Looking for help

[Andeanna]

Me and my wife are planning a cross-country trip in a few months. I know nothing about RV's. I've always been a bit intriqued by the Toyota Motorhomes because I'm a big fan of Toyota's in general. I was wondering where I could get some answers to basic questions about these RV's.

Like, which models have the best reliability record, whats the average MPG? How hard are parts to find? Are parts expensive? Can someone with basic mech. knowledge do his own repairs? What makes these better than a pull-behind?

Any help or direction I could get would be greatly appreciated.

[Shoprat]

Andeanna, the best way to answer all your questions is to look up at the title banner on this page and use the search function. A lot of you questions have been answered many time here. Hope this helps.

John

[Gulfstream Greg]

Basically you have three engine choices. The early ones will have the 20r engine which is carburetor. Then comes the 22r both carburetor and fuel injected then finally the V6. That's also the order of power and performance. As for parts its a toyota pickup so parts are really not a problem. Nor are parts for the coaches appliances as they are industry standard. As for coach manufacturers Sunrader and Winabago and Dolphin are all high on the list. With the Winny's and dolphins roof leaks are a concern because of their construction. The Sunrader is a two piece molded fiberglass construction. The Sunraders have the shortest ceiling height of under 6 foot where as the others hover around 6 foot 1 inch or so. So if your really tall that might be a concern. Floor plan and engine size can be your key to the happiness door. The less powered the engine the harder it is to climb mountains. My opinion is stick with at least a 22r fuel injected but preferably find a V6. When looking at a potential unit does it smell moldy inside, is there a huge amount of sealant all over the outside. Leaks are a big problem on older rigs and there can be allot of hidden damage. Don't be afraid to look everywhere before you buy. And as the old saying "kick the tires" pound on the walls because sometimes you can tell allot by the way things sound and react. Speaking of tires, tires have a lifespan of about 9 to 10 years. And 9 and 10 is time to replace, even some at 7 years. So consider that as another expense. A set of 7 tires could easily cost you $700 plus. I have heard many stories where someone has found that perfect rv that's been sitting for a few years. They buy it and drive it home only to have a blow out part way. Blow outs can cause coach damage sometimes.

Now to the big one. The Rear Axle. Do some searching here on the good and bad axle. You want to find one with the good 1 ton full floating rear axle. There are huge safety reasons for this. Even if you find one that has the bad axle and your in love with it. Installing the good axle will add easily $2000 dollars to the price. In my opinion this is a must have now questions asked have to be necessity. The bad axle has killed people. So the previous owners says "I have never had a problem with it". That's because they are ticking time bombs with a clock you can not see. There is usually no warning, the rear wheels just fall off and at 60 mph you can imagine the end of the story. Here is some more info on the axles http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/files/Axle_FAQ.pdf

So number one is the axle, then everything else is basically personal preference.