Im in the market for buying a used car. If you could have anycar to drive down to go diving, what would it be? why?
What is the perfect SCUBA car?
- Thread starter Jorbar1551
- Start date
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Blackwood
Contributor
Truck. Holds all the gear and you can hose down the bed when you're done. No need to worry about wet carpet, etc..
ScottB
Contributor
Ferrari... Because if I could afford one of those, I could pay someone else to haul my gear... =)
I drive a Ford F150.. tiedowns to strap tanks in with. Easy to clean up..
I drive a Ford F150.. tiedowns to strap tanks in with. Easy to clean up..
Yup, pick-up trucks are the way forward for diving. I've got a Mitsubishi L200 double-cab, which will hold five adults (four comfortably for long distances) and all their dive kit. Plus, I have an aluminium Mountain Top cover on the bed which locks shut, keeping expensive stuff safe (and my mountain bike rack will fasten on top of it for non-diving days) and best of all, it has a 2.5 turbo diesel engine that gets me 30 mpg, even when I give it a bit of welly.
Mark
Mark
Extended cab pickup...
I've got a Chev 1500 4-wd shortbed would be and is my prefered 'transit device of choice for SCUBA applications'.
4-wd is like your alt-air source... most of the time... just a pricy piece of gear with limited utility that looks techy and cool... but... when you do need it... PRICELESS.
The large bed is great when you're hauling 6 tanks of air and all the winter gear (midwest diving... gotta' love it...). Wet wet-suits stay in the sprayed in bed liner until we get home.
Now... regarding the truck itself. Ya' got space behind the front seats to store stuff ya' wanna' lock up, a bed you can put junk in and there are 'bed covers' that are easily removable or fold up nice... keeps your gear out of sight when deployed... get out of the way when ya' want to get to yer' stuff.
... and then there are the peripheral attributes...which gets to the next evolution...
For extended 'drive n' dive trips' my wife and I are looking at making the truck even more servicable. Some tent makers make a 'pop up tent' (or "earth pimple") that are designed to fit inside the bed of the truck... AND there's a company that makes an air matress specifically for the inside of the bed... sweet... When we're camping int he truck... the gear (non-wet) can live in the cab... we can live in the bed of the truck... haul grill... cooler... whatever... You could really 'gypsy' a dive trip while living in relative comfort for the price of campgrounds v. hotels...
My two pence...
J.R.
I get 20+ MPG on the highway and 17+ around town... not 'eccono-car'... but relatively not bad either... and, if you're socially inclined... I can pack 4 people in there with all the gear in the bed... MPG/P gets even better...
I've got a Chev 1500 4-wd shortbed would be and is my prefered 'transit device of choice for SCUBA applications'.
4-wd is like your alt-air source... most of the time... just a pricy piece of gear with limited utility that looks techy and cool... but... when you do need it... PRICELESS.
The large bed is great when you're hauling 6 tanks of air and all the winter gear (midwest diving... gotta' love it...). Wet wet-suits stay in the sprayed in bed liner until we get home.
Now... regarding the truck itself. Ya' got space behind the front seats to store stuff ya' wanna' lock up, a bed you can put junk in and there are 'bed covers' that are easily removable or fold up nice... keeps your gear out of sight when deployed... get out of the way when ya' want to get to yer' stuff.
... and then there are the peripheral attributes...which gets to the next evolution...
For extended 'drive n' dive trips' my wife and I are looking at making the truck even more servicable. Some tent makers make a 'pop up tent' (or "earth pimple") that are designed to fit inside the bed of the truck... AND there's a company that makes an air matress specifically for the inside of the bed... sweet... When we're camping int he truck... the gear (non-wet) can live in the cab... we can live in the bed of the truck... haul grill... cooler... whatever... You could really 'gypsy' a dive trip while living in relative comfort for the price of campgrounds v. hotels...
My two pence...
J.R.
I get 20+ MPG on the highway and 17+ around town... not 'eccono-car'... but relatively not bad either... and, if you're socially inclined... I can pack 4 people in there with all the gear in the bed... MPG/P gets even better...
OBXDIVEGUY
Contributor
J.R.:
masonak1298
Guest
A hummer H3. It get you where you want to go. It also has a rubber matting in the cargo area. Plus you look really cool.
REII
Contributor
I have a Ford Explorer. I put a rubber matt in the back in order to keep the carpet underneath dry. I had a pickup which is ideal, except that I wanted to be able to lock up stuff at times.
TOM
TOM
Some people think they look cool, but I'd venture to say that *most* people think you look.... decidedly not cool. I don't actually know anyone who thinks that H3s look cool. Everyone I know can't stand them or the poser attitude they project.masonak1298:
Anyway, I think Jorbar needs to let us know what type of vehicle he's looking for. A compact wagon can be a great small dive vehicle and get great gas mileage. A pickup truck or SUV might be more appropriate if you have to carry larger amounts of gear or travel over significant rough terrain. A regular-sized wagon lmight be a nice compromise. A target budget might also be nice.
I'd suggest the following:
Subaru Outback or Imprezia
Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix (same vehicle)
Chevy Caliber (new, so will not find many used)
Honda Element
VW Golf
Toyota RAV4
Small pickup truck
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