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Sleeper Sleeper: Toyota Sienna Campervan Build

Discussion in 'Quitters' Club' started by Boyink, Jan 31, 2021.

  1. Jun 8, 2021
    jzeber

    jzeber Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Morgan Hill, Ca
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    I really like what you have done with your van.
    My wife wanted to look at a Class B motorhome this weekend. These seem to be the latest rage. Pretty much a camper van. We stopped at a RV center near us and looked at a couple. After I saw the price tag and picked myself up off the floor I told her she was crazy. $135,000 + 10% tax. She was ready to talk financing but I told her we needed to talk about it. I finally talked some sense into her and we are back to putting a mattress in our GMC. On top of that I can rent a RV for about $1,800 a week. At the cost of a new Class B we can take 35 or 36 - 1 week vacations.
     
  2. Jun 8, 2021
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Class B's are crazy. Probably more so now. You'd think "small RV = small price" but it's never the case. I think some of it is they can't build them ground-up like a sticks-n-staples RV so they take more labor to create.

    We were able to buy an older Class B for under $10K back in 2017 - but I'll bet that's about impossible now. At any rate - I wrote up our approach to searching at that time:

    How To Buy a Class B Motorhome for Under $10K

    Otherwise you could build something similar to this Toyota for $7K - $8K including the van, and probably sell at a profit when you are done.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2021
    jzeber likes this.
  3. Jun 8, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    When we got back from our family trip to Seattle in her car a few weeks ago, we kicked around the idea of selling the gas-hog land barge RV and getting a small R-pod to pull behind her car. 23mpg > 6mpg. The smallest model has a $17k msrp, and we found one single unit in stock within a day’s driving distance, and it was listed at $32k. :rolleyes: Demand is beyond insane right now.
     
    Boyink likes this.
  4. Jun 8, 2021
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    :shock:

    That's about what we paid for our 34' fifth wheel brand new in 2014.
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  5. Jun 8, 2021
    Snoops

    Snoops Making progress, slow but at least it's forward! 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Idaho
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    RV prices are steep, bet in a couple of years there will be huge bunch of them on the used market. Guessing once everything gets back to normal, folks will start questioning the 20 year loans they took out to buy them.
     
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  6. Jun 8, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    That’s what I keep telling my wife. If we’re going to sell, sell now. Hang onto the cash and buy when the bubble bursts.
     
    Twin2, jzeber, 45es and 3 others like this.
  7. Jun 8, 2021
    jzeber

    jzeber Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Morgan Hill, Ca
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    I'm thinking the same thing. The Class B was interesting since we are not allowed to store a boat, RV or trailer on our property that can "be seen from the street or neighboring property". Darn HOA. I figure a class B is just a van. Still not going to pull the trigger on anything near that expensive.
    A mattress for the GMC is about $300-$400. I think a full will fit pretty easily.
     
    Boyink likes this.
  8. Jun 8, 2021
    Zoomer

    Zoomer eJeeper (walking)

    Minnesota
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    Or
    Will you get the enjoyment value to make up the difference by using what you have between now and then? May be worth keeping and enjoying.
     
  9. Jun 8, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    I think the 5mpg broke my wife. :D

    Sorry for the hijack Mr. Boyink.
     
    Twin2, Snoops and Boyink like this.
  10. Jun 8, 2021
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    'Cause I never did that in the Varg thread...:)
     
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  11. Jun 8, 2021
    hudsonhawk

    hudsonhawk Well-Known Member

    North Texas...
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    With the craze right now, I have seriously considered selling our travel trailer. We bought it used and I could probably get what we paid for it 5 years ago.
     
  12. Jun 8, 2021
    Zoomer

    Zoomer eJeeper (walking)

    Minnesota
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    The sleeper van looks like a great solution for experienced travelers with kids out on their own like you and Ms Boyink!
     
    Boyink likes this.
  13. Jun 8, 2021
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    We bought our ~20' camper feb 2020 for about 10k it's already paid off and worth a lot more now. Neighbors have the same but rear kitchen parked on the street right now with the wd hitch in the yard begging for it all to disappear.

    I'm about to start pulling ours into the drive with the jeep so a fullsize truck can't get to it for the buildings.

    The r pods are a little deceiving. They look super easy to pull but realistically the frontal area is cut by the tow vehicle so most of the sleekness doesn't make much difference and you'll be getting 12mpg with less room and no varg in tow.
     
    Boyink likes this.
  14. Jun 28, 2021
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Haven't done too much on this lately - it's just been too hot.

    I did decide to try modifying the stock console by adding a "topper" to it - really just a hunk of 1/2" plywood for a small flat tabletop/armrest, raised up by 4" 2x4 spacers to be at the right height. It'll probably look a bit butch, but be functional. More on that as I work on it.

    Storage of all the window plugs is an issue too. There are too many to stuff under the mattress. I thought I might be able to store them in a cargo net on the rear hatch under the window, but it all hung down too far when the hatch was open. I wouldn't be able to stand upright under it anymore.

    So I ordered a big storage bag for them and we'll just ditch them under the bed.
     
  15. Jul 5, 2021
    jzeber

    jzeber Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Morgan Hill, Ca
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    Hoping to head to Shaver Lake in Aug to camp in the GMC and I am wondering if you have screens for the windows? Maybe I missed it?
     
  16. Jul 5, 2021
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    No screens yet. It's been too hot to use the van so I haven't done much with it.

    I did find a YT vid where the gal used that plastic yard sign material as framing for screens and I liked that idea.
     
  17. Jul 15, 2021
    jzeber

    jzeber Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Morgan Hill, Ca
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    Sorry for the hijack. Not going all out like Mike but threw this together today for an upcoming trip to Shaver Lake.
    I had a left over 4x6 sheet of plywood and a bunch of 4x4 scraps so I made a sleeping platform. I'm a little under 5'10 now so it should be fine. This took less than 30 minutes.
    Before:
    IMG_20210715_142237499.jpg
    After:
    IMG_20210715_144735383.jpg
     
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  18. Sep 25, 2021
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Finally got around to some window screens today. I have an idea for full-window screens that would mount inside and pretty much stay in place, but I couldn't get the materials for them today.

    So I went with plan "b" - gutter leaf guards. They have a "J" channel edge that allows the window to slip in, then are held in place with force from the window.

    I duct-taped actual window screen to the insides of them.

    With the shape of the van windows I was left with a small trapezoidal spot at the rear, so I just cut the Reflectix to fill that gap. They aren't 100% "bug-tite" but should keep 99% out.



    screen-1.png screen-2.png screen-3.png

    We're headed up to Michigan soon - going to try some travel with working the remote job. Might be too cold to need these but we'll see!
     
  19. Sep 27, 2021
    jzeber

    jzeber Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Morgan Hill, Ca
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    I like those. My wife decided to try a couple "breathable" t shirts for the windows for our upcoming trip next weekend to Moab. The plan is to stop 2 nights on the way to cut up the 16 hours drive.
     
  20. Oct 8, 2021
    Ol Fogie

    Ol Fogie 74 cj5 304, 1943 mb

    Southern...
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    My thinking as well. Just hold on a little while, look at what is happening with the lumber prices now. Just bought the lumber to start my new garage/jeep repair shop this morning, about half the price it was 3 month ago.
     
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