Mid Week Match-Up: Band Bus For Jim
Today’s Mid Week Match-Up is a request from Jim who writes: I am on a band with 4 friends in the north east. we play local
shows once in a while. So far we have been getting by with a couple of
hatch backs, but now we are beginning to book tours regionally and
multiple cars are not going to cut it. We need a vehicle that will carry
a minimum of 5, bass, drums, keys guitars and amps. Room for a bed
would be a plus. It has to be reliable and mpg is important.needs
parkway windows. Could be a cargo van that we add an interior to. 10k is
our upper limit but less is more better. I am thinking diesel van but open to creative suggestions eg limo, ambulance etc.
A few years ago the easy answer would have been to pickup an older Volkswagen Bus, but those things inexplicably cost more than many new cars, so we’ll skip to something under the $10k limit. This 2003 Ford F-350 Super Duty Crew Cab pickup here on eBay for $8,900 buy-it-now offers ample seating for 6 and a huge rear cargo section for drums/instruments. Slap a Bob’s Pest Control sticker on the side if you want to people to leave it alone. It could almost pass as an Animal Control vehicle — maybe put a “danger, may contain live snakes” sticker on the back.
What can you guys find that is a better band hauler? Comments below.
"parkway windows" – had to google that one even though i grew up 5 miles from the Taconic – answer is here sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f24/parkway-windows-3790-3.html
Still doesn't make sense to me.
I believe that parkway windows allow you to drive on certain roads over on the East Coast that are prohibited for commercial vehicles…although to be honest I'm still confused.
KBZ- For me as a kid, the Taconic Parkway,was the 'slow, but pretty' way to our grandparents. Loved those wooden guard rails.
In New York you need at least one set of windows behind the driver for the car to be classified from Commercial to Passenger.
Vandura Short Bus with custom deck. Ready for Burning Man!
[image src=" images.craigslist.org/00P0P_gIuomzxqIyQ_1200x900.jpg" width="400px"/]
G — how do you like the new image tags? Ability to resize is nice, eh?
-Vince
Much nicer than having to use imgur to scale an image down before embedding.
And three cheers for the return of image embeds!
The answer for my brother's band is always something along the lines of an V10 E350, though they aspire to a sprinter or similar some day.
GM Scenicruiser
Holy smokes, that F-350 may actually be perfect. Huge amount of cargo space, separate cargo and passenger areas, diesel is great for long-haul travel over the gas engines found in most vans, probably a lot easier to secure that cargo area than it is to secure a van with glass everywhere, and it's a way less conspicuous target for theft (huge problem for gigging vans) than your typical tour van.
The only bummer is no space to lay down and pass out in the cab, but it's got a lot of advantages.
this is pretty great
[image src=" i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RdEAAOSwYmZXGFZ9/s-l500.jpg" width="400px"/]
ebay.com/itm/Buick-Roadmaster-limited-/172222478512
Buick Roadmaster Wagon. Was a hearse, but made back into a wagon. No raised roof, installed rear folding seat, new headliner, and carpet.. All rest removed. I believe the car was used to transport the expired from state to state. It is extended one foot in length. 66,000 on LT1 Corvette engine with 700r4 tranny gets 17.5 mph in city and 25 on hwy. Ride smooth and quite on new Michelan tires. New brakes, very clean inside and out. Nice paint. Low mile Roadmasters are getting hard to find. It is shown with Buick ralley wheels, but I have the original aluminum ones. Your choice. Don't miss out on this one. Ed Bunker, 303-775-8475