Truck Stuff

"Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness" (long-voyager-2nd-edition) 04/30/2019 at 10:12 • Filed to: TruckStuff, just buy the damn minivan

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With a minivan:

Barely even squatted the rear, plenty of power to pull it. Thanks to my upgraded brakes I had no issue stopping it either. Really quite impressed with how well it handled it.

And how well it handled getting up my friend’s slop driveway to drop it off:

You know you did good when there’s mud in your roof basket.......

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 07:55

3

Seems like “driveway” might be a generous term lol

superdave847 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 07:56

1

This is amazing 

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 07:59

2

Ne eds paint.  All of the yellow paint.

WilliamsSW > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 08:19

1

Considering how much towing and hauling we did with my dad’s NA 2.2 Caravan, this does not surprise me at all...

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 08:21

3

Minivans of this era were always just more practical trucks. These days, only the  Europeans get it...

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 08:22

3

This is amazing.  It’s only 8:20 and you’ve already won my internet points for the day.  Thanks for sharing!

TheRealBicycleBuck > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 09:02

4

Hot Take: You have proven once again that a minivan is just an SUV with sliding doors.

CalzoneGolem > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/30/2019 at 09:39

1

Isn’t it just a taller wagon with sliding doors?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > CalzoneGolem 04/30/2019 at 09:44

1

makes u think

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/30/2019 at 09:46

6

Maybe SUVs are just Minivans with less convenient   rear doors.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > WilliamsSW 04/30/2019 at 09:49

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Oh my. I had one of those and I couldn’t imagine hauling anything with it. Must have  strung out that poor little 2.2.  

TheRealBicycleBuck > CalzoneGolem 04/30/2019 at 09:58

2

I tested my relationship with my wife by calling her SUV a tall wagon.

TheRealBicycleBuck > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 04/30/2019 at 09:58

0

I’ve been known to make that argument.

CalzoneGolem > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/30/2019 at 10:04

2

My wife wanted a Ford Freetsyle when we were looking at cars for her and I was like oh yeah they look like a decent wagon. She wouldn’t accept that it wasn’t a truck.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/30/2019 at 10:04

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Wrong, SUV/CUVs are just sliderless minivans.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 04/30/2019 at 10:05

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Eh, even modern minivans have better towing/payload than most SUV/CUVs.

I will say these older vans seem far more capable though.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 04/30/2019 at 10:06

1

There’s the problem, you don’t wring out the 2.2/2.5L, they have no power in the top end, you keep them in the 2500-4000 rpm range and they feel much quicker.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > WilliamsSW 04/30/2019 at 10:07

2

I was slightly concerned as the 3.3L lacks the low end my 3.8L had, but it handled it without issue, didn’t even notice it was there.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > random001 04/30/2019 at 10:08

1

Charcoal and Black 2 tone!

Although I’ve been debating Satin Black with Gloss Black accents lately.....

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 04/30/2019 at 10:11

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This is the “driveway”. It’s a pretty steep incline all the way up, so it washes and ends up a sloppy mess. 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > CalzoneGolem 04/30/2019 at 10:12

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They are 100% a wagon. The TaurusX is actually pretty decent to. I wouldn’t touch a Freestyle with a 10 ft pole 

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 10:14

1

I just remember turning off the ac when merging on highway on ramps.  It was definitely not fast.  But dependable and easy to work on.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 04/30/2019 at 10:16

1

I won’t say they’re fast, but they do ok for a 100 hp motor in a minivan. I feel the 3.3/3.8 is the best setup in them, but I’m growing to like my bone stock 3.0/3-speed as well.

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 10:18

1

Neither of those are yellow, though, and so they are inferior...

WilliamsSW > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 04/30/2019 at 10:37

1

Long Voyager is dead right of course about the 2.2. The boat we towed wasn’t that heavy - 16 foot aluminum fishing boat, motor, and trailer, plus gear in the back of the van.

I think it had close to 200k on it when he finally got rid of it, and I don’t believe the motor was ever rebuilt ( though the trans was).

CalzoneGolem > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 04/30/2019 at 10:46

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That’s the difference between the Taurus X and Freestyle? I thought they were the same.

WilliamsSW > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 10:58

2

We were hauling a 16 foot aluminum boat and trailer, plus gear, so not as heavy as a car and trailer.

But we did take some long trips with the boat, up to Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, and even Canada.  

WilliamsSW > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 10:59

2

I would say the 2.2 was adequate, really.

People also don’t realize how light those first minivans were.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > CalzoneGolem 04/30/2019 at 11:04

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The freestyle had the old 3.0 Duratech and a CVT trans the Tuarus X had the newer 3.5 and a 5 Speed Auto. Waaaay more power an a trans that isn’t likely to g renade  it’s self. 

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > WilliamsSW 04/30/2019 at 11:10

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That’s impressive.  Those engines were pretty bulletproof from what I remember.  I don’t know what the mileage was on mine when I sold it.  But it was over 100k for sure.  

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > WilliamsSW 04/30/2019 at 11:18

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It was better in the K cars with TBI, my van was still carbureted and it was a bit of a dog. Those vans were light though. Imagine the modern powertrain in the old body, that would be a quick little van.  

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/30/2019 at 12:06

1

Next time tell her the next minivan she buys has to have sliding doors ;)

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > WilliamsSW 04/30/2019 at 12:11

1

The 1st/2nd gen SWB vans barely broke 3000lbs!

I would love to drop a 3.6/6-speed in one of mine, but the wiring is a nightmare to get it to work.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > WilliamsSW 04/30/2019 at 12:13

1

I would guess it was around 4,500 lbs trailer+car total. I know the other trailer I use randomly weighs 3,500 lbs by itself, but I’ve yet to tow that one loaded.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 04/30/2019 at 12:14

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HGs were their only real issue, but fixed right with a quality MLS gasket and it was a one time problem.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 14:12

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That and the wrist pin slap that made it sound like a diesel.  

WilliamsSW > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/30/2019 at 14:16

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Yeah, 2.2 NA sounds crazy for a minivan, but those 1st gen SWB VANS were light.

I bet we were under 5000 lb fully loaded with the boat and trailer - and that’s including the weight of th e van too!

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > WilliamsSW 04/30/2019 at 16:04

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Very likely, they only weighed like 2,900 lbs.