I Bet You Don’t Remember Ram Sold The Coolest Version Of The Modern Caravan

As an enthusiast, I feel like there’s always a movement from a part of the community that teaches us to hate minivans. For some, they’re a symbol of compromise and lost dreams—an un-sexy means of transportation that puts practicality above all else. While I agree that practicality is a minivan’s prime directive, I think they’re also some of the most fun cars around. Pushing a minivan within an inch of its life on a twisty back road, where it’s woefully out of place, is one of the world’s great joys, no matter what the haters say.

Among the modern minivans I’ve driven, the fifth-generation Dodge Caravan is easily my favorite. It’s simpler and friendlier than its sixth-gen successor, and while it can’t match the luxuriousness, tech appointments, or ride comfort of vans like the Honda Odyssey or the Toyota Sienna, the Caravan makes up for it with its superior feedback and lightness.

Over the years, the fifth-gen Caravan, also known as the RT platform, has gone by many names, with many different badges affixed to its nose. You probably know it best as the Dodge Grand Caravan, the Chrysler Town & Country, or the Chrysler Grand Voyager. This van was sold in Europe and badged as a Lancia, of all things. And don’t forget the Volkswagen Routan, which was just a Caravan with VW badges and a slightly reworked front end.

A fifth brand used the RT platform, too: Ram. But unlike the versions above, this variant of the Caravan wasn’t just a lightly rebadged version of the Dodge or Chrysler—it was a full-on cargo variant meant for commercial use. And I’d argue it’s the coolest, most enthusiast-focused fifth-gen Caravan out there.

Meet The C/V, Ram’s Modern Minivan

Ram split from Dodge in 2009, solidifying itself in the U.S. as FCA’s brand for trucks and commercial vehicles. Throughout the 2000s, selling a commercial variant of the conglomerate’s minivan had been left to the Dodge brand, which had been selling a Cargo Van (C/V) version of the fifth-gen Grand Caravan since its debut in ’08. For the 2012 model year, the Cargo Van was officially moved under the Ram banner, consolidating FCA’s entire lineup of “professional” models under one nameplate.

The new van was simply called the Ram Cargo Van, or the Ram C/V. It was later called the C/V Tradesman. It’s worth noting this isn’t the first time Dodge sold the Caravan as a Ram-branded cargo van. It also sold the first-gen van as the Ram Mini Van. This was back when Ram was just a sub-brand, so as you can see from the advertisement above, it was still covered in Dodge and Chrysler badges.

This modern version got Ram badging on the front and rear, and unlike the Dodge model, metal panels came as standard in place of the glass in the sliding doors, the rear quarter windows, and the liftgate. But you could also mix and match the panels you wanted in place of the glass. In all, there were four arrangements to choose from, including a version that just looked like a regular Caravan on the outside:

The Ram C/V came just one year after FCA introduced the now infamous Pentastar V6 to the Caravan lineup, which brought an absolutely gigantic boost in performance (283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque versus just 175 hp and 205 lb-ft in the 2010 models). But there were also a handful of specific upgrades you wouldn’t find on any other version of the Caravan.

Gone were the second- and third-row seats, replaced by a fully flat, aluminum load floor. This made the C/V purely a two-seater affair. Buyers could choose between a standard floor or a raised floor that incorporated sub-floor cargo areas, in case they needed to secure or stash smaller items.

Then there were the mechanical upgrades. Here’s an excerpt from FCA’s announcement of the van back in 2011:

Ram Cargo Van is engineered to meet small business and commercial needs. A commercial-tuned ride and heavy-duty suspension offer maximum hauling capability. A heavy-duty radiator and heavy-duty transmission oil cooler help meet heavier powertrain demands. Ram C/V is also engineered with unique hydraulic power-assist rack-and-pinion steering, front anti-sway bar and rear twist-beam axle with coil springs. Ram C/V has a maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of 8,750 lbs.

These changes unlocked some pretty serious performance numbers, at least for a minivan. The C/V could accommodate up to 1,800 pounds of cargo payload. Amazingly, it could also tow up to 3,600 pounds. Going by the numbers, it outclassed everything else in the class 1 commercial vehicle market at the time, including the new-for-2012 second-generation Ford Transit Connect, which could only be had with a comparatively puny 2.0-liter inline-four making 136 horsepower (you could also opt for a fully electric drivetrain, but that setup made even less power, rated at just 78 horses).

All of this commercial performance could be had from Ram for just $22,420, just $385 more than the Ford.

So Why Is It The Coolest Caravan?

It’s important to note that “coolest,” in this case, certainly does not mean “best.” The best version of the fifth-gen Caravan, I’d argue, is whichever version best fits your needs. Someone with a family of six will certainly not agree that the C/V is the best version of the Caravan because it’s missing the very thing that person needs—the two rear benches—for it to be useful. I, on the other hand, don’t have any kids, so I’d contend the C/V is my ideal Caravan. And I believe people who think like me will agree.

For one, the C/V got the most beefed-up drivetrain available on a Caravan, which means it could handle more abuse than a standard variant from Dodge or Chrysler. And because it doesn’t have any seats and fewer pieces of glass, it’s 360 pounds lighter than a Grand Caravan. While I haven’t driven one myself, I’d have to assume that means it’d be far more exciting behind the wheel. Motor Trend had a C/V long-termer back when it was new, and road test editor Chris Nelson came to a similar conclusion:

That said, the Ram did a great job hauling my 1975 Honda CB750 motorcycle. The rear opening is tight, but the big bike squeezed through and stood upright in the cargo hold. The Ram had good tie-down points in the rear but nothing up front to help keep the CB750 in place. Luckily, our tester had a $450 cargo divider that I used to strap down the motorcycle.

The added weight from the four-cylinder Honda seemed to have no effect on the van’s driving dynamics. The C/V feels exactly how you’d expect a stripped-out Grand Caravan to feel: nimble, planted, and agile (well, at least when you compare it the company it keeps).

I’m not saying a Ram C/V would make a fun track car—it’s still a two-ton minivan, after all. But if you’re the type who likes taking off-beat cars like minivans to race tracks, the Ram C/V would be the optimal choice. Motor Trend writers also found that the work van was still a nice thing to cruise around in, thanks to its more pedestrian roots.

The Ram C/V is a smart idea. There are plenty of individuals and businesses who don’t need a body-on-frame, V-8-powered cargo van. Ford has already carved itself a healthy niche with the Transit Connect. The C/V offers the same benefits — good fuel economy, city-friendly maneuverability — but drives a whole lot better on the highway, thanks to its V-6 power. These advantages are even more apparent compared with a traditional cargo van. As Chris notes, the C/V, in all its minivan glory, pretty much feels like a Porsche compared with its body-on-frame competitors. Driving the C/V also serves as a reminder that Chrysler’s recently updated vans are pretty darn good — nicely weighted steering, well tuned ride, refined and powerful V-6. The Uconnect infotainment system works very smoothly despite relying on a small touchscreen.

Despite its obvious advantages over every other RT platform van, the Ram C/V lives in relative obscurity. It was only on sale for four model years before being dropped in favor of the ProMaster City—a Fiat-based import that had less power, less cargo space, a lower towing capacity, but a slightly higher payload capacity and better fuel economy. I know which one I’d rather have.

I bet when most people think of the Ram C/V or see it in public, they think it’s just a Caravan with some metal panels instead of windows, and two missing rows of seats—up until I did some research on this van, I thought the same. But it’s a far more interesting thing, with a lot of purpose-driven upgrades from the factory. Next time I spot one in the wild, I’m going to appreciate it that much more.

Top graphic image: Ram