fred heath

The purchaser asked if there was anyway to tell if the vehicle had 50K or 150K miles on it. Obviously having a maintenance record dating back to the original owner would be #1. Lacking that, you can only look at other indicators. Remember we're not talking 10-20K variance, we're talking 100K mile variance. In this case you can be an optimist and believe the vehicle has 52K original miles all driven by people who destroyed the clutch. Or a realist who's looking at a 36 year vehicle which most likely has 152K miles on it with the original clutch. Lacking maintenance records, your next best shot is to look at common wear surfaces. Since the clutch is off the table, we can't use that. Tires and brakes can be changed. We can't pull the cylinder to check ring gap. The one area that may yield a clue are the soft rubber pads that sit on the clutch and brake pedals. Much like a tire, they wear down with use. A vehicle with high mileage will show noticeable wear on these items. What shape is the drivers seat in? Do the springs sag down when you sit on it? Is there deep depression in the carpet by the accelerator pedal caused by many miles of heal resting. With older vehicles this is pretty much the only way to make an educated guess as to the accuracy of the odometer. Again its only a guess.

11, 17, 36, 49, 52. Your 649 #,s for this week. ?

Maybe if they used it to learn to shift a standard transmission.(and the lessons never took.)For the $$$ that rig cost in 1979 I find that is as likely as buying the winning lottery ticket. Is it possible? YES. Is it probable? NO.

Look at the brake and clutch pedal pads. If they show alot of wear, the 154k is more realistic. Actually a 36 year old vehicle with only 54k original miles is kind of hard to believe. There should be no clutch problems with that low of mileage.

That sounds like way too much money for a vehicle you can't even test drive. As Linda said, axle is very important. Easily a $2K fix to replace. How old are the tires? $800-1000 to replace. If it needs a clutch, 152K is a more realistic number for miles driven. I sense your excited about the purchase. You need to remove the rose colored glasses and start to think about actual cost to get it roadworthy. The vehicle is not going anywhere soon if not running. Take your time, read the archived posts on this forum, then go back and make an offer. I wouldn't pay more than $1500 for that rig. It's still there after 20 days on CL. Take your time and do your research.

That's a really good price. What's the brand name. ?

Actually JD, both types are still available. The residential grade is what you buy for about 60 cents at the big box stores. They accept 14 gage wire only. 15A/125V. Chances are this is the type of outlet you will find even in more recent construction. People like them because they're cheap and fast to install. The industrial grade, screw and clamp outlet, (as you referenced) goes for about $5.50 each. Although as good a contact as "side wiring", most people just side wire the 60 cent unit. (residential use!). Any push in back wired outlets should be switched to side wired.

See if any of your duplex outlets are "back wired", especially down stream of your power supply. I've seen these things create all kinds of intermittent problems. Wires should be secured to the screw type side lugs on the outlet.

Tire size can effect the odometer reading. Are you running OE rims and tires? Has the axle gearing changed.? I use my GPS odometer on long trips while checking mileage. I average 20+ mpg on highway travel. My rig is only 16'. Stock 20R motor which I desmogged.

If you got everything apart, my feeling is put the most heavy duty parts into it that your budget can afford. Not sure if your year has the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder. If it does,the hydraulics will allow you to use heavy duty clutch components without getting leg strain while holding down the clutch.

Use mine as a daily driver. It's small 16'. Easy to get around in. And if I enjoy too much libation, I always have a place to sleep.

Your cab and chassis' is actually a 1978 or early production 1979. For all intent's and purpose's, refer to it as a 1978 when ordering mechanical parts. The easy way to tell is that you have four headlights. Toyota carried over the 1978 chassis until 6/79. The new body style has only two headlights. Read the archived posts regarding the rear axle. If you don't have the 6 lug full-float axle, it's something you should consider changing immediately, before any long distance trips. Welcome to our forum.

Doesn't look too bad (what can be seen in the picture) I would want to see the whole undercarriage. Speedometer, ( don't believe the mileage. They're saying it only has 43k miles put on in 39 years). I would want to see what the floor in the cab looks like under the carpet. Mechanics' are important. What work has been done to it other than brakes and shocks. You really don't want to buy a vehicle without driving it yourself. The transmission with hitch ball would make me nervous. Big $$$$ to fix. Do you know anybody(other than the seller) who lives close enough to go and test drive for you?

Did you look at the "echo stealth camper" ? Might give you some ideas.

Seems to have some rust on the doors.

You have limited adjustment within the thermostat to control the on/off cycle. Chances are, your coach is not well insulated. I have a similar issue with my furnace. I relocated my thermostat to be within reaching distance of where I sleep. I turn it on at night to get the coach warm then shut it down. Use lots of blankets and turn it on when you wakeup cold. Better then having it cycle all night. Hang some blankets between the coach and the cab. Lots of air loss from the cab.

Lindsay, If we haven't scared you away completely, search "echo stealth camper". Found this on tinyhousetalk.com Unable to copy the link but might be worth reading.

My 75-78 factory suspension and chassis shows the A40 in 1976. A30 last shown 73-75. The A40 was intended to replace the A30. If you think about it, why would a manufacturer with perfectly good 3 speed transmission offer yet another 3 speed transmission as an option.

Actually JD, I believe the transmission in that Chinook is an "A40". It is also a3 speed unit. Toyota shows the A40 as factory automatic transmission for the 1976 Hi-lux. The A43D is a 4 speed unit. T

Derek, The MH axle rests above the top leaf. This fix would be hard to do. ?

Zach, Didn't notice the AT. Didn't know the trucks had them that far back. I know nothing about them.

Clean ride. Again, what type of mechanical shape is it in. My toy has the same chassis as the Chinook. The 20R engine and 4 speed transmission are very durable. Big ticket items such as the clutch, tires, rear axle, can cost thousands of dollars to repair. Even your windshield is only available from 1 supplier at a cost of about $400.00 (glass only). The old toys are great, but as Montana said, you're always going to be fixing this or that. I noticed a "ball hitch" attached to the rear bumper. That means this vehicle was used to tow something. A check of the clutch operation is a must. I'm not trying to talk you out of the purchase. But you need to go in with your eyes wide open.

Hi Lindsay, and welcome to our forum. The Chinook looks to be in good shape body wise. Keep in mind this vehicle is nearly 40 years old. They tend to be perpetual works in progress. If your mechanically inclined, or have access to someone who is,maintenance and repairs should be manageable. Some quick suggestions: Don't believe mileage claims on old vehicles. Once the odometer hits 100K it resets to zero and starts over again. There could be an extra 100-200K klms on the drive train. Check the frame for rust. How old are the tires? How does it run/drive? Are there maintenance records? Read through the archived posts on this forum. Just about all your questions will be answered there.

Back in the old days sparkplugs were pretty basic. Never had any problems with performance. All the new choices get confusing. As a young hot-rodder we would file the porcelain down around the electrode to get a hotter burn.

If your going to flush the entire system replace with DOT5 silicone brake fluid. It has a high boil point and doesn't absorb moisture. I use it for both brake system and clutch. This is what the military use in their vehicles. It is pricy, and you have to be sure you have no residual brake fluid in your system as the two will not mix.