I am planning to get one,Will you not pay the remaining lease amount + residual value when you buy out early? Can you please clarify

Good info

Hi again, it's now 6 days from when I bought my Rav4 Prime (Thank you). I called TFS and they provided me with a buyout amount, but without the sales tax, registration, etc fees. They told me to go to my DMV, I live in California. Is this normal? I looked into the Reddit you provided and the guy said he made a mistake of not including the sales tax in the cashier check to TFS. Please help, thank you!

I just spent my first night in my new Ranger, and the light was awful! I really like your fix, vs. just putting electrical tape over it. What kind of a place did you have do the wiring? My dealership is 100 miles away.

OMG the filter should not be on that tight.

Great DIY project! We sent you an email, take a look.

Hi again; I got my Rav4 Prime in red! I appreciate your help a few days ago! Do you have to keep the car/engine on to use the outlet? I am wondering if I can use this for a fan or two overnight camping tent

Darryl- I was in a conversation with someone yesterday on the Rav4 World Forum, regarding "why" Toyota so far has only produced a Prime version for the Prius and Rav4, and not for the Sienna or Highlander. And the answer was something I hadn't thought of: The Sienna Hybrid and Highlander already have a curb weight that is nearly at the maximum that would still give those vehicles enough payload capacity to haul 7 passengers and a reasonable amount of luggage. The Prius and Rav4 don't have 7 passenger seating, so they are less likely to hit the maximum GVWR limit. Where this limit comes from: part of it is based on Government regulations - EPA tailpipe emissions, crash safety, and especially CAFE fuel economy standards - and part of it is engineering and parts supply: components like brake calipers and pads, suspension struts, ball joints, steering gear, tires and wheels, etc. all are sized to handle the stresses of passenger vehicles. If the GVWR exceeds about 8,900 pounds (this includes up to a 3,500 pound trailer for the Sienna and Highlander), you get out of the regulatory space of what the Government considers to be a "passenger car", and into "light truck" territory, and different rules apply to light trucks than to passenger cars. Plus, if the curb weight of a vehicle exceeds about 6,000 pounds with passengers, luggage, trailer tongue weight, and fuel, you need tires that can handle at least 1,500 pounds load per tire, and that's pushing the upper limit of passenger car tires; any more than that, and you need load range "E" light truck tires. Right now, the Sienna Hybrid has a curb weight of 4,700 pounds. That's 300~400 pounds MORE than our Rav4 Primes (depending on trim and options). A Sienna Prime would need at least a 24 kW-hr traction battery to give it a 50 mile EV range - that would be 1,100 pounds of battery, and now you are well beyond the GVWR limit unless you eliminate the 3,500 pound trailer towing capability. So the upshot of this conversation was that the Sienna and Highlander will probably never come out as PHEV Primes, unless Toyota totally re-designs them to weigh less, removes the rear seat to make them 5 passenger vehicles, or re-certifies them as light trucks. And a 5 passenger minivan would never sell, I'm guessing.

Awesome video! I don’t need to replace my bungees yet but will save this for the future for sure.

I actually prefer the spring loaded universal oil filter wrenches as they "bite" into the filter the harder you turn them. I've had the same issue you're seeing here in the past where the cap type filter wrenches just slip from being overtightened previously.

If you don't have a rivet gun available, or want a stronger hold-down for that retainer plate, use a stainless steel #10-24 philllps pan head machine screw with a nylock nut. If you ever have to replace that bungee again, you can remove and re-use the machine screw without needing to drill out a rivet again. I am unclear on what the actual purpose of this bungee cord is, however. Is it something to do with supporting the hard dormers, if your Aliner is equipped with them?

Should I visit my DMV before exercising the purchase option, after, or both?? Thanks!

I have a newer 2023 Prime xse that does not have that plug-in how did you get that and what size breaker is on it? Must be a 20 at least my lighter plug in only says 120 watts Max

I find a large pair of channel locks does a better job than those oil filter pliers. I have the specific wrench for my Honda and sometimes it just spins in place.

how much did the filter wrench cost form the dealer?

Does this lease and then buyout your own car put 2 owners history in Carfax?

Should I put a down payment on the lease or just put my big down payment during the buyout? Please help, thank you!

I live in California, does this only apply to my California dealers?

My view is that the non-towing mileage is more important for a typical owner. I can relate to wanting to get good mileage to save money, we need to start also wanting that because it reduces emissions and is less harmful to the environment. I'm constantly looking for ways to reduce my consumption and resulting carbon footprint. I think the A-Liner is a step in that direction compared to other mega RVs. Those that love the outdoors need to promote good stewardship. If we don't, who will?

Does anyone know if you add a trade in as part of this method if it’s possible to trade in your current car on the lease buyout step as opposed to the initial lease? I believe the tax savings would be greater but I haven’t been able to figure out if this is possible.

Have fun.. We just got back from there a couple of weeks ago. So beautiful.

Thanks for making this video! my gf and I are going to take all your advice!

As other commentators have implied, people who own solar panels look at the RAV4 Prime (and plug-in hybrids in general) differently. Your video assumed that the main reason for choosing to buy either a Prime or Hybrid is the dollars and cents costs of owning and driving comparing electricity costs/100 miles with gasoline costs/100 miles. That is important and one of the reasons we bought a Prime, but we have a different way of looking at the electricity costs. We own a RAV4 Prime and solar panels and our solar panels generate enough power to run our house and enough excess power to charge our RAV4 Prime most every day. So, if we just do limited (<40 mile) trips around town each day (which is pretty much what we do), we can actually drive our RAV4 Prime most of the time with NO fuel costs. We have only owned our RAV4 for about 4 months, so I can't tell you definitively that we will actually be able to do all of our driving in EV mode every day, so, I admit, it is somewhat theoretical. But it seems reasonable. (Of course, we will need to run the gasoline engine in hybrid mode periodically, so it won't be strictly an electric vehicle.) Beyond, that, though, there is a completely different value I see in a RAV4 Prime (or any other plug-in hybrid). Our reason for owning solar panels (which are paired with backup batteries) is not just so we can save money on electricity, but also so we can have electricity in the event of a grid breakdown (such as a major equipment failure or perhaps even terrorist activity). It is also our belief that major disruptions could occur in gasoline production and delivery. (We are old enough to have seen it happen.) What would that be like? No gasoline would mean no gas or hybrid cars can run. However, with a RAV4 Prime and solar panels, we can still drive at least 40 miles a day. That seems like a benefit that is very apparent but which cannot be quantified in terms of dollars and cents. My guess is that most people don't own solar panels, so for most people this may be a moot point. But I just wanted to present another side of why someone might want to pay $8,000 more for a RAV4 Prime than a RAV4 Hybrid.

Interesting data. Needs some statistical analyses that might show things are closer than they look. I just got a Hyunda Pallisade that tows 5,000lb, comes with a hitch and 7-pin plus the wiring harness for a trailer brake. It has a tow mode engine setting. Looking at things from a lightweight Viking 1706 to some fiberglass trailers that top out at about 3000lb. The Pallisade has a naturally aspirated V6 that puts out 291hp. I feel it’s a good engine but those turbo engines probably have an advantage in places like the Rockies where they will compress the thinner air and keep their hp up. I expect the Pallisade to do fine even if I have to slow down. I think with SUV’s you need to consider the weight of the tow vehicle compared to the trailer camper, too with more weight being better. One of the lovely things about pop-ups is their low profile for less wind resistance. I would have never guessed such high mpg ratings. Nice review.

The trumpets have to lay facing down so no water gets into them, and there is a high tone low tone.

First time rving. Seeing how the coupler works was really helpful. Thanks

Um

this guy is so exited, he would smile all around his head if not stoped by his ears XD

Darrel I want to add my thanks. Some background to give you context: My wife and I have been camping, hiking, backcamping in and around Yosemite and the backcountry of the High Sirras for over 40 years. We dgo up specifically to Yosemite 2x/yr by tradition, and pass through even more often on our way to the East Side. Even with all that the experience, the increasing complexity of the Yosemite reservation system[s] has lately proven dounting. When my wife referred me to your site I wasn dubious, ney doubtful I would learn anything, yet lo and behold, your tips made all the diferrence. THANKS. I have subcribed and tagged your site to share with friends. L love your campy, honest, and quiet personal way of sharing. I can tell you enjoy it. Hope to see you on the trails someday.

There is a oil filter tool, to remove the filter that you can buy at the dealership, but it only works on OEM filters only..

I guess you learned how difficult it is to control for all factors. Clearly you didn’t control for the amount of EV usage for all scenarios and most importantly you didn’t account for changes in potential wind conditions. These are so much larger an effect than the 1 or 2 mpg associated with the cross bars…

This is the best video! I've never towed anything in my life. Didn't come from a family that ever towed anything let alone have a camper.

Thanks for the review. Interesting that the headroom is an issue. I'm car shopping, and this is on my list to check out. How have your seats been for long trips? I watched one review and that reviewer said that on a long trip, the seats became uncomfortable after about 90 minutes. Since this is difficult to assess during a "test drive" hearing from owners is very helpful. Passenger seats have become a pet peeve. Makers throw on things like nav systems, heated REAR seats, and panoramic sunroofs, but if you are fortunate enough to even get power on the passenger seat, it is near impossible in non-luxury brands (and maybe even in lux brands) to find a passenger seat with same number of adjustments as the driver's. Is it too much to ask for lumbar support for the passenger too? On a long trip, it seems likely that people might switch drivers, so why notlumbar support on both? I think a couple of adults over 40 might have some kind of back issues. :) Sounds like you are well-aware of the Highlander capability for towing, but the 5K might be for the non-hybrid. Not sure if the Woodland edition of the hybrid gives you more towing than the other trim levels in the RAV4 hybrid. On the Subaru side, you can get up to 3500 lbs towing with some Wilderness models or the Outback XT. (Of course, no PHEV and no hybrid). Thanks for sharing.

Appreaciate the honesty and for sharing real experience. Thank you for sharing.

I’m buying GR Sport Ra4 next week, thanks for such honest down to earth review. Happy Motoring 😄

We are in the process of buying ours out right now.

It happens to me 3 times in 4 years (I got the car new from the dealer)

thanks

Thanks for this and your other videos. I just exercised the purchase option for my lease following the guidance you provided. I did this in 6 days after taking delivery of the Rav Prime. It saved me almost $6,000. I live in Arizona, but drove to San Diego, primarily due to availability of the car I wanted.

You guys asked a lot of excellent questions. Thank you for doing a good job, I hope they will include your input next time BEFORE finishing the model and ecoflow design.

It’s so sad they didnt plan for an easier way to use a portable panel. They did such a good job in so many ways, then they totally blow it. All they had to do was to speak to real world users first, and ask users what they need. Brain death is alive and well, and flourishing.

Cool.. Thanks for watching. Glad it helped. These boots are great !!

Great video. Thank you for the information. I was going to buy a set of larger boots but after watching your video, I realized the boots we have are the right fit. Thank you.

This is the most comprehensive and easiest to follow video for this job. Watched 6 or 7 other videos before arriving at this one and it addresses everything A to Z.

This is a tricky business 💵🐒👈😁

Thanks for the video! Just changed ours and because of your video it was so easy and took about 40 minutes without swearing!!

You have an older style spin on filter while newer Toyotas have a plastic or aluminum canister that houses a separate replaceable filter element. The black tool and the Motive X tool are specifically designed for the canister. There's dozens of different designs for spin on fliters, some work better than others. You also need to use a gasket on the drain plug before torquing to 30 foot pounds.

Thanks for sharing, actually looks pretty good and easy to assemble and put away. I was always considering a Gazelle but they were just still too big folded. This seems way more portable.

I came up and watched your video. I feel the same I dislike the horn. I have a 2024 Rav 4 Hybrid. I would like to know if the plug and play. I searched up and said this one fits. But Amazon specs doesn't fit. HELLA 012010901 Black 12V BX Trumpet Horn Kit (Toyota) Help please !!! Thank you!

apprecaite the video! I've been changing my own oil in my 4runner for....15 years now? I was going to do it myself for the new rav4 since it seems easier to do. but i forgot about that first one where they torqued the bolt on so tight, it took 3 of us to take it off!