(Click photos to scroll)
Location: Bellingham, Washington
Sellers Contact Info: Katie_guat@hotmail.com
210,756 km -- 130,957 miles
New engine installed Feb 2020 at 210,700 km
Price: $32,000
It’s hard to properly describe the uniqueness and rarity of this particular 4WD campervan. Back in the 90s, Toyota made awesome factory campers that were 100% in-house Toyota, designed and built by Toyota and no other – in Japan, for sale only in Japan. Finding one in the US is incredibly difficult, we know because it took us forever to find her. They are know to be trustworthy, bulletproof, incredible 4WD and snow machines and awesomely fuel efficient. We found her to be all of those things. And although we don't agree with the 'ugly' part, this article in Bloomberg News highlights how awesome these rigs are:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-20/ugly-is-a-selling-point-for-fans-of-these-tiny-japanese-vans
We are sad to say goodbye...Our trusty steed of a camper van is ready to move on to new adventures. She carried us steadily through the deserts of the southwest, the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, and the wild mountains of Montana for the last three years as we built our business working from the road, but she is now, with great dismay, looking for a new home.
Our near-term travel plans have us flying to places in Central America where we ought not drive, and planning a long-term sabbatical abroad, and sitting in the driveway unused is no place for a van like this.
And just what exactly is it? If you know camper vans, then you have certainly heard of Toyota's Hiace Cruising Cabin. A 4-Wheel drive diesel van with pop-top, she’s fully camperized with a new marine grade diesel heater, newly electrified as a nomadic work station, and as fuel efficient as you will find in the world of vans and campers (~22-27 mpg). And if driving on the wrong side of the vehicle, and turning heads everywhere you go isn’t enough to convince you, here’s a list of upgrades and highlights…
Upgrades:
-New engine (fully reconditioned) Toyota 3L (2.8Liter) shipped from Australia and installed locally in Bellingham February 2020 (inquire for full details on the reconditioning process)
-New water pump, timing belt, gaskets, etc (Feb 2020)
-Brand new custom, overbuilt radiator, and new transmission oil cooler installed Feb 2020 (the one knock on Hiaces is undersized radiators that makes them prone to overheat...not anymore!)
-New fuel injection pump (Fall 2018)
-We have a mechanic in Bellingham who is now a Toyota Hiace expert
-New Webasto diesel heater installed Fall 2018, with all marine grade components (installed by Pacific Marine here in Bellingham, the best of the best). It kept us warm on cold desert nights and DRY on cold, wet PNW nights.
-New solar charging system, including portable 100W flexible solar panel, isolated starter and house bank (brand new 4D deep cycle marine 198 amp hour, $800, April 2020) batteries, etc with all marine grade components (installed by Pacific Marine in Bellingham, WA, the best of the best)...We work from laptops on the road and required ample, consistent charging - this system worked great for our heavy use.
Drivetrain:
-2.8L 4 cylinder Diesel (3L model)
-Automatic with Overdrive
-Low and High range 4wd and locking hubs
-Extremely Fuel efficient - We got over 24mpg on a few tanks, and consistently get 21-22 mpg
Interior:
-Two rows of back seats - seat belts for 7 overall
-Sleeps 4 comfortably (two in the loft and two in the convertible bed down low), and possibly another kid or two with creativity
-Middle row seat rotates 180 to create a dinette with stowable table top
-Pop top gives you standing head room
-Tires in good shape (~10,000 miles), plus a spare set of studded snow tires (she does phenomenally well in the snow without the studded tires, and is a beast off road)
-Roof rack
-Propane stove with exterior canister storage can easily convert to run Coleman canisters or a mini propane tank (currently plumbed for Coleman).
-Sink - (we took the pump and spigot out, but it could easily be converted back)
-12V Fridge runs great, and even freezes in the upper “freezer” portion
-Awning keeps the sun off and the rain out to greatly expand your living space
-Curtains throughout
-Dual Zone A/C (it blew cold when we bought it, but now needs a new charge or further work/investigation)
-Dual zone Heat
-All interior lighting switched to LEDs
-New speakers front and rear
-Foam floor panels for comfort and added insulation
-New radio with bluetooth
-Tons of storage and well thought out hidey holes
-We also have a manual (in English!) and lots of parts numbers to save you time and headache
The Negatives:
-You’ve probably figured out by now that the original engine gave out...A broken fan clutch and the aforementioned undersized radiator led to overheating/engine damage. It was probably rebuildable, but the gamble of mechanic time on an open ended can of worms convinced us to go with the known quantity of a fully reconditioned engine.
-There are a few minor dents in the body that have minor rust and should be addressed
-Upholstery and pop top canvas is in decent shape, but by no means new and shiny
Comparable Sales:
Other comparable hiaces sales (though with original and not brand new engines, so not actually comparable) have recently sold for $30,000 and $32,000 respectively. All told, we’ve invested over $10,000 in material upgrades that you now don’t have to worry about. And it was the best money we’ve ever spent. Our time traveling the backroads in this van, sleeping in flat spots under the desert sky, miles from the nearest campground, has been the best time of our life. If you’ve read this far, you are a kindred soul who understands the value of solitude. And this is one of the best machines to get you there.
1993 Cruising Cabin: Sold for $32,000 (in less than 24 hours on Craigslist) - ~200,000 kilometers on the engine.
https://www.roamernw.com/cruising-cabin
1992 Cruising Cabin: Listed for 33,000, 106,000 kilometers - https://www.jdmbuysell.com/product/1992-toyota-hiace-cruising-cabin-camper-van/
1992 Cruising Cabin: Sold for $30,000, Sept 2019 - https://www.yotaimports.com/listings/cruising-cabin/
