Hey Michael

I have a lap top with a DVD player in it. You can easily tie in the sound
system to the car stereo and in turn power the stereo on the reserve
battery...in my case it all runs on solar power..... I am not sure about the
ability to watch t.v without an internet connection however I will check
into that myself and let you know.

Benton

I'd like to get a laptop computer for my Sunrader. I also would like to
watch tv on it. Does anyone know if this is doable on a laptop? I would like
to be able to plug a VCR into it as well. Space is at a premium in these
smaller rigs and I would like to be able to compute on the road.

There were a few websites that were really valuable on our last trip. It
would be great to have a CD of the entire BLM website. There was another
website that covered the Southwest that had all the state parks, us forest
service, blm and a couple of other camping sites on one website.

Michael Smith

Many thanks - great advice.

- Al Myers

On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 19:57:29 -0000 "Tom Calvert" <caltx@...>
writes:

Many thanks!

- Al Myers

First get the refrigerator fixed. I had to do this recently. It will
cost about $500-$800 to replace the cooling unit (not the whole
refrigerator). Due to the design of the existing cooling unit, the
units are usually not repairable.

As for price, check the NADA price guide at your local credit union,
bank, or library. Or check on-line at

Besides the on-line RV Trader, your area may have a RV Trader
classified ad booklet available at convenience stores. It's published
every week. You pay a one-time fee for the text and a picture, and the
ad runs until it's sold. You can also post a free ad on Excite at

--- In toyota-campers@y..., almyers1217@j... wrote:

We have a Toyota Odyssey RV which we wish to sell. About 50,000
miles, in good shape for age, except refrigerator not working. How
do we establish a fair price and how do we offer it for sale? We

are

in the Miami, FL area.

Thanks for advice!

Almyers.

The main site of this list has a link to
RV Trader On line. They have over 100
Toyotas for sale. Remember, some are
dealers and their prices are somwhat more
than you will get in a private sale.

Click on "Bookmarks" section this list.
to go to RV Trader.com

Also you may make a FS post here on our
list. Be sure and state mileage, engine
type, and condition of running gear and
cabin, and of course price.

Jack A2

Jack A2

Hi folks. I just wanted to respond to the downshifting comments. The
transmission mechanic did say that when going down a 'very long
grade' (he gave the example of Oregon's Mt. Hood, probably since
Oregon City is so close to it, but it's what, 10,000 ft. high or so),
that it's okay to downshift some, but that the majority of the
braking should be handled by the brakes. He said you don't want to
overheat the brakes, so you can downshift and use the engine a
little, but that the brakes should really carry most of the braking
load. Thanks for pointing this out, I didn't mean to mislead anyone
or misconstrue his points. He did stress the importance of not
braking with the engine too much, so this is what I mentioned, though
he did acknowledge the need to downshift on some long, steep grades.

best,

Rosannah

Hi Everybody,

I also enjoyed the previous posts regarding transmission saving
tips. The one that struck me as questionable was the part about
not downshifting. What I think was meant by that was that you
should not downshift at every red light, like some people do with standard trannies. But on long downhill roads it is recommended
that you use the lower gears to slow the vehicle.

Jack R


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at

I enjoyed the previous posters transmission saving tips. However some are
contridicted by the my Toyota owners manual. Under good driving practices it
says.

"Always turn the overdrive switch on to improve fuel economy and quiet
drive. However if engine braking is needed when going downhill in the "D"
range or if the transmission is repeatedly upshiftded and downshifted
between the third and overdrive gears when climbing a gentle slope, it is
suggested that the overdrive switch be turned off. Be sure to turn the
switch on imediately afterward."

Also from the manual,

"When going down a long hill reduce your speed and select a lower range. The
engine will provide a breaking affect. Remember, if you ride the brakes,
they may overheat and not work properly."

Michael Smith




Ed Flaherty wrote:

OK, here it is, the bill. $2579.

That included the rear trans case since the bushing was shot and the
tailshaft had chewed it up. It also included a new radiator as the
previous work had bypassed the radiator cooler because it was clogged.

They also put synthetic fluid in. They said that the synthetic will
keep it cooler. The hottest it runs so far is 150 degrees (the gage
works now).

from what I can gather about the history of this machine, it was
driven very little the first 10 years of it's life (10,000 mi.)
Then since '96 it got 30,000. I suspect that the cooler was clogged
when the second owner got it and when it caused the first failure the
botch job was done to get it working and sold. As it happens, the
dealer that I bought it from takes his mechanical work to the same
shop that sponsors an SCCA race car we're associated with. I'm going
to call him and see if he worked on this.

I can appreciate the driving tips on auto trans in the previous post
here. Not having the overdrive engaged is probably why the trans
didn't overheat sooner. I'm suspicious now that the dealer DID know
that there was a problem. We've gotten a letter together and are
going to ask him to pay for this repair. If he's not ammenable to
that then I think we have a good case for small claims court.

Anyone have any info on the 1983 Toyota Rader. This was an aluminum bodied
camper and not to be confused with the "Sun Rader" with fiberglass body. Just
wondering on reliability of this model, etc.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Joe Besse
South Louisiana

Doesn't sound like all that great of a deal to me.

There is a 87 Sunrader on Rv trader online for $5,900. That one should have
the good axle and fuel injection. Do check the axle to be sure if you go for
it. It is listed as Sunraider instead of Sunrader. I always think the
sellers are not very into their rv if they don't spell it right. Sometimes
that might be a clue to a good deal.


Michael Smith





vadm_vic@... wrote:

Hi Ya'll,
Me again, Chris, I have to agree with Jack A., and Micheal
Smith,.....And Tika ee, this goes out to you also...I know that you
have probably read this in the "Toyota Motorhomes" club message
forum,.... Chris, if you can get the rig at a reasonable price, by
all means get it!! you will enjoy the Toyota based micro, BUT!, get
the axle replaced, the problem is not so much the bearings (YES they
are a problem) the main problem is that the wieght and stress that
the rear axle is under, it causes the rear axle housing to buckle at
the pumkin, (you may not see this with the naked eye)this cause
the "inner carrier" bearings to disinegrate, (you may not "hear"
this) this in turn causes axle seperation at the spider gears, hence
the axle slides out effortlessly, unfortunately your brake drum, hub,
and tire are all hooked up, and when they leave the vehicle, that is
an awful lot of weight hitting the ground to try and control, as you
are quite possibly watching your axle assembly "pass you up" or worse
fly into someones windshield.
Yes there was a recall for a reason, SAFETY, yours and the general
publics.
The beaty of the new axle is that it is a free-floating axle, which
means that you can snap an axle and brakes, hub and tire stays with
the vehicle, alowing you to control and safely stop your vehicle, and
the axle itself is very cheap to replace, (believe me you would have
to be very mean to this axle to hurt it)
The new axle should have special plates welded to the bottom of the
housing, spanning from the pumkin to almost the brake backing plate,
there are three styles, A, B, C, they are all the same axle, just
have different spring hangers, but the rest of it has been beefed up,
I work a National RV, I'm a service Technician for them, we have
about 30 or 40 of the new axles out back of our new service center in
Perris Ca., and one of the guys there that knows a whole lot more
about this than I do says that the replacement is still free, I heard
of an 8 year limit, but he says NO, so I would check with Toyota, who
will gladly replace the axle, since it was thier design flaw, to see
what they have to say.
Use the bad axle as a dikker on the price, but get it replaced
I hope this helps..... and I hope I have not offended anyone.
Happy Motoring!!!
Dale Gaines



--- In toyota-campers@y..., tika_ee@y... wrote:

Hi. I have a 1978 Toyota Musketeer which I have owned since
1986. It now has over 130,000 miles on a rear end with bolt-on
wheels and a non-floating axle. Finally last fall I had to replace
the rear wheel bearings and axle because the noise was getting
increasingly worse. You don't say anywhere that I could read
what the mileage is on the coach that you're considering. I would
say if it has say 60,000 miles or so, that you might have at least
that much left on the axle if it isn't overloaded. You'll hear a
grinding noise to let you know when the bearings start to go bad.
I wouldn't be afraid of buying it because of the axle style, but I
would listen carefully and be prepared to do the replacement on
short notice if you begin to hear anything unusual. Tika

--- In toyota-campers@y..., chsar@h... wrote:

I really want a toyota rv, and I've read the messages for 3

months

now, but.. I get really excited when one comes up for sale in my

city

and IF I buy one with the 1/2 ton axle, am I definitely asking

for

disaster? can I change the bearings and take light weekend

trips

(300mi. roundtrip) until I find a 1ton replacement?? I couldnt

take a

long trip(days or weeks travel)anytime soon,so I wouldnt be

putting

myself in a position of trouble for a while, so what do you folks
think? I will trust the experience and knowledge of the group, I

just

get worried that I wont see another sunraider model as cheap

as this

one. thanks chris

Tommy.

Good price. (A killer price if it turned
out to be a one ton.)

Put in that $350 axle that Jack R found,
or that 1k dealer kit of yours, and one
would have a great machine. It has the
22re engine.

Jack A2

--- In toyota-campers@y..., chsar@h... wrote:

I really want a toyota rv, and I've read the messages for 3 months
now, but.. I get really excited when one comes up for sale in my

city

and IF I buy one with the 1/2 ton axle, am I definitely asking for
disaster? can I change the bearings and take light weekend trips
(300mi. roundtrip) until I find a 1ton replacement?? I couldnt take

a

long trip(days or weeks travel)anytime soon,so I wouldnt be putting
myself in a position of trouble for a while, so what do you folks
think? I will trust the experience and knowledge of the group, I

just

get worried that I wont see another sunraider model as cheap as

this

one. thanks chris

Thanks for all of the good advice. I know that everyone responded
from experience and that is what I was after. I will follow Michael
and Jack A2s advice, its true that the recall was not issued without
much thought and I guess I can wait for one that has been fixed or
already has the beefy axle. It will be worth it once I find it.
thanks, Chris

开云体育

--- In toyota-campers@y..., r_hayden@e... wrote:

Hi folks. I talked to the owner of the shop in Oregon City that did
the transmission rebuild today and he gave me some information that
might be of use to Toyota motorhome owners, as well as those
interested in the details of the rebuild job. Here goes:

When I shared with him the AAAMCO manager's opinion about how one
should always pay top dollar for repair work, his response was, and

I

quote:

"That's the biggest crock of horse manure the world ever invented."

He likened this sort of thinking to a person who believes it's

better

to buy a $55 pair of jeans from Fred Meyer than a $12 pair from K
Mart and thinks the jeans are better just because they cost more.

He

said, "The dollar amount has no specific factor on what the quality
of a transmission rebuild is, what matters is who rebuilt it, and
where the torque converter came from."

He said his shop does five times the volume of the chain

transmission

shop I talked to, that he has over $200,000 of inventory in his
warehouse, and he gets his transmission parts cheap because of the
volume he deals with, and then he passes this savings on to his
customer.

He rattled off a list of the parts they install when doing a rebuild

(my invoice just says: A43D Transmission custom remanufactured w/
rebuilt converter and 8 qts ATF fluid, plus a rear U-joint

installed)

and here are a few of the things I caught: friction seal clutches,
bearings, seals, torque converter, and any hard parts that show
wear. He said they try to rebuild it so it's at least as good as

the

original, and seemed to take it personally that someone would

suggest

his shop's transmission rebuild might not be a better job than
AAMCO. I think this guy knows his business, and he was kind enough
to share some suggestions for preserving the transmission in

general,

which I thought I'd pass on to you all:

I don't have all his exact words, and I might get some of this

wrong--

he was talking fast because he had customers waiting. I tried to

take

notes on it all and I know I missed some of it (anyone who notices
errors, please correct me if I mistranslated his words, or add to
this if you know more details), but here's what he said about
transmission failures, roughly:

He said the primary cause of transmission failures happens when the
rear seal external housing bushing fails and takes the support out

of

the back of the transmission. The rear bushing is critical because
it supports the drive shaft. When this bushing goes, so does the
transmission.

He explained that if the bushing goes, the drive shaft will start to
move up and down and you don't want that, that it pulls the whole
transmission apart and causes the fluids to leak out and blows the
transmission eventually.

He advised me to have the bushing checked every time the oil is
changed, that you need to keep an eye on it since it's key to the
life of the transmission.

He then gave some general advice for how to preserve the

transmission

on these rigs:

1) Don't run it in Overdrive all the time. He said people want to
get good gas mileage and not make the cars behind them angry, so

they

lug it along in OD and this burns out the transmission (drive
shaft?).

He advised me to do what I could to keep the RPMs at about 2500,

that

too many people will lug it along at 1200 RPM at 40 miles an hour,
and this will destroy the transmission. In order to avoid this
problem, he said to downshift to whatever gear to keep the rig from
lugging.

2) Don't use the transmission as a brake. When going down a
mountain, put the load on the brakes (as Click and Clack say, it's
cheaper to replace brakes than it is to rebuild a transmission). He
said it's allright to downshift a little, but to put most of the
braking load on the brakes.

3) When going uphill, never put the gas pedal to the floor. He
advised a 7/8 throttle (does this mean only put the pedal to the
floor 7/8 of the way?), and to downshift to avoid lugging it.

I asked why not put the pedal to the floor and he said when you do
this the pressure regulator valve goes to maximum and this boosts

the

line pressure to the max, which cuts the lube oil and fluid when you
need it most. This causes overheating when going up a mountain, and
eventual transmission failure.

His advice was to let people behind you fume, and pull out when you
need to, but don't floor it just to keep other people from getting
impatient.

I hope this information will be of help/interest to listmembers.

best,

Rosannah

Rosannah.

Great stuff for our Archive. I have always suspected
that staying out of OD and running at around the peak
of our torque curve (2600-2800rpm) was where we wanted to
be while going up hills. Hearing it from the trans man
confirms it.

You are a real asset to our list. Thanks for the follow
up.

Jack A2

PS. I'll get back on the header stuff. Your friend
is right, on the improvement.

--- In toyota-campers@y..., vadm_vic@y... wrote:

I've been looking for a Toyota motorhome for a while now and have
heard several things that concern me, like the 4 cyl engine and the
wheels in the back.

I've just found a 1983 Dolphin with 98,000 miles, 4 cyl, stick

shift,

he's asking $5,500. I could sure use some advise.

Hi Vic. Welcome to the list.

Go to the main Toyota-Camper site and start
reading the Archives. There is much Dolphin
info here.

On the rear wheels, Be sure they have 6 lugs.
Again go to the Archives and search "axles".

On 4 cyl engines, The 83, 22r puts out only
96 hp. The later 22re is 116 hp. These engines
are among the longest lasting truck engines
ever built. A set of headers, and a Weber carb
will upgrade the 22r and give good performance.

If the machine does not have the 1 ton converstion
(Archives) subtract the cost from the price.

after you have you read the Archives, start asking your
questions. You have come to the right place.

Jack A2

Hi I recorded this 10 sec wav at my exhaust pipe. It sounds like it's
missing or something. I would appreciate any ideas on the cause of
this. could it be Valves or spark plugs or?? I changed the plug wires
cap and rotor, and O2 sensor per computer code. Now code is normal.
PLEASE SEE WAV FILE IN FILES SECTION!!! Any help would be
appreciated. Pete pcmentor@...

We have a Toyota Odyssey RV which we wish to sell. About 50,000
miles, in good shape for age, except refrigerator not working. How
do we establish a fair price and how do we offer it for sale? We are
in the Miami, FL area.

Thanks for advice!