remove minivan interior panels ?

[onetrue]

Hi All,

I will be hitting the road within a few weeks in a 1995 Dodge Grand Caravan. It came from a friend who took very good care of it and it has 138,000 miles on it, almost zero rust and has never had any transmission problems. Having said that given the reputation of theses vans i am not inclined to put a whole lot into a build since I am unsure of how long this thing will last for me.

My dilemma is with the interior flooring and side panels. The reason I am moving sooner than intended is that my current residence has developed an issue with mold and I am starting to feel the effects on my health so I want to get out now.

I peeled back a corner of the carpet in the rear and it looks pretty dirty,etc. Also this van has side panels running along both sides that come out at least 5-6 inches and cover the wheel wells with a ton of wasted space behind the panels. Basically they made long arm rests and little cup holders but sacrificed a lot of space. I drilled a small hole and put a flashlight into it and was amazed at the amount of airspace in there.

So I am wondering if anyone has experience trying to strip out these interior side panels and if it will become a bigger job than I have time/money for, or if it is worth it to do given my health concerns and the amount of extra space I could gain ( 5-6 inches on each wall all the way down) 

Thanks

 

[Jack]

I don't have any experience in the matter but, from what I've seen of folks living in minivans on YouTube, I don't recall any of them tearing anything out and rebuilding it. Of course, that's not to say you couldn't/can't. Personally, I don't think I would unless I was going full-time and long term and had a pre-planned layout. Happy trails!

 

[Trebor English]

I have a 1999 Ford Windstar minivan.  I have not stripped out the plastic and carpet.  Most of the empty space is between the outer layer of steel skin and the inner swiss cheesed steel.  That space would be hard to use.

I have put in plastic drawers and such.  I have no carpentry.  The biggest thing was the 14 inch square hole fan in the back.  

At 200,000 miles I'm not going to put a lot of work into this.  My plan is to be able to switch my stuff to another mini van if necessary with very little time and effort.

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Some thoughts for you.
If you strip, you will have to rebuild. Necessary given time and cost? Up to you if you have the time and tools.

To get at that usable space, just cut open into panels and make a door that gives you access. Or just leave open access through cutout. Instant cabinet.
YouTube minivan buildout for lots of ideas.
Search my threads here for some posts on minivan builds.

 

[onetrue]

Thanks folks...you have confirmed my thought that it probably isn't worth it.

I have indeed thought of just cutting into the space above the wheel wells in order to use that for storage and/or to be able to move my bed platform closer to the wall.

peace

christopher

 

[Almost There]

I'd say it would depend entirely on your financial situation. If you're going to have to stick with this vehicle until it dies then if you  have the skills to build an interior then it would give you a lot more space inside.

If it's a temporary thing until you can save enough to buy something that will last longer/be a better living situation then I'd say hold off on it. When you're ready to sell it, then having it still with the original interior is going, even without seats, is going to improve it's sale value at least a little.

I had a Grand Caravan that I used as a daily driver and for weekend camping. I made full use of all those drink holders for all the small stuff that wanted to float around. IIRC there were also several small storage areas near the rear that I was able to re-purpose and use for holding stuff.

IIWM, I'd be looking at it as a temporary living situation until I could get something better, maybe look at your timeline for moving up. Of course this advice is predicated on me, being me, and having a 'studio apartment' built in to a full size van with a 24" high top. I lived out of a mini-van and would never choose to do it again. YMMV - some are comfortable living long term out of a Prius but it wouldn't be me...