FredNewell
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Posts posted by FredNewell
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Dolphin as late as 84 had gloss painted aluminum skin, and an aluminum roof. A little later, Dolphin had a fiberglass skin of some sort. I don't know if Dolphin ever went to rubber EDPM roofing. Yes, the Dolphin is wood studding and roof joists. Yes they rot if water is introduced.
The sticks and staples with aluminum skin can be ok. Can be repaired up to a point.
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My other motorhome is a 35' FC Bluebird Wanderlodge.
To own a Wanderlodge and maintain it, runs around $300 per month, even if you don't use it much. That cost includes most of the work being DIY, and includes tires every 5-7 years ($4000 give or take), and replacement batteries ($600-$1000) which may only last 2-3 years. Filling the fuel tank can put a major dent in a $1000 wallet.
The Dolphin is much more rustic, less luxury, goes just as fast, is just as much fun, is better for the Oregon coast and mountain camping. In comparison of build quality, the Dolphin is sticks and staples... the Wanderlodge is solid steel. I lived in my Wanderlodge for 3 years, and it is quiet, and just plain cool.
They both have their place, but for my big trip this fall, I'm taking the Dolphin. I'll save at least a grand in fuel costs.
Both rigs attract attention.
You can buy a really good Dolphin for $8000. A really good Wanderlodge for $15-35 grand, depending. You can buy both for the price of an almost new Honda Accord. The new Dolphin probably cost $25-30,000 in 1984. The Wanderlodge cost $300,000 back in 1989. I bought it 5 years ago for a song, and it was in excellent shape. Drove it home from Cadillac Michigan... and the first fill-up took $700. But the tank lasted 1400 miles. Yes, 50 cents per mile for fuel at 7.5-8 mpg.
The view from the driver seat is the same.
"Toyota" is what makes the Dolphin good. Otherwise, it is just an old camper.
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Started it up, first time with new vac hoses. Wow, it really runs smoother.
I also had some after market spark plug wires that would slip off the plug every 1000 miles or so. Ever climbed the rockies on I-80 using only 3 cylinders?
I went back with oem wires from a Toyota dealer. They stay on, and don't slip.
Also cleaned and re-attached all of the ground to body connections on the electrical. Makes evil things go away.
New side view mirrors. Bigger to park easier with. Ordered from Mill Supply.
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Thanks Darrel. You use yours, as do I.
Fred
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Darrel,
How would you compare the Winnebago to the Dolphin?
Choke issue? Not checked out yet. I still have my can of start fluid, just in case.
We hang a thick sleeping bag off of the bunk in order to separate the cab from the cabin. It makes it much much quieter.
Taking my battery into Oreilley's for a test today. Bought it last month and it doesn't seem to hold a charge.
Old motorhomes always have something that needs fixed. Fortunately, these Toyota MH's are relatively cheep to fix. Actually, new rigs require attention and require skills/cash all the time. It must be something you really like, and can afford.
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Leaving in one week.
Humboldt County CA/Minden NV/Alamo NV/Gallup NM/Tumcumcari NM/Alma AR/Smyrna TN/(car trip without motorhome to Madison WI, Chicago, Branson MO, Madison WI, back to Smyrna TN)/Return route in motorhome will be based on weather.
Be home for Thanksgiving.
I may have lost count, but this is probably our 7th or 8th such road trip in the Dolphin.
We usually get stopped by cops under some false pretense because of our Humboldt County CA plates and checked for "whatever" transport. TN, ARK, OKLAHOMA. One we were in a health food store watching out the window while cops parked behind our rig and had their flashlights peering into our back window. Creepy to say the least.
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Thanks, will try it tomorrow.
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Here is how I (improperly) start my 22R engine when it is cold.
Pump the gas twice, then at half way on the gas pedal, I crank the engine, and it usually won't start.
Buy a can of starting fluid, and insert a skinny tube at the spray part of the can.
Loosen the wing nut on the air cleaner, and give a shot of fluid into the carb.
Tighten the wing nut.
Start the engine... pump the gas twice, hold the pedal half way down, crank the engine for no more than 10 seconds. It usually starts.
Now I know this ain't how it should be.
Anyone care to set me straight. I seem to have forgotten how to start a carb'd vehicle.
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Changed the vacuum hoses. 22R. Went to Oreilleys auto parts. Bought 15' of hose, sized to fit the plastic fitting from the truck. Used all but 7'. $9.60.
Beware there is a 3-way fitting in front of the engine 2" away from the distributor. You could easily remove this to take it into the parts store just to make sure the hose fits. Then when you get home, you don't know which way to go back, not realizing it is a check valve, not just a splitter. Fortunately, I have a photo of my engine compartment... been there, done that...
Be gentle. In my case, all of the hoses went onto metal parts, except for the 3-way. If you break something, good luck finding the part to replace. Might get relatively expensive.
There were seven hoses on my California equipped truck. Easy job. One hose at a time. Not "remove all hoses then wonder where each goes". Just saying.
First hose change since 1984. 'Bout time.
Yes, the wisdom is to use 3mm hose, but the one I bought fit the fitting best. No I did not use silicone. Didn't use Amazon because I wanted to do it now/today.
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I uploaded some photos in the gallery section, but did it poorly. Moderator, please feel free to delete.
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Leon's muffler in Eureka.
They are a full service auto shop.
You get what you pay for. They have a good reputation with the locals.
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30 minutes and the install is done. I love watching someone else work on my truck. $120 including disposal of old tires.
Hummel Tire, Fortuna CA. They are in town, just off of the 101. Next time I would get a quote for tires from them, to support local business.
Anyway... When I take the trip next week, I'll be gone a month plus. I won't be concerned with the age of my tires. Rig is ready! Feels good like a kid with new shoes.
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FWIW, I called a local brick and mortar store. Les Schwab. They quoted 20 per tire plus 16 for balance. 36x6=forget it. Just thought I'd check their prices. They were apologetic but really don't think it will grow their business. I guess online tire purchase has hit them in the wallet.
I have another store who is happy do the install.
Les Schwab has long been my go-to store. Spent 3600 on six tires a while back, plus all brake and alignment work there.
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Moved from Arroyo Grande to Humboldt county back in 2001. SLO is a great area. Used to work at DCPP. Pismo Beach is one the world's best beaches, IMO.
We've met really nice folks over the past 8 years of our Dolphin travels. Some folks like to talk, others don't.
There seems to be no standard etiquette. On the open road, we flash headlights, and the other Toyota often returns the same.
I've noticed that our 84 Dolphin is usually the only rig of this vintage at RV parks. We have no slide-outs, and no toad. Exception would be one time up near Portland there was a vintage RV group. We gave a neighbor a tour. They also showed us theirs.
I painted my back bumper with some black "bed liner paint" from Rustoleum, today. Tomorrow I re-seal the roof area, and will do an exterior wax job. New tires to be installed next week. We're getting ready for our yearly NorCal - Wisconsin - Nashville trip. A month of fun. In the middle of it all, we team up with two Canadian couples (wife's sisters) and we rent an AirBnB house in Branson MO for a week while the Dolphin hides out in Nashville at a kid's house. We travel in the fall, because it is our rule... if we need A/C, then we ain't going.
Every year, on our way home, I think of selling the Dolphin, but we keep hanging on. Every year we fix it up a little. It's a very economical motorhome. If I sold it, I'd want another rig, and the proceeds from the Dolphin might almost pay the sales tax and registration on a late model or new MH.
I ramble.
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6x$15 for installation, plus $5 each for disposal. But I did save sales tax and other fees.
The twenty dollar bill has become the new five.
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UPDATE: JUST REC'D TIRES. TODAY IS 9/11, DELIVERY TOOK 9 DAYS TO NORTH CALIFORNIA. TIRE DATE 3217. 32ND WEEK IN 2017 IF I AM INTERPRETING CORRECTLY. ALL TIRES CAME NOT BOXED, BUT STRAPPED IN PAIRS (THREE PAIRS) VIA FEDEX. Load Range D.
All is ok for me. But if I were being picky, I'd want newer tires if available.
sorry about the all caps...
Love you guys.
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Just ordered a set of 6 from Amazon using the link provided above. 86 bucks each no tax free shipping. I'll update later. Fastlane Tire is the retailer on Amazon.
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WME - not that irrelevant, but the feeling of freeway driving at 65-70 mph with new tires is WAY better than 8 year old tires.
I had a set of 5 year old Michelins from Costco fail... 3 of 4 tires with sidewall rot. I pulled into a gas station in Rock Springs WY and saw one was low. I filled it, then the other side was low. Returning to the first side, the tire I had just filled was already loosing air. I cancelled my Marriot reservations in SL City, and stayed at the local motel, then limped one block on flat tires to an American Tire Store. Several hundred bucks later, I was back on my way. First and only experience like that.
I confess, I was driving close to 80 mph on I-80 westbound just before Rock Springs.
The car had just been through a couple of Wisconsin winters and I was bringing it back home to sunny CA. Acura Legend, it was.
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Well, It has been a while since logging in... Probably tire time again because I plan to keep the Dolphin going for a few more trips. My Sears Tire receipt from October 2010 shows seven of the RA08 tires @ 97.81 each plus fees etc and balancing.
38,000 miles and the tread is still deep. Never had problems. I did keep the pressure checks up.
So is this still the "go to" tire? Any better tires or amazing deals?
Man... 8 years already, and total reliability truck wise. The coach... sticks and staples... but no leaks due to handyman level maintenance.
No complaints.
Thanks!
Fred
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The road closure is for a federal road repair project (not CalTrans). They close from 8-12, 1-5 give or take, Monday thru Thursday. Friday they open at 2:30 PM for the weekend traffic.
The closure is at mile marker 36. The camp is at marker 35.2.
On Friday, there was a medevac helicopter land right next to us, on the property, to take a driver who was injured on HWY-36. This is a pretty crazy highway, not recommended for normal folks. Just us crazy folks. Humboldt County is crazy and proud of it.
We had a great weekend.
The propane regulator on the dolphin blew out after the first night. Spent the rest of the weekend without propane. Fortunately, we had hot shower and kitchen facilities included in the deal.
FWIW, if you are interested in our craziness, there is a local gal who runs a local news service. Search... Readheaded Blackbelt.
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Heading out to a private campground 40 miles away, for our annual family camp. Four days of relaxation, pool with lifeguard for the kids. Nice and quiet. Commercial kitchen where we all take turns at food prep and cleanup. Triumphant Life Camp on HWY 36.
8 of my 11 grandkids will be there. They are excited and have anticipated this all summer, more so than the eclipse.
School starts after this weekend.
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Aww... go head... pull the ring!
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Well, I'm about to torque the rear dual wheel nuts. I was going to ask what torque since the original 85# sticker seems to be for the original factory arrangement.
I'm going ahead with 150# plus a little dry without lube.
I probably need a seal overhaul, but how
in General Discussion
Posted · Edited by FredNewell
bonehead typing error
Dicor makes two types of sealant. Leveling (for the roof where there are bolts/screws) and non-leveling (on the side of your rig).
The over cab leak... might just be the running lights that are over the window. Get a ladder, climb up and look. Maybe your window is ok. Maybe it is not the seam. Been there done that.
Silicone is difficult to remove. Silicone is not the preferred goop according to the many online experts. Silicone may be there from a previous owner, or the original factory stuff.
Go online and you can research this. Lots of youtube videos out there.
Yes you can pull a window out, clean up, replace wth butyl tape. You could even get the window tinted while it is out. Butyl tape should be enough, to stop the leak. Other's opinion's may say add a bead of non-leveling decor - AFTER cleaning off any old silicone. Good luck getting 100& of the silicone off. Online guidance may help with the silicone issue. Careful about scrubbing and damaging the paint. Keep it pretty.
DICOR is not silicone.
Maybe silicone isn't evil, maybe this is just my preference. I just don't care for it.
Good luck, you can do it if you don't mind putting some tunes into you ears, and doing bonehead labor for an afternoon. The labor cost??? if you don't want to DIY, check around.
When I bought my dolphin, the previous owner had just replaced the roof a/c with a used unit. The work was done by a shop in Stockton CA. It worked fine, but the bonehead installer didn't use the proper seal between the a/c unit and the motorhome roof. It should have had square gasket that cost like $15. The dealer used silicone glue instead. What a mess, and what a leak.
I removed the a/c, hung it off the roof with a rope for my wife to guide to the ground. She twisted her knee and we took our 30 day vacation with her in a knee bandage and a cane. She is ok now.. but I'd like to tune up the guy who installed the a/c wrong.
My point... Don't let stupid people repair your rv. Get as smart as you can. Youtube is your friend. At least if you are smart, you can know if the guy you hire is smart, or just a bonehead.
Did I say "bonehead" again?