RAM 2500 Van of awesomeness

Borrowed my uncle's Ram cargo van this past weekend to haul a bunch of stuff to storage, even had my motorcycle in it. That thing is so cool, I proceeded to go on CL and see if I could find one, even though I

1. have no room for another car let alone a full sized cargo van
2. have no money for a new toy and
3. probably won't use it enough to justify keeping one around.

Go figure, I've driven some really nice cars and this bare bones beat on work horse makes me grin. Does that make me GRM? my 8 year old loved it too

Yep. I honestly have more fun in my beaters in most cases, than in my ms3. Most fun I EVER had was in a borrowed old Toyota pickup with a tired 22RE in it.

I had U haul rental, an E350 cargo van that was suprisingly easy to drive. Kids loved bouncing around in the empty back. I drive a beaten-up Nissan Sentra and have fun in it, even though it could soak up a Grand or more in work.

Once you've experienced a van, SUV's start looking incredibly pointless.

...and even pick-ups become questionable...

Cargo vans get cold in the Winter when you go around corners and the interior air shifts around. The rear ends also get really loose in the rain.

Neither of these things should matter to you in Oxnard.

I am very happy these days to roll in our work van - a full size v6 chevy with metal bin rack in the back and a ladder rack on the roof (complete with 20' ext ladder.) I keep thinking a E250 (or 350!)latemodel work van would be the best tow rig in the world, and I keep giving the hairy eyeball to the new Nissan NVs. I think I'm on the same crazy train as you guys.

Full Size Work Vans - The Official Vehicle of Gettin' E36 M3 Done!

beaters = fun, absolutely. something to be said about not worrying about parking lot battle scars. having to work/think/plan to get a slow car to go fast = fun and very gratifying. My son was loving the ability to run and bounce around the interior of the van and treated it like a clubhouse.

I've had a things for full sized vans since I was a kid, I was always that kind of strange. Plus seeing how useful the van was vs my buddy's chebby extreme s10 must have turned a light bulb on lol

@ Woody, we get bouts of heavy fog being so close to the ocean and being flat plains with mountains to the other side, rain, and low 60's qualifies as cold.

Big vans are great for a lot of things. I love them, have had many. (8) Only problem is they drink gas like a drunken sailor.

Dajiban!!!

I love them so much I have 5 of them. 4 E150s and an E250. A 95, two 97s, a 99 and a 02, all Fords with mileage ranging from 170k to 420k. Definitely the go to vehicle for getting stuff done. The gas bill sucks by the end of the year though. (About $14k last year. )

My dad just got a '90 Suburban. Its a giant station wagon with 4wd and 33" tall tires, and yes it does hold a 4'x8' sheet of whatever with the back seats down.

I'm easily impressed, my IS300 has a pitiful trunk and rear seat area for the purposes of carrying cargo (and people for that matter)

I really loved my Fit for a lot of the same reasons in my earlier posts. Lots of cargo room, slow car that made you work to get any speed out of it, dings didn't bother me on it

The dual use of being able to carry cargo or humans of the Burbans are cool too :)

Low gas mileage does suck, though.

I did love my 01 Dodge Ram Wagon,but recently it has been breaking way too much,and I am thinking about replacing it. I probably won't though as I don't want a car payment. This van is very useful especially with the rear seats for the kids.

mndsm wrote: Yep. I honestly have more fun in my beaters in most cases, than in my ms3. Most fun I EVER had was in a borrowed old Toyota pickup with a tired 22RE in it.

Yes!

Reminds me of my buddy's old 71 Dodge truck from high school. big lift, flat black, 318 with a single barrel carb = full throttle to get up to speed regardless of gear.

Many hijinks on trails/backroads with that thing, can't believe it never got stuck.

mndsm wrote: Yep. I honestly have more fun in my beaters in most cases, than in my ms3. Most fun I EVER had was in a borrowed old Toyota pickup with a tired 22RE in it.

Most fun I ever had was in a Fiero GT. It was parked ;)

porksboy wrote:

mndsm wrote: Yep. I honestly have more fun in my beaters in most cases, than in my ms3. Most fun I EVER had was in a borrowed old Toyota pickup with a tired 22RE in it.

Most fun I ever had was in a Fiero GT. It was parked ;)

Well, if that's they barometer, then a 1982 Toyota Tercel would be the most fun car I've ever owned.

I've always had a thing for the Quigley 4WD conversions.

That's hawt

gamby wrote: Dajiban!!!

Out of all the goofy Japanese car subcultures.

This is the coolest.

Marty! wrote: I've always had a thing for the Quigley 4WD conversions. That's hawt

Quoted because those are cool enough to look at twice.

Drool.

Please stop the van threads!! I can't take the temptation!!!

RossD wrote: My dad just got a '90 Suburban. Its a giant station wagon with 4wd and 33" tall tires, and yes it does hold a 4'x8' sheet of whatever with the back seats down.

that body style has a lot of room... but if you've got a fairly low loading room if you've got the rear a/c (and if you plan on haulling people you need the rear a/c...

that being said... a full size van will do the 4x8 board standing up :)...

and I agree with those saying stop the van threads... I love my volvo wagon... so comfy on the road, the turbo is fun... but the astro was so much more practical/usable for moving stuff... think i'll get a hitch and utility trailer... just won't do so well towing the s10 :-/... lol

Marty! wrote: I've always had a thing for the Quigley 4WD conversions.

I'm not into offroad vehicles, but yeah--that lifted van is pretty rad.

Vans rock! Current beater

The one I let get away

gamby wrote:

porksboy wrote:

mndsm wrote: Yep. I honestly have more fun in my beaters in most cases, than in my ms3. Most fun I EVER had was in a borrowed old Toyota pickup with a tired 22RE in it.

Most fun I ever had was in a Fiero GT. It was parked ;)

Well, if that's they barometer, then a 1982 Toyota Tercel would be the most fun car I've ever owned.

Um, no. That would be a 1978 Ford Econoline that was also parked.

+1 for vans. current. meh...kind of too small for using as a mini camper but plenty of space for hauling E36 M3. 4wd is kind of cool.

gone for a few years now

this thread just makes me want another fullsize. Ill take an AWD chevy express cargo please. I think once my car is paid off in a few years thats what ill be shopping for.