1976 Toyota Other

Chinook Camping RV on Toyta hi-lux extended shassis

4 cylinder R20 engine

manual 4

RN28019103

Clear

Gasoline

Renovated Mini RV. 1976 Toyota Chinook. It has 60716 miles. A pop-up top (6fts). Two burner stove, heater, sink, water reserve, manual water faucet pump, Stainless icebox/fridge, Power inverter, cooling fan in the back, many storage trunks, cabinets, closet. A dining table convertible into a full size bed. Sleeps 2 adults and one child. Option available for two more adults. It is restored in a 60's, hippie style. Powered by a 20R engine, with new exhaust, distributor, carburetor, brake master cylinder, clutch master cylinder, battery. Runs well. Equipped with backing up camera.Email for questions or call 512-825-9348 (No texts please).I will help buyer for pickup of vehicle. Make me a reasonable offer. Read the Article Bellow on the Chinook. Mini-RV on a budget: The Toyota-Chinook Mini-Motorhome (Round Tripper/Gazelle/MPG) With the quadrupling of oil prices by OPEC, coupled with high government spending due to the Vietnam War and growing stagflation in the United States, the New York City investment group behind the original Chinook Mobilodge Company brand name would eventually pull out in 1975, leaving the company idle after abandoning the manufacturing of the large Chinook 2200 and 2500 Mobilodges. By this time, Gary Lukehart would also leave the company to form Trail Wagons, Inc. in Yakima, Washington to build Class B van campers. However, before those events would occur, the idea of a mini-pickup truck-based RV would originate across the Pacific in the land of the Rising Sun at Toyota. For years, backyard mechanics had been fitting the miniscule Toyota pickup with an array of homebuilt campers almost from the time the truck debuted in the U.S. in 1964. So it wasn't surprising when the company finally signed an agreement in September 1973 to introduce the world's first micro mini-motorhome in the process: the Toyota-Chinook. Based on lessons learned and early successes with their Do it Yourself kits for van conversions, Gary Lukehart and his Chinook Western team began to design a small fiberglass shell that could be built on a Datsun- or Toyota-powered mini-pickup truck chassis, starting in 1971. The effort was the result of two years of joint development between the two companies. Executives at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and Chinook Mobilelodge Inc. liked what they saw and jointly announced the signing of a five-year, multi-million-dollar agreement for the manufacture and marketing of recreational vehicles in the U.S. Under the contract, signed by Takasuki Osuka, assistant to the president of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and Richard Dowling, Chinook chairman of the board, Chinook International -- a wholly owned subsidary of Chinook Mobilelodge -- would produce a compact motorhome utilizing a specially designed Toyota Hi-Lux cab and chassis. The new unit, initially called the Toyota-Chinook Mini-Motorhome, would be sold exclusively by Toyota dealers. The agreement was the largest to date that Toyota had ever signed with a U.S. manufacturer. It called for a minimum of 4,000 units the first year with officials at both companies predicting that as many as 10,000 would be produced. "This agreement represents another step in Toyota's program to create U.S. jobs and ease the balance of payments problem by purchasing American-made goods for Toyota distribution," said Iwao Kodaira, president of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Production began in September 1973 at the Chinook Western plant in La Verne, Calif. with manufacturing plans calling for a gradual build up to more than 300 units per month by December. The units would be initially marketed in the western part of the country with a suggested retail price in the under $5,000 range. The first vehicles were actually shipped to dealers in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and North and South Dakota. Additional distribution would then be expanded to the Southwest and Far West, although contract provisions called for construction of a second assembly plant at an undetermined location to serve the remainder of the country. The first Toyota-Chinook Mini-Motorhome models sold in 1973-74 were built on a Toyota long-wheelbase half-ton truck chassis, powered by Toyota's 18R motor with a standard rear axle. It was designed from the start to provide fuel economy and almost car-like handling. Eventually marketed as the Toyota Round Tripper, the unit contained storage cabinets, sink and water supply, ice box, dinette and sleeping for two adults and one or two small children. A 1976 Toyota-Chinook Pop-up camper (left) and a 1975 Toyota-Chinook transplant to a late-1990's model 4×4 chassis in their original paint scheme Based on feedback and surveys conducted by both companies, further refinements were made to the production line. By 1975, the "Round Tripper" moniker was dropped and simply referred to as the Toyota-Chinook. Except for new colors, many would not notice differences on the outside because the same smooth lines and attractive styling of the '74 model were carried over into 1975. However, the big differences were on the inside -- under the hood, within the walls, around the windows, under the sink and in the galley. Three noteworthy changes with the 1975 model was the addition of a steel reinforced frame, frame-mounted step bumper and the larger 20R cross-flow engine. The frame added dimensional rigidity and durability to the entire vehicle, which was a natural safety selling point with Toyota dealers. The peppy 2.2 liter 20R engine also gave the Toyota-Chinook the power to perform both on the highway and in city traffic, with either manual, or a newly added automatic transmission. The newly enhanced Toyota-Chinook sported an upgraded chassis built specifically for RV use; the truck's 101.7-inch wheelbase was stretched to 110 inches and equipped with an 8" ring and pinion third member (AKA heavy duty) and stouter tires, compared to the standard 7.5" rear gear on the earlier models. The larger platform took care of weight and handling issues and the Chinook team took care of the rest. The coach builder fitted the diminutive chassis-mount camper with the sleek fiberglass shell that concealed an impressive number of comforts without presenting a cumbersome profile. With a base price of under $7995, the Toyota-Chinook line was considered three vehicles in one: Economy car, station wagon and motorhome. Featuring the legendary Toyota "R" series of powerplants, the Toyota Chinook -- sometimes affectionately referred to by its owners as "The Toy", "Toynook", "Chinyota", or "Little Chinook" -- was one of the most popular recreational vehicles on the road during the mid-70s, particularly with the Southern California surf and action sports culture. For starters, it offered excellent fuel savings: up to an astounding 29 miles per gallon on the highway and 16 mpg in city driving despite meeting stringent California emmission standards. For any type of RV today with current powerplant technology, few could match it, including the new class B van conversions based on the diesel-powered Sprinter chassis that manages 16-22 mpg (albeit somewhat heavier than a Toyota-Chinook). It was also compact. Not quite 17 feet long and 77 inches high (closed), the Toyota-Chinook offered weekenders a stainless steel two-burner butane gas stove, 2.3 cubic-foot icebox, a long six-foot, eight-inch convertible L-shaped dinette and sofa that turned into a full size bed. An optional, pull-out extension for an over-cab bunk allowed for two small children to sleep in the vehicle, once the spring-latched pop-up top was unlatched -- the design of which owed much to the original push-up tops seen in the full-size van conversions. Open, the coach boasted six feet of headroom for an adult -- once parked -- to stand up and move around inside the mini-camper; Closed, it offered a low profile which contributed to its car-like handling and fuel-saving economy, as well as a possible mounting location for roof racks to carry surfboards, kayaks or skis. It also was capable of traveling more than 250 miles on a single fill-up of its 13.7-gallon gas tank, and could sleep up to four people in a vehicle just under 18 feet long.