My 1989 Sienna with almost 300Km is still going strong. Use it as a work van. Bullet proof, reliable, good power and surprisingly decent fuel consumption. BEST thing is it has a NON-INTERFERENCE engine design so if the timing belt snaps it's not a catastrophe. Change the fluids and these vans will last a long time and ultimately be highly sought after so take care of them! Nice rig.
They got it right with the first generation...unusual for first generations. But hey, it's a Toyota! This is why I bought a Highlander....I'm sold on Toyota quality. Formerly a HUGE Nissan (Maxima 3Gen) fan.....best car I had since switching from North American cars
I think you can disable traction control, by unplugging a plug on the master cylinder or near it. This however does disable most abs functions, but if you are in a jam it works.
Man, this is absolute gold, killer rig. Watching from the island here, and I've been living in a '77 Dodge Ram van the past couple years, debating the downshift to either a Sienna or Grand Caravan. I'm also 6'3" tall, so great to know you fit in the bed, given the Sienna is slightly smaller. After hearing what you've said, I think I'd probably opt for a 2" lift and solid tires, but the 3.5" looks great. Bookmarking this vid - I know I'll be returning to it when time comes for my next build. Happy trails!
Thank You , just starting out and appreciate your info . I have 2005 Sienna, don’t think I can do a whole lift , but was at least thinking of really good shocks and tires. Maybe a winch 🤣
Hey there, thanks very much. Gas mileage went down noticeably with the KO2's and everything on the roof. It's now at 15 MPG consistently highway and city.
Hi, it has been great, I just wasn't using it as a shower much. But as a pressurized water tank it has worked with no problems since 2018. It also fits perfectly across the van underneath the bed.
Hey thanks for watching. I believe the wheel width of 6.5" or 7" is measured from the inside of the bead seat to the other bead seat. The 245 tire width is measured from the outside of the sidewall to the other sidewall. Not sure if that helps? But the tire fits great on the stock 17" wheel. It hasn't been an issue for the tire shop. Not sure about other years and FWD model etc.
12:01 interior heater , I still like my wood stove for renewable fuels and a dry heat. My 2.3" chimney sticks out the side window . As you have lifted your Sienna with the 3.5" lift how are the CVJ's holding up for extended wear?
I’ve been thinking of figuring out using a wood stove in my 2005 Sienna , I’ve always had them in my homes . What type stove do you have, and do you have some type of gasket for the window ? Thanks
@@BluDawg Driver side rear window on door is dropped to lowest setting and the 1/8: door skin panel is placed into the window frame with the outside of the panel resting on fabric on the glass, with bungie cord holding it up on the pegs used for the screen . This ensures a tighter fit . The window frame of course is the problem of doing multiple cuts as it just is not rectangular. Into that panel I put a 3.5" hole in steel mesh and a 2.5" hole for the chimney to go through. Whereas I do have the damper on the stove pipe there will still be heat coming from the chimney walls and I wanted steel mesh to dissipate that heat , not the plywood. I have a plywood piece 18" square to sit the stove on covered in really thin aluminum sheet , to protect my carpet from sparks and I also have an aluminum sheet back board to reflect heat away from the back of the seat and away from the side door. Melted plastic just does not look good. I noticed of late that the Stainless steel stove I bought for 99.00 US is now on Amazon for 200+ US and 90° elbows and the damper have also gone up in price. My stove is set on the floor with 1.5" gap between bottom of stove and top of base board resting on the carpeted floor. I have seen other applications where the stove is higher. I went to a cabinet building shop nearby and they throw out plywood /Oak / Maple / Birch pieces of wood . Plywood of course will not burn as clean but the rest of the woods will and because they are hardwood they will burn hotter and longer . Free and bone dry and all you have to do is cut to size.
@@BluDawg I missed the other question . One Tigris TIGER ROAR Tent Stove, Is the closest I can find but mine does not have the front draft control and the sides are smoother with folding grates on both top sides.
Beautiful and well thought out build brother! I've been heavily weighing the option of buying an older sienna myself because the newer ones are so spendy and I've heard many folks say they prefer the AWD system on the older models. But I have to ask, with 20 year old van with that many miles on it, how does she run? Is there anything a new buyer should look out for? Or have you had any major parts fail since purchasing?
Hello! Thanks for the comments, I didn't have any major issues. Almost all of the expected components (other than engine and transmission) came up due to age. It did require parts now and then. I would definitely buy a second generation Sienna again, maybe in the 2009-10 range
did u pick an 04 for any particular reason? I know people have said that awd in the earlier years of the second gen have a 50/50 split and the later ones don’t.
Hi I believe that is correct for second gen. I did not pick it for this reason. I have found AWD great for snow and ice. But I don't think it's important for mud and backcountry travel. Where I live it's either gravel logging roads that are 2WD-friendly or rugged 4WD roads, but not much in between. Once you start pushing AWD into 4WD territory something expensive will probably break lol
I just ordered the same kit from Journeysoffroad for my '13 AWD sienna! Can you give me any more impressions what you think of it? Had it helped you on some of the forest roads?
Hi there, no problems with the lift kit and it definitely helps on FSR's. f you want to worry less, consider a less aggressive lift like 2". If you have the option I would go for a tire lighter than KO2. Also it might make sense to change out your CV axles for OEM CV axles at the same time as the lift install.
Hi. There. Why do you recommend to change to oem cv axle? My 20016 awd comes with original Toyota cv axle. I just tried to understand what you really meant. Thank you
@@longhairmullet Toyota's are Fantastic. No big issues w them, just keep your oil changed, and fix stuff as you go along...meaning: don't neglect your transportation, for any vehicle.
I just put a journey’s lift on my 06 Sienna. If you put 245 tires on Journey’s states you need to have wheel spacers. How are you getting away with no spacers? My next purchase is new tires for my build.
Hey there, no spacers or wheel well cutting needed. Not sure if that's specific to the '04 AWD. The 245 tires fit with the Journey's kit. It was tight but doable with no modifications.
My 1989 Sienna with almost 300Km is still going strong. Use it as a work van. Bullet proof, reliable, good power and surprisingly decent fuel consumption. BEST thing is it has a NON-INTERFERENCE engine design so if the timing belt snaps it's not a catastrophe. Change the fluids and these vans will last a long time and ultimately be highly sought after so take care of them! Nice rig.
Love my 1999 Sienna with 214,000 miles. Siennas Rule!! It is so smooth and powerful. They built them better in the old days.
They got it right with the first generation...unusual for first generations. But hey, it's a Toyota! This is why I bought a Highlander....I'm sold on Toyota quality. Formerly a HUGE Nissan (Maxima 3Gen) fan.....best car I had since switching from North American cars
Glad to hear yours is still going strong, thanks for the comment!
Enjoyed your video today 2023 November. You were way ahead back then!
Thanks very much! It's still running strong
Love the closing comment! Happy travels
Thanks, same to you!
I think you can disable traction control, by unplugging a plug on the master cylinder or near it. This however does disable most abs functions, but if you are in a jam it works.
Right on, thank you! I'll try it
love the Sienna and can't wait to join the community in the next few months!
great setup and detailed explanation. Happy Canada Day!
Right on, thanks very much! Happy Canada Day
Really nice work great design all around
hey right on, thanks very much
Very nice job. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks very much, and thanks for watching
Man, this is absolute gold, killer rig. Watching from the island here, and I've been living in a '77 Dodge Ram van the past couple years, debating the downshift to either a Sienna or Grand Caravan. I'm also 6'3" tall, so great to know you fit in the bed, given the Sienna is slightly smaller. After hearing what you've said, I think I'd probably opt for a 2" lift and solid tires, but the 3.5" looks great. Bookmarking this vid - I know I'll be returning to it when time comes for my next build. Happy trails!
Hey thanks very much, glad you liked the video. I hope you do a sienna build! The 2" lift sounds great
Really great video. Thanks for the in-depth share.
Hello, thanks very much for the comment
Thank You , just starting out and appreciate your info . I have 2005 Sienna, don’t think I can do a whole lift , but was at least thinking of really good shocks and tires. Maybe a winch 🤣
Shocks and tires will be great! I'm sure you can figure out a winch too 🤣
Awesome van!
Thank you!
Good job. Man
Thank you, much appreciated
Really nice work there, great design all around. What are you getting for gas mileage?
Hey there, thanks very much. Gas mileage went down noticeably with the KO2's and everything on the roof. It's now at 15 MPG consistently highway and city.
@@jappleto thats not too bad. I got the regular 2004 FWD XLE and according to the roof computer im avg 16 city
cool ride!
Thanks very much!
Great build! Do you like the roadshower 4? Thanks
Hi, it has been great, I just wasn't using it as a shower much. But as a pressurized water tank it has worked with no problems since 2018. It also fits perfectly across the van underneath the bed.
Thanks for all the info and great setup. Can you clarify how the 245 tire fits on a stock 7” width rim? Thanks
Hey thanks for watching. I believe the wheel width of 6.5" or 7" is measured from the inside of the bead seat to the other bead seat. The 245 tire width is measured from the outside of the sidewall to the other sidewall. Not sure if that helps? But the tire fits great on the stock 17" wheel. It hasn't been an issue for the tire shop. Not sure about other years and FWD model etc.
12:01 interior heater , I still like my wood stove for renewable fuels and a dry heat. My 2.3" chimney sticks out the side window . As you have lifted your Sienna with the 3.5" lift how are the CVJ's holding up for extended wear?
Wood stove sounds great! OEM CV's are fine so far
I’ve been thinking of figuring out using a wood stove in my 2005 Sienna , I’ve always had them in my homes . What type stove do you have, and do you have some type of gasket for the window ? Thanks
@@BluDawg Driver side rear window on door is dropped to lowest setting and the 1/8: door skin panel is placed into the window frame with the outside of the panel resting on fabric on the glass, with bungie cord holding it up on the pegs used for the screen . This ensures a tighter fit . The window frame of course is the problem of doing multiple cuts as it just is not rectangular.
Into that panel I put a 3.5" hole in steel mesh and a 2.5" hole for the chimney to go through. Whereas I do have the damper on the stove pipe there will still be heat coming from the chimney walls and I wanted steel mesh to dissipate that heat , not the plywood.
I have a plywood piece 18" square to sit the stove on covered in really thin aluminum sheet , to protect my carpet from sparks and I also have an aluminum sheet back board to reflect heat away from the back of the seat and away from the side door. Melted plastic just does not look good.
I noticed of late that the Stainless steel stove I bought for 99.00 US is now on Amazon for 200+ US and 90° elbows and the damper have also gone up in price.
My stove is set on the floor with 1.5" gap between bottom of stove and top of base board resting on the carpeted floor. I have seen other applications where the stove is higher.
I went to a cabinet building shop nearby and they throw out plywood /Oak / Maple / Birch pieces of wood . Plywood of course will not burn as clean but the rest of the woods will and because they are hardwood they will burn hotter and longer . Free and bone dry and all you have to do is cut to size.
@@BluDawg I missed the other question .
One Tigris TIGER ROAR Tent Stove,
Is the closest I can find but mine does not have the front draft control and the sides are smoother with folding grates on both top sides.
Beautiful and well thought out build brother! I've been heavily weighing the option of buying an older sienna myself because the newer ones are so spendy and I've heard many folks say they prefer the AWD system on the older models. But I have to ask, with 20 year old van with that many miles on it, how does she run? Is there anything a new buyer should look out for? Or have you had any major parts fail since purchasing?
Hello! Thanks for the comments, I didn't have any major issues. Almost all of the expected components (other than engine and transmission) came up due to age. It did require parts now and then. I would definitely buy a second generation Sienna again, maybe in the 2009-10 range
Same my car ❤
nice!
Fresh my boi
Very nice
hi there, thanks very much
Beautiful..
Hello, thanks very much
did u pick an 04 for any particular reason? I know people have said that awd in the earlier years of the second gen have a 50/50 split and the later ones don’t.
Hi I believe that is correct for second gen. I did not pick it for this reason. I have found AWD great for snow and ice. But I don't think it's important for mud and backcountry travel. Where I live it's either gravel logging roads that are 2WD-friendly or rugged 4WD roads, but not much in between. Once you start pushing AWD into 4WD territory something expensive will probably break lol
@@jappleto that’s a good point, hadn’t thought about it that way 😂
Do the Siennas come with the "central locker" like the Rav4's?
Hey there, I don't know! I believe power is split 50/50 front and rear all the time in the 2004? Not sure about a locker.
what was the iPad GPS set up? Great set up!
Hello! The iPad has Gaia GPS Premium
Where did you get all of that stuff?
Hey @shawnrheaume7114, from all over but lots is from amazon
i have a 2010 sienna awd and i still cant turn off the hateful traction control.
So annoying. Helpful most of the time but when you don't need it it's a pain
I just ordered the same kit from Journeysoffroad for my '13 AWD sienna! Can you give me any more impressions what you think of it? Had it helped you on some of the forest roads?
Hi there, no problems with the lift kit and it definitely helps on FSR's. f you want to worry less, consider a less aggressive lift like 2". If you have the option I would go for a tire lighter than KO2. Also it might make sense to change out your CV axles for OEM CV axles at the same time as the lift install.
How many miles on your Sienna? What engine maintenance has it needed outside of this camper conversion? Thx. Nice set up.
@@longhairmullet Thank you! Currently at 140K miles. No major maintenance just the usual fluids etc.
Hi. There. Why do you recommend to change to oem cv axle? My 20016 awd comes with original Toyota cv axle. I just tried to understand what you really meant. Thank you
@@longhairmullet Toyota's are Fantastic. No big issues w them, just keep your oil changed, and fix stuff as you go along...meaning: don't neglect your transportation, for any vehicle.
Is this awd ?
Hi, yes this is AWD
I just put a journey’s lift on my 06 Sienna. If you put 245 tires on Journey’s states you need to have wheel spacers. How are you getting away with no spacers? My next purchase is new tires for my build.
Hey there, no spacers or wheel well cutting needed. Not sure if that's specific to the '04 AWD. The 245 tires fit with the Journey's kit. It was tight but doable with no modifications.