You would like to do a little camping this summer, but you don't want it to be a big undertaking. Sleeping in a tent is OK, but maybe your destinations aren't ideal for it. You would like to be able to park, get some shut eye and get on your way. A few modern amenities might also be welcome if you are spending some time on the road. Find this 1976 Toyota Hilux Chinook with low miles here on eBay for sale in Ankeny, IA bidding at $3,600.
Anything roadworthy carrying the VW emblem is expensive and often too nice to use for a mobile flop house. Many of the affordable domestic camper alternatives are either very big, horrible on fuel consumption or worn down to the nub. With 20+ MPG capability, the footprint of a normal parking space and Toyota reliability, this may be just the ticket.
Wooden floors are a welcome sight and a huge improvement over the shag carpets found in many such units of this vintage. The simplicity of this camper equals fewer things to break and get dirty. Maintenance, repairs and winterization are time consuming and take away from the spontaneity and fun of RVing. You could daily drive this unit and decide at work if you feel like going straight to the lake for the night. Whatever you decide to do with it, this Chinook certainly makes less seem like a lot more.
Matt Foley approves
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^this is perfect
ReplyDeleteprobably a pretty decent little rig for the right person.
My friend lost his virginity in one of these. So romantic!
ReplyDeleteI bet he didn't lose it, he was probably eager to give it away!
DeleteTrue, true. At that age I was willing to pay to get rid of it.
DeleteMatt Foley lol...every time I think this is it....I'm done.....I think of this. I pick mahself up and wash mahself with a big stick
ReplyDeletenice little RV, too bad there is no pic of the roof raised and showing the condition of the 30 year old canvas. The good thing is that it is defintely not a FWD as stated and could be used with any of the other small pick ups of the era with a V6 and a little more power and bring a boat.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that comment. I didn't realize that these were pop-tops. Here is a photo of a similar unit (not this vehicle), with the top raised:
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Thats a lot of rear overhang. Looks like a loaded cooler in the back would have you doing wheelies.
ReplyDeleteThats a lot of rear overhang. Looks like a loaded cooler in the back would have you doing wheelies.
ReplyDeleteCute as these "RVs" may be, they have a bad reputation of breaking the rear axles. It's not really a Toyota problem but more related to how the much weight the aftermarket mfr's placed on the axle.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.toyotamotorhomes.com/files/Axle_FAQ.pdf
Put a later Toyota truck axle or Ford 9in in there. Problem solved forever.
DeleteHaving been to numerous third-world countries and seen how these Hiluxes get loaded and used, I have trouble believing there is anything the axles couldn't handle.
DeleteThe PDF linked above discusses a full-floater axle retrofit, which should be enough to last until the last human is gone and families of five-foot-three cockroaches are looking for a way to travel in relative comfort.
DeletePretty sure that problem was only the larger camper models, with dual rear tires inappropriately grafted to the single wheel axle. The PDF says 1977-on.
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