>From my last post you know how we acquired our new `86 E-Z
Ryder. The seller told us of some of the problems, but some
were surprises.

I. The problems we knew:

1) Cab A/C not working.
The freon was all gone, so we went to an air conditioning shop
right away and spent $220 having it recharged. The shop owner
was very knowledgeable, and suggested that for about the same
cost of new R-12 freon, he could change it over to the newer type
of freon which is less expensive to refill, (although it doesn't
keep quite as cold they say). Because he couldn't find the leak,
he put some dye in the system which shows up under ultraviolet
light after a couple of days, wherever it is leaking. Sure enough
the freon didn't last more than part of the way down from Oregon,
so we'll take it to someone here in L.A. to hopefully find the
leak. I'm glad I didn't fill it with the expensive stuff.

2) Outside fiberglass and pinstriping poor (because the coach
has sat outside in the desert near Palm Springs for most of its
life).
We will be taking it to some RV shops for estimates on outside
detailing and restriping. One place recommended
clearcoating(?).

3) Frame around door window partly missing.
We bought a new frame and replaced it ourselves using fresh
putty tape.

4) Cassette player not working.
We took out the old one and have decided to buy a new
CD/cassette player to put in.

5) Freshwater tank empty & not clean
We filled it, added bleach to disinfect it, pumped it through all
the lines, then drained it, and refilled it again with some more
bleach.

6) Deep-cycle RV battery missing.
We bought a new one at a big chain store and installed it
ourselves.

II. Things we didn't know about, and the seller didn't know
about either:

1) 12-volt system not working at all (even with the new RV
battery).
Eventually we learned the ground wires had been worn clear
through by rubbing on the left rear tire.

2) Propane regulator leaking.
The propane tank was empty, and when we filled it we
discovered the regulator was hissing.

3) Vent cover over cab bed cracked, and when it started raining
the bed got damp.

4) Filler door for fresh water tank stuck completely shut.

The above four items were corrected/replaced by an RV shop in
Oregon (rate $40 per hour + parts). He also added a cable TV
hookup.

III. Things we didn't know about (surprises) that still need to
be fixed:

1) The inside was totally covered with fine sandy dust from
being stored outside in a windy climate. We have started
cleaning it, but it will take quite some time more.

2) Furnace blower motor screeches. (Suburban model NT 12
SE with the motor way at the back.)
We bought a new motor from the RV shop ($75), but he was
ready to close up and didn't have time to install it. He said it
was easy enough to do ourselves, but that's not quite true. I
tried, but after a while I could see that just getting the furnace
out, with the propane disconnected and other tight space
restrictions, looks like about a 2-hour job. We will just have to
find another shop to get the new motor put in.

3) The toilet flap valve at the bottom doesn't automatically
retract -- missing a spring or something.
We will have to find the right part and have it fixed.

4) Insulated drapes falling down.
The drapes are heavier than normal, and attach with snaps to a
track on the wall above the windows, but the fabric strip on the
drapes that the snaps are sewn onto is all disintegrating, leaving
the snaps attached to the track and the drapes falling on the bed!
I found some more snaps on plastic strips (snap tape) at
Camping World, but I still have to sew them on, or else get new
drapes.

5) The plastic plate around the gas tank filler is cracked and
disintegrated.
We have a new one to be installed.

6) Outside mirrors very discolored and fogged.
We'll be swapping them for the clear ones from our `78
Toyota Musketeer.

The biggest surprise is that the engine miles are higher than the
coach miles (32K and 83K). The owner knew that his sister had
put an new engine in it, when she drove it in Arizona without oil
and it froze (oops!), and he thought it was a rebuilt engine. But
when we asked for more information, he was able to find out
from his brother that it was simply a used 22re engine from a
wrecking yard, with 83K miles. That was a disappointment. So
while the miles on the engine are higher than we thought, for a
Toyota it's still not all that high. I have an appointment next
week for someone to take a look at it and check the valves and
compression, and the condition of the guides. (No rattling
heard.) The good news is that the seller was so concerned
about the fact that it wasn't a rebuilt engine like he had told
us, that he voluntarily took another $500 off the price! So we got
it for only $6000.

Except for the cab A/C, all of the other major systems seem fine:
the transmission shifts just right, the brakes are OK, the tires are
new, the roof A/C is nice and cold, and the fridge works excellent.
I do think however, that if this motorhome had been purchased
by someone who wasn't a 15-year veteran RV owner, they might
have found the high number of minor items needing repair to
have been a bit daunting. But for us, the more we tackle the
fix-up jobs, the more we're growing attached to it, and I do think
we will soon end up with an exceptionally nice rig, good for our
family (me, my husband, and the kids we plan to adopt) for years
to come.

Tika


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