danialm5 Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Hello! I’m brand new to the forum and also to owning a Toyota motorhome so forgive me if this is posted in the wrong place. I purchases this rv as a project and while it does run, there is definitely a lot of miscellaneous work to be done (as shown in the pictures). The first issue I want to tackle is the roof leak. There seems to be a leak near the back vent of the motorhome and I noticed some sagging around the vent but the previous owner said he was certain it was coming from the AC unit. Pictures suggest otherwise... but before I rip everything apart, I want to know what you all think I should to do fix the sag and repair the roof myself. Also, how would I go about removing some walls and the interior ceiling? Thank you! update: It was just raining very hard outside so I checked the inside of the rv and couldn’t see any leakage, I only saw it leaking when I was driving, maybe from the water pooled at the top moving around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 I think you should probably reseal the AC unit and the vent. If you want to add more support it should go right behind the cabinets where the manufacturer supported it with those iron work bars. Shouldn't be too hard to put in some wall supports and a cross beam there. It does look like your going to have to replace the ceiling material. I don't know what would be the right choice there. Maybe someone here who has done work on Dolphins or other wood base coaches. Al in all doesn't look like a disaster. Some basic woodworking skills and common sense. Of course after you seal the roof stuff reseal the whole roof with one of those white elastomeric seals like Cool Seal Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 The AC gasket is good for only about 5 years as far a the sag that's fairly common to some extent the AC unit is heavy. There is a dam the AC unit fits around this helps keep the water out but if the gasket is bad the water can get past the dam and definitely cause damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danialm5 Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 Thank you for your responses. I have taken apart the back ceiling and one side wall that felt very soft. I also noticed one of my windows is detached from the fiberglass body. Today I’m going to remove the AC unit and vents to check for any holes... I believe some of the wood is rotted from the leak. Should I tear the entire ceiling apart and rebuild? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REALLYRURAL Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Welcome to the Forum. I am currently on my second toyhome rebuild. The first is an 1988 that I had to rebuild the cab overhead and the rear wall. It has since taken me up and down the east coast from the Canada border to middle of Florida. I have in the eight years I have owned it I have actually lived in it full time 3 and a half to 4 years while working away from home or just out on an adventure. It now has 153 thousand miles needs a center bearing and rear end seal but that is it. Once those two things are done and a valve adjust I would not hesitate to head out on a many thousand mile journey. I have a full coverage policy from State Farm (with a stated value of 10,000.00) that includes towing. Cost of the policy is just under 400 per year. I blew a head gasket and incurred 750 dollars in towing and upon submitting the bill to my Agent i was fully reimbursed. The Second toyhome is a 1991 toyhome that was purchase from an insurance auction. It had a pine tree fall on it during a storm and i call it the Tramper (trashed camper). I have been tinkering with this one for the last two years and have had to rebuild both sidewalls and the cab overhead and a new roof. Engineering as I go. I am on the second rebuild of the passenger side wall and decided to use 3/4 plywood for multitude of reasons. The roof I am constructing to be able to hold a load and my full weight in certain sections. It is finally coming together and I am pushing this project over many others at this time and hoping for initial completion in a month. Your project is more like my first project. I found rebuilding from the inside easy with just basic skills and tools needed. I left the ac unit for the first couple of years then pulled it off and installed a vent and a fantastic fan. The ac unit weighs to much for what it provides (my opinion) and the weight of it is in the wrong place. That weight , gravity and the rigors of the road are more than any rv roof can stand (have been thinking rv manufacturers put them there so the rv has a limited lifetime). There are other ways to cool an rv. When I rebuilt the interior of the 1988 I used thin tongue and groove planks from Home Depot. Gluing and screwing as I went. This made it easy to make a composite of the old skin foam and the planks that has lasted eight years and has stood up very well. I did remove the front window and the clearance lights as I they were holes that were hard to keep the rain out at 70 mph. I am making use of pop rivets and flooring / decking screws to put the 1991 together. I have also pitched the roof of the 91 from the center up one inch so the roof will not puddle. i have added aluminum extrusions to the roof for strength and secure anchor points for future projects (solar panels, ladder rack kayaks, ect). While you have it apart check all your electrical connections and make sure you do not put any fasteners through the wiring in the rebuild. In the 1988 I removed the old circuit breakers and installed a small sub panel with more breakers. In the 1991 will do this also but the breakers will all be arc fault breakers and the twelve volt will go through go through a marine twelve volt breaker panel. (if you get any tingles when touching the rv when it is plugged in you need to address that issue immediately as stray current and bad grounds can and will shorten your whole camping experience).... When I rebuilt the 1988 I trolled this forum extensively without having to log in or add any content and it was an unbelievable resource. If only to see if what I had been thinking was off base or had been tried before. I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to add their experiences here and am hoping to return the favor by just getting up to speed with posting skills. One thing I found is that the whole interior is removable. Rebuilding a Toyhome is a whole series of tiny projects. Every hole drilled or screw placed was for me fully thought out before making the move. Once your done you are off on an adventure in a rig that inspires curiosity among curious people wherever you travel. Best of Luck. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandune24 Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Hi Linda , Hope you are well 😊. So, in regard to your comment stating there is the possibility of adding cross beams and going behind the cabinets to add lateral support would do the trick? As I know I will be replacing the a/c gasket too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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