shandamac

This is such a great forum. I learned so much. I know you'll find the help you need here. I recently sold my little Sadie. (Miss her horribly, but know she is making her new owners and their young children very happy). When I bought her, she still had her original light rear axle. I live in Oklahoma, and found the recommended 1 ton axle at a Salvage Yard in Arizona. Had it shipped and installed. One thing I forgot to purchase was the sway bar. Windy day driving was quite an adventure. 🙂 Wishing you lots of luck.

When my girls were younger, we would bring a cassette tape recorder, blank tapes and lots of batteries on long trips. The kids had a blast recording their own radio shows...These included fashion, cooking, travel, music, poetry, and whatever other topics they thought of. They interviewed each other and me. They also practiced different accents. Gil, our oldest daughter created an extremely funny Australian accent, and I remember Jen's Valley Girl Fashion Hour being exceptionally hysterical. When they were 9 and 11, I taught them a few chords on the guitar, and eventually other instruments, then new and amazing road trips insued. They'd write songs, and practice songs they'd learned off the internet, and sing. The miles would fly by. Since then, we always travel with either an upacked guitar, mandolin, ukulele, along with a flute or djembi. The girls jam while I drive.....however, now they've grown and moved out, our traveling together is not as frequent. Great memories.

Wilson, Welcome to the forum! You're in for the experience of a lifetime in remodeling your little toyhome. Trust me. It will thank you!!! Make sure you post updates. Peace.

Hi Lisa, 8K seems high to me too. Do you know if it has the beefed up 1 ton rear end? That is key. shanda

Hi all! Sadie and I had the most wonderful time meeting up with our rock club at Oklahoma's Great Salt Plains Reserve this weekend to hunt for hourglass selenite crystals (our State crystal). First of all, Sadie is amazing. Yes, she's slow. Yes, she's small. Yes, she's not too crazy about headwinds, but.....she is so much fun to drive. (We always tack on an extra hour to our eta for every 150 mile we have to travel, and take our own sweet time.) The West wind on Friday was brutal for our trip up (gusts of 50 mph), speed in the 45-50 range. We pretended like we were a box kite. Just toodling out in the wind. (Just a little hairy over the bridges.), but by Saturday morning the winds had calmed to create a perfect day for crystal hunting. Since Saturday was also the opening day for the local "Crystal and Bird Festival", the reserve had just opened a new digging area. There were also lots and lots of birds to watch in around the salt plains area and the camping areas. It was a beautiful day! Lots of crystals and camaradarie. People from Oklahoma, Arkanasas, Kansas and Texas met to punch through the white salt to the red earth beneath, to lie on the ground and play in the mud. Splashing water up the walls of the holes released the crystals; glassy blades and sandy clusters. All morning and afternoon, we played, until the ground warmed and we found ourselves in a sleepy euphoric bliss. Caked in salt and mud, we headed back to the campgrounds to clean up. We made our grand finale at the campgrounds with a Rock Club Cook-out! The prez grilled bratwurst and hamburgers, while the rest played music, shared rockhunting stories, and dappled in wool spinning (my contribution ;-) ). About 9:30pm, there was an impromtu star gazing session with a local star hound who had brought out the most amazing, high powered, computerized telescope. We saw Saturn, the twin stars Castor AB and several star clusters. A South wind lightly rocked us on our return home Sunday morning, but Sadie made that trip a little faster. All in all, it was a wonderful adventure, and we're looking forward to making the Great Salt Plains an annual field trip destination.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love this forum? The Toy Gurus here continually provide a wealth of knowledge, experience and inspiration. It's a joy to read the posts and comments. It's also a joy to own a toyota motorhome. No matter which toy you choose, it requires regular doses of loving care and attention. You become obsessed. Like a Traveler's Wagon or Roma Vardo, your toy will become your expression of freedom and desire to experience everything. It might even suprise you that with it, you may find "the meaning of life".

Ha! Yes you, and that's exactly what I mean. It amazes me at how many "while we're at its" I can add to a "To Do" list.

Woah Nelly! I've been out of touch! Look at all the new toy owners!!!! Welcome, welcome!!!!! So cool to get on the groove and see what's been going on in toyland! (Curious about the toyotamotorhomes.com decal though. I missed the memo. Do we have one yet?) Sadie, my 81 Sunrader has become a talisman. With her, I have found balance, freedom, and sanity...(yes, especially with painted flowers.) Not only do I include her on roadtrips and out of town gigs, but lately, she's begun to visit the office with me and help run errands. We've been having a ball!! This weekend she will stand in as an oasis/green room at the Medeival Fair in Norman for The Merry Sisters of Mayhem, as we join our friends in performing really, really, really old tunes while dressed in really, really, really odd costumes. 3 full days of wonderful music and wind. (Ah the joys of living in Oklahoma). Speaking of wind: 2 weeks ago, Sadie and I traveled up I-35 through Wichita on our way to Lawrence KS for a sheapshearing event. (Very cool!) We drove against the wind almost the whole way...45-50mph...avg about 13mpg. The 6 hour trip took almost 9 hours. We just toodled along, basking in the openness of the plains, and experiencing things that the faster drivers missed....(like seeing the hawk drinking from a rain ditch along the highway, or driving neck in neck with the train near Cassaday). The sheepshearing was amazing! Even more amazing was that the shearer used solar electricity. Konza.com came to the farm to demonstrate it's new robotic solar panel system. (The panels moved automatically with the light). Sadie told me she wants a robotic solar panel too. (Maybe when I win the lottery.) Anyway, as expected, the wind shifted from the South for our trip home, and once again we headed out against it. Same mph, same mpg, except 3/4 of the way out, we saw the most wonderful sunset. Windows open, the smell of fresh turned river bottom dirt, the glimmer of early evening stars. I really love driving that little 4 cyl stick. It's going to be an interesting year. Not too many official travel plans planned, but every chance we get, Sadie and I will be doing something, even it it's going to Wally world to paruse the camping section. I hope to get in a few good days of motorhome maintenance projects though. New screw cover trim installed, remove the water cooler and install a solar fan, shore up a cabinet that's trying come loose (Sadie's house really needs to be completely redone at some point, but ...well...you know.), and replace old propane hook up lines. What's the phrase Derek? "One Project Leads to Another"...something like that. Hoping everyone has a blessed and prosperous year!!!!!! But most of all, I hope it's FUN!!!!! Embracing Cosmosity, Shanda and Sadie the Prairie Princess

Here's chiltons I saw on amazon today. http://www.amazon.com/Chiltons-Repair-Manual-1989-1991-4-Runners/dp/0801981646/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282233869&sr=8-11 Also, as advised to me by forum members back in 2008, you may want to look for a copy of Bob Livingston's -RV Life. Here's the most recent edition I found on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Repair-Maintenance-Manual-Trailer-Life/dp/0982489412/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282234688&sr=1-2 Hope this helps. Shanda and Sadie

Very cool (and smart) D!!!

Jerry, Also, if you've never been in a toy home, you might want to consider finding one to tour. Space could be a big issue if you're planning on living in it and safely storing stuff for resale. They tend to be pretty small. shanda

D, On my 81 sunrader, as you enter there's a little switch just to the left, and it's to turn on 2 little floor lights in the "step up" area. S

The Results: The Drive: As I'd expected, Roxy Dog was a perfect traveler. He loved the motorhome, and sat shotgun most of the way on our 70 minute drive to the Buckhorn area. Gizzy Cat wasn't too crazy about the moving motorhome at first. She meowed and climbed up on the cabinet when we started out, but eventually hopped down and investigated her surroundings. She finally settled in the walkway area behind the cab and watched the road and passing cars from a distance. Camping: Rox was a perfect gentleman and allowed neighboring children and puppies to greet him. He stayed outside when we were outside, and lounged under the picnic table or tested the length of his lead sniffing trees and rocks. He went walking with us and swimming with us. Once or twice he asked to go inside to visit Gizzy, because Gizzy wasn't crazy about being outside. Her happy place was in the motorhome. She lounged the whole time we were there, looking out the window now and then, but pretty much enjoying the fan, and her high perch on the top bunk or sprawled out in the middle of the floor. (Such a lazy cat.) We made sure the water bowls were always full. We'd brought Gizzy's covered litter box (tucked under the dinette sleeper), and I think this familar object made her feel even more at home. (Odor was not an issue. Even with the one cat, I use multi cat litter.) Our first night was okay. Rox and I slept on the dinette sleeper and Gil and Gizzy slept in the cabover. Other than the caustic smell of burning styrofoam and cigarette butts from the neighbors fire (thank God, Gary with his athsma wouldn't be in until the next day) creeping in through the windows, it was pretty comfortable. (Sadie doesn't have an airconditioner, just a water cooler, and we had extra fans, so there was plenty of air movement.) In the cool of the early morning I walked the dog around the beautiful Buckhorn Campground; Whirred up some fruit smoothies in the blender; Read 2 chapters of Nick Tosches' Where Dead Voices Gather (A very cool read for a music lover- FYI Tosches is published in Rolling Stone.) Then it started getting hotter and the breeze died down. Garrette and I set up a fan on the picnic table and swapped tunes by passing the guitar back and forth. Gizzy napped in Sadie, and Rox sniffing trees and lounged. About 10 or so, we walked the dog down to Arbuckle Lake and Gil and Rox swam. Even the water was warm. We came back to camp. It was hot even under the shade canopy. I grilled some amazingly juicy chicken. The heat index had reached reached 113F. It was sweltering, and Gary called to say he would have to work till 3 and wouldn't be arriving at camp until 5 or so. Hmmm. Well, I thought the whole "experiment" thing had been a success. Roxy was a good dog. He loved traveling in Sadie and could handle being out in the wilderness, the smell of wood smoke, odd animal smells here and there, and strangers. The cat was fine with Sadie and made herself at home once she got used to moving. I imagine in no time, she'd get used to being outside (harnessed of course). We were finished. Garrette and I decided to cut our trip short due to the heat, packed up and headed back home. Happy with a full camping "experience". Arrived to an airconditioned house and the History Channel. Looking forward to cooler weather to do it again.!

Welcome to the forum Ummab, It might be a trick finding a "specific" model of Toyota MH in your area for sale. As you're looking, ask yourself, "How much space can I live without? Do I want an automatic or manual transmission? Do I want a sink in the bathroom? Will I mind driving 55mph (average) to 65mph (downhill with the wind)?" I'm partial to my 1981 18ft Sunrader. The gas mileage is good at approximately 18.5mpg highway, but it's incredibly small and slow compared to a big engined Class A and C's. I also liked the Sunrader, 2 piece fiberglass construction. Continue your research, read the past posts on this forum, and maybe ask for a tour the next time you're parked near one at Wally World. Each model has its pros and cons. No matter what you find for sale, it's gonna be "used" so there will probably be maintenance and repair projects to "embrace", aka fixing leaky windows, leaky seams, fridge not cooling, hot-water heater not heating, etc. Some toy owners go as far as ripping up carpet, pulling out couches, rebuilding countertops, recovering cushions or total remodels. I know there are some well cared for toys for sale too, so it's possible you'll run across a gem. Whether you decide to spend the extra money for a well maintained, clean toy or invest with a fixer-upper, you're sure to fall in love with it. Wishing you the best, Shanda

I would let a professional look at it. I removed, rebuilt and reinstalled Sadie's carb myself, and it's a big job. Huge!!! (I probably gave myself an ulcer in the process.) I had to replace the hoses too. (The old ones were cracked and split.) My first concern would be that some of the hoses are loose or have gotten crossed. I guess prior to towing it to a mechanic, you could call the neighbor kid over and have him double check his work.