Search the Community

If it’s a 4 speed manual it’s most likely an L43. If 5 speed it’s probably a W50. Under the hood there should be a metal ID plate that gives the transmission and rear axle information. It’s usually attached to the drivers side inner fender. But could be in another location. I’ve attached a copy of my plate so you know what it looks like. The fifth line down has your transmission type and rear axle type. Another resource is Toyotaminis.com. Many members in your area and a good source for parts and technical advice on these old Toyota trucks. Your drivetrain is the same as a regular pickup truck. Makes it easier when ordering mechanical parts. Welcome to our forum 🙂

Had an 87 Nova Star very well built and designed MH. See If you can find a 6 bolt front wheel setup that would finish it.

I'm gonna remove the A/C on my motorhome here pretty soon weather permitting. I was wondering if anyone wants it. It is a Coleman 6700 series unit off a 1986 Nova Star.

Composting toilets are not a big resale point, Anywhere you can stash the flush unit until that time? Replacing the AC with a Maxx-air or Fan-Tastic unit will cover about 80% of your cooling needs. But they won't cool below outside temp and 100 degrees is not a good sleeping temperature. You have a working AC, think about keeping it, instead of having to buy a new one in a year or so if you end up in a place like St. George UT in Aug Look at the black water tank and see if you could connect it to use as extra gray water tank, if you do go to a composting toilet. Your limiting boondocks factor is your fresh water tank. Propane refrigerators are amazing things, they will run for weeks on a tank of propane. Replace ALL the light bulbs with LED bulbs. 100w of solar will do, 200w of solar and 2 T-105 6v batteries are akin to perpetual motion. NEVER NEVER delay roof maintenance, or leak fixing. For repair stuff, remember you have a Toyota Pickup not a Toyota Motor Home. You have a Nova Star motor home I see Linda types faster than I do, her point about using it stock for a year or so is a VERY good idea. Some times ITS HARD ($$) to undo some things

Hi there, I just purchased a 1985 Toyota Sunland Express, unfortunately the suspension has been extremely neglected, so I am looking to do a complete overhaul of it. I tried following through the "1985 Escaper full suspension and steering overhaul tips, tricks, and questions " and "Toyota part numbers for Brakes, Axles, Suspension, etc". From this, I was able to gather that Bilstein 24-184830 shocks are good for the front, and Bilstein 24-002585 are good for the rear. Is https://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/ENE818102R.htm the correct bushing kit for this truck? My guesstimation is that I can leave the leaf springs as they are(they look good enough, and are keeping the RV afloat), but should I supplement them with airbags? Reading through the forum postings, I can see that the recommendation is to go with a manual kit such as AIR LIFT 57113, will this noticeably improve the driving characteristics? I come from the sailing world, and she currently handles like a ship in some pretty gnarly waves, has a huge tendency to be blown all across the road, and sways aggressively above 58mph(indicated speed). Also, downhill, the front-end "floats", and steering inputs are amplified. On the topic of steering, I did notice that there is evidence of an oil leak coming from the steering rack box(?). Unsure what to call it, the steering column goes into it, and I did want to investigate it. Also of note, I remember reading someone having a hard time replacing the control arm bushings, are there any negatives to replacing them with these Dorman 522-651? Any advice on fixing or minimizing these issues would also be appreciated. Looking forward to posting pictures on here as soon as I get some work done. I put in a large order to bring all the electronics up to date, the only "suspension" component I purchased in the last run was tires, I hope I did well with Nexen Roadian ct8's, I was looking for a more wintery mix tire, but I think I'll just buy two pairs of chains/wire if anyone has any advice on which to get. Was thinking of https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0091RCM5Y/.

Would like to have deeper understanding of my fan clutch. As I understand it, the fan will be disengaged at high rpms. The assumption being that high rpms equals enough ground speed and air flow through the rad to make the fan redundant. So is this a gradual process or a on/off? At what rpm/range of ROMs does this happen? I have 83 Sunrader with a stock 22R and 4spd manual. I am not currently having any overheating issues, but I could imagine a long hill climb in 2nd with high rpms but limited ground speed/airflow. Knowing the rpm fan cutout would help me manage this scenario. Thanks.

Alright the transfer case fluid is separate from the transmission. Odd that they use Dextron ATF II in the automatic version and a different transfer case oil in the manual one... There is a drain and a fill level on the back side. When I get it back up, I will take pictures.

ok, i wound up buying it, at a reduced price, due to some issues, roof sag at the ac, though no evidence of water damage, yet -- but an unusual thing, i pointed out to the seller that he needed 2 spares, since this 86 has 5 lug front, 6 lug rear -- he didn't know this -- so i uncover the only spare, and heres some kind of aluminum rim with about 10 bolt holes, fitted with a tire that matches the front and rear tires -- is this some kind of rim that fits both front and rear on this toyota? -- of course, i'll know on monday when i drive get it home. also, he's trying to say that he's burning oil -- with a 53k engine, and though he admits its never smoked? -- i did find evidence of a leak, however and finally, if anyone can stear me to a source for a manual for this coach, would be great, seller has nothing cept the owners manual from toyota, nothing for the appliances, etc.

I will give that a shot! I do not see a crimp connector for the other side of the wire though. That makes a lot of sense. - I have purchased new bulbs and once the weather permits it, I plan on replacing them. The clearance lights aren't in great shape so I plan on replacing all of them in the Spring. - It appears that the weather stripping for the door jam is a special kind designed to attach to the lip but I could be wrong about that. - There was definitely a previous leak issue with the wraparound windows as the sleeping cab has been rebuilt and the window seals appear somewhat new. Either way I plan on resealing all of the windows in the Spring. - I have a Multimeter and will troubleshoot with that once the weather permits it. I too found the location of the only working clearance light to be odd. - I purchased the Sunrader fully winterized so I haven't really tested monitoring system yet but will check that out. - I will check out the glue and vinyl solution that you suggested. The sleeping cab was rebuilt with a frame that fits a short full mattress so there is some extra room for additional insulation. I plan want to keep the wraparound windows so I would like to find a solution for a removable insulation to keep the area warm because I plan on living in it long term. - There is a bit of a gap with the door closed so finding a perfect fit would be ideal. I would appreciate the measurements for the D shaped bulb seal when you have the time. - It is indeed a gem! After purchasing a 21ft Sunrader with a 22RE and Automatic Transmission, It was clear that it was not going to work for my needs and I felt a bit devastated. I figured that the only way a Sunrader would work for me is if I could find an 18ft with a V6 and 5 speed but finding one seemed like a pipe dream. Through a series of serendipitous events I came into contact a forum member that was about to list his for sale and he only lived an hour away from me! I paid top dollar for it and while it needs a little bit of work, it is mechanically very sound with impeccable service records kept since it was purchased. - I currently own a 21ft Toyota Sunrader with a 22RE and Automatic Transmission that I plan on listing for sale in the Spring. I live at 8,000ft in the Colorado mountains with miles of rough dirt roads. It is hard to describe what a night and day difference there is with the V6, 5-Speed Manual 4.33 gear ratio. The Nissan sits a few inches higher and the braking and handling feels much better as well. I need to confirm it with my mechanic but I also believe that this came with a factory Limited Slip Differential. My intention is not to put down the Toyotas as they both have there strengths and weaknesses. One difficulty with the Nissan is finding parts or aftermarket support and this is even with my brother being a Regional Service Manager for a chain or Nissan Dealerships. The length of time researching upgrades for the Nissan has been much more difficult and there are still things that I am having trouble getting clarity on. I will check this out! Thanks! I just want to thank you all for your support! This has been very helpful and it is great to know that there is a community of people so willing to offer there insight.

Clearence lights are powered from the rear passenger side taillight supply up and around the back to drivers' side, then to front and across. Only way to find out where the power stops is with a multi meter and checking for power all along those lines. Don't quite understand how that one light at the bottom is still lit but I'm not sure if the lower lights are on the same electric chain. If you have power at the socket on any of them a new bulb should work. If not fixing them is a major job. Yes wires underneath are probably tank light wires. Does your tank monitor work inside? Fixing front. I usually use spray glue for situation like this but if you want to leave you windows alone, not remove them, your probably better off with contact glue. Buy vinyl from a fabric store, apply contact glue to wall and fabric, let dry and apply pressing down firmly only in the center where you need it. Then trim with blade cutter being careful not to damage your window seal. Weather strip. I'll go measure mine tomorrow and find you a fit. It is a D shaped bulb seal but I'm sure we can find a good one Linda S Your rig is a gem. I wish mine was a manual trannie. And Boys, she's got a factory 5 speed there.

Post up what year and model RV you have. I haven’t seen a code reader with the right adapter for the older Toyotas, but all you need on most of them is a paper clip stuffed into the correct spots anyways. I probably have the correct manual at home for the later ones. The earlier Toyota Factory Shop Manual is a posted up on here already.

This sounds like a valve body issue to me. Could be a poorly seated gasket, or maybe even a missing part or seal since reverse not showing any signs of engagement. In my opinion, since the reverse is not engaging at all and the forward gears are always on, id pull the valve body, stone the faces to knock down any highspots and buy a new gasket, and filter(s) while you're in there. I would consult the manual for the torque and bolt order since the valve body gasket isolates so many small passages, similar to a head gasket.

Hello All, I am a new proud owner of a 1985 18ft Sunrader and this is my first post! I have found searching through the archives of this forum to be incredibly helpful but I thought that I would create a post for some clarity pertaining to my needs. I live in Northern Colorado at 8,000ft with many hills and am hoping to gain some insight regarding practical performance improvements that can be made. I do plan to travel between CO,NM,AZ & OR so I am hoping find the best balance between the mountains and highways. My Sunrader has a rebuilt 22re w/ 25k miles, a 4-Speed Manual Transmission that was rebuilt last year and a One Ton Axle. The Driveshaft was rebuilt last year as well. -It definitely struggles going up hills which is to be expected but I am wondering if changing the gears to 4.56 or 4.88 would be of benefit with a 4-Speed Manual Transmission? I would like to go with slightly larger AT Tires such as 27x8.5r14 which I believe people has installed successfully. I imagine that could affect the decision in regards to gearing? -Due to living in the Rocky Mountains I think that adding a bit of lift would be of benefit. I'm not looking to go crazy with it and just hoping to find a practical solution. Does anybody have any suggestions? -I have read good things about adding LCE Headers but am unsure of the cost/benefit of such a thing. I have also heard of people adding an RV Cam but the reviews appear to mixed. All input is welcome and very appreciated! Thanks!

Hello All, I wan to thank your for your input and apologize for my disappearance from this thread. I have decided to sell the Toyota BUT I bought an 18ft Nissan Sunrader with a V6 and 5-Speed Manual transmission! I am very happy with the performance of it and plan to frequent this forum for the Motorhome portion.

OK so I have this 4runner it's a 91 22re manual 4wd it's got a cut harness I'm not getting any power yet I'm trying to figure where this set of wires goes and what it does

I have a 1986 Toyota Granville motorhome has 101,000 MI and it has the re22 engine 4-speed manual with 488 gears. It has brand new brakes all the way around the head was redone on it. Brand new radiator brand new clutch fan brand new thermostat brand new belts. The roof has never shown evidence of leaks. There was a new motherboard put in the gas furnace a couple years back. It's all original the inside I did paint the ceiling just to brighten it up. Everything works as it should. And I have lots and lots and lots of current receipts of the work I've done to the motorhome. I guess what my question is here is what is the value of this 86 Toyota motor mini home and once again it's a Grandville.

The manual V6 is very rare in any Toyota camper. I've only seen a few Sunraders with it and all of them the larger model. No 18 footers. That manual will also be a 5 speed when the engine is a V6. On Nissans all the Sunrader V6's will be the shorty model and about 50% of them are manuals. All of those will also be a 5 speed. I have seen the Nissan V6 on other motorhomes with automatic and full sized. Just a handful Linda S Another tidbit. All Toyota V6 5 speed manual rigs will have 4.3 gear ratio. The automatics all have 4.10

Hello! Man I am excited to hang out with you all. Just got a 83 2wd sunrader. I have been wanting a toyota RV my whole life. Went and looked and my girlfriend loved it. The key component. The bad. It needs one of everything. This is my 8th 80’s toyota. I am a part time garage mechanic for hire. I also flip cars. Head gaskets. Etc. 4 speed manual feels great. Engine running at 40 psi oil pressure with no smoke. Will compression test. Inside is gutted. It has the bad axle. Thinking about going single rear wheel. Gonna build it light and its a short truck. Researching if its a 1 ton or 3/4. look forward to hanging out with you all -Lucas

Ok I almost past smog. We just did a poke test. Pre-check. My idle was too high and I was running a little lean. CO waayyyy down. So carb rebuild success. Just need to tune and re-poke here locally then go for my star certified smog One problem I am having is stalling on deceleration. It got better once warmed up. I should probably replace some vacuum lines. Any ideas though? I am 38 years old so I am not too skilled at carburetors. I grew up building motorcycles but that was mainly jet work.

Hi guys I'm the one that had the original brake problem, front locking up than pulling e brake to stop in an "e" stop. I have 1990 Seabreeze 156000 miles. This time I am replacing the master cylinder, and booster along with that proportioning valve. I found a shop manual pdf. thanks to someone else on this website. Thanks for everyone's ideas and input. Rick

I've been following a lot of threads on this subject. There is much misinformation out there. Maybe we could start with the following PDF attachments: the Toyota FSM and the Toyota Lexus Training Manual. (it refers to our Trucks also) Granted, this is for the technically minded.... Toyota FSM-LSP&BV.pdf Toyota Training Manual-LSPV.pdf

Well!!! One look at the manual and I spotted the problem. When I bought the RV the radio didn't work and in browsing under the dash I found a brown wire with a flat metal device (obviously meant to slide into a fuse receptacle) on the end. What is that I wondered ;-}} Now I know: it is the power wire to the cruise control. I haven't had time to try it ( it attaches to the radio fuse) but maybe tomorrow . Chuck

I put a Ford 88 gear and my Toyota re22 engine and I had a four-speed manual and I'm turning 3800 at 60 MPH so I was wanting to go to a five-speed manual but I need to know what five speed will boat up to my four-speed bellhousing without me having to do any modifications does anybody know which five speed in which vehicle I need to get it from. And I haven't done a gas mileage check yet I was getting about 20 miles to a gallon here in the flats of Michigan before I made the gear ratio change and I was only turning about 3,000 RPM to run 60 MPH now I'm turning 3800 RPM so I would think that I'd be consuming a lot more gas I just haven't done no few mileage check yet

Good morning I switched to a 488 and my Toyota mini motor home. It's a 1986 Grandville with a 4-speed manual. And I'm turning about 3,800 RPM at 60 MPH. Was wondering if this will hurt my engine you're driving for hours this way. In the meantime I'm trying to find me a 5-speed manual that will bow up to my four-speed bell housing without any modifications so I have a two questions here and I was wondering if anybody can answer both of these questions thank you