xtioga

I have a 21' sunrader that is gutted to the fiberglass and bare plywood floor, the windows interior mount ring will hold a 3/4" thick piece of ply just right, i cut strips of this and glued them to fiberglass and then stapled the paneling to it. around the back wall area, the floor is plywood over cork with some exterior membrane/layer on the outside and yes the fiberglass is grafted to the ply in some areas around the floor, i would just remove as much rot as you can and use bondo to fill the area, a belt sander can smooth things over nicely, if its really bad a ply patch in the hole and bondo to fill gaps or cover the area with ply, just remember your standing room is shrinking as you build up the floor. sunraders are cool

milage vs power is always a good topic of debate...my experiences with toyota 4cyl vs 6...iv'e had 4's in trucks, 4runners, and my 21' sunrader that is currently dieting..ie loosing weight thru a remodel diet, i liked the 4runner i had with the 6, much better power but very crowded in the engine bay when it came time for tune ups and other maintenance. i always was impressed how tough the little 4, 22r or 22re, was, i put 350xxx mi on one that never caused me grief. so for me i'll go a little slower and get there without trouble..another idea for a solo central america journey might check out the 84-89 toy vans, i just found one with a 5spd and 2spd transfer case and locking hubs, powered by a forklift type motor they are also known for reliability, the one i got was less than 2K and will need some interior camper modifacations but for solo travel the only thing better is my BMW motorcycle....when the sun is out..

good info, thanks B.

I just noticed an '84 sunrader with a 4 spd manual tranny in Portland, its on craigslist and looks nice it is 2wd and he's asking 3500 OBO, listed over the weekend.

check out the dickenson marine fireplace/furnace, it's a little spendy but small and needs little clearance, as a bonus it has a glass front so you can have the warmth of the fireglow. i love mine.

I am doing a full remodel and have a few things that i will be doing first consideration is good gas milage, and to do this i want to make my camper as light as i can, i'm dumping the stove, furnace, fridge & shower. the black water tank and toilet...gone. I'm redoing the walls & ceiling with hickory paneling, and while i was in that far i stripped the stock foam out... nasty job..it is glued to the fiberglass in some places. in it's place some fresh 3/4" foam panels for insulation. also gone are the front corner windows, now there's room for some cabinetry. i will be using a three burner stovetop for the kitchen a dickenson marine furnace for heat, led's throughout for light, xternal shower access through utility door, composting toilet that i learned of on the expedition portol website, engel fridge/freezer, super expensive and super efficient. a redone electrical panel with circut breakers and 2 12v batteries, flat panel 12v TV/DVD hidden in wall cab, a little longer couch/bed platform. i love these projects. good luck with yours. if you need any of the parts i pulled PM me. X

Kinda an old thread, but not to me, anyway iv'e been tearing out all the interior paneling including the roof, then i could get to the inside of the fiberglass in the entire camper, of course the nasty foam the factory used on the roof came out too....YUK, it took many beers and running outside for fresh air but the dirty deed is done, it will all be replaced with styrofoam sheets, much better and that awful chemie smell is gone with it, anyway once i could see the roofrack mounting points it was clear why the mount feels flimsy, the screws that hold it on, only the inside screw actually hits the plywood "stud" that is glued to the roof, the outside screws are into fiberglass only, so i beefed it up with extra plywood strips and now all srews go into some meat! while its stripped to bare fiberglass i was seriously considering some thule mounts so the roof racks for a canoe or kayak could be added anytime very easily. i hate making holes in my sunrader roof and don't know if i will.....another thing i am going to do is add extra support with 3/4" plywood running down the walls to the floor directly below where the steel roof supports mount to the walls, my thoughts are more body support for banging down gravel roads.....and the 4+4 project is still wheeling around my brain....it would be good to have extra support if i ever make that happen. x

your trip is such a great way to spend the important time with your family. i salute you sir! i am in the midst of a major interior/mechanical remodel on an '87 sunrader, some of the things i'm checking and fixing...engine: a compression test can tell you alot about what might need repair, the timing chain on the 22R & RE is a known weak point, the chain tensioners can be replaced alone or the chain and some steel tensioners could be called for, there are some good suppliers of toyota engine improvements LK enginering for one, i would do belts & hoses, thermostat maybe even water pump, fuel, air, oil filter, cap & rotor, plugs & wires. if your engine is injected the fuel pump is in the gas tank...when these fail on the road it can be a mess to work on. carry a spare and familerize yourself with the repair. if your motor has good compression and the sparkplugs are a nice light brown color, and your not using oil, your good to go for many a mile, just watch you don't over heat this motor, with a cast iron block mated to an aluminium head...the head can warp causing a blown gasket, the 22R in my old truck went 335 thousand, i did have the valves done at around 250...because i blew the head gasket and needed to pull the head. toyota made these very strong. have a safe and adventurous time!

i have been looking at some solar panels and came across a flexible one on amazon, called powerfilm, it's a 60 watt that will stow easily and can be laid out either on the truck or in the sun while the truck stays in the shade. around 8 bills, solar is $.

the old windows that i replaced were looking cracked and distorted as well as leaking, i might have tried doing it myself but don't have a big shop to take the thing inside, so i just started calling boat repair guys, i live along the Oregon coast so they are plentiful and right now alot of guys are hurting for work...so a little cash incentive can get 'em busy. i had a few other patching jobs done at the same time, got rid of the fridge holes, my new engle will be resting in a built in cabinet, no holes needed, the city water & electrical plug outlet...gone. i paid 500 for the whole job, replacing them would've been more. and i will never have to reseal again. priceless.

i'm remodeling my camper and as i go through various appliance changes one question that i just came to was if the old water tank plastic could be degraded or a health risk in some way, maybe it's fine, but imput from others is always insightful. thanks! x

I finally got those corner windows taken care of! the boat repair guy did a nice job, not perfect but a big improvement over the windows, now i need to figure out just which and where the goodies will go i have some cool stuff in mind, can't spend like i'm rich but will be setting a standard of high quality and light weight. i thought some others might like seeing the after of this job.

i just gutted my 21' sunrader and have the fiberglass cabinets sitting on a bench getting a little make over, if these are the same thing you have getting them out was easy....there are screws up inside that i used a right angle drill to get to, and under the wooden rail that the blinds are mounted to there are screws holding them also, you'll know when the screws are out....cause you will have the cab's in your lap..they are fairly light and need a soft touch to keep from cracking them, you also need to pull the light fixtures off. if you have a different cabinet type....it will still be mounted along the top & bottom with screws, hope this helps, x

a group buy is a good way to get the cost down...if Dean is up for it. i want 2 and would commit to that...who's gonna call him and check it out?? searching for the most persuasive member

a group buy is a good way to get the cost down...if Dean is up for it. i want 2 and would commit to that...who's gonna call him and check it out?? searching for the most persuasive member

try googling for a local supplier, in Portland Oregon i found Mr plywood to have what i wanted and it was fairly cheap, nice hickory veneered 4 by 8 sheets, 1/4" thick for 13 bucks a sheet, they'll let you pick through the stock and have many species. there might be something like that near you.

Thank you for the info guys, i will contact them & see what choices they offer, the shell on this sunrader is in great shape, it only had one roof vent no AC and has no water damage on the roof, i'm removing it to replace with some nice hickory panels, the corner windows are a little wavy and from the inside looking out are full of cracks and distorted but don't leak themselves, the rubber molding is the proplem now but i would be happy if it was glassed in and paneled inside..that way when i'm traveling and getting into laziness repairing it won't come up. x

i'm deep into the tear out on my little 21ft. rader and i'm thinking about two possible choices for the front corner windows..one is replace, i'm not sure if new ones are even available anymore..anyone have any source ideas? or the other choice..glass in the holes with some patch work and paint..this seems like it has some pluses..never leaking being one..so far i removed the interior paneling and cabinetry and am down to the floor...some rot under where the water tank sits..i'm anxious to get to the rebuild and have a few goals in mind. the tearout is the gross part..1 mumified mouse so far...and a few dozen lazy flies buzzing around...yuck!..

I have begun to tear out the interior of the sunrader i purchased a few months back, after starting to remove all the stuff in her and daydreaming about the possibilities for the inside i kept thinking of the addition of a solid front axle 4 wheel drive conversion...i just happened to have an 84 PU sitting in the yard and it has a 5 speed manual tranny...i know it could be done by a custom shop but i don't have the money or the shop..but would it be functional or a overweighted turd going down the road??? it seems it could be done right and some weight removed from a thrifty remodel and it would be a cool thing to know you can drive out on that lonely baja beach without getting stuck...has anyone tried this? give me your 2sense...mine is spent...on a fancy 12v marine fridge...X

My 21ft sunrader with full bath in the back AC in the cab and regular interior stuff had the bill of sale approx 30K...it isn't worth that yet but if i fix&maintain it maybe my son will sell it for near that as an antique in the future....time will tell...there are peeps out there who love them. and just wait gas will hit 4-5$ a gallon eventually...and who has money anymore?

i also travel both in the motor home & on a motorcycle and have found that a good on the road tool kit can be fairly simple...but you never know what to expect while traveling..that said the sugestion to do home repairs with the same tools you'll take on the road is a good one. you'll see what you don't have that you need and what you may be packing that's just tool "bling" for extensive roadtripping in the motorhome i would bring my regular tool box...it weighs 80LBS...but that is weight i can afford...X

i'm almost ready to start the remodel but was thinking of redoing the appliances and making the big decision on them first will effect my overall design...so as i was looking at possabilities i came across these newfangled external hot water heaters that use propane to provide instant hot water and then i found someone who had used one on there RV mounted on the outside and plumbed into the coach...why not? if it increases usable space and reduces weight....has anyone here done this??? thanks all. x

I do like the layout on the sunrader with the bath at the back and i think a remodel will stick with this plan, the lower cabinets and carpet are gone, and that will give me a chance to look over stuff that lives down there, like plumbing and water tank and all, i was thinking of adding some soler panels on the roof and maybe updating the electricals...i havn;t done much research into what advantages more modern converters and appliances might provide and i don't have unlimited funds but i am looking at this for the long term...i'm 51 and thinking that this little rig could be a great way to live in a few more years...the rooof on this one only has one vent, in the midel of the roof where an AC would be, but there are lights and a few other smaller vents for plumbing and ???, from the inside it is near perfect, stain free, the only signs of leaks look to be from the awning mount points and below the windows..maybe that's from condensation?it would look so sweet all paneled in maple or cherry, i think i'll add a little length to the lower couch/bed, then a i could sleep down there, maybe do something that folds out to become a bed as for the grey & black water tanks...they look a little messed up...the black tank is scraped up and just the idea of working on somebodys 20 year old sewer is disgusting to me...i might be able to handle it...with a space suit on..the budget is always over my shoulder...watching..and in the end has the final say...any advice? x

the 21" sunrader i just bought last month has 98xxx showing and of course it needs tlc but that's why i love the 22re, it's an easy motor to work on, there everywhere i would ever drive, as say in mexico or canada, and if maintained can run several hundred thousand miles. i also have had a 4runner with a 3.0 v6 and it was a great runner, it was just more motor in the small engine compartment and harder to work on, changing spark plugs on the 6 was a garenteed knuckle scrape. buy a chilton or better yet a toyota factory manual and learn some basic stuff, the valve adjust on the four is a 30 min job once you do it a couple times. the 6 is shim over bucket design and can require substitute shims that the dealer has on hand. about 300$. go a little slower but spend less and get there, 22re please.