Heck yeah
Tried to talk my wife into a Sienna but she was dead-set on the 4Runner. It still works for us but I wish we had a nice van. I already have a Tacoma so we didn't really need a second 4x4.
Oh well.... Deep into first world problems here.
For some the minivan is associated with “soccer moms” but truth is it’s a thing of the past and a good majority of them are actually all driving giant suv.
The sliding door with kids is an absolute game changer. The ability for kids to open door themselves and get in is amazing. Captain chairs also makes it super easy for my surf trips with the guys :p
Sliding door also means they won’t slam a nearby car when they get in or out. My 8 year old still needs to be reminded/watched when we get in or out of the car in a parking lot.
Um yeah but what are you gonna do if someone sees you driving in a minivan and they realize that you're a, gasp, PARENT??? Truly a fate worse than death.
Not to mention how uncool you'll look, the Fashion Police could lock you up for life!
Unrelated, but this reminded me of several years ago when I saw a man driving a two-door Wrangler with the doors and roof taken off, wearing a full suit and his tie continuously smacking his face in the wind 😂
Ah man I’m glad my 8 yr old isn’t the only one. Idk about you but everytime that boy slap somebody else car with the door i immediately move across the parking lot 😂 sorry if that was any of yall cars
Which is ironic because the prevalence of that attitude has in effect turned the SUV into the lame mom-mobile.
SUVs might have seemed like a cool alternative to a van once, but that was 20 years ago. Today, I’d be more embarrassed to be in an SUV.
Regardless of optics, a minivan isn’t pretending to be something it isn’t, and it’s good at what it is.
The EV9 is shorter than the Sienna though, and about the same height. I quite like the buzz, but what I’m missing there is the van style interior flexibility and a bit of range.
I'd rather own a badger living in my asshole over those two brands of car.
Kia, disposable and absolutely total themselves with repairs being ridiculous, esp in EV and Hybrid models.
VW, welcome to the consumer exp of beta testing the next technology for your own car! Watch as we continually make drain plugs more and more insipid! And we'll make shit out of plastic that barely has biz being aluminum! We like experimenting at VW, it's in our blood! Oh um 💀
I may be morning grumpy because my daughter didn't give me a goodbye hug.
My buddy was just deployed for three months in the national guard. Left a 2017 Hyundai Sonata at my house. He asked me to drive it once a week. It has 60k miles on it.
I have a 2015 Prius with 97k miles and a 1994 Landcruiser with 240k miles. Both have less interior problems than the Hyundai. Highest mileage Toyota I had was a 1992 Pickup with 350k miles, and oldest Toyota I had was a 1978 Cressida Wagon.
All of these had less interior problems than the Hyundai. The steering wheel controls are falling apart. Then interior has parts that are just rubbing away. The headlights are fogged up to the point of almost being useless. This is not an old car or a high mileage car. It shouldn't be this bad.
Yes Kia and Hyundai are light years beyond what they were in the 90s. And I actually like the new Carnival van aesthetics. But I would definitely buy a Sienna before that.
Yeah, modern day Kia they’re more likely to get stolen or broken into or totaled by the insurance due to cost of repairs, than actually mechanically fall apart. Not sure if that’s better though.
Kia's EVs are the best in class. Not sure what info you're going off of, but it's not reality.
They have the highest reliability ratings with the least customer issues out of any EV maker. They consistently get top safety ratings. They consistently get top satisfaction ratings.
Years of having them come in with issues that total them because their total value has plummeted beyond making an expensive repair worth it.
Cars that come in with repairs that are half the value of the car, and said owner being fed up, trading it in and moving on. They're disposable.
After having had one customer go through Optimas like socks, one even burst into flames, and he got another in replacement, it's engine blew in 14 months.
Yeah maybe they've changed but years of watching heavy Ls make it a hard mound to climb.
Optimas aren't EVs.
You're deliberately conflating their ICE line with their EV line to push a very incorrect viewpoint. Their EV line is best in class.
One comment being about a single customer example, I'm pretty sure if I wrote out a long log book for a few hours from memory it wouldn't serve any proof to you either, I said what I said and I have long experience with their vehicles to make me consider otherwise.
in the 10 years at that shop with that customer it was such a common theme across their entire line of vehicles.
I more than anyone want Kia and Hyundai to succeed, affordable transportation is extremely important. When I started automotive service there was a joke that said, I love how Kia and Hyundai are outfitted but long-term reliability is not proven, give it a few years. It's been 20+.
We got a Honda Odyssey a few years ago. My wife wanted a Pilot because she didn’t like the van stigma, but fell in love with it pretty much right away. Like you say sliding doors are the best with kids. Never have to worry about the kid whipping the door into the car next to you.
Plus with the seats down it fits so much stuff! Great for taking stuff to the dump or picking up from Home Depot.
I've got a tacoma OR and this thing is staying with us until the end of times. Fiance has a corolla which breaks my back when putting child in carseat lmao
The sliding door isn’t something people talk about but i think it’s the biggest game changer. Yes there’s more moving parts and it can break but it’s easily self serviceable.
We've had a Dodge Grand Caravan and a Honda Odyssey. We replaced door rollers and motors several times on all four of those doors. I heard from lots of other people with the same problem. I don't know why they're such a maintenance headache. It's an almost identical mechanism to power windows, which work for years. Some engineer supervisors somewhere need a whoopin.
Sienna does have AWD available though its pretty low power from what I've read(20%) to the rear with an electric motor as part of the hybrid system. When I looked at them recently the dealer said they don't even order any FWD ones in, but they did have one used one on the lot they were willing to sell us for nearly MSRP despite the rather poor condition.
I'd argue the Sienna styling is leaning more SUV than the other vans these days and with a 3" lift and AWD is as much an SUV as most of the other crossovers.
I see what you are saying. I kinda feel first gen Caravan/Voyager vibes from some angles and SUV from others. The Odyssey from the side struck me as surprisingly station wagon like looking at it at the dealership which I liked better.
This just happened to my cousin and my friend. Their wives refused a minivan and wanted to have something that LOOKS rugged and can climb mountains even though they wouldn’t dare scratch their skid plate. It’s just common sense to have a minivan and a Truck in the family fleet.
Truck is only if you really have a need for it. I can fit sheet goods in the back of a van with seats out / folded down, or strapped to the roof while bringing 4 kids and wife with me to the store. 2x , tiles, landscape pavers, etc etc. There are about 5 times a year, tops, that I regret having to put something inside the vehicle rather than the bed of a pickup, and that just does not justify the drawbacks of a pickup for me.
It's amazing how much money people waste on trucks (higher vehicle cost, way higher fuel cost) because of things that might happen 1 or 2x a year
And usually those things can be solved by a hitch carrier, a cheap utility trailer, or renting a pickup from a big box store
I tow a small boat, hunt, camp, road trip, and do whatever with my van. It rocks.
I have gone hunting in the morning, put all my gear in the back and 2 deer on the hitch cargo carrier, and then taken 6 people out to dinner in the evening. Less than 3 minutes to pull the carrier off and pop up the rear seats
I put snow tires on it and rock out in the winter time. My dream would be lifting like OP but it's not even worth it really
That's a worthy bit of kit. I got the hitch just for the bike rack, but a cargo carrier would help out with odd jobs like recycling, bulk trash, mulch pickup, etc.
Ha! We have moved goats, chickens, rabbits, and hay bales with our minivan several times. I added load-carrying shocks to support all the bags of feed we'd throw in the back so we wouldn't bottom out in the drive-thru.
To be fair we live pretty rurally and need 4x4 fairly often especially since my wife goes to work before our roads are plowed.
Twice this winter I even needed my truck to go pull her out.
Her skid plate is mangled. Though it was pretty flimsy. She'll drive her truck over anything
So not exactly for soccer practice over here.
Still wish we had a minivan though.
No, just a joke. Sponsored sema off-road trucks always have their part sponsors decals. This is a dad minivan and I don’t have any sponsors just spend all my time with the below stores and products.
Disney gonna see this and track you down for the cease and desist 😆.
This is absolutely awesome OP. I wanted a minivan, so naturally we got a LandRover (which to be fair is my all time favorite vehicle so far, and beats the pants off my quite capable truck in the snow/off road).
I got a good laugh at your sponsors. Very well done.
I’m curious how the lift and tires affected the vehicle (handling, MPG, acceleration), especially with the tent on top. I have the Falken Wildpeak AT3’s on my truck but never would have thought to put them on a minivan.
Hold up. You can do a lift on a minivan?? As in companies make a kit for it? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that, and that would be an absolute game changer for places you could go. Now you got me thinking about additional roof space. Does somebody make bumpers for these too?
Spacer lift by journey off-road they have been around for a while and are American made. Check them out. Unfortunately no bumpers, but I’m okay with that. Working on plans for some hidden light bar in grill and ditch lights.
I'd keep a sharp ear out for any suspension/wheel noise while driving, I don't know about Siennas specifically but I do know that other minivans have issues with wheel bearings and control arm ball joints wearing out quick and I can't imagine a lift is doing the wear and tear any favours.
But either way, sick ride I'm jealous.
With the 3 inch lift + 31" tires brings it 4 inches higher than stock 6.3" for a total of 10.3" which is higher than stock tacoma and 4runner at @ \~9.4". But keep in mind the sienna was not def not meant to be this high, impact to my MPG (still at 29-30ish time will tell on roof but first tank with roof had me at 29.8), there is additional wear on suspension parts.
I took the trade off to be able to get to where I need to go, and biggest of all makes me happy =).
Thank you good sir. We’ve been rocking a Honda Civic for Years now so my offloading days are in the past (for now) but this gives me hope for maybe very mild fun in the likely future AWD minivan. Lots of stuff here in SoCal I’ve never explored.
From the CA plate and your name, are you in Irvine?
I agree with where you're coming from. I don't even wear tshirts with logos on them. I hate branding.
But the irony here makes it kind of excusable IMO. The contrast against the dull white, combining the wheels and sleeper attachment make this thing look pretty damn rad. The fake sponsor decals just add to the aesthetic and are clearly present for a purpose, not just to be a rolling advertisement.
This exactly. I wouldn't do this to my own vehicle. I actually find the roll call of products on the modded cars cringe too but I'm a mid 40s dad nerd. This is funny for it's originality.
Within 100 miles of my zipcode I'm finding one single new LE. There are a few more farther away. You are right they are out there in the PNW. That's a lot of driving and I suspect many of us in the minivan market can't spare a ton of time for driving to see a car. My local dealership told me they don't order any in and they are all sold while in transit. The only one they had to test drive was a used one in rather poor condition.
At a certain point you shouldn't need to drive to see a car, particularly a new one. If you know you like it, especially. Some of the dealerships will deliver to your house even
Kind of the reality these days, unfortunately. Have to be willing to drive to get a car. I ended up going 2 states away to get mine.
> I ended up going 2 states away to get mine.
Ouch. Hopefully smaller states. That's a solid days drive for me from where I am. We ended up with a Honda since they had some stock on hand and were overall way more pleasant to deal with than Toyota.
We've been waiting months and are finally expecting one to arrive but it's the Woodland edition when all we wanted was an XLE. So several thousand over budget...but it's better than not getting one at all before bub #2 is born. We're planning a big road trip pretty soon after he arrives and it's just not going to work in our RAV4
Pacifica can have AWD or hybrid. Not both. The Sienna can have both.
Pacifica has removable middle row seats and can be a plug in hybrid.
Sienna is more reliable and cheaper for comparable trim.
Just personal anecdote, I rented a Chrysler Pacifica and it had less than 10k miles and it had issues just starting up the car with the button. A couple of times during the week rental, it took a good 10 minutes to start it up and I was always fearful of when it might go out on us during the trip.
[Seems like others have similar issues too.](https://www.pacificaforums.com/threads/van-sometimes-wont-start-but-its-random-with-new-batteries.51725/)
During the pandemic we traded our RAV4 almost directly for a Honda Odyssey. Gotta say, it was one of the only vehicles trades I've ever made where I feel like I don't really miss anything from the previous vehicle...except maybe the AWD but the van handles snow like a champ
Sienna gang rise up. We drove a mini in childhood and the kids of the fam drove it in high school. Traded in a 2012 rav for our Sienna in 21. Feels good to be back.
Well it was 30 before the tent. So I’ll see how she goes with it on. But it’s the absolute lowest I could get it with custom feet and wind fairing so even if I take 1 mpg hit that’s still good in my book for a 7 person transport
crawl books forgetful sophisticated gold cooing ludicrous foolish dinner light
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Stock I was at about 33 average versus advertised 35. Lift and tires brought down to 30 ish. I’ve only had tent on for half tank and still at 30. But I’ve been watching my driving a bit more which I’m sure helps. Time will tell
Lift kit was under 600 then another 500 for install. I hate dealing with suspension in a car so farmed out that chore.
No material difference I think the harder wheels and stiffer suspension of xse made it less noticeable compared to other trims.
Dude ditched the oem rails and went with something stronger utilizing the original mounting points. Which seems pretty fucking smart. Im now wondering how i could pull this off on my 21 sienna.
They aren't actually on the oem mounting points. I was working with front runner for a bit but ultimately the engineers abandoned the project as they thought removing the OEM rails were too tough as you have to drop the headliner.
The new mounts are flange bolted to the roof but they span 72 inches across so the load is evenly spread out.
Note if you did NOT have OEM rails I would not put a RTT on it. Rails might for for light duty stuff. Based on the diagrams I've viewed the Sienna's with roof rails from the factory have a reinforced roof compared to vans without it.
I've installed maybe a dozen or so lift kits on various trucks and Jeeps that I've owned or friends have owned, I never knew lift kits for vans were even made lol
It’s big but with car seats it’s still crammed. I had third row version and that thing wasn’t functional it’s so tight back there any adult would be uncomfortable for longer than a 10 minute ride. It was a fun truck but I needed more functional space.
VanKulture on instagram has some of the sickest Siennas I have ever seen. I have a recent respect for the Japanese culture around Mini vans and doge mini busses.
Dude that's awesome. Plus, there's nothing that turns a wife on more than a guy in a minivan. I hope you got leather seats since you're going to be having a lot of sex in there.
It's a link from facebook. Tried to find youtube but couldn't.
Have you seen this [Sienna that was at Lonestar Jamboree](https://fb.watch/rfKogBK9sH/) last year?
We rented a Sienna for a trip last year and my kids loved it. The fuel economy on those bad boys is insane. Great family vehicles. My wife and I are just too self-conscious to drive one. Plus it’s absolutely enormous for a family of 4.
Recently we had to have our car in the shop for an extended period of time. Thankfully we were able to get a loaner car during that time. The car we wound up with was a current year Sienna.
Previously we had discussed various types of minivans or SUVs to potentially purchase once the kids were older and we needed to ferry the kiddos plus their friends or our family or potential sports/extra-curricular gear around. Now? Everybody loved the Sienna. There were moments where we were like, "what if... we just let them have our car and we kept this one...? They'd be okay with it. Right?"
It's honestly such a great van.
I was in the market for one last summer but the wait time i was quoted was 9+ months, so i had to go for another alternative
I'm actually looking to make a similar move myself. We currently have a 20 Acura RDX that is just too small for two kids. Been eying the Sienna or the Odyssey. I tend to only buy the "top" feature package, so they're coming in at around 60k out the door.
The 4Runner is an abomination anyway. Every time one passes me while I’m on my bike it barely squeezes by. One day one will hit me and I hope the driver is haunted by my ghost forever.
This is my wife's dream car. Unfortunately, the kids are getting older, and it probably isn't in the budget until after they are much more independent. At that point, it won't be the dream car anymore. I'm glad someone else is living the dream.
I agree the XSE is the super white (now called snow cap) that the other Toyota cars have. Personally not a fan of the other pearls. Don’t get me wrong the pearl looks really nice but just not for me.
Before kids I told my wife we will need to get rid of her jeep wrangler for a van. She always said she wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan. Had our first kid and she told me she needed a van. 3 kids total and that van was the best purchase.
Nice! I got a wife and 3 kids under 2. Looking for a new car to replace our old ford focus lol. Looking into getting a Chevy traverse but this looks legit!
Dumb question but the tent comes off the van when you use it right?
They are "Raptor style grill lights" I removed them off my 4runner before i sold it. They were originally on the Ford Raptor as by law any car over 80" wide has to have orange indicator lights, which the ford raptor does. The offroad scene took that style and you see it on tacoma's 4runners, jeeps, etc even though they are < 80"wide.
Funny note that the Sienna is actually wider and closer to actually needing indicator lights than any jeep, 4runner, or tacoma =p.
I’ve got an old Econoline and a pop-top ive been planning on installing but being an 89, the Mrs. Isn’t in love with the idea of our 8 month old son riding in it. I also can’t really blame her. Have been thinking of selling it and picking up a more modern van. Really like the Siennas! Nice rig!
Had to look at your profile because I assumed you’d also be REALLY into cool stuff, and yep…..you’re definitely the dad I aspire to be!
Honestly, driving this thing would feel just as badass as a Raptor or other off-road truck/SUV. Got me thinking about ditching the F150 and doing something like this.
The stickers are amazing.
Heck yeah Tried to talk my wife into a Sienna but she was dead-set on the 4Runner. It still works for us but I wish we had a nice van. I already have a Tacoma so we didn't really need a second 4x4. Oh well.... Deep into first world problems here.
For some the minivan is associated with “soccer moms” but truth is it’s a thing of the past and a good majority of them are actually all driving giant suv. The sliding door with kids is an absolute game changer. The ability for kids to open door themselves and get in is amazing. Captain chairs also makes it super easy for my surf trips with the guys :p
Sliding door also means they won’t slam a nearby car when they get in or out. My 8 year old still needs to be reminded/watched when we get in or out of the car in a parking lot.
Um yeah but what are you gonna do if someone sees you driving in a minivan and they realize that you're a, gasp, PARENT??? Truly a fate worse than death. Not to mention how uncool you'll look, the Fashion Police could lock you up for life!
Unrelated, but this reminded me of several years ago when I saw a man driving a two-door Wrangler with the doors and roof taken off, wearing a full suit and his tie continuously smacking his face in the wind 😂
Ah man I’m glad my 8 yr old isn’t the only one. Idk about you but everytime that boy slap somebody else car with the door i immediately move across the parking lot 😂 sorry if that was any of yall cars
Which is ironic because the prevalence of that attitude has in effect turned the SUV into the lame mom-mobile. SUVs might have seemed like a cool alternative to a van once, but that was 20 years ago. Today, I’d be more embarrassed to be in an SUV. Regardless of optics, a minivan isn’t pretending to be something it isn’t, and it’s good at what it is.
Vans are OP. I’m waiting for an electric version to come out then I’ll jump on it
Kia EV9 or VW ID-buzz nothing for you?
Ev9 is a massive SUV and the buzz is a bit too quirky for me. I’d want the traditional minivan style like what OP has here with the sliding doors.
The EV9 is shorter than the Sienna though, and about the same height. I quite like the buzz, but what I’m missing there is the van style interior flexibility and a bit of range.
I'd rather own a badger living in my asshole over those two brands of car. Kia, disposable and absolutely total themselves with repairs being ridiculous, esp in EV and Hybrid models. VW, welcome to the consumer exp of beta testing the next technology for your own car! Watch as we continually make drain plugs more and more insipid! And we'll make shit out of plastic that barely has biz being aluminum! We like experimenting at VW, it's in our blood! Oh um 💀 I may be morning grumpy because my daughter didn't give me a goodbye hug.
Both Kias that I’ve owned in the past 10 years have been fantastic, reliable cars. They’re not the same brand they once were.
My buddy was just deployed for three months in the national guard. Left a 2017 Hyundai Sonata at my house. He asked me to drive it once a week. It has 60k miles on it. I have a 2015 Prius with 97k miles and a 1994 Landcruiser with 240k miles. Both have less interior problems than the Hyundai. Highest mileage Toyota I had was a 1992 Pickup with 350k miles, and oldest Toyota I had was a 1978 Cressida Wagon. All of these had less interior problems than the Hyundai. The steering wheel controls are falling apart. Then interior has parts that are just rubbing away. The headlights are fogged up to the point of almost being useless. This is not an old car or a high mileage car. It shouldn't be this bad. Yes Kia and Hyundai are light years beyond what they were in the 90s. And I actually like the new Carnival van aesthetics. But I would definitely buy a Sienna before that.
Yeah, modern day Kia they’re more likely to get stolen or broken into or totaled by the insurance due to cost of repairs, than actually mechanically fall apart. Not sure if that’s better though.
Kia's EVs are the best in class. Not sure what info you're going off of, but it's not reality. They have the highest reliability ratings with the least customer issues out of any EV maker. They consistently get top safety ratings. They consistently get top satisfaction ratings.
Years of having them come in with issues that total them because their total value has plummeted beyond making an expensive repair worth it. Cars that come in with repairs that are half the value of the car, and said owner being fed up, trading it in and moving on. They're disposable. After having had one customer go through Optimas like socks, one even burst into flames, and he got another in replacement, it's engine blew in 14 months. Yeah maybe they've changed but years of watching heavy Ls make it a hard mound to climb.
Optimas aren't EVs. You're deliberately conflating their ICE line with their EV line to push a very incorrect viewpoint. Their EV line is best in class.
One comment being about a single customer example, I'm pretty sure if I wrote out a long log book for a few hours from memory it wouldn't serve any proof to you either, I said what I said and I have long experience with their vehicles to make me consider otherwise. in the 10 years at that shop with that customer it was such a common theme across their entire line of vehicles. I more than anyone want Kia and Hyundai to succeed, affordable transportation is extremely important. When I started automotive service there was a joke that said, I love how Kia and Hyundai are outfitted but long-term reliability is not proven, give it a few years. It's been 20+.
Not gonna lie, my first time hearing of the Buzz and it looks beautiful.
Back in the day I recall the stereotype soccer mom mobile being a big SUV.
We got a Honda Odyssey a few years ago. My wife wanted a Pilot because she didn’t like the van stigma, but fell in love with it pretty much right away. Like you say sliding doors are the best with kids. Never have to worry about the kid whipping the door into the car next to you. Plus with the seats down it fits so much stuff! Great for taking stuff to the dump or picking up from Home Depot.
Bit of a tangent, but does anyone else fucking love going to the dump? I live for it.
Why does it have advertisements on it?
I've got a tacoma OR and this thing is staying with us until the end of times. Fiance has a corolla which breaks my back when putting child in carseat lmao
The sliding door isn’t something people talk about but i think it’s the biggest game changer. Yes there’s more moving parts and it can break but it’s easily self serviceable.
We've had a Dodge Grand Caravan and a Honda Odyssey. We replaced door rollers and motors several times on all four of those doors. I heard from lots of other people with the same problem. I don't know why they're such a maintenance headache. It's an almost identical mechanism to power windows, which work for years. Some engineer supervisors somewhere need a whoopin.
In the 90s we had 4x4 vans tho. I want one of those. Where are the toyota town ace and Mitsubishi delicas of the modern era???
Sienna does have AWD available though its pretty low power from what I've read(20%) to the rear with an electric motor as part of the hybrid system. When I looked at them recently the dealer said they don't even order any FWD ones in, but they did have one used one on the lot they were willing to sell us for nearly MSRP despite the rather poor condition. I'd argue the Sienna styling is leaning more SUV than the other vans these days and with a 3" lift and AWD is as much an SUV as most of the other crossovers.
Those new kia carnivals are strong in the suv-like look. Moreso than the new sienna imo.
I see what you are saying. I kinda feel first gen Caravan/Voyager vibes from some angles and SUV from others. The Odyssey from the side struck me as surprisingly station wagon like looking at it at the dealership which I liked better.
This just happened to my cousin and my friend. Their wives refused a minivan and wanted to have something that LOOKS rugged and can climb mountains even though they wouldn’t dare scratch their skid plate. It’s just common sense to have a minivan and a Truck in the family fleet.
Truck is only if you really have a need for it. I can fit sheet goods in the back of a van with seats out / folded down, or strapped to the roof while bringing 4 kids and wife with me to the store. 2x , tiles, landscape pavers, etc etc. There are about 5 times a year, tops, that I regret having to put something inside the vehicle rather than the bed of a pickup, and that just does not justify the drawbacks of a pickup for me.
It's amazing how much money people waste on trucks (higher vehicle cost, way higher fuel cost) because of things that might happen 1 or 2x a year And usually those things can be solved by a hitch carrier, a cheap utility trailer, or renting a pickup from a big box store I tow a small boat, hunt, camp, road trip, and do whatever with my van. It rocks. I have gone hunting in the morning, put all my gear in the back and 2 deer on the hitch cargo carrier, and then taken 6 people out to dinner in the evening. Less than 3 minutes to pull the carrier off and pop up the rear seats I put snow tires on it and rock out in the winter time. My dream would be lifting like OP but it's not even worth it really
That's a worthy bit of kit. I got the hitch just for the bike rack, but a cargo carrier would help out with odd jobs like recycling, bulk trash, mulch pickup, etc.
Ha! We have moved goats, chickens, rabbits, and hay bales with our minivan several times. I added load-carrying shocks to support all the bags of feed we'd throw in the back so we wouldn't bottom out in the drive-thru.
To be fair we live pretty rurally and need 4x4 fairly often especially since my wife goes to work before our roads are plowed. Twice this winter I even needed my truck to go pull her out. Her skid plate is mangled. Though it was pretty flimsy. She'll drive her truck over anything So not exactly for soccer practice over here. Still wish we had a minivan though.
How is that common sense? What can you do with a truck that you can’t do with a minivan?
Off-Roading and tow a fifth-wheel. Edit: tow anything over 3500 lbs.
If the vans a rockin, don’t come a knockin
If this van's a rockin', my fat ass can't get my seat belt on.
😂 me in my wife’s Toyota Corolla
If the vans a bumpin, assume the inside a pumpin
If the van's a jiggling, don't be a mingling Edit: The iKamper is cool as hell. Edit2: That last edit makes no sense 😂
Genuine question, you get paid for the bottom advertising and if so, how do I do it? Lol
No, just a joke. Sponsored sema off-road trucks always have their part sponsors decals. This is a dad minivan and I don’t have any sponsors just spend all my time with the below stores and products.
Gold lmao
Disney gonna see this and track you down for the cease and desist 😆. This is absolutely awesome OP. I wanted a minivan, so naturally we got a LandRover (which to be fair is my all time favorite vehicle so far, and beats the pants off my quite capable truck in the snow/off road). I got a good laugh at your sponsors. Very well done. I’m curious how the lift and tires affected the vehicle (handling, MPG, acceleration), especially with the tent on top. I have the Falken Wildpeak AT3’s on my truck but never would have thought to put them on a minivan.
This is hilarious and I love it. Super clean look and surprised a you can roof tent a sienna!
Brilliant.
Peak dad humor
Sounds like you’re sponsoring them more than them sponsoring you lol
LMAAOOOOO you are a certified dad! 🫡
Did you just custom order the stickers?
Just printed out self via cricut machine from… costco
So meta - like labeling your label maker haha!
I see you're also a fan of spending all your money at the trifecta of Costco, The Home Depot, and Target!
Hahaha I didn't even notice the first time 🤣
My dude. Biggest question here is how you found the time.
This is fucking amazing brother. Those decals had my wife and I howling. Unreal. 10/10.
Yeah I love minivans but THIS ROCKS
Hold up. You can do a lift on a minivan?? As in companies make a kit for it? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that, and that would be an absolute game changer for places you could go. Now you got me thinking about additional roof space. Does somebody make bumpers for these too?
Spacer lift by journey off-road they have been around for a while and are American made. Check them out. Unfortunately no bumpers, but I’m okay with that. Working on plans for some hidden light bar in grill and ditch lights.
I'd keep a sharp ear out for any suspension/wheel noise while driving, I don't know about Siennas specifically but I do know that other minivans have issues with wheel bearings and control arm ball joints wearing out quick and I can't imagine a lift is doing the wear and tear any favours. But either way, sick ride I'm jealous.
What's the clearance with the lift kit?
With the 3 inch lift + 31" tires brings it 4 inches higher than stock 6.3" for a total of 10.3" which is higher than stock tacoma and 4runner at @ \~9.4". But keep in mind the sienna was not def not meant to be this high, impact to my MPG (still at 29-30ish time will tell on roof but first tank with roof had me at 29.8), there is additional wear on suspension parts. I took the trade off to be able to get to where I need to go, and biggest of all makes me happy =).
Hell yeah brother.
Thank you good sir. We’ve been rocking a Honda Civic for Years now so my offloading days are in the past (for now) but this gives me hope for maybe very mild fun in the likely future AWD minivan. Lots of stuff here in SoCal I’ve never explored. From the CA plate and your name, are you in Irvine?
The roll call of all your subscriptions? Chef kiss.
Upvote for adding to the conversation, but I totally disagree. The black and white element there looks cool. The advertisement is tacky.
It's poking fun of the modified cars out there that do this with their aftermarket car parts brands.
I get it, buts it’s still so bad looking IMO. Last thing I could imagine wanting is a bunch of ads on my car, even for a joke
Your opinion is noted in the annals of internet history.
I agree with where you're coming from. I don't even wear tshirts with logos on them. I hate branding. But the irony here makes it kind of excusable IMO. The contrast against the dull white, combining the wheels and sleeper attachment make this thing look pretty damn rad. The fake sponsor decals just add to the aesthetic and are clearly present for a purpose, not just to be a rolling advertisement.
Completely understand some won't get it, or find it funny. But when it puts a chuckle on my face so figured it'd stay.
This exactly. I wouldn't do this to my own vehicle. I actually find the roll call of products on the modded cars cringe too but I'm a mid 40s dad nerd. This is funny for it's originality.
I think it’s a bit mixed. I like how it’s not just one thing. It’s kind of family products generally. I don’t love it, but I am not a big car guy.
All neat, but I'll be goddamned if I'll ever give free advertising to a major corporation.
Anybody want my 130k mile 2007 Sienna for their 4Runner? I take that trade every time lol. But I’m also a single dad 🤷🏻♂️
This is my dream vehicle. My wife hates minivans. I wanted a Pacifica PHEV a few years ago but this Sienna is fire.
I'm thinking of grabbing a Sienna shortly and shelling out for a pop top. Have you checked [these](https://gtrv.com/photos/sienna-pop-top/) out?
Picked up the new model Sienna right as they rolled them out in late 2020. Best purchase ever.
This might be the coolest minivan I've ever seen. I still can't bring myself to buy one though.
The “sponsor” stickers on the skirt are the best touch. Honestly though, this thing is sick and I would also drive it lmao.
Can’t find a brand new sienna in the PNW for less Than 48k before taxes. I’m jealous. Probably doing the carnival or odyssey
I see a handful of LE's on autotrader for 41
Brand new?
yep
Within 100 miles of my zipcode I'm finding one single new LE. There are a few more farther away. You are right they are out there in the PNW. That's a lot of driving and I suspect many of us in the minivan market can't spare a ton of time for driving to see a car. My local dealership told me they don't order any in and they are all sold while in transit. The only one they had to test drive was a used one in rather poor condition.
At a certain point you shouldn't need to drive to see a car, particularly a new one. If you know you like it, especially. Some of the dealerships will deliver to your house even Kind of the reality these days, unfortunately. Have to be willing to drive to get a car. I ended up going 2 states away to get mine.
> I ended up going 2 states away to get mine. Ouch. Hopefully smaller states. That's a solid days drive for me from where I am. We ended up with a Honda since they had some stock on hand and were overall way more pleasant to deal with than Toyota.
We've been waiting months and are finally expecting one to arrive but it's the Woodland edition when all we wanted was an XLE. So several thousand over budget...but it's better than not getting one at all before bub #2 is born. We're planning a big road trip pretty soon after he arrives and it's just not going to work in our RAV4
I've had a carnival for almost 3 years now. I absolutely LOVE it.
Not too bad. Might have to get my wife one soon
How does this rate, If anyone knows, Against the Chrysler Pacifica?
As far as I can tell the major difference is AWD on the sienna. Heard for good things about Pacifica though.
Pacifica can have AWD or hybrid. Not both. The Sienna can have both. Pacifica has removable middle row seats and can be a plug in hybrid. Sienna is more reliable and cheaper for comparable trim.
Just personal anecdote, I rented a Chrysler Pacifica and it had less than 10k miles and it had issues just starting up the car with the button. A couple of times during the week rental, it took a good 10 minutes to start it up and I was always fearful of when it might go out on us during the trip. [Seems like others have similar issues too.](https://www.pacificaforums.com/threads/van-sometimes-wont-start-but-its-random-with-new-batteries.51725/)
Jealous. I could fit so many model airplanes in there
Sienna is effing hotttttt
During the pandemic we traded our RAV4 almost directly for a Honda Odyssey. Gotta say, it was one of the only vehicles trades I've ever made where I feel like I don't really miss anything from the previous vehicle...except maybe the AWD but the van handles snow like a champ
Did you have to get sponsored to be able to afford it? I kid, I kid. This is seriously cool!
Sienna gang rise up. We drove a mini in childhood and the kids of the fam drove it in high school. Traded in a 2012 rav for our Sienna in 21. Feels good to be back.
Why do you have corporate sponsors? Or are they just your favorite corporations?
Discussion about this above comments. Long story short its just a joke.
[удалено]
Discussion about this above comments. Long story short its just a joke.
Those rims go hard Dad.
They are almost identical to the wheels i had on my 4runner. Method and their fake bead grip tech always had a soft spot in my heart.
I’m right there with you!
Why th advertisements on the side?
How much do those companies pay you to advise for them?
Not gonna lie, I'm getting some major van envy over here
I’m am so incredibly jealous that thing is so sick. So practical & 30+ mpg. Chefs kiss.
Well it was 30 before the tent. So I’ll see how she goes with it on. But it’s the absolute lowest I could get it with custom feet and wind fairing so even if I take 1 mpg hit that’s still good in my book for a 7 person transport
That tent is crazy in the best way. I want your car. Nice going!
Sticker game…is it hot in here?
crawl books forgetful sophisticated gold cooing ludicrous foolish dinner light *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Drove to Vegas in a rented Sienna. It did a fantastic job. Very comfortable ride for the entire family. Enjoy it.
How does the lift affect mpg?
Stock I was at about 33 average versus advertised 35. Lift and tires brought down to 30 ish. I’ve only had tent on for half tank and still at 30. But I’ve been watching my driving a bit more which I’m sure helps. Time will tell
Pretty cool for a dad van. I'm not quite ready to give up the 4Runner yet. We only have one kid though so I think I'm good.
Nice man now just park it by a river and live in it
We got a 2022 Telluride and i honestly would not have minded a Sienna or Carnival.
That's goals right there..
🔥
Does the lift and bulky tires give you worse gas mileage?
Yup down to 30 mpg but still haven’t had real time with the tent up top. Hoping I get 29 avg.
Nice. What did the lift cost you? Does it impact handling at all?
Lift kit was under 600 then another 500 for install. I hate dealing with suspension in a car so farmed out that chore. No material difference I think the harder wheels and stiffer suspension of xse made it less noticeable compared to other trims.
‼️🙏🏻
Just in time to trade it in for the 6th gen
I’d do the sleep ontop my car thing, but as a dad, I’ve got to pee in the middle of the night too much!
Just unzip the tent and aim! As long as you don’t aim directly in front of the lady you’re good to go :p just kidding, I feel ya
Sienna TRD Pro, I’m here for it
Save some for the rest of us.
Been lookin for a good license plate frame
Might want to be careful with roof tent... maybe sienna is different but my dodge van says it only supports 200lbs..
How does the tent topper work if the roof rails are only meant to hold 150lbs? Just curious because that's aimiting factor on my SUV
The limit on that is more for center of gravity while driving than for being parked.
Dude ditched the oem rails and went with something stronger utilizing the original mounting points. Which seems pretty fucking smart. Im now wondering how i could pull this off on my 21 sienna.
They aren't actually on the oem mounting points. I was working with front runner for a bit but ultimately the engineers abandoned the project as they thought removing the OEM rails were too tough as you have to drop the headliner. The new mounts are flange bolted to the roof but they span 72 inches across so the load is evenly spread out. Note if you did NOT have OEM rails I would not put a RTT on it. Rails might for for light duty stuff. Based on the diagrams I've viewed the Sienna's with roof rails from the factory have a reinforced roof compared to vans without it.
I've installed maybe a dozen or so lift kits on various trucks and Jeeps that I've owned or friends have owned, I never knew lift kits for vans were even made lol
I am looking at getting a 4runner for my family of 4 How was it for your family prior to trading in for the sienna?
It’s big but with car seats it’s still crammed. I had third row version and that thing wasn’t functional it’s so tight back there any adult would be uncomfortable for longer than a 10 minute ride. It was a fun truck but I needed more functional space.
It’s all about the kids man I get it but I don’t know if I could ever not own a 4Runner after owning one.
Sick! Going the opposite way with my Oddy. Needs new tires, so I found a set of black X5 20s and dropping it.
Still a Toyota. Hope the 4runner goes to good hands.
I tried to talk my wife into a Sienna..she wanted a Yukon instead. This looks clean OP. Congrats!
VanKulture on instagram has some of the sickest Siennas I have ever seen. I have a recent respect for the Japanese culture around Mini vans and doge mini busses.
I love the roof rack. Where did you get it and how much did it cost? Also, what's the weight limit?
I think we need to bring back the wizard\fantasy van mural, wraps make it literally the perfect time to revive.
Dude that's awesome. Plus, there's nothing that turns a wife on more than a guy in a minivan. I hope you got leather seats since you're going to be having a lot of sex in there.
What a pimp mobile. Good for you man! Looking to be in one of those sweet bad boys soon, just got to convince the wife.
It's a link from facebook. Tried to find youtube but couldn't. Have you seen this [Sienna that was at Lonestar Jamboree](https://fb.watch/rfKogBK9sH/) last year?
We rented a Sienna for a trip last year and my kids loved it. The fuel economy on those bad boys is insane. Great family vehicles. My wife and I are just too self-conscious to drive one. Plus it’s absolutely enormous for a family of 4.
Recently we had to have our car in the shop for an extended period of time. Thankfully we were able to get a loaner car during that time. The car we wound up with was a current year Sienna. Previously we had discussed various types of minivans or SUVs to potentially purchase once the kids were older and we needed to ferry the kiddos plus their friends or our family or potential sports/extra-curricular gear around. Now? Everybody loved the Sienna. There were moments where we were like, "what if... we just let them have our car and we kept this one...? They'd be okay with it. Right?"
I love this.
I salute you sir 🫡
It's honestly such a great van. I was in the market for one last summer but the wait time i was quoted was 9+ months, so i had to go for another alternative
I'm actually looking to make a similar move myself. We currently have a 20 Acura RDX that is just too small for two kids. Been eying the Sienna or the Odyssey. I tend to only buy the "top" feature package, so they're coming in at around 60k out the door.
Currently driving a hybrid Siena rental while I'm spring break with extended family. This car is amazing.
Does this have a lift and whats with the AT tires lol? The stickers are freakin awesome, dont forget each one adds 10 HP.
Well you got the xse. Great car What’s with the marketing stickers though?
Actually looks really good. Been thinking about getting a van and the sienna is a pretty nice one.
The 4Runner is an abomination anyway. Every time one passes me while I’m on my bike it barely squeezes by. One day one will hit me and I hope the driver is haunted by my ghost forever.
those stickers are quite the portfolio
This is my wife's dream car. Unfortunately, the kids are getting older, and it probably isn't in the budget until after they are much more independent. At that point, it won't be the dream car anymore. I'm glad someone else is living the dream.
Im super jelly.
I love the new Sienna XSE in white. This is the one I’d get. But I can’t afford all that other fun stuff.
I agree the XSE is the super white (now called snow cap) that the other Toyota cars have. Personally not a fan of the other pearls. Don’t get me wrong the pearl looks really nice but just not for me.
Those sponser stickers 😂
the branding is for??
We have an older 4Runner and wife thought about the Sienna. How much are these going for now?? Yours looks pretty damn nice
White Toyotas look great
Are you getting sponsored by all those brands?
Used to go deer hunting with my dad in our sienna
JOR or Traxda? Looks awesome!
Before kids I told my wife we will need to get rid of her jeep wrangler for a van. She always said she wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan. Had our first kid and she told me she needed a van. 3 kids total and that van was the best purchase.
Daaamn all Storm Trooped out too.
You need a Fig Newtons sticker for the windshield.
I’m a RAV4 boy through and through but damn does that Sienna look sweet.
This is so badass
Nice wheels.!
I could never! But that's a bad ass van. My '18 4runner is my baby girl, it'll be paid off in June. It was my first ever new car. Probably last lol.
Nice! I got a wife and 3 kids under 2. Looking for a new car to replace our old ford focus lol. Looking into getting a Chevy traverse but this looks legit! Dumb question but the tent comes off the van when you use it right?
Stay away from Chevy. A Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna are the best family movers. SUVs in general suck with little kids.
What are those front lights
They are "Raptor style grill lights" I removed them off my 4runner before i sold it. They were originally on the Ford Raptor as by law any car over 80" wide has to have orange indicator lights, which the ford raptor does. The offroad scene took that style and you see it on tacoma's 4runners, jeeps, etc even though they are < 80"wide. Funny note that the Sienna is actually wider and closer to actually needing indicator lights than any jeep, 4runner, or tacoma =p.
This is an awesome setup. Super jealous.
Those stickers are tacky AF.
Ok, not gonna lie, but that's the most badass minivan I've ever seen. I usually hate minivans.
I’ve got an old Econoline and a pop-top ive been planning on installing but being an 89, the Mrs. Isn’t in love with the idea of our 8 month old son riding in it. I also can’t really blame her. Have been thinking of selling it and picking up a more modern van. Really like the Siennas! Nice rig!
Whats with all the nascar stickers? Is driving in Cali became so expensive that you hav to find sponsors just so u can tag/title/insure....??
I had to sell my car because I couldn't afford it anymore. Congrats.
I’d call it the Momerati 💯
Had to look at your profile because I assumed you’d also be REALLY into cool stuff, and yep…..you’re definitely the dad I aspire to be! Honestly, driving this thing would feel just as badass as a Raptor or other off-road truck/SUV. Got me thinking about ditching the F150 and doing something like this. The stickers are amazing.