Has anyone hired a 15 seat minivan in the USA?
Has anyone hired a 15 seat minivan in the USA?
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Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

84 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
If so, is there any room at all for luggage behind the rearmost seats, under seats, or on the floor?

I've tried google image searches, USA holidaying forums etc, can't find any info or pics anywhere!

There's going to be 14 of us in it, 11 adults (including 5 skinny teenagers) and 3 toddlers, we'd rather get the 1 big van so we only need 1 designated driver each night!

ETA like this, so can't see how far back the seats go! =>

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 19th April 16:18

Matt Harper

7,050 posts

231 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
That looks like a Chevy Express - if so, here's the low-down....

http://www.chevrolet.com/assets/en/pdf/brochures/1...

Page 19 on....
They have around 230 cu ft of cargo space.
Enjoy your vacation!

Edited by Matt Harper on Tuesday 19th April 19:06

redtwin

7,518 posts

212 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
You can fit about 2 standard cases behind the rearmost seat, the rest will have to go on the passenger's laps or on the floor under their feet.

We wound up making two trips to the airport when heading back, one to carry people the other to carry luggage.

firman

1,407 posts

223 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
redtwin said:
You can fit about 2 standard cases behind the rearmost seat, the rest will have to go on the passenger's laps or on the floor under their feet.

We wound up making two trips to the airport when heading back, one to carry people the other to carry luggage.
This. We hired this size van for 10 of us and it was still a struggle to get all the cases and golf clubs in.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

84 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
Bugger! Thanks guys, confirmed my suspicions, looks like we need another vehicle, we're 1hr away from the airport in Kissimmee FL so double journeys isn't an option.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 19th April 21:14

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

84 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
They have around 230 cu ft of cargo space.
Thanks but that looks like its including the space where 13 passengers and the seats go!

It does however confirm it has a 6.0L V8, will need to try it out with no load on board to see how it shifts cool

louiebaby

10,989 posts

221 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
As the other people have said, you're gonna struggle. One of these and a people carrier would probably suit you best. A lot of the drives in the USA are quite long, and a bit of space is really useful. Leg room innthese things isn't huge, but with 2 to a bench designed for 3 it is perfectly acceptable.

On the plus side, they can be quite fun to drive. The camp I worked at had the Dodge version, which in 2003 when I was there had a 5.7 litre V8 petrol. When there were no kids in it, it fairly shifted...

Have a good trip.

Fats25

6,260 posts

259 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
Same advice as above. We hire one of these:-



(Yes my mate is small, the van is not that tall!)

We had 9 people, with 9 sets of golf clubs, and 9 sets of luggage. To say it was a squeeze is an undertatement, and that was only to and from the airport.

To be fair 9 blokes, and 9 sets of clubs every day to the course was ok - but we still had to have some clubs down the middle of the bus. We have the same vehicle this year and only 8 of us, but in future if more than 8 we will hire the same minibus, and then a pickup to put all the luggage in.

Great fun to drive though!!

Matt Harper

7,050 posts

231 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
yellowbentines said:
Bugger! we're 1hr away from the airport in Kissimmee FL so double journeys isn't an option.
Are you arriving at Sanford?

Nickyboy

6,825 posts

264 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
6 of us hired one a couple of years back, i think we had 9 big cases between us and about 8 carry on bags, it was a squeeze. There certainly wont be room for luggage if you have 14 people. Although they're big once all bums are on seats room is limited.

Froggy porker

4,830 posts

271 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
Have had the 12 seater versions of these a couple of times, with 9 of us and baggage. F'ing tight kind of sums it up!! The 15 seater version has a smidge more length, but sod all luggage space. For your needs the 2 vehicle solution sounds better.

Note also, rotating the drivers will mean paying the supplement per day per extra driver, so well worth seeing if the driver selection can be rationalised and reduced.

Best thing is the petrol station - all that gas for a hundred bucks..... that's why the cities don't smell of diesel fumes - why use a turbo diesel when you can run a big V6 petrol?

Nickyboy

6,825 posts

264 months

Tuesday 19th April 2011
quotequote all
Froggy porker said:
Note also, rotating the drivers will mean paying the supplement per day per extra driver, so well worth seeing if the driver selection can be rationalised and reduced.
When we rented ours, the chap at the counter asked if worked for the same company which we did although the trip was purely pleasure and nothing to do with work. He added extra drivers for free.

h0b0

9,084 posts

226 months

Wednesday 20th April 2011
quotequote all
You could try U-Haul and get a trailer assuming it has a "hitch". there is a U-Haul very close to the airport

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

84 months

Wednesday 20th April 2011
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice folks. Yes, we're arriving at Sanford so it's a bit of a drive down to Kissimmee.

One 15-seater Chevrolet Express booked (6.0L V8) and One 7-seater Dodge Caravan booked (3.8L V6) as it has clever back seats that fold into the floor meaning loads of room for cases and golf clubs, booked through usrentacar.co.uk so unlimited additional drivers are included so we can still all have a night off from driving.

Job done, roll on August!