New member, 1997 Toyota Hiace Super Custom Camper Van 3.0D

Hi,

I bought now many months ago, from Japan, through Vancouver, Canada, that Camper Va, and received it finally yesterday.

I will need to wait some more months to drive it as in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, RHD vehicules need to be 25 years old, aand mine will be in June 2022.

But it will give me some time to understand a bit better how it works, and potentially also re-arrange various things as the camper part shows some age.
Even if the motor itself is less than 80K kms.



Quick picture to show the exterior, and hopefully soon, I will take some from inside.

I am really happy to have the van and can't wait to be able to use it for real and get the kids to sleep in.

And definitely will learn a lot from this forum!!

Welcome to the forum. Cool looking van! Look forward to seeing more pix.

Soween wrote:

Hi,

I bought now many months ago, from Japan, through Vancouver, Canada, that Camper Va, and received it finally yesterday.

I will need to wait some more months to drive it as in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, RHD vehicules need to be 25 years old, aand mine will be in June 2022.

Very cool, have you pictures of the inside?

The registration process is the method we gift our cars and vans to the government, and we become the 'keeper'. I'e a gift of chattels to the government. It may interest you to know that legislation is optional, voluntary.

This is especially true if the government and/or registration agency is a registered corporation.
Additionally all legislation is null and void for non-commercial travel, by reason of jurisdiction.
That's why when we are stopped by the policy officers, they ask us if we under stand (stand under), which then forms a contract with us (a fraudulent contract, but already our position is far weaker, after the foolish 'yes'...

Canada is particularly prone to abuse from ths government corporations today, so they enture basis of their assumed, fraudulent authority would be useful to inspect at this time, as the Law of the land is the only law, legisation is only a corporate rule, that we can choose to not contract with.

Below this layer is of course the fact we are living beings, who are tricked into representing dead corporate entities 9sign with black ink - sound familiar?), which is another reason to question our self imposed roles as trustees, running around as slaves to serve our corporate strawman.(men!).

Lovely looking motor. Happy travels.

GPW…  S’funny, vehicle registration in my country is simply to enable and allow us to legally drive our cars on the road - nothing more, nothing less. The registration documents even specifically state that they don’t indicate ownership.
You crazy Americans.

Congratulations! I look forward to seeing some interior photos and how you customize it to your needs. Cheers!

Pete_nz wrote:

GPW…  S’funny, vehicle registration in my country is simply to enable and allow us to legally drive our cars on the road - nothing more, nothing less. The registration documents even specifically state that they don’t indicate ownership.
You crazy Americans.

This is in the UK .

We are only the keeper, it's a little scam they run!

Sssh, don't give our government ideas!

Long story short, after long wait for licence plate and being blocked in my backyard for a fence update, it is now legal on our roads in Quebec.
Still need to take it in the wild, but for now, I can drive it, in the city.

Sweet van. Very clean.
Looks like an airplane in the back with the rear galley.
SuperCustom-Class travel.

When you look more closely there are various little dents and things that you believe could start to rust.
This is annoying me, but at the same time, I know that repainting such surface would cost me 5K in Montreal, so wait and see.
The inside could be refreshed, perhaps later in the year when temperature will allow me more time outside.
But this is fun to drive, and some people are either saluting me (other people with JDM) or asking me questions once parked.
My main piece to change will be the driver mirror, as it is too light and always about to fell when vibrating, I would love the once that are mounted on a rod. Will look for something like that.

Hello and thanks for sharing the pictures and thoughts. Also, welcome to the forum!

I do like the rear kitchen vans as they provide a lot of functionality in a small space. Does the front row of seats in the cabin area turn around to make a dinette with a table? I presume so but am not sure.

To compare and contrast with the cruising cabin variant I’ve just edited the first post on my show us yours page to show the layout of mine.

During the purchase and registration process I expect you’ve come across the build plate, under the passenger seat. While the van is a camper the build plate will list the model and engine, trans and paint codes etc.

Do check out this shortish thread that shows some very useful resources for understanding the Hiace and your (any) van in particular:

https://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/t4468-part-numbers

One day I might write a fuller post on resources but life is busy and this has most of them.

You mention the mirror and on my show us yours page you can see the full variant of the LH ‘truck’ mirror. A small snag is that I’m used to looking through the passenger door window to view the left side when driving a car etc and here I look through the windscreen but it’s a small problem.

To show the usefulness of the Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) that the other post mentions here’s a link to the outside mirror variants:

https://toyota.epc-data.com/regius_ace/lh119v/114894/electric/8701/

The tailgate mirror is useful if you’ve not planning upgrade your camera. Is that the huge thing on the dashboard?

I also think it’s possible to fit the normal door mirrors (like you have on the RH side) to the left.

I’m hoping to fit heating elements to my door mirrors and probably wire these to a different switch than the rear window demistor, which is the typical arrangement on most cars. My thinking is with a car I often don’t need or want the window and the mirror demisting on at the same time, but that’s another story.

You also mention paint and some potential rust areas. I’m doing a lot of work on my van and some of the reason for this is it’s been a bit neglected by a previous owner. Another reason is to do with road salt and the lack of comprehensive underbody sealants fitted to JDM vehicles. I’ve read that they don’t use road salt in the winter in Japan but this is a car-and-van-killer in countries here. If they use road salt where you live and you’ve bought your van to use and enjoy for a good few years or decades I’d recommend a substantial treatment. While probably not helpful from a geography point of view, take a good look at this site and their wider YT library:

https://www.rust.co.uk/

I’ve bought all sorts of great products from them and they really know their stuff. Also, their affiliated treatment centres, where independent garages etc use their products are booked up months in advance. Lots of people with personally precious vehicles that aren’t necessarily hugely valuable get this work done. On the topsides I’d rather have a well resprayed and smart-looking van at the expense of the original paint and decals if it meant no corrosion, but it’s not an immediate decision for you, I realise.

Cheers!

Does the front row of seats in the cabin area turn around to make a dinette with a table?
=> No they do not. I wonder it this would be possible, as the passenger seat has to be lifted for access to engine.
But the rear 2 rows can be organized to face each other in front of a table (that is currently missing).

I expect you’ve come across the build plate, under the passenger seat.
=> no, not an issue I had during my registration process (I got others, but surely purely Quebec ones..).

Is that the huge thing on the dashboard?
=> yes, it is the screen for the rear camera, looks like a CRT, and the camera itself is only B&W, and had to sand it (like you do for front lights) to make it clear again. For now, it will be enough, till I am bored with one or the other.

Thanks for all the other links and infos, very useful!!!

Hi.

I didn't expect the front seats in the driver's area to turn around (swivel). These don't on the Hiace as far as I know. Mine certainly don't and I've never seen any that do on the H100. It's the vehicle layout that limits this. Maybe the newer vans, with the engine under a front bonnet do? This would be like the VW T4, T5 etc vans, where many do have swivel seats. Front seats that rotate (swivel) are generally called captain's seats.

I was asking about those in the cabin area (to make a dinette) and it seems from your message that yours do, like mine. Take a look at my show us yours page to see the inside picture of mine.

Do find that build plate under the passenger seat. It's your ticket to unlocking a lot of info about the vehicle and its details via the other sites etc. It’s also worth checking the frame number on the build plate agrees with the one stamped below the closing of the driver’s door. This checks you have the right build plate!

HTH!

Although the seats won't turn (the centre tunnel is in the way), they do tilt and slide forward quite a way, giving much more space inside - in mine the fridge is on a slide, when the drivers seat is slid forward it frees up space for the fridge to move out of the area under the moon roof.

Also the passenger (LH) seat cab move forward leaving a convenient shelf above the battery, not very flat. but perhaps a DIY low expansion polyurethane foam pad moulded into a plastic bag might be the basis for a seat there.