What do my fellow DJ's use to haul your gear with? Truck? Van? Trailer?

[DJ A.K.A]

I'm curious as to how important you guys and gals feel your transportation is. Not as in reliability, because obviously your vehicle needs to be reliable. What I am concerned with, is appearance.
Do you think people really pay attention to "HOW" you got to the gig?

I have for years just packed my gear into my 94 Jeep cherokee and drove to the gig, unloaded, and then parked off in the distance.. I really dont think anyone knew what I showed up to the event in... however, I am getting more gear, and I am outgrowing my Jeep... so i am thinking about getting a nice enclosed trailer... which would be nice with my logo and all that on the side of it... but my Jeep is becoming more and more of a eyesore.. lol.. my OTHER hobby is going offroad... and as such, my jeep is getting kinda beat up..

So to pull a trailer with my Jeep is an option, but then people will see a nice trailer being pulled by my beater jeep... which I personally think gives a "redneck" appearance that I really dont want to put out... so then.. the question is.. why bother with a trailer... why not buy a nice cargo van? or a nice truck??

what are you guys using to get to the gig?
how much emphasis do you put on appearance of said vehicle?
If you were shopping for a new rig to haul your stuff, what would you go with?

-A.K.A

[Dave Daschofsky]

I have a suburban but I'm outgrowing it fast. I'm looking into getting something much bigger this summer.

[windspeed36]

Ive got a Ford Transit and an Izuzu Truck with the companies logos on them + Ive got a smaller Holden SV6 ute for running around the city

[Dix]

There have been a few threads started on this already but.... I use a 2007 Off Road 4X4 Dodge Ram to pull a 6X10 trailer.

[GaFFLe]

I have a Landrover LR3 but I rent a van from Uhaul for the big gigs.

[RodneyL]

Was using a 01 Ford Sport trac with abed cover, but wife just got a 05 Nissan Quest minivan with stow and go seating... makes it MUCH easier to load and unload. Ride is amazing.

[bumpyjonas]

Chrysler minivan with middle and passenger seats taken out for large events, smaller gigs Ford Edge.

[Silver Man]

I have used a 12' cargo trailer for the past 14 years. It is nice because of all the space I have, but it is also a hassle getting into some of the venues I go to. I have gotten real good at backing it up, but it is till a pain. I am currently looking at getting a Nisan NV. Those things are slick. I have also looked at a Mercedes Sprinter, but I like the NV better.

Word of caution about putting your logo on your trailer. I am not saying don't do it as it is a personal opinion, however, I had mine on my trailer and I had my equipment stolen out of the trailer and I believe it is because of my name and logo on the side. It never got me any business either so it wasn't all that great. All new vehicles I get will have an alarm system on it with a remote for me to monitor the status of the vehicle.

[wilson]

I use my Yukon Denali to pull my 6x10 trailer, unless it's a small gig audio gig during the day or a ceremony...then just use my Denali.

[MrDJ]

I have a 6'x10' trailer with all of my equipment pulled by my Trailblazer. At one point, I was thinking about painting my logo on the trailer but that is just an advertisement for people to try to break into it IMO. Out where we live, the local high school kids will attempt stupid stuff like that. Luckily no problems yet. We have all doors padlocked, ball lock, and pin lock. Most of the time, it isn't loaded anyways because my family uses it for several other things. I will be looking this summer into getting my own trailer to keep loaded and will probably be getting magnet signs for it while I am on the road with it.

[wilson]

I have a 6'x10' trailer with all of my equipment pulled by my Trailblazer. At one point, I was thinking about painting my logo on the trailer but that is just an advertisement for people to try to break into it IMO.

Not a fan of this for that reason either.

[DJ ATX]

I rent a uHaul van and just work in the cost in my fee.

[Midspot]

I have a 6' x 10' trailer for small to medium gigs and a 14 footer for large gigs.

[A#1 DJ]

I have a small trailer packed tight so nothing moves about....also has shocks and fat radials @ 25psi for that limmo-feel ride' :)

[DJ Donnie Lewis]

I use to use a 14 foot box truck but just picked up a custom 12 foot trailer with 7 foot iterior height and 2 foot V Nose. Love it so much more

[DJMC]

2003 Dodge Caravan.

104,000 miles. Knock on wood, its still a reliable ride!

Looking for a smaller replacement. My gear has gotten smaller over the years, I could downsize to a more compact van, like the Ford Transit (if they offered a V-6 engine).



Interesting side note:
The DJF ad sensors are putting Banner Ads for the 2012 Dodge Ram C/V (Cargo Van). Amazing how the advertisements are tuned to the thread topic!

[trauma11]

7x14x6.5 enclosed trailer with ramp door and side door, pulled by Chevrolet blazer

[Brom]

Ive got a Ford Transit

How does the Transit run? Ford's finally consoli****** platforms and bringing the full-size Transit van to the U.S. for the next model year and ditching the E-series.

Right now my main car is an old-school Scion xB and I use that for smaller gigs but it only has an 850-pound weight limit (driver included and I'm 6'4" & 225). I rent a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna for bigger gigs but am looking to buy a full-size van at some point, hence the interest in the Transit.

[ampnation]

Whatever you get, I would get something that allows you to just roll big racks of stuff out and into the venue. For me that means a trailer with a ramp door. Cuts down on trips. Saves the back. Saves time.

[windspeed36]

How does the Transit run? Ford's finally consoli****** platforms and bringing the full-size Transit van to the U.S. for the next model year and ditching the E-series.

Right now my main car is an old-school Scion xB and I use that for smaller gigs but it only has an 850-pound weight limit (driver included and I'm 6'4" & 225). I rent a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna for bigger gigs but am looking to buy a full-size van at some point, hence the interest in the Transit.
Mine I've only had for about 8 months but my boss at MAD Productions has had his which is a UK model for at least 10 years. It's getting really unrelliable, the motor has blown (due to running it on gas/LPG), he's blown the water pump and much more. He also runs it on ULP (gas to you Americans) I'm running mine on Diesel which is cutting the cost down and giving me a bit more grunt. We've both gone and put hydraulic lifts on the back of them which make loading easy. I just hate where the spare tyre is: middle of the van on the wheel arch, so when we blew out a tyre we had to almost unload half the van because we couldn't get in from the side door.As for speed, fully loaded with 4 double 18's, 6 VRX boxes, Midas desk, 6 MAC700's and all the other stuff, it takes a bit to get up to speed but it does get there and will happily cruise at 100km/h.

[DJMC]

FYI -- currently in the US, the Transit Connect is only available with a wimpy 4-cylinder engine (made in Turkey).

My feeling is to wait for the newer version, as (hopefully) it will have a V-6 option for more power.

In my area, we have a lot of hills and mountains, making a Transit with 4 cyl. a bad choice!

[VjQue]

unmarked chevy 3500 cargo van and chevy silverado. was told never broadcast what you do on your vehicle.

no need to be driving home just got paid with equipment in you truck, van with logo's or magnet on the side.

easy way to get jacked at 2am or later

[windspeed36]

unmarked chevy 3500 cargo van and chevy silverado. was told never broadcast what you do on your vehicle.

no need to be driving home just got paid with equipment in you truck, van with logo's or magnet on the side.

easy way to get jacked at 2am or later
...never heard of this happening in Australia

[Brom]

FYI -- currently in the US, the Transit Connect is only available with a wimpy 4-cylinder engine (made in Turkey).

My feeling is to wait for the newer version, as (hopefully) it will have a V-6 option for more power.

In my area, we have a lot of hills and mountains, making a Transit with 4 cyl. a bad choice!

Lucky man - northern California is gorgeous. My wife worked in S.F. for four months a few years back and I got to spend 28 days there as my company had an office downtown so I could just work from it instead of wasting vacation days.

And the Transit Connect is a joke compared to the real Transit, which is more comparable to a Sprinter. Just have to see what the reliability is when they finally get here.

[windspeed36]

Other points on the Tranist (We've both got the LWB) don't expect to ride with 3 in the front comfortably over long distances. It gets pretty cramped, especially when both you're crew are big guys. Also, some venues are a pain because with the larger wheel base and extended roof height (which I use to hang TBars loaded with cans) mean you can't get into underground carparks which are becoming more common at venues at least here in Australia...
I've also had a metal shelf put In across the parcel rack so I can put subs under them then load the top with lights.

Hope all this is helping and good luck

[Divercity]

Saw a DJ in town the other week on a segway...

[SummitAudioDJ]

2011 Ford F-150 Crew cab. Most of my stuff actually fits in the rear half of the cab with the seats folded up while my truss and table go in the bed.

[DJStevieRay]

I go in the lap of luxury with my heated leather seats in my Chrystler Town and Country. Chosen for the stow and Go seating. My backup hauler is my Dodge Dakota.

[DJMC]

I clicked on the banner for the "Dodge Ram C/V" --- too bad they don't have a side window option!

The only other option is to buy a Grand Caravan --- they no longer make the Caravan SE (short bed model).

I prefer the SE because it's easier to park.

[KLH]

I don't have lights, so my setup is simple: Controller (S4), table, power&cables, 2 tops and a sub. It's so compact, it fits in my Honda CRV.

Adding lights would change everything dramatically... so I haven't added them.

-KLH

[Brom]

I'd love to have a simple setup but I soon want to get one of the baddest subs on the planet (Danley TH-118 - see Gaffle) and need more than my xB to haul it. Plus, I think I'll be adding a 4barTri to my rig so that'll take up more space. I used to have a Toyota Previa until a deer decided to sacrifice itself one Thanksgiving night. Never had any issues hauling it all with that.

[Drewbdo]

I use an unmarked Mazda B2300 5 speed, and 5x8 enclosed trailer, with swing door. Would have preferred the ramp door, but I got it used from a friend at a sweet price. Hired a handyman to custom build shelving inside to fit all my current (and some future) equipment.

Only problem is that the truck doesn't really have the pulling power I would like. Hills are not fun, and it takes a long time to get to freeway speed. Also, it doesn't have enough power for backing the trailer up a hill. Thankfully, that has not been a problem so far.

Next vehicle would ideally be something with at least a V-6 or a diesel, and automatic tranny.

For small events which don't need a sub or lighting, I use my commuter car. If a small event which needs a sub, where parking is going to be hard due to trailer, I occasionally use my wife's minivan. I can pull one of the captain's chairs out, and lift the sub in. It fits that spot perfectly.

[Kingbob182]

I drive a 96' R33 Skyline. I managed to fit a sub + 4 tops. 6 Lights, 2 speaker stands, a t-Bar a huge UV light, a cdj/djm350 roadcase and a bag full of my clothes into my car. It was noticeably slower up hills and I had a very limited view out of my rear window mirror.
I took photos of all the gear to remember the day that years of TETRIS paid off.
I'll edit this post with pics of the photos when I get home. I'm very proud.
at the moment though, I can't justify buying a van to haul gear or anything more expensive than a trailer. Maybe someone will sell a wagon soon that I can throw it all in. I hope :)

[DJ Donnie Lewis]

Upgrade to a R34 (white) with a single turbo conversion then throw a hitch on that bitch and you will be golden

[Ampedproductions]

Chevy astro for small gigs, 2012 f-150 econoboost with 6x12 ramp door trailer for bigger ones

[ampnation]

I don't have this, but I think an interesting combo would be a Mini Cooper Clubman or Countryman + a Well Cargo MPT461 trailer. The Countryman has a higher payload but the Clubman has more cargo space.

http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2009/12/27/17/13/2010_mini_cooper_clubman-pic-5750416180756825312.jpeg
http://cdn.equinemediaworld.com/ctw/uploads/dealer/135/0000027/27389-1.jpg

[erice97699]

I have all my gear loaded in my 2011 Honda fit... Two powered 15" Electro voice subs, Two QSC K12's, Traktor S4, two lap tops and all other accessories, AND there is still room for a passenger in the front seat...

Eric

[damusicman]

I have a 6x10 cargo trailer towed with a chevy colorado crew cab

[jmack953]

1999 Chevy Tahoe. I have to pack the gear in like I'm playing a game of Tetris every weekend, but it works! :) Tinted windows so it's hard to see what's inside, no decals, nothing too flashy. Some beefy BFG KO tires and some window vent shades, nothing too fancy but it does catch an eye here and there. Some people ask why I don't slap decals on it, to me it's asking for an unwanted visitor. Sure extra paid insurance on the gear would cover it, but it's also the hassle of having to have to deal with it if someone broke in. In my opinion, keep your rig clean and hopefully overall, it is somewhat respectable looking, and try not to make it stick out like a sore thumb. :) happy DJing everyone! CHEERS!