Engine Rust Email Home Help Contributors Vans
Toyota Hiace
We have owned the camper for 10 years during this time it a proved to be very reliable. I am no mechanic but I do all my own servicing and maintenance with the help of a Haynes manual to date this has mounted to no more than brake shoes ,wheel cylinders. master cylinder and ball joints.
Registered in 1980
The engine the 12R 1595cc located under the 3 front seats I run it on unleaded fuel to which I add an lead additive I have fitted a electronic ignition system is which has a manual override switch . Fuel consumption is approximately 26mpg at 65 mph and 18mpg urban driving
CONVERSION
The camper was converted be caravan international and is the RIO short wheel base version with space saver roof
Sleeping
The camper was designed to sleep 5 , Elevating the roof reveals three berths one across the cab which is suitable for an adult and one along each side more suitable for little people.
Bed layout in space saver roof
We do find the roof space useful for storing bedding and clothes when camped, and even when closed there is enough room to store bedding and other items such as wind break and caravan store canopy. One little warning the only time we used the roof space to sleep a child it was near the top of Mt Snowden during a storm and you guessed the roof tried to close trapping our daughter. (She spent the rest of the night sleeping between mom and dad.
Over the years the cupboard doors and worktops had be come rather tatty and after deciding to replace them I also decided to make an alteration to the original layout by building in a compartment for the portaloo
Also by moving the gas bottle from under the rear seat to the back cupboard a larger Gaz bottle can be accommodate
