FredNewell

Rigger, I'm interested in what you come up with for the frame. Mine too had the sag and failed a/c seal. I removed my A/C and installed a roof vent in the same 14x14 hole. It makes a nice vent and "skylight" over the galley area. Since we don't take the Dolphin out in hot weather, living in cool coastal north CA climate, we don't really need a/c. Someday we may re-install roof air. We replaced all roof vents, and re-caulked the perimeter of the roof metal by first removing all screws on the vertical plane, then reinstalling after sealing. We did the safety escape hatch also. The job is described somewhere on this site - back in 2010 or so.

regarding buying a fixer vs a perfect... I bought a "good to go" that needed more than the seller disclosed... but we fixed it. $6500 plus $2000 in tires & DIY repairs (so far). At the time I saw what looked like a nearly perfect Itasca and a Sunrader that had asking prices of 9-12k. This was 4 years ago. In retrospect... pay now or pay later. I have no regrets on the 84 Dolphin because of it's stark simplicity and reliability. I like the metal roof. The improved later model Sunrader or Itasca would have been nice though. Next time, if there is a next time, I'll probably go for the nicest and newest. Generator and solar and all the goodies.

Google "drip rail thule"

Lately I've noticed landscapers using toyota trucks that look like the old motorhome "cabin" was removed. They end up with a flatbed and rails, with a dual axle 1-ton truck. So maybe take the shell off and drop it onto a Tundra, then use the old truck for a hauler.

If you really knew what you were doing, what do you think it would cost to bring it up to all fixed and pretty?

Whaddya think about the rear axle in the photos? Not my area of expert.

I got mine at ppl, as suggested above.

Truth is... after I bought the dwell tach at a garage sale and used it (had to set the timing because I broke the reluctor on the distributor - don't ask) I went to put it in one of my workshop drawers. Lo and behold there was a timing light and dwell tach I forgot I owned. I hadn't used it since the 70s. Outa sight means outa mind. Maybe I ought to dig around... i probably have vacuum hose somewhere. ha!

Anyone got a reasonable source for the vacuum hoses on a 22R? Mine seem ok but they are approaching 30 years old. I went to NAPA, Autozone, and Oreilley in my area. None in stock. At two of the stores, the parts guy had no idea what I was talking about... but then they are younger than the parents of my grandchildren. BTW I asked for a dwell tachometer... same two guys had no idea what I was talking about. The NAPA guy loaned me his from his "old truck" toolbox. Since then I found one at a garage sale. I guess I'm turning into my father. 'Read a news article today explaining that a bunch of Dodge Vipers are being destroyed because they are outdated and no longer relevant for training mechanics. They are cars that were donated to trade schools. They are mid-90's first generation models. Could it really have been that long ago??? Time flies by, and life is short.

The previous 2 post are by experts and are the way to go. However... my first winter, before I had re-worked everything topside, I did the blue tarp thing with cheap bungie cords. Maintain your battery cablesl. Disconnect them from the battery and clean the posts with steel wool or whatever tool you have for that purpose. When I reconnect I spray the connections with some stuff (leaves red) that I bought at NAPA. Important... check the connection from the neg terminal to ground on the fender wall of the engine compartment. Mine was loose at first, and made sparks & smoke. Clean and reconnect/spray as needed. Fuel stabilizer - good stuff. Also, dust, clean, and vacuum before storage. Open the fridge. Maybe cover the windshield and protect the wiper blades with whatever. That way the runoff from the painted aluminum won't leave a messy windshield. Where I live, any vehicle left out for the winter will grow green moss on the north side, so I have to wash it once in a while, even in the winter. Just a thought.

Great question. I'm interested too.

We have a "prepare for departure" checklist. She has her list, and I have mine. We also verbally confirm with each other that we did our list. I actually walk around and do a 360 tour of the MH. All tires are checked. All lights are checked Windows are clear and clean. Step is stowed. All that... Then we start out. I practice good habits. I don't back up without checking my path. I do not drive blind. That being said, we just drive it. Every 3000 miles or so we pull into a jiffy lube or whatever and get serviced. If something needs replaced or fixed, we just do it. We're not perfect. Sometimes we find something we left off of the check list. Like the time we bought a cheap microwave at WallM**t. We set it up on the counter for use, then stow it up on the bunk for travel... except for the time we forgot to stow it. It made a big noise when it crashed to the floor while turning onto a freeway ramp. Bummer. Need a new one now. Old one broken. One time we forgot the dog at Lost Lake near Mt. Hood in Oregon. We came back a half hour later and she was eager to get in. We had opened the door while taking on fresh water and she got out... we didn't notice. Now the dang dog is on the check list. Once a cupboard door came open as we "bounced" up a driveway into a shopping center. A pyrex bowl and a corell bowl flew out and shattered into thousands of glass slivers. I ended up cleaning using duct tape sticky side out to get all of the slivers. Now the checklist has us second check (both of us) that all doors are tied shut. We use little bungie cords (elastic cords). I guess the point of this entry is that "situational awareness" is a big factor on how we drive an rv. In addition to the "truck" side of the driving equation, there is also the "house" side. They are both the responsibility of the driver in terms of safety.

Every year we do a round trip cross-country via I-40 or I-80. In the bone stock 22R 4 cyl stick shift the speed over the mountains seems about the same as other vehicles I've used over the years... ford 460 (7mpg) class c, chevy 350 (8 mpg) class c, ford 352 2bbl (7 mpg) plulling a 35' fifth wheel, BB 35' 3208 turbo-diesel (7 mpg). The hills slow you down. Mostly I just shift the toyota down to 3rd and hold it to the floor and let it grunt. 45 mph usually. If the grade is REALLY steep, then I do have to go to 2nd and do maybe 25-30. Note that I keep the MH light, meaning I limit the water I carry in the tanks when doing mountains. No point is moving 500 lbs of water if I don't have to. Also, it uses little or no oil doing this. What's not to like? I'm sold. It will keep up with most other RVs, give or take. I was suprised that the Toy will do 70 on the freeway if needed. Then there's the folks with new TD trucks pulling trailers... they seem to have no problem doing the grades at 65 or 70 and brag of 10-13 mpg. That's a different deal altogether and bigger bucks. Another feature.. you can get one and if you want something different later, you stand a fair chance of taking little or no loss.

Oh man... the link above for northwest...alternators has photos of an 84 Toyota with a 350 v8 and also supports Ford 302 because the distributor is in front... Oh man! I know it's been covered elsewhere, but oh boy!

Post a photo when you are done?

We also drive a BB Wanderlodge. On a recent trip from MI to CA via Nashville, we were filling every 2nd or 3rd day at $600 a pop. The tank holds 250 gallons of diesel. It makes the Dolphin seem dirt cheap. You can buy a set of Dolphin tires for $600.

Google RV Doctor George. This is a business in Sacramento that keeps lots of used parts of every kind. Fred

Just use it, but don't inhale! The EPA sez... Can Ozone be Used in Unoccupied Spaces?Ozone has been extensively used for water purification, but ozone chemistry in water is not the same as ozone chemistry in air. High concentrations of ozone in air, when people are not present, are sometimes used to help decontaminate an unoccupied space from certain chemical or biological contaminants or odors (e.g., fire restoration). However, little is known about the chemical by-products left behind by these processes (Dunston and Spivak, 1997). While high concentrations of ozone in air may sometimes be appropriate in these circumstances, conditions should be sufficiently controlled to insure that no person or pet becomes exposed. Ozone can adversely affect indoor plants, and damage materials such as rubber, electrical wire coatings, and fabrics and art work containing susceptible dyes and pigments (U.S. EPA, 1996a).

I'm offering this info because it may be useful to one with a "project" Toy. I purchased an ozone generator and am very pleased with it's performance. I'm preparing one of my RVs to sell (not the Toy). I'd like to prep it to be as good as what I'd sell to a family member. It is a 20 year old fifth wheel with two slides. Has a new rubber roof, slider seals, window seals, roof vents & skylights, and a new paint job. New tires and bearings. And so on... Lately, the living room slide leaked. I think it is the first time ever. I dried it out and got the slide issue fixed. Then I had the carpets cleaned. But there was a faint residual odor. I went to ebay and bought an ozone generator for $120. I ran it for 110 minutes, and the odor is 100% gone.

Side bath doesn't mean toilet in the shower pan, in most cases. In mine, there is a separate toilet, but the shower contains the little sink. It's all behind one door across from the kitchen. The driver's headrest is against the shower wall. For livability like you're seeking, it sounds like everything has to be available ready to go at any given time. What happens if the generator dies, or if another appliance quits? It happens on these older rigs. If you have deep pockets, no big deal. If your back is against the wall, your can be in a tough spot. Keep thinking and listening... something will come up that makes sense.

My input may be worth exactly what you're paying for it, but here goes. I'm approaching this as if the black RV may or may not be the one you buy... You and I are about the same size. My MH is a side bath, as yours appears to be. Try sitting on the commode - do your knees fit with the door closed? Try standing in the shower? Can you? Got big feet with boots that need more space? Just sayin... If you have a place to park and/or service the tanks, then the work & travel thing could be ok. If in RV parks, the pit bull may be a problem in terms of what dog breeds are restricted (by the park). Some parks restrict dogs to less than 25 lbs. Can you leave the vehicle with the dog in it? What if it's hot and sunny - how hot will the cabin be for the dog? Just some thoughts. All in all, this sounds like a good adventure for the right person. There will be things that don't work and need fixed. If using RV parks, there will be daily expenses. But you can live (eat) out of your portable kitchen, which will save money. By the way, the rig you showed is sorta cool... not cute, but cool... in my opinion. My wife wouldn't like it, but it would make a great man-cave.

Thanks Fred. BTW - very good photos.

Very nice.

The stove burners on mine are glued down with a tiny bit of JB Weld, and a couple of screws hold down the part they rest on. No noise there. The door is noisy. When we travel, we drape a sleeping bag from the overhead bunk to isolate us from the coach section. This eliminates a lot of noise. Of course, in town we remove the sleeping bag so we can see out the back window. Otherwise the side view mirrors are fine for highways. I've also driven with ear plugs. Yes, rvs are noisy on the road, but rattles can be fixed.

Karen, Checking the weather report, it looks like Baker City is still freezing at night. Come on Spring!! Anyway... here's some tips that may or may not be applicable at this point. You can make a cocktail of rock salt and water to put in the black and grey water tanks to avoid freezing. The Black and grey tanks are prolly made of ABS, and so are the drain pipes. One cheap redneck way of repairing ABS pipes or tanks can be multiple layers of ABS glue (hardware store) and strips of denim (yer basic blue jeans). Just lay it on one layer at a time like making an old fashioned cast (remember the broken arm cast back in the day?) JB makes an epoxy called "Water Weld" It's a two-part solid epoxy putty. Use it to plug a hole in drain pipe. It dries solid underwater and forms a permanent bond. I would lightly hand sand around the crack first to give the epoxy some rough surface to grip on. The tanks flex and expand/contract, so over time you should check for leaks periodically. Last summer a guy had a leak in his fresh water tank. This tank is not ABS. Found the leak cleaned it with alcohol and applied multiple coats of Plumbers Goop. It bonded with the tank and is strong but not hard... it flexes. This was over 4 thousand miles ago and many many tank fulls of fill and drain. This stuff works well! He has also used JB Waterweld on other things too and it also is great stuff! These are not all my ideas... I stole most of them from better "handymen" than me. But I fix leaks. Stay warm and dry!