Bob C

If the shop did not finish the job properly, I hope that you didn't pay them unless it was understood before they started that they would not finish the project.

Don't rely on the seller's word that all of the appliances work properly. You should check the water heater, furnace, refrigerator, water pump, cab a/c, roof a/c, etc. The refrigerator can cost over $1000 to replace. I agree that the area over the cab has had water damage. Slapping some caulk on it does not fix the damage.

Thanks for keeping the site up and running. Without this site I would have bought a pile of junk and probably junked it by now due to dumping endless money into it. I didn't realize that I am a total Toyotamotorhomes junky. I was going through withdrawal when I could not get my fix to see what everyone was posting. I feel much better now. Bob

There is an owners manual for the furnace that is commonly used in these RV's in the files section. You can take a look at the factory service manual and see how to properly use the furnace. I don't know how to add a link but someone on here will probably do that for you.

Whether to maintain the number of batteries will depend on how much electricity you expect to use. i have two coach batteries because I have a 12 volt compressor refrigerator and don't want to run down a single battery too much and then not have enough power to run my furnace if needed.

If you are a really good negotiator, you may talk fast enough that you will end up with them paying you to take the painting. You can buy ANYTHING in Juarez.

I had a mini fridge in my RV when I bought it. It would not run on a 400 watt continuous inverter and I did not want to have to buy a larger one. I ended up buying a 120/12 volt fridge that was removed from a sailboat. It really fills the needs for my wife and I and the style of travel that we like. If you look around, anyone will eventually find a type of unit that will work for you.

Here is your Elvis painting--ebay.com/itm/Elvis-Presley-Vegas-Rock-and-roll-Art-Original-Oil-Painting-Black-Velvet-A139-/121861403663?hash=item1c5f81740f:g:sEsAAOSwWKtUxHWk

I like it. I am thinking about having Dawn make one for our MH. We currently have a boring one color curtain. Your's adds some character to the interior. I also will be putting a removable pet gate between the coach and cab. Our new to us yellow lab has a tendency to go where he wants to be, rather than where we want him to be.

A good cast iron pan, some onions, assorted bell peppers, mushrooms, real bacon bits, 3 eggs. Saute veggies in BUTTER, add mushrooms, stir in eggs until well set up and sprinkle with good sharp cheddar. Why bother with a plastic bag. It takes 5 minutes to make this meal including wiping out the pan.

I had a garden tractor with oil impregnated bronze bearings that dried out. I put the bearings in a can of 30 weight oil, heated it up, cooled it down, continue until you can't stand doing it any more. I must have heated those things up a dozen times. I used the tractor for another 10 years and never had a problem with the bearings. When the bearing heat and cool, the oil works it's way deeper into the pores, at least that is what I was told. My speaker covers were just a tight fit that kept them on. A very tight fit. The new speakers sound much better than the old. Funny how a modern 55+ watt per channel stereo system burns out the 28 year old speakers meant to be driven by 10 watts of power.

While traveling, it seems like I get that question almost every day. I may start telling them that it is for sale with a $25,000 price tag. I wonder what they will say.

Are you talking about your 120 volt system not working unless plugged in or are you saying that your 12 volt equipment is not working? The 120 volt system only works when plugged into shore power unless you have an inverter hooked up to the battery. The 12 volt stuff should power up if you are plugged in or whenever your batteries are charged. Get out your volt meter (a required piece of equipment when troubleshooting an RV's electrical systems) and start looking. Check your connections at the battery, at your power panel, and at every piece of 12 volt equipment. Pay attention to your fuses, circuit breakers, switches, and every connection. Without a systematic approach, you will have a hard time finding the problems. Give us more information to help isolate your problems.

Putting a carbon monoxide detector in your propane compartment will do no good. You need a propane gas detector. I have a carbon monoxide and a propane detector in my RV. My propane tank is located in a compartment with an open bottom under the RV so it should not accumulate as easily. Propane is heavier than air and it will settle to the ground and spread out or blow away unless it is contained in an enclosed compartment.

Have you ridden in another Toyhouse at any time? These things are loaded to the max capacity and they ride kind of harsh. My RV bottomed out on almost every bump due to very saggy rear leaf springs. I added air springs (air bags) to the rear and they made a huge difference. If I inflate them to 100 psi (max pressure) the RV rides just as bad as without the bags, at 70 psi the ride is about as good as it gets. The bags smooth out the bumps pretty well.

1986 Bandit for sale http://madison.craigslist.org/rvs/5362064511.html

It cost you nothing except having years of knowledge and skill to do the fabricating. Not to mention a couple of thousand dollars worth of equipment. That looks great.

When I bought my '88 Escaper, the heater fan did not turn at all. It was one of the many repair jobs that brought the price down to less than half of what the RV was really worth. I pulled out the glove compartment w/door (this was really not necessary) removed about 8 screws that held in the motor/fan and pulled the fan out. The heater box was packed tight with a giant mouse house. I got the shop vacuum out and removed everything that I could with the vac. I used a bent coat hanger to dig into the duct work to get what I could. I still had pieces of mouse house in the duct work that I could not reach so I adapted my leaf blower to blow into all of the dash vents, floor vents and defroster vents. When I fired up the leaf blower, stuff flew out of the heater box that was hard to believe. When I reassembled the unit, I sprayed Lysol spray into the intake in front of the windshield until the spray was coming out of every vent. The entire process took about 2 hours and everything worked great. I was wearing a respirator during this whole process to avoid getting anything into my lungs. I had a friend that was on life support for 3 months due to a virus that he got from tearing apart a beaver dam.

Is it a laser cutter or does it have a blade? Can your cutter do thin plywood? If it will cut plywood, I would suggest making lightweight wooden Christmas tree ornaments. My wife and I buy them while traveling and many places don't have them. We were at Mackinac Island in September and nobody on the island had ornaments. I know that they would not cost much to make and they sell for $10 and up.

It is always good to hear that someone made a trip without any major problems. It seems like we all have minor problems but most of these RV's are getting to be 25 years old and much more. Why would you want to leave WI this "winter?" After all, the weather here in Wiscbeerson has been more like spring than summer. Hi from Baraboo, WI

I would vote for a vacuum leak somewhere. Check all of the vacuum hoses, the intake system, etc. I changed out all of my vacuum lines when I bought the RV 3 years ago because I know that they can create problems that are hard to isolate.

I got pulled over for not having one of my clearance lights working on the front of the RV. I know that the officer was just fishing for drunk drivers but he did give me a ticket to get it repaired. Luckily, it was an easy fix, just pull the bulb, clean everything up and put it back together. I will be installing all new LED fixtures when the RV comes out of storage. In Wisconsin, they will pull you over for any reason to see if you have been drinking.

These RV's do best when they are doing 55 mph. If you can't stand being passed by almost anything with wheels (except Amish buggies) don't drive a Toyota RV. Some people will go down the highway keeping up with everyone but it not the best use for a Toyhouse. Drive at the speed of slow and enjoy it. I normally drive 55 mph and plan my trips to stay way from the Interstate highways. I get 13 to 15 mpg. My daughter drove my RV about 120 miles at 65 mph and got about 9.5 mpg. I have a 21 ft 1988 Escaper with 22Re engine and automatic tranny.

I have not used the waste tanks on my RV either. We have never used the toilet, the sink or the shower. We like the idea that if we need the toilet in an "emergency" it is available. I don't think there is any problem with keeping them empty.

I have a friend who has a Bounder RV in his back yard. He has not driven it in 4 years and can't even give it away. He quit driving because he gets 4 mpg with it. It was a mobile party for Green Bay Packer games when it did get used. I really like it when people talk to me at gas stations and are amazed that I get 13 to 15 mpg. I open the coach up and let them look in and they are really surprised when they see that it is small inside but definitely big enough to get by. My wife makes me clean the inside of the RV every morning before we move because she knows that sometime during the day, a stranger is going to be looking into our "house." I agree with Linda that it is really nice to park anywhere you want and be able to get out again.