Thread 28625223

I plan on living out of it for the foreseeable long-term future. Don't need awd or anything more than the LE model.

Also, should I pay in cash or do financing?

>>28625223 (OP)
Get a used Previa or Sienna (from 1990s to early 2000s) if you are going to live out of the van, because chances are that if you YOLO your money on an expensive car and something happens where it is in the shop overnight, you will be out on the street, rather than having an emergency fund for a hotel room.

>but age and miles
maintenance is key, check it over dot your is and cross your ts too and never skimp on maintenance. The cars are easy enough to wrench on yourself, whereas with the Sienna it is much harder, especially without a scanner.

Sienna is trash, why not get a Carnival?

Nah get one of those Ford Freestars with that Ranger 4.0 V6 engine.

>van life
you should kill yourself, painfully

>>28625257
>why not get a Carnival?
I hadn't even considered that. I heard mixed things regarding Kia vehicles for so long. Are the Carnival's good long-term reliable vans and cheap to maintain?

>>28625223 (OP)
There is a reason people tend to convert proper vans and not these.

>>28625257
He's in a bad enough place to be living in his car, why would you saddle him with a kia?

>>28625223 (OP)
>for van life?
For leisure? XL40 Sienna. Enjoy your hybrid and hook up a 2kw pure sine wave inverter for extra juice.

For necessity? Buying a car will send you upside down in a worse condition. You need a job.

Also, the minivan market is getting really stupid. They're hardly depreciating, or it takes an insane amount of use to get them to drop in value. People are not letting them go if they can help it.

>>28625276
Carnivals are great. It's never going to be perhaps QUITE as cheap as a Toyota, but the Toyota is guaranteed to be a way worse vehicle, that you are only considering because of its reputation, not because it has good features or drives well.

>>28625323
cuz its less shitty than a toyota

>>28625354
>you are only considering because of its reputation, not because it has good features or drives well.
The Sienna monopolizes both AWD and hybrid. Also, everyone wants one because it's a SUV-sized large car that gets the mpg of a compact car. That mpg gain is so large that fleet buyers are buying them new instead of slurping up the used ones.

>>28625362
the hybrid is a tiny old tech nickel battery and the otherwise engine is a crappy gutless slow rough 2.5 NA 4, at least Carnival you get a decent v6
anon said he doesn't want AWD

>>28625365
NiMH is very reliable on cycling, so that's not actually an issue. The I-4 isn't an issue either and is better on maintenance items. When these vans are old as hell, they'll take L-ion or LFP chemistries without issue.

>doesn't want AWD
I think OP should, because minivans burn up their front tires just due to how heavy they are. Having a rear axle assist actually helps with tire wear since all the acceleration load isn't dragging the car forward.

>>28625354
Slow day at the KN dealership? Boss won't let you take the used Stinger out for a joyride again?

>>28625413
>minivans burn up their front tires just due to how heavy they are.
Doesn't just doing regular tire-rotations alleviate this?

>>28625223 (OP)
current generation Sienna cannot have its second row seats removed due to their built in airbags, they are a terrible choice for living/sleeping in.

look into the Carnival or Pacifica instead.

>>28626101
>current generation Sienna cannot have its second row seats removed due to their built in airbags
Cant you just install resistors or something to fool it in to thinking they're there

>>28625223 (OP)
Thinking of starting an airport shuttle company, I see 7 year old Siennas for around $15k. Is there a better vehicle for shuttling people with their luggage?

>>28625223 (OP)
>Minivan
Pathetic.

>>28625413
The issue is not it being reliable the issue is it being heavy and low in charge density so you don't get very far on the battery and once that's rinsed you are stuck with a shitty rough 4 banger vs a smooooooth v6 on the Kia.

>>28626265
>smooooooth v6 on the Kia.
Every engine is "smooooooth" when it stops running. You can't hear a thing! You also can't go anywhere in it, but it's a Kia so you should be used to it not working.

But you already knew that, too bad your boss makes you post here.

>>28625223 (OP)
There's no reason to buy new or finance a vehicle that has basically been the same throughout its history, especially in your case where you say you don't need anything more than an LE. I lived in an 01 Sienna for a couple years, AMA

>>28626095
My tires rotate every time I drive. Is that regular enough?
>>28626138
Yes, an Econoline.

>>28628305
How did you end up living in it? How did you get out of living in your car, if you did?

>>28626125
Yes
But the seat brackets/ rails on the floor stick up about 2 inches, need to drop gas tank to unscrew them. Or just angle grind them off and never have 2 nd row seats again.

>>28625223 (OP)
Buy a hybrid sienna at least
They are nicer for living in

>>28625223 (OP)
A minivan is a terrible van life platform. They're terrible at hauling heavy loads and they aren't that spacious on the inside compared to something like an Express.

>>28625223 (OP)
women prefer a man in stealthmode
you'll get zero pussy living in a sienna

>>28625257
The new carnival is basically a three row crossover esque SUV. Zero headroom, especially with the dual sunroof...
t. Father of three getting a minivan soon

>>28628344
I bought a van specifically for the purpose of living in it. Didn't really know what to do with my life at that point so I just started traveling, but I didn't have the budget for something like a class b or truck camper so started looking at minivans. Decided on a Sienna because of their reliability and also found one in great condition for a good price.
Eventually I went back to working full time while keeping my living situation secret from my employer, and was able to get an apartment after a few months.