stunthanger.com
General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Mark Romanowitz on March 20, 2017, 11:19:57 AM
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I got back into stunt last spring after a 30 year hiatus. Back in the day I had a Buick Century station wagon that could carry a whole squadron of planes. Well as everyone knows things have changed. I'm looking to buy another vehicle and I'd like to be able to carry a couple of full size stunters as well as flight box, folding chairs,etc. I have a good friend who has a 2012 Toyota Matrix that he can get a Strega in, but I don't know that those are still made. I'd appreciate suggestions and if you have some special rack for holding planes in your car can you post a photo? A big Suburban is probably out of my range and I don't really want to pull a trailer. Thanks!
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I have a Mazda 6 wagon that holds a lot of RC sailplanes, and it also has been working OK for U-control stunt.
I haven't arranged a rack for it yet, with the back seats folded down, but that is next if I keep the car much longer.
And wagons are very popular in EU, not so much here....They are getting hard to find.
My response isn't so much for you as it is for me, to see hat answers you get.
Good luck in your search for the perfect hobby car!
R,
Chris
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There's not one of these new cars that stunts worth a sh--. 😀😁
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Mark too much of the advice needs to be based on just a bit more info about other normal needs for the car/suv/truck
And a comfortable price range
I/we recently down sized from a V10 powered 4 door King Ranch long bed Ford F350 to a Grand Cherokee for my wife and a plain (all the same stuff but smaller) Cherokee for me... as far a SUVs go I tend to think ( and I am NOT a Chrysler fan) that these are pretty good bang for the buck
I am a CL guy of one locally, and always take three planes and all the stuff to the field each week
with the rear seats folded, I can load up to five 36" to 48" WS planes, a folding stool, My flight box, Fuel, tool kit, and stooge without any serious problems in my smaller Cherokee SUV
I think if you peruse Edmund's you can take the advice you get here...look up the various recommendations and see the relative aft end sizes
That all said.... what I get from your post is---- that there are a lot of the smaller SUVs that will do what you want real good... so cost...other use... brand you like...$$$$ to spend
and as an aside... Before I got for the Chrysler Cherokee... I am such a Ford Nut I deliberately bought a Lincoln MKC... owned it one year and traded it for the Cherokee... The Lincoln was nice but the Cherokee was better with more features that were important to me for the $$$$....and the Cherokee has more power and better fuel efficiency
And I know this cuz I owned two of them...Mercedes Benz Smart Cars will not carry your load.... grin
Also I see you are 55.... brand loyalty is real hard to change for our age group so the advertisers do not even try
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I got back into stunt last spring after a 30 year hiatus. Back in the day I had a Buick Century station wagon that could carry a whole squadron of planes. Well as everyone knows things have changed. I'm looking to buy another vehicle and I'd like to be able to carry a couple of full size stunters as well as flight box, folding chairs,etc. I have a good friend who has a 2012 Toyota Matrix that he can get a Strega in, but I don't know that those are still made. I'd appreciate suggestions and if you have some special rack for holding planes in your car can you post a photo? A big Suburban is probably out of my range and I don't really want to pull a trailer. Thanks!
Mark,
I've had just about every kind of car/wagon/van made. When I was young, it was a VW Bug......... Then a station wagon and so on.
Now, AFAIC, the "Mini" vans are the best. Pick your brand. They're all about the same as far as space goes.
(Don't go jumping on me guys, I said ABOUT!)
Price is another story. Get what you can afford.
Personally I drive an Odyssey and love it. I can get lots of CL ships into it or a couple 1/4 scale RC jobs if so inclined.
There is lots of second hand stuff to look at to.
Good luck, Jerry
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Pickup truck with a cap or tonneau. Or get a little box trailer.
I have an Extang Trifold on my Silverado and it is fantastic. I can keep stuff in it and it stays dry. The cover has spring clips so it is "locked" when the bed is locked. Most of the bed is easy access when the top is hinged onto itself. The whole thing comes off in about a minute, but I have to lay down in the bed to put it back in place.
One of the RC guys has a little box trailer he pulls with his Civic. 3 meter glider wings, easy dozen big models.
Phil
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Ty Marcucci has dodge Grand Caravan. It holds a boat load of full size stunters. You might want to PM him. Best I can tell he loves it. He has gone to a blue zillion contest in the van with aircraft for multiple events. I beleive he wore one out and this is his second one. D>K
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Sorry.. Yes, this really is too broad of a question..
Mostly I was just looking to find out what others have considered and currently have, pros/cons, etc..
We had a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan a few years ago that would have carried a lot of stuff but it was a maintenance nightmare. Electrical, transmission, head gaskets (did that repair myself).. I originally bought the car for $13,000 and then put another $15,000 in repairs into it.
A Mini van is probably still the way to go given space, carrying capacity and mileage. I've heard good things about the KIA and Toyota vans, but don't know much about them..
We currently have a 2002 Camry.. I can get a Banshee, a Twister, and my Yardbird (.15 size, 36" W/S) in the trunk, my flight box, a gallon of fuel, a folding awning and a folding chair along with three people in it.
But when I finally get my Shark 45 done things are going to be a bit tighter..
Thanks for the inputs..
Mark
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Mark
When I worked, I did a LOT of air travel and I used to deliberately ask for mini vans as rentals....almost always got a discount as there were not popular with the business man crowd...for me in the WDC area the higher seating made sense as I could see who was trying to assassinate me as I navigated the beltway
I think the Chrysler Town n Country vans are super well equipped and plenty peppy for my lead foot
As I said earlier, I am NOT a Chrysler fan but I have to admit... that company has come a LONG way in the last 8 years
Your 99 caravan experience may have soured you, but I would polity suggest you take a new look
I would also highly suggest some of the Korea stuff has similarly become very reliable and good bang for the buck
I forgot to note---- in my smaller Cherokee Suv (relatively speaking) is also a 10'x 10' Wally World easy expand over head canopy
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Honda Civic Coup. 45 plus mpg. Two stunt planes plus all field equipment and stuff needed for ten days away from home. (Just kidding, I make do.)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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For what it's worth, my wife runs her dogs in agility trials. She takes crates, easy up, chairs, coolers and a lot of assorted support stuff. In 2004 we looked at every mini van out there and decided on a Chrysler Town and Country. The deciding factor was the ease of converting from 6 passengers to cargo. Nothing to remove and a flat floor. It now has 175,000 miles on it with no major maintenance issues. Unless some manufacturer comes up with the easy stow seating feature that leaves the floor flat we will replace it with another Town and Country.
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You are about to enter ...... The Minivan Zone.
Abandon all of hope.
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I guess the "Soccer mom" phase of our family has given way to <<play ominous music>> "Stunt Dad" phase... Gasp!
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I use a Toyota Sienna van. With the rear seats removed, it holds more airplanes than one could ever fly in one day, or one weekend.
Floyd
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I drive a full sized Silverado extended cab, it gets 24 mpg on the highway and I can carry everything I need and if needed I can sleep in the back with all my crap in there as well, oh it has a canopy, and I drive a two lane road 40 miles each way to work every day which is drifted and nasty for 3 months a year,, so the PU makes sense for me
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If I didn't need to tow a 3,000 lb boat/trailer, I'd have a mini-van. It wouldn't be a MOPAR. Probably a Honda or Toyota. The Subaru Outback might work ok...daughter has one, and I have driven it.
I had a '06 4 liter V-6/6 spd. Toyota Tacoma with cab height canopy that would hold 2 planes at most on a simple shelf. John Thompson has essentially the same Tacoma, 4 cyl, 5 speed and 2wd with a raised height canopy and pretty fancy shelf setup that regularly hauls 3 or 4 stunters...big Legacy, a Classic, a Cardinal for profile, and a Ringmaster for OTS. It can be done.
The problem is that it's not so easy to remove all that stuff so you can use it for a truck, and I think most homeowners need a truck from time to time. Plus, 4wd or AWD is awesome in the snow and ice. H^^ Steve
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If you are a Ford fan they have a new line of vans in a variety of sizes, I currently have a Honda CRV which allows the back seats to fold down but would rather have one of these with a 8 foot bed
Fred
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Whatever Banjok drives, he's got every plane he ever made in there.
MM
Yes, and they are all looking the worse for wear because he leaves them in the van.
Dennis
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For what it's worth, my wife runs her dogs in agility trials. She takes crates, easy up, chairs, coolers and a lot of assorted support stuff. In 2004 we looked at every mini van out there and decided on a Chrysler Town and Country. The deciding factor was the ease of converting from 6 passengers to cargo. Nothing to remove and a flat floor. It now has 175,000 miles on it with no major maintenance issues. Unless some manufacturer comes up with the easy stow seating feature that leaves the floor flat we will replace it with another Town and Country.
The 2004 Odyssey doesn't have a flat floor. I wish it did.
A 2008 Prius will carry two stunt planes plus other stuff. The new standard Prius won't. It's pinched in the back relative to the old one. The Prius burns 100 gallons of fuel less than the Odyssey per Nats trip (I live a goodly distance from Muncie).
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2008 Town N Country , has 105,000 miles , no major cost or issues , just brakes and tune up, best seats setup of any van, very comfortable, will hold everything, very useful and is a multi use vehicle .
wanna spend a bunch more money get a Honda Odyssey , or Toyota van, just as good excellent reputation and expensive.
After those I would look at mid or full size SUVs
Randy
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I have a 2004 Saturn Vue 25 MPG but when I buy my next vehicle it will be a Mini Van like a Honda
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2007 Ford Focus 4-door will carry a full-sized Legacy with the rear seat folded down. My flying buddy has a similar-year Focus station wagon that'll carry two or three big planes if he stacks them on a rack.
If you have a couple of beater planes that are as big as you ever want to use, take them with you to go shopping. Toss a blanket over the bottom one to see if they'll fit stacked, then plan on building a rack. I haven't finished my Legacy yet, so I took a mock-up made with foam board (which is how I know it'll fit in the Ford).
Or build a take-apart. It's a bunch more work than building a regular stunter (no, I haven't done it, but I can tell), but if you just do the wings-off part of the build and leave the tail feathers in one piece it won't be as bad.
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The 2004 Odyssey doesn't have a flat floor. I wish it did.
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What?! My 2000 had a flat floor and so does my '14! The only thing I dislike is that the seats are very heavy and you have to remove the middle ones if you want to put something biiiig in there.
Jerry
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Get yourself a Chevy Astro Van or a GMC Safari. Hands down, more space than anything but a full size camper-type van.
Unfortunately they stopped making them in 2005. Stiil better than anything else available if you can find one.
Good luck!
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2008 Town N Country , has 105,000 miles , no major cost or issues , just brakes and tune up, best seats setup of any van, very comfortable, will hold everything, very useful and is a multi use vehicle .
wanna spend a bunch more money get a Honda Odyssey , or Toyota van, just as good excellent reputation and expensive.
I agree with most, the humble mini-van is the way to go, with much more practical storage arrangements for our purposes than any SUV. I have a 2003 Mazda MPV, which I think is as close to a perfect way to travel a long way to contests. Big enough for 4 stunt planes if you remove the middle seats, plenty to hold a weeks worth of supplies for 4 people. Small enough to get around 26 mpg at ~83 mph, and enough power to climb the two big hills in between here and Muncie (Salt Lake to Park City and just outside Laramie). Handles great in the mountains.
Just like most good stunt engines, they no longer make it...
If you are going to go cross-country you definitely want to consider power, too, because lots of power means a quiet day, and noise can really take the energy out of you on these trips. The Honda is a the king of power, and even though the van itself is huge, has plenty of power and is nice and quiet at speed. That's also why you don't want the big panel vans, they are usually very noisy and rattly, even though you can get a large amount of stuff in them.
The Chevy Safari is a special case. We drove to Eugene in David's mom's Safari once. All our stuff fit easily, but driving it was nerve-wracking and it took amazing concentration to keep it between the lines, it just wandered all over the place. I have an IMSA racing license*, and I was genuinely worried that I was going to crash into something at some point. I thought it was just that particular van, but I drove another example, same thing.
Brett
*that mine is still apparently valid is more an indictment of the licensing system and IMSA than it is any particular merit on my part. I got it to participate in an endurance race at Laguna Seca with some work buddies back in the 80's, and passed the minimum speed/max time for lap with no problem, but at this point, I restrict my racing ambitions to Gran Turismo 6. I did a ride-along in a GT3 car a few years ago and my neck still hasn't entirely recovered.
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Dan Banjock now drives a Ford Transit van without rear windows. He likes it. Maybe it's quiet. Doubt he could tell. Bob Marley, the Doors or Acid Rock blares as he goes down the road. If you see his planes when new they look great. After years and years of flying the crap out of them, don't look so good.
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Newer Chrysler Corp vans have center seats that fold into spaces in the floor and essentially disappear. They share a lot of Mercedes Benz engineering, which can be both a good and bad thing. Newer MB are too computer-operated for their own good, according to my MB mechanic. But as far as utility for our purposes, nothing beats the modern mini van. I agree that abundant power is an important feature to avoid the wound-out howl of an inadequate engine. Gets very fatiguing over time (like more than 3 minutes). I have been seriously looking at the newer vans to replace my current 19-year-old hauler.
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I agree with Floyd .I have a Toyota Sienna mini van .The cheapest one BTW. It was around $25K out the door. Gets great milage and is incredibly versatile. With rear seats folded into floor and second row seats removed the floor is flat and you could load the Exxon Valdez in there. I highly recommend it....PhillySkip
PS. I can also transport my Vintage motorcycles" inside" the van should I choose not to ride to an event.
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Brett:
Very esy solution and I'm surprized you hadn't figured it out. Go get David's Mom's Safari aligned. You'll be amazed at the difference it can make... ;D
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The 2004 Odyssey doesn't have a flat floor. I wish it did.
A 2008 Prius will carry two stunt planes plus other stuff. The new standard Prius won't. It's pinched in the back relative to the old one. The Prius burns 100 gallons of fuel less than the Odyssey per Nats trip (I live a goodly distance from Muncie).
I thought the JCT are now using this;
http://www.bentleymotors.com/en/models/bentayga/bentayga.html
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My current choice is an Honda Odyssey mini van - not sure I'd call it mini though. Drives like a car, plenty of room, decent gas mileage and can stick
a bunch of planes, flight boxes, chairs for more than one person.
Really, mini vans are the way to go if you need to carry a lot of planes. If not, then a car with a hatchback will work well.
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Here in Texas a pickup truck is required. It does not matter if you really need one or not. It is the state motor vehicle.
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the slightly older Town N Country has 283 HP hooked to a 7 or 8 speed trans, the newest one 2016, has 287 HP and a 9 speed, huge torque-power, I was amazed at how strong they were, and YES I have driven many Hondas and Toyotas
Power just is not a problem in any of them
NOr in the new Pacifica
randy
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Try a Outback, all wheel drive and you live-in the like me. Got Samantha a Subaru legacy, it the best driving car in bad weather I ever drove, or truck. That will be my next car.
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I thought the JCT are now using this;
http://www.bentleymotors.com/en/models/bentayga/bentayga.html
Now that we're retired, we don't need to get to contests that fast. On the other hand, it would get between rest areas in less time, which is a consideration. Does it come with radar-absorbing paint?
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Last I looked, the Ford "Transit" was built in Turkey, of all places. Otherwise appealing... D>K Steve
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Now that we're retired, we don't need to get to contests that fast. On the other hand, it would get between rest areas in less time, which is a consideration. Does it come with radar-absorbing paint?
Come on, Howard, don't you have some echo-sorb in your garage?
Just 3m77 a little on the hood and front bumper!
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My 2005 Ford F150 Pickup, extended cab, with a camper shell, has 125,000 miles on it with no serious issues what-so-ever. It will hold as many stunt planes as any two guys would like. It has room for four adults in the cab and about 6 to 8 (depending on how you stack them in holders), big stunt planes and all the necessary field equipment and does so in comfort. Gas mileage isn't great but easily gets 25-27 mpg on the highway with overdrive. It's a fairly large V8 and has plenty of power for passing and cruises at 80 mph at about 2700 RPM.
Frankly I would never consider anything else as a serious carrier for large stunt planes. UUhhhhh, well maybe a brand new Ford F150...
Randy Cuberly
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I’ll take this one in a slightly different direction which may set others into “never thought about that” mode.
Bout a 100 years ago (it seems) I drove my 1988 Ford Ranger mini truck toward Detroit to fly with Frank Carlisle (may he rest in peace) and his cadre of friends for the afternoon. I had the truck loaded with my airplane in the back under the Extang soft toneua cover, and the flight support box and fuel jug in the cab with me. I was alone. We had a great afternoon flying and it soon was time to head for home. As I was loading the truck, Frank and I are making our “good byes” and he says out of the blue. “Do you always carry the flight box in the cab?”
Me, “Hmmm…yeah I guess I do. Of course normally it’s only a short trip from home to the local flying field so I don’t really give it a second thought. Why do you ask?”
Frank, “Well I learned some time ago about what can happen when you get into a accident with other stuff in the seating area of the vehicle. Whatever is in that cab with you can become a projectile. You may survive the initial impact of the accident only to get clobbered by what you’ve got loosely stored inside the passenger compartment with you. That flight box would sure make a mess of you if it started flying around for some reason or other.”
Me, “Good point Frank.”
He went on to relate a horror story about a lady killed by golf clubs that were carried unsecured in the trunk of her car during an accident.
Btw, my flight box is an older Sears Craftsman steel tool box that measures 18”L x 9”H x 8.5”W. It’s got a lift out metal tray in the top section of the box. The current weight on the bathroom scale reads about 22lbs.
The reason it was in the cab with me was I did not want the box moving around on the highway causing damage to my plane in the back of the truck. A 52” profile job I built myself. I only secured the airplane to the bed by draping heavy old bath towels around it’s landing gear and over the wing.
Anyway, something to think about. Do what you can to ensure your stuff is secure so it doesn’t become a possible projectile as Frank related. As I do not seem to ever have more than one plane ready to fly at any given time I follow pretty much the same practice as noted above,..but the flight box goes in the rear of the box on my 03 Dodge Ram. The factory bed liner insert has tiedown locations at each corner should I want to lash anything to the box. I have also made use of my own chunk of 2 x 6 lumber which is cut to the correct length to fit snuggly into the purpose built slots in the box liner insert. This gives me a shallow 16” deep section near the tail gate partitioned off from the rest of the boxes more forward area. A case of beer and like sized items can be kept in check with this partition. If I ever get more than one plane ready to fly I'll be making one of those PVC pipe airplane racks that I'll strap in the back of the box. The LEER topper is great too. It turns the box into a large trunk and is semi secure.
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Minivan is your best bet. Any minivan that is large enough to store a full sheet of plywood(4'x8') will be adequate. Of the current offerings, Nissan Quest provides the best combination of size, fuel economy, reliability and price. they are more reliable, more fuel-efficient, more spacious in the back and more reliable than Dodge/Chrysler.
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I have owned 2 Chrysler Town and Country minivans over the last 20 years. The old '96 is still running with the original engine and transmission. My 2006 is still running with the original engine and transmission. It is the best vehicle that I have owned.
I feel that the Chrysler minivans (with stow & go) are the best bang for the buck.
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Except for the initial cost and the poor fuel economy, the Hummer would be an ideal vehicle for going to contests with lots of models.
Keith
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When my fleet grew too big for my beloved '02 Mazda P5, I bought a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe with a pretty good cargo area. The width of the entry point is something to consider, and I rejected a couple of other SUVs because of that. With the rear seat-backs locked in the straight-up position, most of my medium sized Stunters will stand on their nose and stack backwards from there, but you do see stabs in the mirror. By medium size planes, I mean 55" Oriental, Cardinal, etc. But my 60" Magnum would not stand up, so it complicated matters, but it fits in a grocery bag now. The Santa Fe also has a hidden cargo hold under the floor of the rear storage area that will hold a couple of quad chairs and small tool boxes. The back seat area also holds a lot of supplies and gear. Like Tony pointed out, I'm anal about securing possible projectiles, and the Santa Fe accommodates pretty well. Good gas mileage and a V6 with almost 300 hp, it's worked well for me. And it has convenient electronic amenities so your phone is hands-free and you can listen to music stored on the phone or streamed from Pandora.
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Minivan is your best bet. Any minivan that is large enough to store a full sheet of plywood(4'x8') will be adequate. Of the current offerings, Nissan Quest provides the best combination of size, fuel economy, reliability and price. they are more reliable, more fuel-efficient, more spacious in the back and more reliable than Dodge/Chrysler.
No not really
Town N Country --- Quest
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 (ft³)
143.8 108.4
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 (ft³)
33 25.7
Cargo Box (Area) Height (in)
46.2 40
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 (ft³)
83.3 63.6
T&C seats also disappear in just a minute with Stow N Go, and it will hold a 4 x 8 ft ply sheet
You can Also buy a T&C for less money, at least in Ga that is true
Regards
Randy
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My only problem with the new Dodge/Chrysler mini-vans is the placement of the spare tire, under the driver side near the front of the vehicle..
Several years ago we had to go to Santa Maria, CA for my brother-in-law's funeral. We rented a T&C.. Nice van in most respects, but I blew a tire on the freeway. Limped the car over to the shoulder, and could not get the tire out from the passenger side..
So there I am, lying on the ground in the three feet of space between the driver's side of the van and the white stripe on the pavement signifying the edge of the right lane, trying to get the tire out from under the car with Tractor-Trailers going by at 70+ mph a foot from my body/head..
We very easily could have had two funerals..
I called every Dodge number I could find and lit them up over the design.. I'd have to look at that before I bought one. Hopefully they have changed the location.
Mark
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You mentioned Toyota Matrix, and that's a good choice. My wife and I wanted a "toad" (a car to pull behind the motorhome), but I wanted double duty from it. I've been packing all my stuff into a Ford F-150 for transport to the field, and of course, that works fine. But I looked at a Pontiac Vibe GT (a re-badged Matrix) and liked it. The rear seats fold down absolutely flat for one; small enough to tow; much more roomy that you might think, and I get 30mpg vs the truck's 17. I can fit my chair, flight box, two planes, wind sock and a cooler with no issues. If I wanted to build a rack of some sort, just might get 3 planes . . . but not 3 Stregas. ;D
Brian
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My only problem with the new Dodge/Chrysler mini-vans is the placement of the spare tire, under the driver side near the front of the vehicle..
Several years ago we had to go to Santa Maria, CA for my brother-in-law's funeral. We rented a T&C.. Nice van in most respects, but I blew a tire on the freeway. Limped the car over to the shoulder, and could not get the tire out from the passenger side..
So there I am, lying on the ground in the three feet of space between the driver's side of the van and the white stripe on the pavement signifying the edge of the right lane, trying to get the tire out from under the car with Tractor-Trailers going by at 70+ mph a foot from my body/head..
We very easily could have had two funerals..
I called every Dodge number I could find and lit them up over the design.. I'd have to look at that before I bought one. Hopefully they have changed the location.
Mark
Here in Kansas some times tickets are handed out for trying to change a tire. Patrolman said it was better to limp to an exit and get off highway even if you do destroy a tire and rim.
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No not really
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/compare/Nissan-Quest-vs-Dodge-Caravan_d248_d647
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https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/compare/Nissan-Quest-vs-Dodge-Caravan_d248_d647
From your site: More cargo volume, more HP longer for T&C
Nissan Town N Country
Payload and Towing
Cargo Volume 32.4 cu ft -- 33 cu ft
Maximum Payload 1,250 lbs 1,398 lbs
Maximum Towing Capacity 3,500 lbs -- 3,600 lbs
Exterior
Length 200.8 in 202.8 in
Width 77.6 in 88.5 in
Height 73 in 67.9 in
Wheelbase 118.1 in 121.2 in
Related Comparisons
Engine
Flex Fuel Vehicle
Power
260 hp @ 6,000 RPM
283 hp @ 6,400 RPM
Torque
240 lb-ft @ 4,400 RPM
260 lb-ft @ 4,400 RPM
Cylinders
6 cylinders
6 cylinders