Stow-N-Go

[OHmike]

I am looking around for a new vehicle and i am starting to lean twards a grand caravan (between 01-05).I most definatly am going for buckets seats so that brings up the question. Is stow and go worth it? I like the idea of them folding down in seconds but they look small and less comfortable. (especially for 3 teenagers like mine.) So what i guess i am really wondering how easy are the old regular bucket seats to take out, and can the stow-n-go last 10 or so years?

If anybody has experience on this please share it.
thanks alot for your help!

[Marine2]

Originally Posted by OHmike

I am looking around for a new vehicle and i am starting to lean twards a grand caravan (between 01-05).I most definatly am going for buckets seats so that brings up the question. Is stow and go worth it? I like the idea of them folding down in seconds but they look small and less comfortable. (especially for 2 teenagers.) So what i guess i am really wondering are the old regular bucket seats easy to take out, and can the stow-n-go last.

thanks for your help

Are they worth it? Depends on what you use your van for. They sure are worth it to me. I traded my Dodge Dakota in for the stow and go seats. It's seems like I'm always going to Lowes or someplace and hawling things. The truck was great for that, but hated that I had no room to put things besides the floor or seats. On my 2005 DGC, I stow one seat and keep the other up most of the time. That gives me room in one bin to put my tools, battery cables, furniture pad, umbrella, flash light and etc. all stowed out of sight.

When I want to put something big in the van, it's a snap to stow the seats. My brother's van, you had to take them out when putting something big in and it was a pain. With Stow & Go, your always ready. No need to go home, take the seats out and then go back and load up.

The stow and go seats are a little smaller and a little firmer, but they are not uncomfortable to set in. You have arm rests, the back will tilt and the seat will move forwards and back. I have had several people sit in them and they didn't complain.

Another reason I stow one and leave the other up. It's easy to load up the three grandkids and dog. With that one seat down, the kids can run in the van and get seated and the dog has plenty of room on the floor.

If it hadn't been for the stow-n-go feature and all that storage room, I would have kept my 2001 truck.

[OHmike]

thanks for the info. what other pros and cons are there with this system?

[chigger_ns]

The regular captins chairs are easy to take out of my 2001 gcv.the rear bench seat is a little heavy for one person but I can manage. I find them easy to take out and put back in. The rear bench and the two captin chairs fold down too. I recently put 4 sheets of syrofoam in there by folding the backs of the seats down. Its really up to you to go and look at both take out chairs and stow and go.
I hear the vans with the stow and go seats have a harder job getting the spair tire out from under the van.

Good luck.

[vamc]

I sat in the stow-n-go. the seats are as hard as a rock! but then agine, if you want to fold them, they cant have to much cushin. I think it was a mistake from the get go

[Marine2]

Originally Posted by vamc

I sat in the stow-n-go. the seats are as hard as a rock! but then agine, if you want to fold them, they cant have to much cushin. I think it was a mistake from the get go

I disagree, I not only sat in them, I bought the van because of them. While the seats are firmer than regular bucket seats, they are not any harder than my brother's Dodge GC with a bench middle seat. They have a lot of advantages over regu

[1thunder]

where is the spare tire with the stow and go package and what about the exhaust does it hang down more than conventional vans??

[vamc]

I think the spair tire is still under the car. i could be wrong though

[cbwilsha]

Originally Posted by vamc

I think the spair tire is still under the car. i could be wrong though

Yes, the spare tire is still under the stow & go van but it is located under the van under the FRONT seats and dash and is a PIA to get out and replace. See page 335 of the '05 Owners Manual.

C.B.

[xj31]

Yea,if you get a flat with stow-n-go,you are pretty much screwed.I work at a dealer and as an experiment we tried getting the spare out without the van having a flat and it was a royal pain.I couldn't even imagine trying to do it on the side of the road ,at night,in the rain,especially if it was a front tire.

[BlackOnBlack]

I've got them and I think that they're pretty comfortable...certainly no less so than on my '99.

[Marine2]

Originally Posted by cbwilsha

Yes, the spare tire is still under the stow & go van but it is located under the van under the FRONT seats and dash and is a PIA to get out and replace. See page 335 of the '05 Owners Manual.

C.B.

I know very few people that will change their own tire anyway. Most of us have roadside service.

I do keep a pad in one of the stow-n-go bins though, so that I can slide under enough to unhook the tire from the chain after it is lowered to the ground and I carry a can of instant flat just in case. Still, I don't think it would be much worse than changing a flat on a pickup truck. You need to get under to unhook the chain on those too.

[hayesbcajh]

I have an 02 with 2 rows of bench seats. They are relatively heavy but are easy to get in and out. I can lift them myself with quite a bit of effort so instead I just enlist the help of my wife. Plus if you have 3 teenage kids there should be no problem getting help. In my opinion, if this is an option and adds money to the purchase price they can keep them. Besides, how often do you find yourself at the home center saying, "by the way I think I'll bring home a few sheets of sheetrock just in case I need them". Usually when you need that much room it was a planned expedition. I see more value in the fact that you can put your groceries in the bin when the seats are up. Or store other things out of sight like the washer fluid and jumper cables.

[Marine2]

Originally Posted by hayesbcajh

I have an 02 with 2 rows of bench seats. They are relatively heavy but are easy to get in and out. I can lift them myself with quite a bit of effort so instead I just enlist the help of my wife. Plus if you have 3 teenage kids there should be no problem getting help. In my opinion, if this is an option and adds money to the purchase price they can keep them. Besides, how often do you find yourself at the home center saying, "by the way I think I'll bring home a few sheets of sheetrock just in case I need them". Usually when you need that much room it was a planned expedition. I see more value in the fact that you can put your groceries in the bin when the seats are up. Or store other things out of sight like the washer fluid and jumper cables.

The 2005 with stow-n-go are cheaper this year than the same type of van sold for last year. Chrysler is giving big discounts on them along with 0% financing.

It's not just planning for pickups at the home store. How many times have you gone to a store like Sears and buy something you didn't plan on? Or go by a garage sale and see something you liked and bought it? Maybe be over to a relative's house and they give you something big. The thing about them is you are always ready for anything that comes up and they give you soooo much more storage space.