stamar Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 In your opinion which is the best year for the toyhome? Why do you think this give some good reasons. There are no right answers. You could say 78 it has a huge variety or 94 because they are all top end. Keep in mind a lot of the makers used trucks one year old. Engine coach whatever makes obe year stand out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nam Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've never owned any 4Cyl. MH but I have 4cyl Toy trucks pre. '88 and most of them are noisy! Having owned two V6 MHs, I think the V6 ones are quieter, have somewhat modern drivetrans. I think the automatic tranny used on the V6 are pretty good (340E) they are quiet, shift smoothly (better than some modern Honda trannies). In terms of coach manufacturer, Sunrader and Winnebago are favorite as they seem to be tightly built despite smaller windows...JMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Can you pick a year? The v6 motorhomes from 89 to 94 has the warrioe becoming the most common The tranny is related what I like about it more is the stalk shifter. In trucks everyone hates the v6 but in motorhomes it might have found its niche because they rarely ever make 150k and the 22res 300k miles dont seem to matter Gas mileage difference seems to shrink to 1 to 2 mpg because of the weight overload. The 22re revs high but its met ita match in a dolphin.... So maybe yourw right. Maybe 93 is the best year. With only 4 makers theres only good obea. Most are rear bathroom. Whether its whata left over or the public wanted bathrooms I dont know I hate those Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I think a lot of the decision making is done by the buyer. As Karen stated, maybe a rear bath is important. For someone else, an automatic transmission. This is why we have more than one manufacturer. In my case, I opted for an older model home. My reasoning being the mechanicals are more straight forward and easy to diagnose and repair. Newer models have all the sensors and computer operated systems. My toy has the 20R engine, carbureted, with no computer or factory cat. All the systems are easy to work on. Transmission is a 4 speed. I gutted the coach and rebuilt the inside to accommodate my particular needs. I'm fortunate that I have the ability do do this. Someone with no mechanical abilities may want to go with a later model low mileage home. Bottom line, the buyer makes the choice. As far as the best year goes, that again would be a personal opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Ya this thread has a topic asking for a personal opinion. Make some point have an interesting discussion. If you cant really come up with one its not the right thread to post in for you.... Anyhow 78 could be a good year right? It has lots of different makers of toyhomes. Mostly manuals On the market they are usually cheaper. 20r is reliable. Many of the makes are smaller there is the chinook and various others. 16 foot models are still available. Sunraders and standqrd types. Gas mileage . Could be a good year I can see it. By the time the mid 80s come in theres really only a few makes and makers late 70s early 80s theres more The smaller sizes are a lot smarter as opposed to overloaded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Ya all toyhomes have a door on the bathroom you can close when someone is using it. Rear bathroom puts a door in the back. A larger bathroom. With a window Some people liked them. Its possible the majority prefer them but I dont believe that. I believe that by the 90s winnebego and national rv had lots of extra rear bathroom chassis left over to get rid of because no one wanted them. I think it was a more expensive option orignally not popular at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 I think the best year is 85. A lot of must haves improve in 85. First year for efi 22re. For dolphins first year with air bags. First year with trans cooler standard. 85 came with a 5 lug rear end but if it was upgraded that means your rig had a newer rear end than an 86. 86 is a good year too because it has the six lug front end. But a 5 lug front end could be better. Its lighter and the front end doesnt need it. Definitely newer is better. But all toyhomes have low mileage. An 85 on the market seems to have about the same amount of mileage as a 90 but seems to sell for less than half . So while I must admit a 90 is better its not much better. Most of the upgradez happened in 85 and its not twice as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I liked my 900 Dolphin - Rear bath with dinette table. These were probably the most common model of the entire Toyhouse MHs ( I think 9000 were built)I suspect, unless you have a very specific need for a specific feature, you'll probably adapt to whatever you buy. Keep your eyes open, learn whats a good deal and what to walk away from, and have your money ready to jump on a deal when the right one comes along. These move fast (not speed wise, sales wise :-) so be smart, and be ready.If you focus on a specific model to the extent that you ignore other models, You may find availability is limited. If you purchase a unit, then as you build up experience and decide you would like a different floor plan, I can almost guarantee you'll be able to sell your Toy for the same price you paid (if not more) John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Stamar, I did give a personal opinion. I prefer the older homes for the reasons stated. Unless some member has owned every year and model mh manufactured, its going to be personal opinion. You favor 1985. Someone who's owned one that's given them nothing but problems will probably disagree. You've been doing so well on this forum lately. Don't regress to the old ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I really like my 20'--'87 Escaper. I have 22 RE/automatic/ cab a/c / tranny cooler. I have converted the a/c to R134a but have not used it yet. I added air bags and it made a huge difference in the ride. For my wife and I, this RV meets our needs perfectly. We take 2 grandkids with us on a trip every year so having them sitting right behind us works out well. When we travel alone, we really enjoy using the upper bed and leaving the house section open for sitting playing board games, and reading. The engine has been trouble free and we are getting between 14 and 15 mpg. We drive about 55 mph on state roads most of the time and don't get in a hurry so the 4 cyl is enough for us. Even with 40 mph headwinds, the engine never got hot and maintained 55 mph without a problem. When in the mountains, I just drive the tach and don't worry about mph, just rpm's. I stay in the gear that lets the engine spin easily at 4000 rpms and pull over if I get a line behind me on a 2 lane road. On the longer, steeper roads, I can keep up with most trucks and end up passing some of them (usually dump trucks and cement mixers.) Talking about what is the "best" will always result in arguements. It is like asking a motorcyclist what is the best. Everyone has an opinion, and some will fight over the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Dolphin started offering the 900 in '85, Winnebago chose to launch production with the rear bath model in '86. Both offered this layout until production ended in '93/'94. They were pretty much the only manufacturers building on the Toyota C&C at the end, all the others having ceased operations, despite offering many, many different floor plans (especially Odyssey!). In my opinion, that's proof that most customers wanted a rear bath layout, NOT because National and Winnebago kept building too many of them (for 7-8 years?). Also my opinion, if most people wanted a rear bath then, they do now, too. What's better, a 1989 or 1994? Neither, they're the same, other than the colours of the fabrics and exterior stripes. They're all 20 years out of date. Everything else is the same. It all comes down to condition. YOMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I like old vehicles; vehicles I can work on, and that have character. For me personally, the best motorhome would be the latest model 18' Sunrader made with a manual transmission. Rear dinette. That's about the only motorhome I see that makes me jealous. I like my 20R, and my Chinook has a 5 speed manual in it, so that's nice. I average 20 mpg. But those little Sunraders are pretty darn nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Could someone with a Sunrader post a couple of photo's ? And maybe a bit of info: size, engine, years made , etc..... Are they common or hard to find?..................Donnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Pretty plentiful, though not as many produced as some other manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 The thing about the rear bathroom is that when there were more models available they were rare. Then down the road they were th e majority of what was offered. It is more expensive to have the rear bathroom. As fewer and fewer people bought them in the 90s the ones that were sold were majority the rear bathroom. They werent built to order thats just what the offered. I do not believe there was an rv trend in the 90s to have the back of your rv be a bathroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 My favorite body might actually be the 16 foot sun rader or the mirage. But th e 18 foot ones have more modern mechanicals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicehobbits Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 The best model is what works best for yourself / family & budget ... Our rig is a 1990 Dolphin rear bath, bought for the sole purpose of transporting my family to Mexico this winter .. I see so many posts regarding MH .. & most never leave the owners back yard & it kinda makes me giggle . We are into about 4000k miles on our road trip , currently on the Pacific coast of Mexico ... I sincerely can say the a Toyota is made for driving/camping in Mexico, I would not hesitate to drive this little rig to South America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 my bottom line is quality and price but my minimax had such a small bathroom. we like the large rear bathroom in the dolphon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 I think the best year for dolphins is 85 because of the upgrades dolphin put in that year plus the upgrade to the 22re. I had a 79 dolphin and a 83 dolphin and they werent where its at for me. But definetely the best year for all toyhomes could be 78 79 with the variety of smaller bodies so ill pick those years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Well I know the V6's have more difficult engine but the chassis is much improved over the 4 banger. Much smoother ride, less sway. If I had my choice of any Toyota I would want a shorty Sunrader with the V6. No more than a dozen of them out there though. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 I agree with you all things considered except price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I agree with you all things considered except price. Well good prices can be had. One of our members ,April, found one a while back for 5 grand. Bought it from the original owner who just didn't know how much they were worth. Like winning the lottery though. Pure luck Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 I think id like a v6 5 speed oddysey 4x4 like our famous wood stove alaska person has. Minus the wood stove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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