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Surader owners. Do you prefer the shorty 18ft or the 21ft model?


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As I begin my search for one of these coveted rigs.  I was hoping some of you would share some of your pros and cons of of each model.  My initial desire is a 18ft w/ rear dinette,  however I understand some of the 21ft rigs have a rear dinette/bed that sounds interesting.  Love the huge rear window.  Thanks in advance for your feedback.

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I'd love to have one in any size but they've gotten terribly expensive. Your probably looking a 20 grand for one in good shape IMHO.

 

Good luck!

Gary

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Gary..I figured a nice one may cost 12k-20k.  I just hate to deal with water leaks inherent with wood/aluminum siding construction.  I see you live in Seattle..as I'm moving to Whidbey Island later this year...Wet weather most of the year.  Are any other models fairly water tight?

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Hi Morgan,

 

There are not many models from the Toyota line that are more water tights than the Sunrader line. Though Chinooks had similar molded design they are much older, smaller in footprint and much harder to find. I've dealt with leaks in my Conquest but being aluminum framed it has been minimal if any damage caused. I would consider an welded aluminum frame coach like a Winnebago,  New World and Conquest model as a secondary choice.

 

Also congratulations on your move to Whidbey Island, my stomping ground and my dreams to retire there! I have many friends on Whidbey and the camping is top notch.  BTW-not so rainy as you think in fact more people wear sunglasses in the PNW than anywhere else in the country, the wine is getting better. 😉

 

Keep in touch, maybe we can meetup sometime in the future.

Cheers,

Gary

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Are you going to live in it? If that's the case a 21 is the way to go. I've never owned anything but 18 footers and they are great. Nimble, park anywhere and almost the same length as my Ford truck. In fact my Ford has a wider turning circle so U turns are a go. The draw backs are small holding tanks so you have to dump more often. Never really bothered me. 

A couple of other all fiberglass models are the Nova Star and the Odyssey Americana. They are even harder to find than Sunraders but you never know when something is going to pop up. 

Sunraders can and do leak. Anywhere there's a hole. Windows, roof vents but because of the fiberglass the damage is usually minimal. Hope you find what you want but don't wait. Life is short and a well cared for conventional model can give you years of enjoyment with basic maintenance. 

The experience is far more important than the rig your driving

Linda S

I love Whidbey Island too. 

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6 hours ago, linda s said:

The experience is far more important than the rig your driving

Linda S

I love Whidbey Island too. 

 

Linda you're spot on, the experience is everything!

 

Morgan here is a redone Odyssey that has that nice big window you like, not fiberglass per say but is metal framed, the side walls I believe. This also has a V6 which has much more power than a 22re 4 cylinder engine that you find in most Sunrader models. Something to think about.

Gary

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I agree with Linda to. Keep an open mind. I would include exploring the possibility of considering other makes altogether when we are talking twenty grand for a 35 year old motorhome. Interesting if you're a collector but very pricey for someone looking to use it day to day to camp. Age wears out everything; not just use. Here is a link to a similar but more modern camper. I'm sure the price on the one below could be negotiated as it has been listed for a few weeks.  

 

https://madison.craigslist.org/rvs/d/naperville-2005-volkswagen-itasca/7361586639.html

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Sunraders are getting hard to find and $$$$. Never mind 18ft vs 21ft. Buy the first one you can find that is in your budget and in good condition.

AFAIK all the crap we pack will expand to fill all the empty spaces so a 21ft might be more practical🙄

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Thanks for everyone's comments so far, please keep them coming.  I looked at a 1984 Sunrader 21ft in my area yesterday.  A model I hadn't seen before.  The door was near the rear and kitchen was on back wall.  Not well cared for and just looked old.  Lots of surface rust on metal, under hood etc.  Mabe a lot of life  near the beach.  I politely told owner I was searching for something cleaner and probably newer.  From pictures I've seen the rigs in early 90's are much more modern looking, grey colors, ect.  Do most of those have v6's?  My local Toyota mechanic says he can upgrade a 22re w/manual to a 3.4 v6 for about $8000.  That sounds interesting if the price of coach isn't too much.    Wondering if most of the 21ft  have the bed/dinette thing in rear with large windows?   

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Hi Morgan I would say it's the opposite most of our toys come with the 22r series. The 22 is not bad, yeah a little under powered but armor class bullet proof. Myself I've been thinking of going to a V6 but that depends on the mechanic and price like you're looking for.

 

Post pictures of ones you are  looking at, we can give you some better input and things you might not see.

 

Good luck and good hunting!

Gary

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No most 21 footers do not have the rear bed. They made quite a few models in that size. Don't know if this will come through

SunraderClassics (1).pdf

Looks OK. Shows all the different floor plans. On models after 1986 Sunraders came with very nice fiberglass cabinets in all models except for the rear bed dinette. 

V6 sunrader are very hard to find. Can easily cost up to 30 grand

Linda S

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$8000 sounds cheap for an engine swap but way too much to put into something like this. I have the 22re in my Sunrader(18ft pop-top) and it actually gets up and goes better than I expected. Uphill is less inspiring but if you're going to pay $8000 to swap the engine why not pay 20k and have someone cut the shell off and remount it to an early 2000s truck? There are even shops that specialize in this now.

 

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Well it would be worth it if you found a Sunrader that didn't run. This is probably too far away but it's definitely worth fixing even if you just put another 22re in it.

1988 toyota sunrader - rvs - by owner - vehicle automotive sale (craigslist.org)

Linda S

Oh here's another great deal in the same area. This one runs and sounds like it's had a fair amount of work done

87 Toyota Sunrader Class C RV - $10,500 (Elk Grove) - rvs - by owner... (craigslist.org)

 

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1 hour ago, john*thomas said:

 I like the 2nd one in Linda's post and IMO a far better deal as it won't cost you anything to have towed home. Other than quite a few miles on it a pretty nice unit.

 

I concur! A recently rebuilt A43d and suspension is a bonus! An to think that we did away with emission checks 2 years ago in Washington State, ye haw!

 

Close by is this 1985 Nissan, looks good as well for the price!

Edited by Gary_M
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Hello everyone.  I am also in search of a toyota rv .. sunraiders are hard to come by or are very far from Southern california.  One toyota nova star I missed it was bare on the inside and every window needed attention but engine and interior of cab was decent.   I saw an ad for a toyota dolphin 500.  it is found on craigslist in Northern California (Grass Valley) non running but it is complete.  they are asking towing fees.   $640 (Celestial Valley  towing) in case someone is interested.  It was listed today

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1 hour ago, kevinchinook said:

mnkywrench. setup craigslist alerts and check frequently. socal does get postings for sunraiders

thanks for the information I will do that.  any other sites that any one else might know to frequent in my search..  A better question would be , besides Sunraiders and Nova Star, what other models are fiberglass bodies that do not involve a million screws/ rivets at the edges of the body

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It depends on what you want to do. I have an 88 Sunrader with the four banger. It works great but is slow up grades etc. The 92 Sunrader I have has the six and drives like a car with plenty of power. My daughter borrowed the 92 and I don't know if it will ever return so I'm fixing up the 88. Both are 21 footers. I would love to have an 18 footer. I think they are best for doing a lot of miles but the 92 handles great as well. Many people are put off by the lack of power with the four bangers on the 21 footers. I'm not in a hurry so it doesn't really bother me.

Edited by Michel F Smith
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kevinchinook...where in socal are you?  I'd love to see your rig sometime if you are fairly close to me.  Trying to see as many of these rigs as I can during my search.  If I end up with a 4 banger should I make sure it is a manual?  Especially in a 21 footer.   I havn't driven any yet but I would think the auto would be extremely uninspiring.  I suppose manually shifting it would help keep ideal rpm's.

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On 8/13/2021 at 5:23 PM, linda s said:

Odyssey Americana is the only one that comes to mind . Another member just posted about a Starlite also by Odyssey but they are a pop top. Rarer than all the others

Linda S

Thank you Linda .  I will add it to my notes

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4 hours ago, Morgan Sellgren said:

kevinchinook...where in socal are you?  I'd love to see your rig sometime if you are fairly close to me.  Trying to see as many of these rigs as I can during my search.  If I end up with a 4 banger should I make sure it is a manual?  Especially in a 21 footer.   I havn't driven any yet but I would think the auto would be extremely uninspiring.  I suppose manually shifting it would help keep ideal rpm's.

I'm in the Inland Empire but cruise the rig to San Diego now and then. My sunrader is a pop-top so a bit different than most. I wanted a manual but mine has the automatic. Its been good to me ever since I turned off OD. I think with the extra weight of the 21+ footer the manual would be much more helpful going up grades. Highly recommend you look underneath all of the rigs you potentially buy. Check the window and door seals. Almost every rig I called about when I was looking the owner said they didn't leak but every single one obviously had 

 

Some other models to consider but are much rarer are the Sandtana and Bandit. Sandtana's have a tilt top roof and a huge rear window.

 

 

Edited by kevinchinook
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Gary...I'm flying to Seattle to look at that Odyssey that you told me about.  Sounds promising..Nice upfront couple that bought this past April , did lots of upgrades to use along with a 32ft 5th wheel.  Due to vision problems he is selling both.  Rig sounds solid.  nice floor plan for me.  Do these have a good reputation?  Above cab has been rebuilt..so must be previous water damage.  sending him a deposit so wish me luck.  should I try to get it on a lift to inspect undercarriage ?

 

Thanks for the link.   Are you close enough to Olympia ?  If so could I pay you to check out for me?  Please call me when you have a moment.  Thx  714 325-9807

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