Ritabago's Dad

As opposed to "good vibrations." Just made a trip down to Key West and began to notice an increasing vibration at highway speeds between 45 and 65 mph. It seems that the noticeably louder vibration has a cyclic quality to it, like a long repeated pulse or surge, but there is no adjustment in speed while using cruise control. The vibration was over and above the usual engine thrum, not only could I feel it through the floorboards and steering wheel, but I could hear it as well. So could my passenger on the way back. The vibration isn't present when idling. On the way back from Key West, it seemed to be more pronounced. Today as I went to get new tires installed, I could even sense the sound as I accelerated from dead stop up to 45 mph on surface streets. There is a "winding up" nature to the tone and a "winding down" tone as I slow to a stop. The vibration, while running at 55 mph on the highway, seemed even louder today than yesterday. I'm at my Toyota dealership now, just having them look at it - but I'm keen on taking it elsewhere once I get their suggestions. (They also have to look at a recent repair that doesn't seem to have fixed a power-steering fluid leak.) My initial research is pointing towards U-joints and bearings along the drive shaft. I was wondering what some of the members here might have to suggest, since I'm trying to avoid getting put through the ringer by the dealership again (based on past posts, I've been over-charged for quite a bit.) Any help that you can offer is greatly appreciated. I know it would help to actually sit in the cab and see/hear/feel what I'm talking about. Thanks!

John, I'll definitely talk to 3T and order up a full replacement kit. Went and got some Slime and, I tell you what, could only get about 4 oz of the stuff into each line. I de-pressurized and stripped the valve cores out, inverted the bottle (best I could with the limited space in the wheel well) and squeezed with everything I had. It simply wouldn't take any more. When I replaced the valve core and put air in the passenger's side - it acted like it was clogged, then I heard a "pop" and suddenly, my PSI meter was functioning normally instead of instantly redlining. However, I never heard the "pop" on the driver's side and the compressor continued to redline, showing that it just wasn't getting any air in. Previously, I had jacked up both sides and tried to get the sleeves back into shape, but they're pretty much crusted that way. After going to the gas station to try it with higher pressure, the pop-up gauge reads "60" but when I attach the hose, there's no tell-tale "psssh" of rushing air. The other bag goes all the way up to 100. Needless to say, I'll replace them both this summer. It's a good thing that I've got control over the passenger's side airbag. I'm a touring musician, and a lot of my gear gets stored in the bathroom closet which is on the passenger's side. At least I know I can equalize things for awhile. You all have been a huge help on this and other issues. Many, many thanks and happy/safe travels! Best wishes, Bing

Just saw this after my post refresh. Hmm - that might be a nice quick fix. Problem is, I think the bags have been in this poor shape for so long that they're crusted that way. Still, what's it going to cost me, $20 for the experiment vs. doing nothing? Should I get a 16 oz bottle and put 8 oz in each sleeve? Or 32 oz bottle and put 16 oz in each sleeve? I see Walmart has a 24 oz size. Heading to Key West in the morning. Will look around for some Slime threads here. Thanks!

Well, the verdict is in - the driver's side sleeve does have a leak. I jacked it up by the fore spring eye and set a jack under it, then inflated the sleeve. It began to come back into a cylindrical shape, but I could feel the air escaping near the bottom. I didn't bother to look at the other one - definitely time to replace. Do I have to worry about any damage running on empty air bags? I need to prioritize the next few check-list items (new fridge and canopy are on that list. Suppose I can keep using the ice chest and umbrella in order to get my suspension in order, huh?) Thanks again for the help - once I order the parts, I'll look at the post on airbag replacement, John, and see if I'm feeling brave enough to have a crack at it. All the best, Bing

The 4-ton stands were too tall, so I swapped them out for 2-ton. Heading back underneath now. If I don't post again in an hour, send the EMTs to... (just kidding - my wife is home and checking on me every five minutes.) Seriously, this is the first time I've done anything remotely like this, so I appreciate the help!

Where do I place the jack? I lifted the driver's side using the rear axle (as shown in the book you linked, Derek), but the sleeve remains compressed (and I got the wheels off of the ground.) Am I supposed to be jacking up the coach frame? If so, where's a good spot? Also - are 2 ton jackstands good enough for the job I'm doing here? I got 4 ton stands and they don't even fit under the axle. Would I be better off using a bottle jack as opposed to this little Toyota jack? So many questions and a crick in my neck, but it's worth it.

"Picked it up", Derek - much obliged.

They also replaced the thermostat, which had been stuck closed. Yeah, I know I got ripped - but no-one else I knew could do the work and I sure couldn't. I'm currently on a mission to learn as much as possible about these things so that I can do the work myself. It's going to be a long road, but it will (hopefully) be one that saves me lots of dough!

Passenger's Side at 50 PSI Driver's Side at 50 PSI I've not found a lot of info on these air bags online and precious few pictures of them, save for the one on the company website and in the brochure that came with my Toy: Company Photo I'm assuming the above picture is of a fully inflated sleeve. As you can tell from my photos, the sleeves are sort of wonky, but I can get the passenger's side sleeve filled to the max at 100 PSI. The driver's side sleeve will only go to 50 and then it simply will not accept any more air. I had this looked at by a tech at Camping World two summer ago and he said that the sleeve was "kattywompus" and that he had jacked up the frame, straightened out the sleeve, set the frame back down and then pumped both sleeves up to 90 PSI. It was an awesome ride - but both sleeves eventually sagged. I haven't bothered with them for a while, knowing that this was an issue, but wanted to try again and, lo and behold - last week, I got both sleeves up to 60 PSI. This week, however, only 50 PSI is possible in the driver's side sleeve. The tech is no longer at Camping World, and I'd rather not pay another $50 to have it done, so I'm wondering what I need to do to try and fix the problem myself. Where is a good spot to place the jack so that I can raise it up, get pressure off of the driver's side sleeve and straighten things out? Does the passenger side sleeve look like it needs an adjustment as well? I'm just getting to know the underside, topside, ins and outs of my RV to the point of doing my own repairs - something I've never done before, so I appreciate any advice on this. Many thanks - Bing

Thanks, WME. : )

I'm still fairly new at this, so bear with me, but when I snipped the end of the Dicor tube and put it in the caulking gun, I couldn't get anything out whatsoever. After messing with the tube, the little membrane finally revealed itself but I lost the tube. Needless to say, I wasn't wasting a $10 tube, so I went ahead and did some patching on the roof. I've used caulk before - is it me or was that membrane supposed to break when I applied pressure? Was I supposed to puncture the membrane with a long poker or something? Anyway, the patching is done, but I want to re-do the seams and vent lid areas but I'll need a smaller bead for that. Your help is greatly appreciated. The bigger issue is this: I removed my damaged front air vent lid and took it to Camping World Orlando to see about a fit. The lid was manufactured by Winnebago (you were right, John) and doesn't fit the current styles. They did have a full vent kit that would update the whole thing, but I don't have a leak up there and didn't want to be bothered with all of that, plus the cost. So I'm on the search for a replacement vent lid. Camping World Kissimmee (larger store) said they might actually have some of the older lids. I looked online and it was pretty slim pickin's. My Toy is a '92 WT321RB and putting that year and model out there brings back nothing on vent lids except for an old 2009 post about Winnebago not making them anymore, but keeping some on-hand for parts orders. Going to Kissimmee today to see if they've got any that match what I've got. If not, I'll call Winnebago. If it's two strikes at that point, I'll bite the bullet and switch out the vent altogether. Here's hoping my patch job takes care of the occasional rear vent leak that I was getting.

Seems like a low-risk deal, Shaggy - I'll probably go this route unless someone posts a big warning about this company. Will definitely post about 'em if I go that direction.

Thanks guys - I ordered a sail switch online for about $25 including shipping. Gonna take it to the trusted RV techs that fixed my water heater (bad thermocoupling.) I've learned quick to buy my own parts and was just wondering how to prioritize. I hope it's just the sail switch and maybe a good cleaning out. Thanks again! By the way, the folks who had this Toy before me kept all the documentation - so it was easy to look up the part number from the Suburban manual, find it on eBay and order it up.

I've read some similar situations here in the forums, but my situation is different in that even plugged into shore power, the furnace won't ignite. The blower comes on after a few moments, but no ignition - just cold air. I've lit the stove burners and left them on, so there is LP flowing. Granted, I don't know how long it's been since the furnace was last used as the previous owners were both Floridians (as I am.) However, I travel and boondock extensively, so a heat would be fantastic. Are there replaceable parts I should be looking at? It's a little dusty in there once the grille is off. I don't know much about coach powered stuff - should I disconnect the deep cycle battery before I start futzing around in there? Thanks, in advance, for your help! Bing '92 Winnebago Warrior

Karincorbin, I'm very new to this RV scene, so quick patches aren't something I have much knowledge about. As it turns out, it was more than just wire wear - the points of the distributor cap were rusted, the button was worn down. A patch would've taken care of the exposed wiring, but wouldn't have done much about everything else.

I'm finding that just about everything in my rig is original, so it's probably time to just start swapping everything out (except for the stove and microwave.) I know my front vent is in bad shape because I can see the cracks. Don't know about the rear one yet - other than it's leaked a few times. Went and got some Dicor today, caulk for the areas around the galley and bathroom sinks and have ordered some Dyco 20/20 for the extrusions. I've never done this before (well, I've repaired some caulk in the shower) so, I'm open to suggestions!

Has anyone here done business with RV Awnings Mart online? - http://www.rvawningsmart.com I'm looking to replace my beat-up canopy, an '11 A&E (Dometic) 8500. By doing a search, I found these folks and they're offering this particular awning for 50% less than everywhere else I've looked, plus the material is thicker and they back it with a 30-day money back guarantee and a 2-year warranty. That, and shipping is only $15. Camping World wants a heckuva lot more than that for shipping and the cost of the awning. I figure I can buy my own awning and have it installed without all the ups and extras. Question is, what is the quality of this awning? If anyone here has had some experience with them, I'd appreciate a reference. Probably won't be in the market to buy for another couple of months. Thanks for any help! Bing '92 Winnebago Warrior

I've got three threads on situations with my '92 Warrior (overheating, spark plug wires and coach leaks) and it now looks like the first two have finally been resolved. Since this thread pertains to the overheating, I wanted to post the results. My Toy was currently in for a major power steering fluid leak (fixed) and had them also look at choppy idle (exposed spark plug wire, worn "button" on distributor cap) and check the thermostat for the ongoing overheating drama. Well, the last time they had a look at it (July of '12), they thought it was fouled spark plugs and, because I had just had the thermostat replaced along with the radiator, they didn't even look at the thermostat as a potential issue. While looking at it today, the tech found it stuck closed. When test-driving it, it got stuck open. Switched out the thermostat and the overheating issue, they say, is gone. I'll give it a good spin down the Turnpike tomorrow and see how it holds up, but this sure sounds like a symptom that I've read about in the forums. Will post more after I get behind the wheel - but right now, I'm feeling good about the $$ spent. I will ask about the valve clearances and see if maybe they didn't do that when the timing belt was being handled.

In the first year that I had my '92 Warrior, a heavy Florida downpour would send water leaking out of the roof A/C; a problem which which went away with a new roof unit. A tech working on my old roof unit said that I would need to Dicor some spots up there, including some rusted bolts along the sidewall seam. Some time later, heavy rain would bring water in a trickle down the inside wall where the door between bathroom and galley slides out towards. That is, if you're standing facing the galley, you're facing the driver's side of the coach. The ceiling above the rear galley wall (right next to the stove top) had begun to bubble at some point, but in time - this leaking and bubbling stopped, even in heavy rain. The latest leak is coming from the bathroom vent, this much I know, but it likewise hasn't happened for quite some time (and it's been all about the rain lately here in central Fla.) I've felt the flooring in these areas and nothing seems especially soft, so maybe I dodged a bullet there. Does this "moving" or "disappearing" leak activity seem strange or par for the course? I'm ready to go at the seams with Dicor, but have been unsure about the bolts. Do I need to get new bolts in before I seal? Or just seal 'em up as they are? On a related note - I have no attached ladder, which makes roof access difficult if I'm not at home. Any tips on how/where to get a replacement? Thanks for any help! Best Wishes, Bing '92 Warrior

Thanks for all of the great information and insight, guys. I know that dealerships will generally up-sell you on simple fixes and I've been trying to do an end-run around that whenever possible. Upon calling them back at Toyota, they said that it wasn't just the wires, but the "button" had worn down and that they were also replacing the distributor cap. They also said that there weren't any OEM hoses for the power steering fluid, so they went aftermarket which will end up being cheaper, but not necessarily lesser in quality. On the positive side of having Toyota do the work, they'll do it right or they'll do it again for free, so I bit the bullet and okayed the repairs. Sounds like it was more than just the wires themselves, at which point I would've gone ahead and done the wrap. My belts are all good, battery, alternator and radiator are new. Temperature gauge will still climb high if I pass 60 mph, even on a cold day, so I'm having them look at the thermostat and gauge to be sure they are okay. Next on the list will be an alignment and four new tires (2 front and driver-side dualies.) I've not had a blowout or engine failure since taking over ownership, stay on top of the oil management and generally drive her gently. With only 105,000 miles, I know we've got a few years or more to go - so I appreciate your help in this forum. Lots of lurking, bookmarking and digesting of concepts going on here; Happy New Year and thanks again! Bing '92 Winnebago Warrior

For a recent history of my Toy, see this thread. The story picks up shortly after my last visit to Toyota with a repaired centerlink, which wasn't cheap - but being able to steer is nice. My latest visit has to do with a power-steering fluid leak, which is being fixed, and another issue upon which I'm seeking some advice. Some time ago, I discovered that some critters had built a little nest in a corner of the engine compartment out of the heat-resistant material that used to be attached to the underside of the hood. I don't know how important that stuff is, but it was mostly gone when I got the RV and pretty much finished by these little varmints. After cleaning that out (there were also leaves and nuts under there), life went on and I thought nothing more of it. Then, one day, while getting an oil change at one of those Quick Lube places, one of the techs went to adjust one of the wires leading to the distributor cap and got a big shock. He said he was fine (and that it hurt!) and I noticed almost immediately that the engine began to idle choppily. The idle has been great up until that point. A little time passes and the idle gets smooth again, then sometimes it's choppy, and so on and so forth. Finally, while it's in for the power-steering fluid issue today, I ask them to check on that and they reveal that there are exposed wires in two places and that it looks like it's been nibbled at or rubbed away, with nothing spinning nearby. I conclude that it was probably the critters and ask them how much to fix. After quoting me a grand total of $1,669 for the whole thing PLUS tax, I ask them to forget about the rough idle, because I can live with that. The power-steering thing, not so much - that needs fixing ASAP, right? My question is: how serious is this exposed wire situation? It doesn't seem to effect starting or cruising at city or highway speeds. It just makes my Toy purr a little rough. Can someone explain to me mechanically what is causing that roughness and, if not fixed right away, will it cause any kind of further damage? What's a typical and/or worse case scenario? It would take a major biting of the bullet to take care of both issues, so I'm trying to prioritize. But if this could turn ugly quick - then I'll just go ahead and have it all fixed at once and eat Top Ramen for the foreseeable future. I appreciate any help/insight/wisdom as I try to stay on top of, and listen to, my sweet little Rita. Many thanks - Bing '92 Winnebago Warrior

Thanks, Derek - I've already checked out of the shop, but will look at that during the next round of fixes (I've got a few to go.) Question: is this a fairly invasive procedure, as in "I should've had this done while the timing belt was being switched out?" The verdict is in: the spark plugs made the difference and man, what a difference. It feels like I've got two more cylinders under the hood now and on a nice, muggy hot day in central Florida, high speed travel on the interstate saw the temperature gauge hang out smack dab in the middle and stay there. Most excellent! Thanks again for all of your help -

Thanks for the tip, Maineah! Here's what's happened so far at Toyota: Straight away, the mechanic noticed that the fan bearings were loose as he could spin the fan by hand. They also noticed that I was long overdue to have the timing belt and water pump replaced - all of which could lead to overheating. I also had cracks developing in the drive belt. After all of that was fixed, a test drive resulted in the engine still overheating. After checking the spark plugs, it turns out that they were aftermarket and quite fouled, which they hypothesized would lead to a loss of power while pulling all of that weight from the coach and contents, in turn leading to overheating. As I type, they are installing factory plugs and will test drive to see if that makes a difference. On the big plus side, they tested the compression and inspected the engine, finding that compression was great; no leaks and no apparent damage to the head gasket or block. *whew*. I'll update again in a little while, just wondering if anyone had heard of the apparent issue with the spark plugs before. Thanks for your help!

Thanks for your reply! I'm gonna run it down to the Toyota service department tomorrow morning since my mechanical expertise stops at duct tape wrapping. I'll report the findings here - thanks again!

I've scanned this forum tirelessly for any info that would point towards my issue, but am now appealing directly for some advice and insight. Bought a '92 Winnebago Warrior in May of 2011 - 62,000 miles on it; checked the VIN on the Toyota Safety Recall and Service Information website and found no open recalls. In 20,000 miles of driving last year, we raced across California deserts in high heat, up Pennsylvania mountains and while the temperature gauge indeed climbed all the way up to just shy of red, nothing went horribly wrong, despite the fact that the floorboards get almost unbearably hot. I did have to replace the alternator and roof air (which were both on their last legs at purchase.) In about 10,000 miles of driving since spring of this year, the radiator finally blew in Breezewood, PA and I found a new one online, had it installed and test drove it unloaded on a hot day on some grades. Of course, the needle pegged. Garage said it might be the thermostat and gasket, which was replaced the following day. Driving over the big grades on the Pennsylvania Turnpike brought the gauge back up to near-red, but fell back down to about 3/4 once over the hill and I turned the a/c off. It was a blazing hot day and the following day got even hotter in Gettysburg - 101° F - but on the level roads, the gauge kept around 3/4 with the a/c on. Thinking maybe I'd gotten too assured with my load limit, I emptied the coach upon returning home to Florida and opened her up to about 65 on the interstate with the a/c on; within ten minutes, she was red-lining. I know these Toys are overloaded and that the 3VZ-E engines are prone to blown head gaskets, but it would appear I've been seeing that high temperature on the gauge for over a year now under extreme heat and, besides the 20-year old radiator finally giving up the ghost, no other issues are presenting themselves. It just seems to be reading even hotter than last year and I'm wondering if they put the correct thermostat in. If this vehicle was overheating like the gauge indicates, shouldn't I be seeing clouds of white smoke coming out of the tailpipe? The mechanics who installed the radiator said they did have some trouble getting air into the engine (something about it being "locked"), but finally worked that out and told me that compression was good, no leaks and I haven't lost any fluid since. I hope these guys would've told me if something else seemed amiss. What might the issue be here? Thanks for any and all help! Happy Travels, Bing