Katetown23 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Hi all- I am currently in the market for a Toyota Motorhome, and I thought I finally settled on one until I stumbled upon a potential issue in my research today. This is the ad of the rig I am looking at. http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/rvs/4536487075.html It seems to be in excellent condition and has low mileage which is a plus. My intent is to possibly drive it down to South America, so it will be a pretty rigorous trip I assume. I definitely need something that can get me up hills pretty well, and is reliable. The issue that came up with the Sun-Land was that it can barely make it up hills, and someone mentioned it is because the 4 cylinder engine simply isn't enough for this RV. Does anyone have experience with this model? Are the hills a genuine issue for it? If so, are there any other models that would be more suited for what I am looking to do. I live in Denver currently, so needless to say there are a lot of "hills" around. Thank you in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdfrost64 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 it,s just isn,t a sunland that has this problem. all 4 cyl mini,s struggles . sunland are nice mini,s i like them better than most minis. plus the are aluminum framed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I haven't met a hill yet that my Chinook can't climb, and it has a 1978 4 cylinder motor in it. It is a lot smaller than most other motorhomes, though... Who is this "someone"? Owners of the bigger motorhomes with 4 cylinder engines will chime in here, but you need to consider the source. I'm not saying the person is completely wrong, but owners of large, domestic, 6 or 8 cylinder vehicles have a different concept of "making it up hills". And "barely" is still making it, right?? I mean no, you aren't going to zip over the hills at 60, 50, or possibly even 40mph. But if the engine is in good running condition, it will make it over hills. For me, it's typically 3rd gear, 45mph over mountain passes. I'm surprised it has a 4 speed, not a 5 speed in it. I thought by 86 4 speeds were done, but who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 There are thousands of members on this group and we certainly aren't all driving on flat land only. Members have gone to Alaska and South America. Yeah the 4 cylinder will make it just fine. Oh and Zack the 5 speed wasn't even on option on the dual wheel cab and chassis in 1986. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgibson4 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 This does appear to be nice unit. How fast it goes up grades will depend a lot on how much you load it up. Since it doesn't appear to have coach A/C or a generator that is a plus, weight-wise. It looks like it has the six-lug full floating rear axle but one should ask. The front hubs are 5-lug so a spare will be another consideration. If that solar equipment is good quality the prices seem good. Just my 2 cents. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I drove a 4 cylinder auto trans over the crest of Rocky Mt Park, it's over 12,000ft. I didn't fly over the top put I did get over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katetown23 Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Thanks everyone... I sort of figured it was likely just one person's experience and I definitely do not expect to be cruising up hills, but it is necessary to be able to get over Mtn passes with relative ease. Additional replies and suggestions still welcomed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 You might want to avoid some of the higher passes across the Andes. Roads down there can go over 17000ft! http://www.dangerousroads.org/south-america/bolivia/1634-carretera-a-chacaltaya-bolivia.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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