...ones man's opinion on the air-bags thing...

...the first time I drove a Toyota motorhome with inflated bags over the rear axle it was about 6 years ago and I was driving a 1992 Dolphin on the 56 freeway in San Diego...there was so much wheel hop in the back everytime I hit a seam in the concrete surface I thought I was going take flight for good. I had driven alot of Toyotas with the bags empty because the things have a life expectation of a few years ( if you don't snag the plumbing in something before that) and I hadn't felt deprived up to that point...and I sure didn't after that. Air bags have always been a "tongue weight" adjustment for compensating for the weight of your slide-in truck camper or the weight at the hitch when you pull two or three horses in their 2500#(empty) horse trailer...keeping the truck level when there's a inordinate weight source at the tongue area so the hardware at the hitch doesn't drag or ruin the level ride. When our Toyota's were built on the true one-ton chassis the suspension was adequate to spring the weight including our stuff...and over springing the rear end on a little motorhome like ours you'll get some pretty bazaar performance. Unless you've taken to pulling considerable weight on a trailer of some kind, chances are your Toyota motorhome already has a sufficent suspension system in place. If you're just bored and you want to repair or install your bags on your rig, inflate them in very small increments and test them in all driving conditions...I've always felt most comfortable at speed without that rear-end hop.

...I got another call about towing with these things...

...and the very fact that the manufacturers installed them at the factory has alot of people wondering if they're just being chicken not towing their boat to the lake with their Dolphin 6-cylinder. The truth is that, given enough flat ground and time to accelerate, you can tow pretty much anything within reason...the problem is whether or not it's safe. The motorhome has enough mass and dual wheel stability to pull a small boat or trailer straght down the road with the substatial class three hitch that's often seen on the coaches...and the coach isn't going to get whipped around like you might see a Jeep CJ or Wrangler 6-cylinder trying to tow a small boat. The question is what are the other factors involved: hills and steep boat ramps...steep freeway on-ramps where you'd be a hazard to everyone within 5 miles...long grades that would kill that poor motorhome...only you know what your planned route is like. Attention: If you have an Odyssey 3.0/5-speed, you're excused from this discussion because you can pull pretty much anything within reason because of your increased torque. My friend Joe launches his little boat on a pretty steep with his Dolphin and , really, those 3.0/automatic drivetrains by the millions have pulled unbelievable stuff while disguised as Toyota pick-ups/ 4x4's/ and 4Runners from 1989-1995. A girl at our stables tows her horse and trailer with her 1994 Toyota 4x4 all over the place...you just have to get a feel for what your motorhome will pull and pull safely on your individual route. And remember that the receiver has other valuable functions: storage platforms that fit into the receiver that can be storage for extra stuff and fuel for your Alaska trip...quality bicycle racks...and some new hitch based ladder and rack systems for your Kayaks and surfboards.

What about those little 70's Dolphins...

I admit to preferring the luxury of the most current 6-cylinder Toyota RV's but we have have to note the importance of the first generation versions of the Dolphins...17' long and extremely compact and cute as a bug. The cabover bed is still functional in size and design and the 20R motor matched with a 4-speed transmissions probably performs equally with the later 6-cylinder/automatic configuration. All the Toyota motorhomes are hovering in a status similar to Airstream Bambi's in both price and funtionality, but those smallest of the clan will probably take the lead in value relative to fully-depreciated price. Keep an eye out for a nice one for me if you're out there looking and buying Toyotas: I'd like to have one to use as an interesting surf-mobile...the possibilities are endless.

Looking hard and long for the little Toyotas...

...when you're fielding a bunch of calls and emails from prospective tourists from US, Australia, and Europe who want the dependability and economy of the Toyota motorhomes, you've gotta look at alot of coachesin hope of aquiring them...there are way more buyers than coaches...and nobody wants to fly to California to buy a rough, dirty, inoperative little motorhome. I know there are Toyota motorhomes in Southern Califonia just waiting to be plucked, but only a few of them are for sale at a time: people like these warm and fuzzy little traveling casitas and when they finally decide to sell them, it's reluctantly...even tearful. That resistance to sell and the realities of the condition of the coach collide head-on when it gets to the money, and it's hard to make a viable deal. People forget how nice that coach was years ago when they bought it, and they can't see clearly how much the coach has depreciated cosmetically and funtionally. Most of the coaches I look at have in-op appliances, water damage, and exterior damage and weather damage...and most of them I just can't buy because, regardless the usual hundreds of hours I spend on them, they can't be saved for my purposes. Yesterday, I looked at a 1992 Winnebago Warrior that was on Ebay for auction and was available to see locally before the auction ended. Let's be clear about one thing for sure: digital on-line photos make everything look better. I was so sorry for the people who would fly or drive some distance to meet this absolute distappointment...very rough cosmetically and most of the appliances didn't work. Very sad...and my first instinct was to buy it and take it home and give it a better home...but once they're on Ebay it's retail city and the buyer will have to see this one for themselves. Take your time if you're in this market...like a horse trainer we know told a clinic audience last week: look at a thousand horses and, then, buy just one.