1985 toyota dolphin RV (22RE)

A charged battery should read 12.6 to 13.+ vdc. 10.1 vdc is too low. Did you check the voltage across the battery terminals, or to ground? Also, if you checked the alternator from the output connector it should have read the battery voltage if the alternator is not putting out. Have you checked the connection from the alternator to the battery? I think there is a fuse in the circuit.

What does the alternator read from output to the alternator case? Have you checked for corrosion of the battery cable connectors? I had a case on my '87 PU where they were corroded internally. Basically the cables were functioning as resistors. I was able to read the resistance with a good DVM.

Sounds like the alternator, and the usual problem is age, the brushes wear out. Go get a rebuild from a local auto electric shop.

If you dry-camp a lot and don't have a gen-set to recharge the coach battery, see if they can give you a higher output alternator. An extra 10 to 20 Amps can make a big difference - remember, you have an extra dozen marker lights that aren't on most pickup trucks.

The only thing Dolphin did to the electrical system is add a charging relay for the coach battery in the back. You'll find a big silver relay that looks like a Ford starter solenoid (but is rated for continuous duty) wired to the ignition circuit, and a 30A circuit breaker on the fender.

If the coach battery is dead the little circuit breaker is supposed to cycle to keep it from sucking down the starting battery up front - but make note the use of the words "supposed to"... Pull the power from the solenoid coil to temporarily shut off the charging circuit for diagnostics.

And you do need to check the water in the coach battery regularly, they don't make good deep-cycle batteries in 'Maintenance Free' - which is a misnomer anyway, if you pry open the caps and 'maintain' the distilled water level on a 'Maintenance Free' battery every 6 months to a year it lives a whole lot longer.

Everything else under the hood any good Toyota tech can handle.

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Multiple dash lights on is usually a sign of alternator brushes being worn in a Toyota. Toyota alternators are otherwise extremely reliable. The brushes are very easy to change if you are the least bit handy with a soldering iron. Parts will cost you about $5.00 which is a heck of a lot cheaper than either a rebuilt alternator or a new one. Here's step by step instructions. It took me about 2 hours total on my Surf. Buying the brushes from Toyota with attached holder would have saved 30 minutes but I could not get them in Japan where I was at the time.

Bubba

Well I pulled it and took it to the shop. They said it was shot, not the brushes, and would be expensive to rebuild. I got a good deal on a rebuilt model, and that solved the problem. Thanks for your help.