Why Buy? A Lifted Toyota Sienna AWD Minivan!

I've had my 2004 Toyota Sienna AWD with the Journey's Offroad 3.5in lift kit and BFG AT K02 tires for about 4 years now. Why? WHY!? I discuss why anyone would want to own one of these and make the case that this is the superior overlanding rig to other more popular options. Check out the auction listing for this Sienna over @Cars & Bids : carsandbids.com/auctions/9Xpk...

[@WJMPhotography]

Thanks for this! I purchased a 2022 AWD Toyota Sienna back in April of 2022 and got the Journey's Offroad lift plus Sumo Springs installed soon afterward. The guys at Allen Tire looked at me like I was crazy and admitted that they had never seen a lifted mini van before, LOL. I'm a landscape photographer and I've already put almost 60,000 miles on it up logging roads, snow, etc and it's handled like a champ. I have held on to my Toyota FJ for drives that involve more clearance and traction, but the Sienna has gotten me almost everywhere I need to get to so far. I did a van build and installed a bed, sink, refrigerator and a microwave. I put the spare tire on top and a cargo carrier behind. (The Sumo Springs help with the load on the cargo carrier.) I got the optional 1500w inverter and also have a 1500 w Jackery to run the fridge, etc overnight. I hope to have a van build video up sometime later this Summer. Good to see so many other Sienna lifts in the comments here. :)

[@slavababushka8287]

I am lifting my 1st gen Toyota Sienna. Bought mine at $900, 150,000 miles and turned it into a little camping van. Can hardly wait for my lift.

[@bradprice9268]

Any regrets on the van buying on at about same mileage and price tomorrow

[@jkleem4234]

@@bradprice9268door handles suck but be patient Back window openers break Window regulators will break Suspension needs to be slowly replaced (shocks, control arms etc) Keep an eye on axles Solid ass car just take care of it

[@ValMRogers]

Went through the same thought process a few years ago. Said farewell to my Vanagon (the 2nd VW van after having a Westy for years) and hello to a 2009 fwd Sienna LE for $9K. Bought a foldout bed that is awesome and did a Traxda 2” lift and beefier tires last year. LOVE this thing! The comfort, safety, versatility, convenience, capability, reliability, serviceability, everything you mentioned and more. It’s all excellent. Loved my VW vans & have great memories of those years but I have zero regrets about making the switch. One of the smarter moves I’ve made. Once I find someone to put a pop top on this baby, I’ll have it made!

[@jkls36912]

Just bought 08 sienna. LXE Awd. 150m on it. Paid 6500. Has rear camera, LED headlights installed Google radio. All maintenanced. Brand new good year tires. Everything works. Mint condition interior. Adding slotted rotors n ceramic brakes. For steep hills mountain riding. Happy with the purchase. Now converting it to Rv Vinyl flooring, counter top, storage, power bank, refrigerator freezer, solar, etc,

[@tseshb1176]

What much would new rotors and ceramic brakes cost you?

[@hauk3839]

I had air shocks added with 2 inch journey lift kit and upgraded tires. Drivers like a dream. 2010 t&c and still good on gas

[@jameslee4509]

Where did you get the lifting job done?

[@elenanito8843]

No so reliable motor though

[@alanoliver1816]

Provide a link with pictures of it

[@unclesteff]

I love this! I was a Westie kid and loved that, but a couple decades later, this is such a great, reliable, comfortable, cost-effective solution! Thanks for sharing.

[@kookietherapy9398]

I really like the lift in View. I INTEND to have my 2013 Sienna LIFTED!!! My 1st hour out in my new/used van...I hit a high curb...Ouch! Seems the Biggest Bitch from the last owner...was that it was Too Low. I KNOW !!! I am ready for new tires come Fall 2023, and this is Good Timing ! THANKS!!!

[@Daryl-S]

Great idea! I have had 2 Sienna vans over last 12 years 05 and now 06 and I'm just finally doing my first timing belt/water pump. Other than brakes batteries and tires and wheel bearings... sick reliability. Oh yeah 1 radiator lol! Combined about 500,000 miles. Granted they were just front wheel drive but just add in 4wheel repairs and known issues this is way more practical and entry level then even popular Toyota/Lexus overland vehicles.

[@Dansk55]

Planning to do this with my RX300. Good stuff

[@techevar]

I love it!! It looks bad ass! I'm going to look for one and do the same...

[@axeldominguez329]

My mom has had a 2004 Toyota sienna XLE Limited since 2012 it has 219k miles and its been a great van and its a great van for vacations and really nice, reliable, and comfortable van highly recommend.

[@raywright2401]

I want to do this to the new hybrid for the gas mileage... and yes I know about the hassle of getting the middle seats out but the gas and Toyota reliability is too good to overlook. Will be turning in my work truck Tundra and will be using it as a work truck as well (sheet goods/hauling). Plan on getting full roof rack.

[@martykong3592]

:) NICE Ride indeed! THANKS MUCH for sharing and I would or am considering an AWD Sienna now, after getting rid of my Dodge Caravan ) ALL the BEST and Congrats on sale! Cheers! :)

[@kookietherapy9398]

They call it 'a Dodge' for a reason.

[@skyl4rk]

When I did the vanlife thing for a year, about half the vw vans that I saw were broken down along side the road. I am not joking.

[@riceburner4747]

I just love it! Bad ass'd. Makes a hell of alot raised being AWD. 👍🇺🇸

[@Pnanasnoic]

I like this fella. I am going to subscribe. Even though he is very melodramatic.

[@thomasmielke3052]

Awesome, Man!!!

[@madogblue]

Great review

[@jddiggy2343]

Thinking about something like this with rooftent to make a camper. Maybe even take out the second row get some versatility out of the interior.

[@jameshudson5022]

Great video

[@wacabby]

Great video presentation, btw.

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

Thanks MAAA!

[@davidmartinez5459]

I'm curious if you lost a little gas mileage after the lift and tire change? Great idea! Love it!

[@Kevin93til]

Grew up in the back of a Vanagon, I always loved the idea of a van for daily/off road use. That van was horrifically unreliable, but my dad loved it, it just took so much money to keep it alive. Not to mention the 90 horsepower engine. All the syncros, and jdm stuff is super rad, but for the cost and reliability. I think the Sienna is my next stop.

[@ilovewall.e]

I think you should get a 2007+ for the extra horsepower and timing chain instead of belt

[@amariebfree5326]

I think, after having spent time driving in a VW van, you are 100% right about drivability and modern perks. I've been in a synchro that struggled with hills and highway driving. Most who really want to take a VW off road or do much with it do an engine swap for something like a Subaru. That being said, they do come with the kitchen and bed pop top ect.

[@thevoyager3903]

Just fyi, you can get a pop top kit from Journeys off road for the sienna

[@jakejiden2040]

I think you have to include the biggest issues with lifting a sienna and that’s the cv axles failing. Plan on replacing them 2-3 times over and only the Toyota ones last so it’s fairly expensive.

[@travellerusafromthewest3514]

That’s very true.

[@nynoah]

Has anyone found a solution for extending their length or using different model. I am sure there is a solution.

[@QbanArt]

Thanks. That is what I was wondering based on my previous bad experience lifting a CR-V. The shorter one ( driver's side ) will break no matter what.

[@elenanito8843]

The fact that he didn’t mention it is probably because he hasn’t had that problem. Yet

[@Johnsmith-ec9eq]

Lucky for you, you haven’t experienced transfer case failure yet. It’s the only Achilles heel of these, the Highlander and RX330

[@thegoldengoat2560]

I have an 07 sienna and was thinking about doing this. Would it perform as well as the early models?

[@joserobledo9039]

I love this 😊

[@HoisinPapi]

great vid! damn i wish i saw the FS ad sooner.. i was wondering did the lift and tires affect MPG much?, what kind of real world MPG were you getting on this set up?. liked and subbed

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

Thanks! So I added the lift just after I bought it, so I didn't have a good read on MPG before the kit install. I got a pretty consistent 17.5mpg after the lift though. I once had a 2wd '04 Sienna for a bit and with that van I generally saw about 20-21mpg

[@kookietherapy9398]

@@ThePhotographersGarage I get 19.7 gal p/mile w/o lift. Did you add bigger tires ?

[@aubreygmcghee]

Im curious how has adding the lift affected the ride on the ground? Do you notice any difference in performance or gas mileage? Also how do the all terrain tires ride on the road compared to road tires? Are they noiser or do they ride rougher? Im asking because I have gone from an suv to a minivan and I actuslly love the more sporty low rude of the minivan on the road. I like the idea of being able to aventure off road but ot sure how much I would do so and if its worth giving up any on road performance?

[@chrish6373]

The post-covid car shortage has tripled the used car market here in Canada. The absolute cheapest AWD Sienna within 500kms is $17,200.

[@girthybrowns4489]

Great vid, but having a hard time finding any decent ones (2006-2010) even around $12k, with less than around 130k miles on it.

[@1ZZFE]

This is an awesome car!!!!

[@myworke-mail339]

You can put a pop-top in a Toyota Sienna, but it is not cheep - at least twice the cost of your rig. LOL. There may be more companies that do it now, but I have looked into GTRV in the past. They do weekender type conversions too, but you can just get a pop-top. I would love to know if anyone has one because I am sensitive to smells/chemicals, and would like to know if anyone has had issues with that in a GTRV pop-top. Take care, great video. God bless!!

[@ValMRogers]

GTRV doesn’t pop tops on Gen2 Siennas, only Gen 3 & 4. Bummer.

[@sebastianvillalobos3035]

By any chance do you know what is the old vs new approach angle, break over and departure angle? Also what tire size are you running ?

[@lout1587]

Wonderful video. Thank you. Do you ever tow anything with this rig? I have read that AWD Siennas limit tow capacity to 1,000 pounds, as compared to their non-AWD siblings, which can tow 3,500 pounds.

[@olegk455]

There is no limit on AWD siennas compared to regular one’s. I towed 14’ enclosed trailer with quad and gear for years with ours.

[@bradprice9268]

I'm sold buying an 05 le AWD tomorrow little higher mileage but cheap . thanks for the video now I'm a mini van guy 😂😂

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

Minivan gang rise up!

[@gerrygadget]

There is a company, in Colorado I think, that makes pop-tops for minivans and big vans.

[@kovalenkoihor4325]

Hello. I have the same Sienna AWD and looking for a tutorial to change rear coil springs (mine springs are broken). According to some video on the internet, FWD is quite simple. Just jack up, remove wheels, disconnect rear shocks at the top mounting points and that is it, a little bit of pressure to the subframe and old coils out and new in. For AWD, it looks like not that simple, but I don't understand, how to do it the easiest way. Basically, existanse of rear diff prevents subframe to drop low enough, right? What exactly? I suspect the differential itself is not a problem. Do I need to disconnect cv joints? Both (suspect that only muffler side is the obstacle). Can you give my any tips?

[@walkerskii]

How about availability the Siennas are everywhere good luck finding a VW syncro for sale?!

[@Workingcockers]

Did you lift this vehicle yourself? I am getting ready to buy an 06 Sienna AWD and want to lift it. It looks complicated. Who did your lift?

[@germansiu5092]

Can be possibly done with my sienna 2008 FWD? Lifted + all terrain tired?

[@antigroundhogday]

The 2nd gen was 2003-2009 I think, but in your video you mention the AWD system was a 50/50 split (desireable) in 2004-2006 specifically. For my own education while shopping, did they change the way the AWD system worked mid-generation? Like, do I need to hunt specifically for a 2004-2006 to get that 50/50 split? Congrats on the sale!

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

Yes, so in 2007 they did a mid cycle refresh where they went from the 3.3ltr V6 3MZ engine to the 3.5ltr V6 2GR engine and with that powertrain change came the change in AWD system functionality. NEED to hunt for that earlier system, no really, but there is a bit of an offroad/poor weather only advantage there. Some would argue the later style with the 3.5 V6 is better due to the timing chain set up of that engine and more power.

[@antigroundhogday]

@@ThePhotographersGarage very useful info I hadn't heard elsewhere, TY! Yes, timing chain would be nice...but I had a 2016 RAV4 hybrid rambling around the Southwest for 5 months in 2021 w/ 7.3in of GC and I would like something a little bigger inside, something w/ a little more GC (lift kit), and a little more traction (the hybrid motor in the rear of the 2016 RAV4 hybrid is ~10HP and really only useful for snowy/slippery road conditions). Thanks again!

[@fatrobdouble]

Very interesting info about the different AWD systems over the different years. Do we know exactly when they switched from the "near 50/50" set-up? I know the 3.3l 3mz was used from 2004 thru 2006, with the 3.5l 2gr taking over 2007 until whenever. Was that when they switched? I also know that the Sienna got a "facelift" in 2006, so the 3mx carried over in 2006 with the new bumpers and lights and whatnot. Did they switch the AWD system at the facelift? Some sources online suggest that the entire second generation, 2004-2010, had the 50/50 system. I'm looking to buy one of these turds, but i am far more concerned about the AWD system than I am about the 3.3 vs the 3.5....

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

My understanding is that it changed when the motor changed, but I'm not %100 sure

[@fatrobdouble]

@@ThePhotographersGarage thanks for the reply. I think that would be the most logical time to switch'm up, just in terms of the logistics for a major automaker, right?

[@danielwaite6559]

Have you had any issues with the CV axle?

[@nymincho]

Awesome

[@bryank2098]

We have an 04 and have for a very long time, xlt limited awd, only once did I need to have it pulled out of the snow, we slid off an on ramp and into ice encrusted snow, any waynto disable the traction control? There is just a plate where the traction button is supposed to be at.

[@kettlebellcarnivore-vr5cw]

Pull the abs fuse if you get stuck to disable the traction control?

[@BassRacerx]

No pictures or videos under the vehicle of how this was lifted. is the lift kit a kit from a company or something custom made?

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

So this is the Journeys Offroad 3.5in lift which consists of strut spacers and elongated sway bar end links in the front and subframe and diff mount spacers in the rear.

[@robertbehan9186]

How's the MPG? I may try out this setup. I've got a Chevy Express 3500. I was turning it into my home, but it's got some issues and over 200k miles. I get at best 12 mpg 😢

[@evanm9026]

Siennas get around 23-25 mpg

[@JESUSTORRES-uu4xh]

How much is it to lift a 2006 Toyota sienna 3.3lt

[@LeneMulan-jt2dc]

How much did it cost you yo fo the lift

[@skarrico]

The only thing that makes the vanagon better is that you can lift it higher.

[@R26Roman]

Does it feel top heavy? Also does the kit include everything to keep everything relatively OEM like brake line extensions? Lasty do they offer 2 inch lifts?

[@iamsamjackson]

Traxda does a 2" lift. Much simpler and cheaper. Doesn't require lowering the rear diff like the 3.5"

[@R26Roman]

@@iamsamjackson have you had issues with cv axles not lasting as long?

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

@@R26Roman So I've found it not that top heavy at all, but I'm also running wheel spacers 1" in front and 1.5" in back. The factory 200k mile CVs in the front failed pretty quickly, but the new AM ones I replaced them with have been perfect for the last 30k+ miles.

[@iamsamjackson]

@@R26Roman ​ @ThePhotographersGarage I had both boots fail on the front. Long story short, the aftermarket one that a shop installed did vibrate. I rebooted the original axles ultimately and they are doing well. I would strongly recommend OEM or OE Reman. control arm bushings have been problematic. Moog failed quickly. I would recommend OE for this as well. unfortunately they only sell as an assembly with control arm for $$$

[@lurkn3775]

Tire size??

[@gypsy547]

I believe Subaru uses Toyota AWD tech, not the other way around.

[@georgelam-yoyo4281]

So do you have the tires size by chance please thank you.

[@TheTrace8]

Definitely! The most valuable piece of information which he didn’t give us.

[@georgelam-yoyo4281]

@@TheTrace8 thank you, but I do found it from other guy... its 235/65/17 or 245/65/17

[@suny.8342]

what kind of scissor jack do you use to change a flat tire?

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

Hahaha, you just don't! I should have mounted a high lift jack to the roof.

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

Mount scissor jack on block of wood , lift away. Do at home first to see how big a block of wood!

[@syedjavedahmad9719]

No year mentioned.

[@thegrimmer]

Where are you overlanding around NorCal?

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

Took it out a few spots around Butte Meadows near and in Lassen National Park

[@JS-hd5uy]

If it was the hybrid version, I’d be interested. (Btw, 6 YEARS & only 34K miles?)

[@peterpascone6942]

What about a lifted Honda Odyssey?

[@UAkovalchuk]

Honda doesnt have AWD

[@stephenwells2464]

16:58 next video: “Can my Lifted Toyota Sienna Win the Baja 1000?”

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

"Try this one weird trick! Race event organizers hate him!"

[@Fitness195]

Body lift or suspension lift?

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

So this is the Journeys Offroad 3.5in lift which consists of strut spacers and elongated sway bar end links in the front and subframe and diff mount spacers in the rear.

[@R26Roman]

@@ThePhotographersGarage it doesn't sounds like a body lift but there is no suspension components included so that's kinda weird?

[@Kevin93til]

@@R26Roman not possible to body lift it, it's a unibody.

[@akachigodswill9437]

Any Nigeria mechanic here, for my exact upgrade.

[@billbeck47]

NOTE: An AWD is NOT a 4WD. AWD propels 1 tire per axle, while the 4WD is actually 4 wheels geared together. You can lift a Sienna with Air Bags.

[@TheTrace8]

Not quite right. An all wheel drive system drives all four wheels with the torque of the tire that has the least traction. Certainly there are advantages of locking differentials

[@IAm-fp7sr]

Narrator of this video, please bear with my potential slowness, and answer why are you selling the lifted sienna featured in the video you are glorifying after putting about 60000 miles on it?

[@ThePhotographersGarage]

Fair question! I ended up needing something that I could tow about 5k lbs with, which the Sienna just wasn't up to.

[@drueskillz]

.... This an overland rig bro...

[@juancortez654]

😃👍🏾👍🏾💯💯💯💯💯

[@calvinbostic7237]

No doubt man like your video u just talk to much