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Topic: A Major Lazy Modification. Adding 4x4.  (Read 778 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: A Major Lazy Modification. Adding 4x4.
Reply #25 –
We were, at one time, long long ago, proud owners of a 1985 Sunraider Mini-Class C. Ours was built on the “4 Banger” Toyota chassis. The 6 would have been nice.

Toyota actually provided their 6 Cylinder chassis with 4-Wheel drive for some Sunraiders. That would have been really cool. The problem back then was that the rear end on any version (so I understand it)  was not built to carry the load. Too bad. Numerous rear ends literally blew apart while driving down the road.

We got the “free” rear end assembly for our non-4-Wheel drive rig and decided it was time to let the little girl go. Sad day.

Here’s a link to a couple of YouTube videos of a classic 4-Wheel Sunraider and what the owners did to it along the way.
https://youtu.be/s-1cTnsY1gY

https://youtu.be/D_bn8dg_hEA

https://youtu.be/tCoTfAt2R9w

Glad we sold ours. Super happy with our Lazy Daze.

Kent
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
 
Re: A Major Lazy Modification. Adding 4x4.
Reply #26 –
I had a ‘91 LD with a fuel injected 460. It got between 8-10 mpg towing. That’s about what I get with my 2012 v10 now.
Dale from Downey 27’ 2012 RB,”Casa Verde”, 2000 Jeep Wrangler. Formerly1991 RB & 1990 Jeep Wrangler.
Re: A Major Lazy Modification. Adding 4x4.
Reply #27 –
Friends had a early/mid-80s Sunrader on the Toyota with the 4-cylinder engine and early rear end; the GVWR on the thing was 5600 pounds. They did not understand weight limitations, ignored advice, and overloaded it to the point that I was surprised that the thing didn't just squat and die in the middle of the road well before it finally did.

I had a 6-cylinder Toyota (Dolphin with a similar floor plan to the TK) with the upgraded rear end/axle; 6 lug nuts instead of 4 was the tell! The GVWR on that was only 6000 pounds; it was a constant struggle to keep under the max. The Toyota had about 90k on it (as I recall) when I sold it. I still see quite a few old Toyota-based rigs on the road, and most are not yard guys' trucks; tough little rides!

With my 2003 TK's GVWR of 14050, I've never had to decide what I might have to jettison to make weight!  ;)

As ever, YMMV.
2003 TK has a new home
Re: A Major Lazy Modification. Adding 4x4.
Reply #28 –
Those kids with the SunRaider really went to town. I followed a blog about a woman with a GMC motor home doing the same thing. She was all excited about pillows and curtains and ignored the drive train. She sold it.

I pulled a 17.5' Bigfoot trailer with a 2000 Land Cruiser, the back of which was my first camp bed. But the LC sounded like it was going to explode. I didn't push it. Maybe it could pull an aerodynamic Bambi, but not a boxy Bigfoot. My 318 Dodge 250 did little better towing the small air-dam of a trailer.

While looking for the right tow vehicle (I wanted a long bed Tundra - a rare bird indeed) I found the Big Bigfoot trailer really cheap. So then I wanted real power to tow and found the 2000 Diesel RAM with low miles which started life at the Spokane Fire Department. It's basically new old stock.

That's how things ramped up and now I'm a 45' train and just about as noisy. Now do I discover the Lazy Daze with a nice smooth V8 and panoramic windows and enough space to stretch out. A 24' or 26.5' or 27' looks like a decent solution.

But then, just to circle around, there's the 4x4 question.

Re: A Major Lazy Modification. Adding 4x4.
Reply #29 –
Quote from: dollinsdale  - 
I had a ‘91 LD with a fuel injected 460. It got between 8-10 mpg towing. That’s about what I get with my 2012 v10 now.

Okay, good to know the 460 and the V10 get about the same mileage.
Is the V10 then somewhat more responsive?  Assuming both were about the same mileage and upkeep.

I see on many Ford forums there's debate, but most people say the newer engine has more power once you get the revs up.
Re: A Major Lazy Modification. Adding 4x4.
Reply #30 –
    My fuel injected 460 had 3 speed trans with manual overdrive. It was a brute with lots of torque at the low revving end. Fairly quiet low revving motor. The V-10, on the other hand, is a 5 speed with tow/haul features. It is a higher revving engine and noisier. Because of the increase in the number of gears it seems to have more torque throughout the driving range. I tow a Jeep Wrangler and like the tow/haul feature. I believe it feels like a gear splitter. Over all I feel like the two drive trains are very good but very different. The 460 is a very reliable and powerful engine with plenty of torque. The V-10 is a more responsive, high rpm engine that is also very reliable and when mated with a 5 or 6 speed tranny is probably the better package of the two.
   The new ford drive train (7.3L with 10 speed tranny) sounds very intriguing. It claims to have stump pulling abilities while getting better fuel economy than the 460 (7.5L) or the V-10 (6.8L). It looks like we’ll have to wait a few years to see how that pans out.

Dale from Downey
Dale from Downey 27’ 2012 RB,”Casa Verde”, 2000 Jeep Wrangler. Formerly1991 RB & 1990 Jeep Wrangler.