toyjet52 Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Hello, I just acquired a 1985 Dolphin and have a towing question. If horse power/torque was not an issue how much could I safely tow? 6000 lbs? A loaded car trailer? If this cannot be done due to frame/suspension limitations, what could be modified to make it happen? Would this set up ever work at highway speeds even if strengthened? I got this RV free, I wouldn't have picked it for a tow rig, just wondering what's possible since I already have it. Since it was free, I don't mind spending some money on it. Even if towing is out of the question i'll keep the 22r and still use it for camping. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 An empty 85 pickup is rated to pull 3500lb. So you have a pickup that has a 3000lb house on its back and you want to tow 6000lb, ain't happen. Also most of the Toyota MH's have really poor frame extensions for the rear bumper. Besides you have to stop the whole rig with marginal brakes. Are you aware of the phrase "the tail wagging the dog"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Toyota sold a 1-Ton, single rear wheel truck with a CGWR (Combine Gross Weight Rating) of 8500lb. If you had a GVWR of 6000lb, that would leave you with 2500lb for a trailer. Forget 6000lb trailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) I have a 4X4 2011 Tacoma with a 240 HP V6 It's rated 6500# I have a dully Dodge diesel pick up it's rated 10,100# The Dodge yes the Tacoma no. From a dead stand still going up hill you will probably stall the converter towing that much weight with the MH. Edited February 12, 2017 by Maineah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Even with extensive modifications, I don't think this guy would try 6000lb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 While the 1 ton Toyota is real, it approaches Unicorn status. The C&C were standard chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 I agree, but my point is that the 1-Ton SRW was rated @ 8500lb and though I've never found a number published, I can't imagine Toyota would rate the DRW less than the SRW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 6 hours ago, WME said: An empty 85 pickup is rated to pull 3500lb. So you have a pickup that has a 3000lb house on its back and you want to tow 6000lb, ain't happen. Also most of the Toyota MH's have really poor frame extensions for the rear bumper. Besides you have to stop the whole rig with marginal brakes. Are you aware of the phrase "the tail wagging the dog"? So frame extensions are the issue. brakes would be upgraded and trailer has brakes. done lots of towing, I'm aware of most things. i understand the distance from the rear axle to hitch point would be an issue no matter how strong I made it. 5 hours ago, Derek up North said: Toyota sold a 1-Ton, single rear wheel truck with a CGWR (Combine Gross Weight Rating) of 8500lb. If you had a GVWR of 6000lb, that would leave you with 2500lb for a trailer. Forget 6000lb trailers. Nice pics and videos! I wonder how they got away with calling it a 1 ton when it was no where near the American 1 ton of the same year. 4 hours ago, Maineah said: I have a 4X4 2011 Tacoma with a 240 HP V6 It's rated 6500# I have a dully Dodge diesel pick up it's rated 10,100# The Dodge yes the Tacoma no. From a dead stand still going up hill you will probably stall the converter towing that much weight with the MH. Remember I said power would not be an issue.......so nothing would stall. And you're right, your Tacoma would not handle a loaded car trailer. I'm sure your dulley could handle a 3 car trailer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Well, with a payload of 2500lb, I've got no problem with them calling it a '1-Ton'. Please, forget about towing a 6000lb trailer. Just buy a properly sized tow vehicle and be safe so that you can go camping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 My advice is from someone who is also a proponent that some towing can be done with the correct precautions/modifications. Attached are some pictures of what I'd consider the (upper) limit. Far from 6000lb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 19 hours ago, Derek up North said: Well, with a payload of 2500lb, I've got no problem with them calling it a '1-Ton'. Please, forget about towing a 6000lb trailer. Just buy a properly sized tow vehicle and be safe so that you can go camping. 3 hours ago, Derek up North said: My advice is from someone who is also a proponent that some towing can be done with the correct precautions/modifications. Attached are some pictures of what I'd consider the (upper) limit. Far from 6000lb. I bet that smart car trailer is overloaded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 19 hours ago, Derek up North said: Well, with a payload of 2500lb, I've got no problem with them calling it a '1-Ton'. Please, forget about towing a 6000lb trailer. Just buy a properly sized tow vehicle and be safe so that you can go camping. Already have the tow rig, trailer and off-road toy. I guess I'll talk my wife into driving the RV while I tow the Jeep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 20 hours ago, toyjet52 said: So frame extensions are the issue. brakes would be upgraded and trailer has brakes. done lots of towing, I'm aware of most things. i understand the distance from the rear axle to hitch point would be an issue no matter how strong I made it. Nice pics and videos! I wonder how they got away with calling it a 1 ton when it was no where near the American 1 ton of the same year. Remember I said power would not be an issue.......so nothing would stall. And you're right, your Tacoma would not handle a loaded car trailer. I'm sure your dulley could handle a 3 car trailer. I guess my post did not work. Yes the converter can stall and probably will on a hill with 6K of MH and 6K of trailer from a dead stop if nothing else the trans will over heat because of the converter slip at any speed much less 50 mph+. Because of the weight transfer for the MH most of the breaking is on the rear so you are pretty well set with what was offered with the one ton rear you can change material but not much chance of increasing sweep area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Have you considered flat towing with a 'Brake Buddy'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Of course everybody knows that this post is an exercise in futility. Because unless the OP is going to drop in a SBC or a Lexus, power is an issue and a 22R motor powered MH is not going to pull 6000lb of trailer with any sort of longevity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) On 2/13/2017 at 7:30 PM, Maineah said: I guess my post did not work. Yes the converter can stall and probably will on a hill with 6K of MH and 6K of trailer from a dead stop if nothing else the trans will over heat because of the converter slip at any speed much less 50 mph+. Because of the weight transfer for the MH most of the breaking is on the rear so you are pretty well set with what was offered with the one ton rear you can change material but not much chance of increasing sweep area. Read the thread title. You're assuming the stock drive train will remain. I understand the chassis wont handle a loaded car trailer and I'm no longer taking that route. I'll probably keep the 22, just needs some work which i'll get into on a different thread. 23 hours ago, Derek up North said: Have you considered flat towing with a 'Brake Buddy'? Thats a good option, but my trail rig is a little too aggressive to be flat towed. It has to be trailered. 12 hours ago, WME said: Of course everybody knows that this post is an exercise in futility. Because unless the OP is going to drop in a SBC or a Lexus, power is an issue and a 22R motor powered MH is not going to pull 6000lb of trailer with any sort of longevity. Lets keep it simple, like I already said the thread title says "Let say power is not an issue". Its quite obvious I have another power plant in mind which is neither of what you mentioned. Questioning the power or tranny overheating is not what I need to know. The other fine members here made it clear the entire chassis will not handle a heavy trailer load. I'll have much more thing to cover while I get this RV going. The towing question is over, cant be done, moving on. Edited February 15, 2017 by toyjet52 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) You have a developed powerful itch, that's very difficult to scratch. There has been SBC, SBF, Lexus 4.0 v-8. GM v-6 Vortec, Toyota 3.4 v-6 installed in various Toyota MH's. The v-8s have cooling problems due to lack of airflow through the radiator caused by an engine bay full of engine. The Toyota v-6 is WIDE, the install was to replace a 3.0 v-6 in a late model body and it barely fit. Your 85 has a narrow engine bay because it was designed for an I-4. The GM v-6 has possibilities, there has even been a blown v-6. There are crawlers who have done swaps with the 2.7 Toyota 4 banger, it has almost as much power as the Toyota 3.0 v-6. Also the MBZ 3.0 5 cylinder diesel and the Toyota 3.0 turbo Diesel. Have lots of fun with your new Toyota MH. Edited February 15, 2017 by WME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 3 hours ago, WME said: You have a developed powerful itch, that's very difficult to scratch. There has been SBC, SBF, Lexus 4.0 v-8. GM v-6 Vortec, Toyota 3.4 v-6 installed in various Toyota MH's. The v-8s have cooling problems due to lack of airflow through the radiator caused by an engine bay full of engine. The Toyota v-6 is WIDE, the install was to replace a 3.0 v-6 in a late model body and it barely fit. Your 85 has a narrow engine bay because it was designed for an I-4. The GM v-6 has possibilities, there has even been a blown v-6. There are crawlers who have done swaps with the 2.7 Toyota 4 banger, it has almost as much power as the Toyota 3.0 v-6. Also the MBZ 3.0 5 cylinder diesel and the Toyota 3.0 turbo Diesel. Have lots of fun with your new Toyota MH. Thanks. I'm gonna see what I can do with the 4 banger. I'm not even sure exactly what motor it is. I see you guys talking about 22r, 22re and another 22 model. This RVs story is:. Parked 12 years ago with fuel issues, they said the tank has rust inside and some injectors may be bad. Besides the motor not running its in ok shape. It has the axle upgrade, needs tires-very bad shape. I've had enough time to get it up on jackstands and creep around checking underneath. The gas tank is loose, fuel filter is gone, rear axle is about a 1/2 inch from bump stops. Has air bags, may or may not work. And a handful of other small issues. But this was free, just had to pluck it out of its self made hole and onto the trailer with a 2hr ride home. I'll post some pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) If it has injectors then its a 22RE. Your factory fuel pump is in the tank, which may be why the tank was loose. The factory fuel filter is above the starter and is a major PIA to deal with. The Dolphins have a rep for being leakers so check the house for soundness before spending a bunch of time and $$ Edited February 15, 2017 by WME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 And show us a pic of the rear axle hubs. 90% of dolphins were upgraded but we have seen a few they missed. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 22R => Carbed 22RE => Injected 22REC => California 22RET => Turbo From your pictures, it looks like you have an '86 Dolphin 300. It should have a FF rear axle, 6-lug, 6 hand hole rear wheels. Caution, if so, the driver side rear lugs will be left hand threads. 1986 Dolphin Micro Mini.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 On 2017-02-13 at 9:05 PM, Derek up North said: Have you considered flat towing with a 'Brake Buddy'? Is that an auxiliary braking unit Derek? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 http://www.brakebuddy.com/ http://blueox.com/recreational-commercial-flat-towing/braking-systems/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 On 2/15/2017 at 8:43 AM, linda s said: And show us a pic of the rear axle hubs. 90% of dolphins were upgraded but we have seen a few they missed. Linda S No pic needed, I mentioned two posts ago that the axle has been upgraded. What I will need to do is replace the rusty wheels which might be hard to find. On 2/15/2017 at 9:03 AM, Derek up North said: 22R => Carbed 22RE => Injected 22REC => California 22RET => Turbo From your pictures, it looks like you have an '86 Dolphin 300. It should have a FF rear axle, 6-lug, 6 hand hole rear wheels. Caution, if so, the driver side rear lugs will be left hand threads. 1986 Dolphin Micro Mini.pdf Thanks, I have the 22re then. The title says 1985, the last owner said '85..... I'm pretty sure it's an '85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunkaman Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 you may want to consider sandblasting your wheels and repainting. i did this to my wheels last summer. they turned out pretty nice. i posted the project with some pics. as i understand it , the wheels can be expensive when found. hope this helps. joe from dover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 6 hours ago, toyjet52 said: The title says 1985, the last owner said '85..... I'm pretty sure it's an '85 1985 Dolphin Micro Mini.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 On 2/19/2017 at 7:41 AM, hunkaman said: you may want to consider sandblasting your wheels and repainting. i did this to my wheels last summer. they turned out pretty nice. i posted the project with some pics. as i understand it , the wheels can be expensive when found. hope this helps. joe from dover. That's a good option. I'm afraid my rims might be a little too far gone though. I looked for your post on this with no luck. Could you link it to me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 On 2/15/2017 at 7:31 AM, WME said: If it has injectors then its a 22RE. Your factory fuel pump is in the tank, which may be why the tank was loose. The factory fuel filter is above the starter and is a major PIA to deal with. The Dolphins have a rep for being leakers so check the house for soundness before spending a bunch of time and $$ It does have roof leak damage. Not terrible, but its there. I used to be a RV tech, I've repaired much worse under warranty on campers just 2 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 On 2/19/2017 at 8:40 AM, Derek up North said: 1985 Dolphin Micro Mini.pdf Yes! Mine is definitely the 300 model. Thanks for the link. I wish mine looked that good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Finding wheels. You need to know if it was upgraded to a newer axle or if it's an 86 axle. The wheels are slightly different. 86 will have the left hand thread on the drivers side rear only and 6 hand holds in the wheels. Newer will have 3 hand holds. I'm guessing newer from the recall. Let us know where you are located and maybe we can find some close. Shipping wheels is not cheap Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyjet52 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 (edited) 44 minutes ago, linda s said: Finding wheels. You need to know if it was upgraded to a newer axle or if it's an 86 axle. The wheels are slightly different. 86 will have the left hand thread on the drivers side rear only and 6 hand holds in the wheels. Newer will have 3 hand holds. I'm guessing newer from the recall. Let us know where you are located and maybe we can find some close. Shipping wheels is not cheap Linda S It was upgraded with the three hole rims. I'm located in Myrtle Beach SC. Edited February 21, 2017 by toyjet52 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Try calling these places. All about 200 miles away. http://www.tonysautosalvage.com/ http://www.smithparts.com/ http://www.carrolltonarp.com/ this ones 267 miles. These were all found from http://www.car-part.com/ Unfortunately their data base is often old and they might not still have the part. But it's certainly worth a phone call to see Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunkaman Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 toyjet52, you can find my post on the "improvements" forum heading. i just checked and it is about 3/4 of the way down on the first page the title is "wheel repaint" with a "cosmetic" tag i believe. dated sept 2016. hope you can save your wheels. good luck. joe from dover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwilliam1 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Hey toyjet52, Linda found me a wheel using carparts a couple of years ago. Located in an old parts place in Kentucky. The guy said he didn't have any as the listing was very old and he just bought the business. I asked him to please look. He found 3 of the 3 hole rims stamped Toyota. He didn't know what they were for. Sold me one in great condition for $30 and shipped for $25. Wish I kept the receipt. I bet he still has the other 2. So they are still out there somewhere. BTW Joe is my buddy and his wheels look fabulous Man!! Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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