7' ProPanels in a Mini Van??

Hello out there.  I am a potter that has a new line of wall tile hangings and now I need hard walls for the first time and am heading in the propanel direction.  Any one able to fit the 7' ones into a minivan?  I have been surviving with a station wagon, but this is the last straw(ain't no more gonna fit!) and have been looking at used vans.  Also, any disadvantage to the Knock Down panels??  How do you attach your panels to your tent??  Thanks for the advice!

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  • Hi Kristi- I have....I have an old Town and Country Minivan for the last 5 years. I gutted the interior (this one was before the fold down seats)  Actually, there is more room when you do this than when you fold down the seats (I had to rent one of the newer T&C recently for a show while mine was being worked on and found that out.) There is about a foot less space I believe because the seats are tucked under the car.

    I fit my 9 Propanels in just fine....and my work (sometimes it's a bit snug but always works). Plus, it's a fun and easy car to drive-mine has heated seats...that's enough for me. I am not sure how a T&C would work with pottery, I'm a 2 D person and after the tent and PP, I usually have about 3 feet above those to pack art. Hope this helps.

    Just realized (Larry) that this post was old as the hills...sorry about that.....this thread wouldn't let me delete so I'm letting it be.

    • There's a little pale orange x in the upper right hand corner of your comment block that will let you delete the post. BTW, i killed three minivans doing art fairs. Never got more than 200K miles out of one, they were either Dodge or Plymouth extended minivans, and I'm just hauling framed photos. Last time I got a gas guzzling full size van, a Ford E350, that should go for a long time.

      • Thanks Robert-I didn't see that x...nice to know-I would have killed the post knowing it was old. I have driven my Town and Country for 5 years now...had to put in a new transmission last show-which sucked, but besides that it's held up pretty well.....and I get good gas....maybe Chrysler is better.... just saying.

        • They were all the same before 1999, with the difference in the trim and appointments. The last T&C/Dodge I looked at in 2011/2012 had redesigned the rear hatch and it didn't look like I could get the 7' panels in with the panels flush against the side. I do miss the mileage those got but  I had maxed out the cargo space. The newer full size vans get much better mileage.

          The transmissions for the Chrysler Corp minivans are the weak point or used to be, and I had one go out on me also. The $2500 for a rebuilt transmission was too close to the value of the minivan at the time so it was traded in, or rather sold to a mechanic for more than I could get as a trade-in and I replaced it with the Plymouth Grand Voyager. I had a good discussion with a mechanic and was told there was a linkage in the transmission that was under-designed and prone to failure frequently enough that a guy here in town has a nice business manufacturing after-market repair parts for them that are much stronger than the factory originals.

  • I have a Pro Panel setup for a 10’ x10’ display space for sale. This includes: six (6) 38.5” x 7’ Pro Panels and two (2) 30” x 7’ Pro Panels, one (1) 44” Print Bin, one (1) 12”x12” Outdoor Pro Pedestal. The color of all these items is Dark Grey. I have also, a white 10’ x 10’ Caravan tent, Nurit 2085 Card Payment Terminal, and One (1) Vector Power Inverter 1000 watt (2000 watt peak).

    Reach me at larry@larrysimages.com or 419-565-5207. I live in Mansfield, OH
    • This reply was deleted.
      • You do realize you replied to a thread that was over five years old.

        Larry Berman

  • I use the 7' Propanels (10), and have 3- 6'x38" plus 2-6'x30" panels I picked up from another artist. I can get all those into my '99 Grand Voyager, and enough room on the other side to get all the Rough Totes in. There is just enough room to put either set in first, so the order doesn't matter. I do put the panels behind the passenger seat and pull that up so there isn't much knee room up front. If I leave about one click back from front, my wife can squeeze in the front seat but there's no room for extras in the front. I do put the panel feet at the tail gate so I can place a few tubs in the back. It's pretty much a Rubic's Cube back there, and the two larger tubs for 18x24 frames and another spliced together tub for 24x30's have to go up front behind the drivers seat. Once the configuration is figured out it works okay.

    I've seen a few artists who are either very anal or very clever (maybe both) who keep a loading chart that shows how and where specific boxes/crates/tubs go. All I know is that at one show where I was dog tired, I had to partially unload a couple of times to make everything fit. I don't want to repeat that experience again ;-(

    Regarding teardown and loading in the rain. It's always amazed me that more artists don't back their vehicles INTO the tent when the opportunity presents itself. For cryin' out loud, these things are portable garages! Panels and work get loaded up under shelter, and the tent itself is the last to go. I've done that several times and I watch everyone else get soaked to the skin while I'm staying dry until the time the tent itself is taken down. Then I get wet ;-)
    • Darn tooting! back right up to the door- stay dry! Learned that one my second show with my tent! I am currently looking for a Subaru- Forester or Outback, because my 15 y/o Crown Vic is at it's limit with all the gear, tent, etc, and the traveling! She's not liking the longer trips anymore, so it's time to retire her! So once that's accomplished, I plan to invest in pro-panels or grid-walls. Can't wait! Think I'm gonna go with grid walls though, use them as dividers, and Walls on the side and back, to help weight and stabilize the tent, and be able to hang jewelry displays from. then I can do away with at least one table, creating more space for customers.
  • I have a Chrysler Town and Country Touring which is the same as the Grand Caravan and fits everything nicely. I could fit the 7' panels but might look at the 6' ones because of fitting under my tent. Are the knock down panels easier to set up?
    • I hate frame web sites because you can't bookmark specific pages within the context of the web site.

      That being said:
      http://propanels.com/panels.html

      Scroll down on the panels frame and look at the adjustable "jacked up panel" option where you can have six foot panels and adjust the legs up to seven feet.

      BTW, I have a set of seven foot dark gray panels I'm willing to trade for six foot dark gray panels because I'm going to get a used mini van and want the space for inventory.

      And in response to the post about putting the panels in first. You can't put the panels in first because you can't unload if it's raining. Everything has to come out in the order it gets set up. Dolly, tent, panels and then the work.

      Larry Berman
      Digital Jury Services
      http://BermanGraphics.com
      412-401-8100
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