WhidbeyDave

Leavenworth is NOT an old german town. Back in the day, it was a railroad town, but when the railroad went bust, the town was headed that way also. So the town Fathers (and Mothers I presume)Got together and DECIDED to recreate a Bavarian atmosphere in order to lure tourists up that way. They were quite succesful, and the town is now a tourist draw for it's kitschy Bavarian architecture and style, but it's decidedly artificial. As for traveling here in the Northwest, My suggestion is to come across Highway 20 in Washington through some of the most beuatiful vistas around along the North Cascades. From Winthrop to Mt Vernon the highway winds through some magnificent mountains, and it's all downhill!!(my Toyota is only 4 cylinders). From Mt Vernon (mostly a shopping/commercial town) You could divert North to Vancouver Canada - see Stanley park - it has a nice aquarium - and perhaps take a ferry over to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Butchart Gardens is a huge landscape of flowers with walking trails throughout. Going south, swing by Whidbey Island and say Hi to us - then head down to Seattle for Pike's Place Market and the Space Needle. The Seattle waterfront is an interesting place to hang out for a day. If you have plenty of time, take a drive around the Olympic Peninsula, or just head down to Tacoma and then west to Highway 1 at Aberdeen WA, then follow Highway 1 the rest of the way down the coast to San Diego. The Oregon Coast is a beautiful drive, with lots of little communities and campgrounds along the way. Great for dawdling along and enjoying the trip itself. Once you get to Northern California, make take to explore both the National and the State Redwoods parks - both are different and both are fantastic. In the National Park, take the trip over to Fern Canyon and camp on the beach (very windy) and watch for Elk wandering through camp. Further south, the State Redwoods Park offers great views of the Eel river and the Avenue of the Giants - IMMENSE trees!. I don;t recall the name of it, but there is a nice campground at the north end of the park about 4-5 miles west of the main highway. It's a state park campground that is in the middle of an old homestead, and at the right time of year you can pick fresh apples and pears, as well as lots of berries from the campground itself. As you progress South, the road leads inland for awhile, bypassing "The Lost Coast" of California - there are some winding little roads that let you stay near the coast, but it's been a few years since I've been there so I can't recall their names - but eventually you have the choice of taking highway 101 (the faster inland route) or cut back to the coast on Highway 1. I recommend Highway 1 - stop at Fort Ross for a look at an old Russian trading Fort, and at Mendocino to take in the views there. As you approach San Francisco, take a few days to enjoy Point Reyes National Seashore - long drive out to the lighthouse but well worth the time. Then continue South to San Francisco and All that that city has to offer. Cable Cars, a ride out to Alcatraz island, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park (another awesome aquarium and museum). From here you'll need to decode of you've had enough coast, or want to explore mountains for awhile. If coast, stay on highway 1 and head south to Santa Cruz and Monterey (the King of aquariums). Monterey has a nice, little-known campground right in town at the top of a hill called Veteran's Park. Most folks don't know about it but it's the only camping area I know that's so close to town. As you progress south you'll find Carmel and Big Sur, ending down at Hearst castle - a splendid example of too much money for your own good.... If you prefer mountains (this would be my choice after so many miles of coast) follow highway 80 and 50 up to Placerville, then Highway 49 winds down through the Gold Country with lots of little towns that celebrate the Gold Rush. Eventually you can cut up into Yosemite and a park that I still think is the best in the country. Another option is to continue up highway 50 from Placerville to Lake Tahoe, spend some time there, then down the back side of the Sierras to Mono Lake, an interesting place in itself if a little desolate, then you can cut up into Yosemite from the East side - but only during the summer as the pass is closed in winter. Spend at least 4-5 days here, then head down to King's Canyon/Sequoia National Park from more big trees. Whew! Was that the kind of info you wanted? I didn't get much further south than this, so you're spared more of my ramblings. PErhaps you'll need an English Speaking guide when you pass through here?????

Thanks - I'll try that. I may have mis-spoke about my understanding of electricity - I have done some home wiring and such without burning the place down (not that I really understand it.) I did look into the breaker panel yesterday and saw nothing loose or amiss, but I'll try disconnecting the converter and see how things work. Oddly enough, the place on my panel that is marked as a "main" is simply a blank plastic plug - no switch. There are two breakers marked "15 amp" - which seems to act as a main - and one marked 20 amp for AC, which is odd because there is no AC on my rig. Gguess I'll have to trace some wires and see what leads where.....

I've tried two different GFI outlets. One in a campground, and one fairly new one in my workshop. Both trip immediately....... Thanks for the thought though... Any other ideas?

SO went on our first trip and had a great time. It's great to unhook the campsite and take it for a drive on a day too rainy to make sitting around any fun. Learned a lot of things (gotta change that bed - that was miserably uncomfortable..) and added to our list of fixes needed. All the leaks we knew about had been repaired, and those areas stayed nice and dry, which of course meant we found new leaks.....$%^&&%$#@@@@! So now I'm working on those, and got a new mattress to install today. But my question for all of you concerns electrical issues: When plugged in with the thirty amp "umbilical" I have no problems. But if I put an adapter on and plug that into a standard household 110 circuit with a GFCI, the GFCI immediately trips - every time. I asked on RV repair guy who simply said "You're not supposed to use a GFCI circuit", whereas another repair guy said there's probably a short in the system somewhere. It makes sense that there's a problem somewhere that trips the GFCI, but why no problem with a direct 30amp outlet? Any ideas on how I trace this down? Everything seems to work OK in the rig, no known problems. (BTW, my understanding of electricity is almost on par with my understanding of black magic.....) Thanks in advance for your help

Ok, after having our new-to-us 1985 Dolphin sitting in the backyard for a month or so, and spending the last couple of weeks scrubbing the interior, putting in new carpet runners, re-sealing windows, replaing vent covers and fixing exterior lights, figuring out how the drain lines, water heater and furnace all work, we're going on a short local camping trip this weekend. Should be interesting - I have to confess that I've been a tent-camper, a canoe and kayak camper, a backpacker, and have always turned up my nose at RV "camping". But age catches up with all of us, and the idea of getting in and out or our little backpacking tent and getting up off the ground isn't as appealing as it used to be. So here we are! Looking forward to our maiden voyage! Will post an update upon our return. Planning to have lots of new questions for ya'll Dave and Carol and Cooper

Thanks Dolphinite for the detailed answer to my question. I appreciate your response. Although I haven't worked as a shipwright, I have built a number of wooden kayaks and stripper canoes using fiberglass and Systems Three epoxy, so I'm familiar with that product and it's uses. I also still have, and use frequently, a custom staple puller I made back when I built the stripper canoes. It's basically an old screwdriver with the last two inches bent at about a thirty degree angle and the tip sharpened. Works great and finds lots of use in my shop. Seems like there's a lot of similarities between small boa-building and RV repair! I also have a full woodworking shop with all the toys, ahem - tools, I need. One upon a time I could have even pulled my Dolphin into the shop while I worked on it, but my wife's desire for an art studio has now occupied a large chunk of the shop space. I think the rotted wood project will wait until next winter and a possible complete tear-down and rebuild of the Dolphin interior. In the few weeks I've owned it I've learned a lot about RVs and repairs, and I just want to get out and enjoy it during the spring and summer seasons. We're planning our first weekend trip in a few days, so this'll be our first chance to see what mini-RV camping is really like. I know there are other water leaks, so I suspect a lot more damage inside than I want to tackle now. I also suspect I'll need a new water heater and possibly other appliances, and may even want to re-arrange the interior layout a bit. Andrew McCarthy's Sunrader rebuild blogsite is providing some much needed encouragement for this. Just what I needed - ANOTHER expensive hobby! Dave

Hi velotramp. No answers from me but a welcome from a fellow newbie. I also just acquired an 85 Dolphin, and am in the process of restoring/repairing it. Had several good pointers from this group - seems to be a good resource. Where are you located? I'm on Whidbey Island in Washington State.

Working on cleaning up/restoring my 85 Dolphin and have appreciated all the help offered by this forum. My next issue is water-damaged wood under the cabover bed. Apparently the front window leaked, or is still leaking, and there is water damage to the wood under the bed. The front edge of the plywood is rotted, and needs to be replaced. I am fairly handy with woodworking, so replacing it isn't a problem, but I'm not sure what's under it. Can i cut through the front half of the plywood and simply lift it out, or is it bonded/glued/screwed to framing supports beneath? I figure next winter may be a complete tear-out and rebuilding of the entire coach, but for now I just want to get rid of the damaged wood and make it usable this spring. And of course, fix any ongoing leaks..... Dave

I recently bought a well-used 1985 Dolphin and am in the process of some basic repairs and renovations prior to actually traveling in it. (Family needs mean I won't be able to go anywhere for a month or so). The sellers mentioned that the original water heater "has a short in it" when used on 110, but "works fine" when used on LP. I haven't tried it yet either way, but have pulled the dinette seat out and noted that there is a cardboard enclosure around the water heater inside the coach. The cardboard is quite damp all around the wall side - both sides and the top. I'm thinking this is probably a leak around the exterior door between the ext. wall and the door frame, but a local repair guy mentioned that it probably means the tank is leaking. (This was sight unseen, I just stopped in today in my other car and described the problem, looking to get some butyl tape to reseal the doorframe, and described the wet area to the repair guy - who does come highly reccomended) So I've done a bit of research and have the following questions: 1. Anyone else have similar problems? Suggestions on ways to identify the leaking area and repair it? 2. Is there any reason I shouldn't cut away the cardboard enclosure to inspect the tank? Could I replace it with a thin plywood - like doorskin? 3. If worst comes to worst and I need to replace the water heater completely, any suggestions on a brand? I see that Atwood and Suburban seem to be the dominant players. Is one better than the other? 4. My current water heater is a 6 gal LP/110/ manually lit pilot light version. Any reason I shouldn't put in a 10 gal tank? And how bout a direct ignition version which doesn't make me have to go out in the rain to light the pilot? Sounds nice but is it worth the extra effort and money to install? Thanks for all your help. Dave

I'm not much of an electrician, but I'd have to wonder if there is wiring behind the drawer that got pinched or worn through. Your post makes it seem like there's a "cause and effect" between closing the drawer and triggering the GFCI. GFCIs are supposed to trip if anything goes wrong in the circuit, so I wonder if your wiring is worn through. Pull the drawer out all the way and see if anything is visible, but make sure power is OFF to thee circuit first.

Thanks, guys, for the responses. I'm literally such a newbie I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask.... But here's a start: How tough is it to replace a roof vent that is broken? The prior owner says he stepped through the plastic dome while on the roof one day. I don't know yet if the frame is bent or broken, but the plastic certainly is. Second, and while we're on the roof, there is a tv antennae that cranks up and down and can be rotated by a crank in the ceiling. Is this any use? I don't have a TV or plan to put one in anytime soon, but maybe...? Since the broadcasts all went digital are these antennas obsolete? And back to leaks, the right rear storage compartment is quite wet inside, and the seal between the body and the frame looks pretty old and cracked - are these easily replaced or should I just go at it with a caulk gun and seal around the outside of the frame? That'll do for a start! Dave

SO my wife and I have been talking for a few months about buying our first RV. Class B, Class C, fifth-wheel + a new truck - we really have no experience with all this. We came close to buying a used truck and a new Jayco 5th wheel last week, but chickened out when we realized how deep it would put us back into debt again. Decided to wait until the right thing came along and just be open to the winds of fate, and within two days came across a Craigslist ad for an 85 Dolphin for what amounted to pocket change. Spoke with Dad who's been driving around the country in a similar Toyota Motorhome, and got some good info, so went out and bought the Dolphin today! It's now sitting in the back yard, waiting for a dry day for us to go through it and clean it all up. It's in pretty good shape given it's age, and my level of ignorance as to the definition of the term "pretty good shape". I did start making a list of things to be done on it and stopped after one and a half pages........ Mostly cosmetic stuff, but a couple of leak issues - one exterior compartment that is wet inside, and a roof vent that is cracked and needs replacing. I'm fairly handy and willing to do the work, but need to learn a whole new field of repair. Any suggestions for good Toyota RV specific books to guide me? I'm sure I'll be on this site a lot looking for help, but I'm old fashioned enough to prefer book-larnin'.