Byron Tomingas and his AWD Hybrid Sienna Off Road CAMPERVan REPORT 2024

2021 Toyota Sienna AWD Hybrid as a Camper Van for mild Off Road Treks
An amazing 600 mile range, crucial for remote multi week treks
More space than an SUV
More clearance than a Tahoe (with a 2" Sienna lift 8.5") and no big nuts hanging down
Flat, easy access floor
Electric drive = LOW RANGE as they are full torque from the start
Heat or A/C automatic all night is okay, the engines runs for short times, then stops. Temperature outside can change all it wants, the car will stay at whatever you set the temp for, nice!
Incredibly tight turning radius
Sliding doors no wind issue
Very quiet, very smooth
Outstanding grip
Gets an average gas mileage of over 30 mpg under the worst conditions and higher otherwise
Summer gas gets 40+ mpg & 650 mile range!!! You can stay remote for weeks!
Sealed undercarriage so it slides over deep snow if you keep the momentum going
Surprising performance passing at 70mph and at initial take off, it bogs though in the middle
2 Ply sidewall tires (put better ones on! The ride will be harsher, suspension more stressed)
Living space is tight with bed & fridge, remember this is camping, not a house. The trade off is that cross winds and city traffic are easy with this, bigger vehicles are like driving a bus in SF, nasty. The small Jeeps can weave through forests, big vehicles have to plow them down.
Rear seats need to be removed, will need a dongle to avoid error messages
Be gentle to the Suspension, it's not made for bashing along
Bed needs slide out if you are tall, I'm not, it's great
The flat panel display in 2021 needs a cable to connect to a Google cell phone.
5000 lb. Vehicle, downhill slick slopes or deep mud could be tricky.
Long like all Vans so deep ditch crossings take a little planning, trailer hitch receiver gets hit
Coasting downhill, the little 4 cylinder engine is used to help slow the 5000 lb vehicle down, noisy
Biggest problem; Hybrids double the amount of systems that could go wrong
Second problem, it's not a lifetime vehicle, hybrid batteries are only guaranteed for 8 years or 100,000 miles
If the Sienna doesn't come with a roof rack from the factory, adding one is a nightmare and very expensive, the airbag system has to be taken apart in the ceiling
Brakes are grabby at low speeds - due to charging system engaging and disengaging,
The brakes also seem to suddenly and alarmingly, free wheel when stopping. Again due to the electric charging system disengaging because the Hybrid battery is full, needs reprogramming.
MODIFICATIONS
• Put a 2" lift on it, that will cost about 2-3 mpg as you lose some of the ground effect efficiency
• Added 200 Watt Solar Panels
• Added AGM Deep Dwell Battery for solar
• Set up USB panel stations for solar power, rear & midway
• Created a bed platform with storage underneath
• Added a freezer/fridge hooked to solar only (it's too high which made the bed too high)
• Integrated the refrigerator into the bed platform
• Added LED interior lights via solar power
• Added Security Camera that emails me
• Added Wifi Hotspot via a solar powered Tablet. Leave the music on when your gone!
• Tow receiver hitch
• Mounted a winch on a tow hitch and run by Solar power
• Single burner camp stove
• Simple camp pot & pan set
• Water Jug, bed pan, empty bottle, bleach
• Inflatable Boat stowed under bed + life jackets, ropes, waterproof backpack etc.
• Summer & Winter backpacks with appropriate clothes & shoes
• Velcro on the flat panel display so I can hang a Tablet on there to watch a movie or navigate
• Full tool kit, shovel & battery powered Sawzall
I grew up in Jackson Hole in the 1950's when all roads were dirt, no snow removal and down to -60 below zero with lots of fire roads in the mountains. Because I was raised without cell phones, GPS, places packed with people, it was essential to take care of everything yourself or perish, no one was coming to help or save you. My vehicles:
1) 1940's Willy's Jeep 4x4
2) 1968 Land Rover 5 door (maintenance schedule of a helicopter, long Axle breakage)
3) 1968 Chevy 1800 V8 cargo Van
4) 1970 Ford Econoline (4 speed manual had the worst gearing I've ever encountered)
5) 1975 Chevy MiniVan (not AWD, easily removed rear seating & flat floor)
6) 1995 Grand Cherokee 4x4 (old fashioned low range engagement, often problematic)
7) 2000 Tahoe Z71 4x4 (outstanding vehicle, engagement of limited slip rear was harsh)
8) 2014 GMC 1800 AWD Passenger Van needs a low range gear set
9) 2021 Toyota Sienna AWD Hybrid Minivan
10) I would like the Sienna with the huge range, but a bigger one
This Sienna AWD Hybrid was my experiment; I liked the range and the quality reputation of Toyota, I wanted the attributes of a Van, Hybrid elec. drive is a good substitute for low range which allows it to crawl up steepness without stressing a torque convertor, very smooth. The worry is overheating the electric drive motors pulling steep hills loaded. ByronsGuitar.com