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1986 Sunrader

 

Hi there - I inherited a 1986 Toyota Sunrader from my Uncle. It has been driven 78,000 miles. Frankly, I'm an extreme newbie at owning it.?

In restoring the electrical system, the two battery system (marine and car) was replaced and it now has a single (truck battery).? There is also a newly installed solar panel.? A new hot water heater was installed as, in its original configuration, none existed.?

Much of the interior water pipes have also been replaced as there were leaks in the system.??

Unfortunately, there is no owners manual or operating guides,? so I am taking many small steps in learning how to use the Sunrader.? I could use your all advice:

-battery usage.? In de-winterizing the Sunrader and turning on the water pump (without starting the engine) the battery was drained — we needed to jump start it in order to start the Sunrader.? Has anyone experienced this before??

- operating manuals.? Is there a source for owner manuals/operating guides? Specific youtube videos?? We would like to use every part of the Sunrader and an information source would be helpful in our learning, especially in after-market additions like the hot water heater.??

- solar panel.? Is there a way to tell what the solar panel is powering?? For instance, is there a way it can keep the truck battery powered charged even if the engine is not on?? What has been your experience in using solar panels?

Thanking you all in advance!

Tami Reusink
 
Edited

Yes, this group is the right place to get lots of answers.?

First, the water-heater is not aftermarket — 1986 Sunraders came with one.? Solar panels, on the other hand, are a 21st century enhancement.?

The solar panel if installed properly is going to be connected to a “charge controller” and from there it is connected directly to the battery, not to anything else.? The power for other items then comes from the battery (as long as it is charged).

How sure are you that you only have one battery?? In Sunraders, the second battery is sometimes in the very rear, with access behind an outside panel between the tail lights. ?

If indeed you have only one battery, instead of the normal engine battery and deep-cycle coach battery, then any functions in the coach (like the water pump) will be draining the engine start battery.? As I said, typically Sunraders were built with dual batteries, and also a “battery isolator” under the hood that prevents this scenario.? For maximum convenience when camping, I would recommend that you get two new batteries, one for the engine and a quality deep-cycle battery for the coach, and then see that they get hooked up properly.?

There are lots and lots of documents in the “Files” section of this group if you haven’t discovered it yet.? Look under the folder “Coach Manufacturers’ Information” to find the Sunrader folder.? As for the various appliances, they each came with their own instruction manual.? If you don’t find the manuals you are needing in the various other File folders, then ‘google’ the appliance model number and you can probably find a pdf.?

Welcome to being a Toyota RV owner!?

Tika

Group Owner/Moderator
 

Thank you for your response!

On Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 10:05:17 PM MDT, Tika via groups.io <tika_ee@...> wrote:


Yes, this group is the right place to get lots of answers.?

First, the water-heater is not aftermarket — 1986 Sunraders came with one.? Solar panels, on the other hand, are a 21st century enhancement.?

?

The solar panel if installed properly is going to be connected to a “charge controller” and from there it is connected directly to the battery, not to anything else.? The power for other items then comes from the battery (as long as it is charged).

?

How sure are you that you only have one battery?? In Sunraders, the second battery is sometimes in the very rear, with access behind an outside panel between the tail lights. ?

?

If indeed you have only one battery, instead of the normal engine battery and deep-cycle coach battery, then any functions in the coach (like the water pump) will be draining the engine start battery.? As I said, typically Sunraders were built with dual batteries, and also a “battery isolator” under the hood that prevents this scenario.? For maximum convenience when camping, I would recommend that you get two new batteries, one for the engine and a quality deep-cycle battery for the coach, and then see that they get hooked up properly.?

?

There are lots and lots of documents in the “Files” section of this group if you haven’t discovered it yet.? Look under the folder “Coach Manufacturers’ Information” to find the Sunrader folder.? As for the various appliances, they each came with their own instruction manual.? If you don’t find the manuals you are needing in the various other File folders, then ‘google’ the appliance model number and you can probably find a pdf.?

?

Welcome to being a Toyota RV owner!?

?

TIka

Group Owner/Moderator
 

Tami, were the water leaks you mentioned repaired since you inherited the Sunrader? or before?

I ask because if the old plumbing was leaking anywhere, there's a good chance it was/is leaking somewhere else too. Water damage to the floor and or any of the cabinetry can be seen as the single worst threat to the structural? integrity of a Sunrader.? Or of any of these toyhomes we have all come to love.

It would be a good Idea for you to visually trace all of the water lines from the fresh water tank, through the water pump and everywhere else they go,? That would be to the water heater, both hot and cold water to the kitchen sink, and, if your Sunrader has a bathroom sink,? there is both hot and cold water going there, and to the shower, There is also cold water piped to the toilet.

So look for water stains and mushy spots at and or under any and all of the fittings both where the water lines connect to each other, ie, 90 degree elbows, or inline connections for example where the drain valves used for winterizing connect.? Run your hand along each of the water lines everywhere they go and feel for mosture both on the lines and below them on the floor. Use a flashlight. Also, at the water pump and each and every place where the lines connect at their final destination, ie the sinks shower valves, toilet etc.? On the floor, feel for mushy spots especially in front of the bathroom and under the water pump and water heater. Don't be surprised if you find some, as the rig is nearly 40 years old and it would be absolutely shocking if it looked brand new at any of those places, but it would be good to know, and in the process you can find and stop any un-repaired leaks that still exist.

This is critical if you are going to leave your water pump on while not in use. All of the water pumps in these old vehicles are designed to operate when they sense a drop in line pressure. So it follows that even the slightest leak anywhere on the discharge side of the pump will cause a drop in line pressure and even one drop of water every few minutes will cause that pressure to drop enough to make the pump turn on momentarily if the switch is on. So the leak will continue if left unattended until either the battery dies, or the water tank becomes empty. You don't want all of that, (or any of it) sitting on your very thin plywood floor or soaking into the fiberboard your cabinets are all most likely made of. The fresh water tank in my Sunrader shorty is 13 gallons if I'm not mistaken when full.?

It won't fix anything, but a good general practice is to turn off the water pump and depressure the lines by opening both the hot and cold valves momentarily at the kitchen sink for example.?

Good luck, and welcome to the world of toy homemaking!

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