Gosh, thank you very much! Every question that popped onto my head during the video, you answered right away! The hex size, the weight of the seats, the places to pull. You rock, killer video with exactly the right amount of details. Thank you again
It's so clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much Bruce for your time and effort. It is heavy to lift the 62 and the 52 lb seats for the video to show us. I believe you have to put them back first before shooting video then take the seat off. After all, you have to put those seat back on 😁. It's not just the video, its lot of time. Appreciate that!
Hi, Bruce. Thank you for making this clear, easy to follow, and thorough video. I'm a Girl Scout leader and will be transporting kids to camp in a few weeks. I was preparing for the trip by deep cleaning my trunk. Unfortunately, water spilled and completely soiled the upholstery, creating mold! Your tutorial has been a tremendous help in beginning the remediation process. Again, thanks, Bruce!
So sorry about the mishap in your trunk! I'm glad my video was useful for you in getting the van back to where you needed it. Thanks for writing and sharing your story!
Not sure if anyone else has discovered this trick but you can save the white plastic clips if they pull off of the plastic cover and are not damaged. Leave them in place until you have the seat out of the van and before you fold up the seat. Set the seat on the ground and locate the area of the white plastic clip that was pushed through the metal seat frame. You will notice two protrusions on this side of the white clip. With the narrow part of the needle-nose pliers, squeeze the clip at the location of the two protrusions just above the surface of the metal frame. You can either push the clip back through the metal frame with the pliers or you may have to push on the bottom of the clip with something like a pencil or screw driver. The clip should fall free of the metal frame and not be damaged.
Thank you so much! Did this in under 2 hours this morning, all by myself. Gonna be building my van in the next few days and heading out by the end of the month!
I am impressed! Not sure I can lift these myself. I plan to remove and zip tie and try to sell from the van. Let the buyer lift them! Need to buy a socket so I can measure space to plan build. I remember lifting out the middle seats a few years ago. Very heavy. Sold them on craigslist. I was just happy to get rid of the heavy things.
Took the rear seats out of my 2006 Sienna today. When I went outside this afternoon, it was 92 degrees and the inside of the van was like a furnace. I almost put it off. But because it was so hot, the plastic bolt covers were a little more pliable than usual, and I was able to pry them loose fairly easily without damaging any of the plastic fasteners. Thanks, Bruce, for all the good info.
Thank you so much for this detailed explanation. It went just as you described with exception of the final folding down of the seat hardware. The legs on our 2020 did fold down but the rear section only moved a couple of inches. Therefore, we left the seats unfolded but successfully removed from the Sienna. We appreciate your generous sharing of this method on TH-cam.
I'm really glad the video helped. Odd about your rear legs not folding all the way since they must have folded all the way when they were installed in your van. My guess is something might be obstructing the motion and may be easily remedied.
Bruce, thanks so much for this video. As I commented on your other video, I've been searching for how to do this for some time now. Really appreciate how helpful all your videos are.
Thanks so much!! I am a young woman with a 2017 Sienna and no mechanical experience but was able to get them out easily. Only tough part I couldn't do on my own was yanking off the plastic covers which I had to call in another person to help with. Great tutorial!!
Bruce, I took out the seats today, 7 months after your created this video, on my 2019 Toyota Sienna. Your simple 6-step process worked perfectly. I was able to make one improvement - since you showed the exact position of the plastic screws, I used my small crowbar's curved end to get behind and gently apply leveraged pressure...fortunately no screws were broken in the process. I did run into one problem different from the video instructions. On the last plastic cover removal step as I attempted to pull out left plastic cover it got hung up in the lower left corner behind where it bends from horizontal to vertical. I was able to get past this last obstacle by using the crowbar and gentle leveraged pressure as well. Thanks a million for making my Covid-19 project successful!!
I can’t believe my luck - yours is one of the best minivan camper builds I’ve ever seen and it also happens to be the same make, model, and generation as my new minivan. I’m excited to watch all your videos while I work on my build, and I hope you continue making more great tutorials. Thanks for including all the great detail and explanations. I’ve only just found your channel, but I’d be very interested to see videos showing how to remove the front console (between the seats), and how to remove the 2nd row seat trolleys. Beautiful work, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for commenting, I'm glad you found my channel useful! I'll shoot a video on console removal and get it uploaded soon. I hope you're subscribed so you'll be notified. Regarding removal of the 2nd row trolleys, the tracks they ride in have to be partially removed and it's quite a bit of work, especially on AWD Siennas. I've left mine in for now because I want to be able to put the seats back in occasionally. If I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found is on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623).
Thank you so much for the new video and the link to the trolley/track removal! That was incredibly helpful. I also have a 3rd gen AWD LE, so this is exactly what I needed!
Thank you so much for the dimensions of the interior of your Sienna. I'm a woman somewhere around the same age as you and plan on doing my own build as soon as I find the right Sienna for me. I have always done my own home renovations, know how to handle power tools well, and have some schooling in interior design, so I think I can handle it all myself. However, having the dimensions is key to laying it all out correctly, so I appreciate that as well as seeing all that you did in your Sienna. I'm not that educated on the Solar set up but I'm learning. I don't think I could build the same electrical system you built, but I will give it my best shot along with some help from family on that. Thank you again for sharing with us and being so detailed in your explanations. We all appreciate that!
For anyone interested, I found a buyer for my middle and rear seats in five days on Craigslist. Also, Bruce's instructions for and commentary about removing the rear seats each were spot on. Took about 15 minutes, one broken clip, three left behind (tightly) in the metal brackets.
Just purchased a 2011 very used Sienna and want my 2nd and 3rd rows out to make a home. I'm 75 and disabled so can't do it myself but I can use your video to show someone else how. Thanks so much. ❤
Hey Bruce, I dont remember if I told you, but my husband and I bought a Toyota sienna in March, right before the virus hit, sad luck. Anyway, we took out the 2nd row seats, and just folded down the 3d. My husband had no idea how much he'd end up liking it. Were 62 & 67 respectively, and we've only been able to camp once, but what this van has been, a real game changer. Were going again only further in northern Minnesota, I wish we could travel further, but until they find a cure, well stay in our home state. Were careful to bring all of our own food and we have 3 containers for water 5 -7 gallons each. Sorry so long winded, just excited I guess, I've been so antsy, I retired just last fall, and want to be out! I want to thank you so much for your videos, they've been the most helpful, we both love the toyota sienna it's great for camping, but we still use our tent! Thank you, hope you and your wife are able to get out there in nature too!
SO nice of you to send your update. Congratulations on your retirement, Sienna, and exploratory campervanning experience so far. My wife and I are 62 and retired as well. Sounds like you're already getting a sense for the freedom of traveling self-contained and being able to hit the road without prebooking much of anything. Minivans are also pretty simple and economical, compared to the bigger and more complicated rigs. Perfect for the occasional roadtrip.
@@BruceParks I'll say, it's always packed, just have to add coolers and water containers. I absolutely love the Toyota, and am very happy to have run into your TH-cam site. Finally ready, willing and able!
It was very kind of you to show us how to take out the seats. They look quite heavy, so I can see that it's beneficial to remove them to allow the weight for the camper build! If you have the time, would you please give us the measurements of the floor plan when empty? I'm looking to buy a Sienna of about the same age, and am trying to come up with a layout which fits my needs. That way, I can be ready to build as soon as I find the vehicle. Having the width & length up to the back of the front seats would sure help along with the height there and in the back! And again, thanks for being so helpful. Letting us know the clips will no doubt break will be a stress reliever, when it happens. LOL Thanks!
The floor is a 8’ long and the width at the narrowest point (between the rear wheels) is about 49”. They designed it so it could handle standard full-size (4’x8’) sheets of plywood or drywall. The height is about 48” in most of the cabin.
This is great, thanks VERY much. I've got a 2017 Sienna, and the plastic covers are a little different, but this guide made it easy to figure out and gave me the confidence to go for it. Now we've got a great storage place for a large tent and a couple of cots
Thanks for making this. Note that on my 2024 Sienna (still Gen 4), there's a slight assembly/manufacturing change, and I had to remove both of the upper (vertical) bolts, not just one of them as you show. Otherwise, everything was as easy as you show! Thanks again!
So grateful to have found your very informative & detailed video ...Especially thankful for your speaking to the weight on these two seats. I am a short 5 foot 2 125 lb 75 year old and knew I would need help for this 😂 I am at the exploration phase of deciding to outfit my sienna for traveling or move up to a class B van. Removing these seats would be critical for additional storage Thank you for taking your time to share your knowledge and the video quality is good
Thanks very much. I purchased a used van with engine and transmission in great condition but the inside had bad smells coming from monsters under the carpet. Your video an others helped me clean it up. Much appreciated.
Thank you so much for explaining insome detail how to remove the 3rd row seats in the Siena. I have a Sienna and am looking to to do just the same thing. I am curious how did you in activate the electronic seat sensors,etc. Thanks 😊
thank you so much for this! we never use the third row seating and now that I'm considering making my van into a camper van, this will give me so much space!
@@BruceParks Yes this is exactly what I was thinking as well. By removing the third row seating, which I never use anymore, it opens up that cavernous storage. I already had to break the plastic tabs on those hinge covers because we had an entire pot of beans spill back there one year and I had to get bean juice out of the carpet. 🤣 I do not recommend spilling beans in your vehicle, LOL!
Thanks for the video, Bruce. It was helpful, clear and well filmed. With your help we've created a great cargo/storage space. Now I'm working on a design for a hinged, lockable cover. I have a dealer supplied tri=fold rubber mat I'm using for a template. If you have an ideas...
I’m glad I was able to help. I once made a cover for the well in an earlier Sienna. You can build a partial box that bolts to the anchor points in the well and then the hinges and locking hardware for the lid are securely mounted to the structural box. Easy to make it strong enough to stand on and you can then add hooks and hold downs inside the box for keeping things organized.
I am not sure if anyone has commented on this or not: RE: detaching the seatbelt from the larger bench. The seatbelt that is attached to the larger of the two sections of the 3rd-row seating has a small red release. Pushing that red release will detach the seatbelt from that bench seat. The belt will then recoil into the ceiling and there are two slots to secure the belt at the ceiling. (I have photos but cannot seem to attach them here.)
Thanks. Your video gave the idea for removing a 3rd row seat. I am going to try to remove 3rd row seats from my 2011 Rav4. I just opened it for used just two time when my grand son visited us.
Hey Bruce, thanks for the video, but I would like to inform you that those clips are easy to remove from the sheet metal holes. Of course, they were hard at first, but I figured how to get them out without breaking them. You just need to press on both sides of the bottom side of the clips, as they press in. Do this while lifting up on the top side, and they will pop right out. I hope this helps.
Thanks for the clip info. Unfortunately, the clips I encountered were different and didn’t have the compressible sides. They were held in place with thin fins that are flat against the backside of the metal and they became brittle over time so attempts to get them out just cracked them. There are other locations in the van that have the clips like you described and maybe Toyota changed the seat trim cover clips to that kind later in. Mine is a 2011.
Great video. Thanks for showing how I can get rid of 110 lbs that I'll never use. It looks easy when you do it. Lets see what happens when I wrestle with my 2020 Sienna. :D
Thank you so much!!!! I just bought a 2011 and didn’t realize that there was only one anchor (middle) in the third row for car seats. Didn’t want to spend another $3000 for a 2015. Will have to look at a junkyard for the single seat in a 2015 and up so it has an anchor.
You convinced me to not remove the seats to help to clean up vomit. In my previous van, the back seats could just pop out, without removing any hardware.
somehow I can't get the hardware to spring back up. it is stuck without the use of zip ties but for the life of me I cant get the hardware to spring back up to attach the screws
I don’t have the seats in front of me but from memory, the spring action comes from the little gas springs mounted in the seat bracketry. So unless there’s something else that the bracketry is hanging up on, maybe the gas springs have collapsed/failed.
Bruce, you have explained the process so very well. I have a problem with the backrest of the 3rd row double seat. It does not stay locked. I am suspecting the gear's teeth are not latching. I am not sure if I need to take the seat out to access the gear and locking mechanism. Do you have any suggestions ? Appreciate it.
The mechanical components that are used to latch the backrest are mostly visible underneath the bottom seat cushion but unfortunately you’d have to unbolt the seat and flip it upside down to clearly see the components. I wish you well in fixing it.
Hi Bruce, Really looking forward to seeing Sienna progress~! Really impressed by your top notch work every corner. Enjoying very much! Also subscribed.
Thank you. I was looking for the weight of these seats. I will remove them for our long family road trip (8000km) just to reduce the weight and rear end sag. I have also installed SumoSpring in the rear spring and that helped the rear sagging problem.
@@BruceParks Yes, I like it. Before with all the camping gears and 3 bikes on the hitch, lifted front end caused loss of front wheel traction and didn't feel safe. I didn't measure the before and after wheel well gaps but it is noticeably more balanced. I also prefer slightly added stiffness when unladen.
I'm not sure if you are interested in the length from the back of the front seats to the front or rear of the trunk so I'll give you all of the lengths. The length from the back of the front seats to the rear of the trunk is 96" (8'). The length of the trunk itself is 27" so the length from the back of the front seats to the front of the trunk is 69". Let me know if you are interested in other dimensions.
Thank you for the great video, Bruce. I just bought a used 2012 Sienna Limited, and the driver’s side third row seat will not sit flat. Any idea what the issue might be?
Thanks Bruce. Because of your fine presentation on Making A Sienna camp i went and did it. Bought a 2017 and pulled the seats today. Doing it a bit different as i'm single but your electrics will give me options. The floor goes in tomorrow ... hopefully. National Parks are my destination and the there is British Columbia. rob of New Hampshire
@@BruceParks Ok ... I'm game. I won't hesitate to ask all the dumb questions. I 'm doin the floor today, but i'm 'ah thinkin (ouch) abouts the electrics. How to phase up in steps by starting with a battery, charger, monitor and , and ??? We'll be 'talkin as i gets' into it deeper. Right now, after the floor it's the bed! Many thoughts ... all good! Thanks, rob.
Hi Bruce, I would like to ad hard flooring over the floor in the middle area to make it easier to keep the floor clean. I was wondering if you were able to pull out the rollers that glide on the tracks for the middle row seats. Can you, or anyone else, tell me how you removed them? 😊
Hi Allison, the "trolleys" are quite a bit of work to remove. I've left mine in for now but if I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Good luck!
Thank you Bruce. My wife is going to walk the Appalachian Trail next March and I am going to follow along and help her. We have a 2012 Toyota van and going to try and put a bed in it. Why do you take the 3rd row seats out? Can I leave them in and still put a bed in?
@Mark Nelson Yes, many people use their minivans as campers with the third row still installed, just folded down. The main reasons for removing it are for the extra space (obviously), to reduce weight (more than 100 lbs), and they aren't considered necessary for the way they want to use the vehicle.
I followed your excellent instructions and removed (well, almost removed) the two 3rd row seats from my Sienna. The larger of the two has a seat belt attached to it. The belt retracts into the roof. Any ideas about removing the belt from the seat so the seat can be completely removed from the van and then what to do with the belt hanging out of the ceiling?
I'm not sure how to help, as I've forgotten if I took any extra steps with seatbelts when I originally removed the seats. My third row seatbelts are still in the vehicle. The two on the sides are out of the way and the middle one tucks into a ceiling pocket and is completely out of the way.
I have 2013 sienna 7-passenger limited edition with 2nd row reclining seats. Do u know if the 2nd row seats can be turned around and face the rear. I remember my friend used to have Previa and the captain seats were able to be turned around. Toyota discontinued that model and sienna replaced it
What an interesting idea. I don’t know the answer. I don’t have ready access to my 2nd row seats (they’re stored remotely) so I can’t test the idea. Can you give it a try?
Hi Bruce, do you have a video on how to remove the hardware for the middle seats once you remove them? I noticed they are still in the floor in this video, but I would like to take mine out for a smoother surface. Haven't had any luck finding a tutorial. Thanks!
Hi Melanie, those "trolleys" are quite a bit of work to remove. I've left mine in for now but if I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Good luck!
I am about to upgrade my Sienna camper from a 2006 to 2012, and the 2012 has those ridiculous rails for the second row seats. I know how to remove the seats, but am hoping you have a video I just cannot find for removing the rails. I want to lay a level subfloor. Do you have a video for them? (Thanks for this video, btw! Can't wait to get started.)
I've left my tracks and trolleys in place for occasional use. But the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Hope this is useful. Good luck with your build!
Thanks for making this video. My seat (40 side) wouldn’t come up for seating after my kids moved into their college dorm. I took it out and I think that the middle arm is bent. Do you have a close-up picture of the underside of the seat.
@@BruceParks That is very helpful thanks. The middle bar in the picture seems straight. Mine has a significant bow which doesn't allow the front feet to clear the carpet and lock into place.
I removed our 3rd row seats mainly to open up the space for our Campervan conversion. It's covered up by the bed platform that sits 9" above the whole back floor. If you wanted to build a cover flush with the van floor, you can build a flat picture frame around the opening of the well and attach a hinged lid to it. Support the picture frame with legs that reach down to the floor of the well. Use steel brackets to secure the legs to the threaded posts that the seats were originally bolted to. Just one idea of many...
Great videos! I have a question. Did you remove the tracks for the 2 nd row seats. I’m turning mine into work van, need a flat floor. The tracks are in the way to get a low floor/ plywood.
I've left my tracks and trolleys in because I still use them when I pull the camper parts out. If I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found for removal is on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623).
Thanks for the video, Bruce. It is clear and informative. However, I have a 2015 Sienna limited and the seats are electric. Do you have any advice about how to best disconnect the electrical aspect of the seats. Also, is unhooking the seat belt attachments pretty self-explanatory when I get into it or is it a challenge, as well? Thanks!
I wish I had a higher trim level like your Limited on hand to understand the differences. Electrical connectors should be easily reached for service technicians to access (and for you to disconnect); maybe they are hidden under the plastic covers or under the seat cushions (which are open so if you look from below you should be able to see all the guts under the bottom cushions). I don't recall anything special about the seatbelt anchors - they were part of the seat frame on mine.
I’ve looked and found nothing already made to fit. It would be quite difficult to do. The center console would have to be gone, the seat back would have to go vertical (not possible without modifying the internal seat frame) and the seat would have to slide away from the door in order to have enough space to rotate and clear the door and door pillar.
looking around I've come across "offset" swivels. I wonder if something like that would work, thanks for the info. Why an Offset Swivel Seat? | TRC Van Conversion
@@nestogonzo1 The offset swivel looks like a good idea. Note, swivel bases are readily available for cargo vans, which have a lot more space for swiveling and, more importantly, have seats that are already mounted to a raised base. This makes adding an adapter plate like these swivel bases possible. In a minivan like the Sienna, the seats are mounted directly to the floor, and the floor has bumps, contours, and components in the way to make adding a swivel plate difficult without raising the seat upwards a ways. Thanks for sharing the video suggestion.
Awesome Bruce! I just bought a 2017 Limited and the 3rd row seats are powered. I just push a button to retract them. I want to remove them to make room for van camping. Any additional guidance? There must to power going to motors somewhere. Thanks for your help.
I haven’t looked at the powered seats so I’m afraid I can’t offer direct experience but someone earlier had that situation and commented most of the steps I showed in the video are still valid and the additional steps associated with the motorized parts weren’t too difficult to figure out. That’s all I’ve got for you. Good luck!
Great video, thanks! Do you have a video how to remove the “rails” for the removal of the second row seats to where there is an option of putting the seats back in for passengers? Debating what year Sienna to get based on those rails. Thanks Bruce!
Good question. I think there's a dearth of videos on rail/trolley removal in the gen3 (2011-2020) Siennas because it's such a difficult job. I've left mine in for now but if I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Separately, I came across this description for gen3 AWD models: ”The two outer rails can be removed from above. The passenger side inner rail has (4) T50 bolts you can get to from underneath. The driver side inner requires dropping the gas tank to remove the bolts. I was able to slide the trolley off the back of the rail and just leave the rail in the floor.”
Just saw the video about removing the 3rd row seats. I am planning on buying a 2021 Sienna and removing the seats. My question is when you take the bolts out, are there any exposed holes to the outside? Thank you.
I’d say no. I’ve removed third row seats from gen2 and gen3 Siennas and always found the hardware to be protected from the elements. No reason to expect Toyota would have moved away from that thoughtful design philosophy.
The rear well has a bunch of little weird bumps and curves but overall it is approx 46" wide x 26" long (front to rear) x 10" deep at the front. The floor tapers upwards front to rear so near the rear hatch, it's closer to 8" deep.
I just purchased a 2014 Sienna van and I'm going to be removing all the back seats. Did you make some sort of the cover to go on top of the far back seat storage area?
I converted my Sienna into a camper. You can get an idea of some of the components I have in the rear storage area here: th-cam.com/video/QFyhzl-_-EU/w-d-xo.html
@@bennybaskets9414 Yes, in the description: "In the video, I mention a retainer clip that will need to be replaced. It is Toyota Part Number 71769-08010. They were $2.09 each at my Toyota dealer."
We just purchased a 2018 Sienna Limited. The back row seats are electric. Do you know if it’s easy to take them out? Have you heard anything regarding the electronics/wiring involved can be unplugged?
I don't have any first hand experience with the electric versions. It's unlikely there'd be issues with you unplugging their harnesses. It's risk-free to try it. If you can reach the harness connection without too much effort, just unplug it and see what happens.
Hello Mr. Parks. Perhaps I'm not searching correctly. Any chance you have a video of reinstalling those two rear seats? I'm considering removing/reinstalling when necessary but, watching your removals, it looks like the replacement process might be difficult / cumbersome / aggravating. Thanks!
Sorry, I haven’t uploaded a video on seat installation. But the process isn’t that hard. In fact I pulled my seats out of storage and installed them in my van just to shoot the removal video. There are no tricks, just a little wiggling around. Nothing to worry about in my opinion.
What do you do with the bolts after removing the seats? Can they be placed back in their spots? I'm considering removing our third row in our 2016 XLE for additional storage on long road trips. I don't want to misplace the hardware. :)
I think the collapsible space-savers (that need to be inflated) will fit without an issue but the skinny space-savers (that are already inflated) will not. Just be forewarned that if it's a Sienna AWD, the outer diameter of the spare tire needs to match the other tires on the van in order to not damage the viscous coupling unit on the rear differential.
Thanks a lot for this Bruce! I have the same van, but with the Limited trim package. This means the 3rd row seat is raised and lowered with an electric motor. Any experience removing these?
@@BruceParks I just finished taking them out of the 2015 Limited I got a couple days ago. I had to feel my way through a couple of things, but without your video, I would never have started or finished. Thanks. Don't know how much of the rest of what you did I will attempt...certainly not a bunch. But again, thank you so for your videos and the links.
Does anyone here know if I could change out my 2013 third row seat for a 2015 or newer? I NEED the 2nd LATCH system to put 2 toddlers in the back and The sienna took away 1 of the latch systems from 2011-2014 and we didn't realize until I got pregnant with our 4th that will be in a carseat😅
Just a quick question, once you remove the hardware and take the seats out, are there holes left in the body of the vehicle exposed to the outside world? Wondering if I will need to purchase auto body plugs or something once I permanently remove mine. Thanks!!
Do you have some sort of propane stored in the van? Isn’t that dangerous in summer heat while you are parked and away from van? Can you tell me about your experience with this issue?
We travel with a small Coleman butane camp stove (amzn.to/2CCam6p). It's designed to be safe when stored in a vehicle. We could even use it inside the van but prefer to use it outside.
Thanks. I wonder if my stow and go seats in the floor of our Chrysler town and country are similar. Would you think you could sell your seats? Or are you keeping them in case you want to resale your van?
I definitely am keeping my third rows seats for reinstallation when I sell the van. My camper build is completely reversible with no evidence it was ever installed so I imagine someday, I'd sell the camper components separately and reinstall 2nd and 3rd row seats.
I have a 2013 toyota se is it possible to take the 3rd row seat out i need more room to be able to get my electric wheel chair in its a handicap van 2 row is already out
How to repair the tape that locks the backrest of the third row, because my seat no longer locks in the backrest and nobody can tell me how or where the rear part of the seat is disassembled to repair the tape
I love your videos! Super helpful. Do you find that the covers rattle around now that they’re not attached by clips, or are they ever dislodged when you put cargo in the well when the seats are up and the covers are exposed?
I leave the 3rd row seats out all the time. I only put them back in to make the video. If I did want to reinstall and use them for awhile, I would put new clips into the covers and pop the covers back into place. The clips are cheap, $2 each.
The process is similar. Someone with power seats let me know awhile ago that the video helped them get going and they figured out how to deal with the things unique to their model. My view it’s unlikely you can permanently damage anything other than those pesky retainer clips.
Hey how’s it going thanks for all your help I have another question I’m trying to get a solar kit and I need to know on my AGM Considered gel flooded or sealed
Bruce Parks thank you also do you have a link to the Renogy 100 watt kit not the mppt the other controller I think it’s pen or something I’m going to run a laptop a tv and a 0.09 amp portable evaporative cooler would that controller be ok I can’t afford the one with the mppt unless u can recommend a cheap one with mppt if u do I would be happy to order it from your link
@@unseenhero7498 If you are using a 100 watt solar panel, then you can use this Renogy 10A PWM controller to charge your battery: amzn.to/32H2AS0. If you are looking for the entire kit (100 watt solar panel, 10 amp controller, wiring and mounting brackets), use this link: amzn.to/2Geyeib
@@unseenhero7498 In general, your solar panel isn't going to charge much at all in the shade, regardless of MPPT or PWM. You might want to get a DC-DC Charger that will charge your house battery from your alternator when you drive. There are different sizes, this is a smaller one, 20A, by Renogy: amzn.to/3hXTrLn. Otherwise, you might have to get a small generator to charge your house battery if you are in the shade and not driving.
Thanks so much! Especially love that you weighed them. Helps with planning. How deep is the well? Minus zero degrees and very windy in my driveway this weekend.
It's cold and snowy here but I went out and measured the well in my 2011 model. It averages 9" deep. It's sloped deeper towards the front so it's around 8" deep nearest to the hatch and around 10" deep towards the front. Your 2004 should be similar. Hope this helps.
Good question. I have no idea. I've stored my seats for occasional use when I have all the camper components removed from the minivan, and also for when I sell the van so the next owner can use it to haul people. I've seen where some people test the waters at a couple of hundred dollars on facebook marketplace or craigslist but I don't know whether they sell or for how much. Good luck.
Hi Bruce, I noticed that the seat mounts (or whatever they're called) that stick out for the second row seats are left untouched in your awesome setup. Is that based on your choice or the difficulty in removing them? Thanks.
Yes, my understanding is to remove the seat “trolleys” you have to unbolt the tracks they ride in and then the trolleys can slide out the ends. But to unbolt the tracks, you’ve got to access all the hardware from underneath, including partially lowering the gas tank. If I planned on never needing the trolleys, I’d go through the effort of removing them but I still use them occasionally. Thanks for asking.
Sadly, I removed the cover then instead of removing the hex screws, I removed the bolts that go through the two roller legs. I then removed the two springs inside them. That's where I'm at now trying to put that back on. Not fun. Wish I found your video first.
Hi Jerry, good to see you again. The 2021's are nice but there are two issues for campervanners. I've seen videos of people removing (unbolting) the 2021 2nd row seats but I haven't seen anyone come up with a solution for the resulting airbag warning light. Secondly, the center console is no longer removable (it's integrated into the dash). For me, this might be a dealbreaker as I've found an open aisle between the front seats to the back to be an invaluable feature.
![How to Build a Floor with Storage in a Toyota Sienna Conversion! [Step by Step]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eRhoQteNiHM/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to Build a Floor with Storage in a Toyota Sienna Conversion! [Step by Step]](/img/tr.png)
Gosh, thank you very much! Every question that popped onto my head during the video, you answered right away! The hex size, the weight of the seats, the places to pull. You rock, killer video with exactly the right amount of details. Thank you again
Ha, I read your mind!
It's so clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much Bruce for your time and effort. It is heavy to lift the 62 and the 52 lb seats for the video to show us. I believe you have to put them back first before shooting video then take the seat off. After all, you have to put those seat back on 😁. It's not just the video, its lot of time. Appreciate that!
Hi, Bruce. Thank you for making this clear, easy to follow, and thorough video. I'm a Girl Scout leader and will be transporting kids to camp in a few weeks. I was preparing for the trip by deep cleaning my trunk. Unfortunately, water spilled and completely soiled the upholstery, creating mold! Your tutorial has been a tremendous help in beginning the remediation process. Again, thanks, Bruce!
So sorry about the mishap in your trunk! I'm glad my video was useful for you in getting the van back to where you needed it. Thanks for writing and sharing your story!
Not sure if anyone else has discovered this trick but you can save the white plastic clips if they pull off of the plastic cover and are not damaged. Leave them in place until you have the seat out of the van and before you fold up the seat. Set the seat on the ground and locate the area of the white plastic clip that was pushed through the metal seat frame. You will notice two protrusions on this side of the white clip. With the narrow part of the needle-nose pliers, squeeze the clip at the location of the two protrusions just above the surface of the metal frame. You can either push the clip back through the metal frame with the pliers or you may have to push on the bottom of the clip with something like a pencil or screw driver. The clip should fall free of the metal frame and not be damaged.
Thank you so much! Did this in under 2 hours this morning, all by myself. Gonna be building my van in the next few days and heading out by the end of the month!
I am impressed! Not sure I can lift these myself. I plan to remove and zip tie and try to sell from the van. Let the buyer lift them! Need to buy a socket so I can measure space to plan build. I remember lifting out the middle seats a few years ago. Very heavy. Sold them on craigslist. I was just happy to get rid of the heavy things.
I just bought my 2010 sienna limited and figured I would just stow the third row seats down into their place. Why remove them?
@@paulywalnuts7731mine won't lay flat and I will never use them. Rather not keep them in my bedroom when I can store stuff in there instead.
Took the rear seats out of my 2006 Sienna today. When I went outside this afternoon, it was 92 degrees and the inside of the van was like a furnace. I almost put it off. But because it was so hot, the plastic bolt covers were a little more pliable than usual, and I was able to pry them loose fairly easily without damaging any of the plastic fasteners.
Thanks, Bruce, for all the good info.
I'm glad it worked out for you and that the heat was an advantage. I'll recommend that in the future.
I could only dream we had a 92 degree day here in Vegas lol
Thanks to your video I accomplished this task quickly and easily without shedding any blood, sweat, or curse words. Thank you!
Your very welcome!
Thank you so much for this detailed explanation. It went just as you described with exception of the final folding down of the seat hardware. The legs on our 2020 did fold down but the rear section only moved a couple of inches. Therefore, we left the seats unfolded but successfully removed from the Sienna. We appreciate your generous sharing of this method on TH-cam.
I'm really glad the video helped. Odd about your rear legs not folding all the way since they must have folded all the way when they were installed in your van. My guess is something might be obstructing the motion and may be easily remedied.
Bruce, thanks so much for this video. As I commented on your other video, I've been searching for how to do this for some time now. Really appreciate how helpful all your videos are.
Same here!
This is funny just the other day I was saying to my wife I wish Bruce would show us how to take out the rear seats. Thank you so much!!
Thanks so much!! I am a young woman with a 2017 Sienna and no mechanical experience but was able to get them out easily. Only tough part I couldn't do on my own was yanking off the plastic covers which I had to call in another person to help with. Great tutorial!!
Yes, those covers were definitely attached tightly. Glad you were successful!
Bruce, I took out the seats today, 7 months after your created this video, on my 2019 Toyota Sienna. Your simple 6-step process worked perfectly. I was able to make one improvement - since you showed the exact position of the plastic screws, I used my small crowbar's curved end to get behind and gently apply leveraged pressure...fortunately no screws were broken in the process. I did run into one problem different from the video instructions. On the last plastic cover removal step as I attempted to pull out left plastic cover it got hung up in the lower left corner behind where it bends from horizontal to vertical. I was able to get past this last obstacle by using the crowbar and gentle leveraged pressure as well. Thanks a million for making my Covid-19 project successful!!
Awesome, Joe, I'm glad everything worked out. Thanks for writing the update!
@@BruceParks what engine oil you put ? Synthetic?
How often?
I can’t believe my luck - yours is one of the best minivan camper builds I’ve ever seen and it also happens to be the same make, model, and generation as my new minivan. I’m excited to watch all your videos while I work on my build, and I hope you continue making more great tutorials. Thanks for including all the great detail and explanations. I’ve only just found your channel, but I’d be very interested to see videos showing how to remove the front console (between the seats), and how to remove the 2nd row seat trolleys. Beautiful work, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for commenting, I'm glad you found my channel useful! I'll shoot a video on console removal and get it uploaded soon. I hope you're subscribed so you'll be notified. Regarding removal of the 2nd row trolleys, the tracks they ride in have to be partially removed and it's quite a bit of work, especially on AWD Siennas. I've left mine in for now because I want to be able to put the seats back in occasionally. If I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found is on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623).
Hi, I made a video especially for you! How to remove the center console: th-cam.com/video/hVQG5EYGw9k/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much for the new video and the link to the trolley/track removal! That was incredibly helpful. I also have a 3rd gen AWD LE, so this is exactly what I needed!
Thank you so much for the dimensions of the interior of your Sienna. I'm a woman somewhere around the same age as you and plan on doing my own build as soon as I find the right Sienna for me. I have always done my own home renovations, know how to handle power tools well, and have some schooling in interior design, so I think I can handle it all myself. However, having the dimensions is key to laying it all out correctly, so I appreciate that as well as seeing all that you did in your Sienna. I'm not that educated on the Solar set up but I'm learning. I don't think I could build the same electrical system you built, but I will give it my best shot along with some help from family on that. Thank you again for sharing with us and being so detailed in your explanations. We all appreciate that!
For anyone interested, I found a buyer for my middle and rear seats in five days on Craigslist. Also, Bruce's instructions for and commentary about removing the rear seats each were spot on. Took about 15 minutes, one broken clip, three left behind (tightly) in the metal brackets.
I'm glad the video was useful. Thanks for commenting, Mark.
Getting ready to remove the seats and knew I had this video saved for this moment. Thanks again for sharing.
You are very welcome. Hope it helped.
@@BruceParks it definitely will
Just purchased a 2011 very used Sienna and want my 2nd and 3rd rows out to make a home. I'm 75 and disabled so can't do it myself but I can use your video to show someone else how. Thanks so much. ❤
I hope you can find someone to remove the seats. It's not that difficult.
Sienna guru right there. Thanks for all your work Bruce, guys like you make things so much easier for all us schlubs.
Hey Bruce, I dont remember if I told you, but my husband and I bought a Toyota sienna in March, right before the virus hit, sad luck. Anyway, we took out the 2nd row seats, and just folded down the 3d. My husband had no idea how much he'd end up liking it. Were 62 & 67 respectively, and we've only been able to camp once, but what this van has been, a real game changer. Were going again only further in northern Minnesota, I wish we could travel further, but until they find a cure, well stay in our home state. Were careful to bring all of our own food and we have 3 containers for water 5 -7 gallons each. Sorry so long winded, just excited I guess, I've been so antsy, I retired just last fall, and want to be out! I want to thank you so much for your videos, they've been the most helpful, we both love the toyota sienna it's great for camping, but we still use our tent! Thank you, hope you and your wife are able to get out there in nature too!
SO nice of you to send your update. Congratulations on your retirement, Sienna, and exploratory campervanning experience so far. My wife and I are 62 and retired as well. Sounds like you're already getting a sense for the freedom of traveling self-contained and being able to hit the road without prebooking much of anything. Minivans are also pretty simple and economical, compared to the bigger and more complicated rigs. Perfect for the occasional roadtrip.
@@BruceParks I'll say, it's always packed, just have to add coolers and water containers. I absolutely love the Toyota, and am very happy to have run into your TH-cam site. Finally ready, willing and able!
It was very kind of you to show us how to take out the seats. They look quite heavy, so I can see that it's beneficial to remove them to allow the weight for the camper build! If you have the time, would you please give us the measurements of the floor plan when empty? I'm looking to buy a Sienna of about the same age, and am trying to come up with a layout which fits my needs. That way, I can be ready to build as soon as I find the vehicle. Having the width & length up to the back of the front seats would sure help along with the height there and in the back! And again, thanks for being so helpful. Letting us know the clips will no doubt break will be a stress reliever, when it happens. LOL Thanks!
The floor is a 8’ long and the width at the narrowest point (between the rear wheels) is about 49”. They designed it so it could handle standard full-size (4’x8’) sheets of plywood or drywall. The height is about 48” in most of the cabin.
@@BruceParks thx Bruce🌞
@@BruceParks easy to put back seats ?
@Moment Yes, it’s actually easier to put the seats back in than to take them out.
@@BruceParks do you know how much weight both seats?
I've been thinking about doing a minivan RV, and am leaning to the Sienna. Thank's for showing us this in great detail!
I know this is an old comment, but I highly recommend a Sienna!!!!
Been rolling in my 2000 sienna minivamper for 6 years. Amazing vehicle driven it to southern mexico 4 times
Also, the Sienna is the only minivan I’m aware of with an AWD option
This is great, thanks VERY much. I've got a 2017 Sienna, and the plastic covers are a little different, but this guide made it easy to figure out and gave me the confidence to go for it. Now we've got a great storage place for a large tent and a couple of cots
I'm glad the video was useful!
Thanks for making this. Note that on my 2024 Sienna (still Gen 4), there's a slight assembly/manufacturing change, and I had to remove both of the upper (vertical) bolts, not just one of them as you show. Otherwise, everything was as easy as you show! Thanks again!
I'm glad this was useful for you. Thanks for commenting!
So grateful to have found your very informative & detailed video ...Especially thankful for your speaking to the weight on these two seats.
I am a short 5 foot 2 125 lb 75 year old and knew I would need help for this 😂
I am at the exploration phase of deciding to outfit my sienna for traveling or move up to a class B van. Removing these seats would be critical for additional storage
Thank you for taking your time to share your knowledge and the video quality is good
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting.
Once again, thank you Bruce for sharing your very helpful information with your YT viewers!
You bet, Otis! I'm glad to be helpful.
Thanks very much. I purchased a used van with engine and transmission in great condition but the inside had bad smells coming from monsters under the carpet. Your video an others helped me clean it up. Much appreciated.
Monsters! 😆 I'm glad the video helped. Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for this, Bruce. There's now a 2012 Sienna in my driveway that wasn't there yesterday. Job #1 is to find a buyer for the middle and rear seats.
Glad I could help, Mark. Hope your seats find a new home soon.
Amazing 👏. You were so clear and concise. Don't know whether to sell backseat or hang onto. Trying out vanlife.
Thank you so much for explaining insome detail how to remove the 3rd row seats in the Siena. I have a Sienna and am looking to to do just the same thing. I am curious how did you in activate the electronic seat sensors,etc. Thanks 😊
Mine (2011) was easy - no sensors, no wires, no motors. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
thank you so much for this! we never use the third row seating and now that I'm considering making my van into a camper van, this will give me so much space!
Glad it was helpful! The deep well in the back is really useful when every cubic inch is precious in camper conversions.
@@BruceParks Yes this is exactly what I was thinking as well. By removing the third row seating, which I never use anymore, it opens up that cavernous storage. I already had to break the plastic tabs on those hinge covers because we had an entire pot of beans spill back there one year and I had to get bean juice out of the carpet. 🤣 I do not recommend spilling beans in your vehicle, LOL!
Haha, I’ll remember that!
Thanks for the video, Bruce. It was helpful, clear and well filmed. With your help we've created a great cargo/storage space. Now I'm working on a design for a hinged, lockable cover. I have a dealer supplied tri=fold rubber mat I'm using for a template. If you have an ideas...
I’m glad I was able to help. I once made a cover for the well in an earlier Sienna. You can build a partial box that bolts to the anchor points in the well and then the hinges and locking hardware for the lid are securely mounted to the structural box. Easy to make it strong enough to stand on and you can then add hooks and hold downs inside the box for keeping things organized.
I am not sure if anyone has commented on this or not: RE: detaching the seatbelt from the larger bench.
The seatbelt that is attached to the larger of the two sections of the 3rd-row seating has a small red release. Pushing that red release will detach the seatbelt from that bench seat. The belt will then recoil into the ceiling and there are two slots to secure the belt at the ceiling. (I have photos but cannot seem to attach them here.)
Thanks. Your video gave the idea for removing a 3rd row seat. I am going to try to remove 3rd row seats from my 2011 Rav4. I just opened it for used just two time when my grand son visited us.
Good luck!
Hey Bruce, thanks for the video, but I would like to inform you that those clips are easy to remove from the sheet metal holes. Of course, they were hard at first, but I figured how to get them out without breaking them. You just need to press on both sides of the bottom side of the clips, as they press in. Do this while lifting up on the top side, and they will pop right out. I hope this helps.
Thanks for the clip info. Unfortunately, the clips I encountered were different and didn’t have the compressible sides. They were held in place with thin fins that are flat against the backside of the metal and they became brittle over time so attempts to get them out just cracked them. There are other locations in the van that have the clips like you described and maybe Toyota changed the seat trim cover clips to that kind later in. Mine is a 2011.
Great video. Thanks for showing how I can get rid of 110 lbs that I'll never use. It looks easy when you do it. Lets see what happens when I wrestle with my 2020 Sienna. :D
Good luck!
Thank you so much!!!! I just bought a 2011 and didn’t realize that there was only one anchor (middle) in the third row for car seats.
Didn’t want to spend another $3000 for a 2015. Will have to look at a junkyard for the single seat in a 2015 and up so it has an anchor.
Glad my video was useful!
Excellent video. And you even gave the weight of the seats. So helpful.
Thanks! I'm so glad this was helpful.
Just bought a used Sienna; thank you so much! Made it so easy!
You’re so welcome! Glad to help
Thank you so much! I have a 2016 Sienna and I am converting it to sleep in so I will be removing seats to take advantage of the storage space. ✌🏼
Thanks for pointing out how much they weigh. Very helpful.
You’re welcome. Glad it was useful.
You convinced me to not remove the seats to help to clean up vomit. In my previous van, the back seats could just pop out, without removing any hardware.
Bruce, this video is too late to me, I wish you posted a year ago. I learned my lesson.
Thank you. Your videos are very so articulate. You are a natural!
somehow I can't get the hardware to spring back up. it is stuck without the use of zip ties but for the life of me I cant get the hardware to spring back up to attach the screws
I don’t have the seats in front of me but from memory, the spring action comes from the little gas springs mounted in the seat bracketry. So unless there’s something else that the bracketry is hanging up on, maybe the gas springs have collapsed/failed.
Wow. Thanks. I have avoided this for so long - and it is really pretty straightforward. Yes! Totally more than useful.. Thanks, Bruice!
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me know!
Excellent video, thanks so much for taking the time to post it!
Ditto!
Bruce, you have explained the process so very well. I have a problem with the backrest of the 3rd row double seat. It does not stay locked. I am suspecting the gear's teeth are not latching. I am not sure if I need to take the seat out to access the gear and locking mechanism. Do you have any suggestions ? Appreciate it.
The mechanical components that are used to latch the backrest are mostly visible underneath the bottom seat cushion but unfortunately you’d have to unbolt the seat and flip it upside down to clearly see the components. I wish you well in fixing it.
@@BruceParks Thanks Bruce.
Hi Bruce, Really looking forward to seeing Sienna progress~! Really impressed by your top notch work every corner. Enjoying very much! Also subscribed.
Thanks 👍
Thank you. I was looking for the weight of these seats. I will remove them for our long family road trip (8000km) just to reduce the weight and rear end sag. I have also installed SumoSpring in the rear spring and that helped the rear sagging problem.
I'm glad you found the video useful. I haven't found the need for spring boosters (yet) but I was wondering, do you like the SumoSprings?
@@BruceParks Yes, I like it. Before with all the camping gears and 3 bikes on the hitch, lifted front end caused loss of front wheel traction and didn't feel safe. I didn't measure the before and after wheel well gaps but it is noticeably more balanced. I also prefer slightly added stiffness when unladen.
thanks for this tutorial. what's the length from the trunk to the back of the front seats?
I'm not sure if you are interested in the length from the back of the front seats to the front or rear of the trunk so I'll give you all of the lengths. The length from the back of the front seats to the rear of the trunk is 96" (8'). The length of the trunk itself is 27" so the length from the back of the front seats to the front of the trunk is 69". Let me know if you are interested in other dimensions.
Super easy tutorial! One thing tho why we didn’t take the bottom bolts out? 7:29
Hmm, I'm not sure which bolts you're referring to. All the bolts holding the seats in place were removed.
Thank you for the great video, Bruce. I just bought a used 2012 Sienna Limited, and the driver’s side third row seat will not sit flat. Any idea what the issue might be?
Gosh, I wish I could help but I wouldn’t know where to start without looking at it in person.
Thank you for the informative info on the removal of the 3rd row seats.
Thanks Bruce. Because of your fine presentation on Making A Sienna camp i went and did it. Bought a 2017 and pulled the seats today. Doing it a bit different as i'm single but your electrics will give me options. The floor goes in tomorrow ... hopefully. National Parks are my destination and the there is British Columbia.
rob of New Hampshire
Wow, that's awesome, you're building out a Sienna. Best wishes to you and don't hesitate to ask questions, I'm happy to help.
@@BruceParks Ok ... I'm game. I won't hesitate to ask all the dumb questions. I 'm doin the floor today, but i'm 'ah thinkin (ouch) abouts the electrics. How to phase up in steps by starting with a battery, charger, monitor and , and ??? We'll be 'talkin as i gets' into it deeper. Right now, after the floor it's the bed! Many thoughts ... all good! Thanks, rob.
Hi Bruce, I would like to ad hard flooring over the floor in the middle area to make it easier to keep the floor clean. I was wondering if you were able to pull out the rollers that glide on the tracks for the middle row seats. Can you, or anyone else, tell me how you removed them? 😊
Hi Allison, the "trolleys" are quite a bit of work to remove. I've left mine in for now but if I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Good luck!
Thank you Bruce. My wife is going to walk the Appalachian Trail next March and I am going to follow along and help her. We have a 2012 Toyota van and going to try and put a bed in it. Why do you take the 3rd row seats out? Can I leave them in and still put a bed in?
@Mark Nelson Yes, many people use their minivans as campers with the third row still installed, just folded down. The main reasons for removing it are for the extra space (obviously), to reduce weight (more than 100 lbs), and they aren't considered necessary for the way they want to use the vehicle.
Thanks Bruce for weigning both seats.
You bet!
I followed your excellent instructions and removed (well, almost removed) the two 3rd row seats from my Sienna. The larger of the two has a seat belt attached to it. The belt retracts into the roof. Any ideas about removing the belt from the seat so the seat can be completely removed from the van and then what to do with the belt hanging out of the ceiling?
I'm not sure how to help, as I've forgotten if I took any extra steps with seatbelts when I originally removed the seats. My third row seatbelts are still in the vehicle. The two on the sides are out of the way and the middle one tucks into a ceiling pocket and is completely out of the way.
I have 2013 sienna 7-passenger limited edition with 2nd row reclining seats. Do u know if the 2nd row seats can be turned around and face the rear. I remember my friend used to have Previa and the captain seats were able to be turned around. Toyota discontinued that model and sienna replaced it
What an interesting idea. I don’t know the answer. I don’t have ready access to my 2nd row seats (they’re stored remotely) so I can’t test the idea. Can you give it a try?
@@BruceParks
I’ll try it when the weather gets warmer because I’ll probably need time since never tried it
Thanks!
Very helpful video. Plans are for buying AWD version and keeping this space available for stuff but without any seats.
Hi Bruce, do you have a video on how to remove the hardware for the middle seats once you remove them? I noticed they are still in the floor in this video, but I would like to take mine out for a smoother surface. Haven't had any luck finding a tutorial. Thanks!
Hi Melanie, those "trolleys" are quite a bit of work to remove. I've left mine in for now but if I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Good luck!
I am about to upgrade my Sienna camper from a 2006 to 2012, and the 2012 has those ridiculous rails for the second row seats. I know how to remove the seats, but am hoping you have a video I just cannot find for removing the rails. I want to lay a level subfloor. Do you have a video for them? (Thanks for this video, btw! Can't wait to get started.)
I've left my tracks and trolleys in place for occasional use. But the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Hope this is useful. Good luck with your build!
Thanks. Everything I needed to know, with no fluff.
Thanks for making this video. My seat (40 side) wouldn’t come up for seating after my kids moved into their college dorm. I took it out and I think that the middle arm is bent. Do you have a close-up picture of the underside of the seat.
Kent, take a look at this photo and let me know if it’s useful: photos.app.goo.gl/RpJ56Jfebmkac3it8
@@BruceParks That is very helpful thanks. The middle bar in the picture seems straight. Mine has a significant bow which doesn't allow the front feet to clear the carpet and lock into place.
Good job.. 👍Any thoughts on covering the new opening? Thanks Greg
I removed our 3rd row seats mainly to open up the space for our Campervan conversion. It's covered up by the bed platform that sits 9" above the whole back floor. If you wanted to build a cover flush with the van floor, you can build a flat picture frame around the opening of the well and attach a hinged lid to it. Support the picture frame with legs that reach down to the floor of the well. Use steel brackets to secure the legs to the threaded posts that the seats were originally bolted to. Just one idea of many...
Great videos! I have a question. Did you remove the tracks for the 2 nd row seats. I’m turning mine into work van, need a flat floor. The tracks are in the way to get a low floor/ plywood.
I've left my tracks and trolleys in because I still use them when I pull the camper parts out. If I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found for removal is on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623).
Where can you get the replacement clips?
It is Toyota Part Number 71769-08010. They were $2.09 each at my Toyota dealer.
Thanks for the video, Bruce. It is clear and informative. However, I have a 2015 Sienna limited and the seats are electric. Do you have any advice about how to best disconnect the electrical aspect of the seats. Also, is unhooking the seat belt attachments pretty self-explanatory when I get into it or is it a challenge, as well? Thanks!
I wish I had a higher trim level like your Limited on hand to understand the differences. Electrical connectors should be easily reached for service technicians to access (and for you to disconnect); maybe they are hidden under the plastic covers or under the seat cushions (which are open so if you look from below you should be able to see all the guts under the bottom cushions). I don't recall anything special about the seatbelt anchors - they were part of the seat frame on mine.
Do you think it would be possible to put swivel seats in the front?
I’ve looked and found nothing already made to fit. It would be quite difficult to do. The center console would have to be gone, the seat back would have to go vertical (not possible without modifying the internal seat frame) and the seat would have to slide away from the door in order to have enough space to rotate and clear the door and door pillar.
looking around I've come across "offset" swivels. I wonder if something like that would work,
thanks for the info.
Why an Offset Swivel Seat? | TRC Van Conversion
@@nestogonzo1 The offset swivel looks like a good idea. Note, swivel bases are readily available for cargo vans, which have a lot more space for swiveling and, more importantly, have seats that are already mounted to a raised base. This makes adding an adapter plate like these swivel bases possible. In a minivan like the Sienna, the seats are mounted directly to the floor, and the floor has bumps, contours, and components in the way to make adding a swivel plate difficult without raising the seat upwards a ways. Thanks for sharing the video suggestion.
Awesome Bruce! I just bought a 2017 Limited and the 3rd row seats are powered. I just push a button to retract them. I want to remove them to make room for van camping. Any additional guidance? There must to power going to motors somewhere. Thanks for your help.
I haven’t looked at the powered seats so I’m afraid I can’t offer direct experience but someone earlier had that situation and commented most of the steps I showed in the video are still valid and the additional steps associated with the motorized parts weren’t too difficult to figure out. That’s all I’ve got for you. Good luck!
Great video, thanks! Do you have a video how to remove the “rails” for the removal of the second row seats to where there is an option of putting the seats back in for passengers? Debating what year Sienna to get based on those rails. Thanks Bruce!
Good question. I think there's a dearth of videos on rail/trolley removal in the gen3 (2011-2020) Siennas because it's such a difficult job. I've left mine in for now but if I change my mind, the best tutorial I've found was on Siennachat (www.siennachat.com/threads/2nd-row-seat-track-removal.18525/#post-84623). Separately, I came across this description for gen3 AWD models: ”The two outer rails can be removed from above. The passenger side inner rail has (4) T50 bolts you can get to from underneath. The driver side inner requires dropping the gas tank to remove the bolts. I was able to slide the trolley off the back of the rail and just leave the rail in the floor.”
Just saw the video about removing the 3rd row seats. I am planning on buying a 2021 Sienna and removing the seats. My question is when you take the bolts out, are there any exposed holes to the outside? Thank you.
I’d say no. I’ve removed third row seats from gen2 and gen3 Siennas and always found the hardware to be protected from the elements. No reason to expect Toyota would have moved away from that thoughtful design philosophy.
Are you going to try to remove the second row in2021?
Great video. What are the dimensions of the compartment the seats used to be stored in?
The rear well has a bunch of little weird bumps and curves but overall it is approx 46" wide x 26" long (front to rear) x 10" deep at the front. The floor tapers upwards front to rear so near the rear hatch, it's closer to 8" deep.
I just purchased a 2014 Sienna van and I'm going to be removing all the back seats. Did you make some sort of the cover to go on top of the far back seat storage area?
I converted my Sienna into a camper. You can get an idea of some of the components I have in the rear storage area here: th-cam.com/video/QFyhzl-_-EU/w-d-xo.html
This was awesome...thank you for doing this video and explaining so clearly what the process is !
You bet! Glad you found it useful.
@@BruceParks I am putting my seats back in......Where did you get replacement clips and do you by chance know the part number for easy ordering?
@@bennybaskets9414 Yes, in the description: "In the video, I mention a retainer clip that will need to be replaced. It is Toyota Part Number 71769-08010. They were $2.09 each at my Toyota dealer."
@@BruceParks hahaha not sure how i missed that?! Thank you for replying with the info.
Thank you! I just took the third row seats out of my 2017.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching
We just purchased a 2018 Sienna Limited. The back row seats are electric. Do you know if it’s easy to take them out? Have you heard anything regarding the electronics/wiring involved can be unplugged?
I don't have any first hand experience with the electric versions. It's unlikely there'd be issues with you unplugging their harnesses. It's risk-free to try it. If you can reach the harness connection without too much effort, just unplug it and see what happens.
Hello Mr. Parks. Perhaps I'm not searching correctly. Any chance you have a video of reinstalling those two rear seats? I'm considering removing/reinstalling when necessary but, watching your removals, it looks like the replacement process might be difficult / cumbersome / aggravating. Thanks!
Sorry, I haven’t uploaded a video on seat installation. But the process isn’t that hard. In fact I pulled my seats out of storage and installed them in my van just to shoot the removal video. There are no tricks, just a little wiggling around. Nothing to worry about in my opinion.
What do you do with the bolts after removing the seats? Can they be placed back in their spots?
I'm considering removing our third row in our 2016 XLE for additional storage on long road trips. I don't want to misplace the hardware. :)
Yes! Screw the bolts back into their holes. That’s what I did.
Thanks Bruce. Great video and explanation. This is what I needed.
I'm really happy you found this useful, Jeff. Thanks for commenting.
nice - will a space-saver spare tire fit in the well? thanks
I think the collapsible space-savers (that need to be inflated) will fit without an issue but the skinny space-savers (that are already inflated) will not. Just be forewarned that if it's a Sienna AWD, the outer diameter of the spare tire needs to match the other tires on the van in order to not damage the viscous coupling unit on the rear differential.
Thanks a lot for this Bruce! I have the same van, but with the Limited trim package. This means the 3rd row seat is raised and lowered with an electric motor. Any experience removing these?
Sorry, no experience with motorized versions.
@@BruceParks I just finished taking them out of the 2015 Limited I got a couple days ago. I had to feel my way through a couple of things, but without your video, I would never have started or finished. Thanks. Don't know how much of the rest of what you did I will attempt...certainly not a bunch. But again, thank you so for your videos and the links.
Cool, glad it all worked out! Don’t hesitate to fire questions my way during your conversion, I’m always happy to help.
Does anyone here know if I could change out my 2013 third row seat for a 2015 or newer? I NEED the 2nd LATCH system to put 2 toddlers in the back and The sienna took away 1 of the latch systems from 2011-2014 and we didn't realize until I got pregnant with our 4th that will be in a carseat😅
Just a quick question, once you remove the hardware and take the seats out, are there holes left in the body of the vehicle exposed to the outside world? Wondering if I will need to purchase auto body plugs or something once I permanently remove mine. Thanks!!
Nope, none of the holes are exposed to the elements. They’re all internal to the outer sheetmetal.
@@BruceParks thanks Bruce !
Do you have some sort of propane stored in the van? Isn’t that dangerous in summer heat while you are parked and away from van? Can you tell me about your experience with this issue?
We travel with a small Coleman butane camp stove (amzn.to/2CCam6p). It's designed to be safe when stored in a vehicle. We could even use it inside the van but prefer to use it outside.
Thanks. I wonder if my stow and go seats in the floor of our Chrysler town and country are similar. Would you think you could sell your seats? Or are you keeping them in case you want to resale your van?
I definitely am keeping my third rows seats for reinstallation when I sell the van. My camper build is completely reversible with no evidence it was ever installed so I imagine someday, I'd sell the camper components separately and reinstall 2nd and 3rd row seats.
I have a 2013 toyota se is it possible to take the 3rd row seat out i need more room to be able to get my electric wheel chair in its a handicap van 2 row is already out
Yes, your 3rd row seats should come out using the same steps in the video. My 2011 is the same generation (3rd) as your 2013. Good luck!
How to repair the tape that locks the backrest of the third row, because my seat no longer locks in the backrest and nobody can tell me how or where the rear part of the seat is disassembled to repair the tape
Armando, I have the same issue with my 2011 Sienna LE. How did you get that issue fixed? Appreciate sharing. Thanks.
I love your videos! Super helpful. Do you find that the covers rattle around now that they’re not attached by clips, or are they ever dislodged when you put cargo in the well when the seats are up and the covers are exposed?
I leave the 3rd row seats out all the time. I only put them back in to make the video. If I did want to reinstall and use them for awhile, I would put new clips into the covers and pop the covers back into place. The clips are cheap, $2 each.
Curious what are the main differences between removing this and the 2009 3rd row? I have a 2010 with power seats i will be attempting to remove.
The process is similar. Someone with power seats let me know awhile ago that the video helped them get going and they figured out how to deal with the things unique to their model. My view it’s unlikely you can permanently damage anything other than those pesky retainer clips.
Getting ready to do this project thanks so much for the Easy instructions. Great job on the video
Glad it was helpful!
Hey how’s it going thanks for all your help I have another question I’m trying to get a solar kit and I need to know on my AGM Considered gel flooded or sealed
AGM is a sealed battery.
Bruce Parks thank you also do you have a link to the Renogy 100 watt kit not the mppt the other controller I think it’s pen or something I’m going to run a laptop a tv and a 0.09 amp portable evaporative cooler would that controller be ok I can’t afford the one with the mppt unless u can recommend a cheap one with mppt if u do I would be happy to order it from your link
@@unseenhero7498 If you are using a 100 watt solar panel, then you can use this Renogy 10A PWM controller to charge your battery: amzn.to/32H2AS0.
If you are looking for the entire kit (100 watt solar panel, 10 amp controller, wiring and mounting brackets), use this link: amzn.to/2Geyeib
Bruce Parks will this still charge in the shade or should I get a mppt controller
@@unseenhero7498 In general, your solar panel isn't going to charge much at all in the shade, regardless of MPPT or PWM. You might want to get a DC-DC Charger that will charge your house battery from your alternator when you drive. There are different sizes, this is a smaller one, 20A, by Renogy: amzn.to/3hXTrLn. Otherwise, you might have to get a small generator to charge your house battery if you are in the shade and not driving.
Thanks so much! Especially love that you weighed them. Helps with planning. How deep is the well? Minus zero degrees and very windy in my driveway this weekend.
It's cold and snowy here but I went out and measured the well in my 2011 model. It averages 9" deep. It's sloped deeper towards the front so it's around 8" deep nearest to the hatch and around 10" deep towards the front. Your 2004 should be similar. Hope this helps.
Good day. Would you happen to know how deep the well is? Thank you.
The well is 9 inches deep, on average. It's sloped downward towards the front. It's 10" deep at the front, 8" deep at the rear by the hatch opening.
How much would both sets of backseat for 2012 Sienna be worth? Good to great condition in light grey leather? Kansas City market?
Good question. I have no idea. I've stored my seats for occasional use when I have all the camper components removed from the minivan, and also for when I sell the van so the next owner can use it to haul people. I've seen where some people test the waters at a couple of hundred dollars on facebook marketplace or craigslist but I don't know whether they sell or for how much. Good luck.
Hi Bruce, I noticed that the seat mounts (or whatever they're called) that stick out for the second row seats are left untouched in your awesome setup.
Is that based on your choice or the difficulty in removing them?
Thanks.
Yes, my understanding is to remove the seat “trolleys” you have to unbolt the tracks they ride in and then the trolleys can slide out the ends. But to unbolt the tracks, you’ve got to access all the hardware from underneath, including partially lowering the gas tank. If I planned on never needing the trolleys, I’d go through the effort of removing them but I still use them occasionally. Thanks for asking.
Sadly, I removed the cover then instead of removing the hex screws, I removed the bolts that go through the two roller legs. I then removed the two springs inside them. That's where I'm at now trying to put that back on. Not fun. Wish I found your video first.
Me too. ☹️
Hi Bruce, Jerry here in Arizona. Do you have any input on the 2021 second row seat removal?
Hi Jerry, good to see you again. The 2021's are nice but there are two issues for campervanners. I've seen videos of people removing (unbolting) the 2021 2nd row seats but I haven't seen anyone come up with a solution for the resulting airbag warning light. Secondly, the center console is no longer removable (it's integrated into the dash). For me, this might be a dealbreaker as I've found an open aisle between the front seats to the back to be an invaluable feature.
@@BruceParks I think you are right on both fronts.
These vids are very helpful. Please keep it up!
What 12mm hex bit are you using? I can't seem to find one that fits my 3/8" drive drill.
I misspoke, it’s a 12mm socket.