rvplease

I'd like to ask you Dolphin and New Horizon owners about your family trees, I just noticed a Dolhin for sale in wisconsin, and the picture of the interior back area has a roof section with a clock which seems identical to the one in a Nova Star I saw recently. Were Dolphins and Nova Stars (or New Horizons) somehow connected? The Dolphin had a rear dinette, but also had a bathroom with a separate shower pan, very nice-

This is useful and sensible advice. What jack do you recommend, and are different jacks used with different makes? Still looking for the rv, may as well know if I can expect that it should come with it's own, specific jack. Thanks.

Hello Linda, Hi Maineah, thanks for the clarification, and if your visitor lives anywhere near New York we would be tickled pink (does anyone say that anymore?) to get a look inside their Nova Star, or even just ask her a few questions about it, if you don't mind asking for us. Either way,thanks!

So because of the scarcity (also crazy prices these days) of Sunraders and comments from people on this list whose opinions I trust we have been thinking about finding a Nova Star. But I checked the specs. which Derek posted (thanks!) they show that the Nova Star is actually shorter than the small Sunrader? Can anyone verify for me the Nova Star length? Also the Specs. say that the Nova Star interior has 6ft 2inch headroom but the outside height is less than the Sunrader. Maybe the Nova Star was actually made in a factory in the Twilight Zone-

You brought up your daughter to be an honorable person, darn it...

We are ready to fall in love, thanks for the wise advice-

That is great information, thanks! I actually even have an active membership...

Thanks for the info., I hate to admit it, but we really like the blind spot warning light on the mirror of our Honda, it would be great to have this on the rv, as well as a back looking camera. Any specific companies you know about? We are still looking for a Toyota, rear dinette Sunrader or Nova Star, if you ever think of selling your Nova Star please let us know, we would give it a good home (we are in upstate New York). Take care-

Thanks, no sense just looking for the nearly impossible to find rear dinette sunrader that's not a small kings ransom, may as well look for an even rarer Nova Star which was only made for a few years. Maybe time for a reality check, since my main interests are 6 bolt front wheels. rear dinette and a not leaky roof...

Hi-I hope this topic is still alive, what do folkd know about the new tech. for blind spot and rear monitoring/backup cameras? I'm hoping to find a good wireless system, but if not just something that will help me avoid sideswiping anyone etc. would be really helpful. (I just heard about a license plate holder parking camera -fensens(?), wireless and solar powered). Thanks!

Thanks, googling an example of the title is perfect, insurance emailed so it's on the phone also a very good idea. Just need to find the one for us, so we can start the paperwork...

So let's say you are lucky enough to find your dream Toyota (like a Nova Star owned by Jerry Lee Lewis), how do you make sure it really belongs to the seller? And how do you get it home, with it registered to another person in another state, without getting in a lot of trouble? How do you make sure you get the right paperwork from the seller? After all of the ups and downs of finding the rig, it would be a shame to have the paperwork ruin things. Any ideas? Thanks!

April, this is too bad, it could be a simple issue, but still very frustrating. Send me pictures, I was looking for a later model but yours is way closer than most (we are in New York), but I am hoping that you will work through this. Take care-

Thanks, this is really helpful, and if anyone is near upstate NY who has a later years rear dinette toyota they are thinking of passing along at some point, please let me know...

We are finally ready to be serious about getting a rear dinette toyota, and we would love to find a later model, automatic with 6 lug front wheels. To be really choosy we are looking for a Sunrader, second choice would be an oddessy americana or a Nova star . The thing is we have only seen the inside of an americana, and I can't justify buying any rv without at least seeing the inside layout. Who knows when another get together will happen, so is there anyone in New York State/the northeast with a sunrader or nova star who might let us get a look inside their rig? We will certainly be happy to wait until the Virus slows down before we step inside someone's rv, but it doesn't hurt to see who's out there. Thanks-

Hi-like Linda said, have the car battery checked, and if you are trying to jump start the RV with the car be sure the car is running, so that the car alternator will provide power to the rv as well. And if with a good battery in the car, a new one in the RV, and all the connections tight you still have problems starting it, it certainly might be your starter. Find a good mechanic and ask them to check the charging system, wiring, alternator and the starter/starter solenoid, the last thing you want is to be out someplace and have problems.

Thanks for the info. on rubber roofs, as you all said, good maintenance is needed no matter what. The Oddessy I saw in Maine was great, but luckily I saw it in a driving rain storm, and the back cushions in the rear dinette were so wet that my shirt got soaked when I leaned back. But the engine and all the other mechanical stuff was spotless. I was just afraid to take on this kind of project. I think it sold for $12,000... On the printed material, thanks Derek, I'll just keep digging through internet sites and going through posts on this site in particular. Be safe-,

The issue I've seen on the few I've looked at was that with not great care they weather then leak, more than the aluminum or fiberglass roofs I've looked at. It's too bad because the rear dinette models have that great back window....

Thanks Derek, that's too bad, based on the interest in these you can argue that Toyota rvs can be called legendary, certainly collectable, and it seems that a lot of vehicles less in demand have their own buyers guides, and books written about them. If members of this site sent in some basic information about their Toyotas, dimensions, production figures, quirks of the model, that thread would be very valuable for people looking to buy, and just a hoot to read for the other members (almost bought an Odyssey Americana until I looked at the rubber roof, had I known it had one I could have saved a trip to Maine)...

This site has so much information that I may have missed it, are there any published guides giving general information for the various coach builders, or for specific builders, with some history, model features, specs., buying information and tips for maintaining/ fixing specific models? If my search for a short Sunrader fails, I'll be back to square 1, and this info. would give me a place to start a new search. Thanks!

Thanks Derek, all of the members of this site seem helpful and informed, but you and Linda seem to know everything worth knowing. The fact that the difference in length is in the kitchen and the dinette and bathroom are the same is great news, and makes me think that the 18 foot model is what I should be looking for (a lot like saying that I've decided that the smaller unicorn is the one to find). We just got back from Nevada, where I actually saw a 21 foot Sunrader and a 21 foot odessy americana parked together on the street, both with california plates. That was a dream, even though they weren't for sale, now we are back home in upstate New York, so great 18 footers will now show up out west. Thanks again, Nick.

A "larger" Sunrader just came up on this site, the person is asking for advice on what it should sell for she is in the San Francisco area(?). As Linda said, the small one is definately small, but to be sure you know what's what maaybe someone can share with you the dimensions for the small and larger Sunrader, and measurements, for the dining area in the Rear dinette, the bathroom dimensions, sleeping areas, if both the smaller and larger ones are the same width, this should help you get clear on what to look for, having said this, I'm sorry, but I don't have these dimensions, but maybe other folks on the site can help with this. Good hunting-

That sounds like great advice, there actually was a sunrader for sale in Las Vegas a few months ago, missed it, will just have to keep looking...

Hello Linda, thanks, sorry if I seem gunshy about the water damage, I've seen so few Sunraders for sale where I come from (Upstate NY) that I want to be as prepared as I can be when one comes up. The one Toyota I looked at last year seemed great, no stains, but luckily I saw it in a downpour and the seat cushions in the back dining area were soaked, I'd guess from the window gaskets, surprisingly there were no stains though. As you said, once all this clears up I'll start looking. Also your saying that small areas of water damage can be dealt is comforting. Derek-thanks for the additional places to look, they all seem logical once someone mentions them, I'm just hoping that any water damage will leave tell tale signs, but I'll try to get an RV place check the roof out if I see one that checks off the other boxes . Stay safe-