turtle

Any color can go anywhere. On one Toyota RV I had there was black and green that were alternately used for + or - Black was BOTH + AND - as well as green being BOTH + AND - at different places in the coach. Once the original wiring is disconnected you are at the point of not knowing anything and a VOM will be necessary to figure anything out. I removed an old 1 AC breaker panel that ran an antique trickle converter/charger and a glass fuse DC bus (with 2 fuses for the whole coach) http://www.toymike.com/diesel/AC-DC-upgrade/converter2.jpg I replaced everything with a modern AC/DC system. http://www.toymike.com/diesel/AC-DC-upgrade/ It's not that hard to do. The scary part is thinking about it before you start.

What is the date of manufacture on the rims?

Progressive Dynamics has just released a direct slide in replacement for the old 6300 units. It uses the same electronics and components as their stand alone units except the install is now extremely easy. These all have the same "Charge Wizard" technology that their standard units have and they come with a modern DC distribution bus that you will need to change also. The PD web site where you can read about these: http://www.progressivedyn.com/pd4600_converter_replacement.html This company is offering them at a discount price: 35 amp: http://www.rvfunproducts.com/intelipower-pd4635-series-rv-power-converter-p-2611.html 45 amp: http://www.rvfunproducts.com/intelipower-pd4645-series-rv-power-converter-p-2612.html 55 amp: http://www.rvfunproducts.com/intelipower-pd4655-series-rv-power-converter-p-2613.html You can always go the "old school" route and fabricate one of their stand alone units into your ac/dc distribution box http://www.toymike.com/converter/

The "scissors jack" that came with your RV is a leveling jack and is NOT intended to raise the vehicle to change a tire. http://www.shop.classacustoms.com/product.sc?productId=51 The stock Toyota screw type post jack will work but using a good hydraulic bottle jack is a lot smarter and easier. A bottle jack will take up the same space as the stock Toyota jack does.

There is a link to the 1985 Toyota truck factory service manual on the yahoo toyota-campers group links section http://autos.groups....a-campers/links If you go under the rear of the truck/coach you can see where the RV lights are spliced into the Toyota wire harness. The factory manual will tell you what color wires are for what light. See what color the RV manufacture attached to each original wire color and chase it back to the light fixture. I have found that the RV manufactures used what ever color wire they had handy that day for any of the lights so the only way to know what is what is to locate the factory wiring harness and see what color wire is attached to it.

Just your basic items such as: Tires (age) - check inflation (even the spare) and make sure you have a Jack and lug wrench Brakes (should have enough pad showing to get you home) Belts and hoses (checks - cracks - stiff) Oil change (before you leave with it) Everything else can be dealt with once you get it home.

I purchased a new microlite 2800 a couple years ago for $2k delivered. I also have a prosine 1.8 KW inverter installed. Does not run the AC off of battery but does everything else I need Microlite 2800s regularly sell on eBay for under $1k used. http://motors.comple....c0.m283&_rdc=1

The listing says "Does not include differential" At $650 for a used housing minus the diff you will be getting in very deep by the time you build it up to use. 8" Toyota diffs run $350-500 from salvage yards

If you do paint the hubs use high temp BBQ paint (flat black). You can also spray the brake drums with it. I found that it holds up very well to the high heat generated by the brakes. I like using the "hammer finish" hamerite paint. It has a built in "fish eye" component that gives a very NICE look and hides any imperfections (old rust pits, welds, etc). As an old car sprayer the word fish eye gives me the willies but it looks super slick on the rims. I think the look of the hamerite paint on the rims looks much nicer then the stainless simulators. I have had both side by side and the painted rims appeal to me more than the "Hollywood" look of the simulators. As with any painting, prep your surface well. Clean with a good degreaser then wire brush and sand any rough spots. 90% of any paint job is the preparation. The finest spray job will look awful if applied to a badly preprepared surface.

A 2500 "may" run an ac and nothing else. It also "may not" even run your AC alone unless you modify the AC unit first. You can always downsize the AC unit to a polar cub. Many people who use portable generators do this to cut down on the size and weight of the generator they need to drag around. Portable generators are not designed to be run in an enclosed space so they need to be removed from the vehicle before they can be run safely. The only advantage to a portable is that they are very inexpensive. Some portable generators are so noisy that they are not allowed in campgrounds An RV genset can be run while in motion, started at the flip of a switch from within the vehicle, and do not require any special setup before use (i.e removed, gassed up, plugged in, and started). It is a trade off. Cost vs convenience.

The rear simulators are a 2 piece unit (the hub and outer rim covers). You can call Eagle Flight and see if they will sell you just the centers. http://www.jaeeagle.com/ I'm not sure if the centers can be used without the outer rim section. It depends on the size of the holes. I know that the outer rims hold on the centers and the outer rims have 3 holes that are smaller so that the lug nut holds the whole unit on. I would make sure that you can use half of a simulator before you put out your cash.

Your coach should already have a wired generator compartment for an Onan Microlite 2800. http://www.cumminsonan.com/rv/products/gasoline/compare?gensetId=119 This is the "normal" small RV generator.

1 ton front wheel center caps are still available through your Toyota dealer. Pic of stock 1989-1995 (6 lug rim) font center cap is attached. There never was a factory rear 1 ton "hub cap". Some people have used standard 14" hub caps. There are aftermarket stainless steel "wheel simulators" that are still made in small limited runs by the Eagle Flight company (http://www.jaeeagle.com/). They just ran a small run of these so if you are interested you should contact them before they are sold out again. Simulators are like hub caps on steroids. I have simulators on my 1991 Sunrader. On my 1981 diesel (which I have sold) I used silver Hamerite paint.

You should be able to get it through any automotive glass shop. This is the company that makes it but they only sell it in LARGE rolls http://www.trimlok.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=16 I used the 1 piece gasket when I replaced mine

Voodoo black magic..... and a little help from this.... http://car-part.com/

There are plenty of motor swap kits out there. Small block V8, US made V6, Toyota 3.4 V6, you name it. I would suggest that you go with a complete swap kit rather than reinventing the wheel. To find them just google for Toyota engine swap kit If I were going to do a swap I would go for the small block Chevy V8 as there are more kits out there for this swap, it is the most common swap, and it has been the most popular for the longest time.

Winterizing: Winterizing the water system means draining all of the water out of the fresh water system and out of both holding tanks. Using compressed air to blow through the water lines (there are adapters that screw into the hose connector on the outside for this). Putting on a Water heater bypass system (I bet it already has one if you look so you should only have to throw 2 valves). Getting some RV antifreeze and running it through your fresh water pipes and putting some down the drains and toilet into the holding tanks. there are systems that allow you to Pull RV antifreeze directly from the bottle into the lines so that you do not have to dump gallons of it into the fresh water tank. Only use RV antifreeze NEVER use automotive antifreeze. Automotive antifreeze is used in car radiators. Automotive antifreeze is POISONOUS. RV antifreeze is for winterizing fresh water systems in cabins and RVs and is harmless to drink. Storage: Get a metal car port, erect it, and keep your RV under it when you are not driving it or camping in it. I say metal rather than metal frame with a canvas cover as you are in the great white north and canvas may collapse under a heavy snow load. I was looking at Versitube car ports http://www.versatube...l-carports.html I decided to build a garage to keep mine in.

I put a bug deflector on the diesel and it caused it to slow down... I took it off and it went faster.... I don't think it did anything for the fuel economy.

My 1991 V6 shorty (18 foot) Sunrader can be found either in the garage or in the woods

Only if the rear axle was manufactured in 1985

You could clamp one of the Valterra hose carriers to your rear ladder. Mount it low and pull it out from the top (you don't want to pull the bottom plug out after you have used the hose a dozen or more times). If all you need to do to get into the original compartment is change the fastener from angled to straight I would suggest that you do this and put it where National RV gave you a place for it. There are all kinds of sewer hose couplings out there.

I am sure you could fabricate something that would fasten it to the bolts that hold on the spare tire. Do you have a hose bumper or does your Dolphin have a bumper like a Seabreeze (molded fiberglass/ABS) Got a picture of what the back of your RV looks like (one that shows the bumper)?

I remember back in the late 50's when I was young my parents would travel across the US on Route 66 to visit family (we lived in L.A. and the family was in Virginia). We carried a flax water bag and my dad would close the hood of his Buick Roadmaster on the rope that held it and it dangled in front of the radiator. Being flax it leaked and the air going over it kept the water inside cool to drink (and the evaporation cooled the engine).