WE BOUGHT AN OLD 4x4 TOYOTA CAMPER VAN... from Japan

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In this video we finalize the purchase of our 1995 Toyota Hiace JDM camper van! It's been a lonngg time coming.
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[@margaretmccullough4457]

Dear friend, I don’t know if you’ll ever read this but I thought I would say that I have followed you from the beginning. And forgive me if I sound motherly but I am so proud of you and the way that you conduct yourself. I’ll let you in on a little secret, of all the channels I follow yours is the only one I watch at normal speed, everyone else is double time LOL. My very best heart felt wishes to you. May God bless you and keep you healthy and safe. Margaret

[@ElementLife]

Thank you, Margaret!

[@mathias7777777777777]

Are you single. I think i love you already. ;) you're very gracious with your appraisal and opinion. long live liberty and freedom.

[@G-ra-ha-m]

There's a hiace super custom forum which you can join, and has good advice about these vans and how to keep those 1kzte engines sweet. They are good motors but the cooling needs care, and it will save you a lot of pain to learn how it works and what to look for. There are some campers on the forum too.

[@justgregnow]

I don't want you to go but I want you to come back... That was very beautiful! 😍

[@Smurphenstein]

Sometimes I wonder how you have stayed on the road for all this time. Then I see another drone shot of beautiful scenery and I no longer need to wonder.

[@rainieraine1192]

I think you’ve made the right choice with the Element and Hiace, looking forward to your refurb videos.

[@billyhendoe4170]

Right on. The skylights are awesome.

[@5Ci0N]

I'd rip the leaky windows out and completely redo the seals. It'd be a fair amount of work, but something you'll never have to worry about again.

[@MrJeddurso]

After a long journey and a lot of effort, excited for you, Shannon and the channel. Can’t wait to see the modifications coming.

[@derkong7114]

Just put $10 into a jar per mile driven for repairs and you should be in good shape!

[@AlauriaAB]

I love it so much! I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys do to it to customize it. Love how you get in the car with your sister lol "where's Niko?" no hi how are you (unless it was off camera lol) but it made me laugh. That's how I am when I go visit my daughter. I have to greet the grandpups first!

[@ElementLife]

That was in fact the first thing I said upon entering the car haha

[@garygallagher5978]

Finally driving a camper with the steering wheel on the proper side, the right, only kidding, congratulations and you will now be a natural if you ever come to the UK 🇬🇧. best wishes to you and Shannon.

[@scable-eq7bp]

The drone footage was stunning....

[@grahamambridge2856]

Don't understand.... Was it bought "as seen" ? Surely from a dealer I'd expect leaks and heater to be sorted. I'm sure u have a plan but the sprinter seemed a better bet. Best of luck though.

[@biosfearmag]

Leaky window seals usually mean more rust. At least it did when restoring my old Golf. Cross your fingers..

[@stevenhu202]

could be, but 25 year old rubber could be the culprit as well.

[@biosfearmag]

@@stevenhu202 Yep. I ended up replacing all the seals on my Golf with brand new OEM ones for the entire car after discovering and fixing a little rust. The old seals let water sneak by and settle in-between the rubber and metal, common on windshields. I assume he'll replace all those seals with new ones, assuming they're still available.

[@NoProGoPronto]

Sometimes a bumpy road leads to greater adventures. Good luck on your new journey :-)

[@patdeal754]

Long time watcher, first time commenter...had to tell you how excited I am that you got a Hiace Camper!! In 2019 I bought a 1994 Hiace Super Custom, diesel, 4WD. I went through an exporter--BeForward--as it was way cheaper than using an importer. Like you said earlier it's a bit riskier and I held my breath throughout the whole process. But the van was just as they said, pretty good shape. Had it checked by a local mechanic who works on older cars who also confirmed it was in good shape. It does have a lot of body rust but I knew that. My intent is to convert it to a weekend camper to travel to various bike rides and MTB trails. Haven't started the conversion yet, works great as is, just folding seats down. Corona stopped the bike rides so I didn't use it much in 2020. Am moving from Texas to DC so I will do a more of a temporary build until I see how my life shapes up in 2021. But I really like it! People always comment on how they love the idea of a compact, 4WD van. Can't wait to see how you build yours out. But I have to ask you, the one thing you didn't talk about in your videos is "stealth". The Nissan was pretty steathly, the Hiace not so much at all. It will really stand out. Anywhere I go, somebody is always coming up to me asking about the van. I've mostly stayed at campgrounds or Walmarts. Just curious as to your thoughts about giving up the stealth aspect of your van life.

[@24hourtravellers]

Welcome to the Toyota Campervan clan ❤

[@lutomson3496]

Id bought a US version of this plenty of toyota 4x4 vans and conversions around, the rust in Japan is terrible and you will have a hard time finding parts...I lived in Japan for a few years..ask me how i know

[@doofdoofsf]

I’m unreasonably excited about this van!

[@ElementLife]

Us too!

[@eddiewalker7252]

....could you please find a volkswagon van to do a side by side comparison, the interior looks so much bigger my mind is playing tricks on me. Toyota is the by far the best choice for Overlanding, van life, the greatest reason you will soon realize is that they fit best on mountain roads because of it's width, all other vans get tore up!

[@johnattrill371]

Join the Toyota Hiace Campers group. Lots of knowledge on these Beasts!!!

[@grimuk3817]

Im confused. U gave up a sprinter for that? May be I'm missing something.

[@keithmcdonald2571]

Maybe in the next video you can show the rust repair on the frame.

[@ElementLife]

I have some photos! I could share them at some point in the future. They did an excellent job. We did do an oil undercoat before departing though so there isn't much to see currently.

[@girlmeetsneue6224]

Looking forward to seeing how you transform your Hiace-she's a beauty! My partner and I just put a deposit down on a '95 Hiace "Ltd. Edition Living Saloon 4WD" with the same engine and it's good to hear you enjoy driving it. Hope the leaks are an easy fix.

[@Purplemoons49]

I wish you the best of luck with Hiace and Element. Can’t wait to see build. I have been watching you since first element. The best to the both of you.

[@RonInAVan]

Congratulations Nate on your new Van/project, I found out that on our motorhome anything that runs off the main fuel tank like the generator, if the fuel tank gets down to 1/2 to a 1/4 the generator will not run. Not sure about how your diesel heater works but it’s something to think about. Again congratulations.

[@ElementLife]

Thanks, Ron! That is a good thought, we'll have to keep it in mind for when we get the heater up and running.

[@G-ra-ha-m]

A good point, I think this is deliberate to put the feed higher in the tank to prevent you being stranded!

[@MissionNomadic]

Very nice Hiace, ours has been very good to us and i can think of no more cooler vans.

[@antj9857]

Hi Nate. I had this exact conversion in the UK about 10 years ago. The big water tanks on mine fed through a calorifier to give you hot water for the shower head, but only when the engine is hot and running. Apparently in Japan it is not unusual to leave the engine running on a campsite. You'd get some old fashioned looks here if you tried that! I stripped out the big tanks in favour of more storage and just used a small one under the sink for cold. I found the fridge worked really well but consumed a lot of power. Your 35Ah leisure battery won't last long when the fridge is working.... I loved the van, the engine was bulletproof and never let me down. I used it as my main vehicle and camper but my wife wanted more luxury so I reluctantly sold it in favour of a bigger camper. Wish you a lot of fun with it and look forward to seeing what you do with it! Regards Anthony

[@jeffhayden2737]

Had window problems and got astronomical quotes from RV dealers, It can be a dyi project will take time and effort and lots of good KZbin videos on subject. But will save thousands

[@ericschmidt1987]

Wait there’s no shoulder seat belts? Wth you guys are brave.

[@UrbanVanlife]

Good luck with the van dude . Also check out the glow plug in the heater it’s probably thst . TALKING FROM EXPERIENCE I’m in liverpool uk and we have a lot of them here

[@jacobreigle9176]

im so mad damn youtube did not even show you had videos loaded up :(

[@wtbm123]

Cool. May try and get new window seals , Hard to say but looked like rubber seals , Wonder if universal seal is available . May try someplace like steelerubber.com for window rubber seals . May need to download their catalog , i believe they have cross section views of the seals to help match them up .

[@tylerlehman2302]

This van is so cool!!! I’m excited for you guys!

[@KindCreature1]

That was sure a heart felt comment from Margaret. Mike in Oregon

[@111Freeman]

Shoulda kept the sprinter.

[@MeetSuperDave]

Sprinters are for posers.

[@petermccarthy3046]

sprinters are shite

[@typetwotim]

So happy for you guys , you have inspired me to get busy finishing my US spec 4x4 Hiace custom pop top . After long term ownership of this van I’ve learned to “embrace the suck” waiting for that part that takes so long to ship ,fortunately these van don’t break down that often.

[@mikolj6649]

Mat. You should remove that spare tire because in the summer your going to need and want better air flow through the radiator. Nice vloging as always.

[@torawysteria4372]

200% made the right decision Nate! Can't wait for the van builds!!

[@JUSLUKING]

Congrats the journey begins, can't wait to see ur upgrades

[@zak-a-roo264]

One of the most fun vehicles I ever owned , I miss my old Toyota van!!

[@michellecollins6379]

Congrats you to so happy for ya. 🎉💪😁

[@geebonzo]

I was following Foresty Forest. He had a tiny van and made it work, but it was jammed. He went with another standard height/size, but 4 by 4. The way he laid things out to do exactly what he wanted to do was inspirational. His was not a complicated build, but it was very functional. In the US I've looked at Thor 22e. It seems like a nice camperr, but the bed is half the space, the dinette is horrible, and that's about it. But they cram in the bath, the generator, stuff like that. We can can't get diesels. GM jacks the price of the little turbo in the Colorado. Frankly, the next frontier is electric and it seems much more promising for a smallish van. Good luck. I wish you hadn't said you didn't think this was 'forever' Seems l9ie you need a huge commitment.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Electric is the future. But we're probably 10 years away from being able to buy lightly used vans with decent range. There isn't a single electric van on the planet that's camper suitable yet

[@conradwilliams8302]

Not even a minute into your video and realizing you got a keeper buddy you better hang on to that one!!!

[@conradwilliams8302]

Also thought I might add not talking about the van!

[@craigbetts1586]

now the new adventures start, looking forward to what you have in store for upgrades and then back on the road plus what fixing up the house too

[@MossCottageMarket]

Congratulations on your official purchase. I hope that you and Shannon have lots of memorable adventures in your new van! Blessings, Helen

[@orificium]

AGM battery? But Why?

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Watching your videos always impresses me. Like I know the camera has to be somewhere and someone had to put it there, so whenever you get those cool driving shots outside of the van, I know the set-up-the-camera events added time to your drive and you take the time to do them because that final product is just so cool looking and sweet. And this is something I respect about you as a videographer.

[@ElementLife]

Thank you, Dawn

[@sneakersonfeet9045]

Good luck with the new van Nate! Sorry about the Browns

[@se7encureton]

That van is dope

[@garrycole9187]

I still really love the van even with its problems, but what do you expect from a 20 year old vehicle.

[@aldo9564]

Hiace is a Solid platform ! Keep saying it, but your drone footage and editing are (Superlative) !

[@laurajphillips]

Congratulations! Onward Bound!

[@lindac7146]

Congratulations. I hope this vehicle brings you years if joy.

[@conradwilliams8302]

If you don't happen to speak dog when you said you're not a big fan of the rain are you buddy his response was literally "f*** rain!". 😆

[@jaymercado715]

wow thats 30k??

[@chichimcgee7283]

I think Nate really wants a dog. As a vandweller with a dog - DO IT! They’re pure love, joy and fun!

[@gringo3009]

Terrible advice! But to each their own. (And I love dogs.)

[@chichimcgee7283]

@@gringo3009 explain? Are you a vandweller? I’ve travelled 30k miles with a dog so you better have experience to prove me wrong.

[@gringo3009]

@@chichimcgee7283 I better??? You're too funny. Why can't you handle someone who disagrees with you? I said to each their own. Calm down, pet your dog, it's all going to be o.k. LOL!

[@nnaheim.]

Nah dogs will chew the van up and whinge all day, its like having a perminant toddler around

[@grayeagleswolves]

Hi Nate and Shannon what's goin on Y'all Congratulations on the beautiful van way to go Y'all need to get this van to a window shop they will go through and seal up the leaks

[@Pian_Malaya]

Ya, indeed it's a right choice to opt for a JDM Cars...Reliable and Easy to Fix...some added value...spareparts available almost everywhere globally...👍

[@N8TheSnake]

Nate you are near me if you flying out of SRQ airport. Would love to meet you one day soon if you're game for it. -Nate

[@ct4cf]

Why do I guys keep buying old fashioned PB AGM batteries when 12.8V DUHON LiON alternatives are redials available w/100% storage availability instead of 50%?

[@Junebug136]

Great choice in brand/vehicle. Have spoken to many veteran mechanics and majority say if getting a vehicle get in this order. 1.TOYOTA 2. HONDA 3.NISSAN if desperate and tired of walking or renting. Wondering what year it is and if it has a computer under seat. I think older vehicles that didn't have computers were best. FYI, the van is BADASS!! Well, good luck, van hard and safe.

[@deriusnorris4463]

Very nice Van. Would 35Ah be enough battery capacity for the fridge? We have 2x70ah to run a 5ah draw fridge. (If it is to little then switch the fridge off over night) remember an AGM lead acid battery should only drop down to about 50-60% so if you have 35 ah you can only use 17ah when the battery is not being charged. Enjoy the trip watch your milage not your fuel gauge, maybe take a small Jerry can of fuel for emergency situations. (Don't forget if you run out of fuel the motors fuel system may need priming) Safe travels.

[@wofwof007]

Congrats on the new van! I loved the drone footage of snowy New Hampshire!

[@jungleman4921]

Please tell me,this is a 1995 Hiace 4x4.It has the 1KZ Diesil engine. Ive been told the engines are prone to cracking cyclinder heads mostly after 100.000 KMs and Ive seen on You Tube cracked 1KZ heads. Have you guys had this problem?I think it is caused by a badly designed engine head on this model.They crack between the valves because there is not enough metal there.I was going to buy this model van but Im afraid of this problem.

[@pmichael820]

Nate, I was thinking maybe you should upload to more BitChute, Odysee, etc. / Bring in more donations & exposure $$$.

[@TheGoodTheBadTheRowdy]

Back home in Nura, we closed a few windows off on our old camper for privacy, the rest we got tinted. You have me missing all the little campers and vans from Jpn, NZ, Philippines, Hong Kong :D Wait, what is she getting if shes getting rid of the sprinter? Have a blessed and safe journey!

[@warumnur90210]

I've seen so many camper. This is the best one, absolutely. The organisation of the livingarea is so intelligent. Thank you for the video. I hope you enjoy your bus. Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹

[@kellycampbell8011]

Hey, I’m thinking of getting a HiAce. Curious if you guys have run into any problems sources parts for it, or what are your thoughts in availability of parts, should you need to do work on it? Thx for any knowledge on that!

[@mathias7777777777777]

The steering wheel on this van is not to factory specifications. It's customized. Also how you merged with traffic on the motorway shows that it's customized. It is a four of five stage gear box. I hope it's a five stage otherwise you're going to burn through gas. Remember that Japan is an Island and so the vehicles there are made to commute short distances. I'm guessing it a 1.8 to 2 ltr engine as well. A good around town van, but not so good on long trips. Is it 4 wheel drive? Does it have a tow bar? all things to consider when planning long trips and successful adventures. I just want the very best for you. I wish you all the random success and brilliance that life can throw at you. It's a brave move and it attests to your character and motivation. Just ignore me. You go on and do well in life. Oh and that Margaret McCullough is a real Gem. I don't know her personally. I live in New Zealand. I think she might be Scottish???

[@northeastautoimports5223]

Happy to play a part in the journey! Can't wait to see what you do!

[@CarrieMtn]

Congrats! 1) is that an e nardi steering wheel? It doesn’t look exact- but maybe a different version? 2) the struggle is real when going to drive throughs in a right hand drive vehicle. We had several British cars. Not too bad with a bench seat- but the bucket seats made it so difficult. 3)I can’t wait to see how you make this “yours.”

[@estebancaballero9794]

What a great van Nate, I'm actually looking for something similar. Would you please be so kind as to share the link of the manual you found online, I can't see to find one. Thanks in advance, , happy travels, Steve

[@yourworstnightmare4702]

Congratulations. What year is it and how many miles and how much was it? Toyota is associated with dependability and reliability, unlike American brands,so you don't have much to worry about besides staying on top of the maintenance.

[@dialedinduenorth707]

An auto glass / windshield replacement technician would be your best bet . They specialize in your need with those leaky windows and would be able to fix your problems quickly and permanently

[@agilitysuze]

Congrats!!!!

[@dyerarch]

Most GPS will give you your speed (in MPH).

[@PHN-2024]

So if Nate gets caught Speeding does the Officer write down his Speed in Miles or Kilometers on the Ticket? Also, I see Morgan has his Post-Wedding Beard in full bloom. Bye..

[@5Ci0N]

Miles

[@PHN-2024]

@@5Ci0N What if Nate is caught Speeding while visiting Canada?

[@wtfu812omg]

I Don’t know if I missed anything in past videos I haven’t been exactly devoted to each one but I’m wondering why you went with this fan as opposed to the Nissan you had which kind of seems to have the same pop-up capabilities. Is this van wider and longer or more spacious? Either way it’s a good looking van I’ll give you that and I’d like to know how you feel about driving on the right side of the vehicle and if it’s hard to get acclimated. I’d love to have a van like this for myself currently working on Ford transit connect which is very very small but very very stealth. I live up in the Northeast and in a Town that knows who everybody is so to try to stealth camp is definitely tough and you kind of wanna vehicle that you do not draw any attention to yourself

[@kristannablue]

So handsome

[@vannerdherd]

How kickass! I have bookmarked that import dealer...very very nice ~ Borat!

[@alnolan8574]

Great drone footage from Vermont ! I have a cousin who lives in Franklin ,New Hampshire and love the landscape.

[@12233445566abc]

Your personality seems so tentative. Perhaps you could consider less anticipatory comments.. it’s probably more satisfying for the viewer to just have you report on what you are doing and what you’ve done instead of a whole lot of speculation which is nether here nor there.

[@OutOfOrderMai]

Glad you went the JDM route. Don’t see too many people out there with them so this will be fun and interesting

[@ThisWontEndWell]

Those older type of window seals always deteriorate and leak and then rust out the window frame. You might be able to get custom glass made that just glues on like you would with a side window in a Merc Sprinter.

[@BOARDMAN16456]

*BEEN WATCHING BEFORE U BOUGHT NV200, LISTEN YOUR HIACE ARE REALLY AMAZING CAMPERS, MY UNCLE HAD THE HIACE VAN MENY MOONS BACK AND IT WAS A PURE WORK HORSE, HE WAS A BUILDER SO HE RAN IT INTO THE GROUND, HE ALWAYS SAID ITWAS THE BEST VAN HE EVER HAD AS IT GAVE HIM NO PROBLEMS,, YOU MADE A GREAT MOVE GETTING THAT, AND I KNOW THERE NOT CHEAP, RESPECT FROM GLAS, SCOTLAND*

[@theopinion9452]

I would buy 1 of those in a heart beat but just can't get over the right side steering wheel...Maybe its just my 50 year old brain.

[@suzannetaylor1928]

Congratulations! I am really happy for you! New adventures!

[@Andy91Le]

Looking forward to seeing more!

[@SteveHazel]

35 ah agm? that'll run the fridge maybe half a day, right??

[@CainBuckler]

I imagine it charges when driving

[@SteveHazel]

yeah i guess as long as he's not stoppin for a day :) i'm sure he plans on sellin it to some motorcycle dude or somethin

[@earlblackman7001]

You may have to get new rubber seals for your windows. That battery tray looks big enough to put 2 batteries ?

[@minimalistinlife]

Please buy spares in Japan before you need them. The spares is getting harder to get. Change tires brakes and suspension details.

[@markreynolds3850]

Thanks for sharing this video great information provided thanks.

[@dataglasses]

I drive my 86 Hiace every day, not 4x4 but an auto and done up as a camper, cheers!

[@paulbetka2966]

🤐 ADVENTURE ❗❗❗ NOT A JOURNEY I T ' S AN A D V E N T U R E ✌️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 OOOO 🌊🌊 CRAP LEAKS 😭😭😭 🌊🌊

[@nninja91]

whats up guys i just commented on another one of your videos haha. i live in sarasota and gonna attempt to get the same van.

[@randywilson6869]

I used to have a little sanfu . That was a great little pick up it could haul more than a chev half ton

[@tjoiner1986]

What is insurance like on these things? Any special type or process?

[@veganpotterthevegan]

You should tow the Element everywhere you go. You'll need it. Unless you only drive the van at our normal speeds in Asia... 0-30mph😂. They're also terrible at dealing with salt. You rarely see old ones in Japan. They get sent to SE Asia where they're turned into left hand drive cars. Bound to a life of bumper to bumper traffic, rarely getting shifted past 3rd gear.

[@damilolaakanni]

This one looks like it's an automatic, which is probably rarer than the manuals.

[@adventureswithgnomie6553]

Look at a RV shop or Glass Shop to get them reseal the windows.

[@eccentricdrea]

My mom lives in Bradenton. Love your video and good to see you both. ❤