True. All three of my children were in car seats when we got our Caravan (1985), and all three got to drive it when they turned 17. Lasted about four more years after last kid drove it.
Had a 2000 Caravan, was the toughest vehicle I ever owned, pushrod V6, all iron block. Ended up driving it onto the trailer to haul it to the junkyard after I was done with it. I bought another minivan to replace it.
My aunt had that generation of the Dodge Caravan. Though about buying the van when she was looking for a new one but never did. Even at 15 years old and well over 200,000 miles, it could cross the country without any problems. Didn't even have a leak.
I took the wheels off and they unloaded it with a giant claw, it caved the roof in and smashed a few windows. It was high mileage at the time just under 300k I should have sold it but wanted the cool alloy rims. They will look Grand on my new Van. :)
I think only GM made anything like that, with their rear-wheel drive minivans. Chrysler never made anything like that: they were always unibody designs, and Chrysler invented the minivan.
I am not saying you are wrong, just remember the minivan being a safety nightmare as they were a Chrysler unibody design, like u/FormerGraveheart said.
I'd love to learn that there was a different branch to this story that up until now I have been unaware.
I have never heard of a minivan on a ladder frame. Full size vans yes, never a minivan.
Hell I don't think they even use ladder frames on anything in Europe anymore as they consider a truck/ladder chassis overkill. Only reason we still use them is for towing capacity.
First car was a 2003 dodge caravan. Never changed the oil or got a check up for 4 years (stupid college kid att) that thing refused to die. I had to scrap it for cash eventually, but it was still going strong.
Other drivers did not. We sold ours because we got tired of the constant road rage. We put gun stickers on the back which helped a ton but that didn't stop people from raging in the front.
I remember this one guy raging for no reason. His tuned changed real quick when he saw the "Georgia Gun Owner" and "Smith & Wesson" and the stick family of rifles. LOL!
Other drivers did not. We sold ours because we got tired of the constant road rage.
When I was riding bikes and saw a "mini-van'r", I would always give them room and wait for my moment to twist the throttle and zip past them. They were always swerving all over the road, not staying in their lane and that's because when you looked over at them, you'd see a completely distracted driver talking or yelling at 4 kids in the car while also talking on their phone.
... Of course I'm exaggerating. But I really did try to avoid them. Any bikers will attest to this.
Take the seats out, put a blanket down, you got a shag wagon.
Can confirm. Back in the Seventies, my cousin had a van, decked out in full Whorehouse-On-Wheels decor. Mattress, purple velour upholstery, crystal carriage lights on the walls, the works.
I never asked him how often it got him laid, but I don't think he would have spent all that money for nothing.
Females that spawned aberrant sackless male-like but not actual male offspring. Lacking testicles, studies have shown the offsprings' scrotum conceals their vagina... Consequently, these aberrants are constantly looking for new methods of getting fucked.
I found out while buying a van a few years back that the van market has been taken over by SUVs. Deals on new or used vans suck and thanks to the cash for clunkers a lot of older cheap ones arent on the market anymore. It would be great if vans became popular and we had a good used market again. Theyre good for hauling kids or work material.
Replaced with the Pacifica. I'm not a minivan guy, own only sports/sporty 2 door cars.
Have driven many many town and countrys, caravans, and pacificas and they are extremely versatile, comfortable, and peppy. The Pentastar V6 is no joke especially with the 9 speed transmission.
Having seats fold into the floor so you have full flat cargo capacity is a pretty sweet deal, and all the electronic abilities and features are awesome.
I had a Caravan rental for a month while my truck was in the body shop a couple years back. I used to enjoy going out to the parking lot at work on lunch and taking naps in the back with all the seats folded into the floor. Pretty sweet.
Only problem, most minivans have a heavily slanted windshield and deep dashboard - too much sun/heat gets in the van - hard to cool, and if you don't have working a/c on the older vans, the window designs don't allow good air flow through the cabin.
The irony of the left bitching about all this is that THEY created this situation in the first place. They protect the law-breakers among them and attack the police coming to lawfully arrest them. Do they think LEOs are just going to say, "welp, that was hard, guess we'll give up"?
I'm about as libertarian and distrustful of government overreach as anyone, but law and order is necessary and the response to these "protests" is warranted. If the vans don't work anymore, I think they should switch to helicopters.
Bonus: Do I have to mention the irony of protecting the bad eggs among their crowd while protesting institutionalized police brutality (and by extension, the cops who protect bad cops among their numbers)? If the left didn't have shitty principles, they'd have absolutely no principles at all. It's almost like these are the shitty fucked up kids we were warned we'd get a couple decades ago.
I am working on fixing a minivan. I was going to be proud to drive it since it is so nice, fully loaded, plus will only run after a bunch of work (fruits of my labor and such) now I will be proud to drive one because it is a symbol of Law and Order.
I don't know what sticker to put on it yet any advice?
Imagine what it’s like riding in one of those with someone who was just arrested. I imagine they have to hold them down in their seat as they squirm around screaming.
Minivans are very versatile vehicles.
Either way they are still picking up bratty kids, so not that versatile.
truth
The old Dodge minivans would last forever.
True. All three of my children were in car seats when we got our Caravan (1985), and all three got to drive it when they turned 17. Lasted about four more years after last kid drove it.
Dad?
Mom
Had a 2000 Caravan, was the toughest vehicle I ever owned, pushrod V6, all iron block. Ended up driving it onto the trailer to haul it to the junkyard after I was done with it. I bought another minivan to replace it.
My aunt had that generation of the Dodge Caravan. Though about buying the van when she was looking for a new one but never did. Even at 15 years old and well over 200,000 miles, it could cross the country without any problems. Didn't even have a leak.
Me too! Patriot blue. The kids called it 'The Pineapple.'
I took the wheels off and they unloaded it with a giant claw, it caved the roof in and smashed a few windows. It was high mileage at the time just under 300k I should have sold it but wanted the cool alloy rims. They will look Grand on my new Van. :)
I remember when minivans were made on truck chassis, back in the early days,, and it made them stiffer and rugged-er.
Same with SUVs.
Now they are just made like cars, sad.
I think only GM made anything like that, with their rear-wheel drive minivans. Chrysler never made anything like that: they were always unibody designs, and Chrysler invented the minivan.
Ford's Aerostar was rear wheel drive.
Can we get a source on that?
I am not saying you are wrong, just remember the minivan being a safety nightmare as they were a Chrysler unibody design, like u/FormerGraveheart said.
I'd love to learn that there was a different branch to this story that up until now I have been unaware.
I have never heard of a minivan on a ladder frame. Full size vans yes, never a minivan.
Hell I don't think they even use ladder frames on anything in Europe anymore as they consider a truck/ladder chassis overkill. Only reason we still use them is for towing capacity.
First car was a 2003 dodge caravan. Never changed the oil or got a check up for 4 years (stupid college kid att) that thing refused to die. I had to scrap it for cash eventually, but it was still going strong.
We loved our minivans.
Other drivers did not. We sold ours because we got tired of the constant road rage. We put gun stickers on the back which helped a ton but that didn't stop people from raging in the front.
I remember this one guy raging for no reason. His tuned changed real quick when he saw the "Georgia Gun Owner" and "Smith & Wesson" and the stick family of rifles. LOL!
When I was riding bikes and saw a "mini-van'r", I would always give them room and wait for my moment to twist the throttle and zip past them. They were always swerving all over the road, not staying in their lane and that's because when you looked over at them, you'd see a completely distracted driver talking or yelling at 4 kids in the car while also talking on their phone.
... Of course I'm exaggerating. But I really did try to avoid them. Any bikers will attest to this.
You would think they would at least get jaywalking citations by the minivan full.
why are there so many comments on this lol
Take the seats out, you got a truck.
Take the seats out, put a blanket down, you got a shag wagon.
Take the middle seats out, you got a limo.
Drop the rear seats and you have a road trip vehicle.
You can also apparently black hood commies with a minivan.
Can confirm. Back in the Seventies, my cousin had a van, decked out in full Whorehouse-On-Wheels decor. Mattress, purple velour upholstery, crystal carriage lights on the walls, the works.
I never asked him how often it got him laid, but I don't think he would have spent all that money for nothing.
When I first met my husband, he drove a van
Shaggin Wagon
True
A minivan pulls up to a group of commies rioting...
Commie 1: I gotta go guys. My grandma is here to pick me up...
Minivan door opens, revealing feds inside.....
Commie 1: Fuuuuuuu....
Commie 1: Don’t touch Gramma’s vest!
runs over commie
"Ka-chow!"
FOR TOWN AND COUNTRY!
There are fewer moms now due to the woke left so the van manufacturers had to pivot.
Females that spawned aberrant sackless male-like but not actual male offspring. Lacking testicles, studies have shown the offsprings' scrotum conceals their vagina... Consequently, these aberrants are constantly looking for new methods of getting fucked.
In a free market economy, adaptation is key to survival.
How many sides of beef can you fit in that bad boy?
All of them
Don't know about sides of beef but you'll be surprised by the number smashed phones and acid washed servers you can fit in one.
There's a luggage rack, don't forget.
Ka Chow!
Liberal soccer moms find out Federal LE use them, sell theirs and buy Priuses.
Based soccer moms get MAGA wraps and gun racks for their minivans.
MAGA Moms drill the kids on how to use the weapons stockpile to defend the vehicle. Six kids, six guns. Turn a Honda Odyssey into a suburban APC.
So this particular arrestee was likely an informant or undercover being extracted due to cover blown or about to be blown?
interesting thought.
Does this work in reverse if you want to tactically INfiltrate into a riot?
e.g. pull up in a minivan, unzip duffle bag, don tactical gear, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNiUz4XufsY
We should make a sort of 'Minute Men' like organization that will readily send 1000 guys in pickups where-ever necessary anywhere in the country...
Black Truck Regiment or something
I found out while buying a van a few years back that the van market has been taken over by SUVs. Deals on new or used vans suck and thanks to the cash for clunkers a lot of older cheap ones arent on the market anymore. It would be great if vans became popular and we had a good used market again. Theyre good for hauling kids or work material.
Chrysler has reportedly discontinued the venerable Caravan marque after this model year.
Replaced with the Pacifica. I'm not a minivan guy, own only sports/sporty 2 door cars.
Have driven many many town and countrys, caravans, and pacificas and they are extremely versatile, comfortable, and peppy. The Pentastar V6 is no joke especially with the 9 speed transmission.
Having seats fold into the floor so you have full flat cargo capacity is a pretty sweet deal, and all the electronic abilities and features are awesome.
I had a Caravan rental for a month while my truck was in the body shop a couple years back. I used to enjoy going out to the parking lot at work on lunch and taking naps in the back with all the seats folded into the floor. Pretty sweet.
Only problem, most minivans have a heavily slanted windshield and deep dashboard - too much sun/heat gets in the van - hard to cool, and if you don't have working a/c on the older vans, the window designs don't allow good air flow through the cabin.
I always thought the Pacifica had a very wide wheelbase whenever I saw one.
The minivan least likely to flip.
Those white vans are still plenty common to get your hands on one.
I'm sorry to say all the typical mini-vans are in Minnesota (Somalia).. for some reason immigrants LOVE minivans are buy them all up like hotcakes.
In Houston beater minivans are popular with a certain demographic; we call them Mexi-vans.
I have no idea why we call them that.
Must be because they're made there.... or something
I approve this message.
Instead of stow and go storage they have throw and go storage
Great for Family outings, shopping, Removing terrorists and other mentally ill threats from our streets!
Chuckin' commies like a side of beef
Somehow, I started to like this post.
The best cars are Suburbans but they are expensive!
I wonder what the best economical car is?
The irony of the left bitching about all this is that THEY created this situation in the first place. They protect the law-breakers among them and attack the police coming to lawfully arrest them. Do they think LEOs are just going to say, "welp, that was hard, guess we'll give up"?
I'm about as libertarian and distrustful of government overreach as anyone, but law and order is necessary and the response to these "protests" is warranted. If the vans don't work anymore, I think they should switch to helicopters.
Bonus: Do I have to mention the irony of protecting the bad eggs among their crowd while protesting institutionalized police brutality (and by extension, the cops who protect bad cops among their numbers)? If the left didn't have shitty principles, they'd have absolutely no principles at all. It's almost like these are the shitty fucked up kids we were warned we'd get a couple decades ago.
M M-V G A!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78InPT4iqlw
I want to support American automotive, but getting over a quarter of a million miles on a Honda is hard to beat.
Just slap in a new timing belt every 100k miles and they run forever. We need better quality in the US plants.
I am working on fixing a minivan. I was going to be proud to drive it since it is so nice, fully loaded, plus will only run after a bunch of work (fruits of my labor and such) now I will be proud to drive one because it is a symbol of Law and Order.
I don't know what sticker to put on it yet any advice?
Was going to go with something funnier than this.
https://www.johnnylawmotors.com/assets/product-images/742604/750.png
Oh yeah, you can do better than that.
"hey, why is that soccer mom wearing a helmet and body armor....oh shit!"
Get in boys! We're making commies splatter again!
https://images.app.goo.gl/aSBGmsAbBJjsb5XY6
Did a commie just become asphalt paint or something?
Imagine what it’s like riding in one of those with someone who was just arrested. I imagine they have to hold them down in their seat as they squirm around screaming.
I logged in just to upvote this!
Mom still has one; 23 years old; used it for her business.
Nah man. Full size RWD V8 or V10 Van is where it's at!
Only when they're cracking down on lawlessness.