1989 Sunline 24'

[Marty]

Great website! After only ten minutes in the unit two weeks ago (during a rainstorm), I have just purchased a Sunline 24. I live in Tampa, FL, and the camper is 6 hours away at a camp in GA. Yes, I trust the sellers, but the owner is out of the picture due to health.

The guy giving me the title said that it says; Sun e, 1989, CA and 24'. Although it is staying at the camp another year for me to use, I am packing to go there soon to patch it up and put good wheels underneath it. I printed a generic Sunline 1989 manual from here, but I have more questions (don't laugh! I know they are easy if you have the camper out back).
- Are the bolts metric or standard?
- The manual says the tires are F78-14-B. Is that 4 or 5 lug? Will boat tires work?
- What is the best top coat sealer (small leaks and I do not know what roof is made of)?
- What is the best body cleaner/chemical (no powerwasher in the woods) only have scrubbrush and water.
- Are there things that I should check right away (def windows right)?

I appreciate any help folks. I am excited to get it fixed up and hopefully take it out on the road with my family.

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by Marty

Great website! After only ten minutes in the unit two weeks ago (during a rainstorm), I have just purchased a Sunline 24. I live in Tampa, FL, and the camper is 6 hours away at a camp in GA. Yes, I trust the sellers, but the owner is out of the picture due to health.

The guy giving me the title said that it says; Sun e, 1989, CA and 24'. Although it is staying at the camp another year for me to use, I am packing to go there soon to patch it up and put good wheels underneath it. I printed a generic Sunline 1989 manual from here, but I have more questions (don't laugh! I know they are easy if you have the camper out back).
- Are the bolts metric or standard?
- The manual says the tires are F78-14-B. Is that 4 or 5 lug? Will boat tires work?
- What is the best top coat sealer (small leaks and I do not know what roof is made of)?
- What is the best body cleaner/chemical (no powerwasher in the woods) only have scrubbrush and water.
- Are there things that I should check right away (def windows right)?

I appreciate any help folks. I am excited to get it fixed up and hopefully take it out on the road with my family.

Welcome Marty!

- Bolts should all be standard. There really aren't many bolts on it though, but there are a ton of #2 square head screws.
- I suspect the wheels will be 5 on 4.5", 5 lug, zero offset. The best tires to replace with are ST205/75/R14C. I'd recommend getting some good trailer tires for it (Goodyear Marathon and Carlisle are big names) instead of cheap Chinese boat tires from somewhere like Tractor Supply or Walmart. These tires have a lot of weight on them and are subjected to a lot, so I wouldn't skimp here. Most tire shops will be able to order these trailer tires in if they don't already have them in stock. Some stock the cheap brand because it's so cheap to stock.
- Your roof is aluminum if it's still the factory roof. It's pretty durable really. But the seams definitely need to be tended to. Any mobile home roof sealer will do the trick, but my preferred stuff is Dyco in an orange can. My local RV dealer carries it, and your local one may too. Make sure to pull up any loose stuff before applying the new. Use a hairdryer if you have to. Make sure to do all the inner seams (and seams around roof components) before you do the outer perimeter seam.
- Awesome cleaner from the dollar store is the best cleaner for these trailers. Don't use it with a powerwasher anyway. Spray it on, scrub a little, wipe it off. I don't recommend leaving it sit on there very long. I really like using Mr. Clean magic erasers too- it'll really take the streaks and grime off. It should be an easy job for you because later Sunlines have a coating on the aluminum to add durability, but it's much tougher to clean. Yours should go real quick.
- Checking windows could be a good idea, but check the appliances for sure. Refrigerator is a biggie as they often die. Furnaces can usually be cleaned and work again. Water heaters freeze more than they break, but I do hear of the heater going just once in a great while. Stoves/ovens don't usually go bad either, but it can happen. Since you are in FL, you probably don't have to worry about things freezing, but it could happen. Also look for any ripples along the ceiling panels that would be a sign of a leak. Discoloration in the floor linoleum will indicate floor rot too. Check around the roof vents too, as well as the covers themselves. They can crack pretty easy when they have sun deterioration, so inspect those closely. You CANNOT walk on the roof unless you put down some solid boards on the roof between the trusses. Basically all you have up there is some thin tin over top of studs, so it's hardly strong enough to walk on.

Hope that gives you a good start!

Jon

[Marty]

Jon, you are a lifesaver! I have been on a shopping spree today and leaving to work on my Sunline for three days, starting tomorrow night. I am so darn excited to work on this thing, gonna work my butt off but can't wait to get started! Thanks again sir, please accept my virtual handshake. Marty

[Sunline Fan]

Great! Bring us back some pictures of it!

[Marty]

What a mess! my hands barely work today after scraping the entire unit down. I am hesitant to go past any home repair stores because if I see anyone carrying silicone caulking I might take it and throw it into the garbage! There is a lot of water damage and the bumbling lazy soul who put the silicone on didn't even do that right. I did end up finding the correct caulking, re-did that and sealed the top with that paint on seal coating stuff (about $100 at Lowes. No RV place available), it should have been a one day job but became a huge fiasco with the silicone.

- Any ideas where to get a new plastic top of unit vent cover (for the refrigerator)?
- How about the rubber gaskets for the ceiling air vents?

I am letting the unit dry out for a couple of weeks and will then see how much floor and wall that i have to replace, just taking a big breath and hoping that I don't have silicone scraping nightmares tonight!

Marty

[Sunline Fan]

Hi Marty,

Glad to hear you've made lots of progress on it!

You can probably find a new refrigerator roof vent at an RV dealer or online. Here's one on eBay: Dometic RV Refrigerator Roof Vent Lid 3103634022 | eBay

Rubber gaskets would be available through a Ventline distributor, also an RV dealer or online. Here's one: RV Vent Gasket Vinyl Seal 51" Ventline BVA0455 01 RV camper Parts | eBay

[noralee]

hi marty, welcome.

i bought an 83 tt1350 in the fall, and it's had a lot more damage hidden than previously thought. i don't want to do anything more sometimes so i don't come across any more surprises i just am finishing up some interior carpentry though and had a moment were i remembered my excitement about having such a cozy camper.

while doing the most recent carpentry, we discovered the wood around the wheel wells was rotted out and needed to be replaced. we didn't get it all perfectly, without taking off the aluminum, but we got it pretty good and made sure the new wood was stable. we may go from the bottom and just lift the aluminum up to get the rest we missed. anyways, it's been tough at times to remember the reward for the work put in, but taking a breather like you're doing helps to move forward and remember the end result. good luck!

good to know about the Awesome cleaner. i'll have to try that too!

[Drake]

Marty...soldier on! Sealing her up and cleaning her up will be worth the effort. I hope there is no hidden damage, and that your dream of rescuing this old girl is worth your trouble. Having knowledgeable folks like Jon around to guide us through these uh...hurdles, is a real blessing, and it gives us the confidence to
take on these challenges. Good luck and welcome to our group.