band dudes - tour vans?

[antiheroinc]

so im looking into getting a new vehicle since my current car is on its last legs and i wouldnt mind getting a van so when i start playing in a band again i can just take my own van instead of paying ridiculous amounts for a hire van.
but since i dont know fuck all about vans i thought i would ask you guys.
if you are in a band, what sorta vehicle do you find the most comfortable/useful?
i'm looking for a 5-6 seater with a cage in the back for storing gear. im looking for something that isnt too expensive as i will most likely customize it down the track.
also im in australia so really obscure stuff probably wouldnt be easy to find here.

thanks

 

[egan.]

In the states it's almost exclusively ford econolines. I always wanted to try a dodge sprinter but they are rarely rentals.

 

[Jevil]

instead of paying ridiculous amounts for a hire van.

Unless you play every weekend, that ridiculous amount is cheaper than the sale price, maintenance and all costs of the van.


We always hire vans so we always have a quite new van, insurance paid, garage, and if there is some breakdown we don't care... the hiring company will provide us another one.

 

[Razorjack]

Comfortable/useful? A Van Hool Nightliner. Not exactly practical though.

Being in Aus though you need to get one of these, wont get a whole band to a gig but you'll be there faster than anyone else.

 

[Fragle]

i'd say getting a dedicated band tour van only pays off if you frequently play gigs that require such a car. otherwise, renting it is cheaper, even though that shit does seem expensive at first. it's nothing in comparison to insurance, tax, maintenance etc, all the stuff you have to pay if it was your own van.

since we're 6 people in the band, we always have to drive with two cars....sucks, but that's just the way it is. this is for the more local stuff though. once it gets into 200km and more category, rent a car all the way.
my weapon of choice:

rather low on fuel cost, enough space, somewhat comfortable, and cheaper than a bigger minibus.

 

[Rez]

If you were in the UK I would say the Ford Transit!
Over here there are cheaper used van options but they tend to cost more to repair so whatever you go for be sure to check out the price of parts....

Band vans rule! We had some good good times in our battered old van.

 

[antiheroinc]

Comfortable/useful? A Van Hool Nightliner. Not exactly practical though.

Being in Aus though you need to get one of these, wont get a whole band to a gig but you'll be there faster than anyone else.

where im from everyone has a ute. most of my mates that exact model
im looking to put a tv in the back as I have a 24" HD monitor i wanna put in there with an xbox360 for the long trips.

im definetly not gonna be one of those fuckwits who lower their ute to the ground, put low profile tyres and mags on, proceed to take the sides off the tray and call it a "low-lux". (these are everywhere in rural qld ergh)

 

[amarshism]

Toyota commuter

 

[SimonSez]

Dodge Sprinter 2500... I think in Australia it's a Mercedes Benz. Mine is as 2006 and has a 2.7L 5-cylinder diesel engine. I can get 26 miles per gallon on the road. No other van can touch that. Low maintenance too, only change the oil every 10,000 miles and the fuel filter every 20,000 miles. The amount of room is unmatched by any other van and it handles better than any other van I have driven. Plus it's a diesel so it will last 300,000 miles easy (there are guys with almost a million miles on the original engine).