Just bought a Dodge Caravan to use for part time RV travel

[clark.walliser]

Recently became a widower and decided I want to do some travel. I'm based in northern CA. 
After looking at the options, decided to sell our cars and buy a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan as my daily driver and part time RV travel. 
My current plan is to remove the 3rd row seats to use the storage wells, but leave the 2nd row seats. 

I'm looking for information on simple ways to outfit the van for 1 - 4 week trips, and suggestions for introductory trips. 
Any tips on the good/bad/ugly of Dodge Grand Caravans are appreciated. 

Cheers,
Clark

 

[treesprite]

Welcome!

 

[WQTraveller]

You didn't indicate your age or if you're still working. At the risk of suggesting something completely impractical, I'd say hang on to one of the cars especially if it's small and you do lot of driving. I'm in a similar situation in that I have a Grand Caravan that would allow me to take weekend and multi-week trips in the summer, but I find the van to be a pig on gas and generally impractical for most day-to-day things. When prepping for a trip, I can set the van up in the evenings and have it ready to roll at 5 on a Friday. No need to pack then take off. My little Subaru wagon is a perfect suburban vehicle. It's good for shopping, work when I'm back in the office, taking the dog for exercise and meeting up with people when that day comes back. It's also great for snowy days, which might not be a concern in California. I also can understand not keeping a daily driver if your daily driving needs are minimal, insurance is expensive or you don't have space. 

I came across this video about the Grand Caravan. Of the five issues that they highlight, friends and acquaintances have consistently mentioned brakes.



To me, that would say that its best keep your configuration light to lessen the load on your brakes and to not carry your camping gear when you're not travelling.

Obviously, my suggestions are based on an incomplete knowledge of what you need.  I want to model my build on one by a YouTuber called Don Wright https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYTX1yUp-Ywja7rDD9QdpPlSD4rE3Ady.  There is so much in his build that I want to copy, partially because of the simplicity of his layout and his subtle humour, but also because what he has put together works for the location and type of camping that works for him, his partner and dog. I also love northern Ontario and hope to visit a few of the places that he has made videos.

I also don't recommend fitting anything permanently. Setting up a camper is a lot of trial and error unti you find what you need. Fortunately wreckers are full of these vehicles, so any parts that you may damage should be cheap to replace.

 

[H868436]

Welcome to the site Clark! You and I are both newbies here, but I would like to offer a small amount of advise about the Dodge Caravan. The older ones seem to have a lot of problems with the Body Control Module (BCM) and now Chrysler/Dodge does not offer parts to fix these up. There is currently a 1989 Grand Caravan sitting in my driveway with this exact problem! I have also heard of the problems with the brakes being inadequate that WQTraveller mentioned. My own opinion on this: Use what you have until you find something else that works better for you if necessary! There are quite a few of these in junkyards and Pull-A-Part yards all around the East Coast, but I do not know the availability of parts and junkyards in your area.

 

[landyachtman]

Welcome to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[jacqueg]

...I'm looking for information on simple ways to outfit the van for 1 - 4 week trips, and suggestions for introductory trips. ...

Cheers,
Clark

First important thing is to realize that when you are first starting out, unless you are a pretty experienced camper already, you should keep things simple, cheap, and easily changed.

Second important thing is you need a warm and comfortable way to sleep.

And the third most important thing is to take baby steps. With all the opinions and examples out there, the hard part is to figure out what you should focus on. Something that helped me - I took a lot of short trips, and after each one, I asked myself what was the single thing whose lack bothered me the most, and then that became the issue to address for my next trip.

Go camping right now in the vehicle you have right now with the stuff you have right now. (Remember that thrift stores are full of usable stuff. And plastic totes are great). Even if your first camp is in your driveway. Search Youtube for "no-build van build" for ideas to get you started. You can only learn what YOU NEED by just doing it. 

Welcome to ordinary adventure.

 

[tradesman]

It sounds like you want to be able to carry passengers as well as camping. You can use the floor mounting locations from the third seat row to your advantage and attach cabinetry etc. You'll be able to remove the camp stuff and put the third row seats back in when you need them. 

This bed/storage and table are in a Toyota minivan. The owner wanted to have a bed/seating/storage and a table (also a floor to level out the dips and brackets of the floor) and also carry around her family. It is all attached with a web strap through a couple of the seat bracket loops so its super easy to install and remove.

 

[crofter]

Welcome to the forum!   -crofter

 

[PeterPiper]

Welcome to the site Clark! You and I are both newbies here, but I would like to offer a small amount of advise about the Dodge Caravan. The older ones seem to have a lot of problems with the Body Control Module (BCM) and now Chrysler/Dodge does not offer parts to fix these up. There is currently a 1989 Grand Caravan sitting in my driveway with this exact problem! I have also heard of the problems with the brakes being inadequate that WQTraveller mentioned. My own opinion on this: Use what you have until you find something else that works better for you if necessary! There are quite a few of these in junkyards and Pull-A-Part yards all around the East Coast, but I do not know the availability of parts and junkyards in your area.

This is true.
That issue is primarily caused by leaks developing around the windshield and door seals. But water has also been known to enter through the ventilation system. Many of the BCM's were epoxy coated which helped, but if you get water in the wiring under the dash it can cause shorts and all kinds of electrical problems.

Malfunctioning alarms systems in vehicles equipped with them had many issues. But also door locks, fans and anything else controlled by the BCM could be affected.

One way to solve this problem is just go ahead and have the windshield and gaskets replaced by a professional glass company. I would say 10 - 12 years.
Alternatively, you "could" carefully silicone seal around the windshield if you're careful and thorough but that won't hold up as long as a fresh replacement.

BCM's are also getting harder to find. I'm fortunate that I'm able to rebuild and diagnose mine myself.

As far as the brakes, I can tell you with zero uncertainty that from 1997 up to 2006, a properly adjusted and correctly working Dodge Caravan brake system is impressive. I'm not familiar with post 2006 caravans. The older ones are far more friendly for DIY ers.

 

[gallica]

Recently became a widower and decided I want to do some travel. I'm based in northern CA.
After looking at the options, decided to sell our cars and buy a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan as my daily driver and part time RV travel.
My current plan is to remove the 3rd row seats to use the storage wells, but leave the 2nd row seats.

I'm looking for information on simple ways to outfit the van for 1 - 4 week trips, and suggestions for introductory trips.
Any tips on the good/bad/ugly of Dodge Grand Caravans are appreciated.

Cheers,
Clark

I love my 2013 grand caravan. I have the 60/40 third row seat, and thanks to one great YouTuber build, I left the small seat on the 3 Rd row, it's my "chair", removed the rest of the third row, now have a storage space there. I dropped down the second row stow and go. My bed is built alongside the remaining 3rdseat, 30 inches wide. I'll see if I can link the video. Check out grand caravan builds on YouTube, if you haven't yet.https://youtu.be/L8jf_n0GaFQ