flatspin

The Sunrader is a good little rig. It is relatively small and relatively narrow, which makes it great for parking just about anywhere but makes for close quarters when you get caught camping on a rainy day. The fiberglass shell is awesome, because you are never going to face structural rot. On the flip side, the front windows are a design flaw. They leak as a feature . I am right at 6 feet, and the ceiling is close. The air conditioner requires a little duck to clear it. I sleep fine in the overhead bunk. Ours is 21' and has the V6, which makes 130 horsepower feel like 90. But it runs like a top with 110k+ on the odo (knock wood) and the transmission is still flawless (knock wood again). It'll blaze down a flat road at 75 no problem at 10mpg, and push to 14mpg if i take it down to 60. Any long hills are in the slow lane at 45. For a single guy on the road, especially some of the more adventurous treks, you might be really happy with the 18 foot Sunrader and the 22RE. That powerplant is bulletproof and there were so many of them you could be just about anywhere in the world, not to mention the US, and find parts or a full replacement. -andrew

They put in a new water heater for me and resealed the windows on my 90 Sunrader when i was a complete newbie. They also replumbed the airbags with a new controller in the cab. Again, it wasn't cheap but there also wasn't any baloney or post-estimate 'surprises.' http://www.rvdoctorgeorge.com/

RV Doctor George up in Sacramento does good work. Not cheap, but I've found them to be standup guys. Worth a shot. -andrew

If you can't find the original, you could go with a straight-ahead laminate. Formica and Wilsonart are the big manufacturers and they have 100s of looks and patterns. -andrew

I wonder if Dean would be up for some sort of "group buy" for windows. Mine are showing their age, and while still water tight I'd love to either have replacements on hand or just go ahead and put in some new ones now. Am I alone? If we could get the prices lower by promising a larger order... -andrew

I'm a big fan of the guys at RV Doctor George in Sacramento, if you're still on the West Coast. They have a lot of spares/salvage items and do pretty decent work if you need help getting it put in. -andrew

Thanks for this... The 2401 is a 3 way and the 2410 is just AC/Propane. I only ever use Propane on the road... is there any compelling reason for 12v?

Regarding the interior step, maybe I can help (having just been down to the bones of my Sunrader this spring). The fiberglass shell does have a channel that runs from under the front overcab windows down the edge and under the interior step. There are drain holes in the bottom to let any minor drips exit. The step is just a piece of plywood suspended off the fiberglass on two wood runners. I took a bunch of photos during the restoration... you can see the channel down the side of the overcab bunk in photo 18/19. If the step is damp, I would certainly investigate the front windows. They leak (it is a feature). I had mine resealed using some 3M sealant which seems to be holding up just fine. But it is a maintenance item, for sure. Another culprit is the clearance lights above the window. Resealing those is another butyl tape project that isn't particularly difficult. Replacing the step itself is a piece of cake, except for the bazillion staples that are in the original carpet. And you might just find the weep hole(s) underneath are clogged. -andrew

there's quite a bit on the forum if you do a search. here's a supplier of locking gaskets. http://www.trimlok.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=16 if you have some time to shoot some pictures of the replacement process, I'd love to see them. thanks! -andrew

I keep thinking that duct taping about 100 Estes "D" model rocket engines to the rear bumper might work on those long climbs. Or some mentos in a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi.

I found a really inexpensive subwoofer on amazon and hooked it up with a 25-year-old, 18 watt Yamaha amplifier on the back of a single-DIN Pioneer unit my brother-in-law had left over. It is mounted in a plywood panel covering the gap between the Toyota truck cab and the first cabinet in the Sunrader. The positives -- it was dirt cheap and easy to do and it sounds pretty darn good. And I had an itch to use the old amp because it came out of my first truck, a 1981 SR-5 with a camper shell (that would still be running if not for a 5-ton Ford Utility Truck losing control on CA Hwy 1!) The negatives -- anything that is the slightest bit loose in the cab area wants to dance and rattle like crazy when I turn up the volume. The setup isn't anything that's going to glow blue or thump out the windows on Main Street on Saturday night, but it does a nice job with this old man's Prog Rock playlist . That said, if I had it to do over again I'd go for something like that Boss box... I'm sure the sound would be better, and it is a pretty tidy package.

Hmmmm... That looks like quite a project, and one that could easily leave me in the hole 400 bucks and still needing a new fridge. Thanks for all the advice and resources. I'm thinking a new Norcold is pretty appealing at this point. Especially if we could make a slightly larger one fit. I'd have to deal with the heating duct work that currently goes underneath the fridge... -andrew

Well, what I really wanted to hear was that replacing the cooling assembly was relatively easy. Ack. Any recommendations on the best options for a replacement unit before I open the wallet? Thanks -andrew

On an otherwise spectacular trip down at Kirk Creek campground south of Big Sur, CA this week, I managed to leave the fridge on just a little too long while we got things set up on an unfortunately steep campsite. Wow, that's a lot of ammonia. We wound up sleeping out under the awning half the night while the air cleared. It smelled like Mr. Clean had a rave in the back of the Sunrader. Which leaves me in the position to repair or replace the Dometic 2401. I see a bunch of options for replacement coils online, as well as some options for a newer (but not necessarily better) unit. Any suggestions on repair or replace? And is the coil replacement a reasonable driveway repair? Thanks all. -andrew

Has anyone looked at boat paint for this type of application? I have a section on the roof of my Sunrader where the gelcoat has deteriorated. I had been looking into restoring the gelcoat, but then came across some boat restoration sites where paint was recommended ... http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=65 The suggestion was that this paint went on with a roller or brush, flowed out nicely into a smooth finish. Sounds much easier to me than the alternative.

I've done a bit of google-trolling on the 3.4, which seems like the simplest option. I'm no mechanic, so I'd need a truly skilled friend or a shop that could take on the project. For now, we're just going to head down toward Big Sur for the week before Thanksgiving for a view of the ocean. I'll be the one with my blinkers on going uphill

1990 with the 3.0 V6 heading toward 110,000 miles. Runs perfect. Gutless in the high mountains, but starts quick and runs smooth. Now if I could just find a way to double the horsepower and torque...

Tempting tempting tempting... That would be a ferocious beast to be sure, but given the modern powertrain I wonder what kind of mileage/efficiency you could get. Hmmmm... Now, where did I stash that extra $80k?

I stripped my 90 sunrader back to the fiberglass up in the bunk area, at least on the bottom. It is rock solid in there, and I have no problem bunking up with my wife. It isn't the roomiest spot on the planet, but I haven't felt it flex a bit. -andrew

Oh that Bimobil might go really well with a recent Taco... thinking about extending the frame on a 4 door. I wonder if the chassis/suspension could actually handle it. I wonder if they'd put their coach in a shipping container and send it to me in CA?

This is my solution. His name is Gonzo.

Another thing to consider is whether it is underpowered for your comfort zone. It would be worth an extended test drive over some varied roads to get a good feel. Even unloaded, you'll get to know very quickly how it feels going up hill. andrew

Excellent! Glad to know it all worked out. I'd love to see any photos you can post of the completed work too! -andrew

Probably easiest to make one, but RV salvage yards are another option. in norcal we also have www.rvdoctorgeorge.com. he somehow manages to stock or find just about anything.

Couple of thoughts... I'd be really careful about looking to air shocks for lift. They are really designed for short-term weight bearing vs. long term suspension augmentation. The mounts for the shocks aren't designed to manage the load either, and you could shear off a mounting bolt by putting too much weight on it. It might be best to invest in new springs or additional leaves. Those are the best mechanism for supporting the nominal load of the vehicle, with the airbags in place for leveling once you've added gear, fuel, water, etc. -andrew