aintgotnodolphinyet

Very interesting. I'll have to look into what it would take to get it smogged in California....

Thanks, Ill make sure to make that a key consideration. Been visiting Sage Flats campground on Big Pine Creek for several years now. We go with several families. Glacier Lodge Rd up out of Big Pine is tough. Also enjoy 4 Jeffries outside of Biishop. Similar hill getting up there and up to lake Sabrina.

Yikes!

Don't have one yet. If I do get a 6 cyl for sure it would be something small, would love a Suzuki Samurai but don't see to many of those anymore. Perhaps small older (80s) Hyundai or Toyota. Suggestions? Agree with this 100% There is a saying in the BMW world... "there is nothing more expensive than a cheap BMW" Plus, my limited free time is precious, so time spent "refurbishing" = time not spent vacationing. Not to go to far off-topic, but how big a deal is the "floating" rear axle thing? Will the wheel really come of and potentially expose my family or someone else to harm, or will the wheel bearing just fail and I'll be on the side of the road? I've read the PDF here on the site, wondering how much of an issue it really is?

Paved, just some steep grades. See everything from older Class Cs (with huge, gas guzzling V8s) Big 5th wheels bulled by one ton trucks to diesel pushers, just no older Toyotas. Getting up to some of our our favorite spots, my 2002 Astro Van can barely pull my 19ft trailer up the hill at 10 to 15 mph, borrowed a 5.8l F150 and it pulled it up the hill at about 25-30, so vehicles that seem to have sufficient power don't fly up the hill. Of course, they are pulling their weight plus the weight of my trailer.

Thanks everyone for the encouraging news. I was a bit skeptical as I don't recall seeing any older Toyota RVs where we go. There must be some other reason....

Thanks Zach!

I have the 45w Harbor Freight system. It depends on what you expect it to do... I don't use much electric any more (used to need a CPAP machine) and the 45w couldn't recharge sufficiently during the day. Now with more limited electric use (water pump, lights, charging electronic gadgets, etc.) it kept my battery in the green for 2 weeks last trip. Would work great for a trickle charger during storage. When I buy another panel I will for sure buy a real panel that is 100 or 200 watts.

Greetings! I'm a noob here, but hope to someday be a meaningful contributor. My wife has decided that we will be migrating from trailer camping to owning a Toyota based RV. Whatever makes her happy and coming along. We spend most of our camping time in the eastern Sierras (Bishop/Lone Pine, etc) and have to travel up the 15 freeway from San Diego and then up some of the serious grades (8% to 11%) up to our favorite trout fishing streams and backpacking trailheads. Altitudes upwards of 6K to 8K. Cost is a factor, so I am looking at older (1975 to 85) Dolphins as they are about what I can get into now. My basic questions surround the engines and the ability to get up a serious hill. Can the 20r and 22r 4cyls in the older Toyota's get up a hill? If I need a six cylinder, could I pull a small vehicle behind? We usually set-up camp for 7 to 14 days. Trips into town are required and I am not sure I want to drive the RV up and down the hill every day. If anyone gets where I am coming from and can offer some experience I would treasure it. I am an automotive technician and can fix and maintain all of the systems in the RV, so little issues don't worry me so much, nor even serious mechanical failures, it's the bigger questions of "will one of these things get us where we need to go" Thanks in advance for your thoughts!