Learn me Dodge Caravan

I know nothing.

I've never owned a Minivan and know only what I've read on here in the "what van'' threads where Caravans seem to get the nod more often than not.  I'm not married to the idea of a Caravan but it looks, so far, like the most sensible, and easiest choice. Some of the things I would like to know are what to look for when buying, is mileage a concern, what are the common problems and is there anything I should stay away from? What does stow and go do for me when I turf the seats? can I use that area for storage? I'm sure there are a lot of other things to know but never owning one, I can't think of anything else.

As I've mentioned previously, me and Mrs. f1y are going on a cross country(s) trip when I retire. That time is rapidly approaching and I figure it makes sense to get a year or two of camping in before we go, in order to both work out the bugs and prepare us for living in close quarters for a year.

So far I've been looking at 2015+ with mileage as low as I can get, roughly under 50,000 miles, and I'll elaborate on the build details/wants later.

Problem areas are minimal. Steering racks that leak, sway bar endlinks, and power sliding door harnesses were my top fixes at the dealership. If I had to fix anything else it was always check engine light specific.

Turf stow and go? I don’t think you can really dump the seat without leaving big holes in the floor for you to cover. 

Depending on your intentions, there might be some value in looking at the Ram C/V commercial version.  If you plan on taking a lot of stuff out before you customize as required, why not let the factory do it?  Not to mention the little things like revamped stability control for loads.  There's a good writeup at allpar: https://www.allpar.com/trucks/ram/cargo-van.html .

Bought my ‘15 GV (SE w blacktop package) new off the dealer lot. Just turned 44k. Only one issue is after I brought it into the dealer for an FCA required HVAC reflash, there has been a 30 second delay for the HVAC to actually engage (doesn’t matter if its a/c or heat) each time. Dealer says it’s an unrelated vent door issue (awefully suspicious timing) and they want me to pay for this now as the factory warranty is expired! Otherwise the van has been a flawless appliance and has always done what I wanted it to do. 

Show and go means the seats fold into the floors.  When they aren’t folded, you can use those areas as storage.

Removing the seats won’t be easy for stow and go.

Don’t know what it is like in Canada, but I was able to find a few with stowngo for less than $20k brand new. 

That has to be the best bang for your buck vehicle out there. 

My parents and my sister both have them and love them. In spite of serious neglect my sisters is running fine with about 70k mi on it and my parents is also trouble free at 35k. 

Two of my friends have newer ones. So far one van has chucked the transmission with a complete replacement required. The other van has spit out the Y-shaped heater hose assembly twice and eats brakes.

They are a hell of a bargain, but the glass transmissions bother me.

2015+ you should be fine.  We initially bought a 2013 Caravan R/T, with 45k miles, and within a day had a CEL for catalyst, fortunately CarMax has that 5 day return policy.  We ended up buying a loaded 2011 Town and Country (with 50k miles) that had some electrical issues within the first month, but after shelling out $1500, its been basically trouble free as it closes on 70k miles and 3 years of ownership.  Mileage is about 20 around town, up to 25 on highway trips.  We've driven ours from the mountains of NC to the Gulf Coast without an issue.  I have a family of 5 and there is plenty of room.  As a highway cruiser it is great, like driving a living room, as a cargo van, it is wonderful (who needs a truck), and it'll tow up to 3500 lbs - plenty for my single axle utility trailer.  My wife's aunt and uncle have one, they leave the seats in the floor and use theirs as a camper.

Ours stickered at close to $40,000 new (sticker was still in the glove box along with the original purchase forms), we got it for $20,000, with minimal haggling.  They depreciate like a rock, so buy the best one you can.

Be careful with the towing capacity on them.  It varies for year and this is only US spec but some years REQUIRED the factory tow package to have a GCWR large enough to support the "3600lb" tow capacity.  For non tow package oned there is no way to legally tow more than 1500lbs (I can't remember the exact non tow package GCWR but it is low). 

Could it do it?  Sure.  But the only way to be legal is get one with factory tow.  The off rental ones never have it but they drag down the value for the private lease returns so it shouldn't be to expensive to get one with tow package.  

Took these pics tonight just before dropping off the rider. The utility of these vans was the major selling point to me. Now tomm all the back seats go back up for a short road trip w the family. All this in the same vehicle.

Every person ive known with a Caravan has had transmission problems, its over multiple generations too. Are they that bad always?

I bought the CVP model new in 2016. As basic as they get. No stow and go, windows are fixed in the sliding doors and no center console. Wanted the stow and go until I sat in one, extremely uncomfortable seats. I have a 2 seat bench and a huge storage area where the stowable seats go. Almost 60000 kilometers and other than oil changes, [ free at the dealer] it's been perfect. 30 mpg on long road trips. If you're tall like myself it gets uncomfortable driving after a few hours, nothing a short stop can't cure.

Antihero said:

Every person ive known with a Caravan has had transmission problems, its over multiple generations too. Are they that bad always?

Personally, no. That covers 3yrs of dealership wrenching across multiple dealerships and even a trans shop in between... I maybe saw 3 that required rebuilding and everything trans related was an external problem like speed sensors or solenoid packs....

Ranger50 said:

Antihero said:

Every person ive known with a Caravan has had transmission problems, its over multiple generations too. Are they that bad always?

Personally, no. That covers 3yrs of dealership wrenching across multiple dealerships and even a trans shop in between... I maybe saw 3 that required rebuilding and everything trans related was an external problem like speed sensors or solenoid packs....

Our family has owned a bunch of them, with a variety of drivetrain combos.  The only one that gave transmission trouble was my father's 1989 or 1990 GC, with the first generation of 41TE in it.  And that didn't show trouble until about 150,000 miles - on a car that eventually made it to almost 300,000.  The only reasons it was disposed of were rust and years of interior wear from being used as a work truck.

My 2014 is still going strong.   I have about 36K miles on it these days.   It's been trouble-free and is always pleasant to drive.   The Pentastar V6 makes more than enough power for this kind of sled, and delivers good MPG.

I tow my 13' boat with it occasionally, and I use the Stow & Go all the time.  I've never had anyone complain about the back seats being uncomfortable, but I haven't driven cross country with anyone back there either.   For around town, they are fine. 

The trans isn't the most refined, as it will clunk into Drive every now and again, but once underway it's smooth and fine.  The relentless practicality grows on you over time--- as these really are amazingly capable--- and cheap!   I bought mine brand new with Sat radio, rear heat & A/C, Stow & Go and rear windows that roll down for $22K and change!   

I've been very happy with it.  All I've done is put a new set of tires on it, fill it with gas, and change the oil.

and yes.....the Hellcat badges add massive horsepowers!  

Thanks for all the info. Good answers to questions I hadn't even thought about yet.

Yes, the transmissions had me worried, though I can't recall hearing anything lately, I know they were a big problem at one time, but that was probably 30 year ago.

The plan is to pull the rear seats and build a bed in the back.  I'm working on the storage idea, hence why I asked about the stow and go seat option, and plans include a small fridge, and some form of entertainment. I don't want a built in DVD player, or inverter, I think I would prefer to put together a simple system with a larger screen and that stuff is cheap these days. I'll have a propane stove that will clip on to the side of the van for use, with the ability to use it inside if need be. We were also talking about something like a small slow cooker so we can be preparing some food while driving. One possibility is to build the bed 6 ft long (we're of compact stature) and have a shelving unit at the rear. Open the rear hatch, lower the cover on the shelf to become a work table. There are some pretty good resources and builds out there and we're coming up with ideas all the time. That's why I think building it sooner than later and using it for a year or two ahead of time is the way to go. Better to learn now than halfway across the country where you can't do anything about it.

The cargo van is a legit idea but they're actually priced higher here than the regular vans. Supply and demand I guess.

Keep the info coming and don't be shy with ideas if you have them

Suprf1y said:

Thanks for all the info. Good answers to questions I hadn't even thought about yet.

Yes, the transmissions had me worried, though I can't recall hearing anything lately, I know they were a big problem at one time, but that was probably 30 year ago.

The plan is to pull the rear seats and build a bed in the back.  I'm working on the storage idea, hence why I asked about the stow and go seat option, and plans include a small fridge, and some form of entertainment. I don't want a built in DVD player, or inverter, I think I would prefer to put together a simple system with a larger screen and that stuff is cheap these days. I'll have a propane stove that will clip on to the side of the van for use, with the ability to use it inside if need be. We were also talking about something like a small slow cooker so we can be preparing some food while driving. One possibility is to build the bed 6 ft long (we're of compact stature) and have a shelving unit at the rear. Open the rear hatch, lower the cover on the shelf to become a work table. There are some pretty good resources and builds out there and we're coming up with ideas all the time. That's why I think building it sooner than later and using it for a year or two ahead of time is the way to go. Better to learn now than halfway across the country where you can't do anything about it.

The cargo van is a legit idea but they're actually priced higher here than the regular vans. Supply and demand I guess.

Keep the info coming and don't be shy with ideas if you have them

I wasn't aware of any issues with the transmissions for the current generation, but I do know that the 14+ has the better transmission from an economy standpoint. 90% sure it is the '14+. 

For Stow'N'Go, I believe that all of the vans had the storage compartments, but the seats were different. I don't know what the removal process is, but I know it is possible regardless of if it is a stow'n'go seat or a bench seat or Routan seat. 

If you're looking used, don't forget about the Routan. Not sure if it made it to Canada or not. 

For entertainment, I'd look into the biggest tablet you can find within your budget and fab up a mount for it. Load the movies/shows on there--way easier and more compact  than a DVD and TV setup.

Suprf1y said:

The plan is to pull the rear seats and build a bed in the back.

When our trusty 2000 GC Sport got rearended in 2015, it got totalled out for the cost of a hatch, seats, and minor front end damage.  I bought it back and sold it to my nephew Ross413, who did just what you're talking about.  He built a raised sleeping platform fitted to the cargo area, with storage underneath.  He and his wife and their dog have driven it probably 50,000 miles since then, from camping in the wilds of Nova Scotia down to Florida and everywhere in between.

Hit him up with a PM and I'm sure he will give you the details.

I'm on my second GC - currently a 2017 GT model that I traded my 2008 SE for in late July.  I've put about 4K miles on it since getting it (3 round trips from Philly to Portsmouth, NH piles them on quickly).  

My SE was a workhorse, but pretty bare-bones as far as options went.  I bought it in late 2013 with 74K miles and traded it in with 209K.  The transmission never felt "great" but it never failed.  It went through a few heater Y-pipes.  An injector. A coil pack.  A radiator. A bunch of brakes and two sets of tires.  One really big advantage of these vans is they are so common, parts are cheap.  And because mechanics see them all the time, labor is pretty cheap as well. To the point I rarely did work on the van myself. My mechanic could do the work considerably faster and for reasonable cost.

My 2017 GT is loaded to the gills. All windows power operated (on my '08, the side door windows didn't go down at all and the rear pop-out windows were manual). Better ICE with nav and rear camera and built-in HD. Leather seating. Center seats are more comfortable. Front seats WAY more comfortable. Better sound insulation for road noise. The 3.6 VVT V6 is considerably more powerful. When I need to merge into traffic, the van just flat moves.  It actually shocked me the first time I had to do that from a dead stop.  I was up to 65 much quicker than expected.  And I get about 3-5 more MPG in regular driving.  While my '08 was good for long trips, my '17 is on a level that boarders "luxury".   It's a rather pleasant place to spend 5-6 hrs. Good, since I'm doing that often right now... 

On the lower base models, stow-and-go is optional.  You can still get 2018 models brand new, but all of the SE models I saw on the lot did not have stow-and-go for the middle seats (rear is standard on all).  Standard removable lock-in center seats with storage in front.  Now if you don't plan to use the seats often and can live with storing them somewhere, that may be better for you as the covers for the cavities are not connected to the seats.  

Now camping... I bought my '08 hoping to use it for camping like I did with my old E150 conversion van.  As big as it is, it is still not a full-size van and things get tight inside very quickly.  Granted, part of my camping needs require inside bicycle transport, so if you build a camper without that requirement, it would be better.  Still, ventilation is an issue without opening it up to bugs.  IMHO, I'd get a small travel trailer to pull behind it.  It can tow around 3600 lbs.  If you want an all-in-one camper, then a regular class-B camper may be a better option.  I've seen GC's and other minivans converted for camping (vanlifers), but it depends on one's tolerance level for roughing it.  My tolerance level is low. I want an RV.

In reply to Suprf1y :

Probably best to remove the "stow n go" and build your own storage.  Take a look at this thread on Expedition Portal for some good ideas

Cross Country trip? If you are on Facebook, look up the group Minivan Campers. 

I didn't realize it at first but the group seems to be a lot of retirees outfitting their vans for traveling around the country and camping, etc. You can see some pretty cool interior builds on there.

IIRC Routans did not get middle row stow and go. 

I'm still on the fence.

We rented a low-mile GT GC while mama's Mazda5 was in the shop and fell in love. I've rented 2 others and test-drove a couple since then with around 50k miles and they felt like heaps of E36 M3; weird suspension issues, noisy injectors(? - or worse,) buttons falling off of the dash. One of them sprayed washer fluid from the a-pillar...which someone *may or may not* have replaced with red kool-aid before turning in.

Sure, they're rentals, and lots of little chicken E36 M3 stuff, but considering 90% of the used ones I was looking at were ex-rental/fleet vehicles, it's got me thinking there may be better options out there for the $.

my $.02 YMMV.

poopshovel again said:

I'm still on the fence.

We rented a low-mile GT GC while mama's Mazda5 was in the shop and fell in love. I've rented 2 others and test-drove a couple since then with around 50k miles and they felt like heaps of E36 M3; weird suspension issues, noisy injectors(? - or worse,) buttons falling off of the dash. One of them sprayed washer fluid from the a-pillar...which someone *may or may not* have replaced with red kool-aid before turning in.

Sure, they're rentals, and lots of little chicken E36 M3 stuff, but considering 90% of the used ones I was looking at were ex-rental/fleet vehicles, it's got me thinking there may be better options out there for the $.

my $.02 YMMV.

I'm not sure that there are though. And I say this as someone who passed on the GC when we bought Mrs. mtn a new van. I really think that they are the best bang for your buck that you are going to find; the Toyotas and Hondas hold too much value used, even the Kia did. 

We ended up going with a loaded Kia, because we got it about 25% off, but we were close to going with a new GC. If we were buying on price alone, or with a shorter time span in mind, it would have been the GC hands down. 

Obviously a little different story with the used ones, but not much different.

In reply to poopshovel again :

Mine is an ex- Enterprise rental, but seems to be OK.  Had less than 25K miles and came with a CPO warranty from a dealer.  It does have a couple of issues, but nothing I can't live with for now. Otherwise, it's mechanically fine.  It securely hauls my bikes around and comfortably covers long highway drives with aplomb, which is exactly what I need.