Toyota Hyrids: SUV w/ 40 mpg & Minivan w/ 33 mpg

Toyota released two new hybrids for this year.

The SUV is the Venza coming to our shores as early as August. It’s about 6 inches longer than RAV4 and gets ESTIMATED combine 40 mpg for an SUV!!

The Sienna minivan will be hybrid only at 33 ESTIMATED combined MPG due late in the year.

This company will convert a minivan into a camper with bed & kitchen: https://oasiscampervans.com/

If you are like me who takes long road trips, hits casinos for a few days at a time to avoid heat, and avoids casino room accommodations, having a vehicle with a mobile bedroom would be nice. I do not stay at a casino hotel / motel for security reasons. The less the casino knows about me, the better. It’s from my early blackjack days: STAY UNDER THE RADAR & HIT AND RUN TACTICS.

If you prefer a stealth van, here’s are a couple of ideas:
https://www.cascadecampers.com/
https://www.reconcampers.com/envy

I personally don’t need the kitchen but could use a nice bed, table, privacy curtains, vent, solar panels, etc. A friend of mine picked up a used van for dirt cheap and the conversion was $8K for the basics. The problem is no spare tire, 25 mpg & 300 mile range. The good part is unlike traditional RV’s or trucks with campers, he doesn’t stand out and can park in the garage.

From my place to Oklahoma casino’s is 1,500+ miles or 24-hrs non-stop driving. Or I could be on a road trip for 3 months. I am retired so time for a road trip. I go from truck stop to truck stop and it’s 2 to 3 hours between truck stops. Nice thing about truck stops: clean bathrooms, hot food 24-hrs, WiFi, discounted gas, safe, and hot showers if you them. And getting a 40 MPG hybrid SUV would save me a ton of gas.

Life is short ... time to enjoy my golden years.

Doesn't sound like much of a retirement...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by acescracked_1210

Doesn't sound like much of a retirement...

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1. If you have $30K to spend, you can try this site: https://www.glampervan.us/ They make real nice interiors for vans so you can still go stealth.

2. I am already retired. My goal is to spend 3 to 4 months of each year doing volunteer work to give back to society; and, spend 6 to 8 months traveling. I drive 30K to 40K miles a year so I am looking at a new vehicle every 3 to 4 years because I want the latest safety features. So spending $30K for a nicer interior would be a waste. I am hoping 4 years from now I can drive a fully electric SUV with self driving (especially when I get much older).

My mom surrendered her driver’s license when she was 70. It’s something I keep reminding myself that at some point the responsible thing is to surrender my license as well. I am dependent on the latest safety features to drive safe.

So if I do surrender my license, I don’t want to regret not visiting as much of America as I can.