jan stefan Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Hi all! My wife and I live near Asheville NC and just purchased a '86 Toyota Travelmaster Savannah for $5900. It has the "good" axle with 6 & 6 lugs (at least it LOOKS like the good axle as depicted in the photos on this forum), only 64k miles, and has been very well cared for. Has generator, bathroom, stove, fridge all the decadent perks a newly retired librarian, his social worker wife and two hyperactive furball Cairn terriers need to get on the road and see the country! :-). The one drawback...we know absolutely nothing about engines, mechanics or how to run, fix or maintain properly the various appliances and features BUT we are willing to get our hands dirty. The Travelmaster user guide is rather sparse that came with it as is the other documentation. So....advice and suggestions are welcome! First, I am taking it to a mechanic to check out all the engine, transmission, electrical and other systems. It has an 22r (don't know which one specifically, but it appears to have a turbocharger (?) engine and will get up to 60 mph, but seems to lack climbing power unloaded. Having never had one of these (or any rv for that matter) that may be the way these campers are. I am planning to spend the next weeks familiarizing myself with how to work the generator, the drains, the stove, the fridge (propane or electric), the roof AC and all that. Is there a recommended source for out of date manuals OR does one contact the individual manufacturers? Are there are general RV type books that may cover Toyota motorhomes? What else can you suggest that I do or look for as a newcomer to this wonderful family of Toy. motorhome campers? thanks for any info. you may send my way!! jan stefan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knowltondata Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 A lot of those manufacturers aren't around anymore but most of your mechanicals apply the same from camper to camper... Oh, before I forget, howdy fellow NC'er! The 22R engines were designated 22R - Carburated, 22RE - Fuel injected, 22RTE - EFI Turbo. If your air cleaner is round, you've got a 22R; if it's square, you've got EFI. A turbo version should have a "turbo light" on the dash somewhere... For turbo questions, Greg and Shoprat are the ones to talk to. You mentioned lack of power... keep in mind these little fours only made 96 HP (22R), 112 HP (22RE), and 135 HP (22RTE) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savannah Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 I am the proud owner of a Savannah too! mines is the 85 model made by Coachman. Can't really coment on yours because I have not seen it, but most of the class C models have a tendacy to leak around the upper bed quaters causing dry rot. I just repaced mines a couple of months ago, so I would definately check up there for soft spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 I also bought an 86 Travelmaster Savannah (with problems) in May and have tried to find a manual. I'm in Atlanta. The mfg. was National Rv which was bought by Shasta which in turn was bought by Coachman Ind. in about 86. I called (8004536064) and Coachman said they would send their only manual for '86 mini production-which was based on a chevy.The manual isn't much help but it's free.I have had major wood rot problems to fix and learned from an Rv repair guy that Travelmaster construction is a bit weird. My top end is also 60-65 with an automatic 22re. Pretty standard I think unless you get a good tailwind going downhill while drafting a semi. Best of luck to both of us. Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toycoach Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hi all! My wife and I live near Asheville NC and just purchased a '86 Toyota Travelmaster Savannah for $5900. It has the "good" axle with 6 & 6 lugs (at least it LOOKS like the good axle as depicted in the photos on this forum), only 64k miles, and has been very well cared for. Has generator, bathroom, stove, fridge all the decadent perks a newly retired librarian, his social worker wife and two hyperactive furball Cairn terriers need to get on the road and see the country! :-). The one drawback...we know absolutely nothing about engines, mechanics or how to run, fix or maintain properly the various appliances and features BUT we are willing to get our hands dirty. The Travelmaster user guide is rather sparse that came with it as is the other documentation. So....advice and suggestions are welcome! First, I am taking it to a mechanic to check out all the engine, transmission, electrical and other systems. It has an 22r (don't know which one specifically, but it appears to have a turbocharger (?) engine and will get up to 60 mph, but seems to lack climbing power unloaded. Having never had one of these (or any rv for that matter) that may be the way these campers are. I am planning to spend the next weeks familiarizing myself with how to work the generator, the drains, the stove, the fridge (propane or electric), the roof AC and all that. Is there a recommended source for out of date manuals OR does one contact the individual manufacturers? Jan, Live in Fuquay Varina, NC and have a 1987 Coachman, will be glad to share info, let me know what you need. Are there are general RV type books that may cover Toyota motorhomes? What else can you suggest that I do or look for as a newcomer to this wonderful family of Toy. motorhome campers? thanks for any info. you may send my way!! jan stefan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thebheads Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 What is the avg. MPG on the Travelmasters? I just bought one yesterday and only got 11 MPG on the way home. I was really hoping for 15-18. BTW mine also tops out around 60. It does feel like it wants to down shift alot. I have to be very easy on the gas to keep it from happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattleguy Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Some RV places offer beginner courses for new owners--they'll spend an hour or two walking you thru things...that may be worth looking into. Anything over 60 in any Toyhome will significantly cut your MPG. Average really depends on how loaded it is, road terrain, hills, headwind, etc. I usually stay around 60mph, but my Nova Star has no problem getting up to 70 to pass on the flats. Up a mountain pass it's downshifted and around 45mph climbing uphill. Slow and steady... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Hello Jan, I have an generic RV menu that covers the basics of each of the items in an RV (frig, stove, hot water heater, ect), I will get it online and post a link to it. Dennis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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