[jayson]

Hi Everyone,

The family here is super excited for our latest addition, a 2022 Kia Carnival in Ceramic Silver. Though my spouse will be the primary super-user of this vehicle, I am excited to dig into it as well, exploring the nuances of the launch-year Carnival. Firstly, perhaps a bit on what lead us to purchase this vehicle. We have 3 soon to be teens and we were shopping everything in the 3-row SUV segment. The Honda Pilot was our primary option, with the Telluride running second. When covid hit, we put our plans on pause for a bit as we were not traveling as much as we were pre-pandemic. As the kids continued to grow, we both realized that even a Pilot would have been a mistake as the 3rd row would quickly become cramped. I found out about the Carnival from many of the 'car youtube' channels that I frequent. We checked it out at a local dealer and were totally sold on getting one (except at THAT local dealer, as they wanted a huge markup over MSRP). We were quickly able to locate our Ceramic Silver vehicle at Matt Blatt Kia in Toms River, NJ at a much more reasonable cost (MSRP plus a minor markup - a sign of the times...). To the dealership's credit though, markup aside it was one of the easiest and best car buying experiences I have ever had.

A bit about me, I am a bit of a car nut. I have owned various BMW's including M cars, Audi S cars, Hondas, trucks, CUV's, the list goes on and on. Currently, my 2019 Porsche 911 T is my baby, and I daily a 2019 CRV or 2006 Chevy Colorado beater truck. I also have an E36 M3 that I am in various stages of restoring, that thread can be found here on Bimmerforums if you are into such things.

Anyhow, enough about me, let's get on to the car.

As mentioned our spec is 2022 in Ceramic Silver. It has a dark interior - which hopefully will be easier keeping clean considering the 3 kids and their friends. Oh, one more thing about me, car detailing is a bit of a passion of mine, so we will talk about that some more in these posts as well.

Our Carnival on delivery day:

The sales team was great at walking us through how to set everything up:

Home just in time for a wash with its siblings. Yes my garage is a disaster at the moment. 😂

I am super impressed with the finishes on the interior, even if it is going to be a fingerprint magnet.

Honestly, I'd rather be sitting back here!

(My)CRV v. (Her)Carnival, a showdown of the daily drivers in the Costco parking lot:

 

[jayson]

So as we have been getting more accustomed to the car, I have been tinkering with a few 'mods' as I tend to do. First up, I want to play around with some in-car wifi solutions. Yes we have a Verizon hotspot, but given that my parents have retired to a rural area of South Carolina, and my spouses parents in a similar rural area out in PA, having options that account for alternate networks for signal is a good solution to test.

I've started by picking up one of these ~$70 GL.iNet Slate routers

The idea here is you can tether any device to it via USB (we have Verizon, ATT, and Tmo across our various devices). We will be testing this out on an upcoming trip. There is lots of information on LTE HACKS - Index page that I will not get into here, but it's fun to nerd out a bit on different options. In the future, I think I would like to try having a fixed 5G modem w SIM for full unlimited internet when camping / etc.

I taped it here (it fell down later):

Next up, one of the interesting things I noticed is that the LP Aventure LP1's w/ Pirelli All Terrain Tires that I have on my CRV are the same offset / size as what is on the Carnival. How about an All-Terrain Carnival?

Test Fit:

I think it looks pretty cool! I need to get some new hub-centric rings that fit the KIA, but I am really happy with how it came together. If only we had an AWD option. Def a good option for wintertime or camping. Now to shop for a small lift. 🤔

Lastly, de-badged the front and the rear trunk in prep for some PPF. Everyone around me is backed up by months, so this may not actually get done until we return from our trip. The hood looks cleaner without the badge. Also axed the carnival badge on the rear.

Wheels back on, a bit of a foam wash to tidy everything up:

Next up, Crossbars for the roof rack and my roof cargo box should be arriving soon.

 

[Phantasm22]

Welcome to the forums! One of the annoying things I’ve found is that even setting my phone to the hotspot mode, I have to re-enter the credentials every time in the rear seat monitors. You’ll have to let us know if the Slate works better.

 

[jayson]

Welcome to the forums! One of the annoying things I’ve found is that even setting my phone to the hotspot mode, I have to re-enter the credentials every time in the rear seat monitors. You’ll have to let us know if the Slate works better.

Thanks! Def will update, having the fixed wifi router should solve for the connection issue. Why Kia didn’t put in-car wifi I have no idea. Perhaps it has to do with the ongoing chip shortages.

 

[Leshemdoc]

So as we have been getting more accustomed to the car, I have been tinkering with a few 'mods' as I tend to do. First up, I want to play around with some in-car wifi solutions. Yes we have a Verizon hotspot, but given that my parents have retired to a rural area of South Carolina, and my spouses parents in a similar rural area out in PA, having options that account for alternate networks for signal is a good solution to test.

I've started by picking up one of these ~$70 GL.iNet Slate routers

The idea here is you can tether any device to it via USB (we have Verizon, ATT, and Tmo across our various devices). We will be testing this out on an upcoming trip. There is lots of information on LTE HACKS - Index page that I will not get into here, but it's fun to nerd out a bit on different options. In the future, I think I would like to try having a fixed 5G modem w SIM for full unlimited internet when camping / etc.

I taped it here (it fell down later):

Next up, one of the interesting things I noticed is that the LP Aventure LP1's w/ Pirelli All Terrain Tires that I have on my CRV are the same offset / size as what is on the Carnival. How about an All-Terrain Carnival?

Test Fit:

I think it looks pretty cool! I need to get some new hub-centric rings that fit the KIA, but I am really happy with how it came together. If only we had an AWD option. Def a good option for wintertime or camping. Now to shop for a small lift. 🤔

Lastly, de-badged the front and the rear trunk in prep for some PPF. Everyone around me is backed up by months, so this may not actually get done until we return from our trip. The hood looks cleaner without the badge. Also axed the carnival badge on the rear.

Wheels back on, a bit of a foam wash to tidy everything up:

Next up, Crossbars for the roof rack and my roof cargo box should be arriving soon.

What crossbars are you planning to get and what size?

 

[VanPappa]

In terms maneuverability, a massive advantage of the minivan is the stumpy noise. I was concerned that Kia would extend the hood in its SUV styling mission, your photo comparing to the Honda put those fears to rest.

It’s strangely very difficult to get hood measurements for cars.

 

[jayson]

In terms maneuverability, a massive advantage of the minivan is the stumpy noise. I was concerned that Kia would extend the hood in its SUV styling mission, your photo comparing to the Honda put those fears to rest.

It’s strangely very difficult to get hood measurements for cars.

This is a great point, the visibility out of the Carnival certainly is remarkable.

 

[SilverBullet]

So as we have been getting more accustomed to the car, I have been tinkering with a few 'mods' as I tend to do. First up, I want to play around with some in-car wifi solutions. Yes we have a Verizon hotspot, but given that my parents have retired to a rural area of South Carolina, and my spouses parents in a similar rural area out in PA, having options that account for alternate networks for signal is a good solution to test.

I've started by picking up one of these ~$70 GL.iNet Slate routers

The idea here is you can tether any device to it via USB (we have Verizon, ATT, and Tmo across our various devices). We will be testing this out on an upcoming trip. There is lots of information on LTE HACKS - Index page that I will not get into here, but it's fun to nerd out a bit on different options. In the future, I think I would like to try having a fixed 5G modem w SIM for full unlimited internet when camping / etc.

I taped it here (it fell down later):

Next up, one of the interesting things I noticed is that the LP Aventure LP1's w/ Pirelli All Terrain Tires that I have on my CRV are the same offset / size as what is on the Carnival. How about an All-Terrain Carnival?

Test Fit:

I think it looks pretty cool! I need to get some new hub-centric rings that fit the KIA, but I am really happy with how it came together. If only we had an AWD option. Def a good option for wintertime or camping. Now to shop for a small lift. 🤔

Lastly, de-badged the front and the rear trunk in prep for some PPF. Everyone around me is backed up by months, so this may not actually get done until we return from our trip. The hood looks cleaner without the badge. Also axed the carnival badge on the rear.

Wheels back on, a bit of a foam wash to tidy everything up:

Next up, Crossbars for the roof rack and my roof cargo box should be arriving soon.

The LP Aventure LP1's w/ Pirelli All Terrain Tires look REALLY Good!!! This is the look I wanted to go for....could you please let me know what the specs are on the tires and wheels?

 

[jayson]

The LP Aventure LP1's w/ Pirelli All Terrain Tires look REALLY Good!!! This is the look I wanted to go for....could you please let me know what the specs are on the tires and wheels?

Here are the wheels, 5x114.3 et35 - I am working on figuring out what size the hub-centric ring needs to be for the Kia hub. The center bore of the wheel is 79.9mm.

LP Aventure wheels - LP1 - 17x7.5 ET35 5x114.3 - Matte Black

Model LP1 Size 17x7.5 Offset 35 Bolt pattern 5x114.3 Color Matte Black LP Aventure is proud to offer its range of wheels. Inspired by our passion for overlanding, off-roading and our rallying history, the LP Aventure wheels are stylish and strong and will give a look that stands out. The...

lpaventure.com

The tires are 245/65/17.

 

[SilverBullet]

Here are the wheels, 5x114.3 et35 - I am working on figuring out what size the hub-centric ring needs to be for the Kia hub. The center bore of the wheel is 79.9mm.

LP Aventure wheels - LP1 - 17x7.5 ET35 5x114.3 - Matte Black

Model LP1 Size 17x7.5 Offset 35 Bolt pattern 5x114.3 Color Matte Black LP Aventure is proud to offer its range of wheels. Inspired by our passion for overlanding, off-roading and our rallying history, the LP Aventure wheels are stylish and strong and will give a look that stands out. The...

lpaventure.com

The tires are 245/65/17.

Thank you sir, I am digging the look!

If you eventually put these on the Carnival, what's gonna go on the CRV?

 

[jayson]

Thank you sir, I am digging the look!

If you eventually put these on the Carnival, what's gonna go on the CRV?

You got it! The CRV is lease ends next year, I may throw the stock wheels back on or just sell it to Carvana (it's crazy what they are offering at the moment). The all-terrain setup is perfect for that car though, AWD, great for trails around here and the horrible winters. I've been eying the new Bronco or even Land Rover Defender (in a perfect world). Still waiting to see if we are going back to the office full-time post covid. Can always drive my beater truck if need be. (yes there are too many cars in this house).

 

[devex]

Lastly, de-badged the front and the rear trunk in prep for some PPF. Everyone around me is backed up by months, so this may not actually get done until we return from our trip. The hood looks cleaner without the badge. Also axed the carnival badge on the rear.

Which PPF do you plan to use? I learned that XPEL pre-cut isn't available yet.

 

[jayson]

Which PPF do you plan to use? I learned that XPEL pre-cut isn't available yet.

My install is next week, unfortunately, I am on a time constraint due to our upcoming road trip to South Carolina so 3M (8mil) film is going on. Ideally, I would like to have Suntek Ultra, Stek, or Xpel Ultimate (in that order). Suntek Ultra is on my 911 and I highly recommend it, I had Xpel Ultimate on my prior M3 and it was great but the clarity isn't nearly as good as Suntek. I am having the hood, bumper, mirrors, and rear bumper done. All of the installers in my area that can install the films I want are booked out by months. For this car I care more about the protection vs. looks of the film so I am not going to be as picky. It will be a good experiment and maybe I will learn something new.

Regarding templates, I always recommend having your installer bulk it. It may cost more, but as long as the installer is experienced they tend to do a better job of wrapping edges / etc. That said, PPF is an art and I know many installers modify templates to make more room for edges / etc. If an installer tells you he cant install on your car because there is no template, then you need to find a better PPF guy.

 

[devex]

My install is next week, unfortunately, I am on a time constraint due to our upcoming road trip to South Carolina so 3M (8mil) film is going on. Ideally, I would like to have Suntek Ultra, Stek, or Xpel Ultimate (in that order). Suntek Ultra is on my 911 and I highly recommend it, I had Xpel Ultimate on my prior M3 and it was great but the clarity isn't nearly as good as Suntek. I am having the hood, bumper, mirrors, and rear bumper done. All of the installers in my area that can install the films I want are booked out by months. For this car I care more about the protection vs. looks of the film so I am not going to be as picky. It will be a good experiment and maybe I will learn something new.

Regarding templates, I always recommend having your installer bulk it. It may cost more, but as long as the installer is experienced they tend to do a better job of wrapping edges / etc. That said, PPF is an art and I know many installers modify templates to make more room for edges / etc. If an installer tells you he cant install on your car because there is no template, then you need to find a better PPF guy.

Thanks a lot for the detailed response. Let me learn a bit more about Suntek and others. How do you find a good installer (zip code is 30075)? I was just going to sift through yelp and google reviews, new to all this - any help appreciated!

 

[jayson]

Thanks a lot for the detailed response. Let me learn a bit more about Suntek and others. How do you find a good installer (zip code is 30075)? I was just going to sift through yelp and google reviews, new to all this - any help appreciated!

Def check google reviews, dedicated shops that only do film is a plus. The Porsche community is a great resource to find good installers. Here is a thread on Rennlist that discusses a lot of shops in your area.

 

[duscatu]

Quick Q re: debadging => Front emblem must be glued on. Same with the rear one I assume?

 

[jayson]

Quick Q re: debadging => Front emblem must be glued on. Same with the rear one I assume?

Yes, all 3 are adhesive, but I left the rear tailight KIA badge on. Use fishing line first to cut through the adhesive then remove with mix of a heat gun and adhesive remover. I used 3M adhesive remover in the aerosol can. Word of warning, the hood badge has some very sharp edges to it, DO NOT pry it up as it will dig into the paint on the opposite end. Ask me how I know. 😒

 

[jayson]

What crossbars are you planning to get and what size?

I considered going with Thule crossbars but ended up going with the OE Kia ones. They should be here tomorrow or Thursday. The price was a tad high but I figure they will fit the best. Peace of mind when traveling down the highway with a cargo box over your head.

 

[duscatu]

Yes, all 3 are adhesive, but I left the rear tailight KIA badge on. Use fishing line first to cut through the adhesive then remove with mix of a heat gun and adhesive remover. I used 3M adhesive remover in the aerosol can. Word of warning, the hood badge has some very sharp edges to it, DO NOT pry it up as it will dig into the paint on the opposite end. Ask me how I know. 😒

Thanks for the tip(s)!

 

[SilverBullet]

You got it! The CRV is lease ends next year, I may throw the stock wheels back on or just sell it to Carvana (it's crazy what they are offering at the moment). The all-terrain setup is perfect for that car though, AWD, great for trails around here and the horrible winters. I've been eying the new Bronco or even Land Rover Defender (in a perfect world). Still waiting to see if we are going back to the office full-time post covid. Can always drive my beater truck if need be. (yes there are too many cars in this house).

Yea it is perfect for that CRV. The new Bronco is not bad but the Land Rover Defender...that is an awesome car, love how it looks. You definitely have a lot of cars, but it must be nice to get to drive something different on the daily.

I hope we never go back to the office to be honest, I am just fine working from home.