because it's the 100th anniversary of Rhody parade and I am on the committee to bring the Vietnam Moving Wall in for that event. http://www.florencechamber.com/EvRhody.html http://www.vmpc.org/html/the_moving_wall_florence.html I thought I would be marketing my coast property but that will be next month so if people would like to experience the Rhody days they would be welcome here. I can put about three other Toy homes here. The driveway is paved and 55 x 65 feet. I can give some juice but I have no RV sewer hookup. However, downtown has a free dump station and a county park up the road has one. There are also state, county and Federal parks in the area. If you haven't been here, Rhody days is a kick and there are tons of trails, lakes and parks around here. My other group does beach bonfires. I have to get my central Oregon schedule together because I want it to coincide with prospecting. Please share your preferences. We could create an Undernet IRC channel for open discussion and planning.

A female friend just purchased a 1989 Sunrader V6 with 67,000 miles. She felt that the engine was running rough so she took it to a reliable mechanic. He found that #3 cylinder pressure was low at 50#s. I had previously checked the VIN and it was not part of the head gasket recall. The oil and radiator fluid is okay which I use as a sign of a head gasket failure. The exhaust is clean. I am thinking of all we can do to determine the problem. The vehicle sat for a good while so I'm wondering if a motor flush in case of a sticky valve would be in order. I am also wondering if someone did a bad job of adjusting the valve lash. Okay gang, here's your chance to rescue a damsel in distress so don't let me down. Try and message me if you can.

Nice try but the wire to handle 160 amps draw would be monsterous. Think about the size a house needs for 100 amps. You can only run 5 feet from a battery to an inverter in a DC setup. Look at what size wire a starter uses for 60 amp draw. It has to do with something called I square R loss which is how heat loss is created. One of the problems is that motors draw from 2 -3 times running current to start up. There are DC motor vehicle compressor air conditioners from Europe http://www.dcairco.com/ and http://www.dcbreeze.com/. They're made for semis or boats so that they don't waste gas idling to run cab air. They cost big big bucks. I always wanted to take apart a used roof air and try to convert it to DC. Auto blower motors are pretty powerful and cheap to buy at a junkies. It should be doable. The warm season here is dry so I use an evaporative roof air for boon docking in the upper desert. Good luck

Things to do on a Winny Warrior. 1. Winny is particle board crazy. Take the drawers out and hot glue the seams. Wax the bottom of the drawers so that they slide smoothly. 2. Caulk the seams in the shower 3. Caulk all seams on the roof and windows. The window seams can pop out in the wind. 4. Cover the roof with a tarp in rainy season. Water does not run off and pools in the center. Use bungy cords to hold the tarp down. 5. Check if the rear air bags are holding air. They run fine without the bags unless the springs are worn. I add metal full length leaf boosters when the bags are gonzo. They're forever. 6. The original 12v converter is an oldy and can shorten the life of the coach battery and will not run a cell phone when on shore power. The upgrade kit is $200 and worth the investment. Easy install and runs quiet 7. You can add a rear ladder. Very few had them. Buy the kit for about $100 that has the flexible joint to follow the rear curve. Mount the bottom on the bumper top so you will not stress the side because you will not hit the studs in the rear wall. So drill through and put large aircraft washers behind the nuts on the inside. Otherwise you can tear through the fibreglass. Same on the roof bolts. 8. The mystery gas filter is under the passenger side door. 9. Change the stock ignition wires to spiral wire type. 10. You need a special open end wrench to change or tighten the engine belt on the passenger side. I forgot which one it is and it's dark now. 11. You might want to make an access door for under the couch. It's a large space and you can only use it when you balance the couch half open. One out of two times the couch will slam shut and crush you to death or wish it did because of the pain and humiliation. 12. Get a 12v box fan for el cheapo in Wally World. For some reason they put it with the house wares fans. It is great for air circulation. 13. Check to see if your cab air conditioner has been converted to the new coolant in case you need a recharge. The old stuff is still available. They get it from Mexico. 14. I don't know if yours has a generator. However, if you need a coach battery Wally World has a size 29 which is one size larger than the stock 27 but is only 1/4 inch longer and kicks butt. It is about $62 exchange. One manufacturer makes about 18 brands and the same in another brand is twice the price. It is big enough to run a small microwave with and inverter. 15. You can get a hose kit to fit the propane tank for external spare tanks for boondocking. It's tricky but can be done. Good luck

Great info. I posted here asking about the fuel gauges reading low and got only one reply. I heard that they read low because the pumps will burn out unless completely immersed. I have a hard time believing that. Can any one verify that?

Ya, those old ones are terrible. I did the upgrade. It's easy and saves the battery. The old one can ruin the coach battery. It nearly ruined my cell phone. The upgrade is silent. The best price I found was here.. https://www.rvpartsoutlet.com/newstore/noja...D020706CF1BEE29 Good luck.

I bought a complete set of Nankangs this past year at Les Schwabs. 8 ply rating, very very good price, good ride. The MH calls for 6 ply but it's nice to have 8 ply. First I thought "Nankangs"? I found out that my flatbed trailor came with Nankangs and it came cross country with me. Nankang specializes in racing and truck tires and has been around for 67 years. So they're not an off brand. I had Wildcats and the road noise was terrible.

Hang in there, I'll start arranging trips in March. We're having a very wet spring. I've been getting a lot of interest. Be careful were you drive, Oregon has seven major climate zones. Some roads in higher elevations are not passable until July. In case you don't follow the news, there have been a couple of cases in the past year of people getting stuck in mountain passes in the winter. There was one death. There are not only forests here but wilderness areas. Why do you think that the Sasquatches like it here? There are places like where I am where it rarely freezes. Right now in central Oregon lower areas it is about 16 degrees at night versus a low of 45 degrees where I am. We get Rvers year round on the coast. Check weather.com and you can dial 511 within Oregon for road reports. I carry cable chains year round. They can also be a help in a muddy area. Central Oregon has surprisingly good cell phone reception probably because it's flat(at least on Verizon, which seems to be the way to go here). However, it's analog (If your cell is tri mode) and eats battery time like mad. In mountain areas, forget it. I still like having the good old CB radio. I will update

I forgot to reply. I did the upgrade and it is fantasmagorical. It's quiet and I can charge my cell phone now. The best price was here in Orygone at RV Parts Outlet. https://www.rvpartsoutlet.com/newstore/nojava/index.cfm

Recently a friend purchased a 1989 Sunrader with the V6. We believe the gas tank is the 17 gallon one. The fuel gauge appears to read 3-4 gallons low. It only takes about 13 gallons when it reads near empty. I seem to remember that my Winnebagel Warrior reads low. What is the experience out there? Thanks

Never degrade yourself or appologize for asking or thinking out of the box. You're a better person for trying. If I remember right the GMC motor homes had a system that injected poo water in to the exhaust for disposal. I know some one did. I also remember seeing the systems for sale. I don't remember how well they work. Okay, I admit that I'm older than dirt and probably thinking of chariots. I think it was our illustrious and all seeing federal regulators that put a stop to it.

I am not a fan of the air bags. The best of them wear out and I don't like the bounce. I have had three Toy homes and have tried a couple of options on the older ones. The first I tried is the booster coils that go between the leaf springs and the frame. JC Whittney has 2,000 pound ones $36. The only install problem is the rubber limiter on top the the spring shackle. A tight fit. It was okay but can bottom out. The next one I tried was a full length leaf booster, 2,000 pound. This went between the shackle and the existing bottom leaf. I jacked up the MH, unbolted the shackle and slid it between the shackle and the bottom leaf. It worked great for the sagging MH. It was also inexpensive. There is a full length leaf booster that I haven't tried. It goes over the bottom of the shackle. Very easy install. In Oregon Knechts auto has a 2,000 pound set for $36. Good luck

Don't even think of it. First of all, it's not a good idea to drive with full holding tanks. They are not mounted to withstand the shock of being bounced while full. The tanks can handle it but the supports won't. I've seen some pretty shoddy tank supports especially among Winnebagos. The bouncing will also tear apart the piping fittings. I always beef up the supports and fittings in my motor homes. A sand filter will not cut it. There are dissolved solids in the used water that can not be filtered by any mechanical filter no matter how good. As far as disinfection goes you first need sufficient contact time to get effective disinfection. An hour with good mixing is the norm. Then if you don't dechlorinate the residual will eat the materials it comes in contact wth including your bodies. Another issue is that chlorine forms carcinogenic compounds with the organic materials in waste water. That's why the federal and state laws require dechlorination in water/waste water facilities. There are leftover materials that will pick up the spores in the air and grow to become real nasty and unhealthy. Not complex?? No way!! I know because I design these systems. In fact I make them less complex but they are still intricate. Nice try, but that dog won't hunt. I'm sure that you mean well but don't endanger your health. One way I have mitigated water use is to make fine spray nozzles for the shower and sinks. That really cut back usage a lot.

That brings up a good question. I have a 91 WW. The spare is mounted to the box hitch. However there is a chain pulley mechanism in the rear passenger side behind the rear axle for holding a spare tire. It looks like the spare would rub against the holding tank if you used it. I am assuming that Winnebago as usual with their lousy engineering and even poorer construction received the chassis with this mount and were too cheap and/or lazy to remove it. Attached is a picture. Comments????

Thanks Greg. I just installed the Parallax 7345RU conversion kit. I can even charge my cell phone in the MH now. Easy installation, a no brainer. I bought mine from https://www.rvpartsoutlet.com/. They were $197.00 Local stores wanted as much as $295.00. The Outlet has great prices on very thing and I received it in a few days by regular ground shipping.

Thanks for the charger info. I am going to purchase the Parallax upgrade kit after reading your testing. 3T offered me a deal for the replacement kit on the airbags. Not much less than the whole kit from JC Whitney. If you get their catalog with the across the board discount, it pays to get the whole kit. I spoke to a friend who had air bags on his towing vehicle and he ditched the air bags because of bounce. This is the same complaint that I have heard before. Unless I hear more from this group, I think I will go with the adjustable leaf helpers. Their much cheaper, easier to install and no air bags to wear. You can get them in 500,1000, 1500 and 2000 lb lift. P 210 of the Whitney catalog.

Air bag - My 91 winny has factory air suspension. The bags do not hold air. Besides they look like, as usual with Winnebago, a bad installation and maybe even the wrong bags. The attached picture is the crapola installation. My rig is not sagging but I could use some more support in the rear ( of the MH that is). On my first Toy rig many moons ago I used over the axle helper coil springs. I also tried adjustable leaf helper springs which I liked the most. What is the general consensus on the bags and alternate spring helpers????? Next case is the inverter - I couldn't charge my cell phone when plugged in to a land line. I measured the voltage and it was over 18 volts output. I'm afraid of killing my lap top puter. It is a Magnetek 6300 which is now known as Parallax. I read that these units are junk and can kill a coach battery. The exact replacement is a Parallax 7345U which is a modern digital circuit. You can aslo get a Progressive Dynamics one or one by Atwood. Progressive has instructions for refitting the 6300. Any one have some experience with this issue??? Thanks

I used a heat gun/hair dryer and a plastic putty knife to remove the crux of it. I played with some solvents and plastic wool to remove the remaining adhesive. A word of caution. Do not rub too hard with the putty knife or plastic wool. Even though they are plastic, you can scratch the paint. The paint underneath has never been exposed so it is like new and a different gloss and color. I didn't want to put the tape back on so I used rubbing compound and good car polish to blend it in. Those decal tapes aren't made to last so I never want to see them again. Good luck

Here you go. There are three attachments. If they all don't post let me know and I will e-mail them to you. I called a dealer and if you are specific about the name of the recall ( the first time they did not know what I was talking about), they will take your VIN and look it up. They can tell if it was done and when it was done. Good luck Try try again, I think I got the other two this time.

I have a 91 Winny with a model 6332 32amp Magnetek power supply. I feel it is putting out too high a DC voltage (18v). I don't have a manual on it. I can't get a response from Magnetek and you can forget Winnebago. Any one have a manual or schematic or??? Thanks

One engine swap I haven't heard feedback on is the GM 4.3 liter V6. I saw one Toy MH conversion for sale earlier this year. It is a true truck V6 with good torque (245 ft/lbs) and reliability. The Astro vans use it. One consideration in engine swaps is the front torsion bar. The GM V6 is light enough to not worry about. Comments??

Thanks for the input. I spoke to the Toyota factory rep and they verified that it's grease packed. I will stand my ground with the mechanic. Tomorrow I will take off the end plate on the other side. If no oil comes out then it's further proof that the mechanic is wrong. I am now worried about the whole repair he did. Toyota wants twice as much for the service manual ($200.00) as Chevy wanted for a huge two book set on my P30 chassis. Any cheapo place to get the service manual? Thanks for the support.