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Old 07-31-2007, 11:38 AM   #1
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1983 T-1550

(I originally posted this as a reply to a thread in the towing section- but decided it really doesn't belong there anymore)

I finally got her home!! I spent 5 hours this weekend with a scrub brush removing what had to be years of pine sap mixed with rotting leaves and dirt. The tanks on the front are actualy WHITE...who knew? They were a sort of greyish-brown when I started. Anyway she sleaned up pretty good on the outside and there's no signs of leaks on the inside. Now I just have to figure out how to work everything and make sure everything works. So far I know the AC doesn't make cold, most of the running lights and one brake light are out (there are no reverse lights - but the whole assembly has been replaced) and when I opened the valves on the propane tank, the hose started hissing out of what looks like a crack.(That's bad right?) Anyway if anyone has experience with an older (1982) T-1550 - I'd love to hear some advice. I barely know the difference between grey water and Grey Poupon, but I am pretty handy with the duct tape....
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Old 07-31-2007, 11:45 AM   #2
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Hi OPIE,

I was typing my reply when you moved your post, you had me confused there for a minute .

Glade you got it home, now the fun starts .

A good person to talk to is Sunline Fan, he’s reconditioned many Sunlines and probably can give you a lot of good advice. Plus everyone else here can help with almost any problem or question.

The LP Hose – yes that’s bad. Replace the hose, and while you’re at it check the rest of the rubber LP hoses for dry rot. Or better yet, just replace them.

A quick and easy water system pressure test is to put water in the fresh water tank (10+ gallons) and run the water pump with all faucets closed. Make sure you put enough water in the fresh water tank to fill up the HW tank, which is probably 6 gallons, and still have enough in the fresh water tank so it doesn't run dry. Before you turn the pump on, check to make sure all water hose connections are tight. Then turn the pump on, The pump should run for a few minutes while it pushes water through the system. Open up only one faucet (hot & cold), typically the faucet farthest from the pump & HW tank, until water is flowing out. Then close the faucet. The pump should shut off and stay off. If it starts coming on, or stays on, you have a water leak some place. Turn the pump off and start checking under the cabinets for a water leak.

Good luck and have fun.
Hutch
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Old 07-31-2007, 01:29 PM   #3
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T-1550 in New Hampshire

I purchased a 1550 about 7 weeks ago. It had been owned by one family that only used it two weeks a year and had not used it for 6 years. I have been working on it for 7 weeks, getting it ready for a long trip to Labrador.

I don't know where you are in Ma but I am located in Hampton, NH and would be glad to let you know what I've learned. My normal email address is Normacs@aol.com

On my rig I replaced the rubber hose from the propane tank; it needed replacing to get the modern propane tanks.

As to the tail lights and clearance lights, I replaced them all with LEDs because the contacts were all corroded and LEDs last virtually forever. I simply soldered them to the existing wires.

Over the seven weeks I've worked on just about everything and would be willing to let you know what I've learned.

Norm Milliard
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Old 07-31-2007, 07:34 PM   #4
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emam
As a person who takes pictures of EVERYTHING, I hope all of you are taking plenty of before and after pictures.

We didnt with our first house, and kicked ourselves for years afterwards when we would try and tell people how much work we did rather then just show them.

Now, anytime we do any upgrade or replace something, I make sure to take pictures so I can either post them, or just remember what it looked like before we changed it.

Good Luck with the refurbishing

Pat
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Old 07-31-2007, 07:47 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by emam
As a person who takes pictures of EVERYTHING, I hope all of you are taking plenty of before and after pictures.

We didnt with our first house, and kicked ourselves for years afterwards when we would try and tell people how much work we did rather then just show them.

Now, anytime we do any upgrade or replace something, I make sure to take pictures so I can either post them, or just remember what it looked like before we changed it.

Good Luck with the refurbishing

Pat
That sounds so familiar except with Sunline's. I didn't take many detailed pics of our first and my first (before pics only), and I've regretted it ever since. All I have is pics from campgrounds and in the driveway all at different angles. I even have some roof shots from an airplane! However, with the wonders of digital, I'm now able to take pics of everything before and after. Unfortunately, it's sometimes too hard to get anything done and take pics at the same time.


Opie, let me know if you need any advise on anything. The LP hose is bad and should be replaced. This would really be a good time to upgrade to a new auto-changeover regulator too. I would just replace everything coming out of the fitting in the frame. It would also be a good idea to check the LP line underneath the TT for rust. I've had all of mine rust and I can see it could probably rust through over time. If your coach had been sitting on dirt all that time, then it should be inspected. Also Hutch mentioned about checking the water fittings. You should also inspect each visible water line to make sure nothing is cracked. If water was left in over the winter, it may have cracked a line too. It would also be a good idea to check the drain pipes (especially the traps) which can freeze too.

Jon
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Old 07-31-2007, 07:51 PM   #6
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Opie, I almost forgot. You don't have a T-1550. The correct model number is the 15 1/2 SB. 1982 was the last year for that model before it got renamed the 1550 in 1983.

Jon
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Old 08-01-2007, 05:38 AM   #7
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Thanks for all the advice. I was kidding about the LP hose being bad...I'm not quite that dense. The before pictures is a great idea, I wish I took one with the entire front of the trailer covered in black gunk...oh well. Maybe I was mis-informed and it's an 83...the sticker inside the wardrobe closet says the model number is T-1550....Is there a way to tell for sure?
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Old 08-01-2007, 07:34 AM   #8
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Opie,

One way to tell if which year you have is the exterior color. In 1982, they had a white exterior. It wasn't bright polar white, but more an off white. In 1983, they changed the exterior color to a dark tan.

The other way to tell for sure is the VIN. Located on a sticker on the left front, a plate on the left side of the tongue, or a plate under the door sill, the VIN will tell you what year exactly you have. I'm assuming you don't have a title to it which would tell you the year also.

Here's a sample VIN from a '82 trailer:
1LC2S1#1#CD15####

Here's a sample VIN from a '83 trailer:
1LC2S1#1#DD15####

The C is the year code for 1982 and is always found in that exact position in the VIN. The same goes for D in 1983.

Jon
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Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR
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Old 08-01-2007, 07:42 AM   #9
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WOW - once again I am amazed by your encylopedia-like knowledge of all things Sunline. But this leaves me more confused. The worker who put the sticker in the closet clearly thought it was a model 1550 - suggesting 1983, but it is off-white in color suggesting 1982...I'll have to check the VIN when I get home...maybe the worker was ahead of schedule with the model # ??
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Old 08-01-2007, 07:38 PM   #10
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Or you might have a situation like we had:

1) Ordered a 2005 T-1950 w/Autumn Harvest interior

2) Came in as an 2006 T-1950 with an 05 interior color of Autumn Harvest.

3) Our 06 had window treatment BUT complete 06 models had jabots on the windows, instead of the curtains.

So depending on what time of the year yours was manufactured- you might be in the same boat as us!
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Old 08-02-2007, 05:45 AM   #11
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Well then I think I'll call it a 1982 and a half!! Then I can forget it and get back to fixing her up!!
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Old 08-06-2007, 05:46 AM   #12
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OK - I'm still in general clean up mode, but I've run into an electrical problem. One tail light and most of the running lights are out. After checking the obvious and replacing some bulbs I got the tester out and I have no power to most of them. OK - I can rewire tail lights - no problem. Then I start on the inside and oddly enough the rear interior lights and the 12v exhaust fan over the stove have no power either. The thing is where the outside lights are out, the insides are too. In the front where the interior lights are working is where the running lights are working too. My wiring diagram shows these on different circuits so now I'm thinking it may be a grounding problem, I may have to rewire all the 12v.....

And BTW it's an '83 for sure, I found all the original paperwork and manuals while cleaning out the cabinets.
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Old 08-06-2007, 06:40 PM   #13
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Lights

On my 1982 I had to replace the rear chassis ground connection, totally corroded and making bad contact. My rear one was located behind and two the right of the converter which was located under the Gaucho couch.

The converter had four fuses, located inside the front cover of the converter for each of four DC circuits. In addition there are fuses inside the front hamper for each of the tail light circuits.

The worse problem was the poor condition of the light contacts. I simply hard wired in LEDs at all positions and just eliminated the contacts as a problem forever.

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Old 08-07-2007, 05:38 AM   #14
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I'm leaning towards LED's myself, and I've decided to run new wire to everything 12V in the back end, inside and out. But now I have another question - plumbing is not my area of expertise...The freshwater shutoff valves next to the converter that lead in (to water heater - sink etc..) are dripping from the valve stems....any chance I just need new washers or do I need to call a plumber? I hate to spend cash on a pro if it's just a 25 year old washer, but I'd hate to spend even more by messing something up trying to fix it myself.
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Old 08-07-2007, 10:40 AM   #15
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Fresh water shutoff valves?

Where are they located? I don't seem to have any internal water shut off valves in my rig. The water comes directly from the external hose connection to the water heater. There are two little drains for the hot and cold water lines to the left of the converter in mine but no shutoffs.

I will say I had a number of leaky connections, one at the bathroom sink and two at the water heater. I simply unscrewed the connections and wrapped some teflon tape around the threads and screwed them back together. If it still leaked I just tightened it a little harder. Leaks gone.

Do you have a pressure reducer in your connection to the street water? Maybe your street pressure is high.

I located a filter/pressure reducer on the frame below the external water connection using hose clamps, connecting a short hose from the filter to the external hose connection and a quick disconnect on the other end of the filter/pressure reducer for the street hose.

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Old 08-07-2007, 11:09 AM   #16
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They are to the right of the converter right in front of the water heater. I'll have to check more thoroughly, I assumed they were shut-offs. They were mid-line in the pipes and didn't seem to lead to any drainage lines. This trailer had work done before I got it. It may be somone else's handiwork...
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Old 08-07-2007, 11:27 AM   #17
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Opie: Sounds like they might be Hot Water Heater Bypass valves. They install two valves on the lines to/from the hot water heater allowing you to isolate the heater and hot have to winterize it with the rest of the trailer.(i.e. saves 6 gallons of antifreeze). If that's what they are, make sure they're open and you have water in the heater before you turn the electric on. It will fry your element if it's not covered with H2O.
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Old 08-20-2007, 05:57 AM   #18
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YEA ME!! I finanally found the short in the 12V wiring. Apparently I'm not the first to re-wire this trailer. I found a wire with a staple though it under the furnace, and rewired it. Now all the lights work except the light in the stove exhaust fan. Oh well, you can't win them all. Also I ran new brake/turn lights because it was easier than tracing those wires too. Just a couple more clearance lights to replace (they are like xmas bulbs...one goes out..they all go out) and we should be ready for our first overnight, which will be in a friend's driveway, after the Jimmy Buffett show in Foxboro MA!! I can't wait!!
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Old 07-03-2010, 09:22 AM   #19
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Opie love the name I'm a big Andy fan, Good luck with your new 1550 I love my 83 Tan 1550 Even though I spent all day working on the exterior wiring I found 2 bad wires The main ground and the right turn/brake wire I still have a right brake light coming on with the running lights Hmmmm So I will be working on it again today I really like the LED idea. Do they make LED clearance lights? beings mine are faded some broken pics coming soon if I can figure out this complicated way of posting them LOL
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Old 07-03-2010, 09:29 AM   #20
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I actually replaced them wires crawling around inside and under the thing What a task! The original clearance lights don't make very good contact you hit a bump and they go out thats why I want LED
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