Rogue Runner

We had a similar problem a year or so back. The first thing we did was come right here and get help from the many great folks here on these forums. Two suggestions stood out: 1) Make sure your coach battery is fully charged. I didn't know that the electronics in the furnace were sensitive to low voltage. 2) The thermocouple over time can develope scale on the tip. Take some sandpaper and try to sand the tip and then retry the start process. I did this a few times and like magic the furnace came to life.

I've found that Krylon spray paint (either their "Fusion" or "Colormaster" brands) color "Gloss Dover White" works good for touchups on cab and coach for our Rogue motorhome. Now ours is not a Sunrader but this paint might be worth a try.

So sorry for hijacking this thread. The original poster should check his axle. It appears from his pictures that he may have the infamous 5-lug axle. Am I seeing correctly?

It has 3 handholds...So that means it is an '86?

Yes, it has the 6-lug axle. I think it came that way from the Rogue coach factory (i.e. no paperwork axle was ever changed). So, the only way to tell is for me to try removing wheel?

Ok, Thanks for the info on the replacement PD converter. It seems that the only reason to replace old unit is for better charging of coach battery? There is no "cleaner" power benefit? I was worried my old converter wasn't ideal for today's sensitive electronics (i.e. phone, laptops, TV's etc.)? In regards to battery charging my old converter seems to be working fine. I've not had any battery sulfating problems. In fact I'm just now changing out my coach battery after over 7 years use.

We have an original power converter in our '85 coach. As we use computers, watch TV, charge phones, etc., when we travel we think it would be advisable to replace our converter. I know this has been discussed before but can someone advise us to what manufacturer and model # would be our best replacement?

We have an '85 Rogue (not a Sunrader) but have found that the spray paint Krylon "Dover White Gloss" to be a very close color for touchups of both the cab and couch. We've used their "Fusion" or "ColorMaster" brands with equally good results. Hope this info helps!

Welcome to these forums. You will find a wealth of information in the archives as well as from the many knowledgeable members. Not meaning to hijack your thread but I have a question regarding Derek's recent advice. I have an '85 Rogue. Does the lefthanded thread advice apply to our vehicle too?

Hi Freestone, The company is Aalbu Brothers. They have moved to Smokey Point (near Arlington WA). Their phone number is: 425-252-9751. It seems they have sold since I was there. Cal and Larry were the old timers I dealt with but Larry has unfortunately passed away. Cal in his mid to late eighties felt it time to sell as Larry had done most of the physical work. I chose them due to their proximity to me here in Bellingham so I didn't consider any other shops. Hope that helps!

Mark, Yes, the sales tax here is high but at least we don't have state income tax. 😀 The shop we went to was in Everett, WA. Established in 1906. The old timer there was absolutely sold on "cold" arching the leaf springs using a huge press versus putting them in a furnace and heat forming them like your shop did. I was skeptical of their process. I told him that I read that cold forming won't keep it's arch. His stare at me felt like daggers and he said, "We've been doing this for over 100 years. Don't you think we might know a thing or two about doing a job like this right?" Needless to say I didn't argue with him. They took almost a week to re-arch my old springs and arch two more new leaf springs for each side. They then put the packs together and installed each side with new U bolts, brackets, bushings, etc. I'm exceedingly happy with the result but often wonder which method (hot or cold) is truly the best. At least both of our old timers could agree about the airbag systems. Maybe they saw these systems as competition to their craft? My guy felt they are band aids at best. His opinion was that a well designed and installed spring pack should never need an air bag supplement.

Hi Mark, I remember talking with you before about our Spring Shop cost experience. The prices we both paid I think we're at the extremes. However in my defense, I also included my KYB shocks (and installation) in my $1500 cost. We also have close to a 10% sales tax here in WA that we have to deal with. Ugh!

Maineah, Great tip on turning off the city water when leaving your RV at a campsite. Though I've always turned off the pump switch when I'm not using water during dry camping, I had never thought about turning off the city water when we're away from our RV. Sometimes we think we're so smart about things and then someone like you reminds us we still have allot to learn. Thank you for ALL your excellent advice on these forums.

Hi Kirk, Like Mark, our 1985 Rogue was riding very low and we took to a nearly century old spring shop. They added two leafs to each side, cold arched the pack, and installed new bushings. We then had Les Schwab install KYB shocks (lifetime warranty). Our rear was lifted around 3" and the coach is nearly level all the way around. Fast forward a couple years and it sits the same. Though we spent nearly $1500 on this suspension work, it's been the biggest performance improvement to our RV. No more sway when cornering (even on tight mountain roads). The ride is also very comfortable not jarring as some have experienced using Bilstein shocks. Interesting note is the old timer who ran the shop was not too keen on the air bags systems many have installed on their rigs. He was very happy to see that our RV never had these. He said that a properly configured shackle pack should never need an air bag supplement.

There's a YouTube video on the process for cleaning the tank (can't figure how to load). They use a Camping World special water spray wand that easily fits into the "washer" hole. They then turn on the water and move the wand around to remove scale. The process is augmented by also using white vinegar.

I'm surprised to hear that some think the drain valve on hot water tank is not removable. I just got done replacing mine after our annual trip to the Oregon coast. It was a bit corroded but nothing that some WD40 can't handle. By the way we use our hot water heater all the time when we're camping. Just light the pilot and turn the burner on. It's very efficient and doesn't use much propane at all.

Welcome to the board! We have a 1985 Rogue with approximately 62k miles. It's a 4-speed manual with a 22RE motor. We bought it back in 2014 and have enjoyed many fun trips up and down the Pacific coast. Like you we have done several improvements (i.e. suspension, shocks, paint, etc.) with always more to do! Our layout sounds the same as yours with 3/4 bath in back; couch and swivel chairs in main; kitchen area in front next to loft. I must say I was surprised to see this post. I thought I had seen all posts here related to our seemingly rare Toyota motorhome. If you click on our name in this reply you will be able to see some pictures of our RV and the various posts we've contributed through the years. We hope you enjoy your new treasure and lifestyle.

That's the tough part in the decision process as to which shock to buy. There is no way to test drive each brand on our specific RV. We just have to roll the dice and take our chances. Your evaluation however really helped to tip the scales in our decision for the KYB's. No way did we want to experience any sort of jarring ride in our various future travels. In our case these KYB's have exceeded our expectations. Throw in we got a lifetime guarantee for parts and labor really sealed the deal for us.

Linda, thanks for your evaluation of the Bilstein shocks. Generously sharing your negative experience really assisted us in determining which shock (KYB or Bilstein) we should install. After 2000 miles of driving in our 6850 lb Rogue we're VERY happy we went with KYB's.

I've held off responding to this thread as we've been traveling extensively this summer in our Rogue. After spending nearly $1200 on our rear suspension this year (i.e restored and added leaf springs, bushings, etc.) we thought it best to also install new shocks. I reviewed all the various topics on this subject in these forums and opted to go with the KYB Gas-Adjust units. I had Les Schwab do the work as by doing so I got a lifetime guarantee on both parts and labor. It took nearly three hours to complete the installation as those OEM units were very stubborn to remove. So what's our opinion? We've put over 2000 miles on these shocks traveling down and up the west coast. During this journey we drove the back roads and freeways. It's also important to note that our RV is no lightweight. It weighs in at 2000 lbs front; 4850 lbs rear. Bottom line? We couldn't be more pleased with the handling and feel of these shocks. They made all roads encountered very comfortable to drive.

Not only is your advice so valued but your story writing skills are incredible. This narrative is a great example of your wit and wisdom.

We didn't remove our oven as we frequently use the range top attached. We have just "repurposed" it to be a mini- wine cellar by removing the inside metal racks and burner. We even left the oven door on so our wine remains at a fairly constant temperature.

Our 1985 Rogue oven had never been used when we bought it three years ago. We knew we would never use it either so we removed the burner and capped off the oven propane line. We then installed a wine rack that was perfectly sized for the space. Our "oven" has turned into a mini wine cellar.

Funny thing was I didn't know I had tilt steering until I removed the balance of the broken cover. As far as power steering I know I don't have that. Funny thing about that is I don't miss it at all!

Oops...Sorry about forgetting to add that important information. It's for a 1984 Toyota Pickup, tilt steering, manual transmission, and preferred color is black. Thanks Derek for your assistance.