US 8 seaters, Yukon, Odyssey, Sienna but what vans Vito etc?

[Hugh Jarse]

Thanks Matt, a Surburban popped up this morning,


now everything Im finding seems rather good value all of a sudden. As per you recommendation. On the face of it this should work, but reaching in to the third row to buckle a child around the C pillar on a hinging door gets old very quickly, and if you have them on the middle row, the seats no longer tip. We have an electric sliding fdoor Chrysler ATM and its hard to go back once that is sampled.

[Hugh Jarse]

More stuff I would classify as good value

Sienna


Lincoln Navigator

[Hugh Jarse]

Matt Harper said:

I think that if I needed 8 seats, I'd forego a van and play it safe with a LWB Suburban. Newer models are quite refined and they are bulletproof reliable. Vortec motor is not overly thirsty and cranks a lot of torque. They are great tow vehicles as well.

https://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/suburban/2014/review/

Good review on Edmunds

[Hugh Jarse]

8 seater Navigator for sensible dosh and pretty new, but not alot of space behind the third row, which in our case will always be in use.

[Matt Harper]

Hugh Jarse said:

8 seater Navigator for sensible dosh and pretty new, but not alot of space behind the third row, which in our case will always be in use.

Danger, Will Robinson!!!!

That Nav may well have Fords now notorious 5.4l VVT engine, that has a known and very expensive cam phaser issue that means pulling the motor out and replacing a lot of expensive components. Cam phasing issues usually start to be come evident at around (you guessed it) 100,000 miles....

[Hugh Jarse]

Cheers Matt, scratch that one.

Booking containers at the moment, realised 45ft is now a dinosaur, so getting creative to fit the four into a 40ft.
Have bought a chinese hand winch new £50 and an beefy old one from a farm £30, so plan to use both as belt and braces. issue being you have to laod the container in 3 hours or pay fines of £75 per hour.

£7k to take them, take one and its about £5k so its either take them all or send them all to Anglia Auctions nearby. 3 are already LHD. I have lost the keys to the Mondial /facepalm

[The Moose]

I wish you the best of luck with loading those into the container!!

[Hugh Jarse]

yes, i have done this from Vasteras in sweden to hull in england on my previous move seven years ago, but theu were nose to tail, drive in on the ground almost, no angles. Anyway, i have the ramp for the merc already in my garage as a tilter lift, so really only the platforms and ramps outside to build. Lets see. (FYI was only the Frog, ELise * Mondy as we drove the Merc back.

Edited by Hugh Jarse on Wednesday 1st May 13:38

[Hugh Jarse]

Doug de Muro is not a fan lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa8kHgmZIiQ
His second worst score ever
To counteract his points, valley seating kills most of his points about access, the van seats are full size, with Isofix everywhere.
The rear space is quite surprisingly small though, not sure if he is using the rearmost position, it looks my claims of a fourth row possibility is bks.
Harumph.
As previous posters here have said Sienna/Odd/Sedona might be better.

[Hugh Jarse]

Returning after five minutes to say to this friendly looking bloke, "its not going in reverse"
"OK well let me take it to my mechanic, IVAN KALASHNIKOV"
/bit racist

Edited by Hugh Jarse on Saturday 4th May 13:32

[Hugh Jarse]

Its amazing looking at pictures of these cars, I would have never believed they are so similar in length.

Kia sedona 2014 onwards length Length 5,115 mm (201.4 in)
Mercedes-Benz Metris Passenger W447 Length. 5,141 mm (202.4)
Toyota Sienna Length 5,170–5,180 mm (203.7–204.1 in)
Honda Odyssey Exterior Length: 5,212mm (205.2 in)

One thing from Doug's review I hadnt realised is the windows at the back or in the doors dont open at all, even if we chucked in a sunroof, that is still quite shockingly ste, especially clearing hot air on returning to a car in summer.
There is also the 2019 Toyota Proace D4D Verso 9 Seater, looks decent but again windows dont open. Seems miserable, not sure if sold stateside.

Lots of Hondas well in the $15k budget.

[Hugh Jarse]

some nice low mileage ones, 8 seats, sensible dosh at $11k & 74000miles. Does "rebuilt title" mean damage repaired?

[The Moose]

Rebuilt title = insurance paid for a bunch of significant repairs

[Hugh Jarse]

Cheers Moose. So my Mrs aint compromising on valley seating and I agree, this video on the Kia Carnival shows the only vehicle that does dropping windows and valley seats, problem being that is 2021 model onwards and too pricey. Lets see how my interviews go this week. There are rear window kits supposedly for the Metris, but I really dont want to prat about. Ithink the image shows the oracticality of the valley, compared to trying to filter people in an out of back row via a tilting seat. Must be better in a crash as well as rear facing safer and evacuation simpler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdG3BAudW2g


Too pricey for us.

Edited by Hugh Jarse on Sunday 5th May 08:50

[Hugh Jarse]

if you think we are being wierd about the valley seating, imagine someone on the third row wants a quick roadside pee, and then the fannying about required, then it happens again ten minutes later etc.

[Hugh Jarse]

Update is still no job, about to put an offer on a rough diamond stepping stone house which we can buy before selling the UK house. So much to sort out in one month yikes. The ramp thing into container is starting to get scary. As the cheapo house has a crappy 2 car garage Im thinking of building a dismantalable bridge over the river kwai type structure (or two RSJs) that can be later converted by adding legs into a carport at least for next winter. But commercial ones are available but the logistics arent going to work for Mr pipe cleaner arms.

[Hugh Jarse]

Found some aluminium I beams which probably are manhandalable and can be reused at the other end or sold on hopefully. Bit pricey at £300 each so have made an offer, will still need wooden support which means buying timber in a country where it is the most expensive and taking it to the Allegheny forest where it will be pennies. DUH! Always seem to end up down these rabbit holes.

Edit: one beam is sold, needs them as a piar not as a oner!

Edited by Hugh Jarse on Wednesday 15th May 16:23