If you want a small RV with a reliable powertrain, find any of the ones built on the Toyota commercial chassis. The Toyota 22RE engine is extremely durable and there's no shortage of spare parts.
@@lab1042 yup, this happened on my 84 yota pickup.... I see multiple of those rv yotas here in Southern California since so many people live in them permanently
Drove my 86 LeSharo 20K last year, taking it across the US in March and back. Love it. Paid for. Gas mileage was 15mpg, down to 11mpg, needs plugs and wires.
I dont mean to be off topic but does someone know of a tool to get back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid forgot my login password. I appreciate any tricks you can offer me
Kingsoupturbo actually more so like the Ram ProMaster, Fiat Van! With fwd that’s used today be Winnebago and many others. With the proven Pentastar V6 engine! If not for our dreaded epa, we would have the fantastic 4 cyl Fiat Diesel with there 6 speed automated manual tranny! That is recorded to get almost 30 mpg in Europe! But the V6 gas models in America are said to be getting over 20 hyw! With plenty of smooth quiet power.
I used a naturally-aspirated as a daily driver for one season, averaging 16 mpg exurban driving. A 2-day trip of1,400-miles from Stroudsburg to Dodge Island cruising at 55mph averaged 19 mpg. One non-stop I-95 leg, Virginia to South Carolina run delivered 24 mpg, But G-d help you if you ever need a brake job. Bendix-France wheel cylinders cost $500.
Well I guess someone has to. I recently got a 90 Lesharo and I think it's one of. The ugliest, tackiest RVs I've ever seen and my parents. We're RV dealers in the 70s-80s.
Originally owned a new 1992 "Toyota Tacoma"-based "Itasca Micro Spirit", which I bought as a "leftover" in 1994. It was marked down from $33,000 to $25,000, and was comfortable, ran great on several cross country trips, and got semi-decent gas mileage. Unfortunately, the company I worked for merged, then closed, so I was forced to sell it at somewhat of a lo$$. 😞 The following year I found a 1986 "Winnebago LeSharo" for $3,000, but it desperately needed the entire rack & pinion steering assembly, which was difficult to find and pretty pricey. I spent several days next to the Hudson River at the "United States Military Academy at West Point" graduation week of 2000. My friend's family was suddenly stranded when their ride to Kennedy Airport failed to arrive. So somehow we squeezed 9 people and all their luggage into that poor little "Renault"-powered RV. And then the air conditioning system decided to conk out. With the roof vents and side windows fully opened, we sheltered all the way to "Idlewild", but they all made their flights back to Alaska and Minnesota. WHEW!!! And suddenly, the air conditioning began working again. A friend's swing music band was appearing in Greenwich Village later that night, so I parked on a quiet side street and camped overnight in New York City. AWESOME!👌 Unfortunately, the "LeSharo" would also need to go sooner than expected, but I truly enjoyed owning it... 👍
From the looks of it, the whole cab is from the modular Renault Trafic or Master, not only the dashboard. Come to think of, it's probably the entire cab/chassis assembly from Renault.
"I've heard these Earth diesel engines are clattery, but this - this, this, this is like - being nibbled to death by, uh - Pah! What are those Earth creatures called? Feathers, long bill, webbed feet, go "quack." "Cats." "Cats! I'm being nibbled to death by cats."
+mstblue " The winnebago concepts and engineering departments have created a multi-functional bathroom capable of i don't know what the fuck i'm reading"
I had a Chevy Sprint 3 cylinder 5 speed transmission that got 50 miles to the gallon back in the mid-80s amazing our technology nowadays can only get 35 miles to the gallon.
The Renault Diesel just wasn't up to the job. Many of these have been converted to mopar V6 transaxles. Would love one of these with a 6 speed TDI drivetrain, but apparently a transverse drivetrain just doesn't fit well.
Soren G, well... Winerbago nowadays makes RVs on the FWD US-spec Ducato chassis, better known here as the Mexican-made Ram ProMaster full-sized van. Those would be the modern equivalents...
+paradoxdesigns, most likely you'll see Winnebago do "the modern version" when they may make in the next year or 2 one based on the Cab+Chassis version of today's Ford Transit cargo van with the PowerStroke 3.2L I5 TDi in it. Or you could check the one RV already available in USDM based on FCA's Ram ProMaster (the Fiat Ducato on which is based is already the best-selling RV platform in Europe). This one would have the VM Motori 3.0L I4 TDi on it and the "facemask" seen on a lot of European RV's. Don't worry, with either DEF / Urea emission-control canister systems are already built-in into either TDi-engined large van... Right size for a LeSharo replacement...
Squirmin Herman the one eyed German..love that i am the same way.... And i also smoked pot since i was 18 i am now 33. I dont drink alcohol nor do i smoke tabacco, just some good pot and thats it.
My parents had one. It was the gas engine. It was such a screamer it would drive you nuts. First, who is going to drive 55mph? Add to that the problems with the steering box and it isn't a bargain at all. They replaced two steering boxes in about 20,000 miles.
+elton john Wouldn't be that difficult would it? Other cars use the same engine/gearbox, Jeep used it and I'd imagine you can still get parts for older Renaults so all you'd need is the workshop manual and some know-how. There are probably specialist mechanics out there in the USA who can service these things, it's a diesel shouldn't need much if well looked after. Of course the gearbox is abit dated you could always swap in a more modern PSA Peugeot/Citroen HDI engine or a Renault diesel if need be.
Might not be that bad, if it was a common corporate engine overseas. A lot of euro parts of that vintage are now readily and cheaply available on eBay.
Infinitrium Hell no. From the looks of it, all the mechanics plus the chassis are shared with the Renault Master van. They built hundreds of thousands of those during the 80's.
DolleHengst Yes, for a moment I also mistook this for a Master, it felt taller, but after seeking for information and looking at the front more closely, I noticed it was rather a Trafic. There are quite some combi-wagon Trafics here in Argentina.
My dad and his friends took one to indy for the races in 87 from NJ . The bike rack broke around mid pa and they dragged it all the way . Some one put whip cream on his hand while asleep and after THAT everyone was afraid to sleep so they slept under the RV . My uncle drove behind in a triumph spitfire .The wheel flew of on the highway and went passed the rv . Good times
El-cheapo $5 fake wire wheel covers always turned me off. Surprised anyone at Winnebago thought that looked remotely acceptable. (Probably the same people who later green-lighted Pontiac Aztek...)
wll1500. again, hardly cheap. real wire wheels didnt become passe on factory cars because they are expensive, they are not suited for larger or more powerful cars. so pressed steel or cast aluminum wheels became typical on even the highest end cars and wire style covers were used because buyers still wanted the classic style. Jaguar famously did this exact thing on their top of tue line cars, the straight 6 cars got real wires while the more expensive and up scale V12s got covers...because real wire wheels were to weak for the larger engine! for the price of these covers amd the wheels they went with the manufacturer could easily have went with real wires and saved money.
MrDreamcastx Those didn't have a 450 CID engine. The early ones had the 455 and near the end of production there was a 403. I am considering a different FWD RV, a Winnebago Rialta, Winnebago Vista, or Itasca Sunstar.
While I like the idea of a turbo diesel engine powering a vehicle of this size, 2.2 litres seems rather small I would think either a 2.4 litre or even a 2.8 litre unit.
Thumbs up for the nostalgia. But I own an RV now and have for some time, but have never seen one of these, or heard of them! Winnebago yes, but not this Renault thing! I remember back then, being a licensed driver that anything Renault was absolute crap! Is it any wonder you never see these things around today. I see a few GM Motorhomes still running around today, but there is nothing Renault ever built back then still on the raids today, in America anyway. If there are any owners of one of these, I’d be pleased to hear from you.
