Orange Krate: Custom Dodge 200 Tradesman Van Throws Back to the 1970s
While modern minivans will probably never become as cool, this 1974 Dodge 200 Tradesman reminds us that vans can be very cool.
More than likely, many of you reading this don’t know about the custom van craze, save for maybe Dr. Krieger’s van from FXs Archer. During the 1970s, there was an automotive movement in building custom, party-friendly vans with large murals on the sides and maybe on the back doors, too. When these vans were eventually replaced by the minivan, the movement all but died out. However, there are those who still love the custom van and the Orange Krate is an excellent example of how awesome these custom vans used to be.
The 1974 Dodge 200 Tradesman is owned by Brett and Darinda Sutton, with Darinda in full pirate garb to keep the theme going outside the van. The murals are incredible pieces of work by Ed Beard, Jr. and we doubt our camera was able to just capture all the amazing detail done by Beard. It’s seriously as if he projected a photograph onto the van and it stayed, that’s how good his work is using a combination of air and traditional paint brushing techniques. He even captured the hairs of Bandit, the pet dog of the Suttons and their “Pirate King.”
Along with the polished side pipes, the Quake LED headlight conversion, and Black Pearl Creations surf boards, this van is ready to sail down to the coast and party the night away. A full set of 15-inch American Racing Torq Thrurst II wheels are wrapped in Hankook Ventus H101 tires.
Inside, the shag carpeting and most of the interior is the same as the Suttons received it and absolutely the pinnacle of the custom van movement. The only change made are to the front seats, which have been reupholstered in orange and black materials. In the back by rear the barn doors is a full width bed with antiqued wood paneling and matching orange and black pillow covers and sheets. It’s raised off the ground with a full wood floor underneath for additional storage.
We hope to see more cool, custom vans like this in the future. It's the sort of treatment that a good van deserves, and we want to see more custom jobs out there.
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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