I purchased a 2022 Toyota Sienna Braun aside entry folding ramp. My first impression was lots of Headroom and the vehicle is high enough off the ground to clear most speed bumps. Both of which I was impressed with. However after purchasing the vehicle and driving it for a few months we noticed that there is lots of engine noise in the cabin compartment. Upon further inspection the vehicle was lifted but the engine compartment was never protected around the wheel wells and the front of the vehicle. If you look in the wheel well you can see the bottom of the engine and the paneling that used to cover the engine is about 6 in higher. They should have added some sheet metal to protect the motor. I've owned many of the Braun conversions but this will probably be my last. Buyer beware!
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Yeah, I think we can all find something wrong with any conversion. Our last van was a Honda Odyssey Rollx that had the rear end bust backing up at a gas station as we were heading out of town. The van was 9 years old. Lucky it happened at a slow speed! Our current van is a cool looking black out Pacifica VMI conversion. It is amazing how crap the finish is. So much more road noise so I started inspecting. One day I saw daylight/pavement looking into the ramp side slider. With the sliding door closed, I could put my hand in the bottom of the door and come super close to actually touching pavement if my hand were slimmer. Also, the front hooks for manual locking had slits in the bottom, that again, I saw pavement from inside the van. I started calling it the Flintstone van.
These are the only two vans we've had so I started to think the next one will be a Braun Ability van and then I see your post! Bottom line....drive them all and go with the least of all evils I guess. -
If you can see light, just think about the water coming in and the premature breakdown of the metal from corrosion.Comment
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Also doing the van search . I need about 59” to 60” of headroom on drivers side so pretty much limits to Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica.
Also I live in MN so that is a factor.
sienna good head room interior seems a little tight. Very concerned about starter motor battery as it is small and has to load you with out being charging also can’t warm up vehicle with auto start . I think dead batteries are going to be common. I’ve checked out a couple on the lot and battery was dead from sitting too long
Chrysler Pacifica
Traditional battery set up so can use auto start and load with battery charging and vehicle will be warmed up if use auto start
seems a little roomier. Cons vision not as good because of windshield and roof slant even though head room is great.
Reviews Pacifica scores quite low for reliability
any suggestions or input much appreciated
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I have a 2017 Pacifica Braun conversion. Like you, my biggest factor was headroom. I do not drive, so can't speak to that. I sit in the front passenger area. My concern when purchasing the Pacifica was also the reliability. I previously had a Toyota Sienna (no issues) and prior to that a Dodge Caravan (lots of issues). As of yet I have not had any issues with the Chrysler, but due to the pandemic and working from home, my van only has 22k after 5 years.Comment
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The cabin noise in my 2011 VMI Honda Odyssey is getting on my nerves. As soon I go on highways, above 60km/h, the music playing on stereo just fades away and gets drowned in the noise from gravel, wind, engine, idk. I wonder if there's a way to fix/reduce this?
Driving becomes way more tiring than it's supposed to be because of this constant noise, especially on longer trips
Keep pushing!Comment
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What year is your Pacifica? I have the 2017 VMI, I have not noticed any gaps anywhere, and I was actually impressed with how quite it is. I wonder if they have issues with their quality control?Originally posted by Domosoyo View PostComment
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I have the 2017 Pacifica VMI conversion. It has less than 30,000 miles, no issues so far. The turning radius is excellent. As I recall, it had more interior room when compared to the 2017 Toyota.Originally posted by pete4sake View Post
I am still looking for a van with more visibility, I need 61 inches of headroom. I have to tilt my chair back to be able to see and be comfortable.
My previous van was a 2003 Chrysler Town & Country Rollx conversion. I used it for 15 years with no issues, excellent build quality.Comment
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When was the last time you replaced your tires. When it comes to the typical all season tire, the older they get the noisier. I would also check the various suspension components for wear and hardening.Originally posted by chairDroid View PostComment
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