kiwi girl

Help - I need some translations! What is this cooler you guys are mentioning and where is it placed in the motor? We have a Ford Taurus and it has a "coolant container which feeds into the radiator - are we talking about a similar set-up for the tranny? What is the correct temperature for the transmission and where does the temp gauge sit in relation to everything else. A bit technical for me - I just a mere woman! LOL!

Hi there I did try to wade through the online stuff from Customs - as you say the vans are very much cheaper over there. I gave up trying to work out all the regulations though. It seems you can bring just about any vehicle in, but getting it certified to drive on NZ roads is another story. Has to be more than 20 years old or the regulations for a LH drive are daunting to say the least. Different for you as you own the vehicle already. Sigh - guess we'll just have to bite the bullet and look for something else. Your comments re the tranny have put us off - the van is a long distance away so can't test it - don't fancy topping up the fluid that often though. Thanks very much for your input. Cheers

All very helpful guys - thank you. Our speed limits here are 100 kph on motorways and most highways, 50 kph around town. There are variations to this depending on the terrain and accident rates in specific areas. I'd love to import one from the States, but our Govt slaps on around 40% tax, which makes the price skyrocket. We are permitted to drive LH drive vehicles, though it can be a bit tricky seeing we drive on the left. The van we are looking at is in very nice nick - bit of a worry if you can't use the overdrive though - it saves a lot on petrol. Given that our petrol is $1.89 per LITRE, any savings are a bonus. (Wish we had oil wells!). Most of our motor homes here are in the mid-twenties $ upwards, depending on the year. We were very envious in our recent trip to US of the cheap prices for your consumer goods. Be thankful! We'll see what happens....

Thank you so much WME for taking the time to respond. You have to some extent answered our concerns about the motor being underpowered for the weight of the camper.Your van in the photo looks about the same size. Can you normally cruise up hills in top gear? NZ is a hilly country, though not too steep. Our present van which is a manual diesel, grinds up hills in 2nd gear - very slow, but that's diesels. BTW, we went through the Rockies (on the California Zephyr) last August on our month long USA trip .It is an amazing country! I have found timing chain kits on the net which are available if we need them. Our main concern (caused by my son in Florida, who is an engineer and had serious concerns about the weight of the vehicle in relation to the size of the motor), is that the motor won't be put under strain with the weight of the motor home to carry around. I haven't been able to find out any info on this at all and we are hesitating over buying the van if it will "stuff " the motor prematurely. We are buying sight unseen as the vehicle is in the South Island and requires 2 flights to get down there, so have to be sure. Thanks once again. Hope someone can put our minds at rest on this - $26,000 is a lot of money - don't want to waste it! Cheers

Re 1986 Toyota Hilux Clipper Cormorant Motor Home We were about to purchase one of the above motorhomes, (probably the only one in NZ!), when I mentioned it to my son who is an engineer. His concern was the fact they are built on a ute chassis and only have a 2.4L motor, which will be put under strain with the load of the large motorhome body. The vehicle's gross weight is 5423lbs (2460 kgs). Presumably this is the unladen weight and would increase once loaded up for camping. He stands to be corrected and there's nothing we would like more than for him to be wrong, but it makes sense. Is there anyone on the forum who has had, or currently has one who can let us know the performance and if the motor is standing up to the loading. Need to know a.s.a.p. as the seller is waiting for an answer from us. Thanks

Hi all - does anyone know where we can get specs for the above motor home? Failing that, what is the overall length and does it have power steering. Many thanks

Hello Derek - are you in NZ? We thought the overtaking could present a bit of a problem - maybe a rear view camera would work? Bit scary given the driving habits of some NZ'ers:wacko: The van is an 86, but first registered in 92. Still only has 50,000 miles on the clock and is as new. Are they underpowered? Motor homes are usually slow at the best of times, we were hoping being petrol it might be faster than our last one which was a diesel. Have a look at this link - I found it on this forum - great pics! http://www.motorhomesforsale.co.nz/92_clipper.htm Cheers

Hello everyone and greetings from New Zealand. A 1986/92 Cormorant Clipper Motor home has come up for sale here. We really like the look of it and were just about to buy when we came across the following article, (Wikipedia), whilst checking to see whether the van has a cam belt or timing chain We would really like to hear the members views/experience on this.... Toyota swapped the dual row timing chain used in older engines for a single row chain with plastic guides in 1983. This system reduced drag on the engine, but was inherently problematic. Every 80,000 to 140,000 miles, the chain could stretch to the point that the hydraulic-operated chain tensioner can not take up any more slack. When this happens, the timing chain impacts driver's side chain guide, breaking the plastic within a few hundred miles of driving. If the engine continues to be operated after the guide breaks, the chain will stretch rapidly (an unfortunate characteristic of single row chains.) The loose chain causes inaccurate ignition timing which usually results in noticeable rough running. In continued operation, the chain can jump a tooth on the drive sprocket or break entirely, with either case resulting in engine damage from valve-piston collisions. Also, the stretched chain will slap against the side of the timing cover due to the broken guide, and can wear through the cover and into the coolant passage behind the water pump. This will cause coolant to drain in to the crankcase / oil pan, possibly causing damage to internal engine components such as the bearings, crankshaft, camshaft as well as damage caused by overheating due to the lack of coolant (since it has drained into the engine oil). I imagine the problem would be avoided easily by getting the chain changed well before it was due? Any other things we should know about? Could be interesting driving a left-hand drive vehicle here! Cheers all