nooga

Oops, just noticed that the auction has ended. Someone apparently bought it before the auction officially ended. Had to be more than the $8,000 that was the highest bid on E-Bay.

The Toyota is being offered for sale by a California charity-related organization. I was interested in one of his offering and asked him how he was always coming up with such mint condition vehicles. He said people often donate their RVs and other vehicles to charities and he sells through E-Bay and other outlets. I suspect that the marketing company he works for has an excellent detailing and repair shop. He sounded legit and used no high pressure tactics. There also is another mint-condition Toyota New Horizon now for sale on E-Bay. It'll be interesting to see the final prices.

Sorry you did not get my answer to those who wanted to know the model number of my Dometic fridge. The model number is RM 2420. I posted the info yesterday and have no idea why it did not get on the forum. Many thanks to all who responded.

Need help. On recent trip, our Dometic fridge was running too cold, freezing stuff in the bottom on the small one-door appliance. We discovered that the spring clip on the upper freezer door was broken and the freezer compartment door did not seal properly. We were running it in electric mode then. After returning home, we replaced the spring clip and put a new gasket seal on the freezer compartment. Now the problem is worse than ever. We have our 1994 Itasca Spirit parked in a storage lot and we are currently trying to troubleshoot the problem in gas mode. First we set the thermostat on 5, but water in the fridge--bottom and top--froze overnight. Then we tried it at 4. Same result. It is now set on 2 but we suspect that the thermostat may be faulty. Has anyone out there experienced a similar problem or have any idea what the problem is? Fridges are expensive so I hope we can zero in on the problem.

The saga continues. Last night my hyper meticulous better half went onto the RV.net class C forum and printed out about eight pages on the benefits--or lack thereof--of air bags, which led her to question the need for air spring suspension Most of the RV.net folks seemed think that air suspension was a waste of money if you wanted to achieve a smoother ride. Most of their responses were contrary to everything I have learned about RVing. If you want a smoother ride, let air out of your tires to the minimum safety level; fill up your holding tanks while on the road and keep your gas tank topped off so the heavier load would smooth out the ride. There were snippets of good advice--install better shocks, anti-sway bars, etc. Bottom line, wifie now thinks we should hold off on the air bags. I pointed out that the RV.net folks generally drove bigger rigs (someone said the average length was 27 feet) powered by big V-10 and V8 engines. Their rigs have much more storage space, which they apparently load to the hilt. There was little concern about fuel efficiency lost by having softer tires and heavier loads. That is a big concern to me and was the main reason I bought my Toyota. Lot of other RVers apparently think so, too, since 6-cylinders vehicles--Rialta, Winnie Vista and well-preserved Toys seem to be commanding top prices on the resale market. I'm looking for as smooth a ride as possible without sacrificing mileage. Any thoughts on the RV.net thread?

Thanks for all the good advice. I'll tell you how it all comes out.

Linda--It was Firestone who told me to go to Camping World. I'm taking the MH down to a local Midas shop in the morning to get an estimate. Owner said he's need to get it up on the rack before giving me a no-cost estimate. Will have him check the shocks while there. I have found the Air Ride kit with the quoted price of $425 for as low as $260 on line. It's nice to know that a small 12-volt compressor can do the job. Thank for the help.

Linda--I have thoroughly checked for air bags under the MH and there is no sign of any ever being installed. Checked, too, when I bought it and previous owner said there were no bags. My owner's manual says that "these vehicles are available with rear air bag suspension." So I assume they were offered as optional equipment. I'm hoping that upon closer inspection I might find some wires, hoses, etc. for air bags built into the coach in case a buyer wanted the option. I don't like Camping World either and the estimate did not come from them--a smaller, local dealer. Will keep checking. Maybe a good backyard mechanic would tackle the job.

I would like to install air bags on my "Bouncing Betty" 1994 Shasta Spirit. I asked several shocks and springs shops if they could install them if I bought them on-line. They all said they didn't do that kind of work and directed me to Camping World and another RV dealership. Got one estimate of $874 plus tax, broken down into $429 for an Air Lift kit, $210 in labor and $25 n miscellaneous cost. Based on the experience of you veterans, does this sound reasonable? The labor sounds pretty reasonable but I have priced kits on-line for much less than $429. The Air Life kit in quote apparently does not include an on-board compressor, a convenience I would like to have. Haven't priced one yet. In case the cost is prohibitive, what do air-springs drivers without an on-board compressor do to adjust the ride when out on the road or to level the MH when parked? I assume that would require a portable air compressor so how powerful should it be? Any help would be appreciated. Nooga

What did you use on the floor---wood, composite or vinyl? It looks great.

Nam, how did you gain access behind wall for bolt/washer/nut assembly? Did you take the sliding door out first?

Glad to hear that no one is taking me serious. Thought I would inject a little humor into the discussion on a slow Monday. Or maybe I was fantasying abut zipping down the highway at 75 MPH, blowing by a police radar. Nooga

I'm sure there been a lot of discussion on this forum about radar detectors and what is the best, most accurate way to avoid speeding tickets. I am thinking about buying a Passport detector for by Itasca Spirit but wonder if anyone out there has any better recommendations.

I have spent the better part of a week preparing my 1995 Itasca Spirit for a good waxing. After cleaning up the black streaks, road tar, bugs and preping the surface with Mother's Clay Bar de-oxidation cleaner, I hit the wall as I was preparing to apply Meguire's wax by hand with no buffer. I said to myself, there must be a better way to finish off the job. I headed to the nearest Auto Zone and explained my dilemma to the manager. He convinced me that Lucas Slick Mist would solve my problem--just spray it on, wipe it off with no buffing. Good for all surfaces and can be applied wet or dry and in full sunshine if necessary. I had never heard of the stuff. Anyone out there with any experience with this stuff?

Thanks. Inverters are the way to go. Seems to be handy devices even if I stick to propane to keep beer cold while driving.

I have a gas/110 volt Dometic fridge. Is there any way to easily add 12 volt capability to make it a 3-way cooling unit? I prefer redundancy in MH appliances whenever possible.

Sky Dancer: Thanks for your help. Will take your advice on planks to drain the roof. Gulfstream Greg: What would you use to treat the roof if I do eventually decide to paint?

My 1994 Itasca Spirit has a one-piece aluminum roof that is now in good shape. However, I have not read much in these forum posts on the best way to care and maintain aluminum tops. For example, the roof in now unpainted and un-coated. I wonder if it should be painted to give a little extra protection? Or is this unnecessary and might create more problems down the line? Any advice will be appreciated.

Nooga sez: Thanks to those who responded with suggestions on how to replace a tail-light bulb. I'm finding that easy tasks are more complicated with motorhomes compared to cars. Frustrating but keeps me busy and un-bored.

This is probably the dumbest plea for help you guys have ever heard but here goes. One of the tail-light bulbs on my 1994 Itasca Spirit is out. I tried to replace it today but called it off until I did more research. I unscrewed the screws on the plastic but couldn't easily pry them off the housing where the wiring is. I was afraid I would break the plastic. Then I turned my attention to the housing but it seemed there must be an easier way since taking off the housing would require a whole re-caulking job. Any suggestions from anyone who has done this?

My 1994 Itasca Spirit does not have a ladder on the back. My friendly RV technician told me that it would be very expensive to install one since the lack of built-in anchors would require taking off part of the roof to install proper anchors. Yet, I see most of the Toys shown in pics have ladders. Does the technician know what he is talking about? Or did all owners of laddered Toys do it the hard and expensive way?