null Sports Van

We've had this awesome camper van for some time now. and have many happy memories with it. but it's time to find it a new home.

1987 Toyota Sports Van. 5-speed manual. 4WD. AC. This model was only sold in US for 2 years. and is very rare. In Japan it continued all the way through 1996 in various trim levels. many were diesel powered. One of the best vehicles ever made!

Toyota Van has a cult following. and for a good reason. they are pretty much bullet proof and very dependable. Engines are known to last 400000 miles before needing an overhaul. They are also versatile vehicles. able to handle many tasks.

What you are looking at here is an overland tourer or a weekend camper. grocery getter or a mild off-roader. whatever you throw at it. it'll smile and keep going. We've built this van to our liking. hopefully it suits your needs too.

Please scroll down for many pictures and a full description (over 80 pictures. so please be patient while they load).

Specifications: 2. 0L 4-cylinder OHV engine. gasoline. 270k miles. fresh valve job and head gasket 10k miles ago.

All new belts/hoses were done at the same time. including the coolant hoses at the rear of the head. which are very difficult to get to. It gets right around 20MPG in mixed driving. Cruises at 70mph effortlessly. Top speed is about 80-85mph. Engine has excellent oil pressure. doesn't smoke. runs cool and starts every time. Cooling system was overhauled with new radiator. waterpump. auxiliary radiator added. stock fan replaced with electric fan inside stock shroud. and connected with Toyota relays and sensors as per factory. This dual radiator system works wonders: on one of our many camping trips we had 7 people in the van. pulling a small trailer with camping gear. going over mountain passes with AC in full blast. and the temperature stayed rock steady! Transmission is manual Aisin 5-speed. 2 speed manual transfer case (High-Low). shifting is effortless. and the box is quiet. Clutch replaced at 180k miles. still going strong. Wheels are stock 14" steel. newer 27"all terrain tires. they ride quiet on freeway. despite aggressive tread pattern. Excellent in rain. unstoppable in mud and snow. not so great on ice. Excellent AT full size spare tire in stock location. Front hubs are Aisin manual. which is the best option there is.

Suspension is all stock and unmodified with the exception of about 1" lift. via torsion bars in the front. and air adjustable shocks in the rear. The valve for the rear suspension is mounted under rear bumper. and rear height can be quickly and easily adjusted. if needed (see picture above) Body is all stock. not rusty (this is NorthWest!). originally silver. but repainted in blue 3 years ago. No accidents ever. no body damage. No offroading damage either. All doors shut nicely. all locks work with the same key. Front bull bar with skid plate under.

Interior is a mix: this van was delivered cargo style. converted with windows and cargo area upholstery when new. We've added middle captain chairs and 3rd row seats from a Toyota Previa. Therefore. the van can comfortably seat 7 passengers. Middle row captain chairs swivel 360* around. and can be turned backwards to make a neat lounge area in the back. 3rd row seats can either be folded flat to make a bed. or flipped to the sides to expose a huge cargo area to haul stuff. Front seating area is all stock. Entire rear area can be enclosed with curtains for privacy. Side windows have mosquito nets. so if you are using the van to sleep in. you can vent the area safely at night.

Each seat has a dedicated overhead adjustable reading light.

There's an ARB roof rack. which is 90" long. sitting on 4 Yakima bars to distribute the load safely. This $1000 system is rock solid. and can handle many tasks. We've used it as an extra sleeping area. but it's great for hauling stuff as well.

There's a tow hitch in the back with a trailer wiring connector. It came in handy for towing a small utility trailer with extra camping gear many times. The van had a $1000 dual battery conversion done. It works as follows: there was a deep cycle marine battery added in parallel with the main battery (mounted near the stock location in a custom enclosure. see picture below).

The two batteries are connected via a sophisticated automatic controller. which allows for automatic charging of a specific battery as needed. and prevents either battery from draining the other. The auxiliary battery drives an 1100W converter (built in near the rear climate control panel. which has two 110V outlets. one in the passenger cabin. and the other one in the trunk area.

It's good for running small appliances: we've used a small fridge. microwave. electric drill and extension lights. Great for camping! So. the system works as follows: when you are driving. the alternator charges the main battery as usual. Once the main battery is fully charged. the automatic sensor will connect the auxiliary battery. so it too can be charged. but not before the main battery is fully charged. At this point both batteries are connected in parallel. When the engine is off. and lets say you are using the auxiliary battery and converter to run lights and a fridge overnight. the sensor will detect that there's a drain on the auxiliary battery and will disconnect the main battery from that circuit. This way. even if you completely exhaust the aux. battery. the main battery stays fully charged. and you can start the car in the morning. Same goes if there's a drain on the main battery. lets say you left your headlights on overnight. and your main battery was dead in the morning. You can then start a car via an auxiliary battery. There's a manual override switch mounted near the steering wheel. to momentarily connect the 2 batteries together. to allow you to start the car. Both batteries in the system are only a year old. and should last a very long time. Deep cycle marine batteries are pricey. but last much longer than regular batteries on a single charge. The only other addition to the electrical system was a set of auxiliary gauges mounted on the passenger side dashboard. Standard instrumentation lacks an oil pressure gauge and a voltmeter. so they are nice to have. A mechanical temperature gauge was also added to monitor the temperature at the radiator inlet.

The rest of the electrical system is stock. and functions properly. A stock electronic clock was added from an LE model. and wired as per factory. PIAA lights for high beam + driving lights.

Stereo system is nice. and has an excellent quality sound. We don't use it much. it came with the van when we bought it. But it is a very nice system. and someone will surely enjoy it. This van has a dual AC system. with separate climate controls in the rear. The AC was converted to R134a. and worked very well. Last year the compressor developed a leak. and it needs to be repaired or replaced. Not a difficult or expensive job. but I never did get around to it.

A cellphone pod is mounted on the dash. I use my Iphone for GPS. and it comes in handy. Also forgot to mention that power steering hoses were replaced fairly recently. as well as the brake pads. Several boxes of spare parts come with the van. enough to keep it going for a very long time. Overall this is a very capable vehicle. that has gotten us many places over the years. It is a very dependable rig. and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across the country today. It is fairly modern and comfortable. It loves long journeys. Where will it take you? Alaska. or maybe Baja. Mexico? Fly in. drive it home. make an adventure out of it! We haven't been using the van much lately. and I think it's time someone else should enjoy it as much as we did. Never thought I'd be selling this vehicle. but I guess priorities change. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you!

Also published at eBay.com

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