#and really what are the odds you'll need to offroad and need all that clearance unless your job involves that?

[awkward-teabag]

One of the reasons for their surge in popularity is just that: They can haul cargo.

Modern, US-style pickups don't have the bed space and are too high to comfortably load, so people who need or want to move cargo are moving toward old pickups or vans. No need to deal with straps or ramps when you're moving something maybe a foot versus doing the same from about chest height.

You also don't have to worry about rain, wind, or people stealing stuff if it's in a van. There's a reason why so many tradespeople use vans instead of modern trucks.

You can also see the road in front of you in a van instead of the modern truck where your blind spot is a dozen feet in front of you before you can see the road so gods help anyone who's below hood height (e.g. toddlers, people in chairs, cyclists) who you have no idea is there.

You can also fit more people in a van. "Soccer mom's van" may be a bit of a trope and looked down on but you could fit half or more of the team in a van and all the equipment you need in one. And because of how van doors are, everyone can easily get in or out.

And if someone needs a mobility device, there's plenty of room for one of those, too.

And as mentioned, they provide a safe place to sleep and while not the most comfortable (unless you have a proper sleeping surface) is far more comfortable to sleep in compared to in a seat. There's also room for clothes and such which, again, is protected from the elements and not easily stolen.

Vans aren't "cool," but they are enjoying a sort of renaissance of sorts. The desirability of these boxy, cargo-hauling conveyances represents some admittedly minor hope for the future. If vans regain their ancient popularity, there is a chance that we can overthrow the dictatorship of the pickup truck and return to our traditional values as a society.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not some wacko van fundamentalist. Sure, I do get into theological arguments with Ford people about which generation of the Econoline is derived most purely from van theory, but that's on our own territory. Not something for the regular folk to see.

You have nothing to fear about me giving you a shank if you accidentally call a half-cut container truck the deeply unfunny slur that is "cube van." I won't even get mad if you prefer a hatchback. Anything that can haul cargo in an enclosed vessel, and does so often, is an honorary van in my book. And it's a good idea, before we proceed, to talk about just why vans are becoming more popular.

Vans are in fact the only houses that many people can own. Sad but true. You could live in a pickup truck, too. Nobody is denying that, but that's like living in one of those strange Arizona desert homes where there's only enough roof for your bed, a novel about libertarianism, and a small overhang to keep your ammo and canned beans dry. Just not enough enclosed area. No sense of security. Throbbing paranoia at all minutes that if you stop at the Home Depot just for a minute that someone will steal your groceries out of the bed.

Me, I like to have a nice personal space which will be largely protected if I roll the thing into the ditch doing triple the speed limit. It's bad enough already without having to walk half a kilometre back from the impact site, picking up all your strewn possessions from the roadside. Better to keep the sleeping bags, provisions, and pet chickens on the inside of the vehicle.

If there can be said to be a downside to the growth of van popularity, it is that they are more popular than ever. Demand means resale value skyrockets, which means I can't easily get a new van to replace my old one when it gets towed by the cops or love-taps the bollard in the Tim Hortons drive-thru. That's why I've started investing in motorhomes, which are the van for people who can't afford vans or houses. They just so happen to come with big-ass V8s, too, like all of the other places I've ever lived. It's like I was never evicted at all.