Advice Needed Regarding 1980 Toyota Rv Purchase

[jacumja]

I'm a long time Toyota head, never had anything but Toyotas. Anyway long story short I lost my last business, just caught my girlfriend cheating on me and with my back against the employment wall I have 1 way to go. I need to hit the road and build a new revenue stream. I'm 6'3 and don't need much besides my dog. My work will include hitting every real city in North and South Carolina 1 time a month. I'm planning to relocate from the Coast to Charlotte or Columbia so I can be in the middle. I'd clearly like to live in the RV while on the road. As some city stops will require an overnight or two stay. But I'd also like to live in it at least for a few months while I get my money back together.

Anyhow I found this really cheap Toy Rv locally. I'll be the first to admit I'm not sure why they painted it that awful child molester shade of black. But the inside looks okay and I can get it painted. My questions are the following..

-tandem wheel axle, is that part of the whole bad axle ordeal or will it get by? Remember its me (210lbs) and my 90lb pitt bull.

-How rough of a ride on the interstate is the early 80's Toyota RV? I'm sure I can ad cruise control and I could care less about acceleration. Also only 1 trip a month into Mountain area the rest are foot hills.

-If this is a bad buy I'll stay away. But not to offend I have roughly $3k to spend. With that said if I can upgrade to newer one in 6 months will this one get me by? Also do we know of any other small RV's in my price range? I'd prefer to stick with Toy's but if I can't I can't.

Thank you in advance and I'll hang up and take advice now.

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[fred heath]

That double axle setup is interesting. Only seen one other home like that. Your in luck as far as the bad axles go. The axles that were problems were the 1/2 ton with fake duel rear wheels.

I'm guessing the front axle is attached to the driveline and the rear set goes along for the ride. This is good from a weight distribution standpoint.

The drivetrain mechanicals are the same as a 1/2 ton pickup. Keep in mind this is a 34 year old vehicle. There is bound to be mechanical issues that need fixing. One biggy will be tires. ($600-1000). Allow yourself enough extra in the budget to make necessary repairs.

Mechanically the engine is much simpler than newer models. Chances are its a 20R motor with 4 speed trans. No computer and primitive emissions equipment.

Test drive it. See if all appliances are working. But remember these old toys are always needing something fixed on them. That's the fun of owning one. Fred

1979 Galavan.

The "runs and drives" usually means there are mechanical issues.

[Maineah]

Interesting piece. The axles will support the weight they were only used for a short while and probably for a good reason I think they were called Travette. The ride is tolerable it will be SLOW that is some thing you will have to get used to.

[FredNewell]

My input may be worth exactly what you're paying for it, but here goes.

I'm approaching this as if the black RV may or may not be the one you buy...

You and I are about the same size. My MH is a side bath, as yours appears to be.

Try sitting on the commode - do your knees fit with the door closed? Try standing in the shower? Can you? Got big feet with boots that need more space?

Just sayin...

If you have a place to park and/or service the tanks, then the work & travel thing could be ok.

If in RV parks, the pit bull may be a problem in terms of what dog breeds are restricted (by the park). Some parks restrict dogs to less than 25 lbs.

Can you leave the vehicle with the dog in it? What if it's hot and sunny - how hot will the cabin be for the dog?

Just some thoughts.

All in all, this sounds like a good adventure for the right person.

There will be things that don't work and need fixed. If using RV parks, there will be daily expenses. But you can live (eat) out of your portable kitchen, which will save money.

By the way, the rig you showed is sorta cool... not cute, but cool... in my opinion. My wife wouldn't like it, but it would make a great man-cave.

[Derek up North]

Looks really rough, especially the 'house' part. The inside doesn't look too bad but redecorating it was probably like putting lipstick on a pig. It looks as though the cab-over was collapsing and has been propped up with some angle iron. The side walls are all rippled. Inside there's a cheap dorm fridge and the generator is going to be too noisy to use near anyone else trying to sleep.

I'd keep looking!

[Derek up North]

BTW, I don't know exactly what work you're planning to do while you drive around North and South Carolina, but I think that pulling up in the found 'pig' would scare quite a few potential employers. If you're planning to boondock, I suspect the 'look' would get quite a few requests from local authorities to 'move along'.

Any chance you'd fit into a conversion van temporarily?

[jacumja]

I plan to immediately repaint the rig to all white. Just so it doesn't scream "I touch children in this thing".

Thank you for the axle input. As far as repairing thing goes I'm assuming I will have repairs.

As far as the heat and my dog. I'll essentially be making stops in towns and visiting vendors. I'll drive the rig from vendor to vendor but while parked for an hour or maybe two. I'd planned to run him a fan or ac. Is that not possible? If not how the heck would I live in this thing and sleep in it for 8 hour stretches? Or am I missing something?

I noticed the ripples on the side of the body. Can some one go into that?

As far as the over cab prop up it doesn't bother me as I'd likely use it for storage and sleep in the back bed.

Being that it has the side bathroom does that mean the toilet is in the shower pan?

Edited February 26, 2014 by jacumja

[FredNewell]

I plan to immediately repaint the rig to all white. Just so it doesn't scream "I touch children in this thing".

Thank you for the axle input. As far as repairing thing goes I'm assuming I will have repairs.

As far as the heat and my dog. I'll essentially be making stops in towns and visiting vendors. I'll drive the rig from vendor to vendor but while parked for an hour or maybe two. I'd planned to run him a fan or ac. Is that not possible? If not how the heck would I live in this thing and sleep in it for 8 hour stretches? Or am I missing something?

I noticed the ripples on the side of the body. Can some one go into that?

As far as the over cab prop up it doesn't bother me as I'd likely use it for storage and sleep in the back bed.

Being that it has the side bathroom does that mean the toilet is in the shower pan?

Side bath doesn't mean toilet in the shower pan, in most cases. In mine, there is a separate toilet, but the shower contains the little sink. It's all behind one door across from the kitchen. The driver's headrest is against the shower wall.

For livability like you're seeking, it sounds like everything has to be available ready to go at any given time. What happens if the generator dies, or if another appliance quits? It happens on these older rigs. If you have deep pockets, no big deal. If your back is against the wall, your can be in a tough spot.

Keep thinking and listening... something will come up that makes sense.

[jacumja]

Thank you for your response Fred. To be upfront if I'm on the road and things fail it will be okay because on the road = money. I keep a membership with Golds Gym nationally so I can always park and shower with them. If my oven or generator fails I'll obviously have to get it repaired or fix it. I'd be spending $50-$75 to lug my stuff into a hotel every night anyway.

I don't care for how they removed the stove top/oven or the sink/meal prep area.

Edited February 26, 2014 by jacumja

[fred heath]

if it's the 20R motor chances are, giving the mileage, the front crank oil seal will need replacing. This is a common fail item with the mileage you have. If it hasn't been replaced that would be my first recommendation. These things don't start out as a small leak. They go from nothing to dumping oil like crazy. That being said, the 20R is probably one of the best motors Toyota ever built. They are very durable.

Second big area is the clutch. This clutch was never designed to move the kind of weight a motorhome carries. Chances are it will also need to be replaced. Better to do it at home than have a breakdown on the road.

Finally, my personal opinion is forget the paint job. put your money into the mechanicals. A pretty paint job will do you no good when you breakdown on the side of the road.

[Dolphinite no longer here]

For a number of reasons, I would be careful with this RV. All that paint, both inside and out, can hide a multitude of things wrong. Go over this rig very carefully, particularly inside. Press against the interior paneling everywhere below the windows, all of them. Just use your fingertips and gently press in. If the walls are rotten, the paneling will give quite a bit.

Check every electrical thing both inside and outside the rig. If the owner said that he "never used that thing", assume it doesn't work. Same with any plumbing.

How old are the tires? Does the engine oil look clean and smell like fresh oil? Any drips underneath, of anything?

John

[jacumja]

Good advice guys and I'll definitely crawl through it like I work for the IRS. I typically was planning to focus on the motor, drive train, bushings, leaf springs and rotten tires

etc. But I most certainly will be looking for rotten walls now.

Any other trouble areas are greatly appreciated.

[bas_vossen]

Five years since the last post. Do you still have the Travette?