New Toy Dolphin owner

[dixiebear64]

Great site! Just wished I had discovered it about 36 hours ago. I just won an '86 Dophin off e-bay, I haven't even picked it up yet. I have not physically seen it. I guess this is one of the downfalls of e-bay. I did pay the deposit and because I am not interested in the boat, the seller took off $1000. Essentially I got it for $3250.

My worry is I do not know if it has the recalled 5 lug axle or the improved 6 lug. I didn't know to look for this issue till stumbling onto your wonderful site.

I was told it doesn not have roof leaks so I am not concerned about that chronic problem. The owner assured me the roof is solid as well as the floor.

I was thinking I could fabricate the missing doors but read here I might be able to find some replacements, awesome! If anyone knows of some, please let me know.

I fell in love with the little motorhome because I took a about a 5,000 mile trip in one (I think it was the Sunraider version) with some friends 3 years ago. 4 adults and 3 dogs.....the mini got a little snug but we had an awesome time. It was August, we went from Springfiled IL, to some hilly place in West Virginia. The little Toy chugged along just fine, seemed the automatic got fussy with the 22r in the hills so we left the OD and a/c off. Once, we were kinda stuck at some tourist trap (a castle some crazy man built himself over the past 50 years) that was down a very steep grade and around a sharp curve, on the way out three adults had to walk up the mountain b/c the Toy couldn't make the grade from a dead start. This was the only setback, but kinda funny.

I digress....but it was this trip planted the Toy virus in me.

I am planning on picking up the Toy this weekend, it's about 135 miles from my house but now I am nervous the wheels are gonna fall off thanks to reading your threads.

The owners I bought it from only owned for about a year and added the big "no-no" trailor hitch and painted the interior. They hauled 4-wheelers and a generator on thier trips without any problems. I do not intend to do that. They have traveled about 10k miles with it over the year. They bought it from and elderly couple that toured the country attending flea markets. They supposedly had it for years and kept it up. The roof a/c is new and the tires were replaced. The previous couple added somekind of velcro stuff to the exterior window to attach heat visors or something and some kind of "L" piece of metal over the passenger door on the coach b/c the trim was loose.

Given what I know and the pictures in the link, have I made a bad purchase?

Thanks, Kenny

[dixiebear64]

I forgot to add the e-bay link so you can view my purchase.

I have been studying the photo and it looks like it might have the upgraded axle. The photo of the drivers side shows a hub protruding through the center of the wheel like the recall notice pictures show.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...bayphotohosting

[iadoptedatoy]

If it's an 86 your chances are pretty good that it has been upgraded. I sure hope it all turns out good for you. My husband and I went to see some that were on ebay before bidding on them and pics don't tell the story. We ended up buying ours off craigs list. Anyway, I really hope yours is great. They are so much fun.

Let us know all about it after you pick it up.

Cathy

[motoyhomme]

Kenny,

I enlarged the ebay photos and it appears to have the upgraded rear axle. Congrats on your new baby.

Allen

[TheLittlePuppy]

Welcome Dixiebear! You'll like it here on this forum and sure hope your Dolphin works out great for you. I look through the Ebay Toyota motorhomes about once a week and I saw this one....good to know who ended up with it. I was trying to see if it had the upgraded axle from the picture and it was nice of Allen to enlarge it. Let us know for sure, okay? It seems this Toyhome "virus" is one that is only cured by acquiring a Toy. It looks like a great motorhome even with the missing outside doors. You should be able to find replacements for them without a lot of trouble. Read through all the info on this forum and you will almost have your "degree" in motorhomes. There are lots of people here that know tons about these Toys and are willing to help with problems you may encounter.

Enjoy your new Toy!

Dianne

'84 Dolphin (has the upgraded axle)

[bufbooth]

Regarding finding the side panel doors, one of these companies below should

be able to help you, I am told that the ones in Indiana are hugh, especially

ICKE's...something like 3 or 4 warehouses of parts.

Dennis...

RV Salvage Yards

ICKE'S RV SURPLUS

701 W. Huntington Street

Montpelier, IN 47359

(317) 728-5668

WELLER AUTO

2525 Chicago Drive

Grand Rapids, MI 49509

(616) 538-5000

COOPER RV SALVAGE

1300 Thornton Street

Elkhart, IN 46514

(219) 293-3027

AFFORDABLE RV SURPLUS

546 Hickory Street

Chico, CA 95928

(530) 879-9501

DIXIE RV PARTS/SERVICE

4135 N. Dixie Highway

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334

(305) 565-9210

NATIONAL RECOVERY

3241 Leonard Drive

Liberty, NC 27298

(336) 622-7285

ARIZONA RV SALVAGE

2737 W. Lincoln Street

Phoenix, AZ 85009

(602) 272-0301

ECONOMY USED PARTS

1678 W. Superstition

Apache Junction., AZ 85220

(800) 224-2601

RV DOCTOR GEORGE

1142 Dixieanne Avenue

Sacramento CA 95815

(916) 927-7837

BONTRAGER'S SURPLUS

18719 E. US 12

White Pigeon, MI 49099

(269) 483-7017

ELKHART SALVAGE

28301 US 33 West

Elkhart, IN 46516

(219) 295-8903

SINGLETON'S RV SALVAGE

383 Nelson Road

Rochester, WA 98579

(360) 273-9566

BRANDON SALVAGE

3159 Highway 60 East

Balrico, FL 33594

(800) 282-7462

GUNDIE'S INC.

1283 Mt. Baker Highway

Bellingham, WA 98226

(800) 444-4344

WALT'S RV SURPLUS

16616 Valley Boulevard

Fontana, CA 92335

(909) 823-0563

CHEROKEE RV SALVAGE

5050 Humboldt Street

Denver, CO 80216

(303) 295-3433

HUCKABY'S RV SALVAGE

1293 NW 50 Highway

Holden, MO 64040

(816) 850-4155

WINNEBAGO SURPLUS

P.O. Box 152

Forest City, IA 50436

(515) 582-6935

COLAW RV SALVAGE

10389 Cimarron Road

Carthage, MO 64836

(877) 548-2125

[dixiebear64]

Thanks you guys, I feel like a member of a great family.

And Tony, thanks for blowing up the pic, I tried to do it last night and it just got more grainy....but I think you're right and feel more confident with your encouragement, thanks so much for your efforts!

I tried to contact the owner today to pick up the Toy and ask how many lugs are on the back rims, but no return call as of now.

As for the "degree" I will receive after reading the articles.....I work in an Emergency Room, we were slow last night, I spent about 8 of my 12 hour shift on your web site and still could have spent more time....I think I earned atleast a honorary diploma at this point! I am so much more stoked that there is a club for the Toy! I am all the more excited I bought one.

As for cure for the 'virus'....my memories of that trip to West Virginia are very fond and the sight of that Toy huffing up that horrible incline after touring that dumb castle reminds me of the "little train that could". I wholly intend to make some new and fond memories of my own with this one.

Will give y'all an update after I pick it up. Thanks again for welcoming me.

[TheLittlePuppy]

Kenny,

Glad you feel at home here! We're always happy to add more members to our Toy motorhome family....the more, the merrier. It's exciting to find one of these Toys and then to actually end up owning one is the icing on the cake. Yes, there will be some things that will need to be fixed, but that is to be expected....just like a home and a car/truck. Get a dollar, spend a dollar or lots of dollars!

I enjoyed reading about your trip in the other Toy. Steep hills are a challenge for these little ones, but they can creep up them, just slower. They do great on the flat lands, just watch out for crosswinds. Oh, one more tip for you. Be sure and duck your head getting in and out of the cab, otherwise you'll be seeing stars ouch! Only takes a couple of times doing this and you'll remember!

Dianne

[dixiebear64]

OMG Dianne~ You coulda warned be like 3 days ago!

Now that I have all these lumps about my head and neck and my room-mate woke me up next to the camper after I knocked fool self out. Momma says I have a hard head, but that overhang is tuffer!

Yes guys, I picked it up Friday morning.

It is a little more ruff than the e-bay pictures showed but I am in love with the little camper.

The original owner kept a log up until about 10,000 miles ago when he sold it to the couple I bought it from....regular oil changes and maintenance was done religously.

The owners I bought it from sota let it run down and made some repairs without putting in much effort or pride into it. He had been driving it without brakes and used an entire tube of silicone to replace a broken side window. I found some mouse residue and a roach infestation.

Otherwise the structure is SOLID.....the roof is solid, the floor is solid, all the appliances seem to work, only the right rear cornor has to be repaired due to wood rot.

The engine is tight, leak free and ran great coming home on the 3 hour trip.

I bled the brakes and now have a full pedal. No signs of wheel cylinder or master cylinder trouble, just air in the lines......

I pulled up the nasty carpet, stripped off the cabinet doors and wall plates already to re-paint the interior....it was painted kinda hastily and not a color of my choice.

I will disenffect, put down some good flooring, kilz the entrire interior and give it a fresh coat of semi-gloss white.

I am so stoked and already reserved a trip to my favorite campground for Halloween.

I will take some pix and post them.

BTW, it does have the 1 ton axle, new tires all the way around and a new Duo-therm roof air.

Thanks you guys.

Kenny

[TheLittlePuppy]

Kenny, you are well on the road to being a great Toy owner even with the lumps on your head! So glad your new baby has the updated axle so that won't be a concern. You will have this one cleaned up, fixed up and be headed down to the campground before you know it. Again, welcome to the land of awesome owners of Toy motorhomes.....let the fun (and some hard work) begin!!!

Dianne

[iadoptedatoy]

Kenny

Congrats ! Sounds like ya got a good deal. Now with a little work and personal touches it will be even nearer and dearer to your heart. We are about to venture off in our new Toy tomorrow so say a little prayer not for the Toy ( we trust it ) but for being able to find gas stations with gas close enough to each other so that we don't run out. I'm in Tn and headed to South Carolina and gas is a needle in a haystack right now but we're bound and determined to go somewhere in our new Toy.

Crossing our fingers,

Cathy & Mike

[dixiebear64]

Good luck on your trip Cathy & Mike, I ask God to bestow travel mercies upon y'all.

Gas is finally below hurricane Ike prices for us and abundantly available. I forgot about the shortage in your area. We had back-to-back storms here in South Louisiana and I stored gas in anything that wouldn't leak. After surviving 3 weeks of no electric after Katrina I learned to harbor fuel and purchased a small generator. This is another plus to buying the Toy, makes for a comfortable evacuation vehicle.

Dianne, my room-mate bought me one of those ugly egg-shaped bicycle helmuts to wear when I exit my Toy, as soon as the lumps go down I'll try it on! I am afraid small children will point and thier parents will laugh as I don this driving down the hwy.

I wish my Toy was ready and I had the time off to meet yall in IL.....sounds like a good time to be had.

[Karen147]

I just bought an 86 Dolphin on E-bay as well and can relate to the nervousness. I am delighted with my purchase though, and am working on figuring it all out. Congrats!!

[TheLittlePuppy]

Hi Karen,

Good for you! Best wishes for your '86 Dolphin; be sure and read the information on this forum and you will be ahead in many areas of owning a mini motor home. There is a ton of great things to learn and apply that will help immensely.

Dianne

[dixiebear64]

Same to you Karen!

I have been busy with the Toy since bringing it home last week.....I removed all the cabinet doors, light fixtures and carpet.

The previous owner had removed the table and chairs and replaced it with this huge ugly wooden box....it was thick plywood with padlocks....I think he hid bodies in it.

I have sanded the walls and cabinets and in the process of Kilz-ing the interior and will paint it all in semi-gloss white. I bought new 12v lights to change out the old dated and non working one. I found some awesome roman bamboo shades at Lowes yesterday to hang over the large side windows. A buddy of mine mananges a flooring store and getting me some good linoleum.

I removed the sofa/bed and truck-cab seats, they are at the upholstry shop getting new fabric to match some captains chairs I bought out of a wrecked conversion van to replace the missing diner chairs.

I had the exhaust changed (found out I have a small exhaust manifold leak that I'll have to live for now), oil changed and lubed the front end, tranny and rear-end fluids checked and ordered a tune-up parts with the coveted NGK plugs and Borg-Warner wires, cap & rotor, fuel and air filter. My neighbor is a mechanic and will clean the fuel injectors and throttle body. I'v been reading about the trouble changing the exhaust manifolds.....I found one on e-bay for $60 and the muffler shop will change it out for about $150. But I am approaching the $5k mark which is my total budget so this will have to wait. The main thing is I wanted it road worthy and the interior clean and comfortable.

Next spring I will likely tackle the exhaust and tear into the right rear cornor to replace some bad wood and reseal all the windows.

Everything is in-line for my maden voyage trip to Florida for Halloween weekend. I am so stoked~

Kenny

[iadoptedatoy]

Kenny

I would love to see pics since you have redone everything. I remember what it looked like on ebay and would love to see it now.

Cathy

[Tundrawolf]

Oh, one more tip for you. Be sure and duck your head getting in and out of the cab, otherwise you'll be seeing stars ouch! Only takes a couple of times doing this and you'll remember!

Dianne

So true, so true...