mogg wrote:

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hello fellow nomads,

I expect / hope to be living on the road sometime in the near future. Unfortunately, I will not have buckets of cash. I'm not real keen on the used motor-homes that would be within my budget; and am now thinking I should consider the Toyota Coaster. Can anyone please tell me which year/model is a standout? Which are lemons? How many k's are too many? Are parts relatively easy for mechanics to order in. Are they "mechanic-friendly"? What would need replacing at XXX km's? If I got one that wasn't fitted out for living, would it cost twice as much again to have it fitted out? I am not into luxury; but sensible things / ideas that just work. Any other helpful info appreciated. Thank you all again, in advance.... kind regards.....

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 Hi mogg Peter has given you some good ideas but possibly i can give you some of my good ideas too.

It was always my dream to have a Toyota Coaster after we had an early one many many years ago. I have had a few Toyota camper vans over the years since and found them generally reliable, so planned on moving up to a more modern Coaster. So i have spent a bit of time researching and looking at them over the years. My life has turned around now so a Coaster is too large for me being on my own now!

They are all based on a commercial truck chassie and engines so are good workers and do last well. It also means that the parts and knowledge are common and they are easily repaired. But they have been  sold in Australia for the last 50 years. Some of them have been on the road going round and round and are just worn out. Some are suffering from rust too particularly if they lived near the beach. Any vehicle that is old suffers from rust and Coaster are no different so look around the windows and the roof gutters and seams. Look for "bog" repairs. Some owners are creative with the bog but in the long term it will reappear again.

Coasters are not really much better than average so looking for a good one is important both for rust and for good working condition. I would say it is important that you get a a qualified person to check out any vehicle you are interested in. I have looked at quite a few "dogs" over the years so be very careful. People claim they go forever but obviously that is not true and how well it has been maintained and looked after is vital. The engines and transmissions are reliable but there are limits to how far they will go without being rebuilt. Money !!

Hmm as I have no idea what year model you are looking at it, or how much you have to spend, it is hard to know what else can be said. Mostly much older ones are short wheelbase and have 4 cyl engines. Then they stopped bringing those in and mostly went for long wheelbase and 6 cyl engines. They are all OK if in good condition but age is important. The long wheelbase models are heavier and may need an upgraded licence to drive or they can be rerated to a carry less weight so can be driven on a car licence. They are still big to drive though.

In later years importers have bought in buses from Japan and they can be very good. They are made in the same factory as the Australian sold ones but usually are better specs and better paint and finish. But they might be more expensive too. You might have seen some of them on the road. My choice probably. But again you must be careful to get them inspected for rust and mechanical condition. Often they can be very high kms.

Look at all you can find advertised and see what you get for your money. It costs money to fit them out so it is better to buy a one already fited-out so you know what it all  costs. Send me a private message if you want any specific answers. Good luck be wise and careful, do not be seduced by a pretty tarted up vehicle, get a proper inspection report done if you find one you like before you sign anything.

Jaahn

 PS mogg I have sent you a Private Message also. Look up near your log in name and click on it.

-- Edited by Jaahn on Tuesday 15th of April 2025 11:42:26 PM