3travellers

Goof suggestions. We need to get some boards to put the front wheels on to level it, but fIf this refrig ever quits working, we're going to replace it with a Norcold for sure.

Hi, Joe and Lynn I took a look at the Craigslist ad you are wondering about. After just having been in you shoes, and having very recent experience of Toyota rvs in California, I would say that this one is definitely worth looking at. It would be nice if you could get it for a thousand less, but it does LOOK very nice. One thing I found is that they invariably look much better in pictures than in person. Try to look for signs of leaks (both with your eyes and nose), and make sure that everything works. Our last motorhome had a much better refrig. This one has a Dometic, which I find to be a real pain. It is very sensitive to being not-level, unlike our other Norcold was very very acceptable to tilt. Ok, it seems like I'm quibbling, but it really is a pain for us because our driveway has a slant, and we can't pre-cold the frig before a trip. Tires will cost you over a thousand, so they should be taken into the equasion. Having just ripped a lot if interior stuff out and simplifying ours, I can tell you it's not a big deal to do remodeling, and it's pretty fun to make your Toyota your own. I'm happy for you, and hope 2012 brings many fun times in this or another Toyota RV.

I ended up finding an Itasca Spirit and absolutely adore it. Within a month of getting it into our driveway, I had done some major interior renovations Pics below. The V6 engine is strong enough to get us WAY up into the Sierras, though we were glad we didn't try it on a day when there was lots of traffic. The Spirit has the bathroom in the back, which at first I didn't think I liked, but now I think it's the best floorplan for us. I got a really nice piece of birch plywood (thin) and used it to panel over the ugly plasticy cabinets where it was possible. I primed the vinyl wall paper, and then painted the walls. I removed the bulky built in seats and table over the wheel well, then built a little sturdy box to fit over the wheel well. Then we built a light weight tabletop, which rides upright agains the frig, and easily sets up when camped. It gives us LOTS more table room. 2 folding chairs from Ikea work perfectly, and store in the bathroom closet when not in use. We took down the enormously tacky window treatments (OMG), and are replacing them with roman shades (home made). The carpet/linoleum was awful, so the carpet came out, and we put a teak colored floating vinal floor over the existing linoleum. All in all, with the stuff we removed and the stuff we put in I think we reduced the weight of the camper by about 100 pounds and about 10 pounds of dirt and dust. The camper now feels VERY roomy, and the over-cab bed, fitted with a memory foam pad is very comfy. We have had a few leaks, but we caught them right away (it had been parked under cover, and they thought there weren't leaks because it didn't get rained on). There was one mystery leak somewhere on the right side of the roof, and when we couldn't find it, we just recaulked everything on that side - which took care of that. The front window was horrendously siliconed, we had to remove all of the old stuff and do it right. One of the side windows in the over-cab section also needed a bit of silicone, but I think we are done sealing for now. This is really a nice camper, and it was well worth the price. Heck, I even like to take my morning coffee out and just sit in it.

Thanks for the info. I'm in California also. Do you think there is much difference in upkeep/quality from one brand to another (e.g. Dolphin vs. Sunrader, etc)? Is an aluminum camper better/worse than fiberglass? Is there one model that has a higher ceiling?

What do you think is a fair price for ... let's say a 1990 Dolphin with the floor plan you like and .....let's say 90,000 miles? I checked NADA listings for campers and they are VERY low compared to what people are asking. Thanks.

Interesting point. We looked at one yesterday that SUPPOSEDLY had only 37,000 miles on it. It is an '85. However, it was really a wreck, with the engine showing much more grease/oil/dirt than should have been there in those few miles, and the interior was very worn too. (We think someone messed with the odometer). The front seats sagged like they had been sat in far more than 37000 miles worh. The ceiling had leaked and was sagging, the engine ran very rough, the air conditioning didn't work. The exterior was very rough with caulking put on many places by what looked like a 3 year-old with playdough, and on and on and on. However, she thought it was in great shape and she wanted 6,500 for it. We have decided against that one in favor of a newer one. I didn't really think about it the way you put it, that miles may not be nearly as hard on a camper as sitting is. Thanks.

Hi, I'm new to the Toyota camper world and need some advice. I am going to look at a 1985 Dolphin. What specifically should I look at before buying? Any recalls on anything? It has about 37,000 miles, been stored outside in very HOT climate, has had roof leaks around the bathroom and rear airconditioning unit. Thanks for your help!