Why we love the Estima

[TP49]

Nice 2.4 engine. Just sit in the armchair and drive. Also comes as a 3.0 ltr, don't worry about mpg just fill it with juice and cruise in comfort. 👍

[JayG]

That is one very tidy Estima! Nice!
And so much room for activities

[TP49]

Thanks JayG I see your in Essex as well.

[RUToyota]

Nice one Tony...looking good.!..and how could I possibly disagree.

I'll showcase my beast a little too...brilliant vehicles.

 

 

[TP49]

Looks good Neil, despite age they still look nice.

[RUToyota]

Quite agree, mate....the condition of these imports is generally incredible for their age... about the same as a 2-3 year "ordinary" UK/Euro vehicle I always think...and I think the "style/looks" of them still stands up today.

Like your, mine is pretty immaculate inside and out..and fully waxed underneath.

Mine's just reached 80k miles (beggar all for a 3 litre V6) and sweet as the proverbial nut....and like you, I'm happy to pay the price at the pumps for the power and comfort it gives me.

[TP49]

Mines up to 67k miles now and runs sweet. As you say they still look good shape wise, the mechanic I take it to always comments how good the condition is.

[Johnny Utah]

Hi,

I got my 2003 2.4 Areas g spec, 8 seater. undersealed as soon as it got off the boat. So clean. 50,000 miles!! An absolute pleasure to drive.

Just need to get some curtains in it and it will double up as the new surf bus. The seats go down into a very comfortable double bed too.

People cannot believe its 15 years old. Definitely will import another without any worries. A lot of bang for your buck!😎😋

Happy driving! 

Johnny

[TP49]

Hi John,  the Esti  looks very nice. I can only agree with everything you say.  My idea was to use it to camp in but the Mrs being ill we haven't had the chance to. Enjoy your Estima mate.

Tony.

[Johnny Utah]

Tony,

Sincerely hope your little Mrs. picks up. 

You need to have a dream though. 

I have camped in my old 1993 TD import  8 seater for over 10 years now. Made the curtains and runners myself. The daughter and her friend only slept in it last night on our drive. So..so practical!

Great vehicles for camping/surfing with.

And you don't need to worry about sitting in a layby for the AA every time you set off, like the type 2 VW camper I used to have!

Cheers

Johnny

[RUToyota]

Nice bus, Johnny...and identical to mine except mine is a 7 seater (and a V6) with two Captains type seats in the middle rather than the bench...though the bench makes a much better bed.!!!

 

They are a great vehicle...and as you rightly say, give plenty of bangs for your buck.

I've had mine about the same time as Tony...2.5 years..and have never regretted it for one moment.

It is simply a pleasure to drive (well, "glide" is more accurate..)

 

Enjoy.

[TP49]

2 hours ago, Johnny Utah said:

Tony,

Sincerely hope your little Mrs. picks up. 

You need to have a dream though. 

I have camped in my old 1993 TD import  8 seater for over 10 years now. Made the curtains and runners myself. The daughter and her friend only slept in it last night on our drive. So..so practical!

Great vehicles for camping/surfing with.

And you don't need to worry about sitting in a layby for the AA every time you set off, like the type 2 VW camper I used to have!

Cheers

Johnny

Thanks John, I know what your saying. As Neil said we also joined TEOC about the same time but sadly that's just read only now but we still keep in touch. It's been an aim of mine to camp in the Esti at some point we've had caravans and campervans  but wanted something simple and cheaper so hears hoping, cheers mate.

Tony

[Johnny Utah]

Cool,

Fully understand. Make it happen Tony, if you can. TEOC was a great source and I love the team that helped me there. I really hope the peeps @TEOC archive the threads. There is some seriously valuable stuff there(I know because I wrote some of it). Otherwise all that sweat n blood will disappear into digital oblivion!

Here's hoping😱😱

Johnny Utah

 

[TP49]

Yes the TEOC was a brilliant forum,  so much knowledge gained over the years but it can still be accessed I think they said for about five years. Whether it will shut down completely after that  I don't know.

[HedgeCutter]

Hello

Johnny, nice Estima you have there. The T or L on the back denotes which Toyota factory the Aeras was built in. My first one was a Estima Emina G grade, 2.2 diesel, automatic 1994 L reg, 7 seater. I had it 4 years. Traded it in in 2011 for a mk2 W reg 2000 2.4 Aeras 8 seater. I'd still be using it but for fact radiator and engine went when I broke down a month or so ago. I now have a 8 seater 03,  2.4 Aeras T. Similiar to yours 15 years old and in good nick with a fairly low mileage for year.

They are fun to drive. I have still to sort out the radio connections for my Pioneer AVH A3100DAB, to the factory fitted cameras. Other than that everything else works fine.

 

Michael

[RUToyota]

On 8/25/2018 at 4:17 PM, TP49 said:

Hi John,  the Esti  looks very nice. I can only agree with everything you say.  My idea was to use it to camp in but the Mrs being ill we haven't had the chance to. Enjoy your Estima mate.

Tony.

We had the same idea, Tony...but somehow never got around to using it as a camper.

We use it a lot as a day van...but the 7 seat configuration in ours (2 separate middle seats) doesn't lend itself to getting a flat bed that's comfortable enough to sleep on.!...would probably have to get a Z bed or similar.

How is Jen doing btw.?

[TP49]

Hi Neil, the 8 seater does make a better bed base although it does need some sort of mattress as the seats don't lay completely flat I would use some sort of air bed for a bit more comfort. Jens not doing to bad thanks mate.

[RUToyota]

I agree, Tony...the seats just don't lie flat enough to give you a decent bed that you can sleep on....I need that extra comfort for my ageing bones.!

[HedgeCutter]

Hello

In answer to those camping and sleeping in the car. I went to the TEOC AGM in North Wales some years ago, with a Suncamp Daytona drive away awning and slept in the Estima with the seats flattened out and uncomfortable it was. The floowing camping expaditions were done with the same tent, but this time I made a frame bed and put a cutaway mattress on it. When I sat up in bed I nearly put my head through the moon roof. There after I made the bed frame lower to accomodate this. My wood working skills leave a lot to be desired, but I had to brace up the bed because of my size and weight. You should be able to see on the following pictures that the blocks of wood under the bed frame are narrower at the back of the Esti, than they are at the front of the frame, because the floor is higher at the back than the front. because I had taken out the 3rd row bench seat, making the Esti sit higher on its spring suspension  and reversed to face the back the middle row.

In one of the pictures you can see the boarded bed frame just short of the middle bench, I then attatched a hinged flap, that when in use would flap over onto the seat making the bed over 6ft 3" long. Onto this went a 3ft wide  ( at it's widest ) a stiff foam covered mattress, then my bed linen etc. Here are some pictures.

Last picture shows webbing that I ran up the length of the Esti roof, I then attatched the awning to this using figure 8 plastic lengths , so when you want to drive away you just pull out the figure 8 connecting strips.

 

Michael

 

[RUToyota]

Nice work, Michael....I guess I'm just not that committed..

I wouldn't want to alter the internal configuration of my Esti as we like it just the way it is...and it is how we use it ...pretty much as a DAY van.

[Johnny Utah]

Yes, good work Mike.

I just chucked a futon mattress on top. Very comfortable. Slept like a baby! 

OK some cider helped... Lol😎

Johnny

 

[TP49]

Nice idea Micheal, we're unable to camp at the moment but I would go for the matress on top of seats. Our awning is similar to yours so would use that. Yours looks a good set up and if it works for you that's brilliant.

[HedgeCutter]

Hello

 

3 years ago now I bought a Gobour Carousel 12  2T/D folding caravan, so gave up on the tenting. 12ft long about 6ft 4" wide, has a double transverse bed which you set up each night. small kitchen area and a flush loo in a cubicle. Just got to work on fixing up the porch awning. Bed is much better for sleeping in, all in all a nice van. Easy to tow, I can see down both sides of the Carousel whilst towing, without additional mirrors and can see over the back because the roof  is folded down . The set up is behind / with my previous mk2 Estima.

Just found out the limit of 5.86 mb is the total ammount allowed over more than one posting. I thought it was per posting,  whoops !!  so no more piccies.

 

Michael

 

[TP49]

I've seen pictures of the Carousel on the TEOC forum Michael there a nice  van. We wanted something simple as have had caravans and campervans in the past but due to circumstances have not yet tried it out. We had the same seat set up in the Delica we had and had a very uncomfortable two night stay on a campsite so they definitely need some sort of mattress.

[RUToyota]

Had a few caravans in the past...including a folding one, but preferably didn't want to tow at all.

We had a Chevy Astro for 10 years and used that with a bed settee which worked quite well...but I think now we'd need a "proper" fully equipped camper van to get us back to any serious camping.. the Esti isn't really comfortable enough to spend the night in...not with my ageing bones anyway...and I don't want to alter anything.

I still like the idea of course...but I think my need for comfort wins out.!!...so it's back to the B&B's for us.

In the meantime we love the Esti as our "Day van".