turtle

Valterra makes sewer hose carriers in a number of sizes if you can find a suitable location to mount one. http://www.valterra....se_carriers.htm I don't think her RV has a hose bumper

I had to go look at my pics of Nova Stars to get the idea of what you are talking about. The metal channels go where 2 pieces of body work come together. It covers the joint/seam. It uses butyl putty tape under it to seal out water and moisture from getting inside. The vinyl screw cover is just that, a cover for the screws. It is mostly cosmetic but it keeps water/moisture off of the screw heads. I can't see from the pics I have where there is any outside groove molding. here are a couple of places that have different screw cover (that is what the vinyl insert material is called) http://www.rvsurplus.net/catalog/display.php?category_id=70 http://www.shoprvparts.com/product.do?no=14182F http://www.approducts.net/21screw_covers.htm It would not be a good idea to remove the aluminum panel joint covering and make a permanent cover. This is where panels need to come apart in case you get a "boo boo" in one and need to replace it so it needs to be able to be taken apart.

If you are talking about the 4" square sewer hose storage bumper these are not securely attached to the frame as they are only designed to carry a 1 lb plastic sewer hose. I would suggest that you take your RV to a qualified welder who specializes in fabricating class III hitches. Have them strengthen the frame extension and weld on a class III hitch. Anything else is foolish as someday someone will hook up a monster cabin cruiser to what ever you put on and be surprised when the RV pulls apart. OR....... At least take the RV to a qualified welder who knows about hitches and have them inspect what you now have (if you already have a receiver hitch) and ask them their opinion after they inspect what you have. No one can give you advice over the internet as this medium does not allow for visual inspections over long distances and even photos of what you have cannot tell the same thing as a hands on inspection can.

You can do a salvage yard look up from this URL http://car-part.com/ Pick a year between 1989 and 1993 Toyota truck (not T 100) put in your zip code to get ones closest to you Select -> 14x5-1/2 (4x2, 1 ton) I came up with 4 pages of salvage yards that have 1 ton rims and prices starting around $30 going up to $80 You may not be able to get new rims any longer except though Toyota (and maybe not even through them)

The odometer is mechanical so if it stops working it is a gear issue. Sounds like you are a candidate for a SR5 gage cluster The SR5 dash cluster has a a nice gage set in it and it is a direct plug in with the original "truck" gage set. The 2nd series truck deluxe clusters do no pop up on eBay as frequent as the 3rd and 4th series do but I have seen a fair number of them over the years. You can always get your odometer repaired if you want to keep the original. Here is a thread on Yotatech where someone with a 3rd series replaced their cluster with an SR5 cluster. Removal should be similar for you http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=51800

Your horn "should" be behind the grill at the top passenger side (at least that is what I remember on my 1991). I replaced the squeaky little Toyota horn with a pair of Hella supetone horns (they are LOUD and OBNOXIOUS sounding). This is easy to do but requires using a relay to pull the extra current they use from the battery (everything you need comes in the kit). I have a set of Hadley Bullys that I am thinking of putting in also but I need to get a larger air tank for them

Where water, sewer, gas lines go through the floor. Refer, furnace, water heater doors/vents (screen them) Electric connect box (leaves a nice hole and ladder for them when you are plugged in). The only way to eliminate this one is to go with a marine inlet. They can get in from the engine compartment. Check where the AC line and wiring goes through the firewall. They can get in through the cab cowling vent into the heater box (keep unit on recirculate) Any holes/gaps can be stuffed with butyl putty tape (they hate this stuff). If you can put bait boxes in safe locations you can use poison but if you kill one it will get stinky for a few weeks (pew) I've never had a mouse get into any of my RVs but I can't seem to keep them out of the heater box on my Toyota pickup for some reason.

You would have to call KYB and ask them if it will work on a 2wd. Rancho lists one for Toyota 2wd http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/product.cfm/id/13885/adid/232?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=1900&cvsfe=2&cvsfp=13885

You can add a steering stabilizer if it does not have one. If it does have one check to make sure it is still dampening. This is mainly to give a more solid feel when turning the wheel and to dampen wheel shimmy when hitting pot holes. You are GOING to get blown around in a cross wind. Stiffening the suspension with Bilstein shocks will help the lean but you will still get blown around in the lane even if you do not lean.

All of them use wood of some type or another as framing. All of them except Sunrader use metal of some type or another as framing (later model Sunraders have a metal roof truss but none in the walls). What are you trying to find out or decide?

Sunrader made slide in campers, similar in size to their 18' RVs They are difficult to locate if you want one but when they come up for sale they are not very expensive. Get a 1 ton Toyota pickup truck (dual rear wheel axle with a bed on it) and the Sunrader camper will slide right in (and out). You can get side jacks and raise it and drive out then when you want to move on just back under it, lower the jacks, lock it down, and head out To give you an idea of pricing I found a closed craigslist of a Sunrader slide in being sold in California for $150 (attached the add). When they come up they are usually reasonable but you have to be looking when they show up and you have to be timely to get one. Usually someone will just want it GONE as they have sold their truck and it is sitting in their yard.

Putting another cooler on requires cutting and bending one of the cooler lines then sliding hose over the cut line, clamping it, and taking the hose to another cooler and back. You will need some specialized tools to do this (pipe/tubing cutter deburer, tubing bending tool, and it is nice to have a flaring tool to put a rise at the end of the cut pipe so that the hose does not slip off easily. I used this tubing bender to make the brake and clutch pipes for my Landrover: http://www.toymike.com/misc/brakePipeBender.jpg There are other types of benders but you must make a clean smooth bend in the pipe and NOT kink it. If you do not have pipe bending tools you can take the hose straight and let it bend. You will have to use more hose as it does not bend as sharply with out kinking as easily as metal piping does. If you have not done this it might be best to let someone else do it for you, or at least let someone take a look at it and give you a price for doing it. The size and shape of an aux cooler will depend on where you have room. The types made are limitless as far as size and thickness. You may also want to flush and refill the transmission to remove the burned fluid (if the cooler line was clogged the ATF is probably toast). There are different schools of thought about flushing older auto trans. Some people advise against it others say it is fine to replace all of the fluid (trans and torque converter). Either way replace your old fluid with synthetic or part synthetic ATF. A trans oil temp gage is a helpful thing to have in the cab. When you have the pan removed the shop can cut in and put a temp gage sensor and run a line for the gage. The only way to know what the trans is doing is to monitor the temperature of the fluid in the transmission.

You will enjoy it if using it as a couple. You may even use it as a stationary "lounge" at your gigs. As Greg suggests get a standard roof vent and install it (cost is $25 +/- if you look around). Make sure you use putty tape to seal it to avoid leaks (even if you are using it as a temporarily fix) As far as your idea of using it in the winter. BAD IDEA. These motor homes have minimal insulation and you will get VERY cold if the outside temp is moderately cool. There is no winterizing of the water system (fresh water, water heater, shower, toilet) and there is no winterizing of the waste tanks. The furnace is designed to take the chill off of an early spring, late fall morning and that is about it. I have used mine late in the year and even with down sleeping bags it is not comfortable at all. When you plan a late year trip think of it as going tenting. If you think it is too cold to pitch a tent and sleep outdoors it is probably too cold to take your Toyota RV also. Now maybe I am just an old fuddy duddy that grew up in L.A. (when it gets below 65 it is sweater weather for me).....

When you start getting over 100k miles you start having wear on a lot of the major components as they are nearing the end of their designed service life. Things such as suspension bushings, wheel bearings, steering rack, transmission clutches, suspension, all sorts of things that can cost a LOT of money to replace. The price of a high mileage vehicle should be similar to one that is 4-5 years older. Assume that you "may" have to spend very near the purchase cost of the vehicle in the next 3-4 years on replacement equipment. Check the service records and see if major components have been replaced. If they have not, then assume that you will be the one replacing them. You are always better off to pay too much for a vehicle that has low mileage than to get a bargain on one with high mileage. Now too little use is almost as bad as too much use so keep this in mind if you come across a 20 year old vehicle with 10k miles on it. No one can give you an opinion on any vehicle without seeing it and examining it. So any "advice" you get over the internet is only guess work.

Your auto trans fluid needs to run between a set temp range to operate efficiently. There is a dual purpose for using the water radiator to stabilize the trans temp. First is to heat the fluid up rapidly in cold start situations by using heat transfered from the water. Second is to keep the temp within the necessary temp range for proper operation. When a vehicle is heavily loaded as in towing or carrying a heavy weight (like our RVs) the fluid becomes too hot even using the engine water to stabilize the temp. Thus the need for a secondary air exchange radiator to cool it down before it goes back into the trans. You can replace the factory stock trans cooler with a larger one or you can add a "supplemental" cooler in conjunction with the stock one. Most people just cut one of the lines on the stock cooler and branch out to a second cooler as this "adds" cooling capacity. If you replace the stock cooler you may not end up with much more cooling ability since you are taking one out of service and replacing it with another one. I would suggest that you add a secondary cooler rather than replace the primary one (unless the primary cooler is damaged or clogged). In ether case never remove the lines going to the water radiator as you need it to heat up the trans fluid on cold start situations. Using a synthetic or synthetic blend ATF will help a lot as they can run at higher temperatures before breaking down.

I removed the proportioning valve entirely on my 1981 diesel when I installed the 1 ton axle (14 years ago). Brakes worked GREAT with the same pressure going to front and rear On the Sunrader I replaced the "automatic" proportioning valve with a Wilwood "manual" proportioning valve. THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU SHOULD DO THIS! Messing around with how you vehicle's brakes operate is one of the most dangerous things you can do if you do NOT know what you are doing!!!!!

Have you tried Toyota? I have had good luck getting discounted parts from this dealer in Michigan http://www.toyotapart.com/default.asp Give them a shout (800-681-3033) and get OEM replacement lug nuts for about what over the counter Chinese ones will cost you

Call your local hardware stores. I found it locally at several hardware stores. The silver grey hammered metal finish looks the nicest on rims but it comes in a lot of colors (like all paint does). The "hammered" finish hides a lot of the imperfections that your rusty rims will have. http://www.paint-col...0&cat=30&page=1 The first coat lasted 14 years and still looked nice but I put another coat on last year and it looked like new again It's good stuff. Here is the before and after so you can see the difference (before was taken 14 years ago just after the axle was installed... notice the chalked arrow on the tire showing the original rotation from the salvage yard truck)

I painted the rims using Hammerite paint. It looks slick as it dries to a "fish eye" finish looking like the surface has been formed with a hammer. Very easy. Take the rims off. Sand them. Wipe them down with lacquer thinner. Brush on the paint. This paint is designed to go directly over rust but it is best to prep the surface as much as you can before painting. As an alternative you can get stainless steel wheel simulators. These are rather expensive and your rims will continue to rust under them. Hammerite painted rim: Stainless Steel Wheel Simulator

Thanks for bringing the photo gallery back. The missing icon is...... http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/public/style_images/21122702147/folder_team_icons/member4.gif Don't know exactly "what" it is/was but it is used by the forum software and it is not in the folder where it is supposed to be.

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