In last week’s column, I expressed my opinion on the electric car. This week is a light-hearted look at the medium of transport that has occupied my garage more than any other vehicle.
For this, I have Lee Iacocca to thank. He brought what was known as the “Mini-Max” project from Ford when he took over the reins at Chrysler in 1979. That became the highly successful Dodge Caravan.
According to Wikipedia, the Dodge Caravan, manufactured by Chrysler, “is the second longest-lived Dodge nameplate (exceeded only by the Dodge Charger).”
Dodge produced five generations of the Caravan over 36 years from 1984 to 2020. Many locals commuted to Chrysler’s plant in Fenton from 1987 until 2007 to build the popular van. Worldwide, Chrysler sold over 14.6 million minivans.
When you consider our three publications, Warden Publishing Co. and I have owned six Chrysler minivans. I still have the titles of four of them.
The newspaper bought its first Caravan in 1986. This first generation Caravan was purchased as a delivery van. A short wheel-based version of the Caravan — before the production of the Grand Caravan — it had a difficult time handling the weight.
To rectify this problem, a local mechanic — Dwayne Schneider — installed a second set of leaf springs onto the back wheels. With a load, the van now handled great. Without five to six hundred pounds of newsprint, it looked like a jacked-up muscle car from the early 70s. Although it looked odd, it got the job done.
After the birth of our third child, Abigail Catherine, in 1995, Connie and I purchased one for our garage. It was a blue 1993 Plymouth Grand Voyager (second-generation minivan) from Jack’s Auto Sales in Steelville.
Since that purchase, there has always been at least one minivan parked in our garage.
In 2001 we traded off the Voyager for a 1998 Grand Caravan Sport from West Brother’s Chrysler in Sullivan. This third-generation model came with rear heat and cooling and the addition of a driver’s side rear sliding door.
In 2012 we took advantage of President Barack Obama’s Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), known as “cash for clunkers.” I traded in an old 4-wheel drive Nissan Pathfinder for our only brand new minivan, a 2012 model from Barreth Chrysler in Washington.
This fifth-generation minivan included the popular Stow ‘n Go rear seats, plus our first minivan with windows that opened in the rear-sliding doors.
In 2018 the newspaper purchased a fourth-generation Caravan for delivery. It’s a 2007 model.
Connie and I now have the last Caravan we will ever own — since they were discontinued in 2020 — a 2019 model. We purchased this one used from Jim Trenary Chevrolet in Union.
The ‘98 model is currently delivering newspapers at the office in Owensville. Among other little fixes, it needs a new suspension system and the air conditioning doesn’t work. But, I still love to drive it.
The 2012 now delivers newspapers from the Linn office.
Over the years, our Caravans have taken us safely around the country on vacations, helped move our children to Wisconsin, New Jersey and Indiana, and moved our oldest home from Yuma, Arizona.
When our children were growing up, the three rows of seats did a great job separating them on long road trips.
Minivans have taken our family camping. They have hauled our children to acro meets, baseball and soccer games, just like you see in commercials.
The 1993 van transported our family — including three bicycles — for a week’s vacation in North Carolina. The 2012 delivered six passengers and luggage — with the help of a luggage carrier on the roof — to Florida and back.
Borrowing a neighbor’s third row three-passenger bench seat for the second row, we turned the 7-passenger 1998 van into an 8-passenger van.
We have strapped Christmas trees, luggage and kayaks on the roof. With the seats down, we have hauled fire-wood, 4 foot by 8 foot sheets of plywood, and anything else that would fit there.
Chrysler replaced the Caravan with the Pacifica. Unfortunately, this minivan has a lower ground clearance and won’t make it down our driveway without bottoming out.
The Grand Caravan is the perfect vehicle for us.
