terrwilliger Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I am looking into buying a Dolphin and wanted to know anyones mileage on 70's or 80's manual Toyota motorhomes. What are your amazing numbers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 55,000 when we bought it a year ago. 70,000 today. (12,000 trip to Alaska , 3000 trip to Alabama.) Getting ready for trip to Calif. (probably 5000) Well maintained, these should easily go 150,000 or more. JOhn Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tumolt Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 '80 Huntsman purchased 4 years ago with 16K miles. Has 20r, 4 spd, manual trans, dash and roof A/C, dash and coach heater, refrigerator 3 way, propane stove, sink, shower, toilet, and all oak wood (not press board) walls, floor, cabinets with sliding doors and closet. The rear end is out of a '89 Toyota U-haul. It has an all fiberglass shell. I get 18-20 mpg. I now have appx. 29K original miles on the odometer. I have learned aLOT about these motorhomes. If you're not in a hurry to get somewhere and cruise at 55 on the hwy, they are great. Easy to park anywhere and since I love the outdoors it's ideal for travel and camping. I also had the U-haul moving truck rear compartment converted to a trailer with electric brakes that I can pull with the motorhome. I upgraded to a sturdier clutch but haven't pulled it since the upgrade. If you have gear for fishing, camping, etc. you need the space. As of now I am happy to have had the experience with these motorhomes. I would build one with a 4.3 ltr. chevy with 4 wheel drive and lift kit for outbacking and wilderness adventures. Surprisingly the dually wheels and 4 speed works great and I wouldn't hessitate taking it off road. List of things in addition to remodel: New clutch, hoses, belts, pistons and rings, A/C compressor, alternator, regulator, oil, temp, electric meters, blackout shades with curtains, and I have a reasonable amount of spare parts just in case I need them. You need tools tools. See you on the road and good luck hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90toydolphin Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 if you end up in central ca, semi close to modesto, and need a place to plug into an extension cord let me know, would be fun to say hey. we're about 30 miles south of modesto, 20 miles north of los banos. 55,000 when we bought it a year ago. 70,000 today. (12,000 trip to Alaska , 3000 trip to Alabama.) Getting ready for trip to Calif. (probably 5000) Well maintained, these should easily go 150,000 or more. JOhn Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Not mine but I'll give the best example of dependability I have ever seen. Saw a guy at a rest stop in Northern California with the most beat up old Dolphin I've ever seen.Early 80's no later than 83 Lived in it and probably never had it tuned up. He said he bought it at about 150,000 miles and when I saw it it had 268,000 miles. Still running and didn't sound too bad. Still had the old 5 lug dangerous axle too. Not telling you to expect that though. Guy must have been kissed by God for that thing to still be running LS I am looking into buying a Dolphin and wanted to know anyones mileage on 70's or 80's manual Toyota motorhomes. What are your amazing numbers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 1978 5 lug 18ft minimax 94000 org miles 1988 4wd xtra cab 200.ooo miles previos 1977 20r corona wagen 15 years240.ooo miles recent 1987 dolphin 66ooo miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Purchased our 1985 Sunrader a little over 3 years (Nov) with 254K miles on it from the 3rd owner. The original owner had the engine replaced at 234K miles, since it blew up when pulling up a hill (I was told). It was originally an automatic (3 speed with overdrive) until 262K miles, at that time I replaced it with a 5 speed transmission for much more usable power and better gas mileage. It currently has a little over 270K miles on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Allen, did you keep fuel consumption record from before and after converion to 5 speed? Do you find 5th (O/D) useable? I suspect so, since it's only ~15% O/D vs ~30% O/D for the automatic. Any other notes you might add about the conversion to help others who might wish to follow in your footsteps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulwyk Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I am looking into buying a Dolphin and wanted to know anyones mileage on 70's or 80's manual Toyota motorhomes. What are your amazing numbers? Life expectancy? '80 Odyssey, 20R, manual trans, 5 lug, I sold it 10 years ago when it had 140,000 miles (I hear the old girl is still running, but I don't know how many miles she has now) and my current camper is a '84 Sunrader, 22R engine, manual trans, 5 lug, 117,000 miles, runs like new. Seems like the Toyota part of a Toyota motorhome lasts lots longer than the camper part. The ones I've seen usually develop leaks around the roof and windows, then they rot out while the drive train is still happily racking up the miles. The good news is: you can tear the interior out of an old motorhome, rebuild it and have a very nice, economical, little camper that's good for another 20 or 30 years! True story: my father's favorite vehicle was a 70's era Toyota pickup. He was a hard drinker and he drove that truck HARD, rolled it a couple times on gravel roads, pulled it out of the ditch, kicked out most of the larger dents and then drove it home. That poor old truck looked like it had been run over by a tank, but it just kept on running. In the end, my dad died before his truck did. When we sold it to settle the estate it had 285,000 miles, and the kid who bought it said he would use it for parts to fix up another old Toyota. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/killing-a-toyota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILIA Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 130,000 on my Sunland Express and I'll be going cross-country within a month with no hesitation. As long as they were fitted with the larger radiator early in life then I feel they should last just as long as any other vehicle. And warming them up goes a long way. Especially with the 4 cylinder auto trannies. The problems arise from insufficient cooling with the stock radiator. Constant high temps will cause pitting in the aluminum heads leading to headgasket-like problems. Also, most owners just don't bother with basic maintenance. Dried up hoses, clogged fuel-line filters, gas tanks sitting empty for months in variable temps, scheduled oil changes, not using over-drive on the highway (4 cylinder), not even a tarp thrown over to shield from sun and rain, etc. Basic preventitive maintenance that will keep any rig alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 To answer Derek's questions: Some links on 5 speed conversions, 4 vs. 5 speed, auto vs. manual, etc. 5 speed trans 5 speed behind an R22 - Parts List http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3733&st=0&p=20423&hl="5%20speed"&fromsearch=1entry20423 Transmission Swap 4 speed to a 5 speed - Ratios, Mileage http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3857&st=0&p=21407&hl="5%20speed"&fromsearch=1entry21407 manual versus automatic - Driving Impressions http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=100&st=0&p=2984&hl="5%20speed"&fromsearch=1entry2984 Anyone put a 5 speed in their Toy MH? http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1170&st=0&p=4925&hl="5%20speed"&fromsearch=1entry4925 Regards, Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathematician Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 1985 Sunrader. I am the third Owner. Previous owner (My seventh grade math teacher) bought it at about 6,000 miles. She gave it to me at 173,000 in summer of 2007. Currently it has 177,500. I use it primarily for overnights to the Great Smoky Mountains National park visits when I have time. The park is only 75 miles from my home. I hope to travel to Yellowstone in it during the summer of 2013. Still on original clutch and engine (22R). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene jo Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 My Dolphin is a 92 with 102K miles on it. The head gasket was done by Toyota at 98K when I bought it. It runs great. During the teardown they put new belts, hoses, etc. as well a a new radiator. Live in the desert so cooling is a big thing here. It runs great, plenty of pep....and never runs hot even in the summer. I did other things like shocks, tires and had a rack welded on the back to carry a generator if needed, or just for storage. No built in generator. Being 20 years old, it has some wear...but never being out of the desert keeps the body nice. Absolutely everything works, both truck and coach. I love it....especially with the price of gas. My only complaint is when the fuel level is low the engine will bog down for a second after a sharp turn and then accelerating...can't figure out why but keeping the fuel level above 1/8 or so solves the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 hi many pro mechs have recomended to me to try not to go below a forth of a tank if possable. with very low fuel in the tank when you corner hard you are starving the fuel pump efi pumps are eletric in the tank this can cause premature fuel pump failure. and running out of gas one or two times can burn the sumersable fuel pump out. same as running a water pump dry. you have to remove the tank to replace it and the pump itself is not cheap. can run 250 to 300 dollors in the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Lots of die-hard 22-RE fans proudly proclaim the engine's good for 300k+ miles. Oddly enough, the same people seem to advise potential owners that homes with 150k should be avoided!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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