What Water Wheels?

[vshearer]

Put fresh oil in the Dodge (full) then add an additional 2 quarts of diesel and run it 3 or 4 hours at 45 mph or below like that then change the oil/filter again. Since you didn't blow a head gasket this might clean up the sludge. Change oil/filter again after about 500-100 miles.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I have a Chevy HHR that I can pack to the gills and it doesn't even squat under the load. It's rated to tow 1000 pounds if you would rather put the gear in a small trailer instead of inside.

I highly recommend the leather seats for diving because you can wipe them down.

I bought a couple of indoor/outdoor carpets and I replace the rear carpet with one and lay one on the back of the seats when I fold them down to protect from scratches. I can load up me, my buddy and our gear in it and STILL get almost 30mpg running at 75mph even in the mountains when we go to Florida (I have the larger engine).

Plus they make the "panel van" version now with fewer windows for prying eyes to snoop through.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[northen diver]

All depends on the days diving. If the whole family is coming, we take the wifes 150 ext cab ford. It has a lid on the bed. If we are cold weather diving or camping, we haul a trailer behind it. I also have a GMC company truck 4x4 that I use during crappy weather. If its just me and one of my kids, I load up my Madza protege up. It hauls 6 tanks and everything we need for two divers.

 

[Pearldiver07]

I had a Sport Trac that did pretty well. I am looking at the Honda Ridgeline for my next ride.

 

[Hank49]

Anything with a trailer hitch that'll drag the Carrot Juice (the boat) across 3 miles of dirt road will do. I pack all the gear, food etc etc, in the boat. Change into some dry shorts before I get in to drive home and no worries.

 

[divingtigger]

Well that would make it like Canada free health care and cheaper gas. I think we are paying $1.02 per litre right now. The down side of free health care is that too many people abuse it and go to the hospital for everything from a sliver to a broken nose. That and there are people who will jump in front of cars just to be able to get free drugs and care so when you need to see a doctor because you are really hurt or your kid has a really high fever or something serious you have to wait 4+ hours just to get seen and the beds are always filled. If you do get a bed it is in the hallway or other public area

Now to answer the question at hand I have a crew cab Tacoma. I plan on getting a cap and a lock box for the back, but for now you can toss things in the back seat area, cover it with a dark piece of rubber or cloth and through the tinted windows it doesn’t look like anything is back there

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!

 

[ClayJar]

I have a 1998 Hyundai Tiburon FX, and in dive mode, it can stack six tanks and a few ponies where the passenger seat used to be. The gear goes in a bin in the back. Clothes under the dashboard in front of the tanks. Sleeping gear behind the driver's seat (which is the only seat, actually). Full size spare, jack, and dive-saving gear where the right-side back seat passenger would've been. Drysuit, other garments, tent, and anything else (like food for a week) beside and around the gear bin. (Alternately, two additional AL100s can be tossed in the back in lieu of camping gear or whatever.)

When J. was visiting for the holidays, I bolted the passenger seat back in for the first time in, what, a year and a half. I'm back to dive mode now, of course, since she's back in Tokyo, so the Tib's back to being a one-man micro-RV/ultimate dive vehicle. :biggrin:

 

[Ice9]

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.

Got a picture of it? That would be kinda cool...

 

[El Cid]

Trucks are pretty self explanitory as far as dive-ability go. The problem there is that they seem to have all grown since the days of my 2002 F-150. I've thought about the Dodge Magnum to have something sporty and still be diveable, but I have the motorcycle for sporty (another plus to a truck=haul the bike when I move). My dive buddy and I usually have two dive bags, bouy, towels, and then my misc junk that I keep in the durango from day to day. I'm thinking I want to have something sturdy enough to tow a boat though since I was planning on getting one this summer. Really seeing what is out there and what works best for everyone. I have to say I'm surprised to see a protege and a tiburon on the list....

VShearer- the dealer replaced the thermostat housing (which failed and spewed all my coolant out on I-95) then added oil and put some I'm stupid fluid in to see if that would pump up the hydraulic lifters or not. No luck. Dealer says replace heads or start looking for a new motor or car.

Ice - Maybe the Avalanche is only lockable by the key fob? I was looking for a keyhole on the tailgate and haven't seen one yet.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

GMC Envoy. Carries almost as much as my Aztec did but the 4wd is alot nicer considering one of the places I need to get into almost demands it.