Dodge Caravan


The Dodge Caravan is a series of minivans manufactured by Chrysler from the 1984 through 2020 model years. The Dodge version of the Chrysler minivans, was marketed as both a passenger van and a cargo van. For 1987, the model line was joined by the long-wheelbase Dodge Grand Caravan. Produced in five generations across 36 model years, the Dodge Caravan is the second longest-lived Dodge nameplate. Initially marketed as the Dodge counterpart of the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was later slotted between the Voyager and the Chrysler Town & Country. Following the demise of Plymouth, the model line became the lowest-price Chrysler minivan, ultimately slotted below the Chrysler Pacifica.
Sold primarily in the United States and Canada, the Dodge Caravan was also marketed in Europe and other international markets under the Chrysler brand. From 2008 onward, Dodge marketed the model line only as the Grand Caravan; Ram Trucks sold a cargo-only version of the model line as the Ram C/V Tradesman. The model line was also rebranded as the Volkswagen Routan from 2009 through 2014.
After the 2020 model year, the Dodge Grand Caravan was discontinued, ending production on August 21, 2020. For 2021 production, the Grand Caravan nameplate was moved to Chrysler, which used it for a Canadian-market version of the Chrysler Pacifica.
For its entire production run, the Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan was manufactured by Chrysler Canada at its Windsor Assembly facility. From 1987 until 2007, the model line was also manufactured by Chrysler at its Saint Louis Assembly facility. Since their introduction in late 1983, over 14.6 million Chrysler minivans have been sold worldwide.

Background

At the end of 1977, Chrysler commenced development on what would become the Chrysler minivans. Alongside the ability to park within a standard-height garage, designers sought to develop a vehicle with a low floor and car-like NVH levels. While front-wheel drive was sought out for the design, rear-wheel drive was still considered an alternative for cost reasons. Following the move of both Hal Sperlich and Lee Iacocca from Ford to Chrysler in late 1978, the Chrysler minivan design adopted front-wheel drive.
While the Dodge Caravan shared no chassis underpinnings with the K-cars, the two model lines retained mechanical commonality, sharing engines and transmissions.

First generation (1984–1990)

Initially slated for introduction as a 1982 model, the Dodge Caravan was introduced alongside the Plymouth Voyager in November 1983 for the 1984 model year.
Interior trim, controls, and instrumentation were borrowed from the Chrysler K platform, and with the lower floor made possible by the front-wheel-drive platform, the Caravan featured car-like ease of entry. Three trim levels were available: base, SE, and LE. The Caravan, along with the Plymouth Voyager, are considered to be the first mass-produced vehicles to have dedicated built-in cup holders.
Base models came equipped for five passengers in two rows of seating. The LE came with seven passengers standard in three rows of seating. The base van had two bucket seats with attached armrests and open floor space between them in the front and a three-person bench seat in the second row. The seven-passenger included two bucket seats with attached armrests and open floor space between them in the front, a two-person bench seat in the second row, and a three-person bench seat in the back row. The two bench seats in the rear were independently removable, and the large three-person bench could also be installed in the second-row location via a second set of attachment points on the van's floor, ordinarily hidden with snap-in plastic covers. This configuration allowed for conventional five-person seating with a sizable cargo area in the rear. The latching mechanisms for the benches were easy to operate, although removing and replacing the seats typically required two adults. A front low-back 60/40 split-bench, accommodating a third front passenger in the middle, was offered exclusively in the SE trim level for 1985, allowing for a maximum of eight passengers. This configuration was subsequently discontinued. The base model's curb weight was.
Safety features included three-point seat belts for the front two passengers and lap belts for the rear five. The seats on base models and cloth-trimmed SEs had no headrests due to the vehicle's "light truck" classification rather than following standard passenger car safety standards. However, the two front seats included non-adjustable headrests on the LE model and in conjunction with vinyl upholstery on the SE versions. Safety standards mandated side-impact reinforcements at all seating positions, front and rear.
Access to the rear rows of seating was by a large passenger-side sliding door, enabling easy access in confined situations, e.g., parking. Because only one sliding door was offered, the smaller second-row bench seat was shifted to the driver's side of the van, facilitating passenger access to the third-row seat. To facilitate variable cargo storage behind the third-row rear seat, the seat could be adjusted forward in two increments, the first of which reduced legroom for the back row passengers by about, and the second of which would push the bench to the back of the second row, making the seats unusable. The seatback of the rear bench could also be folded forward, providing a flat cargo shelf. The narrower second-row bench was neither adjustable nor foldable; it could only be removed entirely.
Cargo access to the rear was via a hatchback, similar to the one on the K platform station wagons. The hatch was hinged at the top and held open by gas struts.
A long-wheelbase variant, marketed as the Grand Caravan, was introduced in May 1987. It offered more cargo space behind the third-row seat.
A commercial cargo version of the Caravan, called the Mini Ram Van, was also introduced for 1984, with a flat-floored cargo space offering a four-foot interior height and featuring four feet of space between the rear wheel wells. The load capacity was. It was renamed the Caravan C/V for 1989 and was discontinued after 1995. It was initially available with a short wheelbase; a long-wheelbase variant was introduced alongside the Grand Caravan.
Unique to the Caravan C/V was a traditional hatch door in the back or the optional swing-out bi-parting doors, similar to those of more traditional cargo vans. These doors were made of fiberglass. Also based on the Mini Ram and C/V were aftermarket conversion vans sold through official Chrysler dealers and from the conversion companies themselves.

Trim levels

  • Base – Included: Vinyl upholstery, 5-passenger seating, warning chimes, cigar lighter, digital clock, manual locks, windows and mirrors, 15-gallon fuel tank, tinted windows, halogen headlamps, an AM/FM stereo with four speakers, vinyl steering wheel, and intermittent wipers.
  • SE – Added: Cloth upholstery, reclining front seats, rear assist strap, 20-gallon fuel tank, power liftgate release, tape stripes, and steel road wheels.
  • LE – Added: Cloth-and-vinyl upholstery, front and rear fascia, forward storage console, warning lights for door ajar, storage drawer, washer fluid warning, and power mirrors.

    Transmissions

Both a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission and a 5-speed manual were available with all straight-four engines, including the turbocharged 2.5-liter. The Plymouth Voyager, which was a rebadged version of the Caravan, was also available with a manual transmission. The Chrysler Town & Country, released in 1990, was a more luxurious repackaged version of the Caravan and had no manual transmission option. Manual transmissions were not available on V6 models of the passenger Caravan, but were an option on the Mini Ram Van and Caravan C/V's long-wheelbase models with a 3.0 L V6.
The V6 engines were only offered with the venerable fully hydraulically operated TorqueFlite, until the computer-controlled Ultradrive 4-speed automatic became available in 1989. The Ultradrive offered better fuel economy and responsiveness, particularly when paired with the inline-four engine. However, it suffered from reliability problems, usually stemming from what is known as "gear hunt" or "shift busyness", resulting in premature wear of the internal clutches. It also required an uncommon type of automatic transmission fluid and is not clearly labeled as such, leading many owners to use the more common Dexron II rather than the specified "Mopar ATF+3", resulting in transmission damage and eventual failure. Early model transmissions would eventually be retrofitted or replaced with the updated versions by dealers under warranty.

Engines

For the first three years of production, two engines were offered in the Caravan – both straight-four engines with 2-barrel carburetors. The base 2.2 L was borrowed from the Chrysler K-cars, and produced horsepower. The higher performance fuel-injected version of the 2.2 L engine later offered in the K-cars was never offered in the Caravan, and the 2-bbl version would remain the base power plant until mid-1987. Alongside the 2.2 L, an optional Mitsubishi 2.6 L engine was available, producing horsepower.
In mid-1987, the base 2.2 L I4 was replaced with a fuel-injected 2.5 L I4, which produced, while the Mitsubishi G54B I4 was replaced with the new fuel-injected 3.0 L Mitsubishi V6 producing in March of that year.
Shortly thereafter in model year 1989, a more powerful engine became optional, with a turbocharged version of the base 2.5 L producing. Revisions to the Mitsubishi V6 upped its output to that same year, and in 1990 a new 3.3 L V6 was added to the option list. The V6 engines became popular as sales of the 2.5 L turbo dwindled and it was dropped at the end of the year. In these years, the ES model debuted to highlight the new engines, the turbo 2.5 L in particular. The ES was introduced to the long-wheelbase Grand Caravan for 1991 and continued throughout 2003 before it was discontinued and replaced with the SXT.
  • 1984–1987 2.2 L K I4,,
  • 1984–1987 2.6 L Mitsubishi G54B I4,,
  • 1987½–1990 2.5 L K I4,,
  • 1987½–1988 3.0 L Mitsubishi 6G72 V6,,
  • 1989–1990 2.5 L K Turbo I4,,
  • 1989–1990 3.0 L Mitsubishi 6G72 V6,,
  • 1990 3.3 L EGA V6,,