Massive cooler? Check. Three tents? Check. Sleeping bags? Check. Stove, utensils, clothes and firewood for three days? Check. 125cc mini-bike? Check. Something capable of hauling all of the above, plus three people, to Laguna Seca for a three day camping weekend? Check.
That something was our 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. Since I've already shared my thoughts on road tripping with the Caravan here, I'll spare you from repeating many of the same impressions. But fear not, I've got some new ones.
The Seats:
The driver seat sucked to begin with, but now most of the padding has worn thin...so, yeah. The seat heaters help mask some of the pain.
Taco Holders:
Yup. The Caravan's got 'em.
Cargo Capacity:
Nothing beats a minivan. After nearly filing for worker's comp after trying to remove the second row captain's chairs last time around, we decided to leave them in and pack accordingly. Maybe we should have used a funnel to put gas in the mini-bike. Nah.
Rear Suspension:
I'm convinced the rear shocks are blown. Or missing. With a moderate load, the Caravan repeatedly hit its bump-stops on what I would consider smooth highway. It did that once or twice in a (65 mph) curve too. No one was impressed.
Window Switches:
The first picture is of the front passenger window switch. Standard Benz switchgear. The picture below that is of the rear passenger switch. Notice anything different?
It's upside down. The driver's side rear passenger switch is also upside down. Nice.
On another note, and to explain the title of this blog entry, we attended the last AMA Superbike race, ever. To make a long story short, the AMA sold its Superbike series, and all that that entails, to the Daytona Motorsports Group. Rules are changing, manufacturers are leaving and top riders are looking to Europe for rides. Motorcycle racing might not be the same in the States for a good long while.
If you'd like a more indepth look at the situation, try these links:
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/May/080520x9.htm
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Sep/080910ussb.htm
That said, one of the best races of the weekend was the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Those little dudes can race!
Kurt Niebuhr, Photo Editor @ 16,323 miles
altimadude00 says:
01:00 PM, 10/ 3/08
At least Chrysler takes advantage of a good parts bin when they can (unlike Cadillac).
I think it's also interesting that flipping the witch up-side down resembles the rear door of the van. Neat.
ih8hyundai says:
02:30 PM, 10/ 3/08
I don't think that's a mistake. To me, it seems more intuitive that way.
banhugh says:
08:07 PM, 10/ 3/08
The drawing on the switch being upside down proves that this was not intended to be placed like that.
Somebody needs to call the production line manager to find the guy in charge of the assembly to stop this insanity...
cruiserhead1 says:
08:01 PM, 10/ 4/08
Static electricity fires from filling ungrounded gas cans is a very real danger.
Putting a nozzle inside a gigantic, fully-lined plastic and carpeted box is just about one step below thinking the Smartcar is a good purchase.
subytrojan says:
08:08 PM, 10/ 5/08
Fantastic/hilarious blog entry, Kurt! I hope you post more often! :o)
I drove back from Buckeye, Arizona last weekend (9/28) in an Enterprise rental Dodge Grand Caravan (lower trim than the SXT). It was a piece of junk. The best thing I can say about it is that its transmission shifts smoothly. We got it with less than 10,000 miles on the clock and the brakes were already squealing like pigs and the rear bumper deformation had begun. The interior materials are terribly cheap, too. I couldn't believe the "pockets" on the front seatbacks.
Previous generation Grand Caravan > Current generation Grand Caravan
lgret13 says:
06:44 PM, 10/ 6/08
Yes the swtich is upside down, but it makes it more diffucult for a child to close the window accidently on themselves or someone else, since the swtich is in the vertical position.