Retroben Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Hey everyone- I'm in the market for a Toyota Motorhome. Here are links to the units I'm considering. The first one is in Phoenix, which is a long way out of my way, but seems like it might be worth the trip, or...too good to be true. The rest are all priced in the same ballpark , and all close to where I hope to be starting a year on the road with my significant other. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/rvs/4874763953.html http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4910468175.htmlhttp://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4909425806.htmlhttp://chico.craigslist.org/rvs/4900429518.htmlhttp://chico.craigslist.org/rvs/4857205717.html Opinions are what I'm here for! Thanks, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbit Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I'd lean toward the 86 sunrader because I like them. I like fiberglass, it seems more aerodynamic and I believe it's a little lighter. I base that on comparing mine to a friend's dolphin. We have only gotten 19 mpg once, not sure how it happened, but our usual mileage is around 14 mpg. Exterior leaks do happen, but they are easier to find (usually) and don't cause structural compromise that you might see on a wood frame camper that has leaked. Rot. The sea breeze is manual and that is a plus! Really different choices in color and layout. the 86 sunrader has something going on with the ceiling of the bunk over the cab. The dolphin is nice too, but check carefully for leaks and water damage to frame. My big deal now is water. Damage from leaks and plumbing leaks. After buying 3 toy homes; our dolphin, sunrader and dads dolphin, I'd pick the one I like the layout on, the one that looks the most well maintained, the one that seems built the best. (There seems to be lots of quality levels among the models.) Well this is just my opinion, and others know more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 There are 2 schools of thought on this depending on your skill level's and willingness to get dirty. One is to try and find a unit that has been well maintained and had all the work done on it at a good price. 2nd is to find a unit that is solid structurally and do all the work it needs. This is the route I took. I spent much time reading through this forum and Yahoo groups seeing what problems people were having so I knew what to look for when I went to see units. From my experience the #1 offender is tires, old tires with lots of thread on them and some tire shine applied. I consider a tire over 7 years old unusable, mine were 14 years old and one blew on the way home and lost another one shortly after. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11 Good luck JIm SW FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroben Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 Thank you. I'm hip on the tires - I restore old Honda motorcycles and often people actually advertise a 1970's bike with "original tires, ready to ride". Yeah right -- exactly one ride you'll get. Immediately followed by a ride in a vehicle with flashing lights. Seven years is the max I'd feel comfortable with on tires regardless of remaining tread, and that's pushing it. Otherwise, I'd really rather not get into a project that will require work right away just to roll down the road safely and stay dry inside. Most of the owners of these I've talked to have said they have maintenance records and the vehicles are mechanically sound and recently smogged. I am not afraid of old Toyotas, love them as a matter of fact and have the tools and knowledge to do maintenance and most engine-in repairs. As for color schemes, my girlfriend's an artist, we'll figure something out :-) Thanks again, I might be posting with more questions and eventually with pictures of my new rig! Ben Cleveland, OH Grass Valley, CA And points beyond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I'd pick something that has the same wheels front and back so one spare will replace a flat no matter where it is. Some in those URLs you posted do not. And yeah, I know - some people say "no spare" needed for the rear since there are duallies. If I'm in the middle of nowhere and get a flat, I want to the ability to stick a spare on and not worry about a flat dually catching fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanman Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Juat put new tires on Mary's car. Told them to leave newest tire ( rt front) for spare, date code was 0710. As I understand it thats 7 week of 2010 they used the left front which says 5309. What week is 53 ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I've got tires that are 15 years old on one of my plow trucks. I go by any appearance of dry-rot rather then the date-code. I've never yet had a tire blow-out from age that did not show any signs of dry-rot-cracking. I've had some go bad in 5 years and some last past 15 years. That all said, the once great state of New York is trying to enact a new law that makes driving with a tire over 10 years old on a public highway to be illegal. I'd rather see the D.O.T. pass some regs about rubber-compounds used to make tires more uniform and suffer sun exposure and lack-of-frequent-use better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Thank you. I'm hip on the tires - I restore old Honda motorcycles and often people actually advertise a 1970's bike with "original tires, ready to ride". Yeah right -- exactly one ride you'll get. Immediately followed by a ride in a vehicle with flashing lights. Seven years is the max I'd feel comfortable with on tires regardless of remaining tread, and that's pushing it. Otherwise, I'd really rather not get into a project that will require work right away just to roll down the road safely and stay dry inside. Most of the owners of these I've talked to have said they have maintenance records and the vehicles are mechanically sound and recently smogged. I am not afraid of old Toyotas, love them as a matter of fact and have the tools and knowledge to do maintenance and most engine-in repairs. As for color schemes, my girlfriend's an artist, we'll figure something out :-) Thanks again, I might be posting with more questions and eventually with pictures of my new rig! Ben Cleveland, OH Grass Valley, CA And points beyond. Welcome to the forum and good luck with your search. JIm SW FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroben Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Has anyone seen a double-axle 1980 Dolphin? I drove this one yesterday. Drivetrain seemed good but the suspension seems shot. By the time the owner met us it was almost dark, so I couldn't see too well underneath. Looks like a trailer suspension though. Drove like a nervous elephant. http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4940550703.html Then there's this: http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/rvd/4909368033.html I'm leaning toward this unit now that I've had a chance to see what's out there for the money. His asking price is a bit on the high side for my budget but probably not out of the question if he'll bargain a little, and the unit is clean, which I'm finding is an exception rather than the rule. There was a low-mileage 4-cyl 22RE 1985 Sunrader unit for $6K not too far from here, but it is so moldy inside it would take some serious ripping out of veneer and probably insulation to get it clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 His asking price is right where it should be for a V6 Sunrader. They often sell for much higher Linda S Just looked at the mileage. it's a steal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Has anyone seen a double-axle 1980 Dolphin? I drove this one yesterday. Drivetrain seemed good but the suspension seems shot. By the time the owner met us it was almost dark, so I couldn't see too well underneath. Looks like a trailer suspension though. Drove like a nervous elephant. http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4940550703.html Then there's this: http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/rvd/4909368033.html I'm leaning toward this unit now that I've had a chance to see what's out there for the money. His asking price is a bit on the high side for my budget but probably not out of the question if he'll bargain a little, and the unit is clean, which I'm finding is an exception rather than the rule. There was a low-mileage 4-cyl 22RE 1985 Sunrader unit for $6K not too far from here, but it is so moldy inside it would take some serious ripping out of veneer and probably insulation to get it clean. do you mean you can actually see mold or that it just smells like it has mold? If you can't see any I would pull up the over-cab mattress and check to see if things feel damp near the area of the windows. Do a sniff test on the underside of the mattress fabric and look for mildew under there. If it is damp it indicates you either have leaking gaskets on the windows or clearance lights or the screw that hold on the trim band that runs around the body join have penetrated through the shell. Both situations can be fixed. The mattress cover will need to be cleaned and treated to remove odor as well as the foam in the mattress. It is not a deal breaker if you are a DIY person but definitely should become a price adjustment bargaining position. Not that you will get always get a price adjustment as they can just sell at the same price to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroben Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Mold is visible, lots of it, no maybes about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbit Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Wow, I like that sunrader! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Mold is visible, lots of it, no maybes about it. I would walk away from that one, sure indication of neglect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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