Packing a Stow-n-go Minivan

[mommylibrarian]

We are the proud owners of a 2008 Town and Country with the Swivel and Go seats and cannot wait to drive it to Disney. YAY!

I was going to measure the stow-n-go compartments (and still may), but thought some Disers may also have this type of van (Chrysler and Dodge) with these awesome compartments. All our seats will be up, and there is room in the back for quite a bit... but not as much room as my old Saturn Vue had.

So how have you made best use of those stow-n-go compartments? What fits best in there? Is there something that fits "just right?" I'm thinking this will be where our dry goods, alcohol, and other kitchen stuff ends up. Does it get too hot? One compartment will probably be out of commission because we won't use the table the whole way down and we'll want to stow it. So we just have one available compartment.

We have a 10 hour drive, but plan to stop overnight in Savannah because we're leaving after work on Friday and getting there mid-day on Saturday to enjoy! (My point - other than to share my excitement about a trip in OCTOBER - is that it has to be something that can stay in the car overnight.

Thanks!

 

[FLA NUT]

I have a 2005 with the stow & go seats. You can get more than you think in those compartments. We are Pepsi addicts, so we usually fill one compartment with 20oz bottles that I buy when they are on sale along with anything else that we don't need for the trip down that I can pack in there. One compartment usually gets filled full of the kids stuff like extra DVD's, PSP's, etc. As long as they are in the compartment, I don't have to worry about them getting accidently pulled out when we stop (the games, not the kids, although sometimes I would like to put the kids in there).

Basically, put anything that will fit and it will be fine. We always have something stuffed in every empty space we can find. Although since we have started staying in a condo with a washer/dryer I have been able to convince my husband that he does not need to take every single shirt that he owns including some that he hasn't worn in years. This cut my luggage in half!!!!!

Enjoy your trip and your new van.

 

[pha1226]

I can't answer your questions but I'm sooo jealous of your car! My kids see that van on the commercials and love it!

 

[kim929]

I too am so jealous. I have the book sitting on a table in the hallway as a gentle reminder to my husband. What color did you get? Good luck with your new car and let us know how it was on the ride. gas mileage etc.

 

[mommylibrarian]

FLA NUT: Excellent! I realized how big they were when I put the table in there. Even with the table stowed, there is still some room for odds and ends... however, I won't want to put anything in that particular compartment, because we probably WILL use the table for part two of the drive down since it will be daylight. I'm a soda nut as well, so I envision rows of Diet Dr. Pepper in there! We are DVC, so we pack less now with the W/D availability, but it still adds up. Just our cooler takes up half the back.

Now.. wouldn't it be cool if they had made those compartments into fridges? Or at least coolers with drains?

Everyone: Don't be jealous! It does have it's drawbacks. The mileage is really poor compared to my VUE. I justified it knowing that my normal commute is about 10 minutes, but I didn't factor in taking the kids to school and attending meetings across town at other libraries... so we are certainly spending more on gas and not helping the international fuel situation. I do what I can to minimize though.

Also, the kids want to watch the DVD player every time we are in the car... even to run to get groceries. Ah, the whining...

And I got navy blue and I do like it. The dealer here is a bit aggressive, so I ended up sacrificing things like precise selection of extras (color, seat covering, features, etc.) for lowering the price to take what they had on the lot. Don't get me wrong, though... I have leather seats, the upgraded stereo system, and heated seats! So I am certainly HAPPY!

 

[IMDORY]

Now.. wouldn't it be cool if they had made those compartments into fridges? Or at least coolers with drains?
QUOTE]



That is SO funny you said that b/c we have a Dodge Grand Caravan w/the stow-n-go seats...we took a 16 hour trip to HHI, SC and we joked that we should put ice in one of the stow-n-go compartments and fill it with drinks!