Your videos helped me make the decision to get a Sienna for car camping! After an 18-month wait, I finally got a 2024 last December and love it! Thank you for your detailed information!
We waited 18 months for our van too. Wasn't actually the one we ordered but one that someone else passed on. It's bonkers how long the wait is for these but it's worth getting in the end
Thanks for your work. I am sold on the Sienna Hybrid. I drive an Avalon Hybrid and it is has been zero maintenance. Toyotas are bulletproof. I hope one day you build your Sienna out properly like "Eric Loves Earth" so you can have more organization and calm inside your little home. Godspeed brother.
I've logged about one year of camping in my Prius. I wouldn't recommend setting the heat/ac to recirculate when sleeping overnight. I always set it to the fresh air option to avoid the build-up of CO2. In such a small space even one person breathing for 6 or more hours can increase CO2 to levels high enough to cause symptoms such as headache and grogginess..
This is so helpful. I’m not a full timer, but I do take an awful lot of road trips and love being able to pull over and sleep in my vehicle or camp out of it. This checks all my boxes, especially the climate control. Sold!!!
Just got my Grand Highlander hybrid, and I very much like it too. It's basically a very efficient generator on wheels giving you electricity and climate control on demand everywhere you go. I got 2 x 120v 1500w output inside of mine which is pretty nice.
Sounds great I do not have 120 V in my van other than a small inverter that I plug into the front cigarette lighter style plug. Having it built-in like you do would be great. 👍
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele You still have the main feature of the hybrid system like climate control and I believe all the usb-c's outlet feeding off the hybrid battery. Plus amazing fuel consumption. That's better than any non-hybrid vehicle.
@@olivierh-p8914the 1500 watt inverter is an option in all trim levels except the LE. I just submitted a build sheet at my local dealer for a new XSE AWD Premium with options that include it. Videos like this, and others which do have that factory feature, convinced me that for my use, this is literally THE perfect foundation for a RV to travel and camp in. Toyota reliability and quality combined with the ability to run that HVAC all day and night, and now the inclusion of the inverter, are game changers. The ONLY downside is not having standing room. The positives far outweigh the negatives for this use, to me anyway
Thanks for checking it out 👍 The climate control is the key to comfort in my opinion, just wish something like this was possible in a high roof format!
Outstanding videos. Came across your site Well done. Finally found the right YT creator of what I want to accomplish and travel in and keep it simple mobile and easy. Retired lots of time Don’t have a bike anymore due to balance issues etc. But still enjoy hiking walking camping etc. Now I just need to decide on a mini van model. Honda or Toyota or Pacifica. Have a new Honda Ridgeline but can’t sleep in it very well. Really enjoy your guitar music.. and will be looking at all your videos. Thanks for all you do and have done.
Thanks for checking out my videos! I’m on a long trip to the Midwest to see friends and family and the Sienna is working out great as usual. Stay safe out there and best of luck in your choice of vehicle 👍
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele Kevin. Do you know if there are other models of vehicles that the climate control feature? That is incredible. Hope you are enjoying the Midwest. I am in ND. Travel safe
Thank you so much for your video I wanted to see if I can use that type of hybrid to stabilize my climate control because I do a lot of moving around on my job and I'm always hanging out inside the van so that is perfect because of the climate control of the batteries and the hybrid system that'll be my next camper van I have a 2017 Nissan nv200 but I want something with more of a climate control this is perfect thank you for your video so much that and your setup pretty basic and it works for you God bless
Thanks for checking out the video. I would say if you need to keep cool in hot or humid conditions the Sienna Hybrid is a great choice. If you are looking to stay warm in cold conditions it is not as efficient as the gas engine needs to run to create the heat. It still works to stay warm but perhaps a normal van with a diesel heater would be better in winter weather. To beat the heat the Sienna is amazing.
I have a 2022 Rav4 Hybrid and love it. Gets 44-45 mpg. Camp in it some. I just completed my free 2 year maintenance visits with the Toyota dealership where I purchased it. I asked them how much they charge for an oil change and they told me $190! That's crazy IMHO. I'll probably be doing oil changes myself or taking it somewhere else for that.
I would say one thing, heat is from the engine, ac is from the battery, so it has to run longer to keep heat over ac, the solution is to get a small electric heater as the engine will only start to charge the battery, more efficient
i really like the idea of having bikes inside to protect from weather i havnt gotten a bike because i was worried about that reason but knowing trek bikes will fit i might try that out. what spare did you fit in that yakima box? i had been on sienna forum looking for rear mount tire thing since my awd and extra seat took space for spare.
Thank you. Do you know what sort of mpg hit the ski box imposed? Do you think it’s possible to put the bike sideways at the back if you removed the front wheel, had the forks go to the bottom of the rear seat well, and removed the spare tire?
Hello and thanks for watching. The rooftop box probably knocks off about 3 mpg at highway speeds. In town not so much. I don’t think the bike would fit sideways, but I usually have it on my hitch rack and put it inside once in a while, especially with bad weather.
Great video! I’ve been in my 2017 Prius since 2020, the 24 hr climate control is awesome. I also have a simple bed platform in the back . I’m thinking about upgrading to a hybrid sienna a little bit more room. After locking doors from driver door side to prepare for sleep, does that message come on every time after 20 mins “ Do you want to keep car running.. yes or no” can disable this message in settings somewhere in the sienna ? Does this message come on every time when locking car and van is running?
Hey thanks for checking it out! By default when you’re sitting inside in Ready Mode running the A/C or whatever the message will pop up that it will shut off after 1 hour, which it most definitely will. By locking all the doors using the lock button on the driver’s door this message goes away and the van will stay on all night.
Running the climate control takes about a 10th of a gallon of gas per hour. The hybrid batteries will not run down because it’s being charged by the engine.
There are two or three things that I would like to know. 1. How does the back bike rack work with the camera in the back? 2). I would like to have my Thule on top and a kayak mount. Any suggestions a top rack solution? 3). How difficult is it to take the seats out and then put back in as I would be wanting to using it for 3-6 months skiing and desert but then on ocasion I need all seven seats for going out with all my grandchildren.
The rear rack does block some of the rear camera view but it’s still workable for me. I would think if you got long enough top rack bars, you could put more than one thing on top no problem. Taking the seats in and out is doable, it would be a series of steps that you would follow not a problem really as long as you keep track of all the pieces and parts. Best of luck to you!
Yes I did, there is a resistor you can buy to plug into the wiring harness that will stop the airbag warning system from going off. If you check my channel in the Vanlife playlist back a couple years, you can see my build process. Cheers!
What about the warranty on the battery is if I was to buy a brand new hybrid Sienna what about the winter on the battery is it does it take a toll on them does a warranty replace batteries for the Sienna
I live here in Texas so it doesn't really get too cold it gets in the 30s and I want a Time is it batteries get wore out in the winter time does it affect the batteries and if so does Toyota warranty the batteries on the hybrid
Sorry I don’t know for sure but I’ve got almost 150K and have had no battery issues so far. I would check with a Toyota dealer to see how long the batteries are covered.
I love minivans ever simce i worked for a guy that used a sienna as a work truck after removing the seats theres alot of room in there and its very incognito
sorry if you have answered this question before. Do you have trouble with your guitar and temp extremes/humidity in the van? Thinking of vanlife but I don't want to have to buy a carbon fiber guitar.
I ultimately decided not to have a guitar with me after a while because it is a pain to keep it at a safe temperature when you’re away from the van for any length of time. If you really want a stress free experience, you should probably go carbon, even though the tone in my opinion is not the same. Best of luck to you!
It depends on the difference in the temperature outside and what you set it to in the van, but I’d say around a gallon per night, maybe a bit less. Thanks for watching 👍
Yes it is AWD and has good traction in snow and sand, only issue is the minimal ground clearance. Lane assist and adaptive cruise control work great, make highway driving a pleasure 👍
I see friends and family fairly regularly, but at this point in my life, I do enjoy my alone time as well. Hope you are doing great and thanks for watching!
Yes indeed, I watched lots of videos about living in a Prius but when the Hybrid Sienna dropped in 2021 I knew it was the right choice for me. Thanks for watching 😀
Please help to confirm this: so with this 24 hour climate control, you can park it on hot summer nights, turn on the climate control to use it as an air conditioner at night basically? And there's no worry about out of gas or battery? Thanks
Yes, that’s pretty much it. Make sure you have enough gas in the tank. The climate control uses the hybrid batteries to run the A/C and fan while the engine will kick on and off to keep those hybrid batteries charged. It’s a good system and makes for comfortable sleeping.
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Your videos helped me make the decision to get a Sienna for car camping! After an 18-month wait, I finally got a 2024 last December and love it! Thank you for your detailed information!
That’s great so happy for you, enjoy your sienna and drive safe!
We waited 18 months for our van too. Wasn't actually the one we ordered but one that someone else passed on. It's bonkers how long the wait is for these but it's worth getting in the end
Have you removed the rear seats ?
I’m seeing them in stock now so maybe things changed
@@kimdagnillo8246he said he did
Thanks for your work. I am sold on the Sienna Hybrid. I drive an Avalon Hybrid and it is has been zero maintenance. Toyotas are bulletproof. I hope one day you build your Sienna out properly like "Eric Loves Earth" so you can have more organization and calm inside your little home. Godspeed brother.
Thanks for watching. I’ll check him out. 👍
@@kevins-guitar-ukuleleYou should. He has some great recommendations.
I've logged about one year of camping in my Prius. I wouldn't recommend setting the heat/ac to recirculate when sleeping overnight. I always set it to the fresh air option to avoid the build-up of CO2. In such a small space even one person breathing for 6 or more hours can increase CO2 to levels high enough to cause symptoms such as headache and grogginess..
Thanks for your thoughts on this
This is so helpful. I’m not a full timer, but I do take an awful lot of road trips and love being able to pull over and sleep in my vehicle or camp out of it. This checks all my boxes, especially the climate control. Sold!!!
Yes, it is a great vehicle for road trips, absolutely. Thanks for watching!
Just got my Grand Highlander hybrid, and I very much like it too. It's basically a very efficient generator on wheels giving you electricity and climate control on demand everywhere you go. I got 2 x 120v 1500w output inside of mine which is pretty nice.
Sounds great I do not have 120 V in my van other than a small inverter that I plug into the front cigarette lighter style plug. Having it built-in like you do would be great. 👍
@kevinsvanlife I thought the sienna hybrid had a 120v outlet feeding off the hybrid system...
Perhaps the newer versions do or the higher trim levels. Mine does not unfortunately.
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele You still have the main feature of the hybrid system like climate control and I believe all the usb-c's outlet feeding off the hybrid battery. Plus amazing fuel consumption. That's better than any non-hybrid vehicle.
@@olivierh-p8914the 1500 watt inverter is an option in all trim levels except the LE. I just submitted a build sheet at my local dealer for a new XSE AWD Premium with options that include it. Videos like this, and others which do have that factory feature, convinced me that for my use, this is literally THE perfect foundation for a RV to travel and camp in. Toyota reliability and quality combined with the ability to run that HVAC all day and night, and now the inclusion of the inverter, are game changers. The ONLY downside is not having standing room. The positives far outweigh the negatives for this use, to me anyway
Excellent review and build. I’m considering a van like yours (primarily the climate control) for travel too.
Thanks for checking it out 👍 The climate control is the key to comfort in my opinion, just wish something like this was possible in a high roof format!
@@kevins-guitar-ukulelehave you considered a roof pop top conversion so you could stand up?
Thank you Kevin
Thanks for checking it out 😀
Outstanding videos. Came across your site Well done. Finally found the right YT creator of what I want to accomplish and travel in and keep it simple mobile and easy. Retired lots of time Don’t have a bike anymore due to balance issues etc. But still enjoy hiking walking camping etc. Now I just need to decide on a mini van model. Honda or Toyota or Pacifica. Have a new Honda Ridgeline but can’t sleep in it very well. Really enjoy your guitar music.. and will be looking at all your videos. Thanks for all you do and have done.
Thanks for checking out my videos! I’m on a long trip to the Midwest to see friends and family and the Sienna is working out great as usual. Stay safe out there and best of luck in your choice of vehicle 👍
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele Kevin. Do you know if there are other models of vehicles that the climate control feature? That is incredible. Hope you are enjoying the Midwest. I am in ND. Travel safe
Thank you so much for your video I wanted to see if I can use that type of hybrid to stabilize my climate control because I do a lot of moving around on my job and I'm always hanging out inside the van so that is perfect because of the climate control of the batteries and the hybrid system that'll be my next camper van I have a 2017 Nissan nv200 but I want something with more of a climate control this is perfect thank you for your video so much that and your setup pretty basic and it works for you God bless
Thanks for checking out the video. I would say if you need to keep cool in hot or humid conditions the Sienna Hybrid is a great choice. If you are looking to stay warm in cold conditions it is not as efficient as the gas engine needs to run to create the heat. It still works to stay warm but perhaps a normal van with a diesel heater would be better in winter weather. To beat the heat the Sienna is amazing.
Very good information. I really enjoy your videos. I hope to live like your style.
Thanks for watching and best of luck to you!
Very informative video based on real van life experience 😊
Thanks for checking it out 😀
Very nice. The Sienna Prius and RAV4 are all good choices
Absolutely!
Thanks!
Thanks for the donation 😀
I Guess This Would Work But I Would Like A Better Setup Thanks For The Video.
Thanks for watching 👍
I have a 2022 Rav4 Hybrid and love it. Gets 44-45 mpg. Camp in it some. I just completed my free 2 year maintenance visits with the Toyota dealership where I purchased it. I asked them how much they charge for an oil change and they told me $190! That's crazy IMHO. I'll probably be doing oil changes myself or taking it somewhere else for that.
Yeah that’s too much, seems much higher than I’ve paid. Love the RAV4, best of luck!
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele What do you normally pay at Toyota dealerships? Thanks.
I would say one thing, heat is from the engine, ac is from the battery, so it has to run longer to keep heat over ac, the solution is to get a small electric heater as the engine will only start to charge the battery, more efficient
Thx you for doing a great review. What mgp do you get when you have the roof top carrier?
I get around 33 for in town driving, and 30 on the highway, thanks for watching!
i really like the idea of having bikes inside to protect from weather i havnt gotten a bike because i was worried about that reason but knowing trek bikes will fit i might try that out.
what spare did you fit in that yakima box? i had been on sienna forum looking for rear mount tire thing since my awd and extra seat took space for spare.
Thank you. Do you know what sort of mpg hit the ski box imposed?
Do you think it’s possible to put the bike sideways at the back if you removed the front wheel, had the forks go to the bottom of the rear seat well, and removed the spare tire?
Hello and thanks for watching. The rooftop box probably knocks off about 3 mpg at highway speeds. In town not so much. I don’t think the bike would fit sideways, but I usually have it on my hitch rack and put it inside once in a while, especially with bad weather.
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele Thanks for sharing.
Great video! I’ve been in my 2017 Prius since 2020, the 24 hr climate control is awesome. I also have a simple bed platform in the back . I’m thinking about upgrading to a hybrid sienna a little bit more room. After locking doors from driver door side to prepare for sleep, does that message come on every time after 20 mins “ Do you want to keep car running.. yes or no” can disable this message in settings somewhere in the sienna ? Does this message come on every time when locking car and van is running?
Hey thanks for checking it out! By default when you’re sitting inside in Ready Mode running the A/C or whatever the message will pop up that it will shut off after 1 hour, which it most definitely will. By locking all the doors using the lock button on the driver’s door this message goes away and the van will stay on all night.
How long can you run the climate control before you worry about either gas used up or the battery run down?
Running the climate control takes about a 10th of a gallon of gas per hour. The hybrid batteries will not run down because it’s being charged by the engine.
Wow that is excellent! Thank you.@kevinsvanlife
Good luck bro
Thanks, all the best to you!
Thank you my friend for your information, i want to do the same thing
Thanks for watching, and best of luck to you!
If you use the weather tech window shades, you'll be more insulated and use less ac/heat
Indeed I have thought about those
a minimalist life style agree with the climate control
Yes indeed 👍
Great!! Review thanks
Sure thing thanks for watching
There are two or three things that I would like to know. 1. How does the back bike rack work with the camera in the back? 2). I would like to have my Thule on top and a kayak mount. Any suggestions a top rack solution? 3). How difficult is it to take the seats out and then put back in as I would be wanting to using it for 3-6 months skiing and desert but then on ocasion I need all seven seats for going out with all my grandchildren.
The rear rack does block some of the rear camera view but it’s still workable for me. I would think if you got long enough top rack bars, you could put more than one thing on top no problem. Taking the seats in and out is doable, it would be a series of steps that you would follow not a problem really as long as you keep track of all the pieces and parts. Best of luck to you!
@@kevins-guitar-ukuleleThanks for the quick reply and the info
I notice that you removed the center seats out...would that not cause the engine to have warning lights every where? TIA
Yes I did, there is a resistor you can buy to plug into the wiring harness that will stop the airbag warning system from going off. If you check my channel in the Vanlife playlist back a couple years, you can see my build process. Cheers!
What about the warranty on the battery is if I was to buy a brand new hybrid Sienna what about the winter on the battery is it does it take a toll on them does a warranty replace batteries for the Sienna
I live here in Texas so it doesn't really get too cold it gets in the 30s and I want a Time is it batteries get wore out in the winter time does it affect the batteries and if so does Toyota warranty the batteries on the hybrid
Sorry I don’t know for sure but I’ve got almost 150K and have had no battery issues so far. I would check with a Toyota dealer to see how long the batteries are covered.
I love minivans ever simce i worked for a guy that used a sienna as a work truck after removing the seats theres alot of room in there and its very incognito
Yes indeed thanks for the comment
sorry if you have answered this question before. Do you have trouble with your guitar and temp extremes/humidity in the van? Thinking of vanlife but I don't want to have to buy a carbon fiber guitar.
I ultimately decided not to have a guitar with me after a while because it is a pain to keep it at a safe temperature when you’re away from the van for any length of time. If you really want a stress free experience, you should probably go carbon, even though the tone in my opinion is not the same. Best of luck to you!
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele thank you for the reply and insight. happy travels and thanks for making some cool videos.
Hey thank you for the great video! Just curious, how much gas is used for one night?
It depends on the difference in the temperature outside and what you set it to in the van, but I’d say around a gallon per night, maybe a bit less. Thanks for watching 👍
is your van AWD? How does it perform off road and in the snow? How about the lane keep assist or lane centering how well does it work?
Yes it is AWD and has good traction in snow and sand, only issue is the minimal ground clearance. Lane assist and adaptive cruise control work great, make highway driving a pleasure 👍
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele thanks for the quick response
Great minivan. Get a folding bike such as the electric Rize Bike. It takes less space.
I will check those out thanks
Hey buddy do you sell the dongle to take out the passenger seat of my 2018 camry. I too mountain bike buddy
I don’t sell it but they are available on Amazon, at least that’s where I bought mine back a couple of years ago.
Could you send a link to where you did your initial build.? I went to send you an email, but it won't allow me.
Here’s one to start with, there are others in my van life playlist ua-cam.com/video/2MZliHZQ5xQ/v-deo.htmlsi=0RtU_rINY-i32pzq
What years of the hybrid offer the constant climate control ?
2021 and newer for the Toyota Sienna Hybrid
You at that little pull out near Green Valley?
It was near Castle Rock AZ. I love Green Valley though. Might be heading there soon.
Do you ever get lonely?
I see friends and family fairly regularly, but at this point in my life, I do enjoy my alone time as well. Hope you are doing great and thanks for watching!
This probably would get me once Im on it 😮
So the seats didn’t lay flat?
Unfortunately not, so they had to be removed.
How do you lock your van while you have it running at night ? I tried to lock my van while its turn on but it doesnt let me
I lock it using the inside lock on the driver’s door. This allows running climate control all night with no interruptions
@@kevins-guitar-ukulele Oh okay thank you so much for replying 🙏🙏
And also because of your videos I just recently bought a 2024 sienna xse
@@sergion3144how much did you paid for it? Was it thousands on top of MSRP? Actively looking but here they have as much as 15k on top of msrp !
What year is it?
It’s a 2021
Thanks…I didn’t know there was a mini van with climate control.
Yes indeed, I watched lots of videos about living in a Prius but when the Hybrid Sienna dropped in 2021 I knew it was the right choice for me. Thanks for watching 😀
Please help to confirm this: so with this 24 hour climate control, you can park it on hot summer nights, turn on the climate control to use it as an air conditioner at night basically? And there's no worry about out of gas or battery? Thanks
Yes, that’s pretty much it. Make sure you have enough gas in the tank. The climate control uses the hybrid batteries to run the A/C and fan while the engine will kick on and off to keep those hybrid batteries charged. It’s a good system and makes for comfortable sleeping.
The videos I’ve seen say it costs about a gallon of gas