'97 Honda CRV--not the manliest of cars but it's hauled my Steadicam successfully for many years and never had any mechanical issues, so I have to give it props. Was all set to move on to a new Element this year since they have dealt with the two-tone body panel issue and look a lot better than they used to (IMHO), especially as I have added a rolling cart for the rig, but confound it all, the cart is just two inches too tall for the Element (and the Element is taller than anything in its class). I was so looking forward to rolling that f****er up into the car via ramps which would cut some notable time and energy out of my day, but it was not to be. Still figuring it out.

Meanwhile, my non-working time is spent in an '06 Prius--40+MPG, driving alone in the car pool lane and don't have to pay for parking meters in the City of Los Angeles. Loving that. In a pinch, I can even fit the Steadicam in there with some creative re-arranging, but I try to keep a non-work vehicle if I can.

Hoping to find a hybrid or biodiesel-esque solution to my equipment vehicle in this New Year--that is, if the film industry ever gets back on its feet.

did anyone else notice that the person interested in our vehicles is named Tim Allen? coincidence? I dont think so...

Hi all:

Some interesting rides and reasons and justifications for the rides here.

Mine is a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Diesel Crew Cab. It's huge, I call it the "monster truck" because it is. 22' long, weights almot 7,000lbs. Why do I have such a beast? Well easy, I also have a 32' Fifth Wheel trailer that we use to do shoots and vacation in all over the West Coast.

When not hauling a trailer, the truck holds almost all of my 2.5 ton grip and lighting package and my jib. But trying to park this rig in most of LA is a PITA, it's too huge. I do some celebrity stuff and there is nothing more fun pulling up to the Four Seasons or Beverly Hills Hotel's valet in this beast and making fun of all of the Porsches and Ferraris. My truck is 7' high and you would be surprised at how many parking garages in LA are 6' 8" clearance, that's the part that really sucks. But it is fun to get dirty looks from all of the beautiful people for driving something in LA that is so politically incorrect ;-)

For all of it's size, I still get 21mpg with it. I love diesel even though we are getting gouged worse than gas customers on the price. Going to Europe was an eye opener, about half of the cars I saw were diesel. Good old smart California, in their infinite wisdom (not) has decided that they will not let manufacturers sell diesel cars new in the state (you can buy a used one at least).

All of this is changing as the new generation of diesels can meet California's CAFE' emission standards is being introduced this year. Even Honda is coming out with a diesel Accord. But I digress. If I didn't have a fifth wheel, I would be driving a Prius or I would be waiting for the new generation of diesel cars here as many of the smaller ones can even get 75 mile per gallon. Yes, diesel is more expensive than gas now, but if you can get that kind of mileage, that's still a good deal. At the time I bought the truck, diesel was cheaper and I do need something like this to pull a 10,000 lb trailer.

Best,

Dan

Hey Dan never mind the outragous fuel prices we pay in the UK.... what about the van tax hike...

We were using Landrover 110 Hardtop Defenders, fantastic of road (sore on the aging back on long drives) then went to Landover Discoveries (very nice on the aging bones) until they became too posh to be of any commercial use, and the company tax was really heavy.

Moved over to the Jap pickups (Animal/Warrior) with hardtop and towing gear, they are really usefull... but here is the rub.... it has been costing £500 a year in tax to run a commercial van/pick up - our great leader Mr Brown has now put that up to...... wait for it...... wait for it.......£3,500.00 per year.

How's that for inflation, how's that for helping business.... better go now, I have feelings of anger about to swamp me.... ;-(

Regards: Stu
www.srtudioscotland.com

2003 Toyota RAV4
 

2003 Toyota RAV4

This is the perfect vehicle for me. It's small enough to get good mileage and it feels like a car. It's big enough to haul LOTS of gear. It's not too expensive - I think I paid around $22K new. Also, it sits up high and is very easy to get in and out of - important for an old man with bad knees. And the cherry on top - it's very cool looking!

Two Nissans
 

One is my 2001 Nissan Sentra, which will be paid off this next month (two more payments to make)

And a 2007 Nissan Frontier 4x4 crew cab. My fiance drives this, but it can haul a lot both in the cab and in the bed.

My Sentra gets 36mpg on the highway. The truck gets around 16mpg.

Ford Escape Hybrid
 

I got rid of my VW Touareg because it had awful gas mileage (required premium and averaged less than 18mpg) and limited cargo carrying space.

The 2006 Escape Hybrid I bought is very boxy and un-sexy, but it's got lots of room, easy access, averages 28+mpg, uses regular gas, and is extremely well-mannered on the road. I also have a 2004 Prius, which is great for short hops with a small amount of gear.

2007 Jaguar x-type estate 2.2 diesel. Excellent drive, loads of space for all bags, tripods etc. Fuel economy pushes 50 mpg.
Gary

when hauling gear ... 01 toyota sequoia. Big, smooth, quite, with leather and being 4wd gets me down my 1/2 mile crushed limestone driveway when we get snow. We live out in the country on 20 acres and have horses and alpaca, so I need to get a few hundred bales of hay every so often. I wish Toyota would make a diesel... but they don't.

the rest of the time... 07 prius. Actually a very comfy ride... leather as well. A few months ago I was running late to a shoot 3 hours away and went 95 mph the whole way and still got 45 mpg. If I hypermile and take it easy, I can get 65 mpg. My kids actually prefer to ride in this car on account of the display screen that shows the hybrid at work.

I also drive/ride a 71 John Deere 1020 40 horse tractor ( gotta mow the farm ) and a 85 New Holland Skid Steer ( lots of horse manure to move around. )

Diesel
 

I sure do wish that I could buy a decent diesel car in California. Guess I have to hold out for the late 2008s and 2009s that most of the European and some of the Japanese manufacturers will release that can be sold in California. Diesel is more expensive at the pump but the mileage is amazing. 50MPG for a Jaguar!

Dan

95 Dodge Dakota Club Cab with a cap over the bed.

I can load soft cans in the back without taking them apart, or stick my ten foot crane arm and ten foot dolly rails out the hatch. Since it's the club cab I can carry four people if need be. Usually I carry the camera and other expensive stuff in the cab, and gear in the back. Throw in the bags, dolly, pelican cases and then the hand truck, then lock it up. I can't imagine working without having this truck! Only a van might serve me better, but this truck drives like a car. Best vehicle I have ever owned. Best of all, it is paid for! No payments for ten years now. It's a V6 so good gas mileage too!

Audi TT convertible ... doesn't carry much but i do look good in it !!!
no problem for 3 light meters ...

2007 BMW 328i Hard top convertible

1999 Ford F250 Supercab Longbed V10, gets like 5 miles to the gallon

Drove the truck as a daily driver since 2000 until I purchased the BMW in June. Believe it or not, I have actually saved money because of the gas prices here in Central California. It cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 - $125 to fill the truck up, and I would have to do that sometimes 3-4 times per week. It was bad. Beemer is much more friendly on the fuel. But, it doesn't pull the trailers, so still gotta drive ol "Betsey" every now and again.

BTW, you know what I HATE about still having a truck? Everyone and their Mom wants to borrow it or they want you to come help them move. Pfssshh, Geez Louise

2004 Mercedes S500 when I am schmoozing clients over

1998 Chevy 1500 work truck when hauling gear for shoots.

Oh heck, here's pics!

My old gear wagon - nicknamed "The Beast"
450hp ZZ4 Fastburn C4 Corvette, X-Ram intake, Borla exhaust, 23mpg on the highway at 120kph, top speed 260+ kph (tested) (cough... and 12mpg in the city)
Cargo capacity: light kit, 1 large camera bag, lightstand bag, and one tripod. Optional: second tripod or light kit in the passenger seat.


My new gear wagon - nicknamed "Storm"
Stock 1997 Toyota 4Runner.
Gas mileage: better in city, worse on highway. Top speed: unknown, but possibly over 140kph.
Cargo capacity: better!!
Ability to drive in snow: Yes!

The pics are a great idea (thanks, Guy and Dylan) and it would be even more fun to see who’s driving all these cars, trucks, SUVs … :)

Ah, what the hell, I'll bite. I've got a '91 Chevy 15 passenger van, and let me tell you, I haven't spent a dime on gas in the past two months. Sure, it's sitting on the driveway in need of a transmission rebuild, but man, am I saving money on fuel!

Got it in 2002 from the Terrapin Trader at the University of Maryland (go Terps, or so the bumper sticker said) for $651. Even after some light repairs, one can't complain about a price like that. Liked it so much we went back and got a cube a few years later (the one I used in my second DVC entry, for you trivia buffs).

The van used to be one of the marching bands vehicles, rarely if ever left the campus, only had fifty-two thousand miles on it. I even found a book of routines they left in the back, underneath the couch they were apparently using in lieu of real seats. Up to about fifty-six thousand miles now, and would still be a great, reliable truck if some mental giant in the band hadn't backed into something at top speed. It'd been getting worse since we got it, finally gave up the ghost at the last inspection; couldn't back it into the bay, so that was that. Just about ready to spring for the rebuild, and it shouldn't be long before I'm waiting on someplace to go so I can drive the damned thing.

I keep the seats out most of the time, since it's usually carrying stuff (up to three thousand pounds worth; it's a passenger vehicle, but it's still a one ton), but if I so desire I can fit fourteen other people inside. Now if I only had fourteen friends, we could be going places.

Not that I'm a real gearhead myself, but for interested parties the van weighs about fifty-six hundred pounds curb, eighty-six gross (though you mathematicians probably figured that out already), and features the 350 V8 (15 city and 17 highway empty, 13 and 15 loaded, respectively; hybrid and diesel people kindly keep your smarm to yourselves), 4L80-E (not bad as far as automatic transmissions go, or so I'm told), along with the heavy duty package from the factory. This includes not only the heavy duty radiator and exhaust system, but several in-engine upgrades (valves, and the like) that I understand are no longer performed on GM vans. Fancy that. Hundred and forty-six inch wheelbase, Dana rear end, blah, blah, blah, I'd need to go find the spec book to tell you the rest, but you get the idea.

Until such time as that's running, though, I'm using a member of my dad's fleet, the '88 Chevy "pickup" (that or my mom's '97 Aerostar, but there's no interesting story behind that). Formerly a tall, enclosed, steel utility body truck from Metro North (NYC area railroad for you out of towners), the maintenance division kept the body when they sold it. The guys that won the auction put a pickup bed on to make use of the vehicle, and we in turn got it from them. Twelve thousand pound rear springs, power-steering fluid assisted brakes (Hydro- or Hydra-boost, I'm not sure), and a nice rack that we added and modified ourselves. So if anybody in the New York area wants to test their Steadicam or ruin their kidneys, give me a call, we can hit the BQE.

I've really got to cool it with the parentheticals, but I've got so many little asides! What can a guy do?

1999 Toyota Carolla
 

And it's the very cheapest model so the seats don't fold down. Fortunately I don't have to haul gear very often. Though about a year ago I ended up taking almost every piece of gear we own at work (2 cameras with tripods, 3 boxes of lights, a bag of stands and stuff, a bag of sound gear, and assorted junk) and it all fit as long as I didn't want to look out the back window. I drove very gently.

Then I built myself a dolly and realized everything would no longer fit. I did a lot of looking at cars then. I settled on the Subaru Outback thinking I'd rather have a station wagon than an SUV. That fantasy ended as soon as we ran the financing numbers. Oh well. I console myself with the fact that after 130k miles I still get 32 mpg going to work and 37 or so on the highway. And in the year since I haven't actually needed to carry everything I own at once. And every time I try to save up for a new car I end up finding some new piece of gear (or a trip) that I'd rather have instead.

I'll be driving this till it dies and that could be quiet a while.


Don't worry about it Robert. Most of my thoughts are parenthetical.

You all have very big cars! in Belgium, Europe you see a lot of Ford, volkswagen en French cars like Renault or Citroen. Japanese cars you see less because they are more expensive compared to European cars.

I drive a Renault Kangoo which is a 1500cc common rail turbodiesel, it only uses 5 liters diesel every 100km. The diesel tank is not so big but I can drive about 900kms before I have to refuel.
Here in Europe diesel is very populair, about 8 out of 10 cars sold is a diesel!

2007 Mazda RX8- Fits a small camera and a box of tapes. Not a good production car. Especially when its 20 degrees and roads are iced over. (Bill Pryor can attest to that)

2004 Pontiac Grand Prix- Can hold a small studio when the seats are down.

2007 Jeep Wrangler (2 door) with tinted windows. It holds everyting I need in the back with the rear seat removed, and if my business expands to need more room than that, I can buy a trailer to tow around.

I added a 2 way alarm system with 1 mile range, so I will know if anyone is messing with my stuff, unless I get more than a mile from my Jeep.

I remember you, Justin! You got home from Kuwait and started a video business just like you planned? Good for you! How’s it going?

I got to spend several days in and around Lawton last summer and fall because of my son’s training at Ft. Sill. Driving around Medicine Park and that area I can see why a guy might want a Wrangler. Driving in Lawton—with its huge police presence—I think maybe I know why a guy might want an alarm system in his rig. :)

I destroyed my ford explorer covering california wildfires. I was broken hearted. I took it all over. Los Angeles, Vegas, Tahoe, The Coast, Yosemite, you name it. It now sits in my garage awaiting a resurrection. So the day it died on me, I went out car shopping. I looked at other SUV's but what I saw just didn't grab me. I came across a Honda Element and loved it. Has plenty of space inside, seriously everyone that sits in it always tells me about the ridiculous amount of legspace. The back has plenty of space for my ENG gear
(cam, sticks, raincover, audio, lights, flak vest, and an extra rain jacket) It's engine is not beefy at all, but it runs very smooth. Already took it up to the mountains, and the 2wd handled just fine. Now if they just made one with microwave transmission gear...

I drive a very stylish 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan with a mere 150k miles. It gets 22mpg on the highway and can fit four kids, camping gear, six bikes and all my camera gear and be exactly what it is, a POS car not worth breaking into.

2003 Audi A4 1.8t, black/tan leather. Mint condition with only 39k miles.

2004 Pontiac Grand AM.

2005 Toyota Hilux Double Cab. 2.5l Turbo Diesel. Very comfortable for truck and gets great mileage. With a canopy cover on the back, I can pretty much haul everthing for a shoot.

Wow, I am the only one with a real truck lol.

2008 Dodge Ram 1 ton turbo diesal mega cab. Complete with Sat phone, mobile radio, sat radio built in.
Option two is 2003 Dodge ram 1/2 ton gas jobby 4X4. We need heavy duty trucks up here in the arctic with kick Azz heaters, block heater, battery blanket, oil pan heater and some even use in line water heaters.

1984 GMC Sierra Classic pick-up.

Original owner. Considering getting something newer...




Rich

I just got an '08 Toyota Corolla. It's the cheapest model, but the seats still fold down. With the seats up I can fit two small lighting kits (one with collapsible stands), my tripod, camera, and assorted accessories. If I put the seats down I can add C-Stands. Great gas mileage.

I also have an '04 Chrysler Sebring. It's a decent car, but the new Camry's are clearly a better mid-sized sedan if you're buying something new.

A while back I took a trip through upstate NY, shooting in Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse. I ended up renting a Mini Cooper for the gas mileage. No back seat, but I could still cram all of my gear plus an overnight bag into it. Sure, my tripod was coming up into the front passenger's seat, but it was an amazing drive.

Yup, Noa. That's us here in America- land of energy gluttons. Every day in Atlanta I'll see the occasional hybrid or small car, yet I'll see dozens of Hummers, hundreds of giant SUVs (I call them SUXs 'cuz that is what they do) and huge pick-up trucks, most of which are all on the road with just one driver and empty seats and cargo beds. "But some day I might need the space!" Sheeesh.

My production vehicle is a mid-size pick-up. My other car is a pair of sneakers!

My 1995 Miata was my daily driver until I got tired of my gear falling all over me when I took a right turn. In March I bought a 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX. It doesn't handle like the Miata does, but it hauls ass when it needs to. That, and I can now transport a passenger AND my gear at the same time.

06 Nissan Frontier King Cab pickup, with a toolbox mounted in the bed for lightstands, tripod, etc. Okay mileage for a truck. I'm getting between 24 - 26 mpg. Manual transmission with cruise control. And really comfortable seats.

Jeremiah Hall

the big kahuna
 

2008 Nissan Armada LE. great for hauling video and photo gear for wedding shoots, and two small kids in big ass car seats, with a giant stroller.

gear hauler

2004 Land Rover Discovery
Hold both my portabrace cases and tripod

1994 Prostar 205
Used for chase boat filming

Nice car. John you think you have low mileage? Well. In 2004 I bought the exact same car of course new 2004 model. I put (Im australian so Ill do the conversions on google) 5000 miles on it, when I came over to Japan for what I thought was only going to be 3 months. Anyway thats now 3 years, my mother has been driving my car on weekends pretty much since I left and taking care of the servicing for me. I go back to Australia next month to my Audi with a massive (drum roll) 9500 miles.

Oh and also taking a Toyota ISIS back from Japan - with the seats out it fits as much as a small truck

http://toyota.jp/isis/

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2053/...5352e8be79.jpg

2002 ford focus wagon.

2007 Dodge Ram 4X4 1500 sittin on 20's, keeps Exxon's annual profits up.

1999 F-150 Lariat 4x4:
http://www.joeygowdy.net/forum/vbgar...p?do=view&id=1

1968 Dodge Charger "General Lee":
http://www.joeygowdy.net/forum/vbgar...do=view&id=155

2000 Mustang Convertible:
http://www.joeygowdy.net/forum/vbgar...do=view&id=165

toyota highlander