Hey Dennis:
Its nice to meet someone with the exact same rig as I have. I have the Chevy version. I'm brand new to motor home ownership and I've been trying to educate myself and get up to speed on everything RV. We might have some similar issues and it could be beneficial for both of us to exchange ideas.
I inherited my 1990 1/2 Bounder 34s motor home with only 6800 miles on it from my father. My father had purchased it (brand new) to live in after his home burned down in a wildfire. He and my mom lived in it for over a year until their home was rebuilt. They did take it on a few trips after that but it mostly just sat. They kept it in case of another fire (they lived in a very high fire prone area of southern CA). Because it was purchased to live in more than to travel in, they got the optional rear door entrance in the bedroom. It has 2 of the exact same sized entrance doors on the same side of the rig, although only the front one has the electronic step, the rear one is just a pull out type. Anyhow, my mother passed and It sat uncovered in a field on the property but some health problems lead my dad to neglect it and the last 10yrs it has just been sitting in the hot CA sun in a field. It has suffered mice infestation and some sun damage. I dug a huge rats nest out of the engine compartment, purchased a new starter battery, and was able to at least get it started and moved into my driveway and plugged into an outlet on the side of my home. Surprisingly the mice didn't nah through many of the wires because they were all surrounded by plastic wire protection tubes.
I will have to take pictures of it so you can see what it looks like and how it compares to your own! I must admit that it isn't exactly ready for the camera yet. I have cleaned up the inside and then I did it again, haha. Lots of disinfectant, a carpet cleaner with upholstery cleaner. The outside is very sun faded but no rips in the skin. I need to replace the 2 plastic vents on the top which are burned by the sun. It has 2 air conditioners on the roof which both work and are in good shape! However, it looks like I can only run one at a time. The outside is dirty and heavily faded and the stripes are pealing in places. I wouldn't mind spending a little money to make it look better if I could do it myself. Like most people, I wish I had more money than I actually have! ha ha, I could put something into it but my biggest issues are the fridge and the generator.
The generator just needs a new fuel pump I think. I replaced the spark plugs and the fuel filter looks clean. The starter motor seems to be working OK, it just doesn't seem to be getting enough fuel. Do you know if I can just get a cheap $40 low pressure electric fuel pump or do I need to get the $120 Onan one? My Generator is an Onan--Emerald III Plus (gas powered). I have a half a tank of gas in the main tank so it shouldn't shut off.
The fridge on the other hand is not so easy. :( Thank you!!, by the way, for all the advice you gave me about it. It's interesting that you said that your temp. knob is frozen because mine, while not frozen, is very hard to turn, I can still adjust it but it is very tight, I don't know if this is my main problem or not. I took the back off already and tried to clean it out like you suggested. When I took the thermostat off I heard it "click"-- like something was stuck, I put it back on and started up it up again but before I could see if it is working or not my propane tank ran out. There wasn't much in there so I need to get it filled up before I test it again. I will keep my fingers crossed. I'm happy to hear that you got yours working!!
The tires are actually not looking too bad, no major cracks, it was parked facing east and against a steep hill side on the south side so I don't think they got much direct sunlight but I read that they should be replaced based on age alone. The good thing about Bounders is that the tires seem to be recessed back into the wheel wells further than on many other rigs. This makes the tires less susceptible to sun damage. I have a spare tire in the basement floor area and my wallet isn't exactly dying to buy new tires (ouch!). I probably won't replace them right away. Can you tell me if I can put truck tires on it? I hear they are cheaper to buy and are built for weight where as the motor home tires are built for a smooth ride. Anyway, they need air for sure. I will have to find out what pressure they should be at.
Also I have a question for you. Inside the coach, there is some plastic flexible material that slide into slots cut on the side of shelves. It sticks up vertically on the edge of shelves. Its function is to keep things that are on the top from sliding off when you make a turn during travel. It sticks up vertically, kinda like a lip, against the shelves. It is located on the shelves on the side wall under the window of the driver's side as well as the passenger side seats. There is also some on the shelf against the wall behind the sofa back-rest right under the window and in the bedroom around the nightstands (unless you have twin beds). This has suffered sun damage and is cracking and is pealing off. I was wondering if you know what it is and if they sell rolls of it that I could cut to fit for replacement.
I'm still in the time zone when it comes to the entertainment systems. It's something that will be improved with time. I consider this a "long term project"--haha, Where is this mechanical switch that you speak of? I am going to enjoy fixing it up!! I have dreams of flat screen TVs and a satellite dish on the roof and a killer stereo and paneling in the bedroom. Do it myself of course. One good thing is that since it is an older 90 model RV it should be cheaper on the registration and insurance fees. But it only has 6800 miles on it!
I will look into joining the yahoo group. I really like irv2. So much info and cool people to help me become the RVer that is deep inside of me.
It's nice to meet you and I hope we can help each other in the future. My father put all the manuals one of the top compartments that the mice couldn't get into so I have all the manuals on everything but thanks for offering to send them to me. And thank you so much for all the valuable info!! I will let you know about my progress and keep in touch!!
Also, feel free to ask me anything although I think you are a bit more knowledgeable than I am with all this stuff. It's nice to talk to an engineer, wouldn't you know it, I got a business degree.
Tyler
. As for your refrigerator, TXiceman has probably the best knowledge on this subject and after trying his tests if you determine that the cooling unit is shot, you might want to replace it yourself. It's really not that hard if you are handy at fixing things. Here is a company that sells the replacement Amish Built cooling units. 
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