ChairmanMeow7

Shortly after I bought my Toy a couple of years ago , the alternator went. I replaced it with a heavy duty 160 amp alternator I got off E-Bay. Since replacing it , I have tightened it 3-4 times. And I have also had it tightened at about 3 different garages , including a Toyota dealer. It still seems to loosen up 3-4 times a year (and I've only been driving about 5k a year). I'm getting so frustrated , I am about to have them tack weld it in place , but of course that would create huge problems if I ever needed to change it on the road. I also have been thinking of seeing if I could have some sort of "pusher" bracket fabricated with a bolt that would "push" on it to keep tension on it so it couldn't (at least very easily) loosen up. Any suggestions ?

Thanks Greg ! I ordered a set and hopefully I will have time to install them next week. When you say replace the blinker , do you mean the small rectangular metal "box" near the fuse box ? I may just end up getting the LED tailights as well. I like the idea that you never really have to worry about them burning out , and you don't have to worry about bad or corroded connections , as with an incandescent bulb....

I am going to replace my current running lights with LED lights , as they seem to be more reliable and tolerant of voltage drops. Anyone know where to get a good deal on a set of these ? I am going to need 7 red and 9 amber (I want 2 for my boat trailer). I see some sets on E-Bay , but they come in sets of 6. I asked a few of the sellers if they would make a mixed set , but they said they couldn't. So it looks like I may have to order 2 complete sets of each color. I am also going to price them at the RV store. It may end up being the same price , when I factor in shipping. How much do these normally go for per piece ?

I got my Hankooks from The Bus Depot (link in post above). I forgot what I paid for them (I bought 7 , 1 for a spare as I had no idea how old the spare was , and I know my Toy was sitting for a bit before I bought it). I forgot exactly what I paid for them , but I am going to say in the $75 a piece range.... BTW , is anyone else using Hankooks ? What is your opinion of them ? And what do you generally keep them inflated to ? I have mine up to about 50 PSI (I think that is near the max inflation pressure). I know with the higher inflation pressure , they should wear better , but I am probably sacrificing ride quality a bit. Is there a good reccomended pressure for these to strike a good balance between ride/handling characteristics and wear ?? And what about when it comes time to rotate ? How often do you rotate the tires and what is the proper procedure when rotating all 6 (or even 7) tires ???

I had a problem with smells in my Toy as well , especially driving down the road. I did replace the standard "straight" (capped) roof vents , on both my grey and black water tank (roof vents). Although I did not use the "weather vane" type , I found one that was semi-arc shaped , with the vent openings facing towards the rear. These seem to draw the vented air to the rear of the coach as you are driving. Since installing these , no more smells ! I think this type probably works just (about) as well as the weather vane type , and I think I only paid about $7-8 for them on E-Bay. But , I think maybe had I known about the weather vane type , I probably may have opted for them. My main concern being if I am parked and there is a strong wind blowing from the back of the coach (and thus into the rear facing openings). I have yet to encounter this problem , but I can see where that could be a possiblity. The weather vane type looks like it will ALWAYS face the opposite direction of the wind flow (nice feature). It seems that a lot of the (smell) problems are caused by air being forced down into the tanks when on the road. I'm still not sure how this air was able to get past the traps and be forced up into the coach , but I think as long as you use some type of roof vent (cover) that doesn't allow air to be forced down the vent pipes , it will eliminate the problem (for the most part)...

Last fall when I parked my camper for the season , I noticed a leak underneath on the driveway. I normally start the camper and try to take it for a short ride or 2 during the Winter. This year I did not , as I put a tarp over it for the Winter. That , and the fact the battery was dead , is why I did not do this during the Winter. By Spring I noticed a big leak "spot" under the camper. A few weeks ago I checked all the fluids (radiator , brake , oil , tranny) and nothing seemed to be low. As a matter of a fact , the tranny fluid seemed awful high on the stick , as if it had TOO much fluid in it. But , this was checked with it NOT running and warmed up. I took it for a short ride a few days ago , and checked the tranny fluid again and it was off the stick ! I was wondering if this sounds like a pan gasket or what else it could be ? I realize you probably can't properly diagnose it without seeing it , but just wondering what the most LIKELY cause is ? Also , I was wondering if anyone has used any of those tranny leak "sealers" or is this just snake oil ? I do plan on having it looked at in the not too distant future , but I was wondering if the leak sealers actually work , or is it more of a band aid approach and I may be looking at much bigger problems in the future (such as tranny failure , out in the sticks somewhere) ? I mean , if it is a rather simple (not too costly) fix , I guess it would juast be better to have it fixed. A pan gasket shouldn't cost that much (especailly given the alternative of tranny failure from lack of fluid !). Also , I DO realize it is probably a good idea to start up the vehicle and let it run a bit a few times during the Winter , when it is stored. But will just starting it , warm up and circulate the tranny fluid ? Or would I actually need to drive it (this could be a bit of a problem , as I like to put a tarp over the roof in the Winter) ?

I stand corrected ! I heard (on here) that the Winnies were the heaviest.... When I saw what other owners had posted what theirs weighed , I was worried about a (serious) overloading problem. But 6800 Lbs. , this is still quite a bit more than our Toy chassis were designed to carry , is it not ? I was actually thinking of removing the original fridge , as it doesn't work (and hopefully lighten it up a little in the process). I was going to put a dorm fridge in and run it off an inverter. But now I am hearing (other threads on here) that may not be such a good idea because of battery drain. But , I am not usually diconnected from shore power for more than a day or so. And , I do have a 160 amp HD alternator which I installed and a generator (although I don't always bring it). This should help keep the coach battery charged (at least I hoped). And , I don't normally stay parked for more than a day anyways. Do you think I may be able to get away with a small dorm fridge in this instance , or is it still ill advised ? I use an ice chest for now and it seems to suit my needs (for the most part) , but it would be nice to have a working fridge for longer trips....

Sorry if I gave you bad advice !! But , I was able to (gently) pry my flange up after removing the screws... Maybe I should have been more specific and said GENTLY pry it and work your way around it. But , it kinda sounds like yours was not "glued" in with the same gummy stuff mine was. I still feel bad (if) I gave you bad advice.

My 1986 Winnie came with seatbelts for the bench (dining table) seats when I bought it. I'm not sure if they were original , but I'm sure you could install some on yours.

After removing the screws that hold the flange to the floor (6 I beleive) , I was able to pry it up with a pry bar. It wasn't easy , and I had to work my way around it to get it to come off. They use some real gummy stuff to seal these so you may need to work at it a bit. I ended up putting the flange back in using regular plumbers pipe dope , in case I ever had to remove it again. I DID end up doing this , as I ended up turning the flange 15-20 degrees , so the toilet would be at a little bit of an angle too. It just made it a little easier to use the toilet like this rather than it facing straight forward (mine is a rear bathroom Winnie). Might be something you may want to consider...... Does anyone know if I MAY run into any problems using the pipe dope (versus the sealant) ? Maybe I need to re-think or re-do this before I run into problems ?? I just put this in last Fall and have not used the camper yet this year.

So you had to remove the whole frame to get it to split apart ? And what holds the frame in , and how did you get it out ? What will I need to put it back in (butyl tape) ??

WME ..... 140 HP , what is that a turbo ? If not , what did you do to it to boost the HP to 140 ?

What motor do you have ? 4 or 6 cylinder ?

That was my concern , especially since I am going to be hooking up the dash AC (new compressor) for the 1st time since I bought this 2 years ago. I live in CT. and occasionally take trips to the White Mts. in NH. I noticed the temp gauge getting quite high a few times climbing some of those Mts. !! Although I am sure with my 22-RE I will need to shut the AC off anyway when climbing such a large hill (the going can get a bit slow at times , and I have had to pull over to let traffic pass). I figure if I need to pay for a repair (of current radiator) , I might as well upgrade to a bigger radiator while I'm at it. Plus , if I go this route , I can probably intall it myself and save on labor costs. Putting a new radiator in is not that big a job (or is it) ?

I have a 1986 Winnebago and the sliding glass on the passenger side upper bunk window is broke. I replaced it with a piece of (I beleive) 1/8 lexan , but I am not totally happy with the fit (and seal). I am also concerned , as the lexan is a bit flexible and maybe when the camper is parked unattended somewhere , someone could push the lexan in and use a wire or something and open my coach door. Does anyone know if these frames come apart to replace the sliding glass ? (it doesn't appear as if it does)..... Or will I need to replace the ENTIRE window ? If the entire window must be replaced , anyone know where I might find one ?

I just noticed this post. I normally don't check the suspension and engine threads as often as I check the "regular" posts. I just purchased (yesterday) a set of air bags on E-Bay for $249 with FREE shipping. They had 3 sets available so I assume they still have 2 left. I beleive the brand name was "Air Lift". Does anyone have any experience with these ? Are they a good brand ? (It says they have a lifetime warranty). Also , this bussiness that sells them (E-Bay name "ourdealsrock") sent me an E-Mail stating if I give them 5 star feedback on E-Bay they will knock 10% off my next order. They seem to have great feedback after hundreds (if not thousands) of feedbacks. They said if for any reason I can NOT give them 5 star feedback to call them or write them before posting feedback. They seem like a decent company to deal with..... You can look up " Toyota Micro Mini " on E-Bay and it should bring you to the item. I will try and post a link later..... I currently do NOT have air bags on my 86 Winnebago , but as most of you know the Winnies are proabably the heaviest of all the coaches for our Toys. I weighed mine , and I think I had a full fuel and water tanks , and I had gear in it. I beleive I was standing outside the cab at the time and it weighed in at a whopping 6800 Lbs. !! I am not certain what I had in it , but I think I will have it weighed again. I am a bit concerned as this seems like a LOT of weight for the Toy frame , too the point of being "overloaded". The rear springs are just a little bit saggy (not that bad , really). But , I do notice that it is not level at times , and thus opted for the air bags. I may even opt for the onboard compressor system at some point so I can adjust it whenever (or wherever) needed. How do I measure to make sure this is riding at it's ORIGINAL (designed) height ? After reading this post , I do NOT want to overfill the springs so it is riding above original height for the reasons mentioned in this post (handling and braking characteristics etc.)..... Also , had I known about how heavy these were AND if I had known about the Sunraders , I may have just waited to find a decent Sunrader. But , I paid $4800 for this Winnie with only 43,000 and it didn't need all that much work , so I jumped on it. (It was kind of an "impulse" buy as I was not really in the market for a camper at the time). But I have NO regrets what so ever !! I am having a blast with it in the 2 years I have owned it (and can't wait to take my 1st trip of the year) !! When I 1st brought it home my GF said "what do you want that thing for" ??? NOW , when I am in a little money pinch I "kid" my GF saying I am going to sell her. She says "Don't you dare , sell that boat of yours 1st" (I think she has been bitten by the "Toy bug"). LOL !!!!

So no one has experienced any overheating problems when running the AC in a hot climate ? (it's a 22-RE motor). Not that I live in a hot climate (I'm in CT.) , but I was thinking a larger one might not hurt if traveling out West or down South mid Summer. The radiator and AC were stock , but just wondering if there were any overheating issues to be aware of ? I know some (older) vehicles have been known to experience some problems....

My radiator on my 1986 Winnie with the 22RE is leaking. I know I could have it soldered , but I think I would like to replace with a new one. I think I would like to go with a larger than stock one if possible. I plan on putting an new AC compressor in and hooking up my AC for the 1st time since I bought this 3 years ago , so I figure it wouldn't hurt to go with a bigger radiator (if possible) as well. Anyone know where I might find a new (larger) radiator that would fit the 22RE ? And how much might I expect to pay for it ? If not , does anyone know what (larger) radiators other model Toys may fit this if I have to go the junkyard route ?

It wouldn't hurt to get a blow-out plug that attaches to your city water hookup. You then open the taps (one at a time , farthest one from fresh water tank 1st) , and when you apply compressed air to the blow-out plug , it will clear out any remaining water. And/Or you can run PINK (make sure it is the PINK non-toxic one) RV and Marine antifreeze through the lines. This can be done by disconnecting the line from your fresh water holding tank and making a hose to fit the end of the line , and put the other end in the bottle of RV anti-freeze. Being you are in Canada (not sure how far North , or how cold it gets where you are) , I would seriously consider doing at least one , if not both of these if you don't want to have to replace any more broken lines.

Ahhhh... I did find another string further down on running lights. It seems that nothing comes up for me when I try to do a search ( which I DID do before putting this post up). I see the other string is quite informative , and I like the idea of the LED lights. I will try and check for the bad ground as mentioned , and I hope that is the problem (which will be a much easier fix). I'm just wondering how I'm supposed to GET AT the wiring if it is bad between the lower running lights and the upper ones (which is what I suspect). The wire does run from the lower TO the upper lights , correct ?

NO external venting ? Don't ALL types of cumbustible fuels (including propane and natural gas) give off CO when the burn ?? Are you SURE it doesn't say it must be mounted outside or have some sort of outside venting ? I bought one of these for my home a few months back , but I have not got around to installing it yet. Mine has a 120v. blower on it to be vented to the outside. For safety' s sake ! I would double check that it is SAFE to mount without venting or mounting outside the coach

All of my running lights were working , but after smelling some smoke in the coach while driving , the upper running lights no longer work. This was after trying to replace my old mechanical isolator with a solid state one. (seems like there was a bit of confusion as to whether to replace my old 3 post mechanical isolator with a 3 post or 4 post solid state one. I got differing advice depending on who I talked to). Anyhow..... I'm assuming it must have been a short. The lower running lights still work fine (the red ones on the rear of the coach) , but when checking the upper contacts with a voltmeter , there is no power to any of the upper lights that I can tell. Where would I begin to look for the short or bad wiring ? Isn't this going to be a REAL pain to access the wire(s) , and maybe I am better off just leaving them as they are ? Does anyone know what the laws in various States are concerning running lights ? In my home State of CT , the MV Dept. says they are not neccessary. But , I wonder what the laws are in other States ? And how much of a safety issue do you think it is to run without the upper running lights operating ?

I contacted Vanner , the maker of my isolator and they didn't seem to be of much help. When I spoke to someone from "tech support" they didn't seem to sure of which isolator I should be using. They told me to contact Toyota , which I already did , and Toyota told me to contact the manufacturer of the isolator. Big run-around here. At Vanner they DID say that if the people who rebuilt my alternator told me I need the 3 post model , then it must be so ( Hmmmm , a lot of help there). I realize that the center post of the isolator should be hooked up to the alternator , but the only wire I see coming from the positive post is a large (4 gauge ??) wire to the fuse/breaker box and the old (12 guage ??) wire that went to one of the large posts on my old mechanical isolator. I really don't see a wire leading back to the alternator , but there HAS to be one connected , because I can run the engine without running down the battery (even though I am NOT connected to the isolator at this point , and I just have those wires taped up). The tech support from Vanner said it did NOT sound as if the wires to and from the isolator were heavy enough to carry the current. I guess I am going to have to take this in to either an RV shop or a place that specializes in automotive electronics. Or should I be taking some pics to post on here so someone might point me in the right direction ?

Are you able to get the pilot lit ? I have an Atwood and I know I have to keep the knob turned (and HELD) against the stop for about a minute , so the pilot will properly heat the sensor up , BEFORE it will allow the gas control valve open the gas to the main burner. If pilot lights , maybe the sensor is bad and not opening up the valve to the main burner ? ?

Please read my latest post in the "deep cycle battery won't charge" ... I have a very serious (and pontentially dangerous) issue. I didn't want to repeat my "long winded post" , but I REALLY need some help here !!