What Water Wheels?

[El Cid]

I have a 2001 Dodge Durango (with a nice rubber cargo liner) and it's awesome for hauling gear around and being able to keep the gear locked in the back when parked at some docks in questionable areas. Problem is, I overheated the car recently and the lifters have started ticking. I'm starting to look for another car (but might still just repair the lifters) and am wondering what everyone here thinks is the best vehicle for divers. My roommate has an F-150 which is nice, but you'd have to get a hard tonneau cover to lock stuff up during a dive. What do you drive and is it diver friendly? Thanks.

 

[mwhities]

I like my Tribute, just wish I bought the 6cylinder instead. 2 AL100s, 2 AL80s, 1 al40, 1 al30 and two bags full of regs, suits, BP/W, masks (everything to dive with) and 2 backpacks with clothes towels fits wonderfully into it. Still have the back seat open as well.

 

[ChuckWagon]

I have an F-150 with a hard tonneu and a bed-rug bedliner. I can carry a ton of gear out of the weather and away from sticky fingers. The downside is the gas mileage. Three years ago it was not so bad but now...............

 

[Ice9]

My surface support vehicle? Chevy Avalanche!

Absolutely perfect. Don't know how I ever survived without it...

 

[MarkUK]

You guys think you have it tough on gas prices, spare a thought for us poor suckers in the UK!

Price for diesel is now around £1.06-£1.07 a litre, so with four litres to a US gallon, that means you are looking at around US$8.50 a gallon!!! Or something like that. Can never get my head around Imperial gallons and US gallons for liquid, but whatever, it is blood expensive over here at the moment!

My Mitsubishi L200 double-cab pick-up truck has got a 2.5 turbo-diesel engine, which isn't too bad on fuel – I get around 28-30mpg – but it still costs me nearly £65 (US$128) to fill it up from empty. Ouch...

Mark

 

[Gombessa]

You guys think you have it tough on gas prices, spare a thought for us poor suckers in the UK!

At least it must be a relief to haul your tanks into the LDS and say "fill'er up!"

Tell you what, we'll trade you gas prices for some of that universal health care goodness!

 

[sberanek]

I think it matters how much gear you have and how many divers are going along. By myself... me and all my gear (2 tanks included) fit quite easily in my Hyundai Elantra. The gear goes in the trunk and I go in the front part. I could do one more diver with their gear in the back seat and their tanks in the trunk.

My car is being fixed (some moron tried to pass me on an on-ramp) and i have a Mazda minivan for a rental. That puppy can hold a whole lot o' stuff and people.

either way, both these cars have good gas mileage. I'm not against trucks, just their gas consumption.

--Shannon

 

[El Cid]

Hey Ice, I thought about an Avalanche (never really liked em, but they can be functional) but was surprised to see that they don't have a locking tailgate. Anyone can get in there. Do you know if there's an aftermarket tailgate lock available?

 

[Ice9]

Hey Ice, I thought about an Avalanche (never really liked em, but they can be functional) but was surprised to see that they don't have a locking tailgate. Anyone can get in there. Do you know if there's an aftermarket tailgate lock available?

No locking tailgate? Thats crazy talk. I've never head of an Avalanche that didn't have a locking tailgate. That would be horrible...

 

[Thunder Bay Minnow]

Many people I know are starting to go the route of a small trailer.

I haul 2-steel 100s, full bag of gear, float, DPV, cooler, clothes, etc. In the back of a Bravada. Times two, with my buddy and the thing is full with back seat down and it sinks REAL low in the rear end.

I have been seeing more and more of these single axel trailers that most vehicles can haul being used as portable equipment lockers.

You can’t miss Mike’s trailer!! It is bright red, painted as a dive flag and can regularly be seen traveling the roads of Northern Michigan. We have joked in that there is a dive charter operator based in Alpena that runs a Sea Ark that looks like a small landing craft and we keep threatening to put the trailer on the boat and it could not only serve all of our comforts but also double as the dive flag.

No more moving tanks from the LDS, to the car, to the garage, to the car, to the dive. His suits are all hung in the trailer that always doubles as a dressing room. He is capable of carrying up to 15 tanks (legally????). He even has two large equipment shelves that can double as sleeping bunks. This thing has been awesome to have around. Anyone with a hitch can haul it. The best thing is everything he owns is in it!! None of that left it at home stuff.


With my wife wanting to take up diving this summer I was torn to either buy a trailer or a RIB (Rigid hull Inflatable Boat). While the iron was hot, I got the boat, in case she changed her mind.