Van driver's club

[Gaolee]

It came up in another thread that I have a van. There's always that stigma of being a person with a van. Mine is a dark green 2002 Chevy window van with blacked out windows. It was owned by the government, and looks just like a bottom of the line government vehicle. The tinted windows are all about avoiding having people look at the gear that's sometimes in the van, not for nefarious purposes. But, there's that stigma and the standard issue jokes.

I can't be alone in putting up with the stigma in order to achieve the high level of usefulness that having a van brings. The few, the proud, the van drivers - we need a club, and now we have one.

 

[ONYX]

A dark green van? You're good to go. As long as you don't have this, you'll avoid any stigma:

 

[Oddly]

I don't have one any more, but I've spent most of my life driving vans, in fact I only bought my first car 12 years ago at age 40!
I've worked as a courier, in furniture removals, newspaper delivery and as a roadie, and of course ferrying my various bands around.
Good thing I was never much of a drinker!

I don't really need one anymore, but I sure miss the usefulness and safety of having a van.
I can't say I ever noticed much stigma attached to owning one, but then I don't really care what other people think of me.

 

[5StringBlues]

 

[Plake]

This guy jams econo.

 

[bholder]

I have a dark blue 96 Ford E150 sitting in my driveway, but it hasn't run since the last band I was in collapsed years ago. Now it's just an external storage unit (with plates and insurance, because zoning rules). Gotta ditch it and get one that runs.

 

[fdeck]

Do minivans count?

My first car was a 1975 Dodge van. It had only one rust hole when I got rid of it -- the rust hole went all the way around the entire body. Boy was I glad when it was gone. The thing drank gas and dripped oil. Today, I'd downsize my gear before I'd upsize my vehicle.

 

[Gaolee]

A dark green van? You're good to go. As long as you don't have this, you'll avoid any stigma:


View attachment 1154286

Yep, that's the usual joke. My van says "free champagne" on the side. I go for a different demographic.

 

[Gaolee]

Do minivans count?

My first car was a 1975 Dodge van. It had only one rust hole when I got rid of it -- the rust hole went all the way around the entire body. Boy was I glad when it was gone. The thing drank gas and dripped oil. Today, I'd downsize my gear before I'd upsize my vehicle.

Of course a mini-van counts.

I'm wondering if we want club numbers or if we just want to keep it kinda quiet, because, well, y'know...

Fact is that this is a club I would proudly belong to, kinda like the other club in my signature with two numbers.

 

[5StringBlues]

My van says "free champagne" on the side. I go for a different demographic.

 

[Gorn]

I want a minivan. I leased a Corolla this passed weekend and if I could've afforded the Sequoia I would've gotten one. I don't care if I'm a single caucasian male in my thirties and it would've made me look like a serial killer and/or sex pervert. Minivans are awesome.

 

[ONYX]

Yep, that's the usual joke. My van says "free champagne" on the side. I go for a different demographic.

Seriously......a dark green van isn't going to draw that much attention. I drove a dark blue Chevy van for a couple years until it fell apart. Nobody ever made snide remarks to me about it. It's the white vans that people joke about---stay away from those.

 

[Gaolee]

I want a minivan. I leased a Corolla this passed weekend and if I could've afforded the Sequoia I would've gotten one. I don't care if I'm a single caucasian male in my thirties and it would've made me look like a serial killer and/or sex pervert. Minivans are awesome.

Yeah, there's also the soccer mom connotation that goes with a minivan. It's all to be ignored for the purpose of warm, dry, relatively secure storage and transport of all manner of people and gear. Maybe this club should be for past, current, and aspiring van drivers.

 

[farace]

I have an '05 Chrysler Town & Country with Stow & Go seating. So much better than the '91 Caravan I had before where I had to remove the seats and store them somewhere. (Somehow I managed to carry gear in the Dodge Omni I had before that. It was surprising what would fit in that thing with the rear seat folded down.)

Growing up, my parents had a '68 Dodge van and a '73 Dodge van.

 

[Count Bassie]

Seriously......a dark green van isn't going to draw that much attention. I drove a dark blue Chevy van for a couple years until it fell apart. Nobody ever made snide remarks to me about it. It's the white vans that people joke about---stay away from those.

...or the big red ones.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Do old station wagons count? It's got dark tinted windows.

 

[catcauphonic]

I do miss my '93 Chevy G20! Bought it a few months before i moved across the country in 2000. It served me well to and in Los Angeles. Sadly, it either ended up on the auction block down there, or as a small compressed cube of metal Good times!
Looked like this one, but with purpler pinstripes >

I'm currently on the hunt for another new vehicle ... preferring another Subaru, but was toying with the idea of a minivan (negating instructions i made years ago to "shoot me if you ever see me buying one of those!" )

 

[MJ5150]

Anyone else want some jalapenos and coffee?

-Mike

 

[Stumbo]

I miss my vans. Gone but not forgotten.

'63 VW, '87 Toyota, '01 Honda. Been talking about getting another van or Truck.

Oh yeah, a Nissan truck, Nissan station wagon, Chevy Tahoe and Toyota Hatchback are in my past as well.

My daughter got a Nissan Armada as a loaner thus past week. Love all that room.

Nothing like a van or truck to get some work done!

I don't need no stinkin' stigma.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

My truck and wagon (well the family's wagon) in one pic