Gun Dog Forum

How many of you have wives that drive minivans? My wife wants one, but I'm not sold on the idea...

Went thru the mini-van and would not go back. Most mini vans are junk and only get in the 16-20 mpg. I would recommend a Chevy Tahoe, add a cold air intake and a exhaust system and you get 16-18 around town. The tahoe will have more room, more power, and in 5 years a better resale.

Having owned one, a minivan, before I will say this.... it practical but its still a minivan.

My wife REFUSES to touch a minivan. There was a group of us (3 couples) and we borrowed her fathers minivan and she made me go pick it up to take for the evening. I really wish (from the money standpoint) that she would have got a minivan instead of a decked out yukon.

Corry

We have our 5th one and love them. What else can I buy that will haul 7 or 8 people, three dog crates, bags of feed and groceries, get 19 mpg in town and 22 or better on the highway. And the best part is sitting up rather than almost laying down in a car which is great when spending a day on the road.

Ezzy

Mini Vans are a great option for hauling the kids around. We have had a couple of them. they did their job well.
Now that the kids are grown, she got a new Outback, that she loves.

No, it's not the cool kids car but I love mine. Fits lots of stuff and has a low tailgate for ease of loading dogs.

Carla

Whats a wife?

My wife would punch me in the throat if I suggested she drive a minivan!

jimbo&rooster wrote:My wife would punch me in the throat if I suggested she drive a minivan!

was thinking the same thing

I actually wouldn't mind having one for hunting. I could keep the dogs in their crates where it's warm and dry along with all my gear and be able to lock it when I go for lunch. Or, be able to haul decoys, chest waders, guns ect ect all inside out of the rain and weather. All of that and still get good MPG.

Who really cares what the vehicle is if it serves its purpose. I know your not buying one for a hunting buggy but when it's time to trade you just might keep it for a hunting buddy though!

We had one for awhile. Ended up trading it and it was the biggest mistake we ever made. It was great for trips, grocerys, hauling lots of people ect ect.

I had an old VW van for years for my hunbting buggy. Was great for 3 or 4 dogs and 2 or 3 hunters. A 4 wheel drive minivan would be almost ideal if you could find such a thing.

Ezzy

Tyler S wrote:

jimbo&rooster wrote:My wife would punch me in the throat if I suggested she drive a minivan!

was thinking the same thing

I hope I find one like that someday..

ezzy333 wrote:We have our 5th one and love them. What else can I buy that will haul 7 or 8 people, three dog crates, bags of feed and groceries, get 19 mpg in town and 22 or better on the highway. And the best part is sitting up rather than almost laying down in a car which is great when spending a day on the road.

Ezzy

Exactly. Our next vehicle will also be a mini van.

Sharon wrote:

ezzy333 wrote:We have our 5th one and love them. What else can I buy that will haul 7 or 8 people, three dog crates, bags of feed and groceries, get 19 mpg in town and 22 or better on the highway. And the best part is sitting up rather than almost laying down in a car which is great when spending a day on the road.

Ezzy

Exactly. Our next vehicle will also be a mini van.

X3! When I was in the wholesale wine business the company was taking a gang of us out to tour the Napa Valley. The boss was torn between renting the largest sedan or a minivan. I told him that without a doubt he should get the minivan. We had acres of space per person instead of being shoehorned into a sedan! Just making the drive from SFO to the Napa Valley everybody was thanking me!

My wife drives the Jetta (she came with it) and I drive... you guessed it, the mini-van. Felt a like a bit of a gurly-man at first but now I kinda like it. Pretty comfortable ride with lots of space. Beats the heck out of driving the sorority chick car!

My wife's mini-van says Yukon XL on the back. Like jimbo said above, when I suggest a van to her I dang well better duck afterward!

I actually wouldn't mind having one for hunting.

Let us know what you think after a few skunk encounters

JKP wrote:

I actually wouldn't mind having one for hunting.

Let us know what you think after a few skunk encounters

Never a skunk, but I borrowed my dads shop van once to run coyote hounds, and had 2 ear cut dogs that made the inside of that van look like a crime scene!

Jim

I didn't want to like ours, but I actually do (I'm the wife). We have a 19-month-old (kid), 1-month-old (kid), and 10-month-old (GSP). We had to sell my F-150 (which I really liked) when we got the van, but since we want to have a family it really made sense to do that. We got a kennel that fits perfectly in the back for the dog, and that van gets more off-road time than probably any other Odyssey ever. Who cares that we're the only ones at NAVHDA training days with a minivan? We were also the only ones at the last one with a six-day-old baby. And yes, my husband drives the van too.

jimbo&rooster wrote:My wife would punch me in the throat if I suggested she drive a minivan!

+1

We hated the idea of getting a minivan, but when out 4th child came along it was just to practical to not. I had a 6cyl Dodge Caravan and let me tell you it was a great vehicle. It got decent gas mileage, almost never got passed on the interstate, was very comfortable and drove great. It had got hit in the rearend and I ended up driving it for about another year as a work vehicle then just parked it out back in the field (i know redneck huh). Couple yrs later someone came by and knocked on the door and asked me if I would sell it. I had assumed that they were just wanting to scrap it and since it was an eye sore told them i would take $100 and that it ran perfect when parked, but hadn't been started in a loooooong time. Threw some jumper cables on it and it fired right up. The belt broke instantly from dry rot. Replaced it and I still see it around town being driven, LOL. It was great for trips with the family and hauled dogs great too. I have owned several vehicles since and if I could have that old Caravan new would take it over any of them. Good luck, SCK

2 words: Sliding Doors.
Best auto related invention since they first put doors on cars. If there was a vehicle with 4 sliding doors I would buy it in an instant. ALL vehicles should require sliding doors - we could save inches in every parking lot. no more dings from the next car opening a door into yours. heaven.

Kids are teens now, so I now drive the minivan, the wife puts more town miles on so we got her a hybrid compact. To be honest I am iching for a pickup, for the dog of course. But when it comes down to it, we can throw the dog, 7 people (8 in newer versions) and their lugage in and drive comfortably for 7 hours, at 20MPG... and vans come in all wheel drive... hard to beat for usability (other than the afore mentioned skunk issue). So, keep something that works (219k miles on a 1999 toyota sienna, and runs like a top) or pay $35k-$40k for a new f150, that may not work as well... I am still too cheap to upgrade. Maybe after the kids are gone and I don't have pack so many people on trips... of course we will probably send the sienna to college with the older one, which will give me an excuse.

Qwernt wrote:2 words: Sliding Doors.
Best auto related invention since they first put doors on cars. If there was a vehicle with 4 sliding doors I would buy it in an instant. ALL vehicles should require sliding doors - we could save inches in every parking lot. no more dings from the next car opening a door into yours. heaven.

+ a zillion. If they could put sliders on my Suburban, I think I would have the perfect vehicle. Young kids and car doors = parking at the furthest end of the lot as to not vandalize anyone who parks next to us.

Would never let my wife a mini-van. Get an suv.

cole.nelson782 wrote:Would never let my wife a mini-van. Get an suv.

You seem to have more power than most or did she tell you to say that?

Qwernt wrote:of course we will probably send the sienna to college with the older one, which will give me an excuse.

As a 22 year old and somebody that graduated college almost a year ago can I say please, please don't send your kid off to college with a minivan...

JKP wrote:

I actually wouldn't mind having one for hunting.

Let us know what you think after a few skunk encounters

Been there done that with a dog in the truck with me. Just have to suck it. Been sprayed myself before too while coon hunting. It's nothing that you can't get over. It's a hunting buggy not a date mobile.

I said that. Because i pay the bills so my choice!

We used to have a Pontiac Montana Sport with double auto-sliding doors.. Man I wish I would've never sold it. Comfortable ride and it was so easy for everything.... Long Trips, Dogs on trips, Grocery Shopping, Camping... You Name it. It actually handled half-way decent in the snow too...

cole.nelson782 wrote:I said that. Because i pay the bills so my choice!

Ouch - if my husband ever said that to me, it would be the last thing he said as a married man!

cole.nelson782 wrote:I said that. Because i pay the bills so my choice!

Ahh yes... Yet another statement to cause my wife to punch me in the throat

Strange to me how many people anymore do not understand that the marriage licence does away we the your's and mine and started the terms we and ours. Proof is the numbers of ex's.

Ezzy

My wife never wanted to own a mini-van. We tried a few options before it(Subaru forrester for one) but with three young daughters, lots of traveling, dogs, etc it seems to work for our family. I kept my truck and have a 4dr for traveling around town and work. Only problem is all the dents in it from stuff she keeps hitting....

Boy, some of you folks must have pretty fancy images that need protecting...

I bought a used Dodge caravan the cargo one without the seats in it for the main purpose for hunting out of locally. It was 2 years old and paid $5000 for it. It gets 25 mpg and carries 10 dogs and keeps them warm in the winter and I do not have to worry about dog theft. The money I have saved on fuel has paid for it. I have taken the top kennels out at times and spent the night on a matteress on the bottom kennels.This is a very comfortable ride and I think I like it better than my other rides. My hunting buddies laughed at me but now one has bought a minivan and another is looking for one.
Birddog 307

Where the heck are you guys hunting where you can get a mini van to!!!

Wont get you far where I hunt!

Elkhunter wrote:Where the heck are you guys hunting where you can get a mini van to!!!

Wont get you far where I hunt!

Whats your three legged dogs story?