The what did you do to your toyhome today thread

[Roy in Jax]

Today I replaced my window screens and cleaned headliner and sunvisor with rug shampoo. Headliner had never been cleaned and sunvisor had oily hand prints from last owner. I also hope this cleaning improves the cab smell.

[stamar]

Exactly. Modern oils are light years better that they were years ago but I wouldn't take much credence in the huge gains the manufactures try to sell. The bottom unless you intend to race your MH chances are you'll never see the benefits of syn. oil. I have a 2011 Tacoma with the 4L V6 it is a very complex engine 4 cams 24 valves variable valve timing and Toyota recommends every day dino oil. In the case of the Toy home trans.and any thing else that tows or hauls great weights ( like a Toyota motor home) can benefit from a syn. automatic trans fluid only because it does stand up to heat better. As far as shifting smother,faster, better it is the eyes of the beholder. Fuel mileage starts with the right foot.

theres nobody who says it improves a lot.

there are published studies that showed 5% improvement. in a toyhome that stll would not be 1 mpg.

ii

you could get less than 1.4% certainly. But odds are you wouldnt get NOTHING. I can defin. itly agree that actually the way you drive could make more like 10% difference. Maineah went on the record claiming that synthetic fluids do not improve gas mileage at all.... but this is false.

if there is a study anywhere, I mean anywhere that shows this shows this hook us tor we can all assume its false and just move on.

I think sometime in the 90s before they had wide use, and probably before they had better tuning and particularly on very old vehicles they didnt improve gas mileage but this is 2013. Everyone knows full synthetic oil improves gas mileage.

not enough to pay for itself

as to whether the wind resistance defeats the oil resistance....... ok first off you are definitely not a physicist derrick. the area where the oil improves the gas mileage does not care about the wind resistance, and the wind resistance does not increase when you change your oil.

you could probably expect 1.4% in a toyhome maybe 2.0 with all synthetic fluid. look for logs at bobistheoilguy from 22re forerunners ( or is that what you own or once owned derrick or is it a v6 or 22r?), and then of course our toyhomes usually have younger engines.

but sure .5 mpg would b great. in a camry more like 1.5 mpg. or could be nothing.

[stamar]

getting ready to upgrade coach elec system. Have charge controller, 1000W Xantrex inverter standing by. Now waiting for an amp meter and a volt meter to be delivered,,and saving pennies for one more 80AH AGM battery to add to bank before getting hands dirty.

im looking at two costco golf car batteries. this is just so i can leave the furnace on all night.

[Derek up North]

there are published studies that showed 5% improvement.

... if there is a study anywhere, I mean anywhere that shows this shows this hook us tor we can all assume its false and just move on.

You first!

[douglitas]

stamar..We added the second coach batt for the same reason..only to have the furnace continue to refuse to relight..we replaced the igniter board and now furnace works great...with 2 batts. would work with one? I don't know. good luck to you.

[Roy in Jax]

I install an LED light strip with 300 led lights that are multicolored under my upper cabinets in the Sunrader. Kit comes from China with light string and remote.

I was not impress with the 3m tape used on the string of lights, had to add my own double sided tape to get string to stick. Time will tell

[stamar]

stamar..We added the second coach batt for the same reason..only to have the furnace continue to refuse to relight..we replaced the igniter board and now furnace works great...with 2 batts. would work with one? I don't know. good luck to you.

californias cold spell seems to have passed so im losing motivation again

as far as using the furnace all night im totally fine with the furnace just going for 5 hours then stopping because the battery is at 0, that part works out fine to me.

but after doing this a few times your deep cycle is damaged so you need more capacity, and more durability.

nothing kills a deep cycle battery like that furnace. it sucks power even if its not lit it reduces your battery to zero and then keeps stomping on its corpse.

[Debbit]

New Fridge is in and working! Waste water tank on and holding!

this is where the phrase "happy camper" comes from?

Picture to follow

[sailfritz]

I put on 3 Bilstein shocks today (4th tomorrow), half the time it was downpouring rain, ended up soaked.

Just out of couriosity how do you know a shock needs replacement other than hitting a bump or dip and the rock and roll never ends?

[Vanman]

I did not think the shocks were bad on mine, no rebound bounce, but knew some suspension bushings needed replacement so I just had everything new front and rear and shocks also. Wow what a difference in the ride and steering, espically in crosswinds and sudden course corrections. also sway in bumps is reduced so much it's as if I put in a sway bar where there was none, but the sway bar was on it when I got it, no way of knowing if it's stock or not. Mine had 84 K miles on it when this was all done by Les Schwab, shoulda done it sooner.

john

[stamar]

I actually had a breakdown on christmas but i repaired it and fixed what had been a hard to diagnose problem since i had firstgot it.

It seems hard to miss it now but the coil wire had been working its way into its boot so that less and less of its connection made contact with the post. At different times i thought it was a fuel problem or a battery problem because i would have to floor it tobstart... It finally died and wouldnt start. believe it or not it illuminated the charge ing light on the freeway so i thought the alternator died. Then it just wouldnt start . After some confusing diagnosis, hard because my starting battery is also almost dead, i just gave that wirevsome thought. It sure didnt connect well and it never has. Pulled the lead up from its boot and bingo starts instantly.

[stamar]

Ordered some new ngk wires as i also diagnosed these wires as leaking.

[stamar]

It actually illuminated the charge and the brake light. They would go off if i turned off the headlights. No logical explanation other than juice was leaking from the coil and causining electrical mayhem.

[Maineah]

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/518/motor-oils

its actually built into the api specifications that thinner oil must improve gas mileage by 2%

its advertised on the bottles, proven scientific. impossible to refute actually.

synthetic oil can be made with a larger viscosotiy aplication.

so over all a 70-140w full synthetic is definitely thinner than the 90w that came with your toyhome from the factory.

now as opposed to engine oil theres no such requirement for differential but thinner oil there improves overal even more.

how could you tell if your gas mileage stayed at 0? if the max were shooting for is 2% you would need some really scientific data to even refute that.

unless you have some sort of data that could even prove that it didnt improve your gas mileage id just assume youre full of it.

type " does synthetic oil improve gas mileage" into google and the first 50 entries all are articles or experiments that say YES IT DOES.

Its hard to even be so out of date to waste someones time claiming otherwise. There is nothing that says it doesnt actually.

if you use synthetic of the exact same grade, the gas mileage increase happens as the oil wears. after 1000 miles conventional is more shot from shearing and heat, synthetic is still thinner even though it started out exactly the same grade.

Its just a proven fact thinner oil takes less energy to pump. theres actually no purpose in listening to someone trying to tell you it doesnt they are ignorant.

at bobistheoilguy.com you can read literally thousands of owners writing down their mpg after just differential oil changes. just auto trans, etc.

OK so if I full my tank in the MH it’s usually around 140 miles and I say around because it varies all things considered if one time I drove another 2.8 miles I would have gained 2%. Now let’s say the wind was blowing head on I would lose the 2% gain and then some but if the wind was behind me I might gain 5.1% how accurate is your speedometer? It is just more hype from the oil co.’s because they know unless it is a completely controlled test there is no way they can be proven wrong. Typical properly tested gas pumps are + or - .5% so now the gains or losses are slued do they ignore the – figure? Or do they just add the +? In the case of my pickup if I believed their story I would gain 8 miles per tank full, fine and dandy if I drove exactly the same route the temperature was exactly the same I did not have to stop at a light or let it warm up for 2 mins Instead of 1 1/2 minutes drove the exact same speed and it did not rain and it took exactly the same amount of fuel. My only point is you cannot truly prove that it either does or does not improve your mileage. If every fill up I consistently saw another 20 miles per tank then maybe I would believe their story but 8 miles ain’t cutting it, it’s too small a figure and even less from a fuel hog. I hear great accolades from those that feel they have wondrous things happening from syn. oils mostly because they want to. What I am saying do not expect magical results or any gain in fuel economy these people after all are trying to sell you oil. Bottom line there are other ways to save significant amounts of fuel that cost you nothing other than a bit of your time.

[WME]

MPG per tank is a worthless calculation. The only way to figure MPG is to record every drop of gas you put in your MH when you are on a 2000+mi trip. Then the math is only good if you have a calibrated odometer.

On our last trip my best MPG was almost 13 mpg, but over the 5000mi trip the mpg was 9.7. 26 ft class A MH

[Maineah]

MPG per tank is a worthless calculation. The only way to figure MPG is to record every drop of gas you put in your MH when you are on a 2000+mi trip. Then the math is only good if you have a calibrated odometer.

On our last trip my best MPG was almost 13 mpg, but over the 5000mi trip the mpg was 9.7. 26 ft class A MH

Could not agree with you more I average about 400 miles per tank some times more some times less or about 20 mpg average (summer only) just pointing out the folly of gaining maybe 8 miles per tank. There are also many that figure their mileage with a ultra gauge or scan gauge nothing beats pen and paper if you want any kind of accuracy.

[chefdave]

Hi

i agree with other posters above. i use an app on my phone called fuel log. have kept details on every tank of fuel used. mine varies from tank to tank due to weather and trying different tactics for increasing mpg. it calculates mean avg and cost per mile. now up to 16mpg using english gallons. am aiming for 20mpg a tall order after looking at 4 runner mpg and carrying at least another ton on top and vastly inferior aerodynamics. wind speed and direction are now biggest factors to try and reduce their effects.

[darrel]

Just completed a TV-Computer storage drawer. I built and installed a pull out drawer under the overhead bed. The drawer is about 30" wide and 21" deep by 3" tall. Holds my new tv-dvd player and ?. The tv-dvd is from walmart, 19" 12volt set. I ran 12volt power and tv cable from a junction by the refrigerator through the overhead cabinets to the foot of the bed. From there I can hook-up the tv. Using the original weinguard antenna and in my yard I get 7 stations.

[stamar]

My battery died. The problem was the battery was dying and didnt bridge the ill fitting coil wire.

[stamar]

nevermind that it seems to be it is the alternator after all.

it is being very clever and working for a few minutes after starting and then going down to like 12.5 volts.

[WME]

Or demonic possession

[Skydancer2992]

Doing a double project over the last few weekends.

Exhaust leak on the driver side manifold prompted me to pull the manifold.

Used plenty of penetrating oil to try to unfreeze the manifold nuts (6), crossover pipe nuts (3) and downpipe nuts (3).

Most of the nuts were a congealed mass indistinguishable from the stud. Usually the stud backed out with the nut being too frozen to move. This was actually a blessing as the manifold was easier to pull out (the entire top row of studs were no longer present). I loosened the nuts on the passenger side crossover pipe to allow some play for pulling the manifold out (the studs for the crossover were still in place on the manifold).

The key to removing the bottom manifold nuts is to take the driver side wheel off and use long extensions through the gap in the inside fender well.

The negative side of removing studs is that I will need to buy new studs at $2 a piece and new nuts also about $2 each. The studs are hard to find and have to be special ordered by Toyota. I did buy a set of two generic studs from Advance Auto for comparison but they do not look like as high a quality as Toyota OEM and did not cost any less. I also had to buy three smaller studs to attach the heat shield to the manifold but these were a "bargain" at only $.60 cents each at the dealer (Uhaul tech is $1).

The old gasket showed a leak on the forward most cylinder. The bottom middle nut on the manifold was missing. This is the hardest nut to access due to obstructions from the stearing components. I suspect that a previous mechanic did not bother to install this nut. Based on signs of twisted fender wall metal, this is probably a repeat repair.

I ordered a new manifold from Uhaul Tech on Ebay for about $60 and a new set of Felpro gaskets for about $35.

To remove the manifold, I had to take off the driver side front wheel. I noticed the sway bar bushings were splitting badly. I already had a Prothane bushing kit sitting in the garage (I had ordered a complete set of bushings for the entire vehicle when I worked on the rear springs - full kit was significantly cheaper than buying the individual items separately).

Since I'm waiting for some Toyota brand crossover pipe and downpipe gaskets to arrive at the dealership (U-haul has the same gaskets at half price but I did not know the part numbers until I looked at my dealer receipt - I ordered a back up set from Uhaul) I jacked up the other side and removed the second wheel. All the bushings are now replaced.

The key to replacing the bushings is to remove all the bushings and then work on the front bushings first and then do the aft. The aft ones are hard to line up if you do not have the wheel jacked back into place. I used my floor jack to move the wheel back up which moved the rear D-shaped bushing into place. For the driver side, the rear bushing was slightly too far forward. After much effort and false starts with the bolt starting to cross thread due to the slightest non-alignment, I used a scissor jack to push the stabilizer bar aft. I was able to then insert the bolts easily and tighten up.

New Prothane bushings have fewer components than the Toyota rubber ones. Toyota puts a washer between each puck while the Prothane poyurethane ones are stiffer and don't seem to need as many washers. The D shaped bushings are significantly smaller than the rubber ones.

Both projects are interesting and nice to do once - like visiting Elvis's Graceland. The frozen parts were a challenge, and lying on your back in freezing weather at night is not the most fun but good exercise.

[snail powered]

Or demonic possession

Alternator life forms versus alternative? We know some people who post here are terrible at spelling

[stamar]

Something in the alternator is going bad and needs regular retightening. I can remember a situation like that years ago but I can only remember replacing it.

It looks pretty rusty and dirty anyway. Tightened it again and its functionally charging for now. Looking into getting one of th e adapters that lets a toyota use a camaro 150 watt alternator while I have some time.

[stamar]

Oh I forgot I bought a new starting battery and it tested bad within a week. I returned it and got another size 27 deep cycle for starting now. Eventually ill replace thr isolator with a digital one so I can use the starting battery for cab use. Both of those projects happening soon. The 150 watt alternator is actually the same price as the 60 watt...

[WME]

I hope your talking about a 150 amp alternator and not a 150 watt one.

At end of their useful life the brushes can cause all sorts of strange things to happen.

[stamar]

Yes 150 amp project from toyota 4x4 forum. Actually just getting the adapter is great it makes your toyota permanently compatible with gm alternators. Requires a new belt.

[chefdave]

Hi

not sure this is posted in right place. New hard standing built for my toy has sunk under its weight and had to dig it out. 1 ton of hard core and four stone slabs 4'x3' and 3"thick thought this would be ok. now planning mk2 version for hard standing. problem turnout to be a wet spot when ground water comes to surface during heavy rain. this 4foot above rest of garden ????? New plan is to pour??? dry concrete on to hard standing to reinforce ground then weed control matting and 3 inches of gravel.

[chefdave]

Hi

been out today to buy concrete and more hard core to try and solve my problem of sinking !!!

[Derek up North]

Just for our education, is this what you're talking about?

http://www.wigginsbuildingsupplies.co.uk/crushed-hardcore.php

[MontanaChinook]

I will say, your posts take some decoding skills chefdave!

[Derek up North]

"England and America are two countries divided by a common language." = George Bernard Shaw

[chefdave]

Hi

derek up north has got link to what i have bought and hit nail on head with the bernard shaw quote. seem to have a bottomless hole for hard core.

Montana chinook if you need help in decoding my messages please ask away. :-) :-) :-)

Will try to take photos tomorrow of what im trying to do. someone once said a picture is worth a thousand words.

No fun in trying to dig out 3 tons of camper in slimy mud. Uk has rain rain and more rain if thats not enough spring tides and westery wind will add extra water to make bad situation even worse. never been beaten by weather yet touch wood.

[Derek up North]

Your 'hardcore' is pretty much unknown on this side of the pond. We're more likely to go out and buy fresh 'virgin' gravel. Construction debris goes to the land fill. Very wasteful!

[MontanaChinook]

Yikes! Mucky muck.