Just wanted to thank you Fords4ever -- I was looking on information either differential is open or I could indeed drive without propeller shaft my 2001 AWD T&C... and then found this thread with exactly the same symptom I was thinking to diagnose this way ;) So -- I will look at the carrier bearing first. Thanks again!

Not precisely true about shaft center bearing...
 

The AWD front to rear propeller shaft center bearing is as serviceable as it was in 1987, and is frankly only slightly changed. The fact is that the corporate sucession from Chrysler->USA->New Chrysler->Daimler->Vulture Capitalists->Fiat has built an ever geater debt load; and there's more profit in giving you the shaft for $800 than the bearing for $8. You can still take the shaft apart and replace the bearings in the carrier. Unlike the wheel/hub bearing, they are *not* a custom cast and machined assembly, they're just standard bearing incorporated into an assembly.

There is a YouTube Video that shows someone rebuilding a 1st gen AWD propeller shaft center bearing. The shaft should extremely familiar. With the bearing in hand read the bearing manufacturer's part number etched into it and then put calipers on the ID, OD and thickness to make sure you read and crossreferenced it correctly and get the right one. The bearings are not unique or special. You can source them from one of several bearing manufacturers and reasemble the propeller shaft. It isn't rocket science.

As has been noted, the van can be driven while the shaft is out and being serviced.