payaso del mar

the class B's based on the Sprinter chassis also get the same mpg we do....I talked to a guy with a good size one who claimed consistent 16mpg. I think it was a diesel but may have been gas. but used ones seem to start over 50K, and you get dodge construction instead of Toyota. and I can't even imagine dealng with one in a stout NM crosswind...... hey Fred, want to come help me change out my control arm bushings? not everything on a yota is easy....but I can't imagine the misery of working on M-B engineering complexity executed by Dodge

very good point, Linda. lots of stuff is like this now; ya just need to check the output voltage on the wallwart or transformer. I was able to convert some intended-for-home-use 110VAC LED track lights for 12V use by simply cutting out the transformer.

I checked the underhood plate last night and here's what I found: Model RN55L-KDEA3W C/TR A/TM 033VT41G072W46 Engine 22R-EC I've compared this to some of the reference info for axle ratios and can't decipher it. the "G07" part makes me think axle might be an 8" with 3.90 gearing, altho the sequence is in the wrong location per the info I've read. the axle part is not that big a deal since i'll be ditching it pronto. what i'm really interested in is the trans model and ratios. I know there's a W56 trans, but I've never heard of a W46. can anyone shed any light? i'm moving further discussion about this POS to its own thread. just wanted to follow up on the axle/trans info since people are discussing it here.

what most folks don't understand about worn out shocks is that they don't go bad uniformly between shocks, and the damping doesn't go away uniformly on each individual shock. so you could have one shock that has no compression damping but most of the rebound, one that has compression damping through upper 1/2 of stroke, one that has no rebound damping and has compression damping on bottom half of stroke, and one that's completely lost all damping. when you hit a bump, this makes your car do the rumba. or is it the lambada? I watch cars doing this all the time. if you think your shocks might need to be replaced, they do. on the $ end of things, I'm still on the Bilsteins I got for my taco over 120K ago and they still damp great. I've never had a set of KYBs last anywhere near that long. so the $ thing needs to take into account not just initial cost but how long you'll be using them.

thanks! Linda, advice noted and will start a build thread. mostly what's gotten done so far is just buying the stuff and cleaning interior. trans is a manual 4 speed; I don't be likin me them slushboxes. after reading 13 pages of the axle thread, i'm going to be replacing the rear axle bearings in the '91 axle before installing.

Hi all— Glad to have found this site! Complete toyhome noob here, altho I’ve been the sole mechanic for my’02 Taco (4WD, 5 speed, 3RZFE) for 216K and still going. On TGVG day, I brought home a wasted ’85 Bonanza Travelers “Bandit” popup MH from Arizona. Single rear wheels altho the body appears designed for duallies, not much bigger than my Westy, 4 speed trans. Working 110v AC unit and 110/12v fridge; have yet to test the stovetop and furnace. Lots cheaper than an EarthRoamer EV…..like, over $347,000 cheaper. Paid too much @ 2800 given fact that all steering is beyond wasted (I’d never seen 3/8” slop in a tie rod end before….) and rear brakes a puky mess of black goo once drums came off. HOWever, I love the potential (my wife winces when she hears me use that word…..). This thing should get far better fuel mileage than most of the bigger toyhomes out there, and fiberglass shell is a real plus compared to typical crappy motorhome aluminum construction…less leak potential, and likely to fare better in a wreck or with inquisitive bears. I briefly looked at a 4WD chassis to just graft the camper onto, but most of those were too much $ and I’d still end up with something I had to redo all the undercarriage on. Eventually, when I retire, I may graft the camper onto the old Taco. So off to Partsgeek to spend >$1500 on the existing chassis. Rebuilding suspn, steering and brakes is not too big a deal, and I end up with all new underpinnings (assembled by a trusted mechanic) under my top-heavy MH. Ever driven Mexico Highway 2? I'm even replacing the steering box; I have the theory that once any front end stuff is allowed to go to hell, it takes out all the rest of the front end through uncontrolled excess motion. So we’re doing new everything, even control arm bushings. Got a set of Bilstein 4600 series (over 120K on the ones on my Taco and they still work great), and some 15x6 Taco steelies so I can upgrade to more tire selection and semi modern rubber (leaning towards Firestone Destination AT’s in either 215/75 or 225/75; any input on tire selection or sizing welcome) Inside was a foul miasma of cat pee…… so I spent the long weekend ripping out the carpet in both camper and cab. Secured with over 50 sheet metal screws in cab, which were all rusted into oblivion, so each one had to come out via visegrips from below. Mopped it out with pinesol and then nature’s miracle (animal pee neutralizer), and the varnish smell has mostly overtaken the olor de miado. I figure one more round with bleach and then I’ll repaint cab floor and slop a layer of epoxy resin over the rear fiberglass floor. Got new cab carpet from Auto Custom Carpets (USA made, employee owned!) and I’ll get a 9x3 remnant locally for the camper. Like with the suspension, I’m not entirely upset that I won’t be dealing with the previous owner’s residual odors in the carpet (outgassing formaldehyde instead, yum!)……. Rest of interior is in OK shape, without much water damage. Swapped out the fluo kitchen lights for LED strips and adding the 1000W pure-sine Xantrex I never quite got installed into the Taco camper shell. most of our camping is boondocking, so I’ll add a second AGM for house batteries and have an idea for two 75-90watt PV panels on a rack that will lay flat against rear of MH during transit and then swing up to horizontal for charging, and to support the awning and shower stall (no shower inside, but with a tarp and the Zodi Outback SC pressurized hot water heater, we can manage)…..saw an arrangement like this on someone’s trailer once and liked the idea. Fast setup and breaking camp is the name of the game for us. Anyone have any idea what rear axle ratio this likely has? Would the trans likely be the A340? I found an axle locally from a ’91 V6 for $75; not clear whether or not this is the full-floater (it’s 5 lugs not 6) but it should be enough to deal with my intended weight. Appreciate any input on anything; I’ve read up, but as noted, am new to these things. Thanks!