Okay, so let’s talk about that 2014 Ram Van. Not the big ProMaster, the older style one, the Caravan-based thing they called the C/V Tradesman I think. Yeah, that one. I needed something purely for hauling stuff, cheap as possible, back around, well, maybe 2017 or 2018?
Found this 2014 model used. It looked okay, decent miles for a work vehicle. The price was right, that was the main thing. Didn’t need passenger seats, just needed space in the back. So I pulled the trigger. Bought it cash. First thing I did was check the fluids, belts, usual stuff. Seemed alright.
Putting it to Work
Started using it immediately. Mostly for moving supplies, tools, sometimes just junk to the dump. It swallowed a surprising amount of stuff with the seats gone. That flat floor was pretty handy. Drove it everywhere around town. It wasn’t fast, wasn’t comfortable like a regular car, but that wasn’t the point.
- Loading: Easy enough. Low floor height helped.
- Driving: Handled like a minivan, basically. Nothing exciting. Just point and go.
- Parking: Not too bad, size was manageable.
It just worked. Day in, day out. Didn’t really think much about it, which is kinda what you want from a tool, right? Started it up, drove it, parked it. Repeat.
Things Started Happening
After maybe a year, year and a half, the little annoyances began. First, it was a check engine light. Turned out to be some sensor. Got that fixed. Then the sliding door started sticking. Had to really slam it. Greased the tracks, helped a bit, but never perfect. Then came the transmission acting funny. Sometimes it would shift hard, especially when cold. Changed the fluid, seemed to help for a while, but the worry was always there.
Repairs I remember doing myself:
- Replaced the battery. Simple enough.
- Changed the oil and filters regularly, of course.
- Swapped out brake pads. Standard stuff.
- Tried fixing that darn sliding door latch. Never fully won that battle.
It wasn’t like it was falling apart all at once, just… aging. Stuff wears out, especially on a vehicle that’s probably been worked hard its whole life before I even got it. The fuel economy wasn’t great either, especially loaded up.
The End of the Road (For Me)
Eventually, the transmission issue got worse. Started slipping sometimes. Took it to a shop, they quoted me a price for a rebuild that was basically what I paid for the van itself. That was the deciding factor. It just wasn’t worth pouring that kind of money into it anymore.
So, I cleaned it out one last time. Took some pictures. Listed it online, honest about the transmission issue. Someone who needed parts or was willing to do the work themselves bought it pretty quick for cheap. Watched them drive it away. Felt a bit weird, like saying goodbye to an old hammer. It wasn’t loved, but it was used. A lot.
Overall? The 2014 Ram C/V did what I bought it for. It hauled stuff without fuss for a good while. But it was still based on an aging minivan platform. Things wear out. If you find one cheap and don’t mind tinkering or potential big repair bills down the line, maybe. But for me, its time was up. Moved on to something a bit more robust after that.
