Who says you need a truck!

[chocktaw2]

View attachment 144930
Oops !
View attachment 144931
I think I can , I think I can.

It's the bracket he installed. Hillibilly fix.

 

[OurDee]

I have always had a truck. Last go round I decided I'm gonna try a car for awhile.Now Everytime I need something more than groceries I kick myself for not having a truck...Or at least a minivan.

All you need is a trailer hitch and a 4x7 trailer for most things. I rarely use the van. Instead I take the jeep renegade/toaster jeep and a little open trailer.

 

[russc2542]

I towed a 20' pontoon boat with a Dodge minivan with a 6 cylinder through the Smokey Mountains. I do not recommend it. Unless you enjoy driving in passing gear constantly.

What else would you tow in? How do you think my subaru feels on my way through the hills of brown county when I left the tow rating at home? OD is for empty. The 6 speed auto in the 5th gen chryslers at least has more and much wide gear ratios. 1st is almost a granny gear and OD is a real OD. 4th and 5th are for towing without feeling like the engine's going to explode. It's a terrible transmission to drive with slow, sloppy, jerky shifts and abominable e-throttle letoff but it has decent ratios at least.

 

[mom45]

We don't need no stinkin' mini van. Just had a small load to pick up that day.

 

[actaeon277]

 

[actaeon277]

 

[indyartisan]

 

[Ark]

My family owned Ford minivans for several years. Towed a ski boat with them and hauled countless loads of laid-flat drywall and lumber.

This was before fold-flat seats, when you had to take the seats out and find somewhere to pile them up in the garage.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

What else would you tow in? How do you think my subaru feels on my way through the hills of brown county when I left the tow rating at home? OD is for empty. The 6 speed auto in the 5th gen chryslers at least has more and much wide gear ratios. 1st is almost a granny gear and OD is a real OD. 4th and 5th are for towing without feeling like the engine's going to explode. It's a terrible transmission to drive with slow, sloppy, jerky shifts and abominable e-throttle letoff but it has decent ratios at least.

This was back in the late 90's. I don't even remember what year the van was, but I'm guessing no newer than late 80's or early 90's. I never used OD (I don't really remember if it even had it). By "passing gear", I meant that the tranny would downshift and the RPM's would get close to red-lining. Heck, it would sometimes do that on level ground if I was heading into the wind.

Towing that pontoon is like towing a parachute behind your vehicle. Even my 97 Dodge Ram (5.9 liter V8 with tow package) does the downshifting thing on hills or into a strong headwind.

 

[russc2542]

This was back in the late 90's. I don't even remember what year the van was, but I'm guessing no newer than late 80's or early 90's. I never used OD (I don't really remember if it even had it). By "passing gear", I meant that the tranny would downshift and the RPM's would get close to red-lining. Heck, it would sometimes do that on level ground if I was heading into the wind.

Towing that pontoon is like towing a parachute behind your vehicle. Even my 97 Dodge Ram (5.9 liter V8 with tow package) does the downshifting thing on hills or into a strong headwind.

Usually 90s means 4 speed but I wouldn't put it past chrysler to have put a 3 speed in the early part of the decade. I know what you mean by passing gear. When you only have 3 or 4 gears, you don't get much selection for a given speed, if you only had a 3 speed auto, you're in 2nd on the highway lol. I guess most of my loads have been pretty dense... heavy but compact rather than moderate weight but a parachute. Wet mulch, firewood, steel tractor.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

Sometimes a utility trailer will work... Here's my daily driver, a 2003 Mercury Marauder after getting home with the new to me YJ tub for my 1980 CJ7 build.








Today I'm headed to Superman square over in Metropolis, IL to pick up an old Meyer top a guy is bringing up from TX. Been looking for one of these for about 2 years... They look like this.

 

[HoughMade]

Y'know, life isn't just about what you need.

For years, when I picked up dimensional lumber I had it sticking out the sunroof of my Grand Am. Then, I used the wife's minivan (a Venture at that time...also fit 4x8 sheets). Both got the job done. No complaints. However, I've had my Silverado for over 10 years and have not used the minivan for DIY since. Not the T & C and not the Pacifica.

Sure, they work fine if need be, but I wanted a truck even though I didn't need it and even though I get, maybe, 22 MPG on the highway with a tailwind. I now want another truck...but I'm trying to wait out the craziness.

 

[Bigtanker]

Stopped by Goodwill and they had a nice couch for $20. It was raining and didn't want to put it in my truck.

So went and got the minivan and it fit nicely. I didn't even have to move my seat up.

 

[wingrider1800]

All you need now is shag carped on the sides and roof.

 

[cburnworth]

I love the minivans. i love stow & go seats. driving home one day picked up a credensa & hutch for my sons desk, it was free( and it was damn heavy. I also love the cargo carrier on top, i have had 4 ladders and multiple 2x4's & 2x6's on top. They are a beast. towing traction is def an issue. I have an older envoy also & that thing rides lower then the can and not as much room. Oh, and for scouters it will hold 2 pallets of popcorn inside!!!

 

[jsx1043]

I love the minivans. i love stow & go seats. driving home one day picked up a credensa & hutch for my sons desk, it was free( and it was damn heavy. I also love the cargo carrier on top, i have had 4 ladders and multiple 2x4's & 2x6's on top. They are a beast. towing traction is def an issue. I have an older envoy also & that thing rides lower then the can and not as much room. Oh, and for scouters it will hold 2 pallets of popcorn inside!!!

(Former Cubmaster Jamie shudders)

 

[Biggredchev]

Pshh, you dont need all that for a couch...

 

[Leo]

My first home was a "handyman special". I had little money and no knowledge about houses. It turned out to need EVERYTHING fixed. I didn't have a pickup, just a Mustang. I first borrowed and then bought a non tilt 5 X 8 trailer. Car wheels, would carry an honest 1000 lbs, maybe a little more. Dragged that trailer of building materials on a pretty regular basis. That was my truck for about 20 years.

I know there has to be other old guys that remember that little Volkswagon magazine the was 1/2 the size as a regular magazine? They had a story about a woman who built a house in the mountains of California, hauling all the materials in her bug, including bags of concrete and bricks. Every night after work she would pick up as much materials as she dared, and took them up to the property. . She had a shelf where the back seat would be and a roof rack.

I would not have done it that way but I never got featured in the magazine either.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I love the minivans. i love stow & go seats. driving home one day picked up a credensa & hutch for my sons desk, it was free( and it was damn heavy. I also love the cargo carrier on top, i have had 4 ladders and multiple 2x4's & 2x6's on top. They are a beast. towing traction is def an issue. I have an older envoy also & that thing rides lower then the can and not as much room. Oh, and for scouters it will hold 2 pallets of popcorn inside!!!

For Girl scout parents, they will hold well over 600 cases of cookies. I think we had something like 650ish and there was still room.

(Former Cubmaster Jamie shudders)

I know the feeling.

And you can also haul mini horses in them. I didn't but my son delivered one for a birthday present and took 2 at once somewhere else.

 

[KellyinAvon]

All you need now is shag carped on the sides and roof.

SS Cragars and a mural of a Viking will complete the look.