FredNewell

Nice.

Here's a suggestion. Bluebird Wanderlodge pre-1980 that is not air suspension but springs. Forward Control (front engine) diesel. They are very well insulated and solid all-steel construction. No wood to rot. They are built for comfort and can pull a load. They are a well kept secret. Way different than a Toyota mh, but you ought to surf the net to get acquainted with them. Pre-1980 because they get fancier as the years get newer, and more complex mechanically and electrically. Spring suspension for dirt roads - anywhere a school bus could go. 7-8 mpg diesel. Lend themselves to extended boondocking if set up right. 55-60 mph on hwy, slow up mountains. Very classy, like a vintage airstream. Stay away from a big project, find one that is in excellent condition. They've probably depreciated about as far as they will go.

"many here in this forum are die hard (present self included) want to improve it to get that 1% improvement types." Yeah, I find myself fixing and upgrading to the point that I've exceeded the cash value of the vehicle. But it's what I like to do. I run older cars with lotsa miles on them. I wonder at myself sometimes traveling cross county in a 30+ year old Toyota MH. We could just take a car and stay at nice hotels for the same price. This is just how we roll.

How can talking about propane, tires, tanks, wood rot, and gas mileage be a cult? I've not really seen anything here that crosses into politics or exclusivity. Just simple and often helpful discussion.

'Just an opinion, but many would benefit from doing the hobo thing at least once in their life... or something similar. It gives perspective. You find out how much you really do or don't need to live well.

hobo (from online urban dictionary) a hobo is an itinerant worker, a career which sprang up during the depression. A hobo, unlike a bum or a tramp, is more than willing to work, but mostly for a short duration, as their main impetus is travel, the love of the journey above the actual destination. A bum is stationary, feeding off of those unfortunate enough to cross his path; a hobo merely travels from town to town, finding work when he can, but only for the sake of financing his next adventure. NEVER call a hobo a bum...they'll kick your sorry no-bo a**! "When I first started hobo'in, I took a freight train to be my friend -John Lee Hooker

Found this UV clear paint online - worth a try maybe - Krylon is probably available at your neighborhood hardware store. Krylon® Fusion for Plastic® Clear Finish KRYLON® FUSION FOR PLASTIC® AEROSOL PAINT is the first paint of its kind that bonds directly to most plastics. This no-prep, superbond paint bonds easily to PVC pipes, plastic conduit, vinyl molding and siding. •No sanding or priming needed •Clear UV protection •Resists dirt and color fade •Indoor/Outdoor use on most plastics and hard to bond surfaces also this... $22.06 + Free Shipping Sold by: WEGOTTHEGOODS4U Add to Cart $22.06 + Free Shipping Sold by: iboats Add to Cart $22.50 + Free Shipping Sold by: Speedom Sports 19 new from $17.08 303 (30306) Protectant Trigger Sprayer, 32 fl. oz 303 (30306) Protectant Trigger Sprayer, 32 fl. oz by 303 Products 732 customer reviews | 103 answered questions List Price: $23.25 Price: $22.06 Free Shipping for Prime Members You Save: $1.19 (5%) In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. • Powerful UV blockers prevent fading, cracking and premature aging • Dries to a clear matte finish • Restores lost color and luster • Easy to use: Simply spray on and wipe dry • Safe and effective for: vinyl, Plexiglas, carbon fiber, rubber, plastics and finished leather › See more product details 19 new from $17.08

Linda S. I hope you're right about the 17 gallon tank on the 84. Mine sputtered like it was empty once then I stopped and added my 2 gallon spare gas can contents. The next gas station was 12 miles, and I filled up... it seemed like the total capacity came in at less than 17... maybe just over 15 gallons. As a result I've been very shy about going beyond 200 miles per tank. When I go "under" to change out the shocks, I'm going to tape measure the tank and see what volume I come up with. I've been meaning to do that for a couple of years now. I wonder what other surprises are "down there"? Fred - 84 dolphin

Been a while - getting the Dolphin ready to go to Nashville and back (again). Other than the basic check-out, I thought my only repair task would be to replace the shocks. First I gave it a washdown starting on the roof. I found the 14"x14" roof vents to be rotted to dust - and they are only in their third year since I replaced them. That really surprised me. Good thing we're having a drought. No big deal, they're easy to fix, but I never expected them to be shot so quickly. I'm thinking the quality isn't what it used to be. I don't have the receipt so I cannot tell which brand they were. I've had rvs for 35 years now, and never had roof vents break down in the sun before, so soon.

Sounds about right.

Thank you for the data. It appears that most of the rigs are geared to be capable of relative efficiency at approx 60 mph, and can do 70 but with decreased mpg.

Good stuff. Realistic 12-14 mpg seems to be the norm.

My experience with class c Ford motorhome with 460 v8 was positive, but 7 mpg. The model year was 1978. With a 1982 class c chevy with 350 v8, also positive, but 8.5 mpg. I consider the reliability of the Ford/Chev heavy van chassis to be good. If they could get 11 mpg, I'd be tempted to trade the Toyota at times. Simply because of size. A buddy sold off his Dodge chassis Chinook that he claimed got 12 mpg, but 11 average on the highway. I missed that one. I think he got $6k for it.

In reading recent posts, I'm seeing that some rigs will do 70 on the interstate, and others will not. Mine will do 70 on flat highway, or 65 on gentle not too steep hills. Others speak (write) of difficulty going over 60 mph, or 55 mph. Mine is no hot rod - and I've been passed by a Winnie Toyota MH that was pulling a motorcycle trailer - up hill. I'm interested in what model year, tranny, and engine combos have for performance. I may trade for a different model eventually. Mine is 1984 4 cyl manual 4 speed. 72 mph on flat interstate all day. Would others mind weighing in? Thanks

Completed the trip. The Dolphin did just fine. The route taken was I-80 both ways. Six days going and four days returning. Heavy rain and high warm 90+% humidity in Nashville over the extended weekend, but we had a rental car and spent the days away from the RV park. From time to time others ask how fast the 4 cyl manual transmission MH will go on the highways. Some of the routes we took had 80 mph portions. We went as fast as 72 mph. Speed was not a problem - we seemed to average 60 - 67 mph most of the time unless there was a 6% grade at 55 mph. I'm not sure as to why, but it seems to run better at high altitude with 85 octane gasoline than at sea level. Much of the trip is 5000 to 6500 elevation. BTY we saw no NO other toyota MHs on the road. We found good Thai food in Rock Springs WY. We heard trains at night at most RV parks. Ok by me. One thing we did which was different was spend $45 on Passport America before leaving. We found decent parks for 12.50 to $20 for all but 2 nights of travel. The destination park for 5 nights didn't count. When I did a recent tune-up I replaced the spark plug wires with some brand that has silicone-rubber like parts. They don't seem to fit well on the distributor. One floated off causing a miss. When a 4 banger misses, a 65 mile per hour hill becomes a 45. This has happened only once, so I guess I'll just live with it rather than swapping out the wires again. We put the dolphin to bed for the winter.

Once again, we're taking the Dolphin from Humboldt County CA to Nashville and back. This makes the 4th or 5th - we've lost count. We leave on Sat morning. This trip will be through Reno on I-80 going - and returning on I-40. We've had the Dolphin for 4 years now. No regrets. All sytems check out except the propane furnace and oven, but that's ok.

Dog walking/pet sitting. Birddogging (keeping a eye on someone's stuff while they're away - pick up mail - keep things in order).

Another story - A neighbor works as a handyman. He used to be an aerospace engineer, but found at age 50 the job market had dried up for him. He took a part time job helping a handyman, and paid attention. Now he has work wherever he goes. We live part time in another RV park M-F. In our town there is a Del Webb senior community. He works there and gets all the work he wants - self employed as a handyman. The houses there are all similar to each other. Once you repair one problem, the neighbor's house will need the same. This is kind of like work camping, but not directly for the RV park.

My wife and I lived in a fifth wheel rv while working a job away from our house. In other words, we commuted home only on the weekends. My son, after a year of college, came home to re-think what he wanted to do in terms of college/work. He stayed with us for a year. Here's how he stumbled upon a handyman business and didn't even know he was that handy. 1) Little old neighbor lady and her mom had a bag of fertilizer in the trunk of their car. They asked us if our son would work for them. He went over to find out that all they needed was to move the bag to the back yard. (He obliged, and did it for free.) 2) Next, an elderly man heard about this and hired our son to wax his motorhome. 3) Another neighbor needed a pipe repaired (plastic irrigation pipe 3" below the lawn). He figured it out, learning that the guy at ACE hardware has "how-to" advice. The jobs began to pile up and he found himself working 4-5 hours per day for cash and tips. I told my barber about this (same town). Turns out he lived in a mobile home park a mile away. We learned from him that someone was needed to clean gutters, wash windows, do light yard work... Before our son returned to college, he had a pretty good low-overhead business going. I think if he had struck around, it would still be going. I think his rate was about twice what local jobs paid. He's a good worker, and not too proud to do any honest work. Since then, he's always been able to find work as needed. He teaches at a trade school in Laos now. It's amazing where life can take you. And how it can surprise you.

Lemme just add this as a precautionary note... I'm bolder than most when it comes to plumbing with propane, because I work with gas servicemen (gas utility) and am buddied up with a propane service manager. I always have them inspect my work, or at least discuss things with them. Also, I have a friend or two that work in RV repair shops. The Navy trained and used me as a nuclear mechanic doing valve repair for 6 years... a long time ago. It doesn't mean I am an expert. It just means I should know better. I probably shouldn't advise others except for entertainment value. The SAFEST way is to let a "certified" professional do it for you. Don't do anything you do not understand with propane. It can go BOOM. Propane is more dangerous than natural gas, in my opinion, to mess around with. More dangerous in that the range of explosive mixture in air is greater. Just sayin... On the other hand, as I am reaching retirement years, I find myself really enjoying fixing things with my own hands rather than hiring it out.

www.rverscorner.com/manometer.html You can also google youtube for diy rv propane manometer. If you want to have a tap for grill use outside of the rv, then install it inline just downstream of the regulator. It's pretty straightfoward. Try Youtube. It's been done before... probably by someone on this board.

I tarped mine with the blue poly tarp and bungee cords. It worked for me. Mine's a Dolphin with aluminum skin. Weather is North CA Coast 50" plus annual rainfall and some wind. I'll probably put it on again for this winter after returning from our October trip. I think two winters is the limit for a blue poly tarp.

Ours is a fairl new valve that came with the bottle. Not much we can do about stem packing leaks. I think it came that way. Here's an attachment/sketch of the propane valve. There are o-rings for packing, and there is a note stating to backseat the valve. The main reason I started this thread was to pass on a lesson. In our case, if the valve is not backseated, then there is an odor. The solution to a propane odor is treat it like a leak, and solve the problem for safety. Even though the "leak" is outside in a sealed and vented compartment, we could still smell it. We had a neighbor blow up their fifth wheel prowler back in the day, while they were sleeping. I have a photo somewere if anyone wants to see it. It looks like a bomb went off - sticks and aluminum structure everywhere. Jim, does your propane valve leak past the packing when not backseated?

Hi John, I was a Navy steam plant operator and mechanic way long ago - we were taught to back off a quarter turn as stated. There were some types of valves that were to be opened firmly against their backseat in order to preclude leakage at the valve stem. It has been so long now that I don't recall all of the specifics, but generally you are correct. If a valve is to be opened firm against it's backseat, it should only be 2-finger tight, not hand tight. It went bad for anyone who opened and backseated with force because the next operator couldn't "check" the valve open or closed when performing operational line-ups. For sure, most of the valves we operate on a day to day basis, like the hose-bib water valve we take on domestic water (where the garden hose is fed), should be backed off a quarter turn.

I replaced the tank - I don't recall how the old valve worked, but this one seems to leak if it is not all the way open or all the way shut.