Karaoke Forums

Maybe I will keep the trailer for now, considering getting a compact suv that can haul. Trailblazer has been a lemon, gets crap for milage and I'm ready for an upgrade and not looking forward to insuring 2 vehicles, ins very pricy here, currently paying 600 per year on trailblazer but in July will probably go up to 2000 or 3000.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I use an old 98 (16 years old) Mercedes E430 for hauling and every day use. Careful packing & taking what you need has made it possible to take (2) Mackie SRM450's, (2) Mackie SRM350's, (5) speaker stands, singer's monitor, 46" audience TV, (2) mic stands, (1) large well packed tote bin, (1) Chauvet light bar & lights, 3 bags of cabling, and lastly my rig.

My rig contains (3) Sure wireless mics, (2) RNC compressors, Yamaha mixer, (1) outboard EFX processor, Pioneer CDG/DVD 555, Lexicon Alpha, A/B switch, small monitor to view the playing of customer cdg, light bar, 11 button Kensington track ball (amazingly programmable & my command center), CD management rack , goose neck mic holder, and built in foldable legs.

The best part is I can still get my wife into the front seat and see out of the back window. I had an older Camry for awhile that I could fit everything in as well. There are plenty of cars that could easily fit your equipment in. I do not use a subwoofer and I will have to admit that I would probably have to leave my wife at home if I did.

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread but I need opinions on what I should get. My present ride is slowly falling apart. I'm considering a 2009 Nissan Cube.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

If you want something that is 100% theft proof try shipping your gear to the moon. Otherwise, I'd say get a good insurance policy.. Especially in a city like Toronto.

-James

Rip... why don't you get a Dodge Caravan? The cool thing about those is that the seats fold down into the floor. I got mine a few years ago used for 8k, and it runs great. There are sliding doors on either side as well, and its sits relatively low to the ground to make things easy to get in and out.

I store two qsc k12s, two jbl eons, my Numark NS6 in the case, My live sound mixer in a 4space mixer case, my 18" qsc sub woofer, All the cables, two pair of speaker stands, Two lighting Tbars, All my lights, matts, and various sundry items. I have room for more stuff.

The gas mileage is great, and its dependable. Theft proof? Back the rear door up against a wall or fence, and the sliding doors are difficult to get open. Put on a loud alarm system!! .

Sorry, but when it comes to a reasonably priced vehicle, with decent gas mileage, for hauling a lot of stuff, you can't beat a mini van.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Well, what I think it all comes down to is:
1. What can you afford to spend (both on the car and on the car insurance)?
2. What other makes and models are you considering, or is this the only car you are considering, and you want our opinions about it?

What Karaoke Koyote said....

Yep, I haul with a Dodge Grand Caravan with "Sto 'n Go" seats... and it's been the perfect hauler for me... One thing I've found useful though, is the addition of a 4' X 4' piece of pressboard or panelling or whatever that cheap brown board is called... It saves wear & tear on the rear carpet.... and eliminates the possibility of breaking the little panels that hide the seat mechanisms... (which I've done).

Mine is a 2006 and now has over 225,000 Km (almost 140,000 miles), and hasn't cost me a dime, other than normal maintenance and 1 broken (aforementioned) seat panel.

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Earl
(BS, PHD & Certified CurmuDJeon)

[font=Times New Roman]"Growing Old may be mandatory... but growing UP is still optional."[/font]

Nissan Cube.... why would you haul with a 4x2 with the winters you get there? Sacrifice 2 or 3 mpg for something with 4wd. Suzuki's are dirt cheap since they pulled out of the US and hold up well . or a subaru. There are many import 4x4s that will hold a rig and still get 25 to 30 mpg.

With some careful and well thought out design you can fit almost any amount of equipment into a car the size of a Camry. Before going bigger with your vehicle trying going smaller with your equipment. Your back will thank you too

I am waiting till then end of the year and then buying a close out model of the Ford Transit. I am going solid white with my FGP logo (see my avatar) on the sides and possibly the hood.

http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transitconnect-commercial/?searchid=68112025|2253410545|1041051125&ef_id=UypfWgAABSwas1xI:20140912134913:s

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-Chris

I have had zero problems with any FWD where I live in the 30 years I have been driving. Wouldn't know how to deal with ice with a 4X4. The cube offers me the best of both worlds, a car I can haul my gear in(I have downsized my gear due to health reasons) and one I can fit comfortably the number of roommates I have.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Here is a picture of the trunk.
Plenty of room to fit two speaker stands, two active speakers, a yamaha MG102C mixer, an Art Midiverb LT effects unit, three laptops and a 22 inch computer monitor if needed.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Got it yesterday.

That is soooo funny. The myth of Canadian winters.

I've lived in the Arctic (10 years in Inuvik, North West Territories, and 2 more in Fort Smith, NWT)... Northern Ontario (5 years in Thunder Bay, Ontario)... and in the Mountains of British Columbia (17 years in Kamloops, British Columbia). Finally, I've been here in Southwestern Ontario, which is a lot further south than many of your States, for the past ten years.

I've never owned a four-wheel drive, nor have I ever seen the need for one. A pair of snow tires is the only concession I make to winter weather. Oh, and by the way, I've been driving for over fifty years with just one accident... and that was in summer with bare & dry conditions.

So, to reiterate... I'm perfectly happy with my front-wheel-drive Dodge Grand Caravan... It hauls everything I need, including 3 people plus the driver... with room to spare. Gets decent gas mileage. Takes less than 5 minutes to load or unload... and has never let me down.

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Earl
(BS, PHD & Certified CurmuDJeon)

[font=Times New Roman]"Growing Old may be mandatory... but growing UP is still optional."[/font]

The problem with 4x4s isn't the vehicle, it's the driver. A 4x4 is basically a military vehicle redesigned for civilian use. Driving one of them requires proper training and knowledge of what they can and cannot do. In the winter, during storms, I see more 4x4s off the road because drivers think a 4x4 handles the same during good weather and bad, and do not realize a 4x4 is no better on ice than any other vehicle. With the proper training you can navigate much better. Again it is knowledge. I've never owned a 4x4 because I don't need one but drove plenty of them in the military.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Between the long commute to my day job (one hour each way), KJ'ing nights & weekends AND singing in a band, I spend a LOT of time in my vehicle. When I was looking for a used SUV, I looked around for a long time until I found something that could haul gear, would last a long time, but also looked nice and was a pleasure to drive. I had spend the last 14 years in the same car and wanted something nice.

I ended up with a used Mercedes, ML350. Now, I know what you are thinking! Expensive and no balls, just for rich soccer moms. Well, I have to say no! I picked it up for $10,500 (over $40k new! Thanks depreciation!) and it drives like a dream. Can fit tons of gear in the back with the seats down and the 4-matic has got me through a ton of NY snowstorms. You may not need it where you live, and on a normal day I don't either but when driving home from a gig at 3am and you hit by a surprise snow storm, you are glad you have it. Had 60,000 miles when I bought it. Just turned over 150,000 five years later and still going strong. I expect it to make 250,000 or more. German engineering rocks and the heated leather seats aren't bad either! Last winter I pulled two people out of snowbanks with it. Popped it into low range, tied to the tow hook and out they came. Win/Win.

The comments I get are priceless, usually from macho truck owners. "A Karaoke guy drives a Mercedes?!?!". I always say "I do! And it cost me less than HALF the price of yours!".

That is a seriously good price for that vehicle. Who did you steal^H^H^H^H^H buy it from?

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I too use a Mercedes for hauling my gear (and storing it locked up in my garage). Mine is a 1998 E430 and I paid $3750 for it 7 years ago and it only had 54K miles on it! OK it had some front end damage and I fixed it myself. When done I had a total of $5150 in it. I drove it to NE Iowa in mid February and there was 2-3 feet of snow on the ground.

A used one does not have to cost you an arm and leg. Fifty thousand miles and zero problems (same tires too) has changed my mind about Mercedes.

Around here you can find them all day used for good prices and low mileage. Maybe its a NY thing...lots of rich folks.

Did my first show with my new vehicle. Cool thing is it has a skirt to cover the cargo area. Fit all my sound equipment in the cargo area. Just had to place my laptops in the back seat.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.