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A Brand New Toyota Rv Owner And I'm So Ignorant


lterry

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I found this fabulous site before I bought my Toyhouse. I am glad that I did because the first Toy I looked at had a rotten roof. The second one had the 5 lug axle and a rotten over cab area. I finally found my Escaper. It had issues but they were minor and I was able to correct the problems myself with the help of everyone here.

I hope that you find a good deal that is priced right. Don't get in a hurry, that is when mistakes are made. I know that it was hard to walk away from that first one.

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Kind of glad you didn't end up with that one there are some really nice ones out there you'll find the perfect one with your name on it all in good time.

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I searched for 2 years for my Sunrader. Trust me one will come up that is perfect for you at the right price. Lets see what happens with that clean looking Dolphin.

Linda S

The only way to contact them is through the craig's list email. They haven't responded yet. If you're trying to sell something it'd behoove you to put your number on the ad, right? I certainly would.

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Kind of glad you didn't end up with that one there are some really nice ones out there you'll find the perfect one with your name on it all in good time.

Me too now that I'm over my disappointment. I feel like I dodged a bullet too.

I found this fabulous site before I bought my Toyhouse. I am glad that I did because the first Toy I looked at had a rotten roof. The second one had the 5 lug axe and a rotten over cab area. I finally found my Escaper. It had issues but they were minor and I was able to correct the problems myself with the help of everyone here.

I hope that you find a good deal that is priced right. Don't get in a hurry, that is when mistakes are made. I know that it was hard to walk away from that first one.

I'm sure I will. It's just now that I've found my model, I want it sooner rather than later. But you're right, I should keep my impatience in check.

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There are several in the Raleigh NC area on CL.

Not sure where your located.

I'm in Southern Alabama/Northern Florida - think Panama City. I don't mind making the trip, but I didn't see much in my price range in the Carolinas except for one and that was one of those really small ones. It couldn't have been more than 18 feet.

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fuel pump not a big deal, but the condtion or I should say lack of quality condtion. all torn out bad rear axle. you are making a wise choice. you can find a good one.

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I'm really interested in this one.

http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/rvs/5270858803.html

I've called them and it says it's 21 ft - it sure doesn't look like it.

Has one piece bathroom, no generator, all appliances work. It has not AC in the coach - not that it's not working, it never had one in it.

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If it spent most of its life in Vermont there's a good chance it'll have rust issues.

No where near 21'.

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If it spent most of its life in Vermont there's a good chance it'll have rust issues.

No where near 21'.

Why rust issues in Vermont? I'm from Florida and I'm anxious about rust issues in RVs from Florida because of the salt water/air.

Cute but still has a 5-lug rear axle and foolies. :(

With it being so short, I don't think the axle is an issue especially since the take the fake dually tire off. Am I wrong?

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Friend has similar one, it is tiny inside. No where near 21 feet. New tires is often used in ad's. Many times they are very old tires with deep thread that have been shined up with tire dressing. I will not drive on tires that are over 7 years old, nor do I trust anyone proclaiming " New Tires" when they are really old. Some sellers honestly believe they are newer tires. Many are just lying!

If you have not yet, read up on DOT date codes.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

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The early model Toyota frames were made with very thin steel.

New England states use salt on the roads in the winter. Over time, rust issues develops.

Fla. and any area where salt is in the air you have potential rust issues. This is usually confined to the body panels,unless someone drives the vehicle into the ocean. ?

Any purchase be sure to check the frame. Especially above the rear axle.

That is a 1978 or earlier chassis'.

Potential for many problems.

One other suggestion. Don't believe the mileage claims on these early model Toyotas. Once the odometer hits 100K miles, it resets to zero and starts all over again. That vehicle could have an extra 100-200k miles on it.

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Why rust issues in Vermont? I'm from Florida and I'm anxious about rust issues in RVs from Florida because of the salt water/air.

With it being so short, I don't think the axle is an issue especially since the take the fake dually tire off. Am I wrong?

Vermont, New York, Michigan (and likely other states) rot from the bottom up. Unlike Florida vehicles near salt water that rot from the top down. Any state that uses road salt in winter destroys all vehicles that get driven in it. The old Datsuns and Toyotas rot even worse then the US stuff.; The theory used to be that the Toyotas used poorly recycled steel - while many US vehicles years back used virgin steel. Now - I guess everyone uses recycled steel but the process is better and so is the rust-proofing. When I lived in the "Northeast Kingdom" of Vermont - we had motor-vehicle inspections twice a year. I was told that was because of the severe rust issues. Some parts of New York and here in northern Michigan salt the roads in the winter AND in the summer. The good thing is - many RVs in colder areas don't get used much except in dry and warm periods of summer so some last pretty well.

As to the need for a full-floating rear in a "shorty" 18 feet or less - NO it is not needed if it has single wheels instead of duals. The add-on Arrowcraft dual-wheel kits are what caused most of the axle failures. Overseas - Toyotas are sold as big as 21 feet with RVs on the back and get by fine with single tires and 5 lug wheels. The "bad axle" scare seems to just been a USA and Canada thing.

I buy a couple of Toyota RVs every year just to resell. Also have two "keepers." Prices go down in the winter months and then sky-rocket up when spring comes. If you are patient - there will be plenty in your area for less then $2000 in pretty good shape. I've passed many up because I'm in northern Michigan. I have a friend in North Carolina and another in Punta Gorda, Florida that have alerted me to many great deals.

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Those wheels appear to be deep dish with quite a substantial off-set. Still going to be a strain on the 5 lug axle. Also you don't know how long those wheels have been on there. This model was originally sold with fake duallies. This RV is a Sunrader and if you like the look you can start searching for them. It is an 18 footer

Linda S

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I'm possibly backing out of my deal, but I'm still very much interested in a Toyota Motorhome. By any chance do you have the number of the guy selling the one down the road from you?

I'll be glad to get it for you . . but a few warnings. First - my area is the northern tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan. A LONG way from you. Second - that 21 foot Dolphin is on a Chevy S10 chassis and not a Toyota. There was no bolt-in "updated" rear axle ever made for them and the S10 Chevys had many failure issues. Especially with Sunrader RVs. Seems there were not enough of them sold to spark any big intervention by the Feds. RV companies pretty much just stopped using them except for a few Astrovan-RVs like Provan Tiger and Aerolite. I wouldn't want it without some sort of rear-axle upgrade. That means a lot of work. And when done - it is likely the rear wheels will not match the front and you'd need two spare tires. Many upgraded Toyota RVs have that same issue but the ones made 1986 and up often have wheels matching, front and back. Here are some photos of it. I keep calling it an S10 Chevy. To be more accurate - it is a 1984 GMC S15 (same thing). 2.8 V6 engine and 700R4 auto trans. Fake duallies of some sort on back. I drove past it this morning. Still sitting in the guy's back yard in Alpena, Michigan.

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I'll be glad to get it for you . . but a few warnings. First - my area is the northern tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan. A LONG way from you. Second - that 21 foot Dolphin is on a Chevy S10 chassis and not a Toyota. There was no bolt-in "updated" rear axle ever made for them and the S10 Chevys had many failure issues. Especially with Sunrader RVs. Seems there were not enough of them sold to spark any big intervention by the Feds. RV companies pretty much just stopped using them except for a few Astrovan-RVs like Provan Tiger and Aerolite. I wouldn't want it without some sort of rear-axle upgrade. That means a lot of work. And when done - it is likely the rear wheels will not match the front and you'd need two spare tires. Many upgraded Toyota RVs have that same issue but the ones made 1986 and up often have wheels matching, front and back. Here are some photos of it. I keep calling it an S10 Chevy. To be more accurate - it is a 1984 GMC S15 (same thing). 2.8 V6 engine and 700R4 auto trans. Fake duallies of some sort on back. I drove past it this morning. Still sitting in the guy's back yard in Alpena, Michigan.

Okay, so that idea is out.

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If you are patient - there will be plenty of good buys. Especially after winter sets in. Too bad you weren't looking a few months ago. My former girl-friend had a nice late 80s twenty-one foot Sunrader she tried to give away (for free, that is). She didn't care about the money at that time and just wanted it to go to someone who'd appreciate it. She offered it to a woman who was out of work and needed something to live in. Believe it or not - even after being offered the Sunrader for free - the "homeless" woman wanted it delivered - also for free. At that point - my ex. put it on Ebay and I think sold it for around $8000-$10,000. The 1984 Nissan Minicruiser I bought last winter for $1200 was first listed for sale for $3800. As the weather got colder and snow deeper,the price kept going down. I now klnd of wish I'd kept it. It some ways - it was a nicer rig then my 1988 Toyota Minicruiser. The 84 Nissan had a 5 speed manual trans and 4.30 rear-axle. Much better drive-setup then the 4.10 rear and auto trans my 88 came with. Also the older Nissans - like the 84 came from the factory with a full-floating dually rear. NO upgrade needed.

There are my two Minicruisers. The 1988 Minicruiser cost me $1800 here in Michigan. The 1984 Nissan cost me $1200. The Nissan had the interior setup pretty much the same as my 1988 yet the Nissan is 18" shorter. So - my 1988 is called a "20 footer." What does that make the Nissan that is 18" shorter??

The third orange thing is my 1978 Toyota Chinook. Ran fine when I got it. Just had a cracked windshield and awful spray-can orange paint-job. That was $500.

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my 87 appears to have spent most of its life in the dry desert of eastern Washington. was sold new in Portland Oregon. has very little rust underneath. really none on the cab. I have an 88 xtra cab 4wd 250,000 miles on it . a little rust but not too bad. I don't drive my motorhome in winter and they do salt roads here . you do see heavy rust out in seattle or Portland Oregon heavy rain and salt air areas.

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Did you see this one. Newer and most Dolphins already have the upgraded axle. If this does it's actually cheaper than the other one your looking at. Looks very clean and low mileage. A drive but not crazy far

Linda S

http://mobile.craigslist.org/rvs/5269575994.html

I must say, if you can get this one its a Steal of a deal with the rear dinette floorplan on a 21. I LOVE those that huge panoramic back window is hard to find.. usually they put a fugly bathroom back there or a kitchen that's too small.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looks like a sunrader with fiberglass body. they were shorter. Recalls for the 5 lug rear axle didn't affect any under 18'; think I found that at the Toyota archives a while back. There are some limits on cargo weight, too. This is certainly the best resource for getting into these projects~the ongoing support is so important when taking on a challenge!

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The NHTSA had complaints and concerns about many mini-micro RVs with add-on dual wheel kits besides the ones actually recalled. That includes Nissan/Datsun, Toyota, and General Motors made from 1978 to 1986. It just so happens that Toyota was willing to work with RV makers about the problem by offering cheap parts (but no labor reimbursement). Some of the RV makers had their own recalls and paid for parts and labor (e.g. National RV Dolphin and Coachmen). As far as I know - GM never offered any viable fix for the Astrovans, S15s and S10s that had rear-axle failures. Maybe Toyota felt guilty since their first Chinook RVs that they DID have a hand in - were overloaded when first sold before any gear even got put into them.

I wouldn't want to drive any mini-micro with those god-awful Arrowcraft dual-wheel extensions. By the way - a friend of mine got two new FF rear axles for his Dolphin. One from Toyota and one from Dolphin. He was a real shyster I guess. One axle got installed and the other new axle sat in a wood crate for years in his barn.

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Looks like a sunrader with fiberglass body. they were shorter. Recalls for the 5 lug rear axle didn't affect any under 18'; think I found that at the Toyota archives a while back. There are some limits on cargo weight, too. This is certainly the best resource for getting into these projects~the ongoing support is so important when taking on a challenge!

Not only does the recall apply to the little Sunraders, we have a member here whose Sunrader wheel broke off from axle failure not that long ago. I have heard of several that failed.

Linda S

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According to a spokesman from the NHSTA - they regarded ALL mini-micro motorhomes built on Toyotas from 1978 to 1986 to be unsafe as used in the real world with people and cargo inside. That came to 25,000 Toyota-based RVs. But their recall was kind of meaningless for the many RV makers that were already out of business in 1991 when this "official" recall notice was released. Note that other then the first 1973 Toyota Round Tripper Chinooks - none of these RVs were actually built with Toyota input (that I know of). The result was that recall records pretty much go after those that were still around to actually honor a recall. Some RV companies did nothing except to cease production. Especially some who were using Chevy S10s that were also deemed dangerous by the NHSTA.

As far a anecdotal reports of axles breaking in smaller RVs . I'm sure they do. I've seen them break right off with older Ford F100 pickup trucks too with no RV body involved. Also on a 1983 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup. stuff happens - especially if axle bearings are not maintained and those axles are load-bearing. Even worse when undue stress gets put on them that they were not designed for.

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They break at the radius right at the flange from flexing. Any semi floating axle can but the problem with the Toy Home is that they are all ways over loaded unlike a pickup. The foolies only made it worse.

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No single wheel early Dolphins were recalled or tandem axle RV's. Sunrader bought back every Chevy S10 Sunrader that they could find. Lots of these manufacturers were already out of business long before the recall. Sunrader is the only one who closed because of that recall. The full float axles were available from Toyota for free for those people. They had to pay to have it installed though. What spokesperson. Talk about anecdotal. Yes any axle can break. Even the full float ones. I have helped 2 people so far find axles for their broken full floater.

Linda S

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As I understand it - the NHSTA has no enforcement power with their so-called "recalls." If they issue such a demand and the RV maker says "no" - it has to go to court before it gets enforced. Subsequently the NHSTA (or some members of it) expressed concerns with many more micro-mini RVs that actually got put on "official notice."

As far a breaking full-floating axles? Yes. I've changed many over the years. Especially in big trucks and a few log skidders. When they break it is only from shear torque trying to propel the vehicle. Never from weight. The "poor mans" definition of a "full floating axle" is an axle that is non-weight bearing. It is doubtful (at least in my mind) that any Toyota RV has enough engine torque to break an axle with the FF rear. Not unless a wheel is stuck in a hole and the driver really slams it into gear or pops the clutch with the engine floored. The semi-floaters break from weight-stress. That is unless a wheel bearing fails and chews the axle off like a beaver gnawing on a poplar log.

As far as Toyota axles for free? It is very hard to prove a negative. That being said - as far as I know - Toyota never gave away the axles totally free. Some RV makers did though and also paid for the installation labor.

In ref. to the "spokesman" from the NHTSA - that was not my choice of words. It was how the article is written. Page 15 in Trailer Life magazine, May of 1992. Yes, a secondary news source and not a primary source with verified source-citations. But since this is not a research paper I'm handing in somewhere important - I find it worth repeating. It reads "25,000 micro-minis produced by a variety of RV manufacturers between 1978 and 1986 were investigated. . . . . Most were built on a chassis in which the original Toyota rear-axle assembly was modified and equipped with aftermarket dual rear wheels (usually from Arrowcraft). Some RV makers initiated their own recalls in the mid 1980s. . . . In 1991 the NHTSA issued a notice that its investigation was complete and ordered a recall of all micro-mini motorhomes that were built on Toyota chassis during the years in question (1978-1986). . . . Owners of RVs manufactured by the more then two-dozen defunct companies will be able to obtain a full-floating rear-axle and the accompanying parts at a cost of $70....The motorhome owner will be responsible for payment of the labor costs. . . . Owners of micro-minis manufactured by National RV Incorp., of Perris, California, and Coachmen of Elkhart, Indiana, will be able to have the new axles installed free of charge...The motorhomes involved are National's Dolphin and Seabreeze models and Coachmen's Shasta, Travelmaster, and Coachmen's micro-mini brands."

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No single wheel early Dolphins were recalled or tandem axle RV's. Sunrader bought back every Chevy S10 Sunrader that they could find. Lots of these manufacturers were already out of business long before the recall. Sunrader is the only one who closed because of that recall. The full float axles were available from Toyota for free for those people. They had to pay to have it installed though. What spokesperson. Talk about anecdotal. Yes any axle can break. Even the full float ones. I have helped 2 people so far find axles for their broken full floater.

Linda S

Yeah if you try hard enough you can break any axle the big difference with a full floater your brake drum and wheels don't fall off!

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