In Cambridge, Mass., “Barking Lot” van groomers scrub, brush, shave and spritz cats and dogs without ever making them leave their own driveways. Cost: $35-$200; varies with the pet’s size and stink.
Drive-ins may be dead, but the collapsible, 100-seat Cinemobil drives in to rural French farming villages. Recent features: “Philadelphia” and “The Lion King” – and no Jerry Lewis flicks. Cost: $6.50 a ticket.
No wonder the North Shore One on One van near Chicago gets only eight miles a gallon. Lined with mirrors, it features a StairMaster, treadmill, 200 pounds of weights, color TV and a VCR. Cost: $55 per session.
Affordable Funeral Services of Culpeper, Va., will pick up the body, have it embalmed, deliver it to the funeral home, order a casket and lease a hearse. Cost: $2,500 – half what most funeral homes charge.
Of course the four Mobile Psychological Services vans in New York have couches. Don’t worry: the cabin is soundproof, so the drivers can’t eavesdrop. Cost, including gas and tolls: $175
The Little Red Water Wagon began as a 1954 firetruck. Brenda Scharlow of Clarksville, Ind., gutted the back and installed a 3-foot-deep pool, perfect (when parked) for kids’ lessons. Cost: $30 for five classes.
