mikebrez Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Hey everybody, I am new here. I will be retiring in a few years and am searching for the right Toyota RV to travel in. It'll be just me and maybe a dog, and sometimes my son. Cash flow will be tight, so a Toyota seems ideal. Looking for the best mileage, a 4-cylinder wins, but I have read what the Buyer's Guide says about this. I do want to go over mountains, and I am not really interested in driving a stick. I have found what looks like pretty nice1985 Granville with less then 40,000 miles, with an automatic with overdrive. So this brings up two questions. Just how necessary is a 6-cylinder, especially if I want an automatic? The seller of the 4-cylinder says he's had no problems, but maybe he hasn't been in mountains like the ones I plan to travel through. Also, when shopping for the right unit, how does one know which coach is better than another? The Buyer's Guide mentions Winnebago as good; so how does the Granville measure up? Or others I may be looking at? Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 4 or 6 does not matter so much as getting an RV that is in good shape. Check for leaks and wood rot. These can be a real pain and very expensive to repair. If you find a unit without leaks or rot, look carefully at the appliances. A new frig can cost over $1000 if you have someone else do the work. Get a checklist and go over every item on the list. It saved me a pile of money in knowing what to look for. Read this forum and you will learn things that you never would have thought to look for. I got an '88 Escaper with a 4 cyl and automatic. I installed a tachometer and drive using it whenever I have serious hills. A couple of things to remember: the Toyota 22re engine is almost bullet proof IF you let it spin up and don't lug the engine. I would rather let it spin at 3500 rpms on a hill than pull it hard at 2700. I do not use the overdrive unless I am going downhill with a tailwind, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikesta Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Mike, of the toyota's 22re is my fav engine. I'd rather have stick but autos are great. The sunrader is one of the best one IMHO because they really don't leak and rot like the others. The V6 doesn't really give much more oomph and you will go slow over the mountains, but it will be a slow go either way. I drive a 2010 coach diesel and always keep it under 55 anyways... yea I can go 80 but life goes fast.... so I try to slow it down a little and enjoy the scenery. Your Looking and I might be selling... send me a message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I've been everywhere in 4 cylinder vehicles. It's not an issue of whether they'll make it up a mtn, they will if they're indecent shape. It's a matter of how angry you get when going slow. If 3rd gear at 45mph up a pass as people zip by you sounds like hell, then probably almost any toyota motorhome is not for you...but definitely not 4 cyl. If they have compression over the levels requiring a rebuild, and are tuned properly, there's nothing they won't climb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 the thing to watch for on low mileage motors... they have sat. change all fluids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaggyRV Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I have an 85 Granville I bought last spring. It had 58k miles when I got it. It now has 67k miles. I changed all fluids as well as some other stuff. They are slow in the hills. You have to learn how to drive it to its fullest potential. As far as the quality the Granvilles are nice I think. tastfully done inside I think. not the ugly plaid stuff like some. I have driven mine to Key West and back to West virginia. Jacksonville fl and back as well as a trip last weekend to Myrtle Beach area. I try to stay away from hills and mountains but its doable. If the Radiator has not been upgraded to a 3 row do that. Also get an aux transmission cooler installed. my trip last week I got an average of just over 15MPG. good luck and have fun!! Keep your speeds around 55MPH for best fuel milage!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 I do live in the mountains and I drive a lot at higher elevations. I've driven Toyota trucks all my life. I've had 4's and I've had 6's. Both are fine engines, but make no mistake, the six is a much more powerful engine and it hauls the coach up hills faster than the fours. The gas mileage is not much worse. I currently have an Toy/Winnie automatic six that I bought a year ago, driving it from central Oregon to the eastern slopes of the California Sierra Nevada. On I-5 at 55-65 I averaged 15.5 mpg. Coming through the mountains from the central valley, climbing to 9,500 ft. I got 13-14.5 mpg. On some of the steeper roads, the four cylinder engines will be lucky to do 25-35 mph. The six can do another 10-15 mph. Just my experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Allmost all 22re toy homes are automatic. Most manuals are 22r. Most toyhomes are low mileage so they reallly don't test a 22re long term reliability. So few in the whole world even are at 200k mileage so a v6 is almost as reliable.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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