I too like the full panel but am leary because of the no rear seat thing,the fact of no back windows does not bother me,my old s10 had a no window camper on it.I have found 2, 1/2 panels around where I live and I do kind of like them just not as much as the full panel.

 

The rear seats are plentiful. I think I paid less than $300 for everything that was needed to convert mine. Only took about a day to complete.

All of my kids are grown so I dont have to worry about that. When someone does ride in the back it is usually for just a little while.

 

No doubt "full on" Panel.

Blind spots: Driving the Panel is no different than driving a pickup with a topper or a camper. You have to learn how to use your mirrors.

With a panel you can put in a back seat. I paid $50.00 for mine. You can fold down the seats and still have the benefits of a full panel. Takes about an hour to change by yourself.

Looks: The HHR was designed after the '49 Chevy Panel which had no side windows (unless you had a "Side Delivery" then you had doors and windows on passenger side only). So to keep it real it must be a Panel. Opening from the inside only is a bonus.

If you want to haul family/people then get a wagon.

Boydie

 

I hear ya,do i spy a little sun visor on your gray panel?

 

I loved my panel and used it effectively. I am working my way back to one. I have a half panel and a full window version now, and another three parts and driver cars scattered around, but that's another story. I sought and used my panel because I liked the looks, economy, etc. I travel a lot and had rented several HHRs before buying my own. I actually flew commercial from Virginia to Kansas City and planned a day to buy an HHR before finishing my additional thousand mile road trip through several nearby states. The flight tickets and rental car savings lowered the effective purchase price by $2000. I literally drive all around the country. I quickly learned that while the panel looked cool and served some comfort, privacy, and security purposes there was lots of stuff sliding around on top of the storage unit. I carried luggage, tools, computers, wheelchair parts, and other assorted stuff that I needed from time to time. Besides things sliding around it seemed that whichever door I opened was the one farthest from where what I needed was. It didn't all fit neatly into the built in floor cases like I had hoped. sometimescI would have six notebook computers. I added the back seats. It worked great and served to divide the space so I could open any door and find the things I expected to be in that location. They were within reach without crawling. I didn't have many back seat passengers but tried riding there a few times. It is like riding in a tunnel and is not the best arrangement for passengers. I can't imagine havind a fun sightseeing trip as a back seat passenger in an HHR panel. I have a half panel and will keep two sets of doors in case I really need to take a trip with back seat passengers. Beyond that, there are some important benefits. I take short naps when travelling and some times sleep longer in rest areas. I will not drive sleepy. You only have to fall asleep on the New Jersey Turnpike coming out of New York once to really learn that lesson, but that's another, "another story". I often take a five to ten minute nap after lunch or during long trips. Being able to turn the front end away from the sun and lay back into the dark has been very helpful. I also provide on call remote computer support while traveling. I stop with the sun to my back and and none on my computer screen coming through side windows at angles that don't match parking slots. The panel was great for that. The 30 to 45 degree intersections with roads coming by from the right and traffic hidden behind the windowless door can be a problem even for an experienced panel driver with a CDL. You have to find a way to angle the car correctly to see oncoming traffic and still make a left turn without confusing the other drivers behind you too much. That's a little easier to do in a big semi. People just aren't expecting it from a small vehicle. I have had to get out of the car so I could look over the car and find a way forward, and I have decided to turn right and then make a U-Turn. Backing out of an angled parking place can also be tricky, and if you're smart you aren't going to just let anyone take your car to run an errand. The can get in trouble. In converting a half panel to a full panel there are no rear door release push buttons on the dash. I plan to use the window buttons on the driver door panel to open the rear doors as needed from inside the car, and I can always reach in the front door and get to the inside handle when needed. Remote unlock is handy for that technique since the lock button is on the back of the door, kind of out or reach. I still have never drivin a vehicle that I enjoyed as much or worked as well for me. Be aware that the 2006 and 2007 Panels do not have ABS brakes. That is an important safety feature, when a guard rail runs across the road after you have taken a new shortcut on a dark drissly road and looked at GPS too long on your phone. OOP!. Then you get to deal with the airbag and unload the car by yourself while figuring out if the pain in your sternum is going to be related to your death, but you have to get to the battery in the back to shut the alarms and flashing lights off, call your sons to bring the trailer and come get you in the midfle of nowhere, near midnight, and deal with the police and fire department, and somehow not get a ticket or have to file a report, and then you get to buy another HHR. In my defence, if there is any, my oldest son did say, "Dad if you can drive all over the country and go fifty years without an accident, we aren't going to give you a hard time about this one where nobody got injured. Just get one with ABS please.

 

Interesting.

Yer welcome, Don.

 

Still pretty dense.

 

I’ve owned both a 2007 LS and a 2011 2LT was comfortable with both brake systems

 

The HHR Panel is classified as a truck and as such follows different rules. I'm pretty sure that means ABS was not required on them in 2006 and 2007. I believe they came as standard equipment on the panels after that. The standard windows versions always had ABS. The braking system was never a problem, until it was! I had actually tried to buy tires from my favorite place in Shreveport while on the road but they didn't have what I needed in stock, and then they couldn't fit me in, so I decided to come home and buy them locally. Bad plan! The accident occured on the way home. When I needed the brakes the most I skidded on wet pavement. I was going to repair my Panel and convert to ABS, but it was very complex with complete wiring harness, ABS module, hubs and sensors, a frame machine visit, computer changes, etc. I changed my mind.

 

The 2LT in 2006 thru 2011 had ABS the LS 2.2 did not have ABS in 2006 or 2007, windows or panels.