It's so clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much Bruce for your time and effort. It is heavy to lift the 62 and the 52 lb seats for the video to show us. I believe you have to put them back first before shooting video then take the seat off. After all, you have to put those seat back on 😁. It's not just the video, its lot of time. Appreciate that!
Gosh, thank you very much! Every question that popped onto my head during the video, you answered right away! The hex size, the weight of the seats, the places to pull. You rock, killer video with exactly the right amount of details. Thank you again
Bruce, thanks so much for this video. As I commented on your other video, I've been searching for how to do this for some time now. Really appreciate how helpful all your videos are.
Thank you so much! Did this in under 2 hours this morning, all by myself. Gonna be building my van in the next few days and heading out by the end of the month!
I am impressed! Not sure I can lift these myself. I plan to remove and zip tie and try to sell from the van. Let the buyer lift them! Need to buy a socket so I can measure space to plan build. I remember lifting out the middle seats a few years ago. Very heavy. Sold them on craigslist. I was just happy to get rid of the heavy things.
Not sure if anyone else has discovered this trick but you can save the white plastic clips if they pull off of the plastic cover and are not damaged. Leave them in place until you have the seat out of the van and before you fold up the seat. Set the seat on the ground and locate the area of the white plastic clip that was pushed through the metal seat frame. You will notice two protrusions on this side of the white clip. With the narrow part of the needle-nose pliers, squeeze the clip at the location of the two protrusions just above the surface of the metal frame. You can either push the clip back through the metal frame with the pliers or you may have to push on the bottom of the clip with something like a pencil or screw driver. The clip should fall free of the metal frame and not be damaged.
Thanks so much!! I am a young woman with a 2017 Sienna and no mechanical experience but was able to get them out easily. Only tough part I couldn't do on my own was yanking off the plastic covers which I had to call in another person to help with. Great tutorial!!
This is great, thanks VERY much. I've got a 2017 Sienna, and the plastic covers are a little different, but this guide made it easy to figure out and gave me the confidence to go for it. Now we've got a great storage place for a large tent and a couple of cots
Took the rear seats out of my 2006 Sienna today. When I went outside this afternoon, it was 92 degrees and the inside of the van was like a furnace. I almost put it off. But because it was so hot, the plastic bolt covers were a little more pliable than usual, and I was able to pry them loose fairly easily without damaging any of the plastic fasteners. Thanks, Bruce, for all the good info.
Thank you so much for the dimensions of the interior of your Sienna. I'm a woman somewhere around the same age as you and plan on doing my own build as soon as I find the right Sienna for me. I have always done my own home renovations, know how to handle power tools well, and have some schooling in interior design, so I think I can handle it all myself. However, having the dimensions is key to laying it all out correctly, so I appreciate that as well as seeing all that you did in your Sienna. I'm not that educated on the Solar set up but I'm learning. I don't think I could build the same electrical system you built, but I will give it my best shot along with some help from family on that. Thank you again for sharing with us and being so detailed in your explanations. We all appreciate that!
I can’t believe my luck - yours is one of the best minivan camper builds I’ve ever seen and it also happens to be the same make, model, and generation as my new minivan. I’m excited to watch all your videos while I work on my build, and I hope you continue making more great tutorials. Thanks for including all the great detail and explanations. I’ve only just found your channel, but I’d be very interested to see videos showing how to remove the front console (between the seats), and how to remove the 2nd row seat trolleys. Beautiful work, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for commenting, I'm glad you found my channel useful! I'll shoot a video on console removal and get it uploaded soon. I hope you're subscribed so you'll be notified. Regarding removal of the 2nd row trolleys, the tracks they ride in have to be partially removed and it's quite a bit of work, especially on AWD Siennas. I've left mine in for now because I want to be able to put the seats back in occasionally. If I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found is on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623).
Thank you so much for the new video and the link to the trolley/track removal! That was incredibly helpful. I also have a 3rd gen AWD LE, so this is exactly what I needed!
Bruce, I took out the seats today, 7 months after your created this video, on my 2019 Toyota Sienna. Your simple 6-step process worked perfectly. I was able to make one improvement - since you showed the exact position of the plastic screws, I used my small crowbar's curved end to get behind and gently apply leveraged pressure...fortunately no screws were broken in the process. I did run into one problem different from the video instructions. On the last plastic cover removal step as I attempted to pull out left plastic cover it got hung up in the lower left corner behind where it bends from horizontal to vertical. I was able to get past this last obstacle by using the crowbar and gentle leveraged pressure as well. Thanks a million for making my Covid-19 project successful!!
It was very kind of you to show us how to take out the seats. They look quite heavy, so I can see that it's beneficial to remove them to allow the weight for the camper build! If you have the time, would you please give us the measurements of the floor plan when empty? I'm looking to buy a Sienna of about the same age, and am trying to come up with a layout which fits my needs. That way, I can be ready to build as soon as I find the vehicle. Having the width & length up to the back of the front seats would sure help along with the height there and in the back! And again, thanks for being so helpful. Letting us know the clips will no doubt break will be a stress reliever, when it happens. LOL Thanks!
The floor is a 8’ long and the width at the narrowest point (between the rear wheels) is about 49”. They designed it so it could handle standard full-size (4’x8’) sheets of plywood or drywall. The height is about 48” in most of the cabin.
Thanks for making this. Note that on my 2024 Sienna (still Gen 4), there's a slight assembly/manufacturing change, and I had to remove both of the upper (vertical) bolts, not just one of them as you show. Otherwise, everything was as easy as you show! Thanks again!
Just purchased a 2011 very used Sienna and want my 2nd and 3rd rows out to make a home. I'm 75 and disabled so can't do it myself but I can use your video to show someone else how. Thanks so much. ❤
Thanks very much. I purchased a used van with engine and transmission in great condition but the inside had bad smells coming from monsters under the carpet. Your video an others helped me clean it up. Much appreciated.
Hey Bruce, I dont remember if I told you, but my husband and I bought a Toyota sienna in March, right before the virus hit, sad luck. Anyway, we took out the 2nd row seats, and just folded down the 3d. My husband had no idea how much he'd end up liking it. Were 62 & 67 respectively, and we've only been able to camp once, but what this van has been, a real game changer. Were going again only further in northern Minnesota, I wish we could travel further, but until they find a cure, well stay in our home state. Were careful to bring all of our own food and we have 3 containers for water 5 -7 gallons each. Sorry so long winded, just excited I guess, I've been so antsy, I retired just last fall, and want to be out! I want to thank you so much for your videos, they've been the most helpful, we both love the toyota sienna it's great for camping, but we still use our tent! Thank you, hope you and your wife are able to get out there in nature too!
SO nice of you to send your update. Congratulations on your retirement, Sienna, and exploratory campervanning experience so far. My wife and I are 62 and retired as well. Sounds like you're already getting a sense for the freedom of traveling self-contained and being able to hit the road without prebooking much of anything. Minivans are also pretty simple and economical, compared to the bigger and more complicated rigs. Perfect for the occasional roadtrip.
@@BruceParks I'll say, it's always packed, just have to add coolers and water containers. I absolutely love the Toyota, and am very happy to have run into your RUclips site. Finally ready, willing and able!
For anyone interested, I found a buyer for my middle and rear seats in five days on Craigslist. Also, Bruce's instructions for and commentary about removing the rear seats each were spot on. Took about 15 minutes, one broken clip, three left behind (tightly) in the metal brackets.
So grateful to have found your very informative & detailed video ...Especially thankful for your speaking to the weight on these two seats. I am a short 5 foot 2 125 lb 75 year old and knew I would need help for this 😂 I am at the exploration phase of deciding to outfit my sienna for traveling or move up to a class B van. Removing these seats would be critical for additional storage Thank you for taking your time to share your knowledge and the video quality is good
Thanks for the video, Bruce. It was helpful, clear and well filmed. With your help we've created a great cargo/storage space. Now I'm working on a design for a hinged, lockable cover. I have a dealer supplied tri=fold rubber mat I'm using for a template. If you have an ideas...
I’m glad I was able to help. I once made a cover for the well in an earlier Sienna. You can build a partial box that bolts to the anchor points in the well and then the hinges and locking hardware for the lid are securely mounted to the structural box. Easy to make it strong enough to stand on and you can then add hooks and hold downs inside the box for keeping things organized.
thank you so much for this! we never use the third row seating and now that I'm considering making my van into a camper van, this will give me so much space!
@@BruceParks Yes this is exactly what I was thinking as well. By removing the third row seating, which I never use anymore, it opens up that cavernous storage. I already had to break the plastic tabs on those hinge covers because we had an entire pot of beans spill back there one year and I had to get bean juice out of the carpet. 🤣 I do not recommend spilling beans in your vehicle, LOL!
Great video. Thanks for showing how I can get rid of 110 lbs that I'll never use. It looks easy when you do it. Lets see what happens when I wrestle with my 2020 Sienna. :D
Thanks. Your video gave the idea for removing a 3rd row seat. I am going to try to remove 3rd row seats from my 2011 Rav4. I just opened it for used just two time when my grand son visited us.
Hey Bruce, thanks for the video, but I would like to inform you that those clips are easy to remove from the sheet metal holes. Of course, they were hard at first, but I figured how to get them out without breaking them. You just need to press on both sides of the bottom side of the clips, as they press in. Do this while lifting up on the top side, and they will pop right out. I hope this helps.
Thanks for the clip info. Unfortunately, the clips I encountered were different and didn’t have the compressible sides. They were held in place with thin fins that are flat against the backside of the metal and they became brittle over time so attempts to get them out just cracked them. There are other locations in the van that have the clips like you described and maybe Toyota changed the seat trim cover clips to that kind later in. Mine is a 2011.
Hi Bruce, Really looking forward to seeing Sienna progress~! Really impressed by your top notch work every corner. Enjoying very much! Also subscribed.
Thank you so much!!!! I just bought a 2011 and didn’t realize that there was only one anchor (middle) in the third row for car seats. Didn’t want to spend another $3000 for a 2015. Will have to look at a junkyard for the single seat in a 2015 and up so it has an anchor.
Thanks Bruce. Because of your fine presentation on Making A Sienna camp i went and did it. Bought a 2017 and pulled the seats today. Doing it a bit different as i'm single but your electrics will give me options. The floor goes in tomorrow ... hopefully. National Parks are my destination and the there is British Columbia. rob of New Hampshire
@@BruceParks Ok ... I'm game. I won't hesitate to ask all the dumb questions. I 'm doin the floor today, but i'm 'ah thinkin (ouch) abouts the electrics. How to phase up in steps by starting with a battery, charger, monitor and , and ??? We'll be 'talkin as i gets' into it deeper. Right now, after the floor it's the bed! Many thoughts ... all good! Thanks, rob.
You convinced me to not remove the seats to help to clean up vomit. In my previous van, the back seats could just pop out, without removing any hardware.
I am not sure if anyone has commented on this or not: RE: detaching the seatbelt from the larger bench. The seatbelt that is attached to the larger of the two sections of the 3rd-row seating has a small red release. Pushing that red release will detach the seatbelt from that bench seat. The belt will then recoil into the ceiling and there are two slots to secure the belt at the ceiling. (I have photos but cannot seem to attach them here.)
Thank you so much for explaining insome detail how to remove the 3rd row seats in the Siena. I have a Sienna and am looking to to do just the same thing. I am curious how did you in activate the electronic seat sensors,etc. Thanks 😊
I love your videos! Super helpful. Do you find that the covers rattle around now that they’re not attached by clips, or are they ever dislodged when you put cargo in the well when the seats are up and the covers are exposed?
I leave the 3rd row seats out all the time. I only put them back in to make the video. If I did want to reinstall and use them for awhile, I would put new clips into the covers and pop the covers back into place. The clips are cheap, $2 each.
Removing the trolleys is doable but not easy. I haven't done it but I'm holding onto this for reference, check it out: www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623
@@bennybaskets9414 Yes, in the description: "In the video, I mention a retainer clip that will need to be replaced. It is Toyota Part Number 71769-08010. They were $2.09 each at my Toyota dealer."
Thank you. I was looking for the weight of these seats. I will remove them for our long family road trip (8000km) just to reduce the weight and rear end sag. I have also installed SumoSpring in the rear spring and that helped the rear sagging problem.
@@BruceParks Yes, I like it. Before with all the camping gears and 3 bikes on the hitch, lifted front end caused loss of front wheel traction and didn't feel safe. I didn't measure the before and after wheel well gaps but it is noticeably more balanced. I also prefer slightly added stiffness when unladen.
Thank you Bruce. My wife is going to walk the Appalachian Trail next March and I am going to follow along and help her. We have a 2012 Toyota van and going to try and put a bed in it. Why do you take the 3rd row seats out? Can I leave them in and still put a bed in?
@Mark Nelson Yes, many people use their minivans as campers with the third row still installed, just folded down. The main reasons for removing it are for the extra space (obviously), to reduce weight (more than 100 lbs), and they aren't considered necessary for the way they want to use the vehicle.
Thanks a lot for this Bruce! I have the same van, but with the Limited trim package. This means the 3rd row seat is raised and lowered with an electric motor. Any experience removing these?
@@BruceParks I just finished taking them out of the 2015 Limited I got a couple days ago. I had to feel my way through a couple of things, but without your video, I would never have started or finished. Thanks. Don't know how much of the rest of what you did I will attempt...certainly not a bunch. But again, thank you so for your videos and the links.
somehow I can't get the hardware to spring back up. it is stuck without the use of zip ties but for the life of me I cant get the hardware to spring back up to attach the screws
I don’t have the seats in front of me but from memory, the spring action comes from the little gas springs mounted in the seat bracketry. So unless there’s something else that the bracketry is hanging up on, maybe the gas springs have collapsed/failed.
Bruce, you have explained the process so very well. I have a problem with the backrest of the 3rd row double seat. It does not stay locked. I am suspecting the gear's teeth are not latching. I am not sure if I need to take the seat out to access the gear and locking mechanism. Do you have any suggestions ? Appreciate it.
The mechanical components that are used to latch the backrest are mostly visible underneath the bottom seat cushion but unfortunately you’d have to unbolt the seat and flip it upside down to clearly see the components. I wish you well in fixing it.
I removed our 3rd row seats mainly to open up the space for our Campervan conversion. It's covered up by the bed platform that sits 9" above the whole back floor. If you wanted to build a cover flush with the van floor, you can build a flat picture frame around the opening of the well and attach a hinged lid to it. Support the picture frame with legs that reach down to the floor of the well. Use steel brackets to secure the legs to the threaded posts that the seats were originally bolted to. Just one idea of many...
Sadly, I removed the cover then instead of removing the hex screws, I removed the bolts that go through the two roller legs. I then removed the two springs inside them. That's where I'm at now trying to put that back on. Not fun. Wish I found your video first.
Hi Claude, good question. The quick answer is I placed top priority on reliability and it seemed Siennas had the best reputation for long-term reliability. Certain years have some higher risk, mainly when there's a big change like a major redesign (2011) or a transmission change (2017) but overall they are less likely to surprise the owner with a big unexpected repair.
Thank you for the great video, Bruce. I just bought a used 2012 Sienna Limited, and the driver’s side third row seat will not sit flat. Any idea what the issue might be?
Thanks so much! Especially love that you weighed them. Helps with planning. How deep is the well? Minus zero degrees and very windy in my driveway this weekend.
It's cold and snowy here but I went out and measured the well in my 2011 model. It averages 9" deep. It's sloped deeper towards the front so it's around 8" deep nearest to the hatch and around 10" deep towards the front. Your 2004 should be similar. Hope this helps.
I am about to upgrade my Sienna camper from a 2006 to 2012, and the 2012 has those ridiculous rails for the second row seats. I know how to remove the seats, but am hoping you have a video I just cannot find for removing the rails. I want to lay a level subfloor. Do you have a video for them? (Thanks for this video, btw! Can't wait to get started.)
I've left my tracks and trolleys in place for occasional use. But the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Hope this is useful. Good luck with your build!
Bruce, I love your ingenuity! What you did with your Sienna van is what I have been thinking about doing for a while. Do you have advice on what model year Sienna to buy? Do you offer a plan with dimensions? I do woodworking so I know my way around with tools but have never done any type of build like this. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Rick
Rick, sorry, no dimensioned plans are available but I can offer some Sienna buying tips. There are pros/cons for every model year so the trade offs on price, mpg, reliability, styling, safety, and features are going to be personal. Key points are gen2 (2003-2010) and gen3 (2011-2020) are both excellent platforms and are similarly sized. Reliability-wise the 3.3L engines before 2007 had timing belts and interference engines so belt replacements at the correct intervals are important. All engines since are high reliability timing chain engines. 2017 was a change from 6 to 8 speed transmissions. Some consider the first year (2003, 2007, 2011, 2017) of each major change to be somewhat less reliable than others. Wikipedia has an excellent summary of model year changes.
I’ve looked and found nothing already made to fit. It would be quite difficult to do. The center console would have to be gone, the seat back would have to go vertical (not possible without modifying the internal seat frame) and the seat would have to slide away from the door in order to have enough space to rotate and clear the door and door pillar.
looking around I've come across "offset" swivels. I wonder if something like that would work, thanks for the info. Why an Offset Swivel Seat? | TRC Van Conversion
@@nestogonzo1 The offset swivel looks like a good idea. Note, swivel bases are readily available for cargo vans, which have a lot more space for swiveling and, more importantly, have seats that are already mounted to a raised base. This makes adding an adapter plate like these swivel bases possible. In a minivan like the Sienna, the seats are mounted directly to the floor, and the floor has bumps, contours, and components in the way to make adding a swivel plate difficult without raising the seat upwards a ways. Thanks for sharing the video suggestion.
Hi, all I can offer right now are ideas via these videos. I'd love to build for people like you but haven't got the time at this point. Thanks for asking.
Thanks, Shannon, I appreciate your comment! Hope you find a video for your Pilot. Wild idea: film yourself removing the seats and upload it to RUclips. If it goes well, you'll help people like yourself. If it turns into a blooper reel, you'll get a lot of likes! It's likely the worst that will happen is some plastic clips break (my experience) that are usually pretty inexpensive to buy at the dealer.
The rear well has a bunch of little weird bumps and curves but overall it is approx 46" wide x 26" long (front to rear) x 10" deep at the front. The floor tapers upwards front to rear so near the rear hatch, it's closer to 8" deep.
I'm not sure if you are interested in the length from the back of the front seats to the front or rear of the trunk so I'll give you all of the lengths. The length from the back of the front seats to the rear of the trunk is 96" (8'). The length of the trunk itself is 27" so the length from the back of the front seats to the front of the trunk is 69". Let me know if you are interested in other dimensions.
It's so clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much Bruce for your time and effort. It is heavy to lift the 62 and the 52 lb seats for the video to show us. I believe you have to put them back first before shooting video then take the seat off. After all, you have to put those seat back on 😁. It's not just the video, its lot of time. Appreciate that!
Gosh, thank you very much! Every question that popped onto my head during the video, you answered right away! The hex size, the weight of the seats, the places to pull. You rock, killer video with exactly the right amount of details. Thank you again
Ha, I read your mind!
Bruce, thanks so much for this video. As I commented on your other video, I've been searching for how to do this for some time now. Really appreciate how helpful all your videos are.
Same here!
Thank you so much! Did this in under 2 hours this morning, all by myself. Gonna be building my van in the next few days and heading out by the end of the month!
I am impressed! Not sure I can lift these myself. I plan to remove and zip tie and try to sell from the van. Let the buyer lift them! Need to buy a socket so I can measure space to plan build. I remember lifting out the middle seats a few years ago. Very heavy. Sold them on craigslist. I was just happy to get rid of the heavy things.
Not sure if anyone else has discovered this trick but you can save the white plastic clips if they pull off of the plastic cover and are not damaged. Leave them in place until you have the seat out of the van and before you fold up the seat. Set the seat on the ground and locate the area of the white plastic clip that was pushed through the metal seat frame. You will notice two protrusions on this side of the white clip. With the narrow part of the needle-nose pliers, squeeze the clip at the location of the two protrusions just above the surface of the metal frame. You can either push the clip back through the metal frame with the pliers or you may have to push on the bottom of the clip with something like a pencil or screw driver. The clip should fall free of the metal frame and not be damaged.
This is funny just the other day I was saying to my wife I wish Bruce would show us how to take out the rear seats. Thank you so much!!
Sienna guru right there. Thanks for all your work Bruce, guys like you make things so much easier for all us schlubs.
Thanks to your video I accomplished this task quickly and easily without shedding any blood, sweat, or curse words. Thank you!
Your very welcome!
Thanks so much!! I am a young woman with a 2017 Sienna and no mechanical experience but was able to get them out easily. Only tough part I couldn't do on my own was yanking off the plastic covers which I had to call in another person to help with. Great tutorial!!
Yes, those covers were definitely attached tightly. Glad you were successful!
This is great, thanks VERY much. I've got a 2017 Sienna, and the plastic covers are a little different, but this guide made it easy to figure out and gave me the confidence to go for it. Now we've got a great storage place for a large tent and a couple of cots
I'm glad the video was useful!
I've been thinking about doing a minivan RV, and am leaning to the Sienna. Thank's for showing us this in great detail!
I know this is an old comment, but I highly recommend a Sienna!!!!
Been rolling in my 2000 sienna minivamper for 6 years. Amazing vehicle driven it to southern mexico 4 times
Also, the Sienna is the only minivan I’m aware of with an AWD option
Took the rear seats out of my 2006 Sienna today. When I went outside this afternoon, it was 92 degrees and the inside of the van was like a furnace. I almost put it off. But because it was so hot, the plastic bolt covers were a little more pliable than usual, and I was able to pry them loose fairly easily without damaging any of the plastic fasteners.
Thanks, Bruce, for all the good info.
I'm glad it worked out for you and that the heat was an advantage. I'll recommend that in the future.
I could only dream we had a 92 degree day here in Vegas lol
Thank you so much for the dimensions of the interior of your Sienna. I'm a woman somewhere around the same age as you and plan on doing my own build as soon as I find the right Sienna for me. I have always done my own home renovations, know how to handle power tools well, and have some schooling in interior design, so I think I can handle it all myself. However, having the dimensions is key to laying it all out correctly, so I appreciate that as well as seeing all that you did in your Sienna. I'm not that educated on the Solar set up but I'm learning. I don't think I could build the same electrical system you built, but I will give it my best shot along with some help from family on that. Thank you again for sharing with us and being so detailed in your explanations. We all appreciate that!
I can’t believe my luck - yours is one of the best minivan camper builds I’ve ever seen and it also happens to be the same make, model, and generation as my new minivan. I’m excited to watch all your videos while I work on my build, and I hope you continue making more great tutorials. Thanks for including all the great detail and explanations. I’ve only just found your channel, but I’d be very interested to see videos showing how to remove the front console (between the seats), and how to remove the 2nd row seat trolleys. Beautiful work, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for commenting, I'm glad you found my channel useful! I'll shoot a video on console removal and get it uploaded soon. I hope you're subscribed so you'll be notified. Regarding removal of the 2nd row trolleys, the tracks they ride in have to be partially removed and it's quite a bit of work, especially on AWD Siennas. I've left mine in for now because I want to be able to put the seats back in occasionally. If I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found is on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623).
Hi, I made a video especially for you! How to remove the center console: ruclips.net/video/hVQG5EYGw9k/видео.html
Thank you so much for the new video and the link to the trolley/track removal! That was incredibly helpful. I also have a 3rd gen AWD LE, so this is exactly what I needed!
Getting ready to remove the seats and knew I had this video saved for this moment. Thanks again for sharing.
You are very welcome. Hope it helped.
@@BruceParks it definitely will
Bruce, I took out the seats today, 7 months after your created this video, on my 2019 Toyota Sienna. Your simple 6-step process worked perfectly. I was able to make one improvement - since you showed the exact position of the plastic screws, I used my small crowbar's curved end to get behind and gently apply leveraged pressure...fortunately no screws were broken in the process. I did run into one problem different from the video instructions. On the last plastic cover removal step as I attempted to pull out left plastic cover it got hung up in the lower left corner behind where it bends from horizontal to vertical. I was able to get past this last obstacle by using the crowbar and gentle leveraged pressure as well. Thanks a million for making my Covid-19 project successful!!
Awesome, Joe, I'm glad everything worked out. Thanks for writing the update!
@@BruceParks what engine oil you put ? Synthetic?
How often?
It was very kind of you to show us how to take out the seats. They look quite heavy, so I can see that it's beneficial to remove them to allow the weight for the camper build! If you have the time, would you please give us the measurements of the floor plan when empty? I'm looking to buy a Sienna of about the same age, and am trying to come up with a layout which fits my needs. That way, I can be ready to build as soon as I find the vehicle. Having the width & length up to the back of the front seats would sure help along with the height there and in the back! And again, thanks for being so helpful. Letting us know the clips will no doubt break will be a stress reliever, when it happens. LOL Thanks!
The floor is a 8’ long and the width at the narrowest point (between the rear wheels) is about 49”. They designed it so it could handle standard full-size (4’x8’) sheets of plywood or drywall. The height is about 48” in most of the cabin.
@@BruceParks thx Bruce🌞
@@BruceParks easy to put back seats ?
@Moment Yes, it’s actually easier to put the seats back in than to take them out.
@@BruceParks do you know how much weight both seats?
Thanks for making this. Note that on my 2024 Sienna (still Gen 4), there's a slight assembly/manufacturing change, and I had to remove both of the upper (vertical) bolts, not just one of them as you show. Otherwise, everything was as easy as you show! Thanks again!
I'm glad this was useful for you. Thanks for commenting!
Just purchased a 2011 very used Sienna and want my 2nd and 3rd rows out to make a home. I'm 75 and disabled so can't do it myself but I can use your video to show someone else how. Thanks so much. ❤
I hope you can find someone to remove the seats. It's not that difficult.
Thanks very much. I purchased a used van with engine and transmission in great condition but the inside had bad smells coming from monsters under the carpet. Your video an others helped me clean it up. Much appreciated.
Monsters! 😆 I'm glad the video helped. Thanks for letting me know.
Hey Bruce, I dont remember if I told you, but my husband and I bought a Toyota sienna in March, right before the virus hit, sad luck. Anyway, we took out the 2nd row seats, and just folded down the 3d. My husband had no idea how much he'd end up liking it. Were 62 & 67 respectively, and we've only been able to camp once, but what this van has been, a real game changer. Were going again only further in northern Minnesota, I wish we could travel further, but until they find a cure, well stay in our home state. Were careful to bring all of our own food and we have 3 containers for water 5 -7 gallons each. Sorry so long winded, just excited I guess, I've been so antsy, I retired just last fall, and want to be out! I want to thank you so much for your videos, they've been the most helpful, we both love the toyota sienna it's great for camping, but we still use our tent! Thank you, hope you and your wife are able to get out there in nature too!
SO nice of you to send your update. Congratulations on your retirement, Sienna, and exploratory campervanning experience so far. My wife and I are 62 and retired as well. Sounds like you're already getting a sense for the freedom of traveling self-contained and being able to hit the road without prebooking much of anything. Minivans are also pretty simple and economical, compared to the bigger and more complicated rigs. Perfect for the occasional roadtrip.
@@BruceParks I'll say, it's always packed, just have to add coolers and water containers. I absolutely love the Toyota, and am very happy to have run into your RUclips site. Finally ready, willing and able!
For anyone interested, I found a buyer for my middle and rear seats in five days on Craigslist. Also, Bruce's instructions for and commentary about removing the rear seats each were spot on. Took about 15 minutes, one broken clip, three left behind (tightly) in the metal brackets.
I'm glad the video was useful. Thanks for commenting, Mark.
So grateful to have found your very informative & detailed video ...Especially thankful for your speaking to the weight on these two seats.
I am a short 5 foot 2 125 lb 75 year old and knew I would need help for this 😂
I am at the exploration phase of deciding to outfit my sienna for traveling or move up to a class B van. Removing these seats would be critical for additional storage
Thank you for taking your time to share your knowledge and the video quality is good
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting.
Once again, thank you Bruce for sharing your very helpful information with your YT viewers!
You bet, Otis! I'm glad to be helpful.
Amazing 👏. You were so clear and concise. Don't know whether to sell backseat or hang onto. Trying out vanlife.
Thanks for the video, Bruce. It was helpful, clear and well filmed. With your help we've created a great cargo/storage space. Now I'm working on a design for a hinged, lockable cover. I have a dealer supplied tri=fold rubber mat I'm using for a template. If you have an ideas...
I’m glad I was able to help. I once made a cover for the well in an earlier Sienna. You can build a partial box that bolts to the anchor points in the well and then the hinges and locking hardware for the lid are securely mounted to the structural box. Easy to make it strong enough to stand on and you can then add hooks and hold downs inside the box for keeping things organized.
thank you so much for this! we never use the third row seating and now that I'm considering making my van into a camper van, this will give me so much space!
Glad it was helpful! The deep well in the back is really useful when every cubic inch is precious in camper conversions.
@@BruceParks Yes this is exactly what I was thinking as well. By removing the third row seating, which I never use anymore, it opens up that cavernous storage. I already had to break the plastic tabs on those hinge covers because we had an entire pot of beans spill back there one year and I had to get bean juice out of the carpet. 🤣 I do not recommend spilling beans in your vehicle, LOL!
Haha, I’ll remember that!
Just bought a used Sienna; thank you so much! Made it so easy!
You’re so welcome! Glad to help
Thanks for this, Bruce. There's now a 2012 Sienna in my driveway that wasn't there yesterday. Job #1 is to find a buyer for the middle and rear seats.
Glad I could help, Mark. Hope your seats find a new home soon.
Thank you so much! I have a 2016 Sienna and I am converting it to sleep in so I will be removing seats to take advantage of the storage space. ✌🏼
Thank you. Your videos are very so articulate. You are a natural!
Great video. Thanks for showing how I can get rid of 110 lbs that I'll never use. It looks easy when you do it. Lets see what happens when I wrestle with my 2020 Sienna. :D
Good luck!
Excellent video. And you even gave the weight of the seats. So helpful.
Thanks! I'm so glad this was helpful.
Thanks. Your video gave the idea for removing a 3rd row seat. I am going to try to remove 3rd row seats from my 2011 Rav4. I just opened it for used just two time when my grand son visited us.
Good luck!
Thank you for the informative info on the removal of the 3rd row seats.
Thanks for pointing out how much they weigh. Very helpful.
You’re welcome. Glad it was useful.
Excellent video, thanks so much for taking the time to post it!
Ditto!
Bruce, this video is too late to me, I wish you posted a year ago. I learned my lesson.
Thanks. Everything I needed to know, with no fluff.
Hey Bruce, thanks for the video, but I would like to inform you that those clips are easy to remove from the sheet metal holes. Of course, they were hard at first, but I figured how to get them out without breaking them. You just need to press on both sides of the bottom side of the clips, as they press in. Do this while lifting up on the top side, and they will pop right out. I hope this helps.
Thanks for the clip info. Unfortunately, the clips I encountered were different and didn’t have the compressible sides. They were held in place with thin fins that are flat against the backside of the metal and they became brittle over time so attempts to get them out just cracked them. There are other locations in the van that have the clips like you described and maybe Toyota changed the seat trim cover clips to that kind later in. Mine is a 2011.
Hi Bruce, Really looking forward to seeing Sienna progress~! Really impressed by your top notch work every corner. Enjoying very much! Also subscribed.
Thanks 👍
Thanks Bruce for weigning both seats.
You bet!
Thank you so much!!!! I just bought a 2011 and didn’t realize that there was only one anchor (middle) in the third row for car seats.
Didn’t want to spend another $3000 for a 2015. Will have to look at a junkyard for the single seat in a 2015 and up so it has an anchor.
Glad my video was useful!
Wow. Thanks. I have avoided this for so long - and it is really pretty straightforward. Yes! Totally more than useful.. Thanks, Bruice!
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks Bruce. Great video and explanation. This is what I needed.
I'm really happy you found this useful, Jeff. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks Bruce. Because of your fine presentation on Making A Sienna camp i went and did it. Bought a 2017 and pulled the seats today. Doing it a bit different as i'm single but your electrics will give me options. The floor goes in tomorrow ... hopefully. National Parks are my destination and the there is British Columbia.
rob of New Hampshire
Wow, that's awesome, you're building out a Sienna. Best wishes to you and don't hesitate to ask questions, I'm happy to help.
@@BruceParks Ok ... I'm game. I won't hesitate to ask all the dumb questions. I 'm doin the floor today, but i'm 'ah thinkin (ouch) abouts the electrics. How to phase up in steps by starting with a battery, charger, monitor and , and ??? We'll be 'talkin as i gets' into it deeper. Right now, after the floor it's the bed! Many thoughts ... all good! Thanks, rob.
We like this video, want to find a toyota, and do exactly that, take out the rear seats, and travel!
Thanks!
Very helpful video. Plans are for buying AWD version and keeping this space available for stuff but without any seats.
You convinced me to not remove the seats to help to clean up vomit. In my previous van, the back seats could just pop out, without removing any hardware.
I am not sure if anyone has commented on this or not: RE: detaching the seatbelt from the larger bench.
The seatbelt that is attached to the larger of the two sections of the 3rd-row seating has a small red release. Pushing that red release will detach the seatbelt from that bench seat. The belt will then recoil into the ceiling and there are two slots to secure the belt at the ceiling. (I have photos but cannot seem to attach them here.)
Thank you very much for this extremely clear video, much appreciated
Thanks for sharing this valuable vedio. Best wishes from Brampton Ontario.
So nice of you to say, thanks right back at ya!
Thank you! I just took the third row seats out of my 2017.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching
thanks. I'll be doing that in a couple months.
Thank you so much for explaining insome detail how to remove the 3rd row seats in the Siena. I have a Sienna and am looking to to do just the same thing. I am curious how did you in activate the electronic seat sensors,etc. Thanks 😊
Mine (2011) was easy - no sensors, no wires, no motors. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
I love your videos! Super helpful. Do you find that the covers rattle around now that they’re not attached by clips, or are they ever dislodged when you put cargo in the well when the seats are up and the covers are exposed?
I leave the 3rd row seats out all the time. I only put them back in to make the video. If I did want to reinstall and use them for awhile, I would put new clips into the covers and pop the covers back into place. The clips are cheap, $2 each.
Thank you soooooo much. Those seats never get used by anybody and are a waste of space. Anyway to remove the floor trolley tracks inside?👍
Removing the trolleys is doable but not easy. I haven't done it but I'm holding onto this for reference, check it out: www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623
Thanks for the very helpful video, sure saved me a lot of time!
You bet, Steve! Glad it helped.
Bruce this was super helpful. Thank you sir!!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! Exactly what I was looking for.
Glad it was helpful!
Very helpful. Thank you! 👍
Glad it was helpful!
Getting ready to do this project thanks so much for the Easy instructions. Great job on the video
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent and thanks!
This was awesome...thank you for doing this video and explaining so clearly what the process is !
You bet! Glad you found it useful.
@@BruceParks I am putting my seats back in......Where did you get replacement clips and do you by chance know the part number for easy ordering?
@@bennybaskets9414 Yes, in the description: "In the video, I mention a retainer clip that will need to be replaced. It is Toyota Part Number 71769-08010. They were $2.09 each at my Toyota dealer."
@@BruceParks hahaha not sure how i missed that?! Thank you for replying with the info.
🌸 Wowie ! You just saved me a world of stress, and gave me dimensions in my mind for storing. Thank You soooo much ! I can do this ! 🌸
Yes you can! Thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated.
Thank you. I was looking for the weight of these seats. I will remove them for our long family road trip (8000km) just to reduce the weight and rear end sag. I have also installed SumoSpring in the rear spring and that helped the rear sagging problem.
I'm glad you found the video useful. I haven't found the need for spring boosters (yet) but I was wondering, do you like the SumoSprings?
@@BruceParks Yes, I like it. Before with all the camping gears and 3 bikes on the hitch, lifted front end caused loss of front wheel traction and didn't feel safe. I didn't measure the before and after wheel well gaps but it is noticeably more balanced. I also prefer slightly added stiffness when unladen.
Thank you Bruce. My wife is going to walk the Appalachian Trail next March and I am going to follow along and help her. We have a 2012 Toyota van and going to try and put a bed in it. Why do you take the 3rd row seats out? Can I leave them in and still put a bed in?
@Mark Nelson Yes, many people use their minivans as campers with the third row still installed, just folded down. The main reasons for removing it are for the extra space (obviously), to reduce weight (more than 100 lbs), and they aren't considered necessary for the way they want to use the vehicle.
Thanks a lot for this Bruce! I have the same van, but with the Limited trim package. This means the 3rd row seat is raised and lowered with an electric motor. Any experience removing these?
Sorry, no experience with motorized versions.
@@BruceParks I just finished taking them out of the 2015 Limited I got a couple days ago. I had to feel my way through a couple of things, but without your video, I would never have started or finished. Thanks. Don't know how much of the rest of what you did I will attempt...certainly not a bunch. But again, thank you so for your videos and the links.
Cool, glad it all worked out! Don’t hesitate to fire questions my way during your conversion, I’m always happy to help.
somehow I can't get the hardware to spring back up. it is stuck without the use of zip ties but for the life of me I cant get the hardware to spring back up to attach the screws
I don’t have the seats in front of me but from memory, the spring action comes from the little gas springs mounted in the seat bracketry. So unless there’s something else that the bracketry is hanging up on, maybe the gas springs have collapsed/failed.
These vids are very helpful. Please keep it up!
Bruce, you have explained the process so very well. I have a problem with the backrest of the 3rd row double seat. It does not stay locked. I am suspecting the gear's teeth are not latching. I am not sure if I need to take the seat out to access the gear and locking mechanism. Do you have any suggestions ? Appreciate it.
The mechanical components that are used to latch the backrest are mostly visible underneath the bottom seat cushion but unfortunately you’d have to unbolt the seat and flip it upside down to clearly see the components. I wish you well in fixing it.
@@BruceParks Thanks Bruce.
Perfect Bruce! Thanks so much!
I just removed the smaller side from a 2020 Toyota Sienna. The process is exactly the same, so easy. Thanks again!
Thanks so much for this video!
You are so welcome!
Where can you get the replacement clips?
It is Toyota Part Number 71769-08010. They were $2.09 each at my Toyota dealer.
This is SO helpful! Thanks!
Good job.. 👍Any thoughts on covering the new opening? Thanks Greg
I removed our 3rd row seats mainly to open up the space for our Campervan conversion. It's covered up by the bed platform that sits 9" above the whole back floor. If you wanted to build a cover flush with the van floor, you can build a flat picture frame around the opening of the well and attach a hinged lid to it. Support the picture frame with legs that reach down to the floor of the well. Use steel brackets to secure the legs to the threaded posts that the seats were originally bolted to. Just one idea of many...
Thanks a lot for these very clear instructions!
Glad it was helpful, thanks for watching!
Sadly, I removed the cover then instead of removing the hex screws, I removed the bolts that go through the two roller legs. I then removed the two springs inside them. That's where I'm at now trying to put that back on. Not fun. Wish I found your video first.
Me too. ☹️
Super easy tutorial! One thing tho why we didn’t take the bottom bolts out? 7:29
Hmm, I'm not sure which bolts you're referring to. All the bolts holding the seats in place were removed.
Outstanding video
Thank you. Your review is to the point, and appreciated.
Easy to install . Very spacious fir little one and safe.
Hi Bruce, what made you choose the Sienna? Thank you for your great videos!
Hi Claude, good question. The quick answer is I placed top priority on reliability and it seemed Siennas had the best reputation for long-term reliability. Certain years have some higher risk, mainly when there's a big change like a major redesign (2011) or a transmission change (2017) but overall they are less likely to surprise the owner with a big unexpected repair.
@@BruceParks Thank you for your time! You sure are a talented individual!
Thank you for the great video, Bruce. I just bought a used 2012 Sienna Limited, and the driver’s side third row seat will not sit flat. Any idea what the issue might be?
Gosh, I wish I could help but I wouldn’t know where to start without looking at it in person.
Works on 2018 Toyota Sienna. Thank you.
You’re welcome! Thanks for confirming the process is valid for your 2018.
Elegant. Clear and detailed. Thanks very much.
👍🏻
it's very helpful! thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks so much! Especially love that you weighed them. Helps with planning. How deep is the well? Minus zero degrees and very windy in my driveway this weekend.
It's cold and snowy here but I went out and measured the well in my 2011 model. It averages 9" deep. It's sloped deeper towards the front so it's around 8" deep nearest to the hatch and around 10" deep towards the front. Your 2004 should be similar. Hope this helps.
I am about to upgrade my Sienna camper from a 2006 to 2012, and the 2012 has those ridiculous rails for the second row seats. I know how to remove the seats, but am hoping you have a video I just cannot find for removing the rails. I want to lay a level subfloor. Do you have a video for them? (Thanks for this video, btw! Can't wait to get started.)
I've left my tracks and trolleys in place for occasional use. But the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Hope this is useful. Good luck with your build!
Bruce,
I love your ingenuity! What you did with your Sienna van is what I have been thinking about doing for a while. Do you have advice on what model year Sienna to buy? Do you offer a plan with dimensions? I do woodworking so I know my way around with tools but have never done any type of build like this.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Rick
Rick, sorry, no dimensioned plans are available but I can offer some Sienna buying tips. There are pros/cons for every model year so the trade offs on price, mpg, reliability, styling, safety, and features are going to be personal. Key points are gen2 (2003-2010) and gen3 (2011-2020) are both excellent platforms and are similarly sized. Reliability-wise the 3.3L engines before 2007 had timing belts and interference engines so belt replacements at the correct intervals are important. All engines since are high reliability timing chain engines. 2017 was a change from 6 to 8 speed transmissions. Some consider the first year (2003, 2007, 2011, 2017) of each major change to be somewhat less reliable than others. Wikipedia has an excellent summary of model year changes.
@@BruceParks Thank you!
Excellent video, thank you.
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
Great video
Thank you
You're welcome! I'm glad you liked it and thanks for commenting.
Do you think it would be possible to put swivel seats in the front?
I’ve looked and found nothing already made to fit. It would be quite difficult to do. The center console would have to be gone, the seat back would have to go vertical (not possible without modifying the internal seat frame) and the seat would have to slide away from the door in order to have enough space to rotate and clear the door and door pillar.
looking around I've come across "offset" swivels. I wonder if something like that would work,
thanks for the info.
Why an Offset Swivel Seat? | TRC Van Conversion
@@nestogonzo1 The offset swivel looks like a good idea. Note, swivel bases are readily available for cargo vans, which have a lot more space for swiveling and, more importantly, have seats that are already mounted to a raised base. This makes adding an adapter plate like these swivel bases possible. In a minivan like the Sienna, the seats are mounted directly to the floor, and the floor has bumps, contours, and components in the way to make adding a swivel plate difficult without raising the seat upwards a ways. Thanks for sharing the video suggestion.
Hi Bruce, are you open to building these out for people? Your work is so clean, I could never replicate it.
Hi, all I can offer right now are ideas via these videos. I'd love to build for people like you but haven't got the time at this point. Thanks for asking.
@@BruceParks I completely understand and appreciate your reply. Keep up the amazing work!
what a great video! I wish someone would make the same video for a 2016 honda pilot.
Thanks, Shannon, I appreciate your comment! Hope you find a video for your Pilot. Wild idea: film yourself removing the seats and upload it to RUclips. If it goes well, you'll help people like yourself. If it turns into a blooper reel, you'll get a lot of likes! It's likely the worst that will happen is some plastic clips break (my experience) that are usually pretty inexpensive to buy at the dealer.
thanks for sharing man, blessings
Great video. What are the dimensions of the compartment the seats used to be stored in?
The rear well has a bunch of little weird bumps and curves but overall it is approx 46" wide x 26" long (front to rear) x 10" deep at the front. The floor tapers upwards front to rear so near the rear hatch, it's closer to 8" deep.
I'm doing it now, thanks.
How’d the seat removal go?
thanks for this tutorial. what's the length from the trunk to the back of the front seats?
I'm not sure if you are interested in the length from the back of the front seats to the front or rear of the trunk so I'll give you all of the lengths. The length from the back of the front seats to the rear of the trunk is 96" (8'). The length of the trunk itself is 27" so the length from the back of the front seats to the front of the trunk is 69". Let me know if you are interested in other dimensions.
Thank you for your helpful video Bruce
Glad it was helpful!
Sharing your tricks for others - how helpful and kind. Thank you!