snail powered
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Posts posted by snail powered
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but did you read the very last statement in his project? If not here it is for your viewing pleasure
1/26/2014 The pusher has basically been pointless, too much trouble to hook up and all it does is point out the limits of my EV conversion. It has now not been used in several years.
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Wonder if coroplast has a good er rating...
It has the R value of .25" of dead air space. They put in a subframe of 2 x 2 furring strips, which means they have 1.5" of insulation in their walls and they did not remove the foam in the roof. So in their application it did not matter that it has little insulating value.
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They tried living with only cold water hauled in a 5 gallon container and a pump sprayer container for showers and ended up spending $60.00 a month for a gym membership in a gym that is not available in small towns but as they live in various cities where they can find bartending and waitress jobs it works out kind of OK for them.
Tried going without any refrigeration for a few months then gave that concept up and got an ice chest.
Eat mostly raw food or from food trucks and buy groceries every day
Repairing your own vehicle means you need to find a place where you can do the work. Some repairs you can manage in a parking spot on the street but it just depends on what is wrong and where you are when it happens. For instance the repair to their clutch is not a job they could easily do at the curb on a city street. So unless you have a friend's or family's or your own driveway to work in you pretty much need to hire someone to do all but the quickest and easy to reach jobs.
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When I bought my Toy the couch had been removed and cabinet installed, like a daybed. I decided I would like 2 seats instead. I relocated the fresh tank under the coach and have an area planned for the electric panel. Of course the cabinet will be removed.
Today 2 captains seats from a motor home came up for sale locally for $50 for the pair. I went and looked and they are in decent condition with one slight seam separation, which I believe an upholsterer can easily fix.
I bring them home and give them a test fit, and well I don't know it seems they may be too big? So am looking for input on this, should I install them anyway, wait and try to find smaller or different seats, give up on the idea. I have time on this I am in no hurry, plus need to find a couple of bases for the seats
I like the idea of the reclining seats as I have a herniated esophagus and sometimes it is better to sleep in a reclining position.
So any thoughts, ideas, input, comments, suggestions, links or wisecracks greatly appreciated. Jim SW FL
only a suggestion on the reclining part of it. I customized my dinette bench into an adjustable recliner. It was an easy, low cost project. The adjusting part is just two pieces of plywood hinged together and they have a piece of fabric used for adjustable tensioning that attaches to the boards with Velcro. On my seat base under the cushions I put a yoga mat because it is non slip so the tilt boards sit on top of that keeping them from sliding around when I lean back. Then I have a division in cushion that I can set the plywood under so that when I tilt to adjust the angle that cushion comes up and stays on top of the hinged plywood boards. You can remove the plywood boards at any time because they don't need to be physically attached to the dinette base. It works perfectly for reclined reading, video watching, sleeping, etc. Your bed mate's sleeping area does not have to be effected by your side of the bunk if you have the cushions divided up the right way. Of course since it is removable it can be put up in the overcab bed on top of the mattress used with a separate cushion or put on top of a couch as well.
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I am trying to safely run Romex under the coach in my 1986 Dolphin - from an Inverter installed close to the batteries over to the RV sub-panel.
From the sub-panel side, I can easily remove the generator flex conduit (don't need that) and re-use that hole.
On the battery side, I was thinking of drilling a new hole close to the two wires that go under the coach to Chassis ground.
I just don't know what I'm drilling through - is there any sheet metal where the two ground wires go down?
Also should the Romex be enclosed in conduit under the cab? i could use 3/4 PVC flex conduit for that - doesn't cost much.
Thanks - Sam
You might want to use Romex (triplex flat wire) that is made for situations where there will be flex. It is made with multiple small strands of twisted wire instead of one larger solid wire. It is an industry standard to use the twisted wires for automotive situations rather than solid wire. Flexing can cause work hardening in thicker solid, single strand wire causing it to fracture the wire/ I purchased it by the foot at my local marine supply store. The best versions of this product are fully tinned. But for interior work I used the standard version without tinning for the cost savings.
http://www.fisheriessupply.com/ancor-standard-tinned-triplex-boat-cable-flat
Of course you can also use a triplex round wire instead of flat. Your choice, the convenience is in having all the wires inside of one outside jacket. The shape of the wire is a personal choice for what you want to use for clamping it in place on the wire runs. Of course you don't need as large of a hole diameter for round wire to pass through if you are going to be running it through solid structures such as the floor.
http://www.fisheriessupply.com/ancor-standard-tinned-triplex-boat-cable-round
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I've got my 88 Sunrader for sale. 64,000 miles. Owned by senior citizens!
Only driven on Sundays?
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hello to all. about 2 months ago i had posted here for help in determining any information prior to purchasing a toyota motor home. the replies from some of you were very helpful. thank you for your advice and input. after a trip to north carolina to look at a 1987 model, which was far worse than the craigslist pics , i came back and within two days, found a 1992, warrior, model wt321rb. it also was on craigslist, but only 20 minutes from where i live, in Dover, Ohio. soooo, now i have one that is everything i wanted, and in excellant condition. it has the v6-3.0. with 52,978 original miles. i am sure i will be to the forums more now with questions. thanks to all of you for your help, in advance. joe hunka-"hunkaman"
congratulations Joe. Happy trails to you in your new Toy Home on the Range!
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I'm in love! Finally saw it in person yesterday. SO much more clearance than my 85! It's basically like driving my ford ranger, really sporty. Why weren't these shorties more popular? I guess a slide in is about the same size and more versatile, but I LOVE this. I'm losing a lot of storage and interior space, but she's so stylish. Feels like a real classic rather than just an old RV, ya know?
They were popular enough that there are still a lot of them on the road. I see them fairly often in Seattle.
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You should also check to see if there is excessive play in the steering. That issue can cause a lot of trouble with staying in the proper lane under side wind conditions.
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Throttle cable needs lubrication?
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I don't need to do any adapting. I am swapping it out for a black one from the same year and model. Its identical other than the color. The depth of the steering wheel is OK for me.
I have thin black leather around. I might cut out and lace up my own. But that is low down on the list of priorities. Makes a good craft project for when out on the road during a rainy afternoon. My tall, on-board tool closet is full of things like knives, holes punches, rulers, etc. My workbench is topped with a large cutting mat.
One of the classes I took when enrolled at the University of Alaska was given by an Alaska Native. It was a class for leather, skin and fur sewing techniques. First thing we made were driving gloves using thin deer hide. Hand stitched, French seamed leather gloves made to custom fit your own hands are quite the project to learn on. We also learned the traditional Athabascan bead work techniques. Fun class, a whole semester worth of skills improvement and gained cultural knowledge too!
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First Hello Group. I'm new here. I used to participate in the toyota-campers group many moons ago. I have a 92 Sunrader 21 foot and an a 88 Sunrader 21'.
The Jensen Astrovent escape lid on the 92 is broken and I can't seem to find a replacement vent lid or a new vent lid of the same dimensions. The old one was attached with a piano hinge so the entire lid apparatus many need to be replaced. The old lid measured 17x24" Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Replacements Lids are readily available for that size. You don't have to buy the whole unit, you can get just the lid. Do a search on Heng's Exit Vent 17 x 24. Heng's is a trade name for all kinds of roof top vents as well as other RV replacement items. Elixer is another brand name that makes replacement vent lids for the older 17 x 24 Jensen units. If you don't want to buy it online then your local RV supply store can order it in for you and have it ready to pickup at the store in a couple of days. But you will find better deals online than in the store.
https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-vents/replacement-vent-lid.htm
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I finished putting new flooring in the cab the other week. Of course I had to move the gas pedal back and forth to check for clearance from the new flooring. When I went to start the engine the other day I discovered the throttle cable was stuck but not broken. Seems to they get that problem from old age and corrosion. Whew, I am so glad that occurred while it was sitting safely at home base instead of out on the road. Its a 1980 Nissan 720 so I had to special order in a new cable from the east coast that will take a while to arrive on the west coast. I decided not to mess around with just trying to lubricate it due to it being 35 years old. It won't be here for another week so I am working on other tasks.
The radio the PO installed has an Aux in and USB in on the back of the unit. So I went on Ebay and found a cable set with an outlet plug face with USB and AUX in that I can install into the console next to the radio. Its a nice quality radio with a built in HD tuner and an option for Sirrius, blue tooth etc. The blue tooth add on has bad reviews so I did not get that extra add-on and I am not going to pay for satellite radio service so I skipped that option as well. Whoever did the radio install for the PO did a major hack job on it so I fixed that up so it looks nice now. I got a stick of JB Weld Plastic Epoxy Putty for this task and was very pleased with it. It really does make a very strong bond for plastic repair and void filling. It is also good for repairing fiberglass such as filling dings and small cracks. It dries to an off-white color but is paintable. Works for plumbing repairs too so I will keep a stick of it in my RV tool kit for emergency as well as every day kinds of repairs such as filling stripped screw holes.
I sewed a new boot for my gear shift.
I have the headliner in place except for the upper edge and back edge where it transitions into the overcab bed. Those edges won't get finished until I am doing the finished woodworking part of the interior renovation.
Started making the pattern for the new vinyl covering against the back wall of the cab. There used to be shag carpet over that area. But I ripped all that yucky stuff out. I can't put carpet in my RV as if I were to travel with my cats they would instantly turn carpet on any vertical surface into a scratching post. That is going to be a tricky area to finish off nicely with those lumpy uneven cut metal edges but I can manage it.
I bought a 22 mm socket for the nut that holds the steering wheel on. This week I hopefully I will get to O'Reilleys and get the steering wheel puller. The steering wheel is the last piece left of the old ugly UV damaged brown cab interior I have to deal with and I am thrilled to see it all go away. The new interior color scheme in the cab is black and grey.
I will be glad to get the cab renovation done, its too much bending like a pretzel at awkward angles work for my taste. But I had to do it while the weather was nice as a lot of the time I had to be outside the doors reaching into it.
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Article about what situations could be causing the shuddering which is likely misfiring.
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Has anyone tried one of these http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=221705701250&globalID=EBAY-US
It won't be tall enough to clear the coach door on a Toyhome. That is most often going to be the case with shelters that are designed for the smaller low profile trailers or SUVs. But I do like that style of shelter. However some extra sewing modifications many such designs can be adapted for the Toyhomes.
I need to remember to add to my list of measurements the height of the top of the door to the ground plus the distances of the door to the other significant features such as the window, roof, front edge of the coach and rear edge.
Also I need to know what height a skirt from the ground to the lower edge of the coach is. Also needed is thr measurement for how much clearance space is required for the roof plane of a shelter or awning when the door is in the open position. That is a critical measurement for knowing how and where to mount a shelter as you don't want to wear a hole in the roof with the top corner of the door. One of the benefits of screen rooms is being able to leave the door open on rigs like the Sunrader that don't come with screen doors. It is a wise move to bond an extra wear patch layer to the inside surface of a shelter's roof if the door has the potential for the roof to rub against it. That will help prevent holes in the roof.
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The word shudder sounds very much like the word shutter. This kind of spelling error is quite common if you normally hear something in conversation but rarely read that word in context. Most especially so in certain areas of the country were many of the consonant sounds are pronounced with a softer accent on them.
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So are we talking about replacing the bulb or the entire light?
Also I think it was incorrect butyl tape/weather stripping which caused.the leaking and rotting around the window.
It was still pretty soft and almost like silly putty.
That window damn near dropped out when I unscrewed and pried it! X-S
Also I think there was a bad patch job done up where the front seams meet the roof on both sides.
I'm gonna be replacing the wood around the window with good quality treated wood, recaulking, resealing and hopefully this baby'll be better then new!
The butyl tape is supposed to stay soft forever, so its being soft is not an issue, its a good thing.
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I found a used, 11 foot awning for $200 for my 20 foot Dolphin. It rolls out of a hard case mounted near the roof line and opens using a long crank handle. Two legs swing out of the awning and sit on the ground. I love it and I'd like to get one of those screen rooms to attach to the awning. Maybe when I hit Powerball...
If you do get an awning, be sure and put it away at night!
John
The 11' screen room is not super expensive on Ebay. But of course its not free
However I don't know if this one is tall enough for your Dolphin.
There is 10' long screen room for $99.00 on Ebay
I got an 8' (2.5m) long add-a-room from Ebay for $100.00. Brand new but not in the original box.
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There is an interesting awning that was designed for VW camper buses. http://www.busdepot.com/details/awning/ They do sell adapter mounts making it possible to put it on other vehicles such as a Toy Home. They also have taller poles available for it. Takes about 10 minutes to set up once you get to camp, not as fast as an electric opening awning but comparable to a bag awning. It stores in a bag similar in size and shape as those used for the folding camp chairs. The cost of the awning is budget friendly.
There is a screen room available for it. However I am guessing that you may need to sew extra lengths of material around the bottom to make it a bit taller for a Toy Home. You can also purchase a kit to turn the awning plus screen room into a free standing unit. With a bit of sewing and some Keder awning rope from SailRite it could potentially be adapted to slide into the awning rails used for bag awnings.
Having looked at a wide variety of awning and screen room options available in the US I have decided this unit is the way I will go as the weight is fairly light and finding storage space for it won't be difficult. Two sizes available 8' x 8' and 8' x 11'. The 8' is the width out from the side of the vehicle. Europeans have way more choices in awnings and screen rooms than we have in the USA, I sure wish that would change but there has been no movement in that direction other than this product.
I did purchase a used awning and screen room but finally decided they were way too heavy. Even the screen room was heavy and also bulky. But this Bus Depot awing will be easy enough to store up on the overcab bed or behind my cab seats or in a luggage area.
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Thanks for the info! Sorry for the thread jack. I thought it was more appropriate to utilize an already existing thread rather than create a new one for the same topic.
I think I'm going to strongly think about deleting the unit. I think my boondocking days will be limited. If I do decide to boondock I will try to look into a gravity fed solar water heater (big black PVC tube or bag, etc). I will try to locate a more relevant thread for info on that.
Thanks once again Linda for your infinite knowledge!
You can buy a commercially made flat panel solar water heater to put on top of the rig. They run off a small solar powered pump and circulate the water through your hot water heater as part of the loop. Just do an internet search to find them. They use them on boats too.
The big black PVC tube solar heater on an RV is a terrible concept. You don't have enough surface area for the volume of water and you create a dangerous situation where you have a large volume of water rushing around in that big tube whenever you brake or accelerate. That can tear the tube off the roof possibly damaging the roof in the process. Lots of fools try it and post videos about making them but truthfully it is not a viable concept. Just because they posted a video about making it does not mean it actually worked out over time as a reliable system. They try adding baffles but never get that right either. You don't use large tubes to create solar roof top water heaters, you use smaller diameter tubes and most especially so for a moving vehicle.
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Have new gasket, any advice on removing old one and installing new before I Start?
Here are the instructions you need. They are in a document from Dometic that was in the replacement gasket kits. It shows step by step exactly what you should do and also tells you what not to do when you go to remove the old one and how to install the new gasket.
http://www.beamalarm.com/Documents/dometic_gasket_repair.html
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There is a Phasar boondocking full time in my neighborhood this summer.
There are some Le Sharos boondocking as well but they are at the east end of the neighborhood along with another couple of them further north in Seattle. All of them are living in them full time on the city streets.
None of they look to be in good condition, the Phasar is not as bad as the Le Sharos. Not too unusual to see them for sale in Seattle on craigslist they don't sell quickly.
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Anyone who wants to steal them can go to youtube and watch a video on how to remove them without needing the key.
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I have a 1990 Dolphin with a fridge (Dometic RM 2401) that is not working. I plugged it in to electric while the RV was on power and it "ran" but did not get cold. Also lit the propane and ran with that on max cold and it did not get cold. After running a bit I opened the door to the fridge and could smell ammonia. I mentioned this and was told that any ammonia smell means the unit is dead. After this I was told:
I am going to give this a try as either way the fridge needs to come out as I have an AC dorm style fridge I plan to put in there and use with an inverter.
I am wondering if anyone has advice on the easiest/best way to remove the unit. I am particularly concerned about the gas line. My plan was to turn off the propane at the tank and then unhook the fridge, but I am not sure the proper way to cap the pipe or hose that runs to the fridge if there is no valve there.
Thanks!
The gas line from the tank screws into a fitting on the fridge. You will need to go to a hardware store and buy a brass gas line threaded cap that matches the thread type and diameter and use that to cap off the end of the line. Or you might be able to get one from your local RV repair shop. Of course you should do the soapy water check for leaks after you put the cap over the end. Its a pretty easy job, hardest part is finding the right size cap.
The what did you do to your toyhome today thread
in Improvement and Do-It-Yourself Projects you have done to Share!
Posted
A lot of obstructions to work around but a very good job of space planning for getting the max wattage out.