BobBeery

Check craigslist central Michigan. There's a 84 Dolphin listed for less than 3000, posted Aug 27. BobBeery in Traverse City with an 87 Dolphin

And a big thanks to Diesel_Aggie. I tried the Coleman fuel and it worked great on the soft sticky caulk. On the other hard caulk it was possible to remove some but it was slow going and a lot of scrubbing. However, it got the dirty surface layer off so that fresh clean stuff was there for the new caulk to stick to. The first new roof vent is installed and I am completely confident I'll be leak free for many years. I'll do the other vent tomorrow.

On 87 Dolphin, I found 2 roof vents were leaking because they had all-plastic frames which had cracked in two or four places. I decided not to try sealing the cracks because on one frame the cracks were too long. They would probably flex a bit and the seal would not hold. So I bought new vents with metal frames. The question is how much of the old caulk has to be removed to get a reliable seal with the new caulk. I bought caulk tape to use. Scraping the old caulk will not get it all because the roof top is aluminum and embossed with a pattern similar to wood grain. I can use a plastic scraper to get down to the embossed ridge tops but all the valleys still have the old stuff in. I can't scrape too hard because the aluminum is too soft (and painted). also the old caulk is two kinds, a softer material which can be pulled and stretched is under the flange. A different material was put on later in a swath an inch wide or more over the flange and onto the roof. This stuff is very firm and hard to get up. I have tried using a metal putty knife with a thin blade to get under it but it cuts into the aluminum roofing where the high spots are, so I would rather stick with the plastic scraper. Is there anything else I can do, such as a solvent? Oops I didn't mention I also have 100% silicon caulk to apply after the new roof vents are screwed down. (And MaxAir hoods go on too)

I have cut acrylic panels on a table saw but not FRP. Ihave a 10" carbide 50 tooth combination blade. Result was the plastic cut ok but the blade was noticably dulled. I took it to a shop which sends out carbide blades for resharpening. Cost was ?$12?? Can't be sure now. One choice is to buy a laminate-cutting blade which may have 140 or so teeth. Another choice is to use a jig-saw; the blades cost far less but your cut may have some wiggles depending on your skill. Or go ahead and use your table saw with the wood-cutting blade but expect to sharpen it after or buy a new blade.

There is a previous post here from somebody who put a Yakima rack on his roof. It's under general discussion and titled 'new winnebago warrior owner in Michigan' from benbraymer posted Dec 24. 2009. Just put 'yakima' in the search box and you will find it.

After 4 months owning an 87 Dolphin I finally needed to use the air. Until now I had only run it for a minute to feel the first cool air when I bought this rig. The wonderful cold air came blowing in but a couple minutes later water started dripping from the rear louver. I got a big drop every couple of seconds. (Note I have had hard rain both parked and when driving with no leaks.) I turned the unit off and pulled the plastic bottom off, which had water in it. I found the path the water took came from between two metal pieces, the lower piece running fore-and-aft and appearing to be part of a clamp frame to pull the unit down against the roof. The air duct for the cold air was dry on the inside and had only a trace of moisture beads on the outside. I have no ladder and was not able to get on the roof for a look. I had the owners manual and installation directions but found nothing about this situation. This is a Coleman unit, I cannot tell you more now because I loaned the Toy to my brother. Is there supposed to be a drain for condensate which dumps onto the roof? Could it be plugged, perhaps by the gasket or some over-enthusiastic caulking? Where would such a drain be located? Or could a catch-tray which feeds such a drain be missing? Where would I look? The local RV repair shop is competent but at $65 an hour.

There have been several past posts about rooftop racks for canoes and kayaks. Put the word 'canoe' or 'kayak' in the search box at the top of the page; you'll find them.

I found out the hard way that LP tanks are made in versions for horizontal use and vertical use. I bought an 87 Dolphin this spring. The LP tank was a 20 lb from a gas grill and therefore for vertical use. But it only fit in horizontally. There was a very long hose; apparently the previous owner set the tank out on the ground before using it. I wanted to run the refrig while driving so shopped for a horizontal tank. I found 20lb with guage for $199 or 30lb with guage for $209. For only $10 difference I got the 30lb, but it was an extremely tight fit. I had to glue a mirror on the wall of the compartment to read the guage. Screwing the hose onto the tank is also very difficult because of the guard on the end of the tank. Note: the owners manual for the 87 Dolphin says the original LP tank was 5 gallon which would be a 25 lb tank.

There is now on E-bay a 1985 4-cylinder for auction maybe 50 miles from you, at Mohnton PA about 10 miles before Reading. This rig went on after 9:15pm Sunday May 23 and ends May 30. Also about the lottery-- I hope you are joking. The only way to win is not to play

Just bought an 87 Dolphin in March 2010 which has the original owners manual from Dolphin and from Toyota. The Toyota manual shows 4 wheelbases as follows: short 103.0", long 112.2", extra long 121.5" and super long 137.0". My 87 Dolphin has a 137.0" wheelbase and is 21'7" long.