I am considering buying a 1985 Truck Camper based on the
'85 22R dually truck chassis and automatic transmission.

The question I have is did they have a good reputation, are parts
available today reasonably and are they hard to work on ?

Is there anything different or special about the dually truck chassis
that had weak spots like the differential or transmissions or suspension
etc. ?

Since there isnt really a separate forum here for the older 2nd generation
trucks, is there another internet site that works better for owners of
the older trucks ?

Thanks
Scott in Atlanta

 

The old 22R is an incredibly relaible motor, as long as the basic maintennance is performed at reasonable intervals. I have a 22R in my p/u with 286k on it, and it just keep right on going. I've had to do the little, miscellaneous outside stuff, like the alternator, radiator, water pump, and so on, but the basic engine and drive train are all pretty much factory. I've done teh maintennance, like oil changes, air filter changes, fuel filter...etc, etc, and replaced other things as required, like plugs, wires, and so on. But overall, they're very tough little motors.
The 22RE in my 4Runner was overheated by a "friend" when he threw the waterpump belt and just kept driving, ignoring the temp guage, but after repalcing the head (twice...got a bad reman on the first try...) it seems to be going strong now. It's got 146k on it, and again, I do the maintennance as required by the FSM . Or better. I live in a DUSTY environment, so I adjust the intervals a little, but overall...
I don't know diddly about the tranny, other than it's a REAL good idea to get it flushed very thoroughly every now and then (I don't know the required interval), and keeping the fluid level correct is cruicial, but I undertand they're very reliable too.
Other than that, just watch for rust if you live where they salt the roads in the winter, or use the spray, which is apparently even worse than salt.
Take a little care of them and these little trucks will take very good care of you back

 

the auto trannies in the trucks were a pretty good unit, but you may want to install a tranny cooler if you don't have one already, as a motorhome will put quite a load on the little drivetrain.

the differential itself is comparable to a typical 1/2 ton truck diff, but will work well for heavy loads as the dually will have a full-floating axle(technically a 1 ton truck). toyota truck frames until '95 in the US were based on a 1 ton design, so no worries there.