Anyone own other small RVs?

[debbiej]

I shouldn't admit my unfaithfulness, especially here....

After I drove to LA and back in the Westy, I enjoyed it so much that I talked my husband into planning the next stage of our life (retirement) around a lot of traveling. Well, as we have two large dogs, and my husband just can't pack light, we started thinking seriously about a small RV.

We have been looking at different options, sort of out of idle curiosity. I just couldn't see the price and/or the gas mileage of any of them. Then, last week i spotted a toyota dolphin for sale nearby. It was a steal and in really good condition, so we are now owners of two little RVs.

Won't be selling my Westy, but I am finding a lot to like about the layout of this other little cabin on wheels.

It feels silly to have two.
Does anyone else here have such a thing?

[r39o]

I really like the Sprinter based Winnebagos.

I just can not justify the cost of one.

I drive my vans when and where I please.

Most of the little RVs are ill suited for just sort of driving around.

My neighbor picked up a Dodge Tradesman based class C cheap.

But buy cheap, get cheap; that thing needs so much upkeep but the parts are easy to buy.

It gets really bad mileage, but for $5000 it is not a bad start.

Look in Craigslist.
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[debbiej]

Well, we already bought it.
It is an 84 with 34,000 miles. They are very well thought out with lots of usable space and features. About 3' longer than the Westy. It has a 4 cyl, 4 speed manual tran and I'm sure wont go faster, maybe even as fast.

I looked at a few rialtas, but like this better. It's dorky, never will be as cool as the Westy, but these toyotas have a pretty enthusiastic bunch of owners and I'm beginning to understand why.

Love the Westy best though.

[djkeev]

Rear axles are a major weakness in the old Toyota campers.
Putting 10 pounds of sugar in a five pound bag just didn't cut it!

When they go......... It's catastrophic! Get them checked out.

Dave
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[JudoJeff]

I had two Toyota Dolphins in the past and loved them. The A22 engines get very good mpg, and zip right along. You can't get into all of the campsites the Vanagon can, but almost. The roof AC is a life saver in the heat waves.

I've also owned big camping trailers. Now I'm back to the Vanagon camper and prefer it. More stealthy if you want to stay at Walmart, et al. I have no confidence in the WBX engines, so I'm doing a Bostig Conversion in the Fall.

Enjoy your two campers!

[meinvw]

Same as above, always heard good things about the dolphins. Just picked up a bigger one myself, and its a VW!

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[debbiej]

It has the 6 bolt axle, so good there.
I put all my kitchen stuff from the Westy into the dolphin, because we are going on a trial run and overnight today. I whispered "I love you best" with each load out.

All of it barely filled up one of many cabinets. This could be a good or bad thing. I don't want to travel with a bunch of junk.

The air cond., water heater, stove and oven all work. The kitchen sink and sink, potty and shower in the little bathroom work. The furnace appears to work. The lovely big dometic fridge doesn't work. The great big awning works and is very stable when extended.

Convenient, but It won't be camping.

[singler3360]

Never knew what it's called until now, but my in-laws have one of these. It's spacious on the inside compared to the Westy for sure.

We recently drove a VW TDi Spotswagon and began contemplating this in combo with a pop-up trailer like the A-Liner. In the end we still keep coming back to our Westy for driveabilty and overall function, not to mention the Vanagon community. So we decided to invest in it long term and go for another engine conversion instead. If I didn't have a spouse who loves the Westy as much as I do, I suppose the equation could be different.

[Vanagon Nut]

I felt it was kind of silly having two Westies (and this still may be true). The plan being if ones down, run the other, repeat as needed, keep on restoring/improving each as I go along.

I've eyeballed pop top Toyota Chinooks and have considered that as a 2nd "RV" though most seem to be based on older Toyota's. Oh. Wait. My main Westy is an '81 !

Neil.
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1988 West DIY 50º ABA

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[greebly]

[singler3360]

In-laws also had a Toyota Chinook which they gave to us after we sold our first Westy ('85). It felt very cramped compared to the Westy and was really only designed for 2 people barely. Not much ground clearance either. We gave it back and bought our current '91 Westy within 3 months. We were grateful for the loaner but glad to be back in a Westy. The Westy layout really is a nice design.

[?Waldo?]

I had a Chinook for a little while almost 20 years ago. My wife an I owned a Toyota Dolphin for a few years. It was a nice enough rig. It was about as fast as an air-cooled westy and got 18mpg @60MPH. It was a challenge to go faster than that. My mTDI high top has WAYYY more power, a little less usable space (minus the bathroom), can park in a normal parking spot, do a u-turn in a normal width road and gets almost 30 MPG. There's no looking back for me at all. Going from my current rig to a Dolphin would be a downgrade. Going to a Chinook would be just silly.

[Alaska-Mike]

Years ago we had a pop top Tiger by Provan Industries. It was built on a Chevy mini-van chassis. It did well on the highway with the low profile.

I just checked the Provan website and it seems that the newer models have evolved into a type of camper pickup.
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1983 Vanagon 1.9L GL - destined to become a dry camper

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[morymob]

A couple yrs before i retired i had considered a bay camper( owned a '70 non camper at present) and came across a '74 class C on a chevy chassis. Was the shortest one i ever saw andwas made in Indiana. Re-furbed interior, painted outside also cab,no ac, crank our jalousy windows around complete rear 1/2.Propanr frig, shower bath,never tried to lite. But found it was too large and bulky 4 what i wanted, can't use to run around like the westy either. After discussion with 'the boss' i surprised my brother and his wife after they looked it over and sold it to him for $1.00.He is a survivor of agent orange in nam so we were happy to do so. Took quite awhile afteer 3wbx's to find a '88 westy, refurbed needed stuff as it sat for almost 2 yrs and after 3 yrs of driving it has been 100%,a keeper.To us the best 4 size u can get, now if it would stop raining for a couple days......

[chojinchef]

[debbiej]

Well, we took a short shakedown trip in the "new" rig. I have to admit I liked it. Mostly the extra room and the hot water heater. The little shower bath combo was really nice too....oh and the huge easy to deploy awning.. The dolphin we found has the kitchen I the back, so no tight squeezes with me cooking and hubby and dad visiting in the "living room" bed super comfy, convenient and easy.

It is slow on hills, slower than my Westy. And it does not really feel like camping, but I must say it is nice.

It still needs a few things, including some carburetor work and seam sealing.

But I am driving my Westy from nm to tulsa this week or next. The best vehicle we have right now.

[debbiej]

Continuing a comparison. Westfalias don't have leaks, for the most part. Well, skylights leak, I guess. This old dolphin is plagued with leaks, been sealing the roof off and on since we got it. It's been raining a lot here, and while I'd never complain about the rain because we needed it SO desperately, it is a big issue. because there is a lot of old wood in the construction, and it rots closed up in there, leaks have to be fixed and rotten wood replaced. Ugh.

Yesterday I took the Westy to pick up new paneling for repairs to dolphin...

[j_dirge]

On our recent tri to Sequoia / Kings Canyon we met a couple who owned a 28'er version of this Lazy Daze.. old school RV manufacturer in CA.

I was impressed with fit and finish.

This 24'er with rear dinette/sleeping and wrap around windows looks very appealing for less-than-massive-rig, full-time RVing

Rear overhang is not bad and ground clearance was more than I expected from this F-chassis.
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[outwesty]

For the money the Toyota RV's can't be beat. I often see them with very low mileage as well. My favorite toyota RV's are the factory 4x4 ones. There are a few around Tahoe but are extremely rare.

[img]http://forum.ih8mud.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=506307&stc=1&d=1301364796[/img]

[bosruten]

One of these is parked near our house. Now, with three little ones, I'm liking it more and more, but I shudder to think of the cost

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