Light truck vs. minivan..?

CornyKegs 728
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beergears

beergears

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In an earlier post, I was inquiring about light truck choices for a one-time light remolding (Ranger and such)

Now SWMBO coworker points out that a minivan would do just as well in may respects... (she has a nice Odisey!)

I plan on transporting things like a new dishwasher, small amounts drywall, small shrub, a couch and whatever I can cull out of CL for the rental place.

Will a minivan fit the bill?

Disclaimer: I am a hatchback kind of guy and my little Subie has carried some incredible stuff ..!
 
IF you take the back two rows of seats out of an Odyssey, you can fit some 4x8 sheets in there. If you are doing "light" remodling, the van will probably come in more handy, asn you can pick stuff up when raining. I have both, and I usually use the Oddy more than the F150, although if the weather is nice, the F150 is easier to load/unload.

So I guess my answer is get both :D
 
My wife's 2005 Odyssey is pretty decent with lots of power and decent cargo space. I imagine most of the items you are carrying would fit it the cargo area of a van just fine. Still, for general hauling I'd take the truck over the van anyday. If you have even one item that is taller than the back space in the van, you are SOL. If you have something that extends out the back of a van, it's can be a PITA to tie that rear door down to something and make sure it's secured (I've done it and it wasn't fun). With a truck, you have the tailgate and it's really easy to secure loads with ratchet straps.

I'd also be concerned about tearing up a carpeted cargo area in a van (you'd have to put something down to protect the flooring/back of folding seats.)

The final reason a truck would be a better choice IMO is that if you have some larger items to haul, it's pretty easy to hook a trailer to the back of a truck, a bit more work involved to get a hitch put on a van.
 
If you already have the Odyssey, then I'd say use that. Why spend more $ for a truck that you don't maybe even need much.

I personally have a Cherokee and a 4x8 trailer.
 
If you just need the vehicle for the construction then I think the truck is a better idea. If you see a need for a small-bus on occasion then a minivan would work for your project but would provide more versatility as a people hauler.

One thing to consider is a mini-van is somewhat secure when locked and closed while the items in the bed of a pickup are easy access. Something to consider if your neighborhood isn't one of those where you never lock the door.

A pickup will have better load capacity, and be able to handle large or awkward loads much better.

Craig
 
It is one thing if SWMBO want's a minivan.

I'm going to need your man card back if you want the minivan.....

It doesn't matter that you can haul bunches of stuff and get good gas mileage and sit a half dozen people in it.

It's still a minivan.

soccer_mom.jpg
 
Lots of trash talking about us minivan drivers. I use mine for dump runs, hardware store runs, etc., in addition to hauling the family around.
Would I love my truck back? Yes.
Will I have one soon? No, at least not until the kids are a bit older.
Do I feel less manly?





Well, sadly, yes. :(
 
shecky said:
Lots of trash talking about us minivan drivers. I use mine for dump runs, hardware store runs, etc., in addition to hauling the family around.
Would I love my truck back? Yes.
Will I have one soon? No, at least not until the kids are a bit older.
Do I feel less manly?
Well, sadly, yes. :(
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That's why they have the Suburban. We're looking at one of those when it's time to replace the Avalanche, considered one of the ugliest trucks around.

And it's handy as all get out.
 
Whatever.

I drive a 2003 GMC 2500hd Regular cab Longbed running 10 ply tires. I have haulked backhoes through mud with this thing but as a daily driver it might as well be a Winnebago.

And at this point in my life, nearing 2.5 kids, a wife, and a mortgage I would gladly pimp around in a nice fully loaded touring Odysee with the entertainment package and run flats.

At least after the reno work is done you could put the seats back in the MV and use it as a passenger van.

IMHO, a work truck as a daily driver is about as useless as a rigged out 4x4 in the city that only ever see's asphalt (unless it snows).

Oddly enough. The wife would rather have a Denali. But doesn;t want to drive either.
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
Whatever.

I drive a 2003 GMC 2500hd Regular cab Longbed running 10 ply tires. I have haulked backhoes through mud with this thing but as a daily driver it might as well be a Winnebago.

And at this point in my life, nearing 2.5 kids, a wife, and a mortgage I would gladly pimp around in a nice fully loaded touring Odysee with the entertainment package and run flats.

At least after the reno work is done you could put the seats back in the MV and use it as a passenger van.

IMHO, a work truck as a daily driver is about as useless as a rigged out 4x4 in the city that only ever see's asphalt (unless it snows).

Oddly enough. The wife would rather have a Denali. But doesn;t want to drive either.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Guy down the street from me has a Hummer, you know, just in case a rocky, hilly desert suddenly breaks out in western Connecticut. Thing's so big it doesn't even fit in his garage.
 
At the sake of bringing my manhood into question, I enjoy driving the Odyssey just as much or more than my truck. 255HP, accelarates quick and rides super smooth. Of course my truck is a 2002 Frontier, so maybe having a wussy truck is an issue. (But it get's 19-20MPG on the Hwy, so I can't complain).
 
I bought a Mazda B2300 maybe 7 years ago. It's the same as a Ford Ranger ( in terms of parts being interchangeable ) Drove that sucker for 5 years, gave it to my dad. He uses it to haul all sorts of stuff.

Basically I cant say enough good stuff about that truck. Well over 200K miles and haven't even had to change the transmission. Oh, and the ride is more like a car than a truck...smooth.

edit:

30mpg
Lots of cab room
can hold lots of weight
damn near industructable

example: the last year i had the truck i drove it in a huge loop around the country. on the ride i brought everything to live out of the back of it. driving hundreds of miles each day. my dad got the truck when i got back. it's two years later now and still no problems.

ok. thats it, i promise.
 
I loved my '90 Dodge Grand Caravan. And I'd totally sell my SUV to get a proper Aerostar with the AWD on it. Ain't nothin' wrong with minivans, even for men.

You can revoke my man card once you've arm-wrestled me for it -- which promptly earns it right back. :p
 
I drive a 96 Nissan Quest and it's hella useful. Id' get that over the truck. Plus you can fit three adults and a camera in the back and lay down comfortably.
 
A mini-van can certainly handle it, although 4x8 sheet goods will be a problem. Many small trucks wouldn't handle those flat either. I have a Sprinter van and a Ram 50 4x4 pickup. The Sprinter is my main rider and holds much more than the truck can; but for trees, gravel, dirt, and really bad weather, the truck is good.
 
mmb said:
It is one thing if SWMBO want's a minivan.

I'm going to need your man card back if you want the minivan.....

It doesn't matter that you can haul bunches of stuff and get good gas mileage and sit a half dozen people in it.

It's still a minivan.
Click to expand...

Who cares what you drive. If you have to drive a truck to feel like a man then you are way too insecure and I would question your man hood. Minivans are popular because they are so useful. Haul 7or 8 people, get decent fuel economy, fit in any parking spot a mid-sized car would fit, and easily convert to hauling cargo.

Now I really question someone who buys a Hummer. Those are all about the look. Seems to me that type of person is insecure and needs to compensate for something.

BTW, though I seldom drive (I bicycle nearly everywhere) the vehicle in my garage for when i do need to drive is a minivan. If i were to replace it it would be with a Smart car so I could have more room in the garage for my bicycles. Growing up on a farm, I've driven plenty of trucks, just don't see the need for one currently.

Craig
 
CBBaron said:
Who cares what you drive. If you have to drive a truck to feel like a man then you are way too insecure and I would question your man hood. Minivans are popular because they are so useful. Haul 7or 8 people, get decent fuel economy, fit in any parking spot a mid-sized car would fit, and easily convert to hauling cargo.

Now I really question someone who buys a Hummer. Those are all about the look. Seems to me that type of person is insecure and needs to compensate for something.
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My wife drives a truck. I drive a Grand Am for the mileage. Before that I had a string of different station wagons to haul around my massive manhood. :D Got married and lost that fairly quick.

Minivans are popular because it started out as a cheap people hauler that women would feel comfortable driving as they handled more like a car than a truck or suburban. They evolved from an ugly people moving box to an ugly viable vehicle.

Even now, they look like a box or a suppository and they are still ugly.

Of course, most cars now adays are ugly.

Incidentally, the original Hummer, dollar for dollar, was the best value you could find for a go anywhere off-road vehicle. Even at $100,000. The current models are pretty useless.
 
The best vehicle I ever had was a late 80's toyota pickup. It was 2WD and had a five speed. It also got 30 MPG. It cost me 800 dollars, and it was so ugly my old lady never wanted to go anywhere with me in it. I think you should get something like that.
 
RLT said:
The best vehicle I ever had was a late 80's toyota pickup. It was 2WD and had a five speed. It also got 30 MPG. It cost me 800 dollars, and it was so ugly my old lady never wanted to go anywhere with me in it. I think you should get something like that.
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I agree. My yota hit 213XXX miles before I had to get a new one. Got a new one for the double cab with the kids. Trucks are nice. If is for remolding, try to find a used with a shell on it. Easy to load and the shell can come off for bigger projects in the future.
 
mmb said:
I'm going to need your man card back if you want the minivan.....
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It's ok, I have the family minivan at home, but what I drive at work while you sorry ****s are stuck in your cubicles more than makes up for it:

AT708-1.jpg


When was the last time you had tits flashed at you at work? :D ;)

Anyway, for 2x4x8 studs, small appliances, etc. a minivan is fine but I have a problem fitting a 1/2"x4x8 sheet of drywall in mine. Guess it depends on if you have kids and how much other **** you need to haul.
 
Woohoo! Threadkill points!

(That was half-drunk posting, btw, and it's all flyangler18's fault. :D :drunk:)
 
david_42 said:
A mini-van can certainly handle it, although 4x8 sheet goods will be a problem.
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Ffft!
I have transported 4x8 plywood sheets on top of my Subie forester -- with a Yakima roof rack, pretty wide, I concede..

After reading all your comments, I think I an leaning towards the minivan. The broker involved in the potential R.E. buy has a Sienna, and I asked him. He thinks the minivan is the way to go

A good neighbor has an Odyssey, and hauls all kinds of stuff. I'll have him give me a tour.
 
I've promoted it before, I'll promote it again.

I can haul just about as much in my Honda Element as I could if I owned a pickup truck. Take the back seats out, and it's basically a smallish van. There are no bumps or humps or anything, which makes it great for hauling stuff; the floor is completely flat. I can haul eight foot lumber inside with the hatch closed, or larger pieces (I've brought home sixteen-foot 4x4s just hanging them out the ass end).

The only things it's not great for... it's only a four seater. You can haul drywall and other 4x8 sheet goods, but you've got to be careful. It's not quite wide enough to haul them flat, so you need to haul them at an angle - which if you're hauling drywall, means buying a cheap piece of chipboard or something to support them.
 
From experience, our couple of Dodge Caravan's (one '90, one '02) both had lots of weird humps in weird places. Neither could transport a Full size mattress flat, it had to be angled. And neither could transport a Queen size mattress in one go at it, the mattress and the box spring were both too wide, even angled, and had to go on the roof.

My fam's Aerostar was by far my favorite van I've driven. The more recent Windstars are pretty nice too.

*/ says a ford driver. /*
 
if you decide to go with a van please make sure everything is secured to something. Not fun when you have to stop real quick and the 30 or so 2x4s and tools slide forward and pin you the steering wheel . Neighbor had this happen with his Windstar.

And remember its very easy to overload a passenger van which was designed to carry what 4 to 6 people and limited cargo like luggage. But if you were only doing minor hauling it would work but in the long run a pick up would work better as it being used as to its design.
 
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