turtle

Why would you want to remove the propane? Having gas is far better than running a generator and bothering everyone else around you, unless you plan on always staying on the side of the highway where the residual traffic noise will drown out the sound of the generator.

Does the gauge go down if you open the heater valve? sliding the heat lever will engage the heater coil and add that additional circulation to the cooling system. I have never been a fan of hot/cold gauges. How hot is hot? When the gauge hits the red line are you getting coolant into the overflow bottle and past onto the ground?

Full floating means that there are both inner and outer wheel bearings. If you have 6 lug rims on the rear you have a full floating axle. You will see the bearing housing protruding through the center of the rims. Here is an article showing 3/4 floating, semi floating, and full floating axles http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/1...s/14050_275.htm

Measure bumper to bumper to determine length of the coach. Your unit "should" be much lighter than a full motor home and "may" not require a heavy duty rear end but putting one in would be a good idea anyway if you can find one in a salvage yard. You will find that you will end up with miss matched rims if you install a rear axle with dual rims (fronts will be 5 bolt rears 6 bolt). I was lucky when I found the HD axle for my 81 diesel as the truck in the salvage yard had two 5 to 6 bolt front wheel adapters which I also purchased (along with seven 6 lug rims). You may be able to clean the canvas by using a rented upholstery or rug steam cleaner and letting it dry totally before closing the top down. I would try to clean it before I talked to someone about replacing the canvas. The key to keeping these in good condition is to make sure that they are not wet when you close down the top. You will have far less wind resistance with your "pop top" than you will with a full cab over motor home and if you can live with the pop top feature you will find that it might be more fun in the long run as it is shorter and more maneuverable than a larger full coach.

The Toyota truck body style/design changed in the 89 model year. Those made before this date where light duty. After this date heavy duty (i.e. vented front brakes, heavy duty rear axle. 6 lug rims for all 6 wheels + spare, different frame, etc.). Many coaches made and sold as 1989 models were made on a 1988 chassis.

The #1 question would be.... is it built on an 88 cab/chassis (1/4 ton) or a 89 cab/chassis (1 ton)

When I replaced the rear axle on the diesel I found a complete late model 1 ton truck in a salvage yard and purchased the axle, springs (7 ride 1 load spring), 7 rims, and the front brake 5 to 6 lug adapters. All rims are the same 1 ton 6 lug type. I'll attach a pic of the 5 to 6 lug adapters for you to drool over (I have asked Toyota about these but everyone just gets a blank expression.... They are Toyota parts but no one seems to know what they are or how to order them) Diesel Mike

If your coach has a dc/ac power inverter you should have limited AC power from the battery. If not, you will lose ac power once you disconnect from an AC power source. Diesel Mike

I have an 1981 2L 16 1/2' diesel mini cruiser and it gets 17-18 mpg in any driving conditions (around town or highway, up hill or down, it does not matter). You are the 1st person I have heard that has seen another Toyota diesel motor home outside of the one I have owned for the past 12 years. I got past the low HP issue by dropping the rear end gearing to 456 and replacing the stock 4 speed 5th overdrive gearbox with a close ration 5 speed. Now 65 mph is normal highway cruising. A 2.4 LT manifold and turbo charger will bolt up to the 2L engine and since the fuel injection is mechanical there are no other mods needed to turbo charge a 2L diesel engine. Diesel Mike

My 81 diesel has 7 ride springs and one load spring. This, combined with over sized front torsion bars and Bilstein off road shocks all the way around, seems to do the trick for me. Adding extra ride springs will make the suspension much stiffer which is only a problem if you get off on unpaved washboard roads, then you can really take a beating from the extra stiffness. I made up for this by replacing the original bucket seats with seats out of a BMW 320i (sweet) you can find extra "add a spring" kits from places like Downey Offroad racing and others.

What are the things I need to look for when going over a potential purchase of a sunrader? I am a Toyota owner now so know the "normal" things such as springs, rust, etc but is there anything that is not normal or special relating to this manufacturer (i.e. things I would not normally think of) that need to be looked at? Anything special that I should ask the seller outside of the normal pre-purchase questions such as records, # of owners, rust, repairs, etc? Mike

I get mine at the local building supply super store (you know the ones). I also use it for some home applications also. Grab your phone book and give your local hardware and building supply stores a call. I am sure that you will find several that carry it. It is not a new or "unusual" product by any means. It comes in white or clear I put a link to the manufactures web site in a previous post if you want more info on the product

I say "next to imposable" which might scare some people. It will peal back like silicone but it adheres even after being on for over 6 years. Usually takes grabbing it and working a putty knife or 5 in 1 tool under it to get it loose. It is great for sealing pinholes in aluminum skin and around seams. I have some in places that have been on for 10 years and still are sealing. Unfortunately I had a major leak around the roof vent that I did not find for a long time and have lost the interior. Vent was sealed with putty and lexel but the roof was concaved and water sat pooled around the vent for an extended period and seeped somewhere.

I have found that Lexel has given me the best service over the long run as opposed to silicone. It is a silicon based caulk/adhesive. Lexel - Manufactures web site It does have some draw backs. It is almost imposable to remove once put on as it is more like a glue than a caulk. The good part is that it lasts light years longer than silicone alone. It comes in a standard caulk tube or in a smaller squeeze tube. When working with it make sure that you wet your fingers before you tool the bead. If you don't you will be spending the better part of an hour trying to remove it from your fingers. I would NOT recommend using Lexel under your vent but around the outside and over the screws after you use, what I call, "trailer goop" under the vent to seal it. I am sure that this stuff has a more "technical" name but it comes in long rolls and is around 2" wide with brown coated paper between it. It is a gray sticky putty like material which never drys out and is extremely flexible so it will not crack and separate over time.

The one in Ventura seems to still be for sale. What didn't you like about it when you saw it? What did you feel was misrepresented? I have left a message for the seller to get in touch with me so would like to hear your experience with this coach and seller

I have been a Toyota motor home owner for a number of years and I need to get a new coach. What I have now: 1981 17' Mini Cruiser diesel with a rear booth configuration. I completely overhauled this when I purchased it about 12 years ago. It now has a Downey Racing off road suspension, one ton rear axle with 4.56:1 gears, close ratio 5 speed, Bilstein off road shocks, BMW 320i bucket seats, and a super set of tunes. The off road suspension has given it a lot of lift, in fact it sets as high as my 88 Toyota 4x4 (which also has a Downey suspension) and it corners like a thoroughbred. I would like to get a 18' Sunrader but I know that I will not find any diesel versions in this model and the idea of converting one is something that I do not even want to consider so it looks like I will have to be satisfied with a 22RE or V6. Where would be a good place to start looking. Location is not an issue as I would be willing to travel to any location in order to pick up the right coach and I would give it a good home.