FredNewell

Maineah, Are you saying the pump just lays on the pad? I'm asking because I'm replacing one this weekend. Either way, I think you have a good idea with the pad.

For every RV I've sold, the appliances worked. I stated such and the buyer(s) just took my word for it. Same goes for every one I've bought. I just took the sellers word. No problem until I bought the Dolphin. We had to sort through issues. The forced air furnace still does not work, but it is a low priority. This left me wondering if the appliance issues appeared just because I took ownership, or if the previous owner misrepresented. Too Late. The point is, you can choose to take their word for the workability of the appliances, but actually seeing them work is better. It's an old vehicle. There will probably always be something on your fix-it list, for as long as you own it.

This has happened to us, and others. Recently we pulled into an RV park. As soon as we got out of the vehicle, an elderly neighbor lady approached and asked for help with her electric. So I get to walk over like some kind of hero, enter her trailer, go directly to her GFI outlet and ask her to press the button. Presto, all 110 restored!

The GFI reset button is likely on the outlet (where you plug in a hair dryer or toaster). If you bump the button inadvertently you will kill the ac power to outlets. You just have to press the reset. Don't ask why I know this.

The list is possible DIY. Are you mechanical? There's a "how to fix it" pdf file somewhere around here. I downloaded it and it tells how to fix most everything on our vintage of Toyota truck.

Yep! Butyl tape is the preferred.

Online research, then go to Camping World to shop, but go to Amazon first - often cheaper and it IS convenient. Have fun! Is yours a 4 cyl 4 speed stick? Clean up yer battery terminals and check the battery ground. Plugs and wires. Oil and filters. Fuel filter is underneath on rt. side. Easy to do. Some may disagree with the quality, but I went to a new Jiffy Lube business and had all the fluids serviced, including cooling flush and differential gear oil. It was not that expensive. Keep your tires good. Re-set all of your windows with caulk strip. Easy. Get to know what's on your roof. Plastic things up there get brittle. May have to replace roof vents. Search on this forum... "Waiter" posted some great articles and did it right. I followed him and fixed as I went.

I use a Camco brass pressure reducer at the faucet, and use city water always, unless I'm dry camped. I own a water pressure valve. Never had a problem in over 30 years and several RVs. All weather. All seasons. Freezing or not. If it's to drop below freezing at night, I disconnect or leave a faucet dripping. We've had occasion to live full time in RVs for work away from home. Starting in 1981, and still do it. BTW did you know rock salt slurry in a grey or black tank will keep it liquid in cold weather?

Face it. These are older vehicles. Oxidation happens. Paint Fades. Tires rot. They cost some $ to maintain. We often see a Toy parked and not used. Also, they get put on the market after the previous owner may have lost interest for a year or two. It is no longer "their baby". Maintenance gets deferred. If anyone were to ask me how much these toyota MHs cost, I'd honestly have to answer that in addition to the selling price, there are two types of First Year expenses. 1) What will you spend to "make it yours"? 2) What needs to be done to make it "ready to go"? What were your experiences when you bought yours? How much $ should you have had "set aside" for the first year "honeymoon" with your Toyota MH? Were you surprised? Any regrets? Would you do it over again if your were cashed out?

Start with good tires and thorough maintenance. A Kindle with "diy fixes" downloaded from the internet. A few basic tools like what you'd keep near the kitchen. Across this country, there are many stores that carry just about anything you'd need. A Walmart, Pep Boys, Ace Hardware, Camping World, store can save you. Then if you have a little advance notice, you can get anything you need on Amazon. Bring a bit of material for patching roof leaks or a damaged vent cover. It happens.

For me, an RV is about the machine. For my wife, it is about nest building on a budget. I posted our upholstrey story under our old name "Fred3" elsewhere on this board. Here's the jist of it... My neighbors were these super talented older retirees who could fix or improve anything, it seemed. They did our re-upolstery for us. The had a semi-pro hobby of doing interiors for old classic cars. We asked who they knew that did seats (didn't know it was them) and they insisted they help us. We ordered - online from Portland OR - a bolt of 16 yds of 32" wide fabric. For some reason they sent us 33+ yards, so it covered our Dolphin seats plus an old Acrua, and we still have a lifetime supply. We paid very little, maybe $100 for the bolt. It was old stock. We carefully removed the old fabric for a good pattern. The lady did the new work for $250 and wouldn't take a penny more. What a gracious gift. It took her two full days, and it was perfect. She had the right machine for the job, and the skill set. A local upholstery shop offered to do it for $1200. We used the old foam. Foam is pricey. In hindsight, I wish I'd have replaced the foam for the cabover bunk, but I guess I still could. She stitched all of the seams, and did not leave a zipper, which was our choice to save on labor. We could still rip and re-sew a seam. No big deal. They look great. Then we ordered a set of Wet Okole seat covers for the cab in tan and blue, with rear pockets behind the seats, and a blue Dolphin stitched in for decoration. I think they were like 350 for the set of two. We also re-carpeted the cab, and re-did the door panels to match the new upholstery. This cost around $150 total. We made new curtains where needed, and kept the blinds that we liked. Cost of maybe $25. No shag on our floor. We have white vinyl linoleum that cleans easy, topped by rubber backed throw rugs from Kohls. As a result, our rig looks good, and smells good. For advice as for what to do if this is a long term investment... I'd say bite the bullet and get real nice upholstery, not el cheapo. Use throw covers in the meantime. Otherwise, just use it until you're done, then sell it. You probably won't get back all of your improvement money. RVs are a little hole in the universe where you flush money. The sewing is something anyone could do, but you have to understand fabric bias, and take care to keep the wrinkles out - and make straight even beautiful seams. Just an opinion. It's a cool skill to learn. Back in the Navy, I visited a sail shop in a shipyard that had a sewing machine that I swear could have sewed sheets of plywood together, but that's a different tale to tell... har! Thank you for reading.

Someone with the experience will chime in pretty soon... If I may ask, what symptom prompted you to "dig in"?

I want to add that MH trips can be the best thing a family can do. Our kids have told us the trips were the best memory of childhood. We just used old motorhomes we bought for 6-8k and drove for a few years. Nothin fancy. Used k-mart bunkbed rails to hold them into their bunks at night to avoid falling out. Used a door for a bed supported by the dinnette for one kid. Every kid had "prepare for departure" tasks. We had seatbelts on the sofa and dinnette.

Consider the seat belt laws - they vary from state to state. Here in CA there is a conflict between the s.b. laws and most of what's on the market. I'm speaking of anchor points for child car seats. The exemptions to the rules for RVs have been eliminated here, at least. I'm not trying to start a debate, but just sayin... I'd consider a mini-van with a porta potty for little kids as an alternative. I'm a grandparent. My kids have car-seat safety as a concern. We don't even offer to carry the smaller grandkids in either motorhome. Now if the kids were 11 or 12 then it's a different story.

If I were to start over again, even though I like my Dolphin, I'd go with the short Sunrader like yours... good choice. Congrats!

The AAA deal is true. See their website for limitations.

I'm away from my motorhome for a while. Can anyone make a reasonable guess as to what model my fridge is? 120v / propane. No 12v. Dometic. Short under the counter 1984 Dolphin - original unit. Chime in if you have a good guess, please. Thanks.

Darrel, I'm not sure why this font is so small... We're tied up with work out of town this weekend. Dang... Humboldt is a great area. Rivers everywhere. Beaches. Trees. Don't need air conditioning... Where is home for you? How do you use your rig, mainly? Fred

one more thing... If you are able to get a bunch of digital photos, post some of them here. Close up on the tire dates if possible. Couldn't hurt to get perspective from other Sunrader owners. Just a thought.

I sold one of my CA rvs this weekend, Seller is responsible for smog check. Buyer pays the seller. Seller signs the title in a couple of places. There probably ought to be a bill of sale, but the price gets written onto the title. Buyer drives off - should call your agent to get it insured first. You COULD go to CA dmv and get a temp registration (most legal), or you COULD make tracks for home and deal with your own dmv. (disclaimer - my advice may be worth exactly what you're paying for it) Then you'll probably get the usual... need new tires to be safe if they are over six or seven years old.

There is a pizza joint on Main St. Ferndale. Pretty good. There are a couple of good Brewery establishments - one at the Kenmar exit Fortuna next to the RV park. We live nearby.

This was a first class job of documentation. Thanks!

Maybe get one of those "support local police" type stickers for the back?

I wonder how many of us still use the first RV they've owned. And how long until we trade to something else.

It seems like driving one would be like driving the other, not accounting for differences in model year of the truck. Then, while sleeping, a good quality mattress would equalize one rig with the other. A microwave is a microwave. A toilet is a toilet... See where I'm going with this? To me, it seems the difference is what you have to look at or touch/feel all day. In this case, I'll bet a Rader just feels better. Several years back I was the owner of a cheap used motorhome that we took the kids camping in. I suppose it was pretty basic compared to the expensive rigs we saw in RV parks. I complemented an old man's (now I'm an old man) 34' Holiday Rambler. I figure it was worth $140k. He told me "Just be happy and content with what you have and can afford, they're all just a motorhome at the end of the day". I've thought about what he said. There is a lot of truth there, but it sure is nice to have the rig you really appreciate. To me, much of this motorhome hobby is the great people you get to meet. Folks that come from different places and interests. All said, I think it would be fun to do what you guys did... get two and sell the least desireable. I hope you enjoy your Rader, and the same goes for the new owners of your old Dolphin.