Rare 1981 Toyota SR5 Winnebago Trekker 4×4
A Toyota Winnebago what who? This 1981 Toyota SR5 Winnebago Trekker, more commonly known as a Toyota Trekker, may look like just a regular Toyota pickup with a color-matched topper or “cap” on the back. You’d be partially right if you thought that. The seller has this unicorn listed here on eBay in Canoga Park, CA, there is no reserve, and the current bid price is $15,000!
What’s the big deal here? This truck literally just looks like a Toyota pickup with a color-matched topper/cap on the back. Next! It’s a bit more than that despite its nondescript looks. We have seen only three of them ramble across our desks here at One Barn Finds Tower over the years and that makes them pretty rare. A lot of this era Toyota pickups show up here and a few Winnebagos but not many of their combined efforts.
The Trekker was a predecessor to Toyota’s 4Runner that we know today, starting out as a limited edition exercise between Toyota and Winnebago, a company that knows a thing or two about conversions. They were only made for three years, 1981, 1982, and 1983 with reportedly around 1,200 of them leaving the Winnebago Industries facility until Toyota brought out the 4Runner in 1984. This example isn’t perfect as you can see, there is some rust to deal with as there almost always is with decades-old vehicles. The underside looks solid other than a couple of areas. The seller mentions the rust areas in their listing.
The interior looks great and the big thing with this model would be the seating area behind the front seat. The Toyota/Winnebago mashup created an early SUV for Toyota (I know, they already had the FJ series for years) or a more friendly, modern SUV than their rugged off-road vehicles which had rear seats. The back seat looks great as does the rear cargo area.
This is the only glimpse of the engine and I had to enlarge this photo in order to show this much. I don’t get it, the hood is open, just get in there and take a photo! (fake drama) The engine is Toyota’s 22R, their 2.4L inline-four with about 100 horsepower. Having a much nicer pickup bed area than a regular pickup truck, the Trekker was one of Toyota’s first efforts at creating an off-road vehicle that a person could conveniently use as a part-time camper. Have any of you seen a Trekker?
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Comments
This is a mean looking vehicle for off road exploration! The only thing I would consider is a snorkel!
Dont ruin this classic truck my modding.the hell out of it, etc. Buy something newer and less valuable to do that
You are going to ruin a nice original fender with an ugly and useless snorkel???
You gotta be kidding!
Yes the tailpipe underwater always choked ours back in the day. That is too clean to beat on.
Amazing to see one this nice, not rusted. Up North these didn’t last too long for that reason alone. Very nice little trucks. Handy and reliable. I wish you could still buy something like this for a modest price brand new. Even at my advanced age, I might take the plunge. I could use it to haul away my two motorcycles that I am too old to safely ride anymore.
It really was a brilliant way for Toyota to test the waters of a small, pickup-based SUV – at very low expense. By 1983 the mini Blazer/Jimmy and Bronco II were out and it was time for Toyota to build their own.
It is the nicest Trekker that I have ever seen. Yes, they are a Unicorn and they do not come up for sale often. For 200K, the condition is amazing. It certainly has been loved. You just can’t go wrong with this vintage Toyota look. It will bring all the money. Absolutely love it.
Looks like a fun toy
Current bid $25,000! I’ve got a 2009 Tacoma they can have for $15K and bank the extra $10,000.
WHAT? $25,100 with 3 days left!
And to quote Arte Johnson “Verrry interesting. But stupid!”
I just purchased the back in the day Brand X competition to the Toyota Trekker.
A Nissan Bushmaster!
Back when the 4Runner came out, there was a rash of what I assumed were dealer conversions to make a faux 4Runner. Low end models with the bed welded to the cab and the sheetmetal separating the cab and bed removed and a bed cab on top. They were pretty common in the late ’80s through the ’90’s, then seemed to suddenly disappear. Same thing with the “sleeper cab” bed inserts, including some with an extended frame to maintain the bed length.
Which is exactly what the Trekker was!
I test drove a 1981 Trekker at our local Toyota dealer. If I had any idea how significant these were going to be 40 years later, I would have figured out a way to make those payments. But the next year I did manage to snag a black 1981 SR5 4WD that looked like someone threw the entire Downey Off Road catalog at it before selling it and I paid quite a bit less for it than the Trekker would have cost. That truck is probably my greatest sales regret.
I test drove a 1981 Trekker at our local Toyota dealer. If I had any idea how significant these were going to be 40 years later, I would have figured out a way to make those payments. But the next year I did manage to snag a black 1981 SR5 4WD that looked like someone threw the entire Downey Off Road catalog at it before selling it and I paid quite a bit less for it than the Trekker would have cost. That truck is probably the vehicle that regret the most in selling..
Wow! $39,000 with 4 hrs to go! Wish I had a time machine, lol! Cool Toyota.
Auction update: this one sold for a whopping $39,000!