nhcamper
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Posts posted by nhcamper
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I used to live in West Leb. and it has some great spots for camping. It is closer for me, as I live in Manchester NH. Whatever the location is I will be there.
Perhaps somewhere around White River Junction/Lebanon? A good hub for Interstates. Not that I have anything against Crown Point!
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I'm up for it. I did one at Crown point VT. a couple of years ago and it was great. Pick a spot and let me know, I'll be there.
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nhcamper: thanks much!
I managed to go through the camper a bit today and found a load of new spare parts, so will probably be installing many of them after the holidays. Included were a new front main seal and oil pump gasket, two thermostats and gaskets, 1 belt, a gasket that i haven't figured out yet (may be windshield), distributor cap and rotor, new heater core, radiator fan, clutch master cylinder with reservoir, and some other odds and ends. Now to an itemized reply
1) any idea what the top speed was/is? I brought it back to san antonio at around 45mph as it was leaking oil badly and spraying coolant (no recovery tank), I have a new recovery tank and will hopefully fix the oil leak by replacing the front main seal, etc once the holidays are over.
2) water pump seems fine on mine, but i may replace it with a reman unit when i do the thermostat and flush, the only other main thing besides the oil leak is, I drove it back with no brakes.. Used the e-brake and downshifting, so I plan on flushing all the lines and checking it again after that, will probably do it when i start replacing all the gear oil and grease.
3) on the converter switch, is top depressed 120v or 12v? mine isn't marked unfortunately, I believe I have another converter sitting in the garage and may just replace the existing one, but would like to keep it if it is working.
4) it looks like everything is disconnected on the coach battery side, but i will double check and make sure nothing is contacting ground.
Now to be sure, the furnace is propane only with no electrical connections and needs to be lit with a match or similar, correct? I am used to forced air furnaces, and haven't messed with one like this yet. Any chance you have a model number or manual for the furnace?
The dometic fridge is slightly off from what i am used to, I have never messed with one that actually had a freezer box. I believe the model (judging by the parts manual I have) is an rm211, I am going to mess with it tonight or tomorrow and see if it is still working or if i need to pull it and service it.
At the moment I have no cabin lights, will have to repair and replace some fixtures. Thanks for the head's up on the ground issue, my old jeep had a similar issue, will probably grab some 8 gauge jumper cables to cut up and fab new grounds out of. The front spare idea isn't bad at all, I was considering mounting mine on the hood just to have it easily accessible.
As for the door... heh... I am hoping that I can just cut some plywood to fit the entryway, epoxy coat it, then use some straps to slowly pull the back edge back into shape, once in shape I will secure it to the new entry floor and hopefully all will be well.
Once again, thanks much! This will be the first vehicle I actually plan on keeping, usually I buy a project and keep it for a couple of years, then sell it for the next project. In the end though, I have always wanted a small rv so I can spend more time in the places I love. I am hoping that I will hang on to this one for the next 20-30 years. Of course I may take it apart and put it on a 4x4 chassis if i find one for the right price
My Chinook is stored in another location when I go over there I will look at the converter switch. The fridge has a control box near the front drivers side, it has a red switch with 110, 12v and propane. the red or blue I can't remember plunger is the igniter. The fridge works best on gas. It takes a while for them to cool down but they will make ice if you don't open the door to much. The top speed I would go in this camper is 60 mph. It gets the best gas mileage at 55 mph. The furnace is propane only and is lit through the small cover near the control knob.
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Hi,
I own a 77' Chinook. It was my parents and was parked for about 10 years before I rescued it from the back yard.1. It is a factory 4 speed. 2. The oil leak not sure, but mine needed the water pump, head gasket, clutch and throwout bearing,shocks, brake calipers (front) wheel cylinders (rear) and other little things replaced. 3. The house battery runs the interior lights of the cabin, there is a switch next to the converter that you can flip to 110 or 12v if you have the deep cycle battery installed and the wiring is correct than your cabin lights will work and if you have the three-way fridge it will run off this too. I don't have the wiring diagram. 4. If your charging light is on make sure your positive wire to your coach battery is isolated if it grounds it will cause this light to stay on it would be best to tape off these wires until you can correctly sort them out. If you want to use the cabin lights and fridge you can use the 110 plug on the outside of the camper located just under the propane tank storage area. The suburban heaters in these campers work great, just clean it up real good. The converters are not the best but I have not had any problems with mine so far. These campers are notorious for poor grounds causing many problems with the turn signals and the such. My gas gauge only works till 1/2 full than it sinks to empty? I get about 21 miles to the gallon on 91 oct. you need to run this engine on at least 89 oct. The safety straps that you see on the pop-top are the ones being refernced in the glove box. My dad had a spare tire holder fabed up for the front end of the Chinook because he spent three hours trying to get the spare tire out from under the camper. I'm not sure on how to fix your door.
I hope this sheds a little light on your Chinook and if you are like me you will fall in love with this little camper and enjoy it for years to come.
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I tow a small utility trailer with my Chinook 4spd. I have had no problems with the brakes fading.
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Hi All,
I just threw the battery in the Chinook and it fired right up. I had to jack it up to break the tires free of the ice. I plan on parking it on a piece of land my family owns in York Beach ME this summer. Happy motoring.
Tim
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Did you have any luck getting it re-certified?
I did the same thing. It cost 15.00 for the recert. and 16.00 to fill it. It is good for another 5yrs. if I remember correctly. Make sure you keep the paper work in the camper so you don't lose it.
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good for you new kid! (erly)
i like the chinooks... that lower profile makes it more versatile and easier to drive... more mobile!
My 84 dolphin had to be towed today...
clutch died out of nowhere...
BUMMER!
welcome to the greatest SMALL forum on the internet...
very nice and helpful folk here... they think im weird but im not arguing that...
good luck with the new ride..... SO MUCH FUN!
Thats the best 1300.00 investment you will ever make. I am sure you will get a ton of use and enjoyment out of your Chinook.
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My 77' Chinook has the same layout as fisherman120. My dad removed the couch and made a platform for a twin bed, it works great for a single person, (a bit tight for two people.) I reworked the storage area over the cab to sleep an additional person, it works fine. I think you can do most anything you want with these little campers and not get into much trouble. Good luck with your Chinook.
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I have the KYB's on my Chinook. They reduced the roll by 80%, if you need tires I recommend Michelin in combination with KYB's the ride is great.
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A stock Chinook with the single axel is perfectly safe to drive. The rule of thumb is not to overload the camper.
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I went to a RV dealer to look at thr solar charging system while I was talking to the salesman he told me it would cost over $35,000 to produce the Chinook at todays prices. The Chinook based on the toyota platform was only made from 1975 to 1978. I get more of a kick out of the attention the little rig gets more than anything else. You got a killer deal on your Chinook. The only recommendation I would make is that you stockpile as many parts as you can if you plan on keeping your Chinook. If you find a parts truck or Chinook and you can afford to buy and store it do it. I have been looking for a couple years but have not found one yet.
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The only problem you may run into is an out of date tank, with the old style handle on it. Most places won't fill it. If you encounter this problem call around to different places until you find one that knows what you have and is willing to recertify the tank. It costs around five to ten bucks to get this done plus the cost of the gas.
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I don't know if this will help but the top of my 77 Chinook is concave too. The water collects in a big puddle and it washes over the side when I start to move. I learned a valuable lesson, make sure your door is closed and your door window is closed or you get a free shower. Have fun with your Chinook.
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Hi,
I looked at your photos, not bad. I have the same year but my fridge and stove are on the other side. I think you have hit a good deal. If you do buy it and have any questions let me know I will give you any info I can as anyone on this forum will. Good luck
Tim
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Hi,
Has anyone been to the Oktoberfest in Kitchener ON, Canada? My parents drove our Chinook from New Hampshire to Ontario in 1980 and they said it was one of the best times they had camping. Unfortunately they are in there late eighty’s now and don’t have very good memory’s now. If anyone can shed some light on this event it would be most appreciated. It runs Oct. 10th to the 18th.
Thanks,
Tim
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I haven’t read any replies from Chinook owners? I recently took a trip to Vermont from New Hampshire about 300 mile total and averaged 18.75 per gallon. The Chinook has a 20R 4speed, with three adults and gear I though this was pretty economical. I did exceed 60 mph for short periods but for the most part kept it around 60 mph. In my opinion any Toyota camper has a leg up on most self contained motorhomes on the market today, that says a lot about a vehicle they haven’t made since 1993.
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Hi all,
We had a great time in Stowe VT, the weather was perfect and the Chinook ran great. This was the first trip I have taken since I did the head gasket. I was happy with the results, it ran within the recommended limits and the gas mileage was pretty good to boot. I reworked the cab over storage so I could sleep on it. I am only 5’5†so it wasn’t that bad. My wife and boy shared the twin mattress I set up in place of original couch and bed set up. This was the first time all three of us have stayed in the camper at the same time. I just had to chuckle to myself as I watched those 41 ft “Behemoths†lumber by me (boy am I glad I didn’t have to put gas or diesel in one of those things.) It just goes to prove good things come in small packages.
Tim,
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Hi,
I am going to Stowe VT. for a big car show they have every year, over 600 cars. I stay at Nichole’s campground, it is clean and the rates are reasonable. If you have the weekend of July 9th and 10th off check it out. Hope to see a few Chinooks and other Toy campers.
Tim
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Does anyone run an electric fan on thier 20R. I just replaced the headgasket on mine and it runs fine but I still think it runs hotter than it should the only part I haven't replaced is the clutch fan. It seems to run fine at 55mph, if I run at 65mph it starts to climb. If I install the electric fan this should help solve the problem I hope. My reasoning for this is the clutch fan replacement is expensive and for less money I can put a flex fan or electric fan on it. Any feeling about this setup?
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Thanks for the spec. I have it all apart, ready to send the head out to be checked. I hope it goes back together as easy as it came apart!!!
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Hi,
Can anyone out there give me the torque spec. for the 20R head bolt? I don't have a manual handy. I am doing the head gasket on a 77' Chinook.
Thanks,
Tim
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I have seen a few transplants on the road over the last couple of years. I plan on using this option if and when my 77†Chinook needs a transplant. I can’t remember what the web page is but there was a guy who did what you want to do. He used a 4x4 Toy pickup. I wish you luck with your project. When you get it going let the group know, I’m sure it would be interesting to see how it comes out.
Tim
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Don,
I'm not sure if the 84' is the same as my 77' but if it is the window crank is held in place by a c-clip. The way to remove it is to get a special tool at any autoparts store. It is a flat piece of metal that slips behind the crank and pushes the clip out. I'm sure if you ask someone who works at the store they will be able to help you.
Good luck
Tim
Northeast Toyin for this fall?
in Rallies & Toy Ins
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I've been to the British invasion several times, stayed at Nicholes Campground. Stowe is very beautiful and there is plenty to do. Sounds good to me.