Iowa Man Builds Dually Toyota Previa Because More Wheels Are More Cool

A lot of people think the Toyota Previa is a boring family hauler with no rizz. Under the skin, though, this egg is actually pretty cool, rocking a mid-engined layout with all-wheel-drive. Throw on a few of the right mods, and you can turn one into a pretty quirky and interesting ride.

That’s precisely what Todd Shaw did. The build began with a junkyard 1991 Toyota Previa with the naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine. It’s not the most interesting spec—that title goes to the supercharged version—but nonetheless, it put down a healthy 132 horsepower and could haul seven in style.

Todd didn’t just want a reliable Toyota minivan, though. He wanted a fun adventure vehicle for family road trips, so he set about building something just a little more interesting.

The first thing you spot on Todd’s build is the dually rear end. I wondered if he’d had dreams of towing or was aiming for lower ground pressure, but his answer was altogether simpler. “More tires, more cool!” he says with a laugh.

He crafted the conversion himself using 6-inch gas pipe to extend a set of steelies outwards. Not one to do half a job, he then balanced the rims on his lathe to ensure smooth running. The stock rims are bolted onto the steelies, which in turn mount to the vehicle’s standard rear hubs—wheel bearings be damned.  He also added his own rear fender flares to cover the now-wider track.

So, are the dual rear wheels a big boost to road-holding or load-bearing? “They’re mostly cosmetic,” he chuckles. “The van is mid-engined with full-time four-wheel-drive [though], so the duals add traction in Iowa’s snow and on Texas’s beaches.”

To those same ends, he gave the Previa a light safari treatment. It’s rocking a two inch lift, along with the mandatory roof racks, winch, and massive light bar up front. The latter was another custom fab job, as was the ladder at the rear for roof access. Just in case he needs to warn off livestock or wake up a small town, he’s also installed a nine-trumpet train horn that looks legit enough to deafen you.

As for the paint job, that’s not stock either. This build started as a junker with faded maroon paint. Todd set about a DIY paint job at home with a stack of “rattle cans from Monkeynards.” That’s how it’s done.

The final treat, though? It’s the rear door. Rather than stick with the sliding door, he gave it a vertically-opening door instead. It’s not something you could easily open in a tight parking space, but it is very cool. It relies on hinges at the top of the door frame and a pair of incredibly long gas struts.

Todd’s been using the vehicle for family roadtrips, taking it down to Texas for a recent Starship launch. The family camp in it regularly, so he’s set it up with five seats out of the total seven for now. He notes that it runs great and that it’s currently his daily driver.

Todd credits the Previa’s smooth running to his efforts on the lathe when building the dually rear wheels. “When spinning on lathe you could see wobbles in the factory steel wheel and no wobble in the gas pipe welded to the rim,” he says. “It must be spot on cause there’s no way to balance it when mounting the tire.”

However, at the same time, Todd’s ready to move on. He’s advertised the vehicle on Facebook Marketplace in Iowa, where it’s currently listed for $22,000. That’s a lot of money for a 1991 Toyota Previa, with most examples currently selling in the four-figure range according to Classic.com.

However, if you want a dope, lifted Previa with crazy doors and a dually rear-end setup, you’re not going to find another one. Is it worth it? That’s a call you’re just going to have to make on your own.

Image credits: Facebook Marketplace

Thanks to Chris Watnem for the tip!