Dunno. I towed a sailplane on a flat trailer through Pennsylvania once, crossing a gorge the wind had the upwind trailer tire off the ground. Nice camper but stay off tall bridges. =~ )
Photography Courtesy Japanese Classics
If little Japanese vans are cool, then bigger Japanese vans are even cooler, right? So how about a Japanese van that’s also a camper? This 1996 Toyota ToyoAce Camper is already in the U.S., and it’s for sale.
First, it’s not purple, it’s periwinkle–and it says so right there in the ad. (When’s the last time you have even seen that word in print?)
And not only is it periwinkle, but it also features graphics influenced by the Great Wave off Kanagawa? Talk about scoring all the JDM hit points.
Two of the most important words in the English language: a/c blows cold. (Okay, technically that’s three, but you get the picture.)
You can also poop in it. Okay, true, can you poop in almost any vehicle, but this one has a toilet. (And that’s an assumption on our end as the listing says that it has a bathroom yet shows no photo.)
The crowning jewel is written right there on the side (and front) of the vehicle: Adventure is what you make of it.
Our advice? Someone here needs to buy this now and come visit during the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
Find this 1996 Toyota ToyoAce Camper for sale from Japanese Classics for $29,995.
Dunno. I towed a sailplane on a flat trailer through Pennsylvania once, crossing a gorge the wind had the upwind trailer tire off the ground. Nice camper but stay off tall bridges. =~ )
Yup - seen that out around RVA, they bring out their stuff to car shows and cars and coffee such all the time.
It is bad that one of the main reasons I want it is for the side graphics?
In reply to Colin Wood :
It definitely helps
I can't hear/see the word Periwinkle without thinking of the movie Snatch.
Man I really wanted one of these a few years ago. Figured it would be a great way to scratch my JDM itch and at the same time get a little camper to run around in. I shopped, test drove, measured, etc all the Delicas, Hi Aces, etc you can get and I gotta tell you I am 100% glad I did not go forward with one for a few reasons:
So what did I do? I spent my hard-earned bucks on a camper-converted Econoline. Thats the smart move.
I remember, some three decades ago, reading a story of a company in Camarillo CA making the camper portions to be shipped to Japan and be installed on frames there. They just did not have the RV coach builders at the time.
93gsxturbo said:Man I really wanted one of these a few years ago. Figured it would be a great way to scratch my JDM itch and at the same time get a little camper to run around in. I shopped, test drove, measured, etc all the Delicas, Hi Aces, etc you can get and I gotta tell you I am 100% glad I did not go forward with one for a few reasons:
- Parts are completely non-existent. Worse than a never-imported JDM van, because now you have a never imported JDM Van attached to a low production, never imported JDM Camper
- Double-forget parts availability if you do not live on the West Coast. In Wisconsin, I have only ever seen 1 or 2 regular Delicas or Hi Aces on the roads ever. They just dont exist, there is no community. If you want one, buy 3 - 2 for parts and 1 to drive.
- They are tiny. Maybe an elf-sized person would enjoy one but as an average to above average sized American (6'1", 250 lbs) they are real small.
- They drive as awful as you can imagine. Short wheelbase, under-suspended, sitting on the front axle. They are fun for 50 miles or so then its drudgery.
- They are dog-slow. This thing has 115 HP and 214 ft/lbs. The ad says "highway speeds" but thats an exxageration. They do best 50 to 55 MPH, if you want to run the freeway at 85 like you can do out west there is no chance you can. You will be a rolling chicane.
So what did I do? I spent my hard-earned bucks on a camper-converted Econoline. Thats the smart move.
My buddy at work has an early 90s Nissan van he imported, he loves the thing. Just recently was able to get all the parts he needs to completely rebuild the AC system. Has a body kit and sits on wild 3-piece wheels. He hasn't had a problem getting parts for it and we are in Oklahoma.
z31maniac said:93gsxturbo said:Man I really wanted one of these a few years ago. Figured it would be a great way to scratch my JDM itch and at the same time get a little camper to run around in. I shopped, test drove, measured, etc all the Delicas, Hi Aces, etc you can get and I gotta tell you I am 100% glad I did not go forward with one for a few reasons:
- Parts are completely non-existent. Worse than a never-imported JDM van, because now you have a never imported JDM Van attached to a low production, never imported JDM Camper
- Double-forget parts availability if you do not live on the West Coast. In Wisconsin, I have only ever seen 1 or 2 regular Delicas or Hi Aces on the roads ever. They just dont exist, there is no community. If you want one, buy 3 - 2 for parts and 1 to drive.
- They are tiny. Maybe an elf-sized person would enjoy one but as an average to above average sized American (6'1", 250 lbs) they are real small.
- They drive as awful as you can imagine. Short wheelbase, under-suspended, sitting on the front axle. They are fun for 50 miles or so then its drudgery.
- They are dog-slow. This thing has 115 HP and 214 ft/lbs. The ad says "highway speeds" but thats an exxageration. They do best 50 to 55 MPH, if you want to run the freeway at 85 like you can do out west there is no chance you can. You will be a rolling chicane.
So what did I do? I spent my hard-earned bucks on a camper-converted Econoline. Thats the smart move.
My buddy at work has an early 90s Nissan van he imported, he loves the thing. Just recently was able to get all the parts he needs to completely rebuild the AC system. Has a body kit and sits on wild 3-piece wheels. He hasn't had a problem getting parts for it and we are in Oklahoma.
Glass, trim, and interior stuff scares the crap out of me and is what I hear the most horror stories out of. Mechanical bits are at least small enough where shipping is practical or they are shared with US models (or at least half-ass shared like same bolt pattern, different plug crap)
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