4x4 Mini-Motorhome conversions?

[IHDiesel73L]

I tried some searching on this but all I came up with were a few folks who were lucky enough to find one of the super-rare factory 4x4 Toyota motorhomes. This one is for sale by me:

It's an '87 with 41K original miles. The Mini-Cruiser shell was built by a company called RBR-they're not known to the best of the RV builders-at least in the case of the Toyota motorhomes, but I've yet to get inside of it. The cab, from what I can see, is very clean. I've poked around the Toyota Motorhome forum a bit and there really isn't much in the way of information on 4x4 conversions either. I get the feeling most of the folks there are happy to pull up to an RV park for the night. I'm looking to the Toyota for it's small size and compatibility with off the shelf 4WD parts as I want to build something I can take to the beach (surf fishing for me and bathroom/kitchen/sleep accommodations for the wife and kids), camping to some more out of the way places, etc... A lot of the hangup (at least on the motorhome forum) seems to be with the rear axle because the FF dually rear has an oddball bolt pattern which doesn't match up with any 4WD hubs for the front either with IFS, or a SAS.

However, it seems to me that there's a simple solution:

Use a standard Toyota truck rearend in the rear, converted to a FF using the Front Range Off Road kit:
http://frontrangeoffroadfab.com/full-floater-conversion/

Run 16x7 Tundra steel wheels like these:

Then fit some wide E-load range tires. This way you're matched up with the front in terms of bolt pattern and width, and the rearend will handle the weight just as well as the dually.

I've already got a complete running '91 4WD so I could transfer the entire drivetrain over with the only modification being the FROR kit. Another nice bonus of the FROR kit is it also converts the rearend to disc brakes, which would probably translate to a decent improvement of stopping ability. I've already converted my front hubs (IFS) to T-100 1 Ton discs and calipers. With regard to the IFS I would probably swap it over, taking care to replace the bushings, etc...while it's apart, because though I want 4WD, it's not like I'm going to be getting into situations where I need the extreme articulation that a SAS could offer. Dual T-cases would be tempting since with a 135" wheelbase there's plenty of driveline room, and the flexibility they offer could could come in handy. I'd love to hear from someone who has done this, and would really love pictures! :Wow1:

 

[turbotommy]

Sounds like you should just section the frame from the 91 onto the 87 if you want to keep the ifs.i would sas it as the 2wd frame is almost the same as a 1985 4wd frame.is the 1987 toy injected? What motor is in the 1991?if there both 22re then throw a w56and tcase behind the 87 and sort out the dually rear.id look into other rear ends as well .you might be able to make it a single wheel by using a 9" if you can change the bolt pattern.or maybe use the 1ton t100 rear if it's 6bolt might be a cheaper option. Looks like you have a fun project.pm I've sectioned a few toys now so pm me if you need more info

 

[tanglefoot]

The only conversions I'm aware of are Nolan's 4wd Chinook builds.

http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/nolan's_76_chinook.htm

http://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/nolan's_blew.htm

Both used solid front axles.

I grew up with a Toyota motorhome and they're surprisingly off-roadable in 2wd form. I remember taking sandy two-tracks, dusty, unimproved roads, several inches of mud, and some firm-sand beaches. I can't imagine 4wd helping terribly much.

If I were in your shoes, I'd either use a 2wd Toyota motorhome, as-is, put a truck camper in the '91 or take the bed off of it and built a camper cabin on the frame, a-la Supercamper

http://thesupercamper.blogspot.com/

 

[IHDiesel73L]

I grew up with a Toyota motorhome and they're surprisingly off-roadable in 2wd form. I remember taking sandy two-tracks, dusty, unimproved roads, several inches of mud, and some firm-sand beaches. I can't imagine 4wd helping terribly much.

I don't doubt it with the considerable weight over the rearend and the extra wide contact patch afforded by the DRW setup. However, the place where the camper would likely see the most use is surf fishing/beach camping at a beach where 4WD is a requirement (Island Beach State Park, NJ-2WD vehicles are not permitted on the beach-period). Right now we "rough it" in our 4WD SUV-we fold the seats down for more room but we still have to use the porta-johns over the dunes from where we are.

The families that we do see out there usually have large truck campers on quad cab Dodges or Fords, though I did see a truck camper on a double cab Taco once. I suppose we could go that route, I've just always wanted a true RV with the back of the cab open to the camper shell so that someone can use the facilities, sleep, etc...while the vehicle is moving. It would make a huge difference for our travel as a family. The other attraction of 4WD is that, combined with the small size, it's going to be able to go places other RVs just can't. We are also close to the PA state forests, where camping is allowed pretty much anywhere, but many of the roads are far too rugged/narrow/etc...for an RV.

Through some searching over at Pirate4x4 I've found that a GM 14 Bolt FF with 6x5.5 hubs swapped onto it might work nicely, then I'd just have to figure out the front. Blazeland's Long Travel IFS kit improves front suspension travel dramatically and also increases track width by about 7.5", so that could be a good combination too.

 

[tanglefoot]

Gotcha! Interested in seeing what you end up with!

You could also consider converting a Chinook to 4wd, or transplanting the body. That's a nice size compromise between a truck-camper and motorhome and has a pass-through.

 

[ChrisWH]

Honestly, I think there are better tools for the job. I'd be worried about weight, stability, highway manners, camper durability if converting one of the bigger dolphin/chinook trucks to 4wd. In addition, engine power is going to be lacking, especially if using a 22re.

Adding a camper (unless it's just a cab) to an existing Toyota Pickup frame may require reinforcing the frame rails of the truck. In addition tippy-ness is likely to result if lifted too high. I imagine most of these types of camper setups are 'dry' setups and lack water/bathroom facilities.

For your purpose, I'd be looking at 4x4 full size vans (sportsmobile, quigley, etc...), the Chinook Baja's build off the E350 platforms. Or if you want to do a conversion, convering an old Transvan to 4x4 would yield a cool post apocalyptic look.

If you're sure you want a Toyota Pickup, there's a decent thread on ih8mud

http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/2wd-to-4x4-sas-1986-toyota-chinook-camper-build.466276/

Here is what that author is shooting for:

Here's a Chinook Baja:

4x4 Transvan:

 

[tanglefoot]

I think the OP will be satisfied with the power and stability of a project like this, already coming from a toyo class-C. There are plenty of campers running around (some 4wd) with the 22RE...or 22R....or the 20R.... Many do have full-plumbing and they're still highly sought-after. Although they look pretty sizable, they're still fairly light (the largest are around 5,500 lbs). I'm always surprised to see pickup trucks that weigh 8,000+ lbs empty.

Stability is a complex thing. The family Toyota motorhome feels more stable in corners and off-camber than the pop-up camper on my truck, even though the former is quite a bit taller and has roof A/C.

Those alternatives weigh twice or three times as much, some are 10x as expensive, and I don't know about the OP, but I don't think I'd enjoy crawling under a doghouse to access maintenance items.

There are quite a few Toyota campers that run different wheels front and back. It's not ideal, but it's an option if you didn't want to change out the back end.

 

[turbotommy]

I think the OP will be satisfied with the power and stability of a project like this, already coming from a toyo class-C. There are plenty of campers running around (some 4wd) with the 22RE...or 22R....or the 20R.... Many do have full-plumbing and they're still highly sought-after. Although they look pretty sizable, they're still fairly light (the largest are around 5,500 lbs). I'm always surprised to see pickup trucks that weigh 8,000+ lbs empty.

Stability is a complex thing. The family Toyota motorhome feels more stable in corners and off-camber than the pop-up camper on my truck, even though the former is quite a bit taller and has roof A/C.

Those alternatives weigh twice or three times as much, some are 10x as expensive, and I don't know about the OP, but I don't think I'd enjoy crawling under a doghouse to access maintenance items.

There are quite a few Toyota campers that run different wheels front and back. It's not ideal, but it's an option if you didn't want to change out the back end.

How much do you figure your 4Runner with the pop up weighs.i just weighed my Chinook at 4700 lbs

 

[ChrisWH]

I think the OP will be satisfied with the power and stability of a project like this, already coming from a toyo class-C. There are plenty of campers running around (some 4wd) with the 22RE...or 22R....or the 20R.... Many do have full-plumbing and they're still highly sought-after. Although they look pretty sizable, they're still fairly light (the largest are around 5,500 lbs). I'm always surprised to see pickup trucks that weigh 8,000+ lbs empty.

Stability is a complex thing. The family Toyota motorhome feels more stable in corners and off-camber than the pop-up camper on my truck, even though the former is quite a bit taller and has roof A/C.

Those alternatives weigh twice or three times as much, some are 10x as expensive, and I don't know about the OP, but I don't think I'd enjoy crawling under a doghouse to access maintenance items.

There are quite a few Toyota campers that run different wheels front and back. It's not ideal, but it's an option if you didn't want to change out the back end.

But are they good candidates for 4wd conversions? Don't get me wrong, I think the Toyota Dolphins & Chinooks are great vehicles (providing the correct axle is underneath them). Perhaps not for 4wd types of purposes thought. If one wants to stay with Toyota, I think the Bandit would make an excellent choice.

The OP wanted to do beach camping. Unless you're *very* careful it's pretty easy to turn a wheel wrong and get stuck. Pismo beach has loads of campers & trucks getting stuck on it. With a converted 4wd Toyota RV, I'd also worry about how the vehicles would be recovered if stuck. I wouldn't want a well meaning rescuer accidentally pull apart my RV.

Regardless, I'd like to see the conversion done just to see it done. For beach camping it wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[tanglefoot]

How much do you figure your 4Runner with the pop up weighs.i just weighed my Chinook at 4700 lbs

I've never had it weighed, but I'm guessing 4200-4500. At least I hope it's not much more than that. That's interesting on the Chinook weight. That's a good-size cabin for sub-5k lbs!

 

[turbotommy]

I've never had it weighed, but I'm guessing 4200-4500. At least I hope it's not much more than that. That's interesting on the Chinook weight. That's a good-size cabin for sub-5k lbs!

I was quite surprised myself.i was in when I weighed it as well with some tools and other crap