Toyota Motorhome Engines

[Ladd]

I haven't bought my Toyota motorhome yet because I am still gathering information. Maybe someone can help me with some feedback. Here are a few questions that I need answers to:

1. How well does the 4 cylinder engines pull steep grades while fully loaded? Have there been any problems with blown headgasket caused by pulling steep grades?

Carbuerated-vs-fuel injected?

2. How much gas mileage is average for the 6 cylinder model?

3. Does the 6 cylinder model pull grades better than the 4 cylinder model?

4. How well does the Toyota motorhome handle rough dirt or gravel roads?

Thanks much for any input you can give me.

[WME]

I haven't bought my Toyota motorhome yet because I am still gathering information. Maybe someone can help me with some feedback. Here are a few questions that I need answers to:

1. How well does the 4 cylinder engines pull steep grades while fully loaded? Have there been any problems with blown headgasket caused by pulling steep grades?

Carbuerated-vs-fuel injected?

***** Just a little slower, but you will get to the top. Many of us have been over 10,000 ft passes. Blown gaskets is more of a matter of bad maintenance that hills.

EFI works better, longer, and has more hp, but is a pain to troubleshoot

2. How much gas mileage is average for the 6 cylinder model?

****Sorry don't know

3. Does the 6 cylinder model pull grades better than the 4 cylinder model?

*****Yea its better but still no rocket

4. How well does the Toyota motorhome handle rough dirt or gravel roads?

*****Unless you can find one of the VERY rare 4x4, ferget about it.

Thanks much for any input you can give me.

[picklebill]

Ladd -

We have n 18 Ft. 1982 Sunrader with the 4 cyl. 22R engine and it does just fine for us. Our first RV was a VW camper so we aren't used to a lot of power - the Sunrader has more power than the VW and has gone everywhere we have wanted to go. We do alot of desert camping in Nevada so we have some experience with dirt/gravel roads. The only concern we have is ground clearance - rough roads are just not a problem - we have a set of Firestone Ride-rite air bags which give us an extra 3 1/2 inches of clearance at the rear bumper. I would suspect the the 21 Ft. and longer units would be somewhat problematic in real rough roads. On our last trip, we went about 200 miles on gravel/dirt roads without a problem. We bought this unit last August, and we absolutely love it. Hope this info helps.

Bill

[dogcrazy]

I have a 23' Dolphin with a manual 22R 4cyl engine. I have logged 30,000 miles on mostly mountainous terrain in the southwest and Colorado. Yes, on super steep grades it is very slow, but so are alot of other RV's out there. Have never had any engine troubles associated with this.

I do alot of backwoods adventures on graded gravel forest roads and have driven very slowly and carefully on some worse dirt roads. Keep in mind that slow and gentle beats replacing broken parts that an older unit might get from undue stress and vibration.