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What's your rig and where's it at?


desertrat

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I've got few complete users and a few "works in progress." I've got a 1986 Chevy K5 Blazer diesel 4WD with a 1978 Hallmark pop-up camper body. Also have a 1983 Chevy K5 4WD diesel Blazer with a 1979 Chinook-style "Chalet" camper with a pop-up roof. My latest project is my 1978 Toyota Chinook with a pop-up roof. The camper section itself is very similar to my Chevy Chalet. This 78 Chinook is getting a full-floating rear axle with dual wheels, HD 6 lug hubs in front along with big brakes, five speed W50 trans in place of the four speed. I may or may not put in power steering. I will also be putting in dual RV batteries in back, a 2000 watt inverter and a 140 amp alternator.

I live most of the time in central New York. Toyota Chinooks are rare around the east coast. I searched for a long time and finally found this one that came from Louisiana and was parked in Maine when I got it. Years back I had several big Class A motorhomes and have come to hate them. I keep searching for the ultimate small RV that gets good fuel mileage. Both my diesel 4WDs get a best around 16 MPG at 75 MPH. I also have a pop-up truck-camper on my 1992 Dodge W250 4WD diesel. It gets a best around 17 MPG at 75 MPH. I'm hoping this little Toyota Chinook will get 20 MPG on gas maybe at 60-65 MPH? We'll see.

definitely the new sprinter van is the next step

around 20 mpg. less reliable than a toyota but significantly more power and manuverability.

my friend has a 99. back in 99 they were rare but at this point i see them all over the road.

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the chinook was made in yakima washington state the name is also the name of a native american tribe of the north west coast

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definitely the new sprinter van is the next step

around 20 mpg. less reliable than a toyota but significantly more power and manuverability.

my friend has a 99. back in 99 they were rare but at this point i see them all over the road.

In my area, UPS switched over to Sprinters for a few years and is now giving up on them. Maybe too expensive and not cost-effective? A Sprinter van will never be in my budget. In fact,I'm getting fed up with diesel all together. In many areas, including where I live . . . diesel is 40 cents more per gallon then regular gas. Also there have been many times I could not buy diesel in remote areas. If I HAD to drive a big heavy rig - it would be an older diesel that did not require any extra chemicals to run. Just diesel fuel in the tank. My 4WD Chevy Blazer with the Chinook camper body gets 16 MPG with the 6.2 liter turbo diesel. If I stuck an old Cummins turbo 3.9 liter into it, it would get 22-24 MPG. But the old 3.9 Cummins are cheap. The Sprinter Daimler engine is what took the place of that Cummins 3.9 in many applications. The Toyota Chinook hopefully will work fine for our style of stop-and-go camping and hopefully will get over 20 MPG on gasoline.

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I bet my Chinook is uglier then your's.

Yes, you win! :)

Chinook is also the name of the warm wind that comes howling out of the Northwest in the winter, melting all the snow. Can be -10 degrees one day, then a chinook comes in and it's suddenly 40 degrees out.

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  • 1 month later...

thought I'd try to upload the photo before writing a whole bunch..found out you can't write once you've put in the pic...???

anyway , we just got this great m/h, a 1987 toyota seabreeze with only 36,000 mi, good tires, pretty nice interior. we just took it out a few times and find we get 11 mpg--was expecting a little more than that. also found out that we need a better storage battery and have to replace some faucet washers (at the least) before we can think about really using the unit.

I look forward to checking out the technical advise section. We are in lancaster, Ca..the high desert where is it currently COLD.

Edited by douglitas
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my friend has an 83 18 foot sunrader I come here and other places to looks stuff up for her

shes in coos bay. Thats also where I got my dolphin

If there was ever a toyhome capitol its the oregon coast.

303837_527780120571830_1155807344_n.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello all,

We are new owners of an 86 Dolphin 800 22re auto with 42000 miles. We love it and are looking forward to get her out for some camping. I wanted to thank you all for the help and great information on the site.

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Just brought home a new to us 93 Itaska Spirit 6cyl,in excellent condition. Home is in a tiny Florida town called Ortona,dont feel bad if you never heard of it! Our plan is to make a trip to Alaska this coming summer. It needs some tires and a timing belt (122k miles,last one done at 60k) and very little else.We made an error in judgement and sold our 86 Mini Cruiser and regreted selling so decided we needed another Toyhome,the cook is really happy with the new one.

Don & Ellie

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just purchased a 1987 Sunrader 4x4 with the 22RTE. Live in Alaska but the Camper is in Boise.

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post-4020-0-98121400-1364255990_thumb.jp

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82 Dolphin 21RD, San Diego. Just bought last week for 2300, newish remodel, new roof, solar panel, sat dish, runs but needs a rebuild- engine shakes violently at idle, apparently 1/2 compression on cyls 1 & 3 and needs carb work. Ordering a piston, rings and bearings kit from ebay this week ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/270560650140?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 ) 119.00, and a gasket set for the top end, needs an alignment and will be replacing the rear shocks with Gabriel Hijackers to compensate for the weight of my Yammy YZF600R that'll be riding on a custom fab mcy hitch hauler mounted directly to the frame, which means I'll likely sell it's tow hitch soon ( Reese type 3). Unfortunately it does have the 5 lug fooly and I'll be searching for an FF axle set next week while rebuilding the motor next week in TJ ( 1 tons are everywhere over there and you cant beat the prices for parts and labor). Would really love to give it a 3" lift with a 4x4 conversion and offroad tires/ rims eventually for slow dirt driving in baja. I'll start posting pics soon and I'm happy to link up with any1 in my area to brainstorm or just parking lot pimpin'. Wish me n my axle luck!

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Hello All,

My wife and I bought a 1991 Winnebago Warrior a month ago. We have had a popup and a 32' bumper pull with two slideouts. The Toyota motor home has always been on my mind. We sold our last trailer 2 years ago right before our youngest was born. So we looked for a year all over the states including on here. Well we ended up buying ours 4 miles from our home in Tulsa.

Looking forward to learning and sharing and getting on the road. Just got my us map sticker and ready to start putting states on!

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I just purchased my 1987 Escaper and it is in my drive way after I just finished a brake job on it. :)

Odessa, FL

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Our 1991 V6 Gulf Stream Coach Conquest living in beautiful South Lake Tahoe, CA...

If you've been here, you waved to us! Beep, Beep!!

We love to travel to our local ski mountains in the winter and camping and hiking in the summer. See ya in the Redwoods this summer!

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just got our 1987 Toyota Dolphin

still gearing up for our first trip

parked in Piedmont, Alabama

tires are soooooo important! 185r14 8 ply... dont let the tire companies talk you into car or truck tires!

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tires are soooooo important! 185r14 8 ply... dont let the tire companies talk you into car or truck tires!

I won't! Thank you! :)

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maybe he ment trailer tires. you want D rated 8 PLY TIRES. TRAILER TIRES AND CAR TIRES ARE A BIG NO NO.

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Guest Ken and Tina

1987 Toyota Sunrader Classic 4x4

22RE, solar, extra cab

Ken and Tina

Bakersfield, CA.

post-4788-0-57552200-1366689855_thumb.jp

Edited by Ken and Tina
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86 Sunrader lives in Arnold, California. Winter is over diving into project purchased this fall. Windows are out and interior doors and drawers to come out today, taping today and paint this week. Retired from teaching last June hoping to have rig all checked out ..........not sure when...... read this site nightly and learn something nightly....cannot always remember where I saw it......love the site!!!!!!!!!!!.......my wife says ..... "you lookin at porn???" ........"Yeah sexy Toyota airbags are DD!!!!":).

Edited by redbeard
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1987 Sunrader, 1987 MiniCruiser (for now). Living in SoCal. Both restored to full road worthiness and fun as can be. This site has been a tremendous resource for the past couple of years...hopefully I can pay it forward.

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