[jschwartzi]

Most of the passenger minivans sold in the US have removable seats so they make a great alternative to a truck as long as you don't need much ground clearance. Honestly if I could get two more inches of ground clearance in a Toyota Sienna that would be my next vehicle. It's rare that I would want to carry both 6 people and a half rack of plywood at the same time. But if I want to drive to a trailhead and go hiking or something I'd like to bring some friends.

[Someone1234]

Agreed.

There's also those fold into floor seats in some minivans, and you can buy a correctly sized mattress online to turn them into a sleeper. They're definitely very comparable to cargo vans in Europe, and I've seen small businesses use them as delivery vehicles with no modifications.

[DrPhish]

I'd add excessively dirty loads to the ground clearance issue with minivans.

For example: I would not _ever_ haul chicken manure in my Toyota Sienna (even if I'd haul some muddy mountain bikes post-ride)