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Douglas17313

Toyota Advanced Member
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About Douglas17313

  • Birthday 08/01/1961

Previous Fields

  • My Toyota Motorhome
    Purchased! 1986/87 Gulfstream Conquest.
  • Location
    Dallastown, Pennsylvania

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Interests
    Camping, hiking, traveling around the country

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Douglas17313's Achievements

  1. I ordered tires from tire rack, even found whitewalls, but when I took in my rig for its inspection and tire installation, I was told that I had the wrong tire class. The tires I bought, and what was on it were "C" rated, according to the camper repair, that I really trust, told me that I need "D" rated tires. It's really hard to find "D" rated tires in a 14" 195 tire. I've seen some trailer tires, but are they good for the motorhome?
  2. Thank you Linda. I see a thinnish board near the bottom of the wall, the seat belt framing is attached to it. I'm thinking that if I attach a few vertical supports from that board to the metal tube running the length of the camper, that should strengthen the wall. The wooden support would have to be relatively thin maybe an inch thick. I could place one on the right and left side of the window. Any further to the right and the support would run into the refrigerator vent. As I said yesterday, I don't mind tearing off the wall paneling if it would be of benefit. My problem is that I can wire and install lights and switches, rip out bathrooms to replace the sub floor and I do all the maintenance on my cars including brakes. Where I am lacking, is fabrication such as supports in campers and RVs. You've given me a lot to work on and think about. Can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Doug
  3. One More question, this is the first doing this with a camper. I'll pull the paneling off the walls, I've watched the video series that you sent. Could you give me a couple pointers as to where the added supports should go? Pink solid insulation is behind the paneling. I'm going to get a metal/wood stud finder just to help. The pic I've attached is after the walls were removed and before the insulation was added by the guy that left it in the rain. There doesn't appear to be anything to attach supports to.
  4. Hello Linda, Thank you for sending the video. I subscribed to the channel on YouTube. Not going to lie, some of it was painful to watch as my unit is exactly like the camper in the video. I thought of adding additional support from the inside, I certainly don't mind removing the interior walls to increase the strength. One of the few things the guy, that messed up so badly, did do correctly was add trusses, with a slight dome, across the top of the camper. They're quite a bit more sturdy than the original. It was also a relief to find out the flex is due to the cabinets being removed. It leads me to believe that once the overhead cabinets, the dinette and the refrigerator cabinet are re-installed the strength should return and the flex should go away. I'm definitely not a welder, would wood be adequate? Would adding extra wooden support from the interior be of any benefit? The supports could easily be hidden with decorative covering. Again, thank you very much for all of your advice and resources.
  5. Hello Linda, Thank you for sending the video. I subscribed to the channel on YouTube. Not going to lie, some of it was painful to watch as my unit is exactly like the camper in the video. I thought of adding additional support from the inside, I certainly don't mind removing the interior walls to increase the strength. One of the few things the guy, that messed up so badly, did do correctly was add trusses, with a slight dome, across the top of the camper. They're quite a bit more sturdy than the original. It was also a relief to find out the flex is due to the cabinets being removed. It leads me to believe that once the overhead cabinets, the dinette and the refrigerator cabinet are re-installed the strength should return and the flex should go away. I'm definitely not a welder, would wood be adequate? Would adding extra wooden support from the interior be of any benefit? The supports could easily be hidden with decorative covering. Again, thank you very much for all of your advice and resources.
  6. Hi Linda. I could not get the guy to do anything. What Finally pushed me to get it home was that he was leaving the keys in it overnight and he'd moved 8t up next to the road. Finally after 2 years I drove it home. Between covid and my wife's heart attacks the camper has been sitting in my drive way for 18 months. It's been under two tarps, and is completely dry inside. This week I added a double layer of wood, and glued a 40 mil edpm to the roof. While adding the pieces the go down the edges is the unit, where the wall connects to the roof, I leaned against the passenger side wall and noticed that it flexed. There is absolutely no furniture on that wall. I have the original dinette and overhead cabinets and plan to use them. Does the furniture, once attached to the floor and the walls, act as a support to keep the wall from flexing? I found metal plates on the walls that would have the overhead cabinets attached to. This is one of the areas in which I'm totally ignorant. The rest of it is within my ability to finish. Can't believe that you remember me. Thank you in advance for your advice on the wall flex.
  7. How would I repair this flex? There is absolutely no water damage and the wall panels themselves were recently replaced with new wall board and insulation.
  8. The wall on the passenger side of my 1986 Gulfstream flexes. Nothing is attached to the wall from the interior. The dinette, the overhead cabinets and the refrigerator cabinet have all been removed for restoration. The drivers side still has the jacknife sofa, the wardrobe and the bathroom wall attached. Does removing the interior "furniture" provide strength to the outside walls? I noticed this today while installing a 40mil edpm roof liner.
  9. QUESTION: I had an RV repair my roof. It was sagging abt 3 inches at the a/c. He stripped the roof and place domed steel trusses across the rig for greater strength. He then recommend that the aluminum roof be replaced because of all the holes that had been drilled into before. I agreed, but before he finished a rain storm went through the area and the interior got soaked. He's rebuilt the walls, insulation, cut out the floor, removed the furniture, but 2.5 years later he wouldn't finish the roof. Wood was cut, placed, and screwed into the trusses and covered the entire roof. My question is this: The RV dealer wants to charge me $3600 to complete the roof. They however will use EDPM that they guarantee for 12 years. In addition all of the vents, a/c, fantastic fan, refrigerator vents and ladder will all be placed back in their original position and hooked up. Is the EDPM ok or did the aluminum provide structural integrity to the coach. I've also watched many a video on EDPM roof replacement and it may be hard, but it doesn't appear to be that difficult. I have plenty of time to complete the job. Is this a job to tough for a mechanically inclined beginner? Again, all teardown is complete, to finish the job everything needs to be put back and the EDPM aluminum needs to be installed. Thanks for any reccomendations.
  10. Hello Linda. Don't know if you remember me, but I have a 1986 Gulfstream Conquest.  I had taken the camper in to get a domed supports in the roof, reinsulate the ceiling and have a new tin sheet replace the old sheet. Unfortunately the restorer I used left the roof off in a huge rain storm and as a result, half the camper was damaged on the inside. As a result, the camper has a new floor, walls/insulation, wiring, and ceiling. As you suggested ive taken pictures EVERY step of the way. After 2.5 years the guy has refused to complete the rebuild. It still needs the tin cover for the roof, the a/c reinstalled,  and the assorted vents and ladder. No interior lights have been installed but all the wiring is complete. In addition, the dinette and the jack knife sofa have not been reinstalled. My patience ended in November and I brought my Toyota home. I did so under its own power. In January I'm taking him to small claims court. I have every picture and text for two years. My attorney says that its not a question of winning, just whether I'll get enough to cover the $3600 for finishing the roof. Shame is that the guy's work is really good, he just wouldn't finish it.

    I just am not going to give up on this unit.

    I've checked on it every two weeks or so and verified that no moisture has been getting in. I also took lots of pics with every visit. I'm looking forward to completing the interior and getting to use it.  My first purchase will be new tires as the current set is now over 7 years old. I also look forward to learning from your posts.

    Doug

    1. linda s

      linda s

      Wish you the best of luck. Small claims court is a good way to go. Just in case the guy argues that your camper isn't worth as much as your asking for ,print out some ads for Toyota campers. Maker shouldn't matter. That way you can show how much a good condition one sells for today. Take care

      Linda

  11. Do you have any pictures of what a "normal" wall would look like?
  12. This is the first that I am seeing the side walls without the interior paneling. From pics of other Gulfstream of the same year and model an aluminum frame is used as support with minimal wood. Aluminum framing should be on the outside of the visible wood. I'm checking on that with the rebuilder now. As far as the roof goes, there were trusses across the roof about, didn't measure, 16" to 24" apart. What I had originally contracted to have done was to replace those wood trusses with, or augment them with steel supports. The roof had a 3 inch sag around the A/C. In addition steel frames for the A/C and supporting vents are being framed in the same steel for extra support and are to be attached to the cross members. After the flood mishap, all of the wood trusses are being removed and replaced with steel supports. Weighing each support, they are well within a tolerance for extra weight that I felt was of little to no consequence.
  13. While my camper is being gutted, now seems the best time to install a 3 way fridge. The previous owner replaced the original with a large dorm size unit so I do not know the original size. I'm installing a 300 watt solar system and with a 3 way fridge I can go off grid. DO NOT WANT A GENERATOR. Does anyone know the original size, in cubic feet of the original fridge in a 1987 Gulfstream Conquest? I'm thinking it was about 4.5. Thanks in advance.
  14. This is what it currently looks like.
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