Step 1: Mini Motorhome Research

My wife approached me with the idea of getting a small motor home. We discussed the type and size we wanted. Not too large, it needed to fit in a normal parking spot. Easy to maneuver. Easy on gas. And above all it needed to be water resistant. We had seen what happened to these motor homes that are clad with metal over a wood frame. They all leak and eventually rot.

We had looked at conversion vans in the past, but we wanted something we could stand up in.


So began our search. It didn't take long for us to discover the Toyota Sunrader. Lightweight, good on gas, a 2 piece fiberglass shell, and at 18 feet we could park it anywhere! We specifically liked the 1986 and 1987 Sunrader. They just look cool. Our search was frustrating, since any Sunraders we found were at least a days drive away. The only local one we found was totally trashed.


One evening my wife was searching Craig's list, and came across something different. A 1984
Toyota Mirage. She fell in love with it! The only problem was that it was a 5 hour drive away, and we were at the start of a work week We contacted the owner, and he agreed to hold the Mirage until we could make it up to see it. In the mean time we started to do some research on the Mirage, and discovered it was very rare. They were originally made in Elkhart Indiana, with limited production. The Mirage has a solid fiberglass shell much like the hull of a boat.