Scuba-friendly automobile suggestions?

[D_B]

Another vote for the Chevy Avalanche ( :bounce3: )
5 people in the cab, 4 wheel drive, short enough wheelbase to turn tightly, can tow a trailer, lock your gear in the back, and you can even take a garden hose and rinse your gear off while it's still in the back

 

[Straegen]

Been mentioned earlier, but the Ridgeline is king IMO. I am no scuba expert, but I do a lot of backpacking, camping, dirt bike riding and a lot of kayaking. It is hard to beat a truck that is 4wd (light duty but good enough for all but the toughest work), has a huge trunk with a drain, flip up backseats for tons of storage, 5k lbs towing, strongest tailgate of any truck out there allowing the bed to be extended easily and well it is a Honda with their legendary durability. Without a doubt one of the most flexible vehicles for an outdoor enthusiast. I picked mine up for 21k so it is also very affordable. If it had a stock hose out interior, it would be almost perfect.

 

[Otto]

You didn't say where you dive, or if you camp. If you are mostly on good roads a small trailer has many advantages including less cost than a new vehicle, no stench/ moisture in the vehicle, have it loaded before it's time to leave, full passanger capacity in the vehicle. I bought a Thule and really have enjoyed its 1300lb load capacity, 300lb weight. Please note that I camp. Dive safe.

 

[DiverBizz]

I have a 1500 Dodge Ram 4 door that is great throw the dive equipment in the back or if it is bad weather the stuff goes in the back seat. I am selling that now and getting a Saturn still holds my dive stuff and is a great tow vehicle for my RV.

 

[NudeDiver]

I am in the market for a new car and since I've been in a Honda Civic (the antithesis of a scuba-friendly automobile, IMHO) for three years, I'm looking at better options. Never one to care much about what I drive (obviously), I should say appearance isn't my primary concern. Neither is an enormous engine or AWD. I want to haul tanks, gear, a friend or two and be as comfortable as possible when doing this.

Get a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (4-door) and you'll have all you could want - and a removable top.

 

[jswantek]

I have an '01 chevy blazer...4dr, 4wd...just fold down the back seats, throw down a cheap blue tarp and I have plenty of room for two sets of gear. There's even cargo tie-downs in the back and a roof rack for longer items. It's not the best on gas, but it'll get me wherever I need to go and it's comfortable to drive...it's even big enough that I can stretch out and take a nap in it on a surface interval. The liftgate is great for getting out of weather and it's the right height for getting geared up directly out of...

 

[ohmdiver]

I have experimented with diffrent cars. I am also a cheap skate of sorts. I tend to meet my dive buddies at the dive site, or boat so I really only think in terms of 2 divers.

My first dive car was a 87 Chevy S-10 blazer. It worked great. right up until I had driven it into the ground. (this was a truck I had before I started diving and I did alot of mean and nasty stuff to it)

I down sized to a Toyota wagon. The back lip was too high to use as a donning point, but it was also a time when my wife wasn't diving so I built up the lip with some wood. Did great for what I needed it for.

Bought a Saturn sedan.... Worst Dive car ever!!!!

Ran Two Ford Escorts, 4 door. (Not a big Ford guy) These were fantastic, I put the back seeats downand cut in a piece of plywood and leveled it up a bit. I would place 4 tanks upright behind the front seats, bungeed to the head rest with towels between them so the tanks didn't rattle, my gear, my camping gear, two coolers, and still would have room for my wifes stuff too. Drove both cars into the dirt.

My latest dive"mobile" is a 97 Dodge Caravan, that I am going to gut the interior and costumize strickly as a dive machine, so this one is a work in progress....

 

[thunsaker]

I have a 2003 Chevy Cavalier. It fits all my gear, but if I bring something else, it gets tight. I have had this car for almost 6 year and have been diving for 5 years. I will probably drive the car until I run it into the ground. I was thinking about buying the honda Element when It comes time to buy a new car, which looks like a good car for diving.

 

[Txfirefighter4305]

I have a 2004 Ford Explorer LMT AWD. Five divers and gear makes for 13 MPG on the highway!

I wonder if anyone would choose an M35A2?

 

[Tortuga68]