[wouldbesiennaowner]

I'm just saying 2007 to narrow down the discussion although I would imagine all of the Gen 2s would roughly be the same...but then I don't know that.

1) a bed platform that is low enough to sit upright. Most camper conversions I see on Y'Tub are halfway up between floor and ceiling and that would drive me crazy. On my Element the bed is on the floor and it always was in previous trucks I owned. The bed just stays there. I'm traveling solo and only have myself to be concerned with. That would afford some storage under accessed by a side door.

2) the bed only takes up less than half the width of the interior and as such can stay as a made-up bed, no moving mattresses/cushions/bedding to get ready for sleep time.

3) somehow there's the capability of a work desk opposite the bed with the bed serving as a "couch/chair" while remaining a bed. I do a lot of photography-related work on the road but usually do that in libraries, which in these Covid times can be problematic.

4) full on cooking/kitchen facilities not a priority but 1 through 3 above are

5) I envision a minimalist "kitchen" at the back to be accessed by raising the back door and folding down a table that's built-into a 1-2' deep set of cabinets that house cooking stuff

Currently my only access to the interior in my Element is through the rear. So far (years now) that's been sufficient, as I can't open the side doors from the inside but I have rigged up the rear door(s) so I can open them from the inside, something most Element conversions haven't thought of. I fold down the rear door (tailgate like my trucks had) and that serves as a table, very very handy.

That said, having two side doors as well as a rear door (which I would somehow rig up to be opened from the inside manually) gives me options but complicates things as well. With a bed taking up one side and the "kitchen" in the rear that leaves only one side door for access, which doesn't seem like it would be a problem but, again, what do I know?

I do a lot of work on the road and having an "office" in there is one of the goals. The first van conversion I ever watched was from a 24 hour endurance bike racer who was able to talk his employer into letting him travel while working full time and he pulled it off in an NV2500 conversion. It had everything in it to work full time but his goal was an office which most Y'Tub vids aren't concerned with. Here is that vid:

It could be there just isn't enough room or head space in a Sienna to come close to what he came up with but I just thought I'd ask here if anyone has done a conversion along the lines of my goals. Thanks.

 

[circus]

Where's the list of stuff?

 

[BillG]

I'm just saying 2007 to narrow down the discussion although I would imagine all of the Gen 2s would roughly be the same...but then I don't know that.

1) a bed platform that is low enough to sit upright. Most camper conversions I see on Y'Tub are halfway up between floor and ceiling and that would drive me crazy. On my Element the bed is on the floor and it always was in previous trucks I owned. The bed just stays there. I'm traveling solo and only have myself to be concerned with. That would afford some storage under accessed by a side door.

2) the bed only takes up less than half the width of the interior and as such can stay as a made-up bed, no moving mattresses/cushions/bedding to get ready for sleep time.

3) somehow there's the capability of a work desk opposite the bed with the bed serving as a "couch/chair" while remaining a bed. I do a lot of photography-related work on the road but usually do that in libraries, which in these Covid times can be problematic.

4) full on cooking/kitchen facilities not a priority but 1 through 3 above are

5) I envision a minimalist "kitchen" at the back to be accessed by raising the back door and folding down a table that's built-into a 1-2' deep set of cabinets that house cooking stuff

Currently my only access to the interior in my Element is through the rear. So far (years now) that's been sufficient, as I can't open the side doors from the inside but I have rigged up the rear door(s) so I can open them from the inside, something most Element conversions haven't thought of. I fold down the rear door (tailgate like my trucks had) and that serves as a table, very very handy.

That said, having two side doors as well as a rear door (which I would somehow rig up to be opened from the inside manually) gives me options but complicates things as well. With a bed taking up one side and the "kitchen" in the rear that leaves only one side door for access, which doesn't seem like it would be a problem but, again, what do I know?

I do a lot of work on the road and having an "office" in there is one of the goals. The first van conversion I ever watched was from a 24 hour endurance bike racer who was able to talk his employer into letting him travel while working full time and he pulled it off in an NV2500 conversion. It had everything in it to work full time but his goal was an office which most Y'Tub vids aren't concerned with. Here is that vid:

It could be there just isn't enough room or head space in a Sienna to come close to what he came up with but I just thought I'd ask here if anyone has done a conversion along the lines of my goals. Thanks.

All of this is doable... If it were me, I would remove the far-back seat row, put the bed platform on the floor (supports under the trunk-well) with a pair of hinges on the platform at the back, so you can use the trunk well under the foot of the bed for storage. Your kitchen setup can be on the passenger side in the trunk area, with a cooler/fridge on the floor, kitchen cabinet in the trunk well and prep/cooking surface on top. For a desk, I might consider removing the front passenger seat and building a desk/workstation onto the floor and use the middle-row captain's chair as your seat. If you utilized the front seat tracks on the bottom of the desk, you could actually make it configurable to slide it forward/backward to get a perfectly comfortable fit. Of course, that would eliminate any ability to revert back to a van for re-sale, but that could just be a bonus feature, in my mind.

 

[floridanative]

Yep, totally doable. Get on YouTube and search for minivan camper van. No need to focus on Siennas, as most ideas can be adapted to the Sienna (though I am SO jealous of the middle row stow-n-go seat arrangement of the FCA products). You will get countless ideas.

-Mike

 

[wouldbesiennaowner]

Thanks for both the replies. I have watched many many Y'Tub vids and as I've said, having a working desk/office setup was pretty much the last thing on the van owner's mind. Taking out the passenger front seat I'd never thought of. "Middle row captain's chair", what is that, is that standard?

In my E, my bed is always made which is very handy. I just put stuff from the back into the front area and crawl in. My "kitchen" I have to set up but I can do it with my eyes closed these days, and besides, I don't cook except for coffee in the morning. A foldable table holds my Primus stove, the fold down rear door I set stuff on.

What I don't have in my current setup is the ability to quickly get away from my campsite. I have to move a ton of stuff from the front area to the back to free up being able to drive (about 20 minutes). My hope is that every separate are in a Sienna conversion would be already in place, being able to avoid the 20-30 minute setup for nighttime and 20-30 minute "tear down" in the morning.

 

[wouldbesiennaowner]

If I were to leave the passenger side middle row seat in, does the seat back on the front passenger side fold down flat and clear the seat I would leave in, serving as a de facto desk top as needed?

 

[floridanative]

If I were to leave the passenger side middle row seat in, does the seat back on the front passenger side fold down flat and clear the seat I would leave in, serving as a de facto desk top as needed?

I forget which years/models you are looking at... but only certain trims and/or model years of gen2 Siennas have the fold flat front passenger seat. IIRC, only the ones with manual passenger seat controls will fold flat and I don’t believe any gen3 Siennas have the fold flat front passenger seat (but I could easily be mistaken about that).

There is no clearance issues, the seat back folds flat forwards and covers up the seating portion of the front passenger seat. We have the fold flat front passenger seat in our 2007 LE and it wouldn’t work as a desk as-is but you could probably make an attachment of some sort to make it work well. The reasons I don’t think it would be good as-is are:

1. The seat back is sculpted plastic so isn’t uniformly flat.

2. I don’t think the surface would be tall enough for a desk.

3. No room for your legs and I don’t think you could move the two seats close enough to each other. Between this and #2 you would be hunched over and reaching forward.

But... if you had a flat surface that was mounted to the folded seat and stuck up and backwards from the front seat, you could overcome all 3 issues in one swoop. Something along the lines of mounting coffee table lifting hinges to the back of the front seat.

-Mike

 

[wouldbesiennaowner]

2007, just to pick a Gen 2 year. It seems there's more 2007 for sale in my area than other Gen 2 years. I was thinking "fold flat" meaning backwards so that whatever I have in the front passenger seat stays. That seat in my E is always full of stuff, a necessity given how little interior room I have and the amount of stuff I take on my trips (pared down to a minimum I must say). My E seats fold flat backwards but I never use them that way. Hanging a table of some sort off the back of the seat is an idea. That would work if I indeed did leave the passenger side middle row seat installed. The ergonomics of that setup would be key, though. I know how my desk/table/keyboard all relate to each other in my home office and would need the same in the Sienna )rolleyes: not asking much, right?)

So if I left the passenger side middle row seat installed, hung a table off the passenger side front seat, there's my "office". As it is, I just can't do that in my E. I either have to have a nice day so I can work on my laptop outside which isn't as easy as it sounds, sit in my drivers seat and try to fit my laptop between me and the steering wheel, or, the best option though the most unobtainable given where my work trips take me, in a library. Having an "office" of any doable sort is a main goal in this build.

That leaves the sliding doors on both sides available for ingress/egress. Storage behind the middle row passenger side back to the "kitchen". Some of the tricky math is the distance left over to the driver side back there for a bed for one person. Currently it's at least 32" that's needed in my E (I have a shelf lining the passenger side which takes up about 12", a very handy shelf which is triple stacked with stuff).

I used to build custom houses and am used to having a tape in my hand, measuring things to the 1/4" to see what works. I don't have that option at the moment so I need to pick all of your brains.

 

[adksienna]

On the Gen 2 the front passenger seat can fold over onto itself to create a (somewhat) flat surface. It is more to provide the ability to load longer items in as cargo. Note the picture at this link:

https://www.samarins.com/reviews/img/sienna-2007-cargo-large.jpg

 

[BillG]

Weird. On my 2006, I have never even considered the possibility of folding the passenger seat flat. That feature would be ridiculously handy every time I get dimensional lumber and boards (often), pipe, etc. I always nested it between the front seats at a weird angle resting it on armrests wondering if this will be the load of stuff that shears off a bolt and destroys my van in the most annoying way.

The short answer to all of your questions can be resolved with the fact that the Sienna is basically a massively large (but still efficient, unlike a full-sized van) box. Most camper-minivan conversions have a primary consideration of being transportation for 2 or more people. It means keeping 2 or more seats, which almost always means everything has to be dynamically convertible between van and camper in as little time as possible. In your case, you need a front driver's seat. Everything else is optional.

As for the middle-row configuration, there were, I believe 2 configurations (assuming this wasn't a work/panel version) of the Sienna... 7 passenger and 8 passenger. The 7 passenger version has 2 bucket seats in the front, 2 quick-release (except when you're in a hurry or it's raining. In that case, it gets stuck and requires a lot of swearing) removable bucket seats in the middle row and a bench in the back which can fold down into the trunk-well. The middle-row seats can slide forward and back and the seat back can lean forward or back, giving you an adequately configurable work chair. You could easily hang a desk off of the front passenger seat and optimize the ergonomics for your physiology. Same deal with the bed. You can construct a bed platform which allows you to sit up with comfort and potentially get storage space under the platform. Alternately, you could use a lap desk type of thing in the front passenger seat and use the middle-row seat area for all the stuff you currently store in the front seat area. If you treat the van like a blank slate and configure it to meet your needs, you can get everything you want (and more).

 

[Ronji]

I recommend the kitchen in the front of the van. Why? Do you want to stand outside to cook when it's pouring down rain and leave the back hatch open? How about it's 35 degrees with a 25-40 mile an hour wind? My kitchen only rolls out partway as I needed a space to store skis, otherwise I would have it roll out a full 60" I also don't want to set up a table to drag my stove outside. I can cook inside the van when conditions warrant. A fridge requires an extra battery supply, if you want to rough camp for more than a day or two.

I wanted a bed I could leave up. My wife wanted to be included so that made the single wide bed not much of an option. I also wanted a couch, which threw the design of the bed. I have a couch facing in or out. I mostly only use the in facing couch, outside I use a chair... It takes a few minutes to set up and take down my bed. I can sit upright on the bed/couch and not hit the ceiling. That measurement will depend on your height sitting. That was a deal breaker for me, so I lose storage height under the bed. Oasis camper conversions don't tell you you can't actually sit on their couches without bending over. There are a lot of trade offs to get what you want, mostly.

Here's my solution, it could be improved... I started with a sink in the middle of the kitchen but it wasn't useful for me, so I took it out. (Washing water is in solar shower tube on roof rack. It's a great water faucet that I use all the time.)

This is an '04 gutted to metal behind front seats. It's only a two seater now.

 

[mrhiker]

I agree with everything that has been said. My 2007 LE has a fully manual front passenger seat, so it folds flat. But it's not perfectly flat and level. For a while I used plywood to make it fully level and flat. Now I hang a backseat organizer on it for food/snack storage, and slide it all the way forward when I get to camp.

When I first set up my campervan I tried a cot on one side and left the 1/3rd rear seat set up. I'll attach a picture. This would make it easy to rig a desk and maybe solves your desire for a couch. I've seen people on Youtube who have a plywood platform that fits into the rear cupholders and has a single leg that hinges down, forming their desk.

I second the idea of the kitchen inside. I live in a rainy climate and enjoy cooking inside, fully protected from rain and wind. If I crack a window the steam vents fine.

I quickly abandoned the cot due to the height/head clearance and comfort. I run a full size mattress which is obviously bigger than what you want. But it's super comfortable. I'm 6'2" so I like the extra space. I have a hinged platform that converts the bed into a couch with built-in ottoman so that's an easy workspace if needed.

Here's my current setup in case you're curious (I don't live in the van, it's just for road trip camping adventures):

I highly recommend doing a hard-surface floor. That made a huge difference in terms of comfort, warmth, organization, and easier to clean than carpet.

Have fun tinkering and designing, that's the best part!

 

[wouldbesiennaowner]

mrhiker, I've seen your video, good stuff. If I left the passenger side middle row seat installed, bed on the floor towards the drivers side, how wide of a bed could I put there? In your vid, your priority was a super comfy bed and in my build it's having an office area that's ergonomically right to work in. IOW, sit on the middle row passenger side seat, desktop fashioned somehow on the passenger side front row seatback that I've folded down back (so I can leave stuff on the seat) which would require clearance to the middle row seat for my knees...or hanging a desktop off that seatback. Just picture the relationship between your home office seat/desktop/keyboard to get an idea of what I'm going for.

And, so far as camping in my Element, it's been for 10 day working trips where I don't cook except for making coffee in the morning so an interior cooking area is not a priority. Not having the split rear doors like I have on my E in back (fold down for a working area like any pickup truck, raise window which is half the size of a Sienna liftgate) is kinda restricting, plus the fact people have said that having the rear door raised results in a battery drain that can't be turned off. But:

I envision having a "kitchen" set of cabinets on the passenger side back there where a table can be folded down, held by straps when folded down. No pull out drawers, just cubby holes for storage. Yes indeedy, a design work in progress!

 

[mrhiker]

Ahhh I gotcha, yeah that's a cool idea, using one of the middle seats as your desk chair and then something with the front passenger seat as a desk. I think that definitely could work. The 2nd row seats are on a track, so they can slide forward and backward a few inches, which would be helpful.

In terms of width, my van is an 8 passenger, so the 2nd row is 3 individual seats. I just took a quick measurement of one of the wider (outside) seats for the 2nd row, and it was 19.5-20" wide. The middle seat is buried behind a bunch of stuff so I didn't measure it. It is significantly narrower.

Given that the 2nd row passenger area flairs wider than the 3rd row, due to the two door openings, I would imagine you could have about 30+ inches of width for your bed (with an 8 passenger van).

If you get a 7 passenger van, the 2nd row captain chairs would have arm rests and be wider. I'm not sure on the exact width. I remember looking at a 2010 when I was shopping for mine, and the 2nd row seats seemed huge and luxurious.

If you want to get really carried away you could figure out some sort of adjustable-height computer desk so you can be sitting or kneeling on the floor for a little position variety!

Your kitchen stuff makes sense and would definitely be feasible. I haven't heard of the battery-drain issue, but the longest I've left the back hatch open is probably only a few hours. I also keep the interior lights off at all times using a master on/off switch on the dashboard. Worst-case, if the weather is really bad, you'd have plenty of space to do minor cooking somewhere inside with your setup.

Have you already gone to dealerships and looked at vans? I did a lot of mental designing and it all went out the window when I started sitting in actual vans and playing around with the space and height.

 

[floridanative]

FYI, the front seat folds forwards on top of itself, not backwards, so there is no room for “stuff” on the actual seat when it’s folded. There is room in the front passenger footwell for stuff.

I, personally, have no interest in cooking inside a minivan. Even with one person, it would be too cramped for me and then you have the smells, excess moisture, and heat/fire safety issues. If the weather is too nasty outside to cook, I will eat sandwiches, cheese and crackers, or whatever snacks are around.

-Mike

 

[BillG]

FYI, the front seat folds forwards on top of itself, not backwards, so there is no room for “stuff” on the actual seat when it’s folded. There is room in the front passenger footwell for stuff.

I, personally, have no interest in cooking inside a minivan. Even with one person, it would be too cramped for me and then you have the smells, excess moisture, and heat/fire safety issues. If the weather is too nasty outside to cook, I will eat sandwiches, cheese and crackers, or whatever snacks are around.

-Mike

I agree! Cooking in warm, inclement weather when you can open the downwind window(s) could make it feasible. However, when I'm camping, I'm eating things like bacon and eggs. At campgrounds, I typically set up my cook stove as far away (and downwind) from my van as possible. Although, come to think of it, bacon grease probably makes a decent rust proofing compound.

 

[rangerbentman]

Reviving an old thread vs creating a new one that would point to the old?
Has anyone done any sort of pop up ceiling like a Westfalia design for that extra room we all like to have on a camping trip? In my 1970 VW panel van I had a 13" bluesteel airtight wood stove and it kept me warm as toast through the winter as I took an HEO course . No popup ceiling but a bit more height than the Sienna has . The difference of course was all the rust holes in the van let in the fresh air and the Co3 out and the chimney went straight up through the roof. Wood stove was the loveable dry heat unlike the propane moist heat that the Westfalia is known for.