The Little Toyota That Could
Aug 21, 2010 | 01:13 PM
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The Little Toyota That Could
I am not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I wanted to put this up as a thank you to the Yota Tech community. We just moved from Minneapolis to LA and the advice on this forum was indispensible for getting my 93 Toyota Pickup (22re) ready for the journey.
I was able to outfit it with a camper shell and a receiver hitch using information on this site that was very helpful. The warnings about towing did not go unheeded and the trip was a tough one due to the underpowered nature of the truck, but the story ends well with 2,100 miles safely completed by the little Toyota that could.
We towed a 5x8 U-Haul trailer filled with furniture and had the pickup bed filled with boxes. I am not sure what my weight was, but I am sure I was moving close to 2000 - 2500 lbs. The truck labored over the slightest grade and had a lot of difficulty maintaining speed at high elevation. But in flat areas in the lowlands I was able to go 65 and averaged 19mpg. The braking required 4 to 5 seconds of stopping distance, but they were pretty durable and didn't fade on me as I went down steep grades.
While my experience was a positive one there were few things to be learned. You must drive like you are pioleting a commercial vehicle. My respect for truck drivers grew a lot during the trip. That means you must be very alert when towing and must be content being passed. You will need to be aware of semi trucks that pass you because they will blow you around a bit. The real danger is making evasive moves, so I only recommend driving during daylight. By the end of the day you will be psychologically exhausted.
Lastly, I must echo so many others on this website: the 22RE is simply bombproof. I wound it up so many times to 4,500- 5000 RPMs I thought it would explode or at least start leaking oil substantially. It took it all in stride. Even with 140,000 miles on it, it worked like a charm. The tranny is built tough too. I have never replaced the clutch, and it looks like even after this hard trip I won't have too either.
Thanks again Yota tech for all the good info!
I was able to outfit it with a camper shell and a receiver hitch using information on this site that was very helpful. The warnings about towing did not go unheeded and the trip was a tough one due to the underpowered nature of the truck, but the story ends well with 2,100 miles safely completed by the little Toyota that could.
We towed a 5x8 U-Haul trailer filled with furniture and had the pickup bed filled with boxes. I am not sure what my weight was, but I am sure I was moving close to 2000 - 2500 lbs. The truck labored over the slightest grade and had a lot of difficulty maintaining speed at high elevation. But in flat areas in the lowlands I was able to go 65 and averaged 19mpg. The braking required 4 to 5 seconds of stopping distance, but they were pretty durable and didn't fade on me as I went down steep grades.
While my experience was a positive one there were few things to be learned. You must drive like you are pioleting a commercial vehicle. My respect for truck drivers grew a lot during the trip. That means you must be very alert when towing and must be content being passed. You will need to be aware of semi trucks that pass you because they will blow you around a bit. The real danger is making evasive moves, so I only recommend driving during daylight. By the end of the day you will be psychologically exhausted.
Lastly, I must echo so many others on this website: the 22RE is simply bombproof. I wound it up so many times to 4,500- 5000 RPMs I thought it would explode or at least start leaking oil substantially. It took it all in stride. Even with 140,000 miles on it, it worked like a charm. The tranny is built tough too. I have never replaced the clutch, and it looks like even after this hard trip I won't have too either.
Thanks again Yota tech for all the good info!
Last edited by omelianchuk; Aug 21, 2010 at 01:16 PM.
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