What people hauler (touring band edition)

My nephews band is starting to play out of town more and more. 3 piece punk outfit. Minimal gear. No marshall stacks or anything. Small drumset, combo amps and a bass and guitar. They are regularly travelling from Eugene, OR to Seattle or Vegas, southern California ect. This current tour they are borrowing a 2003 Windstar and are stoked that it is the nicest, newest, roomiest rig they have ever been in.

I feel it is time they invest in their own van. It needs to be cheap, reliable and fairly fuel efficient. It should be able to be diagnosed at any parts store chain with an OBD2 reader and kept limping along with little more than a cheap HF tool set. Power is not an issue, as long as it can climb the grapevine in California. These guys are not mechanically inclined nor do I think they even care to be. They are often only paid in beer tickets and a floor to crash on and they pass a donation jar or sell T-shirts and stickers for gas and food money.

So what say you GRM? What minivan can be purchased for a song and make long trips fueled by hopes and dreams and endless optimism?

I'd tend towards an Econoline or similar van. It should be possible to obtain a good one at reasonable cost. With 3 guys and gear, a minivan will be running close to its rated payload all the time while the van won't be (leaving room for growth). And the van will be built beefier, so it'll handle the abuse of carrying stuff around over lots of miles better with less trans issues, etc.

I vote full size, full frame van with a trailer. Old conversion vans usually go for cheap these days, so I'd look at those. A trailer is a must, but make sure they have good locks. People have been stealing gear all over the place lately from musicians.

In reply to SilverFleet:

That was my gut reaction too, but based on Jumper's description probably overkill for them. If they could fit themselves & their gear in an Astro, that would probably land right in the middle of their price/economy/durability range. I drove one at my old job occasionally that had well over 200k on the clock, but ran/drove great & was very comfortable on long drives. I hopped in expecting to loath it, and didn't want to give it back once I was done.

We are talking about 3 150lb dudes with a backpack of clothes each and another 250lbs in gear tops. They aren't going to be putting undue stress on a 6 passenger minivan with a row of seating removed.

Also a fullsize van with a trailer outside of a venue screams "FREE GEAR" while an atomically crappy minivan with 5% tint on the back windows just blends into the scenery.

I went on a 10 city 1000 mile tour in the late 90's and our 4 piece band did it in an 86 Honda Accord and a 91 Jetta. That sucked.

Aerostar meets most of those. Cheap reliable and decently easy to work on

Also off the wall recommendation....caprice or other full size car or station wagon.

I've done a lot of gigging out of a crown Vic, a Granada and a Fairmont wagon

Back in the day oldest son was doing gigs while in college. Half ton chevy van w/6 cal auto and AAA gold membership. New tires, service brakes and steering, and teach them to check and keep fluid levels topped up and tire pressures set to specs.

Ok, no trailer, and something innocuous. How about a LT1 B-Body Buick Roadmaster or Caprice wagon? Either that or go full minivan and get a Grand Caravan. I bet they get around the same gas mileage, but I think the B-Body would be more serviceable.

Man. Caravans are Cheap!s

this?

this?

There are a lot of sub $500 caravans being sold by folks who can't spell.

I will hit them up on their budget when they get back.

It might be overkill but what about a Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon?:

http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/5769537688.html

http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/5768019075.html

http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/5742555461.html

http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/5758219692.html

http://salem.craigslist.org/cto/5772921830.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/5768626796.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/5761800973.html

Maybe an Explorer?:

http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/5767058544.html

Grand Caravan:

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/5766300915.html

http://salem.craigslist.org/cto/5774243503.html

I say they should make an offer on the borrowed Windstar. I doubt you will ever hear a Windstar owner say "No, it is not for sale."

I think it's required for a touring van to be the cheapest possible full size van. I don't see the need for a trailer.

I once drove a full size van from London, Ontario to Halifax (25 hours) with 12 seats, 13 people and a bunch of marching band equipment. One person slept on the bass drum.

Caravan. Gas and consumables is what's going to eat them alive. Knock that cost down as low as possible with the best mileage they can semi comfortably fit themselves in. Less money on gas, more money on punk things. Studs or safety pins or whatever the kids are into these days.

Jumper K. Balls wrote: Man. Caravans are Cheap!s this? this? There are a lot of sub $500 caravans being sold by folks who can't spell. I will hit them up on their budget when they get back.

Caravan parts are cheap, too. I am finally replacing the rear brake shoes and wheel cylinders on my '02 at 198K. With a can of brake cleaner and a 32 oz. Prestone brake fluid thrown in, the total came to $37.45.

mazdeuce wrote: Caravan. Gas and consumables is what's going to eat them alive. Knock that cost down as low as possible with the best mileage they can semi comfortably fit themselves in. Less money on gas, more money on punk things. Studs or safety pins or whatever the kids are into these days.

Fun fact - assuming the kids who were first in to punk (and safety pins used in unsafe ways) in the mid-70's were 18-20 years old, they're about 60 now. They're the man. Heck, they're the man's boss.

Grand Caravan, throw a trans cooler and plugs (there are ticks for doing the rear bank) at it and go. The 3.3/3.8 is a tough motor and they get mid 20s on the highway no problem. My mom averaged like 22mpg in one (with original O2 sensors!) and it made it to 200k no problem on a piss poor maintenance schedule, I think the only thing it ever needed aside from the usual stuff is a new torque converter (bad lockup clutch).

Um where is there room in a minivan for 3 dudes and gear plus roadies? Pick up a cheap Econoline or B church van, spray bomb it whatever color (s) you want and rock it. With some of the seats removed there will be more room for roadie related activities

If the nephew is anything like the OP's username implies, he will grasp this concept.

You're confusing roadies with groupies. Roadies are the fat sweaty dudes that setup and year down stages. At least I hope you're confusing them.

I feel like a band that is currently borrowing a Windstar as a tour bus probably doesn't have roadies.

gearheadmb wrote: You're confusing roadies with groupies. Roadies are the fat sweaty dudes that setup and year down stages. At least I hope you're confusing them.

groupies may be the more accurate term but I'm not gonna guess others preferences.