Long before the Volkswagen Microbus became the standard mode of transportation for '60s-era hippies and Lee Iacocca claimed credit for inventing the minivan in the '80s when Chrysler Corp. introduced the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, there were these odd-ball vehicles know collectively as "conversion vans."
In the early days, they tended to look somewhat homemade and were sold by dealers with names like "Honest John" and "Big-Hearted Harry." One suspected that Honest John perhaps didn't live up to his moniker and that Harry's heart shrunk considerably the moment a prospective customer wandered onto his lot.
In other words, conversion vans existed on the outer banks of the auto industry and, as Frank Gilanelli, spokesman for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, freely admitted to me in an interview last week, "We had a sleazy image."
No one was more aware of this than Detroit's automakers (Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge and GMC) who supply the raw material for van conversions in the form of stripped-down commercial cargo vans — commonly known as panel trucks — that they sell to the conversion companies who then gussy them up into seven-passenger people haulers. Pickup trucks and SUVs also are used for conversions but cargo vans are the chassis of choice most of the time.
That once tawdry image of van converters — and unhappy customers who would go to the "deep pocket" original manufacturers looking for satisfaction — eventually motivated the Detroit chassis suppliers, such as GM, to step in and start policing the conversion companies.
The result has been a general housecleaning of the industry that has left the 80 or so remaining U.S. converters being held to a fairly rigid code of production standards that has brought the industry more into the mainstream.
Conversion vans are actually not a bad concept, although since minivans started getting bigger and posher the minis have offered stiffer competition to the converters. But even the largest minivans don't offer the space and luxury of a well-appointed conversion van.
In the past, most conversion vans were saddled with decor that tended to look like your Aunt Tillie's living room: lots of gaudy, tufted and pleated fabrics, saggy curtains on the windows, ersatz wood trim and shag carpeting.
In short, conversion vans tended to suffer from what many people would call bad taste. Many of those who liked the idea of a high-zoot van couldn't stomach the trappings.
But all that is changing. The 2000 Explorer conversion van I drove last week was not what I'd call an example of form follows function, but its large and cushy reclining seats were tastefully clad in beige leather, the wood trim in the passenger sections was the real thing, and even Martha Stewart might approve of the carpeting and window coverings. A Lincoln Navigator owner would feel right at home in the GMC Savana-based Explorer.
As noted above, there are more van converters than there are auto manufacturers but one of the more respected is Explorer, based in Warsaw, Ind., which bills itself as "America's Van" and whose products — and sales — have placed it among the top tier of converters.
One of the strongest appeals of van conversions over factory minivans is the ability to "have it your way," as Burger King says. The custom permutations available in van conversions are not limitless, but compared to the options list of an average car, truck, SUV or minivan, they might as well be.
As L. Kim Robinson, sales manager for Salt Lake Valley Custom Vans and GMC Trucks puts it: "The sky is almost not the limit on enhancements available for Explorer vans."
Base price for the GMC Savana cargo van I drove last week was $22,864, but options and delivery charges pushed the bottom line to $26,109. Options included in that base package were a sound system, power antenna, deep tinted glass, remote keyless entry, and a $1,195 engine upgrade to GM's Vortec 5.7-liter gasoline motor.
But that gets you a cargo van, not a conversion. The minimal conversion package boosts the price to $30,825 but a more typical redo was found on my tester, which had a bottom line of $45,368. This gets you the fancy seats — including a rear bench that electrically lowers to become a small bed — and cloth shades for the oversize passenger windows that are part of the conversion package.
It also includes a raised sport roof that allows the passengers in the rear to stand fully erect (assuming they are not affiliated with the NBA), a 13-inch TV with VCR (viewable only by the rear passengers), high-gloss wood trim, a rear sound system, a leather upgrade, individual AC outlets for each passenger, and a chest between the front seats that will keep food and drinks either cold or warm. Also, there are outlets for the kids to play video games after they run out of movies.
In back, with the rear bench seat raised to the normal sitting position, there is a very large cargo area, and all of the seats are removable, converting it back to a (very expensive) panel truck for when cargo takes priority over passengers.
Conversion vans are marketed much like minivans as a family hauler for people with children. Frankly, I don't see it quite that way. Much of the conversion cost goes for the oversize seats, wood trim and other luxury touches that are wasted on a batch of grade-schoolers. Neither is it really suitable as a downsize motor home, although it would do in a pinch, especially if you remove the two middle captain's chairs and don't need the amenities of kitchen or bathroom.
I see this van as better suited for grown-ups making a run down to St. George or maybe for a realtor who needs to haul clients around. It feels more like a mobile corporate board room than a soccer mom's main ride. The perfect use for this vehicle would be chauffeuring people around Hollywood to look at the stars' homes.
Still, it would certainly serve as a luxurious family car. It handles decently for such a large, heavy vehicle and it is easier to maneuver and park than some of the humongous SUVs that have been so popular in recent years.
That's what's great about America: We make vehicles to fit every possible niche, and there are always people willing and able to fill each one.
The Savana is rated at 14 mpg in city driving and 18 mpg on the highway, but the added weight of the Explorer conversion will eat into that somewhat — Robinson estimates one or two miles per gallon.