Minivan for hauling plywood?

[Ernie Miller]

Years ago I swore I would never buy another Chrysler product. Times change. I'm now on my third Chrysler Grand Caravan and wouldn't be without it. 4x8 sheets - no problem. Middle and rear seats fold into the floor so no heavy lifting and seat storage problems. Best of all, after 8 years, not a single mechanical problem with any of the mini-vans. The Toyota and Honda mini-vans were just re-designed and decided against the stow-n-go seats. For me, that's a deal breaker - I'll stick with Chrysler and save a few bucks while I'm at it.

[Rick Thom]

As an alternative, have you considered buying yourself a good used landscape trailer instead for hauling material? It's easier to load/unload, carries more, doesn't beat up the interior of your people-carrier, can carry other stuff like some top soil/mulch, insulation etc, or a load of junk to the dump ... This way, you can buy the vehicle you like provided they have some towing capacity which most vans do. I think my old Chrysler mini-van had a 3500 lb towing capacity with no need for alterations except installing a proper hitch.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Ummmmm, from my perspective this needs qualifications.

First, I've owned a 2004 Sienna, and a 2010. (Both are from the same series. With the 2011 they changed the body so I have no idea about those units.)

#1 - you need to remove the middle seats. They do not tumble into the floor. Each one is around 50lbs, and they are awkward to remove. Be careful not to strain your back -- bent over in the van it is almost impossible to "lift with your legs" when removing them.

That's the main reason I cobbled this ugly thing together.
The seats are too big and akward for the blade on the two wheeler, but, with this ugly thing stuck on the blade they fit just fine.

BTW - speaking of 2004 to 2010 Siennas - have you had any problems with the sliding doors on yours?
Toyota admitted they are defective and they have extended the warranty on the doors for something like 10 years or 120,000 miles.

[Art Mulder]

That's the main reason I cobbled this ugly thing together.

For me the removal is the main thing. I find awkward and fiddly, and I'm mindful of my back.
Once they're out of the floor mounts, it's no big deal, since they just get moved about 2 ft from the van and put down on the floor of the garage.

BTW - speaking of 2004 to 2010 Siennas - have you had any problems with the sliding doors on yours?
Toyota admitted they are defective and they have extended the warranty on the doors for something like 10 years or 120,000 miles.

First I've heard of this. Can you provide a link or reference? We have the base SE model, with manual doors. They work fine. Was this in reference to power doors?

[Joe Scharle]

2009 Grand Caravan with Stow & Go seats that fold flat into the floor. I keep a cloth painters cloth in mine all the time to protect the carpet. I wish they had a rubber floor covering option! 4.0L V6 gets better mileage than the smaller engines from what I've read.

[Mike Heidrick]

+3. That's why we keep our Caravan around. 4x8 plywood, Laguna LT18 bandsaw. Unisaw, 14 inch delta RAS. You get the idea.

Towing or inside LOL?

[Bryan Slimp]

I was always considering how much a vehicle could haul, but lately I don't think it's worth it. The extra wear and tear, etc. doesn't justify the extra expense to me anymore. I don't haul too frequently. Menards, HD, and Lowes all rent trucks for a pretty good 75 minute rate here (and elsewhere I'm sure.) They are all over the city so even if I'm buying something from somewhere else they are usually close enough that I pop in, plunk down the money, and drive away. A couple of years ago I made eight or nine trips to HD to refresh the mulch in my yard. I could only safely haul about 16 bags of mulch at a time.

I don't have to haul plywood every day or even every month. If you are hauling often then I'd say it should be a consideration, but there are decent alternatives that could allow you access to a vehicle that you are more interested in.

Next vehicle here is going to be about fuel efficiency, can it fit the family, and can it make the weekly Costco trip.

[Michael Kellough]

Thanks for all the input guys!

I do regret that fuel efficiency has to go down the list of priorities. As a one man custom WWing shop in an urban area, I need to deliver finished good as well as haul raw stock (and the family). A minivan is the best option for me. If we lived in a suburban or rural area I'd go for the small fuel efficient vehicle and trailer.

So, I'm now looking for a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. There are plenty around here so the price is a few thousand dollars less than a 2005 Toyota Sienna. That difference will cover a bunch of the repairs I expect the Dodge to need compared to the Toyota (according to Consumer Reports).

I'm looking forward to not having to remove seats. Do you Grand Caravan guys know if the Stow-N-Go seats were standard on the 2005 model or an option I'll have to search for?

[mike holden]

I was working for Chrysler at that time (2005) and stow and go seats were optional extras on the 2005 models. They remained an option through 2010 when I left the company.
Mike

[Ernie Miller]

If you buy one without stow&go seats, you will kick yourself every time you have to remove the seats. Here's another reason to buy stow&go: Suppose you're out for a nice drive in the country and find a great, but unexpected deal on a piece of furniture (or whatever). Fold the seats into the floor and load 'er up. Without stow&go you'll either have to pass on the deal or trade seats for furniture.

[Doug Ladendorf]

I would love to get a pickup but it just isn't in the finance right now. I've been making due with our 2004 Honda Odyssey which performs kid duty most of the time but I'll take out the seats, throw down a sheet of OSB and haul machinery. The relatively low tail means less lifting which is great, especially when you can tilt something in. More than once I've gone to pick something up to be met with "That's what you are going to put it in?" I smile and say "Yup." then proceed to fit whatever it is with room to spare. As far as sheet goods though there is a clip on either side in the back that along with the front seat tilt only allows about two or three inches of material height at 4'x8'. Rarely an issue but it does mean I can't go pick up 10 sheets of something.

[Martin Jodoin]

Do you Grand Caravan guys know if the Stow-N-Go seats were standard on the 2005 model or an option I'll have to search for?

As mentioned by other post, it was an option. I don't have Stow-N-Go seats but honestly, i can remove the 4 seats in less than 1 minute. I am hobbiest, i don't mind doing this once in a while.
I say if you get a good deal with Stow-N-Go seats for the same price go for it but i would not spend more money for this.

[ray hampton]

As an alternative, have you considered buying yourself a good used landscape trailer instead for hauling material? It's easier to load/unload, carries more, doesn't beat up the interior of your people-carrier, can carry other stuff like some top soil/mulch, insulation etc, or a load of junk to the dump ... This way, you can buy the vehicle you like provided they have some towing capacity which most vans do. I think my old Chrysler mini-van had a 3500 lb towing capacity with no need for alterations except installing a proper hitch.

This is a good idea except the rain or snow weather, if you haul material on a trailer will a tarp keep it dry

[Michael Kellough]

Doug, can you close the gate on plywood in your Honda Odyssey?

[Michael Kellough]

Grand Caravan guys, my wife is telling me the "Japanese" minivans are more reliable (even though they're all made here). Have you guys had an inordinate amount of problems with your Grand Caravans?

The average price of a 2004 Sienna is $7700 around here. I could get a 2008 Grand Caravan for the same amount. Any comments?