Minivans.
Love them or loathe them, it's pretty hard to argue with their
practical magic, be it people-packing, drywall-stacking, and making
seats disappear so fast they almost need a lovely assistant smiling next
to them in sequins.
While
some manufacturers have completely left the Hockey Mom/Dad arena of
sliding doors and cup-holders, there are those that have carved enough
of a niche to validate continued panel stamping.
The
Honda Odyssey is one of those players, and like the Toyota Sienna, and
the Nissan Quest, the question that must be continually asked is this:
how can we steal some steam from Chrysler, Father of the Magic Wagon?
Enter the vac
As
in life, sometimes you just have to suck it up. With the 2014 Odyssey
Touring, Honda becomes the only automaker to offer a built-in vacuum
cleaner in a minivan.
It's called the HondaVAC
and it should be just the thing for cleaning up everything from spilled
Chereeos out of even the tiniest of cracks.
"It
was interesting how the palm hit everyone's forehead at the same time,"
said Lennie Sherlinski, who witnessed the 'Why-Didn't-I-Think-Of-That'
factor first-hand in The Big Apple, when the 2014 Honda Odyssey was
revealed.
Sherlinski is vice president of
Shop-Vac Corporation, having been with the family-owned company for 22
years. He's just now starting to wind down from the press onslaught,
brought on following the 2013 New York International Auto Show where the
HondaVAC system was unveiled.
The Shop-Vac
Corporation, based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has been cleaning up
messes your significant other doesn't know about (in my house, anyway)
for half a century.
How'd it start?
"Honda
approached Shop-Vac in late 2007," said Sherlinski. "We were flattered
that one of the best car companies in the world realized that they
needed our expertise to make this thing work."
This collaboration was the first time that Shop-Vac had worked with an automobile manufacturer.
The
HondaVAC system is also the first 12-volt DC vacuum that the Shop-Vac
Corporation has developed for consumer use. Both companies were
venturing into new territory.
Shop-Vac is
well-versed in the field of over-engineering. (Just ask the
still-working mid-80s model in my Dad's garage, wearing the pounded-out
dents inflicted by my '71 Impala.)
"We do
extensive internal testing," said Sherlinski. "The auto industry takes
it to a whole new level." While it's too soon to reveal the vacuum-geek
specs, Sherlinski assures us that the mechanicals within the HondaVAC
share much of what makes a standard Shop-Vac work.
Performance
of the Honda system was validated in varying weather extremes, in the
same manner that other vehicle systems are checked for reliability.
Test, test, test some more
"The
[vacuum] motor has been designed to take a lot of abuse," said
Sherlinski. "Honda was very diligent about testing everything that you
could expect to happen to an onboard vacuum in a vehicle environment."
Honda Canada confirms that the HondaVAC is covered for the duration of the standard bumper-to-bumper warranty period.
Consumers
should be aware that the HondaVAC is designed for dry pick-up only.
Don't expect a 'Vac Full' indicator on the driver information display.
"You still have to be diligent with emptying dirt and debris for optimum
performance, just like any other form of vacuum," said Sherlinski.
The
QuattroFlex hose, which appears on other Shop-Vac products, has a
four-to-one stretch ratio, easily circumnavigating the topography of the
Odyssey floorboard.
Tools have been designed to stow easily in the vacuum location, on the driver's side of the rear cargo compartment.
"We're
excited that the interest has really taken off," said Sherlinski. But,
don't expect to see upright versions, next to Honda lawnmowers and
generators.
"It's currently forecast as a
built-in product," said Sherlinski. "We hope that they're so successful,
that Honda is compelled to put it into everything they sell."
Considering
the compact size of the unit, and the fact that dirt and grit doesn't
discriminate between vehicle categories, the HondaVAC could be the solution.
Yes:
it could be what keeps Loonies and Toonies from exiting our palm, and
ending up in the always-useless car wash vacuums that seem to hoover up
spare change but leave floor mat dirt where it lies…
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