MikeS Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 My research of the Toyota motorhomes continues . . . This 1990 Odyssey is currently (2/1/08) on eBay. From the ad and from the owner I've learned that the Odyssey has 2 inches more headroom than the typical Toyota camper. Headroom is 6' 3". It is 6" wider than the typical Toyota MH. Is this true? I didn't ask the actual width, he just states that it's six inches wider. Can you Odyssey owners confirm this? Also, the "2 Ton Torture Test Roof" is stronger than the others. The roof and coach body are insulated with two layers of insulation - the ad says "styrofoam and Monsanto Foam-Cor". I know the roof, with structural problems resulting from leaks, is a weak point with many motorhomes, not just Toyotas, so having an extra strong one seems like a great idea. Especially since carrying luggage pods & whatever else will be even more important in a motorhome where space is so limited. To top it off, this Odyssey came with a fridge bigger than the 4 cu. ft. "bar fridge" that seems to have come standard in every other Toyota MH that I've seen. This one has a separate freezer door above the fridge compartment. This 6 cu. ft. fridge came with the unit from the factory. It looks large enough that the 6 cu. ft. may refer to just the fridge part and the freezer section may actually be in addition to that. I've been thinking I would replace the bar fridge with something more useable when I finally decide on and buy a Toyota, but with the Odyssey, at least this 1990 model, the larger fridge came with it. Since all of these Toyotas are getting long in the tooth and will require some investment of time & money to make right, and because in my case I have some major improvements I intend to fit, it makes sense to do lots of research and start with the best foundation. In the case of this Odyssey, I suspect with the 75" headroom that height may extend to the shower and thus make it practical for someone of average height to use. The owner makes the point that his unit has a fiberglass shower enclosure as opposed to whatever the other Toyotas have. I know looking at pictures I see a lot of wallpaper with rust stains around the bottom pan and wherever there are fittings. I once asked a seller for the shower height in his Toyota and the answer indicated to me that it was suitable only for children & midgets or for someone willing to scrunch up like Houdini in his box. Were people shorter back when these Toyotas were built? One of my planned modifications is to raise the ceiling of the shower (or lower the floor) so that I can stand up straight in it and shampoo my hair and actually enjoy taking a shower. The one on eBay has the V-6, as did all the Toyota MH's after 1988 or so (from what I know at this point . . . I'm very much still learning). I would prefer the 4 for reasons of fuel economy. I don't expect to carry this much weight and go fast, but I don't care about speed, just economy. Does anyone know if the Odyssey with the features this one has was built with the RE22? For those like me looking into the many, many campers that were built on the Toyota truck chassis, I'm sure this info re the Odyssey may be interesting. For those of you who actually own and use your Toyotas, please correct me on anything I get wrong. Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Hello Mike, I have two files on the Odyssey model that I think will help answer most of your questions, they are located at: www.tipton-in.com/odyssey. I own a 1990 Odyssey and from the research that I have done the Odyssey did have the highest ceiling and was about 6 inches wider than any of the other models. Mine also has the larger frig with the seperate freezer on top. I am 5 foot 11 and have a couple inches of head room in the shower. The shower is all one piece fiberglass, older Toyotas has basically wallpaper on the walls. I really do not believe there is any difference in MPG between the V6 and 4 cylinder engines. The V6 is a 3.0 liter verses the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder, but the V6 does not have to work as hard as the 4 cylinder. From the MPG rates that I have been seeing, some V6s are getting better MPG they 4 cylinders. Also, take a look at Chevy 1500 pickup truck, their 4.8L V8 gets a few more MPG then their 4.3L V6. The 4 cylinder 2.4L has to run at a higher rpm than the V6 does. I would go with the V6 to help ensure you have the extra power (+40HP) when you need it. Regarding the roof, I am not sure how strong the other models are, but I weight 220 pounds and have walked on my roof several times and never noticed any give anywhere. I even mounted a canoe rack on mine. www.tipton-in.com/canoe Please feel free to contact me on any questions that you have on the Odyssey, I have the Durango model which has the side door behind the rear axle. Dennis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 Thanks Dennis for the response & all the info. I've read your PDF files and looked at your pictures. It would seem that just for the extra ceiling height and width, the Odyssey would be the most desirable of all of the many choices. Thanks too for the info on the engines. I know once you get a vehicle moving, it takes very little horsepower to keep it moving, so that's why I've been thinking the 4 cylinder would be more economical. It sure does pay to take the time to look into things before making a decision. I've been watching the Toyotas & reading about them for at least a year now and only now do I discover that with the Odyssey I wouldn't have to modify the shower height or replace the fridge. The Odyssey seems like a much better starting point than the others. Thanks again, Mike When it comes time that I actually buy an Odyssey I'll check with you on specific things to look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hello Mike, I really do not think there is any difference in the MPG between the 4 and 6 cylinder Toyota engines at cruising speed. Fuel consumption is based heavily on displacement size and rpms needed to maintain a speed. So, if we state that cruising speed is 60 mph, you should find that the 4 cylinder engine will be running at a higher rpm than the 6 cylinder engine would be. I own an extended cab Chevy truck that has a 4.8L V8 with an automatic transmission and at 60 mph the engine is at 1500 rpms. I also have a Geo Tracker with a 1.6L 4 cylinder with a manual transmission and at 60 mph the engine is at 3200 rpms. Even though the Chevy truck is 1.5 times the size of the Tracker (18 feet vs 12 feet), and the Chevy's engine is 3 times the size of the Geo Tracker engine, they both get 24 mpg at 60 mph. The main reason is that the Chevy's V8 is running at less than half the rpms than the Geo Tracker engine. If the Geo Tracker had an automatic transmission, it would be getting less mpg than the Chevy truck. I would go with the 6 cylinder Toyota engine even if it meant a couple MPG less, which currently I do not believe there is a difference. The difference you will notice / have is that the first time you get into hill country or a strong head wind, the 6 cylinder will be able to handle it. Good Luck, Dennis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 This looks like a good argument for replacing the Toyota V6 with the Chevy V8. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 The thought of dropping the Chevy 4.8L engine (280 HP) in my Toyota has crossed my mind several times. I have seen a number of 1984 to 1987 Toyota 4x4 pickup trucks have their 2.4L 4 cylinder replaced by a Chevy 350 (5.8L) V8, looked more roomy then with the Toyota 3.0L V6. Dennis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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