Building a "special" Mopar ~ DUALLY Caravan :)

[MoparguyNC]

Hi! I'm new to the Caravan boards. I was given my neighbors 1995 Dodge Caravan. They were moving out of state and didn't really want to take it with them or fool around with selling it so.... It's in nice condition but I don't need a minivan [as they're intended use] however I took it since it was offered. I'm an avid Mopar enthusiast/owner and always wanted something to haul my parts/pieces for my various classic Mopars so this Caravan would fit the bill. However, rather than just a minivan I would like a build "different' type hauler. I would like to make it a "dually" by adding spacers to the rear wheels allowing another wheel to be mounted on each side making it a 4 wheel rear end. Since it's a dead axle this should be easy. I have a set of flared metal trailer type "fenders" that fit the opening nearly perfectly giving it a factory look once welded/molded on. I've had them clamped on and it's very cool looking. I would like to make the side door a flip down ramp door since with the dually flares it would no longer slide back and be worthless otherwise.

I've searched the web and can find no one who's ever done this [to my surprise] and was hoping to get any help from others here. I see no reason why this can't be done and I think it would be one cool looking minivan. I had also thought of cutting the top down making it essencially a van/truck but after some serious thought it seems to me a bad idea.

What do you all think?

[MoparguyNC]

I sure hoped to get some kind [any kind] of feedback on this. If you care to comment I'd sure appreciate it. Thanks!

[rwood13]

agree, sounds neet, they (can't remember where I saw them) used to make dually rear wheel conversions for single wheel vehicles, you may need to have wheels custom made, the fold down side door would solve the problem of trying to make it slide past the wheel, if you were to cut the back you would have to renforce the chassis to compensate for the removal

[MoparguyNC]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm excited about doing this though I know it's not anything that special, like a 440 in a Caravan There are manufacturers of dually adapters out there but I am going to fabricate my own [I'm a certified welder]. I have a 1990 Dodge truck that I converted to a dually from a 1/2 ton Cummins. That was easy as I simply dropped a factory dually rear under it and bought the fiberglass dually "fenders" which are bolt on. This Caravan is a whole different story with having to add a dually set up, configuring the side door to a flip down ramp style, fabricating the fenders to look factory, etc... I'm not going to cut the back, I nixed that idea. I could fabricate the necessary reinforcements, body work, etc... but I think it would just look ugly. I hope to begin this project soon and I'll be sure to come back to post photos. I think I've got the name already "Mually" for Mopar and Dually

[rwood13]

would love to see pictures, would it be easier to make the side door flip up like the rear? for fenders how about old bug fenders? saw taht in an old rod mag, guy had used bug fenders as flairs on his 69 Nova

[MoparguyNC]

On the flip up side door, I'd rather have a ramp by flipping down but this may change? I've got a few ideas for the dually fenders but I am going to make this look as factory as possible so any custom like you mentioned is out. I'll be getting everything together for this project over the next few weeks then I can begin. I'll be sure to come back and post photos

[rwood13]

be waiting to see ..... when I had mine with four kids my idea was to put dullies on and widen the body behind the front seats but never got there

[MoparguyNC]

This is not what I had in mind [I'm going for a 4 wheel on a single axle dually] but I thought this was very cool.

check this out:

http://www.chryslerminivan.net/pics/...1074560487.jpg