RiggerRob

This is an '86 Sunland Express - the chassis is identical to mine and I can 100 percent guarantee that is a 1 ton full floater. I'd snatch that up if I had a place to put it. It looks to be in great shape and has the rare rear dinette setup. Someone took the time to do a nice remodel too. These campers also are built on an all aluminum frame which is uncommon. It's still 37 years old so you'll always have stuff to work on. Most importantly get a good look at the roof if you do go look at it.

Here's a link to the lights similar to the ones I used on my Sunland Express: https://hitchshops.com/i-8516874-bargman-led-taillight-84-recessed-triple-long-horizonal-mount-red-backup-amber-black.html Wiring is identical to the old ones and is pretty straight forward. They're still too short by 5 or 6 inches but the width is good. I used pieces of FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Panel) to cover up the holes (see photo). I did this years ago so I didn't do a particularly neat or pretty job of it. A couple of additional notes: - Make sure to seal not only around the opening of the lights but also the lens covers themselves. Mine quickly filled up with water but I was able to disassemble them and clean them and reseal them. - The backup light bulbs are incandescent but you can source LED replacements for them if you like. - The center LED in the brake light will always glow a faint red. The whole unit is sealed in the back so there's no way to add a resistor or anything to compensate. Not enough current draw to drain the battery but you'll get constant warnings from people that your lights are on. - This video describes how to fix the "fast flashing" turn signal issue. I just cut my resistor off the board and have had no problems with it since. Relay is located in the drivers side fuse panel on the left under the dash. Good luck! -Rob

This is the converter I used to replace the old one in my '86 Sunland Express: https://www.amazon.com/WFCO-WF-8735-P-Black-Power-Center/dp/B004LF14Q4 Going on 4 years with no issues at all. Replacement is fairly straight forward. WFCO also offers an "updated" version that seems to be the same thing. The Camping World one you linked is a 45 amp converter - you won't need one that large for your Sunland Express. I would encourage you to replace the old A/C breakers as well - my original ones were in such bad shape they crumbled to dust when I took them out. Also, the A/C breaker contacts on the old converter were melted and starting to short out - big time fire hazard! The new converter doesn't come with A/C breakers - you can grab them at any big box hardware store or at an electrical supply house. The new converter wasn't a perfect fit so I framed in scrap pieces of trim to close the gaps. Good luck!

Just measured mine and it is almost exactly 6 feet. I included a couple of interior pics to give you an idea...The A/C shroud sticks down about 2 inches so if you're 6 feet tall or taller you'll be hitting your head a lot.

Homer, Don't know if you remember me but I'm the other guy in Haywood County with an '86 Sunland Express. We touched bases a few years back - I still have the camper and have done a full remodel on it. I bought land up by Cataloochee and she's up there with me now (4,000 feet). As of last year our campers turned 35 years old and no longer require a safety inspection in NC. My last vehicle tax bill said 'no inspection required' as I recall. Not sure about other states but as an owner of 3 vehicles it was a relief for me. Additionally, as of last year, vehicles 20 years old and older don't require an emissions test in Haywood County. I hope you are well, let's be in touch - I'd love to see your camper sometimes! -Rob

Can't say enough good things about SDTrucksprings.com. They were inexpensive and delivered fast. Got my airbag kit for my 1986 Sunland Express from them, too. You won't believe the difference in the ride when you swap these out. Good luck!

Just wanted to add a couple things. I do all my own work - including mechanical - so take into consideration how much you are willing to pay someone to do the work if you are not 'handy-inclined'. Also, check out the chimney in your fridge and hot water heater. I had birds nests in my fridge chimney compartment and the metal chimney is pretty corroded. Speaking of that watch out for wasp nests when you are replacing plastic roof covers (learned from experience)! Fortunately I found a great RV repair guy who has salvage parts for cheap - he had a like-new A/C shroud for my Coleman Mach II for only $20.00! If you can find a guy like this make him your buddy. A lot of the light covers are very hard to find and locksets for the rear door are almost impossible to replace new. I mentioned that I replaced my interior lights with LEDs. If I had to do it over - And I think I will - I would just replace the whole fixture - they're only about 15 bucks on eBay and you can find the link for them here on this forum. Search function is your friend - I'm off to search for the fix for fast blinking LED turn signals, see y'all later! -Rob

86 Sunland Express full timer here. Expect to replace everything made of plastic, especially anything on the roof. I had a lot of rotted rubber hoses - vacuum lines, transmission cooler lines, radiator hoses, etc. My master brake cylinder was bad, as well as my coach battery and converter relay. I have been upgrading/replacing/repairing stuff on this thing constantly, including a new timing chain at 170K (this is a ticking time bomb in 22R engines) and you can also expect idler pulleys, harmonic balancers, belts and other spinning things to be at or close to replacement time. Your shocks and springs will probably be shot, too. I am getting ready to replace all my exhaust components from the engine back because of rusted out studs and a giant exhaust pipe leak - as mentioned by others, pretty much what you can expect on a 30-year-old truck. I replaced all the running lights, interior lights, tail lamps and turn signals with LEDs. I just finished a bunch of work on it yesterday - tough to find time as I full-time and travel out of state a lot for work - and my brand new Bilstein shocks and airbag kit just arrived. I'm putting 6 new tires on it as well - my rig came with great tires but if you full time expect to get 2 to 3 good years out of a set (YMMV). Being my first RV, I went through a steep learning curve about backing up and parking and running into stuff and ended up breaking a lot of things that were good when I got it (i.e. awning, black water tank, side mirrors, etc.). Truth be told, I'd have been completely lost if it hadn't have been for this forum and the helpful folks on it. But I wouldn't change it for a thing. It's a sturdy rig and drives like a dream, and most of all, it's my little home! That is a great looking rig in the ad. I love the big back window and it looks clean and well kept but $9900 is far too high for this kind of camper. You can score a 89-92 era 6 cylinder model for that easily. I paid $3400 cash for mine with good tires and pretty much everything working. Good luck with whatever you choose to do - I've seen other Sunland Expresses come up for sale so keep looking.

Same as in my quote - still haven't done it yet, seems pretty straight forward but I don't have the right stuff to draw down a vacuum or evacuate the lines properly. Also, if you don't properly lubricate the compressor (it comes with the right type of oil) you can easily wreck the compressor. Might do it when I have "extra" cash, heh heh.

Hey, Red: I have a 1986 Sunland Express with the aftermarket A/C compressor installed - looks identical to the picture. It was dead - it's a single wire compressor and it wouldn't kick over even with 12 volts present, so I ordered the Volvo kit off of eBay from here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/VOLVO-740-760-780-940-DKS15BH-A-C-COMPRESSOR-NEW-KIT-/121076323776?hash=item1c30b615c0 I still haven't installed it yet (haven't had the time, tools or know-how) although all the components look identical. Let me know if you have any luck with it... -Rob

Sounds like you got a great deal for 12 at $48.00. I replaced all 12 of mine (7 red in the back, 5 amber in the front) with these guys: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDWWZTM?redirect=true&ref_=s9_ps_ot_d99_g263_i1 $7.00 a pop but 6 LEDs and BRIGHT, huge improvement over the incandescent originals. Had to redrill one hole and then sealed the bases all the way around with clear silicon adhesive - still good & leak free after a couple months

86 Sunland Express owner here. Linda S - I thought the Sunland was an aluminum frame build but I could be wrong. Very solid quality, mine is burgundy red inside, kind of a nice break from the duff brown and grey interiors. I have a 6 lug rear axle, pretty sure all of them had it by this time. I've been full timing in this for almost 2 years and am so happy with its driveability and reliability. It's a little different in appearance from Dolphins or Sunraders of the era so I get a lot of positive comments on it. With a 22REC - the first of the fuel injected Toyota four bangers - it ain't no powerhouse but I've taken it up to Mt. Pisgah (6000 ft plus) any number of times and the original owner took it out west and put the first 130,000 miles on it. You won't be going anywhere in a hurry in this guy so I would advise the "Blue Highway" approach - these rigs aren't really designed for long term 80 mph cruising on the interstate (imho) so enjoy the slow ride! The roof is solid aluminum for the most part - watch out for the "luggage rack" on the back - they catch on tree limbs, break off and can cause leaks. I have a dorky rotatable VHF TV antenna up there that I still haven't really figured out what to do with. I replaced all the old running lights with led's as well as the interior lights, and am getting ready to install my first solar panel. Biggest things to look out for are tire condition, obvious water damage, drive train and cooling system (VERY important) condition and coach battery condition (my original one was crap). this has a 30lb horizontal propane tank - I've had no problems with my gas system but I have been turned down at one place for a fill (Tractor Supply, grrrr) because I couldn't verify the age of the tank. Keep in mind that these RV's are going on 30 years old so even if they are well kept there are going to be a lot of little things to fix. In particular, all the plastic stuff gets really brittle from continuous UV exposure. I think the overall quality might be a little higher than other RV's of this period but I'm a little biased.... Ask me anything about it and I'd be happy to post current pics. There are also a couple other Sunland Express folks on here - and a gold mine of info you won't find anywhere else - but I'll let them speak for themselves... -Rob

Homer, I would love to see your Sunland Express some time. i'm in Asheville but come up to Waynesville (Hazelwood) on a pretty regular basis in my '86 Sunland Express. I love the ladder and the neat way you did the insulation. it would be good to compare notes. Have a happy and safe New Year, hope to hear from you soon! -Rob

i installed Reflectix last year in my over head front and side windows and have had great results. I actually used foil tape around the edges to get a semi-permanent seal. What I've noticed after almost a year of exposure to sunlight, is that the Reflectix foil is starting to fade and become gradually translucent over time - has anyone else had this issue? I'm looking at replacing it soon, not an expensive proposition but just curious if anyone has encountered the same phenomenon.

Awwwww... Jdfrost, would love to see the progress on your Sunland Express and share suggestions and tales of wonder and woe. I'm currently full timing in my rig which makes major overhaul and repairs a challenge. My current project list - install my new 3-row brass radiator (thanks, Linda, for pointing me in the right direction for that) and install my new 100-watt solar panel on the roof. I'm blessed in having gotten one in fairly new shape - I've done more damage to it from backing in to crap than it previously had its whole life... Hard to find a lot of info on them as there don't seem to be lot of them out there. Any of you guys want to meet up at Earth Fare or Katuah Mart (one of my new favorite hang outs, great off street parking and free internet) and compare notes, I'm up for it any time. Hope everyone is staying warm, we're looking at temps in the teens by tomorrow night...

Mine's the Sunland Express with the red and silver trim - I'm at Earth Fare a lot, and see the World Happiness Party one all the time. Glad he finally painted it, it looked hideous before he did. Doctor Dave, the mechanic on Haywood Road, has an '84 Sunrader and we just met up in West Asheville for the first time the other day. The other one is parked by Blue Mountain Pizza in Weaverville, which was my old haunt when it used to be called the Cafe Raven Moon. Someone left a note on my windshield last year claiming they've been full timing in a Sunland Express in West Asheville but I've yet to lay eyes on it. Time for an Asheville meet'n'greet?

Dream version of my '86 Sunland Express - looks beautiful BUT - minus the cool solar panels, low mileage (I had 150,000 original), almost identical to mine and I paid $3400.00 cash... Seems a little expensive to me but YMMV... ;-)

Yeah, as a former Navy ET with 4 years of sea time it reminds me of the same thing. Like Linda, I've been wanting to write a long, gushy post about how infatuated I am with my baby. I have to say I have never had a relationship with any other wheeled vehicle quite like this. I've been in it 8 months and the magic still hasn't really worn off.

Big Spring tune-up today. Replaced master brake cylinder, bled brakes, adjusted valves, inspected timing chain guides, new valve cover gasket, oil change with new high cap filter, new air cleaner, new plugs, new distributor cap and rotor, all new belts. Bought a new PCV valve but couldn't seem to get the old one out of the valve cover - anyone else have a problem with this? She starts on the first key turn now and runs smooth as silk. Here's to another 155,000 miles!

Dometic RM2400 in my Sunland Express. I think my thermostat's broken (turns all the way around with no friction, doesn't seem to matter where I set it) and I can probably source a new one for around $90.00, but it seems like it hovers around 30 degrees in the fridge when it gets warmer so I'm just happy it gets as cold as it does - besides, I'd have to practically gut the thing to get a new thermostat in there. It also depends on how much stuff you have packed in there and how much you access the fridge. I'm super impressed that I can keep everything this cold on that tiny little propane flame - why aren't our domestic refrigerators run on gas for the most part? Electric compressors are heat hogs and use a lot more power...

Just had my driver's side mirrors involuntarily removed during the last snowstorm so I got the 6x6 1/2 replacements at NAPA. Re-used the old loop brackets, glad I kept all the busted pieces. Good as new now - NAPA has chrome and white for around $20 a pop, both flat and convex.

Thanks, Derek - just the information I needed. This will probably be a springtime project once I determine whether or not I hit the road and where I want to go...:-)

Thanks, Linda - got a solid offer to stay in tonight and I'm taking advantage of it! I'll get on the reflectix thing, got lots of Velcro. God bless that little engine, still kicking over with no gas pedal at 5F... I'll head back out when the mercury gets back above 20F on Wednesday...

What's everybody's take on this setup? http://m.ebay.com/itm/141098055682?nav=SEARCH&sbk=1 Seems reasonably priced, but how hard to install? Will it fit on my rig? And will it get my poor rear end off the ground enough to justify it? I've already knocked a hole in my black water tank from dragging my behind on something, probably backing out of an incline ( I know, poor choice but I'm new to this and still learning)... Any thoughts?

Holy moley, it's gonna get cold here in Asheville, NC tonight. -2F with wind chills of -35F tonight. I'll be interested to see how the little furnace in my Sunland Express holds up on a night like this. Trying to find leeward parking to stay out of the wind - my biggest challenge has been dealing with the cold leakage that comes around the window frames, especially from the big front window in the cab over. I haven't had the money, weather or time to do a fancy insulated panel for up there so I just throw a pillow against the window near my head to keep the draft off my face. I have a super heavy fleece blanket that I use as a mattress pad, a heavy sarape on top of that, and a combination of goose down and fleece blankets to roll up in. I wear sweats and an under armor too and usually stay pretty snug. worst case scenario - I have one of those Vietnam-era marine sleeping bags that's good down to -35F, but I find that too confining (slept in a tent in it all last summer). The furnace keeps up pretty well and is easy on the propane as long as I keep the thermostat at 60. It seems like I could keep a lot of the heat from escaping from the coach if I could throw some heavy blankets against the big windows behind the venetian blinds. Also I need to come up with a covering for the bottom of the vent fans - they let in way too much light and probably let a lot of heat out, as well. Just found out I have an option to stay indoors tonight if I like and I just may have to sit this cold-behind night out indoors...