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Required Services for 1987 Toyota Sunrader (~95,000 miles)


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Hi everyone,

Last year we bought a 1987 Toyota Sunrader and love it. 

End of May, we're planning to do our first longer trip (~ 1,500 miles) from Portland to Tahoe, Napa and back with some stops along the way.

 

I'd like to get an idea what you all would recommend to do before the first trip (and also for regular service).

I want to do an oil change every 5,000 miles but beside that I have nothing specific in mind. I have read a couple of times about timing chain and saw, that this was replaced at 72,500 miles (in 2016).

Is there a place you would recommend to go to get the RV checked. I'm not experienced at all how this works in the US. In Germany where I'm from, it is quite excessive and the vehicle needs to be checked every 2 years quite intensive. I want to make sure everything is working but I also don't want to spend a fortune

 

I'm thankful for every recommendation. 

Nico

 

 

 

 

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Rule #1 You do not have a 1987 Toyota Sunrader😲. You have a 1987 Toyota pickup with a Sunrader campershell on it.

If you need parts for the camper side you go to a normal RV parts store.

If you need parts for the truck you go to an auto parts store and buy things for a 1987 Toyota pickup equipped with a 1 ton chassis and dual rear wheels (Toyota C&C with DRW)

Normally folks that work on Toyota PU are clueless about RV's and vice versa. Although I think there is/was a good shop in Portland, but forgot who they are.

If the timing chain was done correctly, your good for another 75K mi.

The 22re is working very hard moving your house around, think about a 3,000 mi oil change.

There is small coolant hose that is hidden by the alternator. When "all" the hoses are changed, it gets skipped a lot of time. Have it checked.

Buy a simple mechanics tool set in a plastic case, also a cheap digital volt meter.

Remove your spare tire and check its condition and air pressure. Also practice changing a rear tire in your driveway. If you need something that is the time to find out and not on the side of a two lane road at night in the rain!!! I suggest the rear tire because its ALWAYS the inner duel that goes flat🤡.

The main thing to remember you will get there, just not quickly. You will be going over some mountains, remember your are your transmissions bff and you are smarter than it is, so use the gear shift and keep the rpm up when climbing. A good rule is go down a hill in the same gear you used to go up.

Helpful app...https://www.flattestroute.com/

good luck

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WME,

Thanks as always for the insight. A lot to take in for someone with little knowledge about RVs and Cars even though I have a background in engineering 

My main takeaway so far

  1. Probably want to change oil closer to 3k than 5k miles
  2. To get everything checked, I will have to look for a place that does trucks but also has some clue about RV's (although from what you said, that seems to be hard to find). I'll do some research and see what I can find.
  3. I have a tool set but this is quite large so probably want to get one like this and carry it around in the RV
  4. Will have to practice changing the tire in the street maybe. Unfortunately I don't have a driveway.

 

I do have a ton of follow up questions (I apologize in advance. I feel like for 99% of people on this forum they are extremly trivial)

 

  1. Where do I go for the oil change. Is it ok to just go to Jiffy Lube or is there a better place (I park on the street so I don't think I can do it myself).
  2. How often do I need to replace the hoses you are referencing?
  3. What do I need the digital voltmeter for?
  4. Why do I need to keep the RPM up? I usually drive pretty slow and drive in the gear that is selected. Do I do this with the Overdrive off button? I'm not sure what gears i can select manually. I would have to check tomorrow.
  5. Same question for downhill. How do I select the gear and why do I want it to be the same gear as going up?

 

I think this RV will bring me a lot of lessons but also a lot of fun and stuff to learn...

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Tire change try a parking lot at a mall,  a school on the weekend.

Oil change, try Goggle or Yelp for an Independent oil change. We have one here and its busier than the Jiffy Lube. In any case watch carefully

Radiator hoses are like every 10 years.

Most of the power in an RV is 12v and if some thing stops working, a voltmeter can be a lifesaver when troubleshooting the problem. Harbor Freight has a perfectly good digital meter for $7, its what I carry. You wouldn't believe the number of times I've used it to help out someone else.

A tachometer is very very helpful. The 22re redline is 5750 rpm when in the mountains adjust your throttle and transmission gear to be climbing at around 4000 rpm.

It may sound like the engine is screaming its heart out, but its a lot better than lugging the engine at 2500 rpm at WOT. You can manually down shift to 2nd during the up hill. If you let the transmission auto shift it will hunt between 2nd and 3rd. So stay in 2nd, use the throttle to maintain the proper rpm and let the speed be what it is.

Downshifting going down hill is to let engine braking help the normal brakes to control your speed, share the work so to speak.This is not about little rolling hills where you can use the extra speed to help get over the next one, but MOUNTAINS.   I live in the Rocky Mountains and its very easy to burn up your brakes coming down a long 5% grade from a 10,000ft pass.

The tool set looks OK but you may want to look for a set that has wrenches too.

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Thanks, that is great information. I will follow your lead.

Just curious, why do I want to drive in high RPM when climbing? Sounds counter intuitive for someone without motor knowledge. Downhill saving the live of the breaks makes sense.

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Simple, you don't have enough HP and you must use the transmission to let the engine turn faster to make more HP.

Theoretical discussion, say it takes 75 hp to get you up a hill at 45 mph. At 4000 rpm your engine is making 95 HP in 2nd gear,  in 3rd gear at 2500 rpm your engine is making 50 hp. Which gets you up the hill?

Now if you had 300hp in your Toy then you could just blast up the hill in 3rg gear at 70 mph

A side note lugging an engine, a high throttle setting at low rpm, will quickly damage it.

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The 22RE engines like to spin they don't even get to max HP until 4800 RPM. Unless you are on pretty much dead flat land with your back to the wind doing 60 you'll want to turn off OD. The poor thing is carrying a house on it's back it needs all the help it can get!

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