[DoninDel]

Is it too tight to have cardboard or something protecting interior side of the wheel wells?

In older minivans, there was no center console or the space below the console was open so you could fit 10' lumber with the hatch closed. Too bad, Chrysler did not make the cup holder drawer removable to facilitate this.

Agreed. In the Town & Country we traded in, console was removable - could go between 2 front seats or between 2nd row seats or take it out completely. With it out, could easily fit 10' lumber between front seats.

 

[Toolkit]

And, I can assure you stow and go minivans can handle two 9 foot 6 inch kayaks inside, hatch closed, 2 people in the front seats, tent and plenty of other camping gear on the floor, and 2 bikes on the rear hatch!!

(This was before we agreed to purchase and trust roof tie downs for the kayaks.) We did find later the roof tie downs hold steady with 2 kayaks even in a strong wind and highway speeds.

And, that allowed for 4 rubbermaid storage bins on the floor with a cooler, and a 4x8 sheet cut into 3 pieces lengthwise to form a platform for sleeping with an inflatable mattress on top.

Reflectix panels covered in cheap black garden weed control fabric cut to just push into window openings give complete privacy and just look like tinted windows. Black shower curtain hung with binder clips behind front seats completes the blackout. Power sliding doors and rear courtesy light switches make it better than a tent and addon front window rain guards with a screen allow fresh air.

When you get there, the 3 platform plywood strips lean sideways to allow easy bin access. A 2300 watt inverter under the passenger seat gives 110v power & runs hours off the battery. Recharges the battery quickly driving with the minivans high output alternator. We've even kept our home lights, refrigerators, and gas furnace blower motor all running during a winter blackout from that setup.

The minivan sleeping option is just there during a long trip without hotel charges and camp setup hassles if raining..and..

You can also use that setup for passenger sleeping while driving, which of course isn't real safe, but what's a better way to go than dying in your sleep?

 

[Longtimemopar]

And, I can assure you stow and go minivans can handle two 9 foot 6 inch kayaks inside, hatch closed, 2 people in the front seats, tent and plenty of other camping gear on the floor, and 2 bikes on the rear hatch!!

(This was before we agreed to purchase and trust roof tie downs for the kayaks.) We did find later the roof tie downs hold steady with 2 kayaks even in a strong wind and highway speeds.

And, that allowed for 4 rubbermaid storage bins on the floor with a cooler, and a 4x8 sheet cut into 3 pieces lengthwise to form a platform for sleeping with an inflatable mattress on top.

Reflectix panels covered in cheap black garden weed control fabric cut to just push into window openings give complete privacy and just look like tinted windows. Black shower curtain hung with binder clips behind front seats completes the blackout. Power sliding doors and rear courtesy light switches make it better than a tent and addon front window rain guards with a screen allow fresh air.

When you get there, the 3 platform plywood strips lean sideways to allow easy bin access. A 2300 watt inverter under the passenger seat gives 110v power & runs hours off the battery. Recharges the battery quickly driving with the minivans high output alternator. We've even kept our home lights, refrigerators, and gas furnace blower motor all running during a winter blackout from that setup.

The minivan sleeping option is just there during a long trip without hotel charges and camp setup hassles if raining..and..

You can also use that setup for passenger sleeping while driving, which of course isn't real safe, but what's a better way to go than dying in your sleep?

I would like to see some picture of this set up.
"...A 2300 watt inverter under the passenger seat gives 110v power & runs hours off the battery."
This hasn't drained the battery?

 

[Toolkit]

Amazingly someone asked if using an inverter drains the battery... Of course it does and anyone can do the math for hours run vs load and battery capacity..

The point is it's very handy for backup power. In our last power outage we ran 2 refrigerators, lights and the gas furnace blower.. Alternated running on just battery and idling with alternator to recharge to the battery. Pleasantly surprised to see we only used about a third of a gallon per hour as the 3.8L was only idling even at load.

Really like the powerbrite inverter as it fits under the seat and has very good surge capability of over 4000 watts for several seconds when needed for refrigerator startup. You need to use about 2 gauge wire from the battery to the inverter to get all the capability out of it. Nice addition was our remote start so we didn't have to go out in the snow to start and stop...

Additional advantages include almost no noise compared to typical generator, safe exhaust in driveway and very large fuel capacity. Yes, you have to disconnect to use your car, but house takes hours to cool off and you don't need to run constantly...

 

[GaryS]

I often haul 10" boards in my 2014 T&C, but not many at one time. They slide under the passenger seat.

 

[voiceofstl]

on 2016 caravan the 4x8 plywood would not barly fit. I had to forece the hatch closed...I got home and measured it. The plywood was a 1/2 inch longer then 8ft.. IMO when you design it to hold 4x8 material it should be 50 inchs by 98 inchs

 

[bfurth]

Why is anyone surprised that a Pacifica can hold full sheets of 4x8 material? That's been a design parameter of the Mopar minivan since 1984.