----------Forwarded message ----------
Return-Path: <happycam@...>
Delivered-To: theeagle@...
Received: (qmail 626 invoked from network); 24 Apr 2001 04:31:20 -0000
Received: from travelbyroad.net (128.121.221.49)
by kenton.com with SMTP; 24 Apr 2001 04:31:20 -0000
Received: (happycam@localhost) by travelbyroad.net (8.8.8) id WAA10233;
Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:31:16 -0600 (MDT)
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:31:16 -0600 (MDT)
Message-Id: <200104240431.WAA10233@...>
To: theeagle@...
Subject: Forum Post
From: Travel By Road <bbs@...>
DO NOT reply to this email.
Some time back, you posted a message to a Travel By Road Message Forum,
requesting that responses be emailed to you.
Tika posted the following message:
=========================================
The reason you can not find any info on new Toyota motorhomes is that
they don't make them anymore. The last ones were made in 1994, and just
a few in that year. The reason is that the motorhome manufacturing
companies were building bigger and bigger coaches on the back. By the
time the owners would load their own stuff in them too, it was putting
too much weight for the Toyota chassis to handle. Then the rear axles
would break and then the wheels would fly off killing some occupants and
other travelers on the road. In about 1988 or 89 Toyota started putting
a new 1-ton rear end on the truck with a floating axle that helped keep
the wheels on. And they issued a recall for all older chassis to get the
new axles put in too. But eventually the liability got to be too much,
and so Toyota stopped selling the chassis to motorhome makers.
If you are looking to buy one, stick to 1989 or newer. If older, be sure
the one you're buying has had the axle upgraded to 1-ton. (You can tell
by looking at the wheels -- six vs. five lug nuts usually means it is a
new axle.) Also, that is the year they started making V-6 engines which
have a lot more pulling power over the 4-cylinder 22re engines. Some but
not all 1989s have them. Be sure though that your V-6 engine has had
the recall work done on it. (The aluminum head gaskets were warping.)
Also a transmission cooler is a good thing to have/add if you are
carrying/towing extra weight.
The best place to learn more about Toyota motorhomes is on the Yahoo
groups site for Toyota-campers.
-campers/. There are over 1200 postings about Toyota motorhomes. You can
also check out otorhomes. The best
place to find a used one is at www.RVtraderonline.com. Type in "Toyota"
as the keyword (not the manufacturer). Then the best place to find out
what the one you're looking at is worth is to go to www.nadaguides.com
where you can get 5 free "blue book" quotes per day.
There are five main floor plans in the Toyotas with a couple of minor
variations. Get acquainted with them first so you know which one you
like best: -- Rear bath, streetside kitchen, dinette (either front of or
back of door), sofabed -- Rear bath, streetside kitchen, captain's
chair(s) with sofabed or dinette -- Rear bath, dinette, sofabed, front
kitchen -- Corner bath, curbside corner kitchen, dinette or captain's
chairs, sofabed -- Side bath, front kitchen, rear dinette with or
without sofa bed If you know what's out there before you buy, then you
won't later come across a floorplan you like better.
As for prices, you can figure something like this (if the miles are
average): A 1989 from a private party, price about $9000, average miles
= 65,000; 1990 about $10,000; 1991 about $11-12,000; 1992 about $12
-14,000; 1993 on up. Add about $400 for a generator. Add another
$several hundred if the miles are low, or subract as much if the miles
are high. You can expect to pay about $1 -2000 more if you buy from a
dealer, because supposedly they have checked all the systems
thoroughly, and for that extra price they should be giving you some kind
of warranty.
Good luck in your search. Tika
=========================================
The complete thread can be viewed at
Please do not reply to this message. The reply will not reach a human.
