Tony Dobbs Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 Were these very expensive when new? Or were not very many made? It seems like Dolphins and Sunraders are a dime a dozen, but I can't find a single Odyssey Americana on any Craigslist or other website. It almost makes me want to buy a dolphin and fiberglass the whole thing myself... Almost, but not quite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 There was one for sale near me in Eureka Ca for a long time. Gone now but helps to search all Toyota motorhomes because they often don't list the model. Yes they were expensive, top of the line for Odyssey the years made so fewer were made. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 1 hour ago, linda s said: There was one for sale near me in Eureka Ca for a long time. Gone now but helps to search all Toyota motorhomes because they often don't list the model. Yes they were expensive, top of the line for Odyssey the years made so fewer were made. Linda S Damn, that's not too far from me! I've started searching through all Toyota motorhomes in hopes of one turning up, but it hasn't yet. Thanks for the info, hopefully something turns up in the next few months. At this point I might consider buying a badly damaged RV from another brand, and constructing a new body for it.. I would much rather find the perfect Americana though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Just so you know the Americana does not have a fiberglass roof like a Sunrader. They have rubber roofs and if not properly maintained can develop serious leaks. Are you not considering a Sunrader because you like the larger size of the Odysseys? Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odysseybernard Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I believe one just sold bin on eBay last week for $17.2. rear panoramic windows just like our Odyssey ponderosa. Was in great shape and owner had put a lot of work into it. I'm putting a Ford center console foldable jump seat with seat belt in the isle behind the driver's seat against the outside of the shower wall, he had 2 there for his kids. Nice upgrade for the rear panoramic window layouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 31 minutes ago, odysseybernard said: I believe one just sold bin on eBay last week for $17.2. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1990-Toyota-Leisure-Odyssey-Americana-Santa-Fe-Motorhome-/222914176280?hash=item33e6b86518%3Ag%3AnY0AAOSwwWJayGgP&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=LNv5DM1uTPHcr7ChSgCbKDpxhMQ%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 If you'd consider a non-Americana (for 1/2 that):- https://allentown.craigslist.org/rvs/d/90-22toyota-odyssey-no-rust/6556881407.html Or $6000:- https://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/d/1989-toyota-22-odyssey/6561544667.html  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 https://helena.craigslist.org/rvs/d/toyota-odyssey-rv/6558712629.html https://palmsprings.craigslist.org/cto/d/toyota-odyssey-dolphin-class/6561445960.html https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/rvs/d/toyota-motorhomempg-rv-new/6562196800.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 The Americana had fiberglass I thought? - just not single piece. Still is one of my favorites, they just never come around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I've read the Americana (and regular Odyssey?) have a rubber roof. Not sure what the structure under the rubber is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 2 hours ago, Totem said: The Americana had fiberglass I thought? - just not single piece. Still is one of my favorites, they just never come around. Exactly! Great RVs, but super rare... Almost like owning a piece of history...  4 hours ago, Derek up North said: https://helena.craigslist.org/rvs/d/toyota-odyssey-rv/6558712629.html https://palmsprings.craigslist.org/cto/d/toyota-odyssey-dolphin-class/6561445960.html https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/rvs/d/toyota-motorhomempg-rv-new/6562196800.html So many great non-fiberglass RVs out there... If I could think of a way to reasonably create my own fiberglass shell I would totally do so, but I think it makes more sense to remain patient and wait for an Americana to pop up.  4 hours ago, odysseybernard said: I believe one just sold bin on eBay last week for $17.2. rear panoramic windows just like our Odyssey ponderosa. Was in great shape and owner had put a lot of work into it. I'm putting a Ford center console foldable jump seat with seat belt in the isle behind the driver's seat against the outside of the shower wall, he had 2 there for his kids. Nice upgrade for the rear panoramic window layouts. Damn, that must have been right after I started my hunt! That's a bit steep for my budget anyway. I would rather find one that needs some love, and completely restore it myself. That way I know everything is built properly.  10 hours ago, linda s said: Just so you know the Americana does not have a fiberglass roof like a Sunrader. They have rubber roofs and if not properly maintained can develop serious leaks. Are you not considering a Sunrader because you like the larger size of the Odysseys? Linda S I did not realize that! It's hard to find all the necessary details on these things... I did see that someone had put a new rubber roof on theirs, but was unsure if that was how they were originally built. And I do want the odyssey for the extra size. If there was a Sunrader XL, I would be all over that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I would suggest you put an ad on craigslist Humboldt asking if they still have it. Very possible the ad just expired. Was up there a long time. They were asking less than 10 grand Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 2 minutes ago, linda s said: I would suggest you put an ad on craigslist Humboldt asking if they still have it. Very possible the ad just expired. Was up there a long time. They were asking less than 10 grand Linda S Thanks, Linda, that's an excellent idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 If you can use a Sawzall and fiberglass, you can make an XL Sunrader. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 2 minutes ago, Derek up North said: If you can use a Sawzall and fiberglass, you can make an XL Sunrader. Â Don't tempt me, Derek! I have thought about that.. the issue is that the Sunrader is not only more narrow, it's also shorter. If I only had to extend the body in one direction I would probably be looking at Sunraders right now haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Easy peasy. Just make a 30' wide cut down the middle of the roof, space it up 6" and glass it in. Easier said than done, of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 8 minutes ago, Derek up North said: Easy peasy. Just make a 30' wide cut down the middle of the roof, space it up 6" and glass it in. Easier said than done, of course! That's a bit easier than my idea of cutting it horizontally under the roof like a belt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Well Sunrader did make a small class A motorhome called an Aero Cruiser. All fiberglass and in reality way smaller than it looks in the picture Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 14 minutes ago, Tony Dobbs said: That's a bit easier than my idea of cutting it horizontally under the roof like a belt Yep, no real need to raise the cupboards as well. Just the strip down the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 7 minutes ago, linda s said: Well Sunrader did make a small class A motorhome called an Aero Cruiser. All fiberglass and in reality way smaller than it looks in the picture Linda S Those are very cool as far as class A's go, but I really like the cabover bunk and the fuel economy of these toyota RVs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 2 minutes ago, Derek up North said: Yep, no real need to raise the cupboards as well. Just the strip down the middle. That is a good point... I think at the end of the day I would end up with a similar RV in terms of specifications, but at the expense of a lot of additional time that I'm not sure is worth it. I do also wonder if the Americanas are a more durable platform due to their aluminum framing. As far as I know the Sunraders don't have real framing and instead rely on the strength of the fiberglass, which I am not a fan of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Well, you could buy into the Odyssey 'Two Ton Torture Test roof'. Whatever that is!! They never seem to say what it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 18 minutes ago, Derek up North said: Well, you could buy into the Odyssey 'Two Ton Torture Test' roof. Whatever that is!! They never seem to say what it is! Yea, I'm not putting too much stock in their marketing jargon, but from an engineering perspective aluminum framing does have some tangible advantages! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 1 hour ago, Derek up North said: Yep, no real need to raise the cupboards as well. Just the strip down the middle. Out of curiosity, do you know how the two halves of a sunrader body are joined together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 8 minutes ago, Tony Dobbs said: Out of curiosity, do you know how the two halves of a sunrader body are joined together? They are fiberglassed. The trim strip is just to give a finished off look to that area. I can't find anything referring to the Odyssey's having an aluminum frame in the coach. Only thing I see is where they make the claim about the steel reinforced 2 ton roof. If you knew the G forces that a fiberglass boat takes when racing you would understand just how strong a material it is. I saw a Sunrader that had been rear ended. Frame of the truck was completely bent and interior floor was wasted but from the outside you could barely tell it had been in an accident. Shell just popped right back to shape Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 17, 2018 Author Share Posted April 17, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, linda s said: They are fiberglassed. The trim strip is just to give a finished off look to that area. I can't find anything referring to the Odyssey's having an aluminum frame in the coach. Only thing I see is where they make the claim about the steel reinforced 2 ton roof. If you knew the G forces that a fiberglass boat takes when racing you would understand just how strong a material it is. I saw a Sunrader that had been rear ended. Frame of the truck was completely bent and interior floor was wasted but from the outside you could barely tell it had been in an accident. Shell just popped right back to shape Linda S Dang, I wrote a long response and then I accidentally lost it... I will write an abridged version. Here is where I found info claiming that it has an aluminum frame: http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?/topic/4629-aluminum-framing/&do=findComment&comment=27596 As far as strength goes, if you are referring to the Specific Stiffness, which is the material's youn's modulus normalized by weight... Fiberglass is stronger than steel or aluminum. My previous comments may have lost some accuracy for the sake of brevity. My concern was specific to dynamic vertical loading from a heavy load being transported on the roof. I could definitely reinforce the fiberglass structure to negate this concern, but it would be a bit annoying... Ideally I would gusset the corners and add some form of ribbing to the underside of the roof, but I would prefer not to deal with the headache. Thanks for all the info Linda... I think for now I will continue looking for Americanas, but I suppose if I don't find one by July, I will consider modifying a Sunrader... Derek might be a bad influence on me Edit: Does the sunrader have a fiberglass bottom/sublfoor? I'd love to see how they built that portion, and how it attaches to the frame. If they chose to bolt through the fiberglass that would be most impressive! Edited April 17, 2018 by Tony Dobbs Engineering BS... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Nope, no FG floor for the Sunrader. It's weak(est) point in fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 17, 2018 Author Share Posted April 17, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Derek up North said: Nope, no FG floor for the Sunrader. It's weak(est) point in fact. Interesting... it might be possible to increase the height of the Sunrader interior without cutting the fiberglass if you could raise the attachment points and enclose the bottom portion... Still a lot of work, but a lot less than it would be to expand the actual fiberglass shell. I'm surprised more people aren't modifying these things, but perhaps that's just my bias showing. I need to make sure I don't buy a sunrader... great RV's but it would take me a year to get it all setup the way I want! Edited April 17, 2018 by Tony Dobbs Adding a conclusion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 You've done your homework. If Dennis says that's the framework I trust him. You just didn't give yourself the time to find one of the rarer motorhomes. Took me 2 years to find my 18ft Sunrader but I knew what I wanted and just waited it out. Good luck in your search. I will keep an eye out for you. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 17, 2018 Author Share Posted April 17, 2018 2 minutes ago, linda s said: You've done your homework. If Dennis says that's the framework I trust him. You just didn't give yourself the time to find one of the rarer motorhomes. Took me 2 years to find my 18ft Sunrader but I knew what I wanted and just waited it out. Good luck in your search. I will keep an eye out for you. Linda S Thanks Linda. You're most definitely right regarding the time required to find the right motorhome! I will to remain patient and wait for the right one to enter the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Dobbs Posted April 17, 2018 Author Share Posted April 17, 2018 Also, in case anyone is wondering it is possible to build your own fiberglass shell over an existing RV body; however it would require a ton of prep work and construction time and the cost by my initial estimation is north of $5000. I don't recommend this route to anyone, and I'm fairly crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palito Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 (edited) Didn’t realize post was from 2018.... Edited April 19, 2019 by Palito Mistake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy, Dolphin, maybe? Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 On 4/16/2018 at 1:21 PM, linda s said: Well Sunrader did make a small class A motorhome called an Aero Cruiser. All fiberglass and in reality way smaller than it looks in the picture Linda S I had an Aero Cruiser about 16-18 years ago. It was 23' long. Chevy engine. Great rv. I recall that only about 325 were made. I didn't know they also made Sunrader.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOBINFO Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 I have a 1991 Odyssey Americana Im thinking of selling. 80k miles and eveything is still functioning. Going in to Onan for a new carburator. LOCATED IN CALIFONIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Appleseed Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 I’m interested in buying it. What part of town you in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenjamesp93 Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 On 4/15/2018 at 7:34 PM, linda s said: There was one for sale near me in Eureka Ca for a long time. Gone now but helps to search all Toyota motorhomes because they often don't list the model. Yes they were expensive, top of the line for Odyssey the years made so fewer were made. Linda S I have one for sale , 1989 needs work but ran a year ago , asking 1500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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