hawk

I've really enjoyed this thread and its implications. I also live in a very rural area, 200 miles from any city of size. I relish the quiet and live on a dead end road where if I hear a single car, I wonder "who the hell is on my road!" it is a county road, but I love the quiet. So, in travelling, I try to find forest service roads, fire roads, logging roads, and if I have to go through a real city, I try to get the hell out there as soon as I can. Last year I was headed to Canada on my motorcycle, and as it got dark I needed a place to camp for the night. I was on the coast of Northern California, and could find nothing, and in the dark I pulled into a KOA campground. $40 bucks for motorcycle and small tent. Not my cup of tea. I was crowded up against a poor young couple with an infant with cholic. They had my sympathies, but I surely got no sleep. Oh, an abandoned road for me. What occurs to me is that many of us seek quieter pastures, maybe similar to our rural home, and others, coming from crazy cities seek some quiet as a contrast to the insanities of city living. Ok, cities can be of some fun, but they're not really habitable in my opinion. So, in my Toy/Winnie, I head to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Eastern California, Nevada, Montana, Canada. And before long the world will be rid of us old farts, men and women who are travelers and campers, seeking solitudes and just enough company to be civil with. May you find yours.

My son bought a smaller, but beefy rack from Harbor Freight that very securely hauls a 600 pound dirt bike on the back of his Honda Pilot. The rack was about $75. It's simple, clean and very sturdy. I've been thinking that it would fit really well on my Toy/Winnie. Currently I have a Suzuke Burgman that weighs in at 650 pounds, but I think it's too bulky to store on the back. I'd go for a 50cc-125cc simple, light weight scooter/bike with a big boot.

I do live in the mountains and I drive a lot at higher elevations. I've driven Toyota trucks all my life. I've had 4's and I've had 6's. Both are fine engines, but make no mistake, the six is a much more powerful engine and it hauls the coach up hills faster than the fours. The gas mileage is not much worse. I currently have an Toy/Winnie automatic six that I bought a year ago, driving it from central Oregon to the eastern slopes of the California Sierra Nevada. On I-5 at 55-65 I averaged 15.5 mpg. Coming through the mountains from the central valley, climbing to 9,500 ft. I got 13-14.5 mpg. On some of the steeper roads, the four cylinder engines will be lucky to do 25-35 mph. The six can do another 10-15 mph. Just my experiences.

A couple of thoughts about both the heater issues here and the solar. I live in a very dry and in the winter, cold climate. In my 50's, I lost my house and lived in a camper on the back of my Toyota truck for three years. I found that one of the small Coleman propane heaters worked very adequately in keeping me warm until I climbed into my down bag. I had a carbon monoxide alert that never once went off. Most vehicles have a fair amount of air leaks that purge the toxic gases. I cooked, using propane on the four burner stove in the camper. It's quite similar to my current Toy/Winnie. On the solar panel issue; around here, in the high desert where a lot of folks, young and old are living on the land in various kinds of vehicles, mostly I see solar panels on the ground, feeding into whatever vehicle there is. One old converted midsized school bus has several two feet by three feet panels on the ground, running a number of appliances, including a quite sophisticated computer/ music/tv system. I'm not tech savvy enough to know what the fellow did, but it sure works slick. When he moves, he just places them inside and drives away.

Hi, Folks, thanks very much for all the helpful replies. I had checked the exterior carefully, but will do it again-just in case I was blind the last time. And the same for under the couch. Part of my problem may have been that I thought I knew what a drain plug should look like. I've gotten into trouble with assumptions before.... On the next warm day, after I've driven it home from Sacramento where I stored it for the winter. Here in the Eastern Sierra, my house pipes froze this winter, flooding my house. Sigh, such fun.

I have a Toy/Winnie 21' 1991 and for the life of me, I can't find a drain valve for emptying the storage water tank. I live where freezing is common several months of the year, so can't leave the water in. Does anyone know where the valve might be? Or if there isn't one, which would really be a dumb design, what's the best way to empty the tank and lines? Run the pump until dry?? Thanks.

Indeed, welcome Mountainman. Last year I, too, bought a Toy/Winnie, a '90/91 because it was a Toyota. All my trucks and most of my cars have been Toys for reasons of reliability. Bulletproof. I had to replace the truck's AC with a 134A compliant unit after I found that the original didn't work. It just blew air and since it was a cool evening in Oregon when I bought it, I took the seller's word that it did work. But, I bought all new parts online and had a local AC shop install it. Total cost was $675. Good luck. Hawk.

Hi, I appreciated this discussion. Currently I have a working AC on top of my '90 Toy/Winnie but found recently that it leaks like a sieve. ( I bought it last April in dry weather in Oregon. The seller in Talent, OR lied about many things it turned out.) I recently caulked around the base with some high-tech caulking and hope it works. If not, I'll probably take Linda's suggestion about the fan installation.

MontereyDave, thanks very much for going to the trouble of the pictures. They really help. Mine is a bit different, but I think I can generalize from your pictures and find the parts that do slide one way or another. This forum and its members are a god-send for the newly challenged of us.

DanAatthe cape. Thanks for the input. I'm stymied, too. Since I live in a rural area with no real RV services available, I'm really stuck with the internet to solve problems. After a couple of trips in the Toy, I'm thinking this isn't the vehicle for me, but I don't want to put it up for sale without fixing things like the broken blinds. Your suggestion of taking the valence off may be the only way to go at this point. Anyway, thanks for your experience .Hawk.

Does anyone know how to take the blinds out from under the valence. I can't see any obvious pins or latches that will release the blind. I went to Aggie's posted pdf. file and couldn't see what needed to be released. By the way, thanks for that link.

Waiter, I donated when I joined, but appreciate the reminder. I don't mind "rejoining' considering all the help I've been offered. My PayPal account was compromised last year, and I won't use it again. Mind sending me physical mail address so I can send a check this time? Thanks. Hawk

Jamaiah, I have a '90 with a somewhat similar problem. My left side turn signals quit working. Right side worked. Here's a bit of what I've learned and it may help you diagnose what you're up against. First, I checked the bulbs, because a turn signal that blinks quicker than normal indicates a burnt out bulb either front or rear. I found not burnt out bulbs. So, I tried taking out the flasher relay under the dash, having been told by a mechanic that that was the problem. I bought a new flasher/relay from an auto parts place that said that it would be a suitable replacement for the Toyota flasher. Here's where the parts get weird. The original Toyota flasher was constructed in such a way that one prong was switched to an opposite side by using a connection that went from one side to the other. Really strange design. The auto parts guy, who seemed electrically savvy, said that the replacement took this switched polarity into account. However, the replacement does not work. If this makes little sense to you, likewise with me. However, a friend who teaches auto shop at the local high school said to first see if your emergency flashers worked. If they do, it's not a flasher/relay problem. It could be another switch. And the only way to really find it it to follow each circuit and test each part. It's painstaking and therefore expensive if you have to have it done for you. The suggestion to spray the contact points and switches with electrode cleaner does sometimes work. It's always worth a try.

Those 30 amp circuit breakers are also available from Napa Auto parts for $4.65 a piece. I went through the same process of replacement.

Boots, that sounds like a big project, but one that I also need to consider. Since I'm new to this rig, and a bit of a novice in the electrics area, I have to approach it methodically, thinking through each step. In the end- because I think I will keep this rig- it will pay me big time to make the various changes. Thanks for your description of your project. keep us all informed of your progress. Hawk.