New owner 1985 Toyota Coachmen 4sp manual

[Wade]

Hello everyone and THANK YOU for this wonderful resource!

Been out of the RV thing for about 10yrs. This will be my 2nd. First was a 1976 Dodge Eldorado that my wife “had to have”;-)  She thought we got a great deal and we sure did have a lot of fun it. I am hoping that my fun to work quotient will be much closer to hers with the Toyota.

The Dodge was a 360 V8 moving a coach about the same size as the toy without the rooftop air or duals. Very easy and enjoyable to drive.  That being said,  the 8-9 mpg that went along with it was simply not acceptable.  I was always telling her that if it was my decision we would have got a Toyota.  What do you know, some times she actually hears me;-)  Once again she simply “had to have” an RV and this time it was a Toyota.

I have a few questions I would like to ask this great community.  First I would like to lay out my thinking of how I am approaching this purchase.  My hope is to not only have a reality check for my thinking but also to help others by using the collective wisdom to demonstrate how to safely enjoy our mini homes on wheels.

So we have an RV…

I want to be able to take my grandson without worrying about his life or being stuck by the side of the road. I also would like to keep this for a long time and be able to boondock in  comfort.  Was not expecting to simply buy a 31 year old MH and have it meet those criteria.
 
This was a Craigslist purchase for $3,500 near Memorial day in Minneapolis. Certainly with more time and patience a better deal could be had but this is what she found and wanted now.  Looks like it has been maintained pretty well and the inevitable water damage appears to be minor. From what I could see by crawling around underneath the rust didn’t appear too bad. Ran well and I was surprised at how adequately it got up to speed. Bought it.

In the spirit of this thread I would like to point out that the first thing you should do before a purchase like this is to fully inspect all systems and that involves a lift and knowledge. Also in the spirit of what I hope this thread becomes sometimes you won’t.

In  my case we bought it without adequate inspection.  My thought was that it was actually a $6k purchase and I hope that my inadequate inspection is good enough.  To me, $6k is certainly not an unreasonable expense for a 21’ motorhome with a 22re 4spd and 6 bolt floater. Everyone’s value choice is different and from what little shopping I have done price and condition vary so widely that it is hard to even make any sort of judgement on this.

First stop was to a competent tire shop for chassis and brake inspection. No major rust damage so time to continue. New rear brake cyl, shoes, emergency brake repair, diff fluid change, transmission oil change, all wheel bearings re-packed, and 6 new tires will leave me with about $1k left to work with.  To me this step wasn’t optional and while I could have done everything other than the tires myself, not having to crawl around underneath was worth the extra expense.

Some people will just get in and go and just wait for something to break. These are Toyotas after all. I would prefer to address likely failures and hope to enjoy trouble free use.

Next step will be to go through the 30K and 60K maintenance schedules and replace all cooling system hoses and vacuum lines. Hopefully the EGR valve is good as that would take a big chunk out of the remaining budget. The other stuff should be pretty minor expense wise (all tolled about as much as the EGR valve).

The first time I have enough days of dry weather I intend to re-seal the coach seams. Looks like some kind of white rubber paint is on them now.  Any recommendations for the best way to do this?

Anyone know where to get the vinyl trim that goes between the glass and the metal window frames on the outside?

Have to get the proper horizontal LP tank for it. Have had it hooked up to a BBQ grill cyl and the system did not leak and fridge burner and stove worked. Haven’t went through the water heater or furnace yet.

Shore power works but haven’t put a house battery in yet and haven’t confirmed the operation of the isolation relay.  Also plan to replace all the cabin lights with LEDs.  Setup for generator but not on the priority list for this year and likely would blow the budget for this year anyway;-)  Rooftop air is fine for guest room use but boon docking I would prefer to live without it rather than run a generator even if I did have one.

Faucet needs repacking and toilet valve needs fixing / replacing. Haven't filled the house tank yet so I don’t know if there are issues with the pump or tank yet.  City water works other than noted.

The last part of this long post is the worst. Have a Dometic RM461 with a bad cooling unit. I have found two different people selling rebuilt cooling units for about $400. One charges $500 but will refund $100 on core return.  Looks like it will run closer to $800 for a brand new fridge and then of course I will have to remove the seat to get it in.  Repair or Replace?  Any experience with either?

That’s how I am approaching my 1985 21’ Coachman. Look forward to comments!  My ideas have already been compared to crazy on this site and that is OK with me — just as long as I learn something.

Wade

 

 

 

 

[zero]

3 hours ago, Wade said:

The Dodge was a 360 V8 moving a coach about the same size as the toy without the rooftop air or duals. Very easy and enjoyable to drive.  That being said,  the 8-9 mpg that went along with it was simply not acceptable. 

Faucet needs repacking 

The last part of this long post is the worst. Have a Dometic RM461 with a bad cooling unit. I have found two different people selling rebuilt cooling units for about $400. One charges $500 but will refund $100 on core return.  Looks like it will run closer to $800 for a brand new fridge

Wade

 

You were doing good with your Dodge (Class B I assume). I had a 1973 Champion Class A, 20 feet long, 318 V8 and three-speed auto trans.  It got a consistent 6 MPG no matter how I drove it.

I don't know what you have for faucets.  The worked on a 86 Dolphin and my 88 Minicruiser and both had faucets that could not be "repacked" in the old conventional fashion. Just needed new cartridges.  Both had Phoenix faucets and took  Danco # 18593B cartridges to fix.

I've never had a dead three-way refrigerator yet. Maybe because all I've had came from the northeast or midwest?  I have a barn full of them that still work fine - even two from the mid-70s.   I just passed up two supposedly good working Dometics that were offered to me for free.  No shortage around here it seems. I suspect a new one is going to cost you the purchase price plus another $300 just to ship unless you know a dealer who can work around that truck-shipping charge.  That being said, many parts are not longer available for your old Dometic.  Putting in a new cooling unit does NOT make it a new refrigerator.  You still have a chimney to fall apart, a gas valve and thermostat to go bad, etc.   If I had to buy a three way (I never would) - I'd buy new.   I am taking out a good-working Dometic in my 88 soon and replacing it with an electric.

[Wade]

Thanks for the info on the faucets! 

Actually my dodge was a class C on a 1 ton van cab at about 18'.  Don't remember the exact length but for a short time I had a 1989 Cadillac Brougham and it was a few inches longer! I always liked the 318 but I guess I can't complain about the 360 as IIRC the worst I ever got on it was about 6.5 and that was going 70+ on my way to Duluth.  My goal was always to crack double digits  and I may have once or twice. Thought it should have though as the total weight was a touch under 6K fully loaded.  Had the full float axle set up for duals but did not have them.  Also did not have roof top unit and was probably not even a full foot wider than the van cab.  A touch over 8 was pretty much the norm.

Don't suppose you are going to be making a trip to the Twin Cities and want to unload one of those working units;-)

I agree with you about the repair vs replace decision but trying to convince my wife is another matter;-)  She thinks I can and should fix anything!

Wade

PS. The cadi had a 307 olds and IIRC in the Delta 88 those were actually fairly efficient. It sure was a dog in the Cad though.  Any sort of head wind on the freeway and you had to be into the 4 barrel just to maintain speed. 15mpg was a good day.  Quite possibly the worst car I ever owned.

 

Edited June 6, 2016 by Wade

[zero]

10 hours ago, Wade said:

 

I agree with you about the repair vs replace decision but trying to convince my wife is another matter;-)  She thinks I can and should fix anything!

Wade

I'll sell you a working three-way for $50 if you can find a way to get it. I am NOT getting involved in any truck-shipping and strapping to pallets, etc.  I've got one right now that is constantly in my way, in my pole-barn.  Came out of a 1981 Coachmen Cadet truck-camper. I tested it while in NY. Ran it for a week and it worked fine on DC, AC, and propane. Dometic RM16. I had a heck of time getting it out of the camper and had to remove some sheet-metal from the front. It is all there; just has to have some of that metal frame put back on.  I have four others in that "bigger" size but those are put away safely down my basement. I also have a Japanese three-way the same size that works perfect.  A friend from Florida borrowed it every summer for the past 10 years to camp for two months out in his NY field.  Now that I moved to MI, it is here.

I suspect the three-ways lasted so long in NY because many campers only got used a week or so per year.  When I moved last year, I junked a 1973 Jayco camper-trailer that had a Dometic in it that worked perfectly.  It irked me to scrap it, but when moving I ran out of time and could not get the refrigerator out.  Also note that scrapping campers in not easy.  Car crusher will not take them.

I am at the northern tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan.  ZIP 49743.

[Wade]

The little things can be fun:-)

Emergency bake cable that the Tire shop ordered was not correct for the mounting plate. Shop could only find one correct one and that was in Taiwan.  I called Jerry at 22RE Performance and he was able to find one from Toyota and will be shipping it to the Tire Shop as soon as He gets it.  Bummer. I was really looking forward to getting my new rig on the road.

On the plus side I decided to have them pack the front wheel bearings while doing the tires even though the front brakes looked really good as though they had just recently been replace. When they removed them to get at the bearings, rust had taken over the pads and the slides. Glad that they had to clean and re-lube everything as I will have enough to do when I get it back;-)  This is not the first time I have had a caliper look great but have sticking issues from rust. Glad it was taken care of before I started using it.

Will keep you updated and the project goes forward but for now it is delayed and I am OK with that as the whole point of going through all these things now is that hopefully I won't be stuck away from home waiting for a hard to locate part.

jdemaris. THANKS for the note about the fridge. Would love a road trip to MI but not sure I can justify the time right now and clearly I still don't know what my budget is going to be.

Wade

[zero]

41 minutes ago, Wade said:

 

On the plus side I decided to have them pack the front wheel bearings

Wade

What about the rear wheel bearings? They have to be packed and adjusted now and then, just like the front. Something that seems to be often overlooked since it's a lot more work.

[Wade]

49 minutes ago, jdemaris said:

What about the rear wheel bearings? They have to be packed and adjusted now and then, just like the front. Something that seems to be often overlooked since it's a lot more work.

Great point! Basically the first thing I wanted to do as part of new tires was to completely go through the rear axle brakes and bearings.  Good thing too as the left slave cylinder had been leaking fluid and it had already contaminated the outer bearing!  I trust the tire shop so it was really nice to just have them do this;-)  You are right in that the rear axle is a bunch more work.

Funny that I remember thinking disks were so complicated and difficult. I had all the tools for shoes and drums and thought they were so much easier. (At least that is what I think I remember;-)  Now days I don't have my old brake tools and I really would rather not work on drum based brakes if I don't have to.  (Rear drum on my motorcycle excepted;-)

Edited June 7, 2016 by Wade

[Wade]

Finally ready for the shake down cruise! Still way too much to do but I want to put some miles on it and make sure that things will be OK. So far I have changed out nearly every hose on the engine. Below are the before and after pics.  Hope to go to the bluffs of the Mississippi and perhaps Lake Pepin. Have had it up and down the Mississippi valley a few times as I live right next to it in Minneapolis and have taken the Toy to St Paul a number of times;-)

So this was probably a crazy thing to undertake. Especially as the second project (tires, brakes and wheel bearings first).  However, when I read through the thread about what some of you carry for tools (Love the welder story!) I am hoping to avoid the need for tools. Can't wait to update on the trip. Will be interesting to see how it does loaded. I am more than happy with the performance empty.  Have a great 4th everyone!

Wade

 

[markwilliam1]

HI Wade! We've been walking the same path. I have completed most of the mechanical work on my 85 Granville and it was Extensive Man! Having sat for 5 years Everything was either dry rotted or rusted! The rig only has 36K on it But....from a complete replacement of All front and rear brakes & parts, suspension, tires, hoses, fluids, plus replacing everything in the engine that I could....you name it! The only things that were "good" were the brake lines and the rear leaf springs. Unreal how much damage can happen while just sitting. I had another member, Mr.Al Script,  advise me on the steps to take..very helpful. Like you I don't want to breakdown somewhere! Now in the long process of sealing the Coach and roof. So to find the window bead seals my local Camping World suggested Parkin Accessories (who they order from)) 1-800-637-8938 www.parkin-acc.com. If you call they will want to know the maker of your windows as all the seals are different (of course!) I have no idea who made mine in 1985! I requested a catalog and was able to match a seal from the pictures. They even sent me a sample to confirm. Sweet but Expensive! Around $14 a foot but the only place I could find. They have everything! Hope this helps. BTW, how did you get your valve cover to clean up so well? Mine looks like your original pic and I can't get the stains off. Good Luck and Happy 4th!! Mark

[zero]

20 hours ago, Wade said:

Finally ready for the shake down cruise! Still way too much to do but I want to put some miles on it and make sure that things will be OK. So far I have changed out nearly every hose on the engine.

Wade

Here's one added thing to think about. I usually put a new water-pump on any vehicle  I get if the history is unknown.  Many  vee-belt-driven water pumps fail at 75K miles.  It just uses a sealed ball-bearing and if it fails, it can mean ruining your radiator, blowing a head-gasket, or worse.  THAT being said - on the first "shake-down" trip with my 1988 Toyota Minicruiser?  I got lazy. I took the belts off and spun all the stuff that is belt-driven.  Alternator bearings, AC pump bearings, tension idlers, and the water-pump all felt tight and smooth.  So I did NOT take my own advice.   We set out to move from our place in NY to northern MI. 800 miles. I was driving a large moving truck and a trailer.  My wife drove the Toyota. I followed behind and we stayed in contact with two-way radios. We had not even gotten out of NY state yet - on an Interstate - when my wife said the temp gauge was going up. I said "how much" and see said "all the way."  I said "oh sh*t . . pull over" but it was too late.  Bearing had seized in the water pump, fan had broken right off, put a big gouge in the radiator and head-gasket was blown BIG TIME.  In fact, at first the engine was so hot it was seized and the starter could not crank it over.  Later when it cooled, it started up OK.  We had to have the RV towed and left at a shop.   We had farm animals with the moving truck and had to keep going.  When all done - paying for the fix, and paying for a rental car to later drive 1200 miles to get the Toyota - we were out over $2000.  ALL that for a $20 water-pump that had seemed to be fine.  NEVER AGAIN.  Sad thing is - I had a brand new water-pump with me along with a complete engine gasket set.  All in my "spare parts" bin I carry in the RV.

[linda s]

3 hours ago, markwilliam1 said:

HI Wade! We've been walking the same path. I have completed most of the mechanical work on my 85 Granville and it was Extensive Man! Having sat for 5 years Everything was either dry rotted or rusted! The rig only has 36K on it But....from a complete replacement of All front and rear brakes & parts, suspension, tires, hoses, fluids, plus replacing everything in the engine that I could....you name it! The only things that were "good" were the brake lines and the rear leaf springs. Unreal how much damage can happen while just sitting. I had another member, Mr.Al Script,  advise me on the steps to take..very helpful. Like you I don't want to breakdown somewhere! Now in the long process of sealing the Coach and roof. So to find the window bead seals my local Camping World suggested Parkin Accessories (who they order from)) 1-800-637-8938 www.parkin-acc.com. If you call they will want to know the maker of your windows as all the seals are different (of course!) I have no idea who made mine in 1985! I requested a catalog and was able to match a seal from the pictures. They even sent me a sample to confirm. Sweet but Expensive! Around $14 a foot but the only place I could find. They have everything! Hope this helps. BTW, how did you get your valve cover to clean up so well? Mine looks like your original pic and I can't get the stains off. Good Luck and Happy 4th!! Mark

I don't know what you bought but window glazing bead cost less than 2 bucks a foot.

http://www.all-rite.com/window-parts-c-60.html

Please tell me what you paid 14 bucks a foot for.

Linda S

[Wade]

On 7/4/2016 at 8:45 AM, markwilliam1 said:

BTW, how did you get your valve cover to clean up so well? Mine looks like your original pic and I can't get the stains off. Good Luck and Happy 4th!! Mark

Mark,

First I started with brake parts cleaner.  Went through a can and figured I would need at least 3 or 4 more cans to clean it.  In hind sight I probably should have used the scotch brite with the brake parts cleaner and I might have got in in one or perhaps two cans.

Probably the best answer would have been to take it to a car wash.  However, I wanted to have it on the road faster than I would have been comfortable with having the area under the top dried out.

I ended up getting a can of engine degreaser from O'Rielys and using that with a scotch brite pad. Nasty stuff.  I miss the old days when you could get parts cleaner and a brush but apparently those chemicals were even worse or the new ones just found a different loop hole. Who knows.

I am happy that I now have a leak free engine and it is clean enough so that I should see it right away if anything starts to leak. It will also be nice as I know the cover will be off more than "normal" as I have no idea what kind of valve seats the rebuilders that O'Reily used installed. I know that I adjusted 3 valves when I was doing that project and there is only 2k on the engine.  Will definitely check again in the fall to see if it was just sloppy workmanship or if the seats are working in.

Wade

 

[Wade]

On 7/4/2016 at 9:14 AM, jdemaris said:

Here's one added thing to think about. I usually put a new water-pump on any vehicle  I get if the history is unknown.  Many  vee-belt-driven water pumps fail at 75K miles.  It just uses a sealed ball-bearing and if it fails, it can mean ruining your radiator, blowing a head-gasket, or worse. ... When all done - paying for the fix, and paying for a rental car to later drive 1200 miles to get the Toyota - we were out over $2000.  ALL that for a $20 water-pump that had seemed to be fine.  NEVER AGAIN.  Sad thing is - I had a brand new water-pump with me along with a complete engine gasket set.  All in my "spare parts" bin I carry in the RV.

WOW! that is one sad story!  While I am sorry that you went through it, I am grateful that you shared your experience. Reminds me that I definitely should go through the alternator before going far away from home.  As for the water pump that was part of the rebuild 2k miles ago.  Hopefully would have failed by now.

[Wade]

Post shakedown update:

The good:

Full of water, LP, a weekends worth of gear and my wife and I, it ran smooth and cool. Frankly I am impressed at how much power it has. I put in a new factory OEM thermostat as my gauge was running a little below the middle. It is still there and after a solid run and the gauge not moving even going up a solid grade, my IR gun showed the hotest part or the cooling system at 210 and most of it in the 180 -190 range. Coolant was right where I put it in the tank on initial setup when I checked it after the big hills. Drops a little when it is cold.

Basically, for most of the driving I will be doing, power will not be an issue. I wanted to take the shakedown through hills that I remember having to downshift on in my new 1984 or 85 company truck (F150 with a 300 six).  That was the only time I had to go into 3rd going up a hill.  Frankly I think I could have made one of them if I would have hit it doing 65.  I am certainly comfortable doing 55 or 60 going up a hill in 3rd if I need to. Typically shift a bit lower than that unless trying to get onto the freeway but given that the owners manual says I can go something like 90 in third it just isn't an issue to me.

FWIW, I parked it on a closed elevator scale and looking through the window I am pretty sure I saw 5560 with my wife in the truck and I won't tell you what I saw with her out of it;-)  My acceptance of the power might be because we are a bit on the light side for these things and we certainly have more that we will load up. I also will be doing a certified scale one of these days to get axle weights.  However, it looks like we will be right about at the listed max going down the road. Probably not too much over as many are.

Coach power was great. Had enough to run a fan with my inverter as well as a powered speaker and recharge my laptop. Battery charged fine on trip home.

Water was great with the freshly cleaned pump.

The marginal:

Body roll in the wind. Not really bad but definitely can keep you on your toes. I can see myself doing some suspension upgrades after everything else gets fixed they way I want it.  There are those here who would say I run way to high of PSI on my tires and I may go lower and see if that makes a difference. Right now I am running 60PSI in the duals and 50 up front. The tires are running nice and cool and consistent as they are.

The bad:

Thought the problem with my gas tank was the return hose.  When putting gas in, when the pump nozzle kicks off, gas drips out from underneath and I can't see exactly where from. Replaced the hose with a hole in it and it still drips after cut off. Am hoping it is just the big filler hose connection as while I can't see it, it doesn't feel quite right just past the clamp.  The gas gauge has also quit working. So, I can't fill up and I don't have a gauge. Not good!  No idea what my MPG is but have been assuming 15 and it appears to be better than that or I probably would have been in trouble by now.  Can't wait to get that fixed for obvious reasons as well as the fact that I want to see what I am really getting.

The ugly:

The last leg of my trip was going into the Minneapolis St Paul metro on the freeway in heavy traffic. At one point I found myself going 70 MPH and it really didn't bother me a bit. I don't need to go that fast and don't want to burn the gas. Didn't think it would be something that the little Toy would even be able to do without feeling like it was going to fly apart. Apparently it will do it just fine;-)

 

Wade

 

[linda s]

90mph in 3rd would put your rpm's at over 6500. I think your engine would blow up before you get that speed. glad your camper is working out well for you though.

Linda S

[Derek up North]

For an automatic, 90mph <5000 rpm in 3rd (i.e. not OD).

[zero]

9 minutes ago, Derek up North said:

For an automatic, 90mph <5000 rpm in 3rd (i.e. not OD).

How do you come up with that figure?   We are talking about a trans with a torque-converter,right? A  high-roof Toyota RV is likely to have 20% torque-converter slippage if trying to push it that fast. I suspect RPM would be more like 6000 RPM @ 90 MPH with a 4.1 rear and 25.5" tires.

[Derek up North]

Due to insufficient caffeine intake before posting, I failed to notice that way up in the title, we're talking about a 4 speed (manual, I assume).

I don't know what transmission 'slippage' ratios the calculators use. Or if there's one that uses an accurate figure for Toyota Motorhomes.

https://www.ringpinion.com/calculators/Calc_RPM.aspx

http://www.crawlpedia.com/rpm_gear_calculator.htm

They're close enough for my simple needs.

EDIT:- All kind of academic, since I don't suppose there's anyone who has tried to do 90mph in 3rd.

[zero]

Maybe I'm mistaken and my brain is polluted with info from too many posts. I thought we were talking 3rd gear with an auto-trans.  Any standard torque-converter under normal highway speeds has around 15% slippage.   Now - a high-roof Toyota trying to push 90 (which is likely impossible).  I'd guess at least 20% slippage and lots of excess heat.   Obviously NOT an issue with a standard trans.  It takes around 76 horsepower to push a 21 foot high-roof Toyota RV @ 65 MPH.      It takes 51 horsepower to run @ 55 MPH.  I suspect a 22RE would run out of power before 90 MPH.

That's the neat thing about a little Toyota Chinook with a pop-up roof.  Uses 35 horsepower(approx.) @ 65 MPH.

[zero]

Some added comments.   Toyota allows a max. of 55.8 square-feet of frontal-area for an RV coach mounted on their truck.   Obvisously this area varies by make.

An RV with that max  of 55.8 square-feet frontal area, with a drag co-ef. of .9, and a weight of 5500 lbs. needs 94 HP to go 65 MPH and 250 HP to go  90 MPH.
A 22RE maxes out at 105 HP @ 4800 RPM.

My 1988 Minicruiser has 55.3 square-feet of frontal-area.  It weighs around 5800 lbs. and sometimes more.  I figure it has a drag-coefficient of .7.   So, at 70 MPH it takes 104.7;horsepower and that means my 22RE is pretty much maxed out at 70 MPH.

[Wade]

6 hours ago, linda s said:

90mph in 3rd would put your rpm's at over 6500. I think your engine would blow up before you get that speed. glad your camper is working out well for you though.

Linda S

Linda,

After my brain misfire on the Chlorine concentration, I had to double check to make sure I remembered correctly;-)  I did and I don't think my engine would ever have enough power to reach that speed. However, if it were going down a big enough hill, according to Toyota, it could go that fast without exceeding the max RPMs. I was going to get a tach until I actually read the owners manual. My ear and common sense are plenty adequate. Red line is way beyond where I would go even if I could. Also, I am pretty sure if I were to ever put it on a dyno, the curve would drop noticeably before red line and I already feel that and shift accordingly.

Perhaps Coachman is a bit more slippery than others. I know that I am plenty high and have a rooftop A/C but I am nearly certain that I am not using close to 95 HP at 65 mph.  That would be very near all it has and it just doesn't take that much pedal to keep it there. I actually find myself setting the cruise at 59 because it is too easy to get up around 65 without sticking my foot way deep into it.  OTOH, perhaps my speedo is off 5mph or so?  Perhaps 65 is really 60?

Yes I am talking about a 4 speed MANUAL transmission. No torque converter involved.  Here is the actual owners manual.  Read the chart for yourself and let me know if I am seeing cross eyed or something.

 

[linda s]

I put the numbers with your trannie into a gear calculator and that's what I came up with. I used the W46 trannie. Is that not what yours has? Either way your never getting it to 90.

Linda S

[Wade]

2 minutes ago, linda s said:

I put the numbers with your trannie into a gear calculator and that's what I came up with. I used the W46 trannie. Is that not what yours has? Either way your never getting it to 90.

Linda S

Linda,

I think somewhere in another thread I saw your link to a gear calculator and I just wanted to say thank you. That is pretty cool.

I think the 1985 6 bolt was also pretty short.  I read somewhere that it is only 3.9  That makes sense to me and would be in the ballpark with all of the numbers. In any case I'm sure not going to 90 but I also have no problem holding it around 60 in 3rd on a grade to maintain speed.

Wade

 

[Derek up North]

I'm pretty sure you've got to go back to Chinooks of the '70s to find 3.90:1. Most others were 4.10:1, some in the '90s were 4.30:1.

[linda s]

There is no 1985 6 lug axle. Yours had to be upgraded at some time and they were all 4.10 except for some V6's with 5 speeds that came with a 4.30. At least as far as I've found. Might be some exceptions that were special ordered.

Linda S

[Derek up North]

4.30:1 was also available with the automatic.

[linda s]

37 minutes ago, Derek up North said:

4.30:1 was also available with the automatic.

So few though that I thought they might have been special order. Randy and one other person who I can't remember are the only ones I've ever heard of. I've looked at an awful lot of motorhomes for people and I've never found one in person that wasn't on a 5 speed. Odyssey's mostly.

Linda

[Wade]

3 hours ago, linda s said:

There is no 1985 6 lug axle. Yours had to be upgraded at some time and they were all 4.10 except for some V6's with 5 speeds that came with a 4.30. At least as far as I've found. Might be some exceptions that were special ordered.

Linda S

That is interesting. I wish I knew what Jerry at 22re Performance did to ID it. All I know is that the tire shop could not get the correct emergency brake cable but Jerry used the VIN and got the correct one in a sealed Toyota parts bag. Somehow Toyota made a part for the 6 bolt axle for my 85 VIN. The non-toyota part that the tire shop ordered probably based off the fact that is was a 1985 truck, was not the correct part for the axle that is on the truck. Whatever is on there, if it is a 4.10, then either the gear calculator I used is wrong or the owners manual is a misprint, or the actual redline is 7500 rpm.  Then again, if the 6 bolt axle was not from Toyota then the owners manual would only be correct if it was the same ratio as whatever Toyota installed on the trucks covered by the manual.

I have the build sheet supplied by toyota to the coachbuilder. That doesn't say what axle was installed but only that the GAWR is to be 3700lbs for the rear with 2050 for the front but only 5500 total which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Wade

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6 hours ago, Derek up North said:

I'm pretty sure you've got to go back to Chinooks of the '70s to find 3.90:1. Most others were 4.10:1, some in the '90s were 4.30:1.

All the 70s Chinooks had 4.11 to 1 ratio rears with the manual trans.    Later rigs, 5 lug semi-floater or 6 lug full-floater are usually 4.10 to 1.  1988 Toyota motorhomes came with 3.90 to 1 IF equipped with 4 speed manual trans and 4.10 to 1 if with an automatic.

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17 minutes ago, Wade said:

 

I have the build sheet supplied by toyota to the coachbuilder. That doesn't say what axle was installed but only that the GAWR is to be 3700lbs for the rear with 2050 for the front but only 5500 total which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Wade

Makes perfect sense to me for a GVWR. Toyota is allowing for forward or rearward bias or weight-transfer.  

If you really want to know for sure what the rear ratio is - just jack up one wheel, put the trans in neutral, spin the wheel and count. If you turn the wheel one full turn and the driveshaft turns exactly 2 full turns -  you have a 4.10 to 1 ratio.  If the driveshaft only turns 1.9 turns - you have a 3.90 to 1 ratio.  If the driveshaft turns 2.1 turns, you have a 4.30 to 1 ratio.

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6 hours ago, Derek up North said:

I'm pretty sure you've got to go back to Chinooks of the '70s to find 3.90:1. Most others were 4.10:1, some in the '90s were 4.30:1.

1978 Chinook 4.11 rear with 9-37 tooth count and a 1988 4.10 rear from a dually full-floater box truck with a 10-41 tooth count.   These center-sections are interchangeable. 

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10 hours ago, Wade said:

 

I have the build sheet supplied by toyota to the coachbuilder. That doesn't say what axle was installed but only that the GAWR is to be 3700lbs for the rear with 2050 for the front but only 5500 total which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Wade

Here is the explanation direct from the 1985 Toyota cab & chassis coach builder's guide.

[Wade]

Pretty happy after my first real trip with the Toy home!  Still somewhat overwhelmed with just how much I need / want to do.  Current observations FWIW:

1.  I am super happy to have the 4spd manual! I don't think I would feel very safe with this rig with an automatic. I know that at the moment my brake fluid has been changed but if it were an automatic I would be positively neurotic at making sure the fluid was changed every couple of years and that the brakes were fully inspected annually. Even then I would worry about the heat.  I like having the control of the manual.

2. Very satisfied with the power.  Almost never had to downshift (more often to hold back downhill) and certainly not that difficult to merge into traffic.

3. I have yet to replace the plugs, cap, and rotor so there may even be a little room for improvement but  the MPG is a very nice change from my prior RV experience. Over 837 miles I have been averaging 16.3 mpg. Might be a tad optimistic as I think my odometer is a touch off. I ran most of the trip at 62mph on the speedo but when I would come to speed radar signs I was typically 3 - 5 mph faster than what the radar said. In any case it was very noticeable how reasonable we could travel!

4. Just because something didn't leak doesn't mean that it wont;-)  Apparently a couple of hundred miles of bumps can open up cracks that were once sealed. Center vent decided to start leaking on the rainiest night of our trip. Was water tight prior to that.  Will likely just patch with some lap seal for now as I am running out of time this season. However, I think next summer I will pull all the vents and replace them with proper sealing.  Will likely have more questions and definitely will spend more time searching through the boards.  Hopefully when fully re-done they will last many years instead of a few hundred miles;-)

5. It is an amazingly nice driving vehicle. Yes it is true that it is quite heavy for the size and that I am glad to have the manual. Certainly would not want to drive it in heavy winds. However, in normal and even rainy weather it was quite comfortable to drive. Perhaps one day, after everything else is done I could see putting better seats in it. All in all though it was comfortable and easy to drive. I kind of drive it like my motorcycle in that I like to keep room around me and certainly try to anticipate and take action long before necessary. With that frame of reference it was actually enjoyable to drive.

Wade