shandamac Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Hi there Toy Boys and Girls!!! We're in the home stretch! A few tweaks and then chock up the rest to routine maintainance! A quick overview: I bought a little 81 Sunrader in May. I knew nothing!!!! I learned real quick!!! So Sadie has been in the shop getting her new 6 lug, full floating, 1 ton dually rearend, and I've been anxious ever since I first handed her keys to the mechanic. I didn't know that by buying a toyota motorhome I'd develop OTOD Obsessive Toyota Owner Disorder. Last Thursday.....I'm at the office.....The call came in from Jerry, the Axle guy, "Hey Shanda, your motorhome's ready to be picked up." My heart lept from sheer joy!!!! I hadn't seen Sadie in weeks. Early Friday morning, I asked my dad to go with me to pick her up. (Garymac works nights…he wasn't home yet….I had no time to waste.) Dad drove home Sadie while I followed behind for a mile or two before I had to turn off for the office… It was all I could do to stay focused that day, and that night was booked. I didn't even get a chance to drive he around the block, but.... First thing Saturday, I'm up with the sun… Within the hour, Sadie and I are pulling out onto Hwy 177. She felt solid…..none of the pulsing and swaying like before the 1 ton….35…45…55……come on old girl……60. I showed restraint by not road-testing her to my show in OKC that night…..but Sunday…oh glorious day…...all day….I drove her around town…..to Walmart, to Lowes, to the grocery store, to Walmart again, Big Lots…any chance I got, I took her out. I practiced my parking….turning corners…..up hills…..down hills…downshifting…stopping. I had a ball!!! I found that because she felt more solid, I wasn't as nervous turning corners or traversing the narrow streets of my little neighborhood. Sadie and I are looking forward to a long happy relationship. Her first official road trip will be the 10 hour roundtrip to Middleothian TX for the Irish Music Retreat this weekend. Wish us luck! I'm interested to hear how the toy gurus feel about me leaving the sway bar off. Wishing you all a safe and happy Fall season! shanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoprat Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Howdy Shanda... You left it OFF? Ok. Guess it'll work, but these things have such a high roll center, I myself, believe in "Stability above All" , and would have a sway bar. Helps with the lean on corners and side winds. If you watch your speed on corners and such, a sway bar is just extra weight, BUT, what if ya have to change lanes quickly or misjudge your speed going into a corner ? I'd be bitting chunks otta the seat, but if not having one works for you, more power to ya ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shandamac Posted October 21, 2008 Author Share Posted October 21, 2008 Howdy Shanda...You left it OFF? Ok. Guess it'll work, but these things have such a high roll center, I myself, believe in "Stability above All" , and would have a sway bar. Helps with the lean on corners and side winds. If you watch your speed on corners and such, a sway bar is just extra weight, BUT, what if ya have to change lanes quickly or misjudge your speed going into a corner ? I'd be bitting chunks otta the seat, but if not having one works for you, more power to ya ! YEAH. I know. I wasn't crazy about leaving it off either, but the old one wouldn't fit the new rearend. (I griped about this in a previous post...trust me...it's was my own ignorance in not knowing I needed to have it shipped with the rearend....but I'll move on here.) My axle guy said the stability of the new 1 ton dually rearend minus the sway bar compared to the old rearend w/ the sway bar was like night and day. I totally agree. However, because I might eventually get a wild hair and drive up to Colorado or Idaho, I saved the old sway bar. My husband (who is a welder) is going to extend it, beef it up, and reattach it (when I get back from TX) unless I can find one that fits first. One thing in my favor is that Sadie's doesn't have the heavy airconditioner unit. I turned some pretty tight corners over the weekend and didn't get the rocking that I had with the old rearend. If I get out there, and don't feel she's going to be able to handle it,... I'll turn around, take the car and sleep in a tent....not happily....but I'll do it. I appreciate your input Shoprat. s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajadulce Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Yeah! A new axle for your toy! Sounds great. And sounds like your husband being a welder will be able to make any swaybar work. Maybe even a beefier one if down the road you feel you need one. Also, not sure if the new axle you purchased came with extra rims for the front tires and spare too? That would be nice to have all 7 wheels be of the same type. Your old setup required 2 sets of rims, but now you can carry one spare for all! @ driving to Colorado: .. You can do it yes you can! ... you can do it yes you can! ... you can do it yes you can! Drive slow and you'll get there. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 "You can do it yes you can! ... you can do it yes you can! ... you can do it yes you can! Drive slow and you'll get there. Have fun. " Of course she will drive slow its a Toy Motorhome.. I've driven mine all over Co, Wy and MT. I have always gotten to where I wanted to go. Just take a bit longer than driving a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajadulce Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 wasn't that a nursery rhyme about a little train trying to go up a hill? Can't remember name of book. Maybe I'm getting too old and am getting nursery rhymes and football cheers mixed up now. CO, WY, MT; Any famous grades in any of those states? Definitely Terrible Tioga takes the cake for our state. 2nd gear the whole way! Tahoe has a nasty climb too. Colorado prob takes the cake tho for hills. I have to make a trip someday to WY and MT. @shandamac and one-rim for all 7 tires. I was reading some of the forums and I guess you'll need an adapter up front to accept the 6 lugs. I figured you would just swap hubs, but I guess it isn't quite that easy. Still whatever work it is, having one spare that can be used anywhere would seem worth the effort. EXTRA: small car going up a big grade.. maybe something like those in Colorado. I think I can.. I think I can.. I think I can.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shandamac Posted November 4, 2008 Author Share Posted November 4, 2008 Yeah! A new axle for your toy! Sounds great. And sounds like your husband being a welder will be able to make any swaybar work. Maybe even a beefier one if down the road you feel you need one. @ driving to Colorado: .. You can do it yes you can! ... you can do it yes you can! ... you can do it yes you can! Drive slow and you'll get there. Have fun. I was so pumped after my trip to TX a week ago. Sadie handled the 50+ mph straightline winds across the Okie/North TX plains and the wind tunnels through the Arbuckles without a sway bar just beautifully. Anyhoo, since she'll be taking a nap for a month or two, Garymac won't be on the rush, and might have her beefed up bar ready to install by Spring. I'm looking forward to taking her through the Ozarks, Appalacians, and eventually the Rockies. Actually, I have this fantasy of loading my little motorhome, grabbing my fiddle and going where the road leads me. sigh.....maybe when the kids leave home...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Shoshoni WY. May 26-28, 28th Annual State Old-time fiddle contest. Y'all come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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