Great video. I removed the rear seats in my 2016 RAV4 hybrid and did 5mo of hiking and living out of it in AZ, UT, and CO in 2021. The minivan is a gamechanger for interior space, I'm jealous! Now to get a 2-3in lift kit (I found my 7.3in of GC to be just adequate for my travels on backroads) and it'd be heaven! Enjoy!
I like that you mention about sitting upright that was the main purpose of clicking on the video. Also, like how thorough you are with weights and dimensions. Happy travels. Hope to see you out on the road.
My wife and I just turn 50, we love road trips. I am looking on internet how to turn our 2012 Honda Odyssey into an rv camper. We still have an 11 year boy, also loves to travel. Hotels are too expensive at all times. I run across your channel, I like it so much. 👍
Very helpful, thank you - just completed a cross country road trip in a Rav4 (solo) and though I had a comfortable bed from REI with a memory foam mattress, it was cramped and I couldn't sit up, which turned out to be a deal-breaker for me. Thanks for sharing these great ideas.
Impressive. I like the idea of keeping the second row seats in place for greater versatility. Look forward to your other videos about creative fixes for issues you mention here. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for great video. You should make a video talking about yourself. I’d love to know you more. I bought a Sienna last week and I can really appreciate your courage gutting your new van and drilling holes in it. That takes some guts.
Hi Amir, thank you for your comment. Congratulation with your new Sienna! Not a single hole was grilled in our Sienna. The whole idea of this project was to create a bed structure which is touching only rubber mat at the back of the van and carpeting in the middle section. 90% of the structure’s weight is born by the third seats’ mounting brackets which are normally carry all the load of the seats. I made sure that I can preserve all interior parts in original condition. As to talking about myself in the video - perhaps one day :). I believe most of viewers want to hear about my projects for now. All the best.
I love the design - I realize more research on removing the seats. When I looked at higher top campers - yes more ameneties but like the rollover safety of the toytoa and other safety features. Currently own a 2007 Tundra that has convinced me of Toyota's safety and longevity. Looking into seat removal as it says you cannot remove them due to the integrated air bags but apparently some have figured out the how to.
Have you filmed the removal of the second row seats and how to overcome the error message when air bags are removed? I have seen the video of Brad Ling from some time ago however wondered if you improved on his process.
We were looking to test drive one but there aren't any around because they're sold before they hit the lot. We did manage to rent an XLE for a day and got to put about 178 miles on it. Took 5 gallons for 35.6 mpg in heavy highway traffic with a little around town. We really enjoyed it and it was fun to see how much we could charge the battery and how often it switched between engine and battery power. I did notice that the battery kicks in climbing hills. We really enjoyed it and our local dealer has requested a Limited version for us. Looking forward to the ventilated seats here in Texas.
Thank you for sharing your impressions after test driving Sienna. After 6 month of ownership and 10k miles we love it even more then when we took delivery. I hope your dealer will get your Sienna soon. Cheers!
This is a brilliant channel. You have opened my mind to endless possibilities! Thank you for saving the links to items used, very helpful. Always thumbs up from the 641..
This is amazing. Great Build Sir. About the 100lbs reducing fuel efficiency 1 mpg statement at about 4:40 in the video…..I have a 2014 Sienna I routinely go camping with 4 people and all our gear…well over 1,000 lbs of stuff….and I do not lose more than 10 mpg
Great design. This is just what we have been looking for to adapt a van to a sleeping space and passengers space for our adult son to travell with us. We were considering a sprinter van conversion, but we were told that the height restrictions may impede our travel in certain national parks etc. We may add a teardrop or pid travel trailer to our set-up. We. Are very experienced tent campers, but I'm a little afraid of the wild animals out west. Loll! The details you gave were really helpful. Thank-you!
Mattress idea. I use a high quality air mattress, filled to very firm, with a 2 inch memory foam topper. This allows relatively compact storage and provides a very comfortable mattress.
@Tellvia Thanks. Yes I understand that, it's very common. During the 8 months that I lived in my Prius it was in READY mode 90+ percent of the time with no issues. I had a fridge running constantly. Prius' are commonly used as taxis in large cities where any one car will be driven non-stop all day. Since they can handle being used constantly I don't see a reason to complicate things by adding more batteries.
Also if you put a couple rocket boxes on top they would be so easy to access with the telescoping ladders that you already have for the bed. Double duty. Maybe you could fit all of your clothes and personal items up top since they would be so easy to access.
I like this. Very interesting using those telescoping ladders! My only concern is that the wood structure might make scratches on your new van's interior. Considered putting some soft covering over the plastic, perhaps? For me it would be good for the Resale Value of the van to prevent as much wear/tear as possible
Hi Cyrus, thank you for your comment and the question. During the design and frame adjustment process I was very concerned about potential scratching of the plastic interior as well. To avoid this I left about ¼ to 3/8” gap between the sides and back panel of the van. Once the structure is in place and tided down with ratchet strap is is rock solid and does not move. So far I don’t see any places that are or might be affected by the structure. Since is my case it will stay in the van permanently (or until I am ready to sell the van) I hope the ware and tear associated with my conversion will be minimal. Enjoy your new Sienna!
It is such a shame that Toyota doesn't make it easier to remove the middle and rear rows of seats. My uses of mini vans over the years has seen me remove the seats on day 1 and using the rear space for camping, cargo, securely carrying expensive bikes to reduce worry when leaving the vehicle, a change room when skiing or biking - the only thing I never do is carry passengers.
Great thing about the Toyota Sienna Hybrids is that you can literally leave the the engine on.. Another person in another video did an experiment and is now Living in... Throughout the night in extreme cold with the heater to extreme heat with the A/C on he only uses about 1 gallon of gas And that's for 10 hours. He does keep our carbon monoxide detector inside just in case but never went off
Thanks for posting the Sienna videos. I have a 20 year old AWD Sienna that I sleep in from time to time. I love it. It’s pushing 275,000 miles and I’m thinking about getting a 2021 or 2022 AWD. They’re not so easy to find in So Cal. I found one in Palm Springs, but the website doesn’t have a price and it’s green. I prefer green in mine but maroon in the new ones. So my requirements are AWD and spare tire. I’m not in a super big hurry to buy. I’m not in the market for one as high end as you with the inverter etc. Some reviewers complain about the lack of power and the engine revving all the time. I don’t drive that aggressively but I am sensitive to sound. I need to find one to test drive. I am a little concerned about the battery. It wouldn’t last 20 years like my current van has. Maybe 10 years like the one in your Tesla. I have an R5 too and will comment on one or two of your videos about that. I don’t use my van or camera nearly as much as you, but again, appreciate the videos on the subjects.
Thank you for watching and sharing experience with your Sienna. Impressive mileage on your van. The shortage of microchips delays production of many vehicles nowadays and dealers ask for MSRP or more with extra add-ones. I hope this will change soon. Regarding your questions about the noise and power in new Sienna, you should definitely test drive it to make sure it will work for you. I believe you will be impressed. After owning 18 vehicles, I think new Sienna is one of the quietest vehicles while cruising on a highway. You probably have seen my video “5 likes and Dislikes…” about our Sienna, where I tested how it sound inside and driving dynamics. It does make some noise upon rapid acceleration but not any more than any 4 cylinder engine. From discussions about the hybrid battery, I understand that Toyota has recently changed how the hybrid battery charge/recharge cycle is managed to improve it’s longevity and increased the warranty for the battery to 10 years. Even if will last only 120K miles, at today’s gas prices, the savings in fuel economy of the hybrid will more than cover the cost of battery replacement. I am glad to hear that you own an R5 camera as well. More videos about my experience with R5 are coming. Cheers!
@@Tellvia Thanks for the reminder on the 5 likes and dislikes. I watched it some time back but wasn’t seriously looking at a hybrid Sienna at the time. The front seats are a big deal. Some other reviewers have noticed the same. I wonder if I could get some kind of support to put on the seat that would make it more comfortable versus the 1” spacer idea. A local dealer had a Woodland on their webpage on Thursday. I went by on Friday and it was presold. I’m not a big fan of the cloth seats, but the inverter and luggage rack are of interest. Your model is sort of high cost for me. Very nice vehicle though. It is certainly a seller’s market. I removed my DYI structure for sleeping from my van and put the seat back in. It’s more ready to get rid of. Might be soon. Might be a year. Thanks again.
@@recordbutton1845 Thank you for watching and sharing your plans for new Sienna. We’ve driven over 10K miles an with the 1” mod the front seats now feel great on long drives. Good luck with your search for new Sienna. Cheers!
Thank you for kind words! I have been pondering on idea of selling a quick conversion kit and need more data on how big is this market and what is the right price point. Currently I am working on my version 2 design for our Sienna. Should have a video about it in the next few weeks. Cheers!
@@Tellvia I believe the market is huge, please count Canada in, I do feel in recent years, vanlife/ campervan is a trend. It saves a lot of time spending on set up/take off the tent, especial when you are planing a trip to visit several parks. Your design is amazing!
Wonderful. Thank you so much for doing this video. I have a couple questions if you don't mind. -It appears that you cut the plywood panels to a standard size. Do you have that measurement handy? -How high off of the floor (pick the reference point) does the top of your platform reach? Because of the variance of the shape on the side panels, I can't quite decide how high is optimal. You mention the 12" storage boxes supporting the ladders, so I suppose it's the width of the plywood, plus the ladder, plus 12". -I would LOVE some dimensions on the third seat well structure, as well. -How difficult was removing the third row seats? I haven't been able to find a tutorial and though it doesn't look difficult, I would love to hear feedback. -Are you connecting your Jackery to the car for continuous charging? Then the fridge to the Jackery? Did you need the 1000? I'd love to cut some costs with the 300. Thank you again. I was a little baffled by this layout once I started thinking about the build and with 3 weeks until a major trip, I wasn't even sure where to start. Plus, your hierarchy of need for this build perfectly reflects ours (though we have to keep the 2nd row until our little once is much older). This is a huge help.
Hi Atom, thank you for your comment and the questions. To start your project here what I recommend that you keep in mind when deciding on dimension of the bed structure: 1. If you plan to carry a refrigerator how toll is it. You would need to make sure that it would fit in the 3rd row well with the top plywood cover (which will be a part of your bed since you will keep the 2nd row seats). This measurement will define how high your bed structure will be. The floor in sienna is uneven and not leveled (it slopes down towards the front of the van). 2. When designing/planning the bed structure make sure that you van is parked on a leveled ground or use spacers under wheels to level it. Now you can use a 36 or 48” bubble level and 6 feet long 2x4” straight lumber piece as a mock-up the bed structure from the back of the van to the folded and slid forward 2nd row seat. This will give you the hight of the support (hight of the boxes) that will go under the legs of the ladders. 3. The long level will also be useful when you are cutting the holes for the legs of the ladders. You want to make sure that the once the ladder sections are extended they will be flat. 4. The 3rd row well has curved walls/floor. To avoid matching it contours I used just front and rear plywood section and used partial hight side sections cut as rectangular pieces. The side sections positioned to encase the fridge. Again hight of the structure in the 3rd row seat well is defined by what you put in it. I would build this section first. I will easier to build the middle section second. When I started my build I did not have any plans and measurements, I followed the logic above and kept cutting the plywood pieces to keep the structure level. The width of the van in the narrowest part (between rear wheels) is about 48”, so the standard plywood pieces will fit. I built my structure from 24x24” pieces such that I can unfold bed only on one side, if needed, but you can build yours from a 24x48” panels if you will always use full width bed. Regarding the removal of third row seats - it is relatively straightforward. All mounting bolts, covered by plastic covers, are accessed from the storage cavity. The third row seats come out as 60/40 sections, which is good, as they are heavy (~90lb and 130lb). Disconnect the battery before unplugging the seatbelt electrical connectors! Now, about Jackery backup battery. We returned the 1000 unit and bought the new 1500W unit because we wanted to make sure that we would have enough charge to keep the fridge running even in very hot weather for at lest 3 days. The battery is connected to 110V inverter and the fridge to Jackery. The inverter in Sienna works only when the car is on (and the AC 110 switch is ON), it does not use the hybrid battery energy when the van is parked. When you drive the van charges the Jackery and keeps the fridge running. The new 1500 battery charges faster during driving. But the size of the battery depends on your needs. The fridge we have uses max 40-50W when it is cooling and about 20-25W once it is down to target temp. So 300W battery will keep it cold for between 6-12 hours. I hope this helps. Good luck with your project!
Using the back well for a fridge is good, but it seems like a waste of weight and space for the bedding. You could have used milk crates throughout for storage and an inflatable mattress to sleep on. The matrix of crates would have easily supported the weight and when not inflated, the mattress would take up far less space than the memory foam.
I bought the 2021 LSE. After I learned the second row seat removal debacle. On waiting list for gtrv pop up conversion which May or may not happen due to sienna design change! So love your conversion video!! Do you do it for others or make a kit or recommend someone who dies what you did???
Great info - Thanks! I've been thinking about doing exactly what you've already done and this helps a lot with my thought process. Have you used the climate control function overnight to either keep the car cool in warm weather or heated during cold weather?
Hi Ric, thank you for your comment. We have not tried the climate control system to keep warm/cool yet while camping, as the weather was very comfortable where we travelled. My understanding is that this will be possible and I look forward to trying it. Enjoy your Sienna and good luck with your build!
@@Tellvia oh yes please! Do a review on the climate control capabilities of the 2021 Hybrid Sienna! As a Prius owner & avid car camper, I immediately subscribed!! I am so interested in what this vehicle will offer!
Well… you may have changed again. For over a year I’ve been looking at options for traveling & camping solo. I had initially decided on a Casita travel trailer but I couldn’t get past feeling unsafe & needing to leave. What do I do? Run to the car, drive away & leave the trailer? Well that won’t work. So, I decided on a van… not a $100k tricked out ride… just a plain cargo van with a no build build. If I’m uncomfortable I can jump in the front & go. I’m still in the van mind set, but am seriously considering a compact van such as a Ford Transit Connect which would be the cheapest option for a van no more than 2 years old. I decided before I sold my Acadia SUV, I’d try camping out of it to see if, at age 73, I still enjoyed it as much as when I was younger, if I could do it physically & most importantly… comfortably. I took out the 2nd row seats for storage. Threw in an air mattress, cooler, storage bins & a bucket potty. I spent 2 weeks in Southern Colorado & loved it… so it’s a go for me. BUT… I won’t be full time & it seemed that if I had a bit more head room, I could do it out of am SUV. Only problem is, my SUV has only 32” of room between folded 3rd row & roof. I haven’t found any SUV’s that have the floor to ceiling room behind the front seats like minivans do… particularly the Sienna. I want a vehicle no more than 2 years old. I’ve been watching minivan videos for 3 weeks now and yours is the first I’ve found using a new model. I like the idea of leaving the smaller of the 3rd row seats just to have a place to sit comfortably in the back. After watching what you’ve done, I really think this would work for me as a solo camper. Thanks so much!
Hi Linda, thank you for sharing considerations for your next camping vehicle. If you don’t plan to carry a lot of luggage new Sienna does make for a comfortable sleeping vehicle. An extra tall tent like a Clam could serve as a kitchen, dining room and shelter on a rainy day of camping. Good luck with your search. Cheers!
Thank you for the video and all your detailed information. I have a new van coming in soon. Won't be for two, just me! I have a few questions. Did you make any covers for the seat trolly, and where did get the resistors and what value of resistors did you use for making the airbag light go away? Maybe you got the wrong value of resistor? Also... Did you run the Air Conditioning in the back like they do in Prius camping? Thanks again! Happy Camping! I am buying the van with a 10-year warranty, plan to travel all over the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Good video! Can you leave the sienna hybrid system on 24 hours without it shutting off after an hour? In the Prius, you can sleep in the Prius with climate control on all night all day without the hybrid system shutting itself off! If the new hybrid sienna does NOT auto shutoff after an hour then I’m going to buy one for climate control camping.
Yes you can! You have to select "keep engine ON" on the display when you start the van. My video discussing HVAC on new Sienna for camping is coming our later tonight.
First, thank you for your video (and the one comparing Model X with Sienna...). Very useful and precise informations! I am glad i found your channel. One major advantage of the Sienna Hybrid you did not mention yet: the possibility to use the the Heat/AC when you sleep in the car, using the hybrid battery (like in the Prius, wich many people use for car living). I would really be interested to know if it works well in a real situation. Does the car have to start itself often to recharge the batteries? I have read somewhere that the car would have to start 1-2 minutes every hours to recharge the batteries, depending on the situation. Other major advantage: the 1500 W Inverter. I was surprised to see you are using a Jackery to power the fridge. Wouldn’t plugging the fridge directly to the inverter do the job? Boy… so many questions… I can’t wait for your future videos, maybe answering some of them!
Thank you for your comment, questions and for subscribing to the channel. I am very interested to test the "camping" mode in our Sienna. During our recent camping trips we did not need AC/Heating but I will test this feature in the coming weeks. When I was studying the controls seating in the car with the car and the AC ON the engine started every 10-15 min for about 3-5 minutes. It will be interesting to see how it works when camping and sleeping in the car when it is 85-90 degrees outside and AC set for 72 deg inside the cabin. The inverter works only when the car is turned ON and the driver needs to remember to turn the inverter button ON (we are still learning to do it every time after stops). We wanted to have a backup battery for the fridge when we would be away from our campsite in order not to leave the car in the ON state as it will periodically will start/stop the engine and potentially attract unnecessary attention and concern about unattended running car. The good thing about the inverter is that is charges the battery and cools the fridge when driving, so we always have plenty of charge for the fridge even if we plan not to drive for 3-4 days. I will plan to include the Inverter topic for discussion in the upcoming Sienna videos. Are you on the market for new Sienna or already driving it? Cheers!
@@Tellvia Engine starting every 10-15 min for 3-5 minutes would not be workable in camping situation unfortunately… I wonder how people sleeping in their Prius manage the situation. Oh, so the inverter only works when car is on, i did not knew that. I understand why it makes more sense having the Jackery. Not quite yet in the market for a Sienna but i am planning to! Thanks! :)
Awesome use of the telescoping ladders! What criteria did you use for choosing the particular ladder? I'm guessing weight, capacity, ease of extending/shortening. Other considerations? Did you have to remove the ladder "feet" to be able to slide the ladder tubes into the holes? Can you slide the ladder as a whole back and forth a little bit? If you can slide the ladder back a bit and the whole bed base along with it you could have a sort of "balcony" hanging off the back of you minivan on which you could sit (though doing so would place a torque possibly causing the whole thing to tilt). Just brainstorming ideas lol.
Hi Jose, thank you for your comment and questions. The weight of the bed and sleepers is evenly distributed by the plywood over the lengths of the ladder tubes, but the ends of ladders need to be supported. Yes, I took the rubber feet from ladders to insert them into the holes in the plywood structure. The diameter of the legs is ~2.4". Regarding the sliding balcony off the back of the van - I guess this could be possible but you would block access the the storage cavity where 3rd row seats are folded. Also the whole platform would need to be higher off the floor to clear the rear gate opening. I hope this helps. Cheers!
Once again, awesome build! In your research, did you happen to come across any conversion companies that install a pop top on the 2021 Sienna? GTRV seems to only do so for 2020 or earlier Siennas; not sure why they don't do the 2021 Sienna.
Hi Jose, thank for your comment. The idea of pop top camping conversion is very appealing and looks cool at a campsite. I have not considered, or researched the pop top options for our Sienna, however, for two reasons: I want to avoid major body modifications to preserve resale value of the van and because I prefer not to add any extra weight to the top of the vehicle for handling reasons. Let me know if your decide to go for this build option. Cheers!
Great video about the van conversion. What did you do about the airbag message when you remove the 2nd row seats. There're concern that the airbag message would impact the rest of the airbags if something would to happen. Could you please tells us about this. Thanks
Hi Tien, thank you for the comment and question. The topic of Aibag message is widely discussed on the web. Here is a link to recent discussion specifically about 2021 Sienna - www.siennachat.com/threads/2021-sienna-mid-row-seats.64221/page-3.
@@Tellvia I'm a regular on that forum. Just like to get your input about it if you not already a member in the forum already. So far no one really has a definite answer for this issue yet.
The figure on weight vs mileage is actually per roughly 100 pounds of weight you lose 1 percent of mileage. If it was 1mpg you would effectively get 0mpg on the sienna if you hauled or towed 3500 pounds which is actually the tow rating I'm pretty sure.
I think the Honda Odyssey is much easier for that. The seats fold into the floor and you will have a flat surface to sleep on or place any pads or mattress on
I must confess that using retractable ladders is pretty darn brilliant!
This is the best design I have ever seen. I love the telescoping ladders. Pure Genius and bueatiful
Finally the measurements of the cargo space with the seats removed 😭! I love you man!
You’re definitely an engineer of some kind…and good at it too!
Great video. I removed the rear seats in my 2016 RAV4 hybrid and did 5mo of hiking and living out of it in AZ, UT, and CO in 2021. The minivan is a gamechanger for interior space, I'm jealous! Now to get a 2-3in lift kit (I found my 7.3in of GC to be just adequate for my travels on backroads) and it'd be heaven! Enjoy!
I like that you mention about sitting upright that was the main purpose of clicking on the video. Also, like how thorough you are with weights and dimensions. Happy travels. Hope to see you out on the road.
Definitely a great build. I had no idea the seats would weight over 300 lbs.!! Great video!
My wife and I just turn 50, we love road trips. I am looking on internet how to turn our 2012 Honda Odyssey into an rv camper. We still have an 11 year boy, also loves to travel. Hotels are too expensive at all times. I run across your channel, I like it so much. 👍
That is awesome!
Very helpful, thank you - just completed a cross country road trip in a Rav4 (solo) and though I had a comfortable bed from REI with a memory foam mattress, it was cramped and I couldn't sit up, which turned out to be a deal-breaker for me. Thanks for sharing these great ideas.
Impressive. I like the idea of keeping the second row seats in place for greater versatility.
Look forward to your other videos about creative fixes for issues you mention here.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for great video. You should make a video talking about yourself. I’d love to know you more.
I bought a Sienna last week and I can really appreciate your courage gutting your new van and drilling holes in it. That takes some guts.
Hi Amir, thank you for your comment. Congratulation with your new Sienna! Not a single hole was grilled in our Sienna. The whole idea of this project was to create a bed structure which is touching only rubber mat at the back of the van and carpeting in the middle section. 90% of the structure’s weight is born by the third seats’ mounting brackets which are normally carry all the load of the seats. I made sure that I can preserve all interior parts in original condition. As to talking about myself in the video - perhaps one day :). I believe most of viewers want to hear about my projects for now. All the best.
@@Tellvia would be great to know more about the creative mind behind this build. what is your background, your inspiration, etc.
I love the design - I realize more research on removing the seats. When I looked at higher top campers - yes more ameneties but like the rollover safety of the toytoa and other safety features. Currently own a 2007 Tundra that has convinced me of Toyota's safety and longevity. Looking into seat removal as it says you cannot remove them due to the integrated air bags but apparently some have figured out the how to.
They come out easily enough (~one hour of labor costs), but circumventing the warning message is trickier.
I hope he answered our questions 😁🤞
Excellent design. That telescoping ladder idea is genius.
Have you filmed the removal of the second row seats and how to overcome the error message when air bags are removed? I have seen the video of Brad Ling from some time ago however wondered if you improved on his process.
The bed looks so comfortable
We were looking to test drive one but there aren't any around because they're sold before they hit the lot. We did manage to rent an XLE for a day and got to put about 178 miles on it. Took 5 gallons for 35.6 mpg in heavy highway traffic with a little around town. We really enjoyed it and it was fun to see how much we could charge the battery and how often it switched between engine and battery power. I did notice that the battery kicks in climbing hills. We really enjoyed it and our local dealer has requested a Limited version for us. Looking forward to the ventilated seats here in Texas.
Thank you for sharing your impressions after test driving Sienna. After 6 month of ownership and 10k miles we love it even more then when we took delivery. I hope your dealer will get your Sienna soon. Cheers!
Thank you so much for sharing the video. This is exactly what I want to do with my future-sienna. Great design and engineering.
This is a brilliant channel. You have opened my mind to endless possibilities! Thank you for saving the links to items used, very helpful. Always thumbs up from the 641..
This is amazing. Great Build Sir.
About the 100lbs reducing fuel efficiency 1 mpg statement at about 4:40 in the video…..I have a 2014 Sienna I routinely go camping with 4 people and all our gear…well over 1,000 lbs of stuff….and I do not lose more than 10 mpg
Great design. I especially like the use of collapsible ladders. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Wow, this is the best design and most efficient & practical set up that I have seen. Thank you for sharing.
amazing. thank you for sharing all of the details and links as well. looking forward to seeing the next video on ventilation tips.
Great design. This is just what we have been looking for to adapt a van to a sleeping space and passengers space for our adult son to travell with us. We were considering a sprinter van conversion, but we were told that the height restrictions may impede our travel in certain national parks etc. We may add a teardrop or pid travel trailer to our set-up. We. Are very experienced tent campers, but I'm a little afraid of the wild animals out west. Loll! The details you gave were really helpful. Thank-you!
Excellent video! And thank you for sharing your conversion van build with us! Look forward to your videos in the future. Happy camping.
Nicely done! A master craftsman.
Thank you! Cheers!
Your commentary was excellent !! Thank you.
This is the best video I have seen on this subject. I especially value the discussion of weights.
Thank you for watching, Ethan! I am glad you found it useful. Cheers!
Coolest design, smart and efficient ! Great job!
Genuinely genius and inventive. Impressive thinking!!!
Mattress idea. I use a high quality air mattress, filled to very firm, with a 2 inch memory foam topper. This allows relatively compact storage and provides a very comfortable mattress.
Hi Gee, the axillary battery in this build is for running a portable fridge while we camping and the van’s engine is off. Cheers!
@Tellvia Thanks. Yes I understand that, it's very common. During the 8 months that I lived in my Prius it was in READY mode 90+ percent of the time with no issues. I had a fridge running constantly. Prius' are commonly used as taxis in large cities where any one car will be driven non-stop all day. Since they can handle being used constantly I don't see a reason to complicate things by adding more batteries.
What a great modification of your van. Perhaps a touch of the 60s. Now what is the music selection!
Thanks, Fred! Movie scores by Hans Zimmer :)
Thank you for the measurements, just want to carry a 4x8 sheet of whatever if need be.
Also if you put a couple rocket boxes on top they would be so easy to access with the telescoping ladders that you already have for the bed. Double duty. Maybe you could fit all of your clothes and personal items up top since they would be so easy to access.
I like this. Very interesting using those telescoping ladders!
My only concern is that the wood structure might make scratches on your new van's interior. Considered putting some soft covering over the plastic, perhaps?
For me it would be good for the Resale Value of the van to prevent as much wear/tear as possible
Hi Cyrus, thank you for your comment and the question. During the design and frame adjustment process I was very concerned about potential scratching of the plastic interior as well. To avoid this I left about ¼ to 3/8” gap between the sides and back panel of the van. Once the structure is in place and tided down with ratchet strap is is rock solid and does not move. So far I don’t see any places that are or might be affected by the structure. Since is my case it will stay in the van permanently (or until I am ready to sell the van) I hope the ware and tear associated with my conversion will be minimal. Enjoy your new Sienna!
@@Tellvia interesting thank you sir
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a lot for this video. Very detailed and informative. So happy to find your channel.
It is such a shame that Toyota doesn't make it easier to remove the middle and rear rows of seats. My uses of mini vans over the years has seen me remove the seats on day 1 and using the rear space for camping, cargo, securely carrying expensive bikes to reduce worry when leaving the vehicle, a change room when skiing or biking - the only thing I never do is carry passengers.
Looks like an excellent job will sort it out
Great build and explanation! Thank you very much!
Great thing about the Toyota Sienna Hybrids is that you can literally leave the the engine on.. Another person in another video did an experiment and is now Living in... Throughout the night in extreme cold with the heater to extreme heat with the A/C on he only uses about 1 gallon of gas And that's for 10 hours. He does keep our carbon monoxide detector inside just in case but never went off
Love it. You did a great job, thanks for sharing!!
I have heard that removalof the 2nd row seats in the new Sienna is quite a project.
Great design and video
Thanks for posting the Sienna videos.
I have a 20 year old AWD Sienna that I sleep in from time to time.
I love it.
It’s pushing 275,000 miles and I’m thinking about getting a 2021 or 2022 AWD.
They’re not so easy to find in So Cal.
I found one in Palm Springs, but the website doesn’t have a price and it’s green. I prefer green in mine but maroon in the new ones.
So my requirements are AWD and spare tire.
I’m not in a super big hurry to buy.
I’m not in the market for one as high end as you with the inverter etc.
Some reviewers complain about the lack of power and the engine revving all the time.
I don’t drive that aggressively but I am sensitive to sound. I need to find one to test drive.
I am a little concerned about the battery. It wouldn’t last 20 years like my current van has. Maybe 10 years like the one in your Tesla.
I have an R5 too and will comment on one or two of your videos about that.
I don’t use my van or camera nearly as much as you, but again, appreciate the videos on the subjects.
Thank you for watching and sharing experience with your Sienna. Impressive mileage on your van. The shortage of microchips delays production of many vehicles nowadays and dealers ask for MSRP or more with extra add-ones. I hope this will change soon. Regarding your questions about the noise and power in new Sienna, you should definitely test drive it to make sure it will work for you. I believe you will be impressed. After owning 18 vehicles, I think new Sienna is one of the quietest vehicles while cruising on a highway. You probably have seen my video “5 likes and Dislikes…” about our Sienna, where I tested how it sound inside and driving dynamics. It does make some noise upon rapid acceleration but not any more than any 4 cylinder engine. From discussions about the hybrid battery, I understand that Toyota has recently changed how the hybrid battery charge/recharge cycle is managed to improve it’s longevity and increased the warranty for the battery to 10 years. Even if will last only 120K miles, at today’s gas prices, the savings in fuel economy of the hybrid will more than cover the cost of battery replacement. I am glad to hear that you own an R5 camera as well. More videos about my experience with R5 are coming. Cheers!
@@Tellvia Thanks for the reminder on the 5 likes and dislikes.
I watched it some time back but wasn’t seriously looking at a hybrid Sienna at the time.
The front seats are a big deal. Some other reviewers have noticed the same. I wonder if I could get some kind of support to put on the seat that would make it more comfortable versus the 1” spacer idea.
A local dealer had a Woodland on their webpage on Thursday.
I went by on Friday and it was presold.
I’m not a big fan of the cloth seats, but the inverter and luggage rack are of interest.
Your model is sort of high cost for me. Very nice vehicle though.
It is certainly a seller’s market.
I removed my DYI structure for sleeping from my van and put the seat back in.
It’s more ready to get rid of.
Might be soon.
Might be a year.
Thanks again.
@@recordbutton1845 Thank you for watching and sharing your plans for new Sienna. We’ve driven over 10K miles an with the 1” mod the front seats now feel great on long drives. Good luck with your search for new Sienna. Cheers!
Amazing! I wish you could start a business to sell this quick conversion kit!
Thank you for kind words! I have been pondering on idea of selling a quick conversion kit and need more data on how big is this market and what is the right price point. Currently I am working on my version 2 design for our Sienna. Should have a video about it in the next few weeks. Cheers!
@@Tellvia I believe the market is huge, please count Canada in, I do feel in recent years, vanlife/ campervan is a trend. It saves a lot of time spending on set up/take off the tent, especial when you are planing a trip to visit several parks. Your design is amazing!
This was great!
This is a great inspiration coming out from Freeway Camper kit. This could have been mentionned.
Amazing build man. Seriously 👍👍
Great job, and thnx for sharing!
Thank you for this video, just what I was looking for. 😊.
Pretty interesting idea using the telescoping ladders and a very beautiful than build
4:42 re 100lbs 1mpg change -- wow, had to google that. It's loosely true. Today i learned!
Wonderful. Thank you so much for doing this video. I have a couple questions if you don't mind.
-It appears that you cut the plywood panels to a standard size. Do you have that measurement handy?
-How high off of the floor (pick the reference point) does the top of your platform reach? Because of the variance of the shape on the side panels, I can't quite decide how high is optimal. You mention the 12" storage boxes supporting the ladders, so I suppose it's the width of the plywood, plus the ladder, plus 12".
-I would LOVE some dimensions on the third seat well structure, as well.
-How difficult was removing the third row seats? I haven't been able to find a tutorial and though it doesn't look difficult, I would love to hear feedback.
-Are you connecting your Jackery to the car for continuous charging? Then the fridge to the Jackery? Did you need the 1000? I'd love to cut some costs with the 300.
Thank you again. I was a little baffled by this layout once I started thinking about the build and with 3 weeks until a major trip, I wasn't even sure where to start. Plus, your hierarchy of need for this build perfectly reflects ours (though we have to keep the 2nd row until our little once is much older). This is a huge help.
Hi Atom, thank you for your comment and the questions. To start your project here what I recommend that you keep in mind when deciding on dimension of the bed structure:
1. If you plan to carry a refrigerator how toll is it. You would need to make sure that it would fit in the 3rd row well with the top plywood cover (which will be a part of your bed since you will keep the 2nd row seats). This measurement will define how high your bed structure will be. The floor in sienna is uneven and not leveled (it slopes down towards the front of the van).
2. When designing/planning the bed structure make sure that you van is parked on a leveled ground or use spacers under wheels to level it. Now you can use a 36 or 48” bubble level and 6 feet long 2x4” straight lumber piece as a mock-up the bed structure from the back of the van to the folded and slid forward 2nd row seat. This will give you the hight of the support (hight of the boxes) that will go under the legs of the ladders.
3. The long level will also be useful when you are cutting the holes for the legs of the ladders. You want to make sure that the once the ladder sections are extended they will be flat.
4. The 3rd row well has curved walls/floor. To avoid matching it contours I used just front and rear plywood section and used partial hight side sections cut as rectangular pieces. The side sections positioned to encase the fridge. Again hight of the structure in the 3rd row seat well is defined by what you put in it. I would build this section first. I will easier to build the middle section second.
When I started my build I did not have any plans and measurements, I followed the logic above and kept cutting the plywood pieces to keep the structure level. The width of the van in the narrowest part (between rear wheels) is about 48”, so the standard plywood pieces will fit. I built my structure from 24x24” pieces such that I can unfold bed only on one side, if needed, but you can build yours from a 24x48” panels if you will always use full width bed.
Regarding the removal of third row seats - it is relatively straightforward. All mounting bolts, covered by plastic covers, are accessed from the storage cavity. The third row seats come out as 60/40 sections, which is good, as they are heavy (~90lb and 130lb). Disconnect the battery before unplugging the seatbelt electrical connectors!
Now, about Jackery backup battery. We returned the 1000 unit and bought the new 1500W unit because we wanted to make sure that we would have enough charge to keep the fridge running even in very hot weather for at lest 3 days. The battery is connected to 110V inverter and the fridge to Jackery. The inverter in Sienna works only when the car is on (and the AC 110 switch is ON), it does not use the hybrid battery energy when the van is parked. When you drive the van charges the Jackery and keeps the fridge running. The new 1500 battery charges faster during driving. But the size of the battery depends on your needs. The fridge we have uses max 40-50W when it is cooling and about 20-25W once it is down to target temp. So 300W battery will keep it cold for between 6-12 hours.
I hope this helps. Good luck with your project!
@@Tellvia wow such details! Thank you for sharing this important information
Amazing and very helpful !! Thanks 🙏
Absolutely Awesome 👏🏼!!!!
Excellent video, I hope to be buying a Sienna hybrid as well.
Using the back well for a fridge is good, but it seems like a waste of weight and space for the bedding. You could have used milk crates throughout for storage and an inflatable mattress to sleep on. The matrix of crates would have easily supported the weight and when not inflated, the mattress would take up far less space than the memory foam.
You did a great job!
I bought the 2021 LSE. After I learned the second row seat removal debacle. On waiting list for gtrv pop up conversion which May or may not happen due to sienna design change! So love your conversion video!!
Do you do it for others or make a kit or recommend someone who dies what you did???
What is "the gtrv pop-up conversion" that you are on the waiting list for???
Cars get the most clicks. I personally liked the Wonton soup…thanks for sharing.
Thank your for your comment:). More cooking videos are coming!
Great info - Thanks! I've been thinking about doing exactly what you've already done and this helps a lot with my thought process. Have you used the climate control function overnight to either keep the car cool in warm weather or heated during cold weather?
Hi Ric, thank you for your comment. We have not tried the climate control system to keep warm/cool yet while camping, as the weather was very comfortable where we travelled. My understanding is that this will be possible and I look forward to trying it. Enjoy your Sienna and good luck with your build!
@@Tellvia oh yes please! Do a review on the climate control capabilities of the 2021 Hybrid Sienna!
As a Prius owner & avid car camper, I immediately subscribed!! I am so interested in what this vehicle will offer!
Is your Sienna hybrid? If so, why do you need external battery? Thanks for making such great video 👍
Great job, brother!
Brilliant design and great video! So helpful
Beautiful design and very clear explanation. Thank you!
Хорошая идея, хорошее исполнение! ✌🙂👍
Спасибо.
Good job, very ingenious
Great video. Nice design.
Glad you like it!
So creative, thank you for sharing
helpful, thank you
Very sleek, cheers!!!!!
Мужик, you should pattern your design
Excellent design and well engineered
Well… you may have changed again. For over a year I’ve been looking at options for traveling & camping solo. I had initially decided on a Casita travel trailer but I couldn’t get past feeling unsafe & needing to leave. What do I do? Run to the car, drive away & leave the trailer? Well that won’t work. So, I decided on a van… not a $100k tricked out ride… just a plain cargo van with a no build build. If I’m uncomfortable I can jump in the front & go. I’m still in the van mind set, but am seriously considering a compact van such as a Ford Transit Connect which would be the cheapest option for a van no more than 2 years old.
I decided before I sold my Acadia SUV, I’d try camping out of it to see if, at age 73, I still enjoyed it as much as when I was younger, if I could do it physically & most importantly… comfortably. I took out the 2nd row seats for storage. Threw in an air mattress, cooler, storage bins & a bucket potty. I spent 2 weeks in Southern Colorado & loved it… so it’s a go for me.
BUT… I won’t be full time & it seemed that if I had a bit more head room, I could do it out of am SUV. Only problem is, my SUV has only 32” of room between folded 3rd row & roof. I haven’t found any SUV’s that have the floor to ceiling room behind the front seats like minivans do… particularly the Sienna. I want a vehicle no more than 2 years old. I’ve been watching minivan videos for 3 weeks now and yours is the first I’ve found using a new model. I like the idea of leaving the smaller of the 3rd row seats just to have a place to sit comfortably in the back.
After watching what you’ve done, I really think this would work for me as a solo camper. Thanks so much!
Hi Linda, thank you for sharing considerations for your next camping vehicle. If you don’t plan to carry a lot of luggage new Sienna does make for a comfortable sleeping vehicle. An extra tall tent like a Clam could serve as a kitchen, dining room and shelter on a rainy day of camping. Good luck with your search. Cheers!
Thank you for the video and all your detailed information. I have a new van coming in soon. Won't be for two, just me! I have a few questions. Did you make any covers for the seat trolly, and where did get the resistors and what value of resistors did you use for making the airbag light go away? Maybe you got the wrong value of resistor? Also... Did you run the Air Conditioning in the back like they do in Prius camping? Thanks again! Happy Camping! I am buying the van with a 10-year warranty, plan to travel all over the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Rain guards help with ventilating. I would just lay the mattress down without wood-ladder structure, keep it simple.
Great ideas and execution
Very clever!
Great job!!
Excellent build. But I use an air bed and done!
TY sir
This is quite impressive. Thanks for the video sir.
Good video! Can you leave the sienna hybrid system on 24 hours without it shutting off after an hour? In the Prius, you can sleep in the Prius with climate control on all night all day without the hybrid system shutting itself off! If the new hybrid sienna does NOT auto shutoff after an hour then I’m going to buy one for climate control camping.
Yes you can! You have to select "keep engine ON" on the display when you start the van. My video discussing HVAC on new Sienna for camping is coming our later tonight.
First, thank you for your video (and the one comparing Model X with Sienna...). Very useful and precise informations! I am glad i found your channel.
One major advantage of the Sienna Hybrid you did not mention yet: the possibility to use the the Heat/AC when you sleep in the car, using the hybrid battery (like in the Prius, wich many people use for car living). I would really be interested to know if it works well in a real situation. Does the car have to start itself often to recharge the batteries? I have read somewhere that the car would have to start 1-2 minutes every hours to recharge the batteries, depending on the situation.
Other major advantage: the 1500 W Inverter. I was surprised to see you are using a Jackery to power the fridge. Wouldn’t plugging the fridge directly to the inverter do the job?
Boy… so many questions… I can’t wait for your future videos, maybe answering some of them!
Thank you for your comment, questions and for subscribing to the channel. I am very interested to test the "camping" mode in our Sienna. During our recent camping trips we did not need AC/Heating but I will test this feature in the coming weeks. When I was studying the controls seating in the car with the car and the AC ON the engine started every 10-15 min for about 3-5 minutes. It will be interesting to see how it works when camping and sleeping in the car when it is 85-90 degrees outside and AC set for 72 deg inside the cabin.
The inverter works only when the car is turned ON and the driver needs to remember to turn the inverter button ON (we are still learning to do it every time after stops). We wanted to have a backup battery for the fridge when we would be away from our campsite in order not to leave the car in the ON state as it will periodically will start/stop the engine and potentially attract unnecessary attention and concern about unattended running car. The good thing about the inverter is that is charges the battery and cools the fridge when driving, so we always have plenty of charge for the fridge even if we plan not to drive for 3-4 days. I will plan to include the Inverter topic for discussion in the upcoming Sienna videos. Are you on the market for new Sienna or already driving it? Cheers!
@@Tellvia Engine starting every 10-15 min for 3-5 minutes would not be workable in camping situation unfortunately… I wonder how people sleeping in their Prius manage the situation. Oh, so the inverter only works when car is on, i did not knew that. I understand why it makes more sense having the Jackery. Not quite yet in the market for a Sienna but i am planning to! Thanks! :)
Awesome use of the telescoping ladders! What criteria did you use for choosing the particular ladder?
I'm guessing weight, capacity, ease of extending/shortening. Other considerations? Did you have to remove the ladder "feet" to be able to slide the ladder tubes into the holes?
Can you slide the ladder as a whole back and forth a little bit? If you can slide the ladder back a bit and the whole bed base along with it you could have a sort of "balcony" hanging off the back of you minivan on which you could sit (though doing so would place a torque possibly causing the whole thing to tilt). Just brainstorming ideas lol.
Hi Jose, thank you for your comment and questions. The weight of the bed and sleepers is evenly distributed by the plywood over the lengths of the ladder tubes, but the ends of ladders need to be supported. Yes, I took the rubber feet from ladders to insert them into the holes in the plywood structure. The diameter of the legs is ~2.4". Regarding the sliding balcony off the back of the van - I guess this could be possible but you would block access the the storage cavity where 3rd row seats are folded. Also the whole platform would need to be higher off the floor to clear the rear gate opening. I hope this helps. Cheers!
@@Tellvia Thanks Tellavia! Helps a lot and gives me some ideas!
Genius using ladders., cuting round holes.
The trouble with hotels they keep them cold and there is a serious threat of bedbugs. Ironically it makes sense to travel in a van
Great job.
Excellent! Thank you for sharing.
Brilliant!!
Genius using latters., cuting round holes.
You sir have my respect. Great ideas. Thanks.
Once again, awesome build!
In your research, did you happen to come across any conversion companies that install a pop top on the 2021 Sienna? GTRV seems to only do so for 2020 or earlier Siennas; not sure why they don't do the 2021 Sienna.
Hi Jose, thank for your comment. The idea of pop top camping conversion is very appealing and looks cool at a campsite. I have not considered, or researched the pop top options for our Sienna, however, for two reasons: I want to avoid major body modifications to preserve resale value of the van and because I prefer not to add any extra weight to the top of the vehicle for handling reasons. Let me know if your decide to go for this build option. Cheers!
super cool. you won a sub.
Great video about the van conversion. What did you do about the airbag message when you remove the 2nd row seats. There're concern that the airbag message would impact the rest of the airbags if something would to happen. Could you please tells us about this. Thanks
Hi Tien, thank you for the comment and question. The topic of Aibag message is widely discussed on the web. Here is a link to recent discussion specifically about 2021 Sienna - www.siennachat.com/threads/2021-sienna-mid-row-seats.64221/page-3.
@@Tellvia I'm a regular on that forum. Just like to get your input about it if you not already a member in the forum already. So far no one really has a definite answer for this issue yet.
Love removing the extra seat weight I would like mine very light thanks
The figure on weight vs mileage is actually per roughly 100 pounds of weight you lose 1 percent of mileage. If it was 1mpg you would effectively get 0mpg on the sienna if you hauled or towed 3500 pounds which is actually the tow rating I'm pretty sure.
I think the Honda Odyssey is much easier for that. The seats fold into the floor and you will have a flat surface to sleep on or place any pads or mattress on
Very well planned, I like your detailed explanation, thank you very much for your tutorial. 👍👍
Very cool idea! Nice work, great video!
Thank you! Cheers!
Great video yes van camping is great
I heard the second row of 2021 Sienna can’t be removed, please show us how to remove them. Thanks.
Hi Kevin, here is a link to a YT video describing how to remove seats: ua-cam.com/video/24cYWBiTUwY/v-deo.html
Great idea on the ladders. Did you take any videos of how to take out the seats? Thanks