Help Needed on 1988 Ford Honey

[Glen1978]

Hey folks Ive got this older 1988 Honey that I need a little help on. I dont have alot invested and dont wana put anymore than I have to in it.....read budget, LOL!

1.) I pull a trailer/boat with it from time to time and it seems the rear springs are kinda wore out. So much that when launching the boat (16' Express) that when on the ramp the front end unloads and slides. It will also do this empty if you stop in reverse on a grade. What will help me there? Airbags? New springs?

2.) Ive never hooked up to water or sewer with it. What are some things I need to check/do/watch for when doing this?

3.) Awning is wore out and needs replaced. Where is the cheapest place to purchase a new one and how hard of a job is it for a pretty handy guy to do himself?

4.) I want to reseal the roof. It has been done in the past but seems to be pretty dried up and cracked. Not seeing any leaks besides front window but what is the best bang for your buck roof sealant that I can put on?

Sorry so many questions but didnt want to clutter up the forum asking each one seperate. Thanks so much!

[Glen1978]

Ive never put water in the tanks but pretty sure they are forward of the axle. With the RV just sitting the front tires toe out at the top.....due to there being no weight up there. Thats one of my big concerns is pulling this boat. I put it in the water other day and when I hit my brakes to stop I heard the front axle/tires slide in the gravel some.

[pauldub]

Raising the rear end will put more weight on the front but you would need to raise it feet, instead of inches, for it to be significant. If you want to prove it to yourself, you could rest one end of a long board on a bathroom scale and lift the other end and see when you can notice a weight change.

[DaHose]

It seems odd to me that with a shorter motorhome you have such a rear weight bias. Where are your water tanks? If they are behind the axle, make sure to travel with them empty and fill up when you are at location if possible.

You could contact a local shop that makes awnings and ask about replacing your fabric only.

I couldn't agree more with twins89. Roof leaks are a HUGE deal. Eternabond is the premier (read expensive) fix for long seams, but Dicor self leveling lap sealant works well and is affordable. Dicor is definitely the standard for sealing up things like vents or "curvy" seams. Dicor on long seams is fine, it just won't be as pretty as the Eternabond, nor will it be as easy to inspect for leakage.

If you want to make the rear axle "stronger" you can add airbag assist springs for a couple hundred dollars.

When you hookup to water, figure out where your input line is and see if you can get eyes on that fitting from inside the coach. Then check every faucet and toilet to ensure the gasket at the threaded inputs don't leak. Gaskets are cheap and easy to replace. Last thing to check is your main water tank and the water heater fittings. Make ABSOLUTELY sure everything is leak free under both city and pump pressure. Water damage is THE killer of older motorhomes. A nice thing to have is a pressure regulator that threads inlie to the end of your city hookup hose just to make sure things don't somehow get overpressurized. Mine came with my rig, but they are pretty cheap online.

Best of luck and have enjoy your rig. 🙂

Jose

[Glen1978]

My thinking tells me that if I "raise" the rear for lack of better words that more weight will transfer to the front. Any ideas on how to remedy this issue. Its only like 23' so not alot of rear overhang.

[pauldub]

Changing springs won't give you more weight on the front wheels. It just sounds like the front is too light.

[twins89]

The front window are notorious for leaking. Many have taken the window out, but in new butyl or something equivalent and replaced the window. A very worthwhile investment of time and a few dollars.

I would check all fittings that you can see and get to prior to hooking up any water to be sure they are tight. Then have a full pressure test done to show any loss in pressure and leaks. Fill the black tank and grey tanks with water and see if you have any leaks. You don't know what is in either tank so a good soak for a few days with some Calgon water softener and Borateem Muleteam detergent would be in order and let that sit for a few days. Drive it around if you can and then dump.

There are lots of places for awning replacement fabric. Measure the awning and brand. Then check your craigslist or an RV salvage yard. Lots of folks have taken a manual one off and replaced with a power and are selling the entire awning. Otherwise, there are places online for replacement fabric.

With the roof, the most important thing to maintain, get up and give it a good cleaning. Look around the seals. You can remove the vents, ac, etc,replace with new butyl and caulk and some Eternabond if needed. Time spent there will not be wasted.

Sounds like you have more time and money to invest and it will be worth it. Get is road worthy by checking brakes and tires too.

I have no idea on springs and towing and launching a boat with an RV but I am sure someone else will have some advice.

RVs can be money pits but if you don't have a lot invested and you can update and fix the things that are needed, you can have a lto fo fun.