Adventures with the Adventure

[TacomaSue]

Over the last few months, I have been refurbishing my Sunrader Adventure, a pop top with a hatch door in the rear. The rear area serves as a dinning and sleeping area and the first task was to rebuild the rear area. The original bed pulled out from each side of the bench seat and latched together. It was difficult to handle and showed years of wear. On the passenger side, the bench had two cabinet doors for storage. The low cabinets were awkward for storing items and even more difficult to retrieve some things. PO's lost socks, coins, pocket knives, and business cards in that storage area. I was hoping to find gold, but no such luck. On the driver's side, the bench held the coach battery and another compartment that was accessible from the outside. I converted the passenger side to a bin storage. It is easy to see what is stored there and it provides more storage space. The lid can be held up by Velcro when taking items out of the bin, but I will be adding a cabinet strut soon. The bench on both the passenger side and the driver side have a lip for bed boards.

As I watched people get into the coach via the hatch door, I noticed that they tried to grab the back edge of the bench seat for support. To make a hand hold, I used 3/4-inch plywood for the back end of the bench. This was cut so that it was taller than the bench and it was braced against the curved back wall of the Sunrader and bolted it to the cabinet frame. This has proven to be a very sturdy hand hold for people entering through the rear hatch door.

The cushions for the bench seats/bed were made from 4-inch dense foam and covered with a fabric that resists stains and water. They are quite comfortable and fit tightly into the space so that they do not move around at night.

After much thought, I painted out the "wood look." One of the previous owners had used duck tape and adhesive tape to stick things to the wall and seal the cabinet doors shut. When the duck tape was pulled off, the adhesive glue was left on the wall. I could not find a solvent that would not also strip the "wood look". In some spots taking the duck tape or adhesive tape off also took the finish off the walls.

[TacomaSue]

The Adventure originally had a table with folding legs, but by the time I purchased it, the table was long gone. I found a marine table base system that I liked. The base is flat on the floor and the leg has fins that lock into the piece on the floor. The advantages of this system were that it did not require drilling a hole all the way through the floor and the leg is light weight. I purchased the table leg system through Camping World on-line, but I have seen it other places. If ordering from Camping World, note that each piece of the table leg system has to be ordered separately. The table top is cut from oak plywood and fits between the bench seats for a bed. The table has multiple coats of polyurethane and the dark edge on the table is paint, not a plastic edge.

[TacomaSue]

The kitchen area was more of a challenge. The countertop was old laminate that had gotten wet and swollen to double its original size along one edge and warped along another edge. The original cooktop and drawers had been replaced by a stove. While the stove worked, I took the stove out in favor of more storage. When I could not get the countertop I wanted, I began to look at Craig's List and found someone advertising corian cutting boards. He turned out to be a fabricator at a local Corian countertop company. From the company's scrap bin, he fabricated a nice kitchen counter, cut the holes for the sink and the stove. I reinforced the cabinet frame under the countertop to give it more support. I also installed a larger sink. The sink and faucet are both from Ikea. After one trip of storing things in boxes under the cooktop, I decided better storage would be nice. I installed full-extension drawers from Ikea under the cooktop. That turned out to be a more time-consuming and challenging than I like! The rails on the drawers needed to be exactly 16 1/8 inches apart and the cabinet needs to be square in a rig in which nothing is square.

I used 3/8-inch birch plywood for the cabinet doors. If I were doing this again, I'd use 1/2 plywood, but I was going for light weight. I used double roller latches with the spear head for the latches on the doors to hold them tight and put two latches on the doors in front of the drawers. I have tried loading the drawers and driving around corners and over bumps to see if the drawers will "pop" the doors open. So far so good, but I am trying to find additional latches that can go inside the cabinet to secure each drawer.

[bajadulce]

That's a really nice table stand that looks real easy to assemble/disassemble.

Spiffy lookin countertop w/ a much more practical cook top vs the previous setup w/ the bulky stove. Very nice. Those drawers look light too. You can always come up with more primitive means for baking if you absolutely have to bake something. Solar ovens and Dutch ovens can be fun.

Do those cabinet doors shut tight? Just wondering, cause once those drawers get filled with things, they'll want to kick those doors open while in transit and get into trouble when you're not lookng. Something as simple as tying the 2 handles together might work well.

I'm confused when you say the rear area is for sleeping? I'm not familiar w/ this layout, but does that mean the sleeping area is in front of the rear door? Agree, nice to have a bed that sets up quickly and easily. Nothing worse than having some Chinesse puzzle to setup when you're tired and just want to sleep.

Fun stuff.

[TacomaSue]

The layout: Behind the drivers seat is a a "bathroom" (toilet and shower, but no hot water), closet, refrigerator cabinet (did not work when I got this rig) and the bench seat. Behind the passenger seat is an entry door, "kitchen" and bench seat. It is only 19' long.

To latch the cabinet doors, I used roller/spear head latches and put two of them on the cabinet door with the drawers. The drawers require some pull to open, but I am concerned that fully loaded they will slide more easily and everything will fly everywhere. I am looking for latches that can be put directly on the drawers inside the cabinet.

The sleeping platform is in front of the rear hatch door. There are no interior handles on the hatch door so once it is locked from the outside, it acts like a rear wall and is secure. There is a side door for entry/exit. The bed area is small -- 48-inches by 72 inches---and that works for me. In many ways, it is a bit of a Chinese puzzle to set up the bed. Once I decided to change the original bed set up, what to do became a big question. The table top does not fully fill the space between the benches so it is the table top plus another board. I have also tested the platform with four one-foot wide boards and found that it is easier and faster to set up the 1-foot wide boards and they can be stored under the seat cushions during the day.

I camp with my niece and her 3 kids so a table that is large enough for all of us is nice---since we have been going to the OR coast and have always had heavy rain. I have made a smaller table just for myself and use the 1-foot wide boards for the bed and that is easy, fast and comfortable for me to use.

[linda s]

Looks fantastic Sue.

Linda S

[Gary_M]

That is great you were able to put your observations to practical use like your hand hold idea. Too I hear so many stories of the non-use of the oven and I even use mine for extra storage. The Ikea sink and drawers are a great idea and also a good alternative to similar RV products.

Thanks for sharing!

[bajadulce]

So your rig has 2 doors (back and side)? That makes things nice.

Does your rig also have a small area above the cab? Large enough for one of the kids to sleep maybe?

Dedicating a table just for the kids is smart. Kids get a lot of use out of tables that's for sure.

How much flex in those bed boards? Do you ever feel they might fall past the hangars on your benches or are they pretty sturdy? If not, you might be able to slide a milk crate under the bed w/ a 2x4 that makes for just the right height for some additional support.

Looks like you got it all figured out tho and looks like a winner setup.

[linda s]

Here are some complete pictures of another Sunrader Advanture the same as Sue's but with original inside. You can see the outside doors and what the inside looked like from the factory.

http://old.tgeller.com/graphics/moby-dork/

Linda S

[5Toyota]

VERY VERY NICE JOB A FINE REWARD FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK

[TacomaSue]

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone. Linda, thanks for posting the link to the '86 in OH. The exterior is identical to mine, except that one has rust. Another difference is the lift mechanism for the pop-top roof ---that one originally had a crank mechanism while mine is pushed up manually--- keeps me in shape if I decide to take up weight lifting. I posted pictures of the mechanism awhile ago on this forum asking for suggestions for changing the lift mechanism because the roof was so heavy. A funny aside about that: The vent above the stove leaked into the styrofoam between the interior and exterior fiberglass on the roof. After PT Rader sat in the sun and dried out last spring, the roof became much lighter.

Use of the cab-over shelf as a bed is limited by the supports for the roof lift mechanism and the wall of the bathrrom. The cab-over shelf could possibly be used as a bed for a very small person. It is only about 66" wide and 20" deep. One thought to enlarge it would be to make a bed that is wedge-shaped so that one side is 20" and the other side 30".

Re: the bed boards. The boards are pretty secure on the hangers. The 3/4 oak table top and matching board are sturdy and would be ok for someone heavier than I am or for kids jumping up and down. None-the-less, it is a good idea to add extra security by using a milk carton. It is nearly a perfect height and could have many other uses.

The large rear hatch door is really convenient when working on the interior, as a rain shelter, a sun awning or for carrying a bicycle. The coach is not long enough for my sea kayak, but could hold a river kayak.

[uthorns]

Real nice !!! I'd like to replace my small sink and faucet in my Sunrader, I never thought about Ikea for a source. Thanks for sharing.

[Gary_M]

I can see so many possibilities using Ikea ideas in my Toy. Strange, I've been around these parts quite a while and never heard of Hardwicks. I'll have to make it down to the Ave take a look sometime.

[TacomaSue]

Thanks for the note about Hardwick's----the one on Roosevelt Way? I'll check them out when next time I'm in Seattle. I love to browse hardware stores.

[TacomaSue]

Lights. When I picked up the Adventure, I had two working headlights, but that did not last long. By the time I got home, I had one high beam and one low beam. The effect was winking at other drivers---definitely not the best situation. So, the first thing was to replace the headlights.

Next was to deal with my concern about how visible the slow-moving Sunrader Adventure was at night with only lower tail and brake lights. It has no running lights and semi's would roar up and be almost on top of me before pulling out and around. This summer one of the brake lights quit working altogether because the connector to the wiring harness was badly corroded. To increase visibility of the rig at night, we added a LED light bar above the rear window in the hatch door. The light bar also lights up when braking for added visibility when braking. I like to think that this new light bar blends in so well that it almost looks original. We did not replace the tail, back-up or brake lights with LED's. Although the upper light bar is LED and the lower lights are not, the brightness is only slightly greater for the LED lights. The light bar was purchased from Brightlights.com In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that the "we" who did the exterior light work was my son. My part was offering encouragement in the form of refreshment.

I replaced all the original interior light fixtures with LED fixtures. All are bright white, so it is like daylight when all the lights are on and I really enjoy this level of visibility. I know that others indicated they would rather have a softer light, but I like this for working inside at night. I decided that I can always turn the lights off and use a battery-powered lamps if I want less light. These fixtures were purchased off e-bay.

Prior to installing the lights, I replaced the headliner with a foam-backed knit fabric. The original headliner was foam-backed heavy woven cloth that was installed before the canvas sides of the pop-top. so much of the old headliner was sandwiched between the fiberglass top and the canvas. I put the new headliner up just to the edge of the canvas and trimmed the edge. The thumbnail shows the LED light fixtures plus the headliner (taken with the top down). In the picture you can also see that I replaced the curtains with pull down roll shades. These have worked well for me. I would like to try to make these into cloth shades as I think that would hold up better.

[Derek up North]

The light bar also lights up when braking for added visibility when braking.

Does this mean the LEDs are dual intensity?

[linda s]

Really nice job on the headliner Sue

Linda S

[TacomaSue]

Derek: The light bar was originally sold as a light bar for a motorcycle trailer. It had 3 wires---tail lights, brake lights and ground wire. Here are a couple pictures at night. Bit of glare with the brake lights but it shows how much difference it makes.

[Derek up North]

Nice. Very nice.

[TacomaSue]

Thanks. Sue

[TacomaSue]

I agree, if your headliner is down, it's a great time to rewire. Despite how my previous post reads, all the ceiling wiring was done before the new headliner was put up. The wires to the light bar went up the corner where there was a gap between the paneling on the side and the back walls (covered by corner trim) and through a flexible tube to the hatch door. The hatch door is upholstered and we pulled the upholstery lose to run the wiring across the door. I have ordered trim for the hatch door, but currently there is no trim on the hatch door so it was easy to insert the wiring behind the fabric.

[bajadulce]

Sue:

Headliner looks great. Nice improvement. Lightbar is a nice addition too. Your kid for hire?

@installing a bar in the curved section above the rear window (Sunrader):

Are you talking about the vertical transition from the main roof to the smaller roof ledge at the back? Anything would definitely help that's for sure, but that location seems a bit high for a brake light and somewhat recessed from the rear of the rig? Someone tailgating you might not even see it up there. And you'll have to drill some holes = yuck!. What about mounting that light bar inside the window? That might be a much better elevation and more in your face. No holes required either. Most cars have their 3rd brakelight inside the glass as well. Just an idea.

Are you insulating that area btw? I had massive amounts of condensation in those 2 transitional areas. Unlike the walls, insulating these areas was a bit more challenging as the FRP paneling had to be secured to something. I think sunraders have some foam/cloth glued to these areas? Dunno haven't been in any. This would definitely be easier.

[ex266]

I realize the last post here was in Oct. '12...However, just wondering if you're still around. I JUST bought an '88 Sunrader - basically the same as yours. Took it on its maiden voyage this past weekend and am in love with it! I've previoualy owned an '87 Odyssey (23 foot) and an '84 Sunrader (19 foot). Both pale in comparison to this one for the combination of size/layout/maneuverability/gas mileage. I averaged 18 mpg on the trip.

So...all of this to get to my question: What do you WISH someone had told you when you first bought your 'rader?

[TacomaSue]

Hi. Welcome to the Forum. I saw the ad that was posted in Missoula and it looked like that Sunrader Adventure was in excellent condition and with low mileage! I am so excited that someone purchased that Adventure who is really going to love it. I had driven an '86 Sunrader before I purchased this one and I have found the lower top easier to drive and park. I love the big rear door and backing into a site with a nice view and opening the whole rear door and sipping some beverage. What I wish I knew before about the Adventure...... There are some small things: I previously owned a 1977 Bandit and the windows in the coach were much bigger. I miss the larger windows especially on the passenger side when driving. I believe that the pop top on your Adventure has a hand crank and that makes it much easier to raise the top than mine which I push up. I've reworked much of the interior to fit my own quirks so it works pretty well for me although I am still making little adjustments (a never-ending process). It would be great to get together some time to compare notes---will you be in the Seattle area anytime soon or maybe in E Washington half way between Seattle-Tacoma and Missoula?

Sue

[TacomaSue]

The $.69 cabinet latch.

This is a simple solution for securing cabinet doors that has worked well. When I rebuilt the cabinets in the Adventure, I used IKEA full-extension drawers inside the cabinets. These drawers slide easily and are heavy when fully-loaded. I’ve been afraid they would fly open if I hit a bump or rounded a curve too sharply. After deciding against using many different types of latches, I made an inexpensive spring-loaded latch that has proven to secure the cabinet doors. Materials: a 1 x 3 1/2-inch piece of wood (left-over cabinet wood door), a 3 1/2 -inch carriage bolt, a 1 1/2-inch spring, a couple of washers, and a couple of nuts. I drilled a hole through the wood piece and cabinet frame (slightly larger than the carrage bolt), pushed the carriage bolt through the 3/8" plywood strip and the cabinet frame and on the inside of the cabinet, put a washer, the spring, another washer, and two nuts. The spring was quite stiff, but could be squeezed more than the 3/8-inch thinkness of the cabinet door. The latch blends in with the cabinets and locks the heavy cabinets in place. The pictures show the latch unlocked and locked for travel, and the parts---$.69 for the carriage bolt and spring---the nuts and washers were out of my extras bin.

[Ron 'n Sue]

Didn't get to see your upgrades at Van Isle Toyin, Sue. And you left before we got up. Sorry to have missed you. You seem to be able to do a lot of your own work, definitely a plus.

[TacomaSue]

Yes, it was a short visit for me on Vancouver Isl.... So good to see everyone, though. I cannot do the mechanical, but have enjoyed the interior work---learning as I go. This forum and the pictures members have posted have all been very helpful. Sue