Mohave
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About Mohave
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So then, after being delayed by over a month with electrical, plumbing, and exhaust issues (learned so much, though, I really had a blast!!) I got back to work rebuilding the inside. Here's some pictures of my progress. I made a magazine rack and a little shelving unit - all out of 1/8' ply. I rebuilt a section of the inside roof and also began adding trim to my liking. More later
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I got delayed with my project with an electrical problem that you can read about. But I got it all fixed thanks to the advice of many. Then I had an accident. Thankfully, no one was injured. I was driving from Phoenix to Flagstaff on a cross country trip home from LA and came upon an accident where vehicle parts were all over the road. I was forced to run over someone's battery and some other stuff and it severed my high pressure line to the AC; ripped a hole in the exhaust pipe; ripped up the catalytic converter, and completed ripped out my gray and black water waste system pipes and valves. All that at going only 25 mph. I was able to tape things up and drove on to my home in Charlotte. Drove at night to avoid heat. Below, please find the pictures of these repairs. I had a friend of mine do the AC repair because I don't have equipment for that. I had Midas weld up a section of pipe w/ a flange on one end and flare on other (they wouldn't charge me so I paid the guy $10). Bought a new catalytic converter from O'Reilly's - $150.00 and did all of that repair in about 4 hours. The estimate from a professional was $600-$800ish. So I saved a little but learned a lot. She runs quiet as my wife's 2011 Honda. Truly does. Then I went to the web and priced out new 3" valves and flanges; went to Lowes and bought 3" pipe and a T along with two 3" rubber pipe connectors. Now, full disclosure, it took me 3 freakin' weeks to figure out what these valves were called how the heck to find flanges - etc....Interestingly, two professionals at the parts department of a nationally known RV repair store had no idea. They got it all wrong. Soooo I realized being a novice isn't so bad after all. I bought and returned and tried on parts and whatnot until I had it right. I was able to locate a schematic of my model on the internet which gave me an illustration of exactly what I needed. Everything is leak proof and flushes and drains beautifully. And remember - if I can do this stuff, anyone can.
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Picture of hood and fender removal where I epoxied seams and also used "Brushable Seam Sealer" from the auto store. Anyone reading this remember - I'm a pianist and a choir director. Never done this before. If I can do any of this, YOU can!!!
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Stopped the leaks. Took several weeks of trial and error. But patience won the day as I took the advice of DanAtTheCape and sprayed a hose at very low pressure over every inch of the front end. I began by putting silicone around windshield. Here's the process I went through. 1. Isolated the leaks - coming from far upper right corners of cab along seam and from higher behind the dash. 2. Silicone on windshield seams - no change. 3. Dismantled wheel well plastic and marine epoxied all seams - some change. 4. Took off hood - marine epoxied every seam behind engine block and under and around the windshield wiper housings; changed some gaskets - a little more change. 5. Took out all the carpet and took out the electric boxes under the dash. Then went over all seams, screw holes etc... with waterproof caulk and marine epoxy. Then sprayed the entire floor and all the metal up as far as I could reach with Flexseal spray - several coats - no leaks!! Right about that time the hurricane came through so I took her out and drove through torrents and nasty water holes on the road. Took her onto the interstate - nothing! Not a single damp spot. Thank you everyone!!
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Howdy Back East Don. Mohave here. I'm making good progress on the RV. Have an electrical question for you. My lights are dim but my receptacles work full power. This is occurring while plugged into the house power. Are there any obvious and simple things you would check on before taking it into an expert?
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Got everything fixed. It was a string of issues.
1. You were right, Back East Don, I checked the ground wire and it was severed. Jacked up the RV and fixed it.
2. New battery - old one was bad I and didn't know it.
3. Replaced the two 15 amp. relays that sit outside the battery box on the vehicle frame.
4. Located hidden wire that the previous owner had tied into a ceiling light to tie into a lamp that he'd disconnected. Wires were touching and kept blowing a fuse.
Then everything worked. It took me a month to figure all this out. But I learned a lot and it was worth the education!
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When I bought this RV, I knew it had bad water damage. The original owner's wife had died and he let it set outside, unused for over a decade. His mechanic, who had done all of the maintenance on it since it was new, bought it from that owner shortly before he died. The mechanic rebuilt the engine, transmission, fixed the leaks, new cab air, new water pump, etc....But after a few months of ownership he needed to sell due to severe health problems. I had been looking for this very thing: This model of Toyota w/ a good engine and trans but something I could work on. It has taken me to LA and back from Charlotte, NC humming like a bird mechanically. A friend of mine in Tucson who is an RV mechanic put in a new hot water heater for me and re-did the wiring w/ new power supply and breaker box. So now the slow fun is left.
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I'm real proud of my seams but I added what you suggested because that option is certainly more professional. Thank you again for your input, Back East Don! JEH
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You are absolutely right and I know a good HVAC guy. It was important to me to do this job on my own. But I am going to add your input to my post for those who may want to use your advice. JEH
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Honestly, I'm a pianist. If I can do it, any one can!
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Thank you, Back East Don. I have three more days off to get the floor in and seal things well. Then I'll be working more slowly. This has been very educational and I've enjoyed every minute! JEH
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Hello Back East Don. Have you experienced any issues with water on your cab floor? If so, what was (or would be) your order of prognostication? When I bought my 87 Itaska, I realized there was a lake under both seats. I removed the seats and flooring and dried everything up. Now that rains have returned, I've tried to locate the source(s). Both upper corners under the dash are damp. I'm wondering if, in your opinion, this would signal a windshield leak.
Don't want to bother you but I've appreciated your other posts and would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks so much! JEH
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While I have an Itasca, I've never had a problem with leaking up in the cabin. Sure, leaking just about everywhere else. Here is what I know. Water problems are a top down thing. Some issues with cab leaks come from the vent below and in front of the bottom of the window glass. This is where the fresh air is introduced. There is supposed to be a tube that drains out any water that enters here and sometimes it gets filled up with crud. Thing is, it doesn't explain the upper corners of the dash though. Here is my thinking. The berth pretty much covers mine. If it is standing still, there is no way I should be seeing water in the cab unless it is coming from above. This would portend berth issues which are all too common. If this is happening while moving in the rain, then I might be swayed into thinking the seal or window gasket or whatever.
You have a post up. I know it is pretty dead right now. Good weather and all in the middle of the camping season. Someone with more experience will chime in. Also don't hesitate to use the search function. I did this for a long time before I even made myself known. I had done tons of work from info I got just from searches. For multiple word searches place them in quotation marks like "propane valve" as it will narrow things down a bit.
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My 1986 Toyota Itaska has perpetual leaking on both driver and passenger sides. I can tell that up under the front corners of the floor behind the dash, it is slightly damp. For those of you who have had similar issues, what is the order of prognostication you'd go through to determine the leak(s) source(s)?
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Thank you, Back East Don!! This is extremely helpful!
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Well everyone, my daughter moved to Tucson and I purchased this for her. She lived in it for 6 months and loved it. We drove from Charlotte to Tucson then to LA and back to Charlotte. Ran like a new vehicle. Absolutely the greatest vehicle I've ever owned. The owner had the engine and trans. completely overhauled - new heads, new cab AC, new belts, hoses, new tires brakes - all completely re-done. But the camper portion was heavily water damaged. I knew that if the engine and trans was good for crossing the country back and forth, I could gut and remodel the inside and outside. I did a quick repair on some plumbing as well as a new hot water heater and leak repair - making it nice and cozy for my daughter's 6 month residence. Now I'm going to begin to overhaul this beauty inside and out so that my wife and I can enjoy it together. I will post pictures and my comments as I go. Hopefully I will get most of the work done before September, 2016. QUESTIONS: 1. ALUMINUM SIDING: Advice on restoring the aluminum siding from those who have done it. What is the best way to repair fairly significant hail damage? If I need to replace some aluminum siding, where do I purchase it? 2. SHOWER DOOR: I'd like to install a shower door to replace the curtain. Has anyone made one of these or retrofitted something? 3. INSIDE DECOR: Should I try to restore the inside original or gut it and go with a contemporary look? 4. BUNK AREA REBUILD: The bunk area is completely rotted from water damage so I must rebuild. Any suggestions here - pitfalls, things to do, avoid etc? As in the above question, where do I purchase the aluminum under-siding. It is rusted substantially with many rust pinholes etc.... 5. ADDING WINDOW: Does anyone have any experience cutting a new hole for a window and adding one? I'd like to add a window in the bunk bed area for better ventilation.
