What is the best vehicle for transporting planes?

[Gregor77]

I thought that this would be a good one.  What is the best vehicle / truck or car any year or model to transport RC planes?  Also what is the biggest or most unique plane ever transported?

My Best and Worest car....

Worest Car: mazda Miata with Hardtop:  Busted the tail from my E-flight Neuiport coming back from the Indoor at the golf dome.  I thought everything was fine.  I crawl into the drivers seat and hear that familiar foam crunch noise...  []

My Best:  VW micobus Westfalia or Kombi.  I have put 60 size planes in there with no issues.  The rear bed folds flat and you can have three planes across.  []



Fight on and fly on to the last drop of blood and the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart.

— Baron Manfred von Richthofen.

[Kenvention2]

I have to agree a van is a great way to move planes. In my Mazda 5 I  
built a shelf over the wheel wheels and put the planes on one level and
slept on the lower level for the overnight at York.

Something else to watch for in a car is the trunk hinge system, my old
car had an internal hinge that intruded into the available space when you closed the lid. It very disappointing to hear that crunch as your vertical fin gets snapped off just as you are heading to the field.

As for most unique plane transport. I passed a guy on the 400 with a 1/4 scale CUB strapped to the roof racks! The wings were off (or maybe they fell off) but it still seemed a crazy idea.

Ken

[Papa]

I think the new Ford Flex is a good candidate. Lots of room in the back with the third row down and you can still seat four up front.

Jack.

[Michael]

I think my next car will be an old school bus, with the seats removed.

Michael

[Stephen Madjanovich]

I like the idea of the camper van.

I dropped by a VW dealer a few months back as it is time to start looking towards the next vehicle. Asked about their van and got blank looks all around. If the camper is still available it may be only through RV dealers. Any one know for sure? I was told the van has not been available in Canada for years.

I have a long commute so need max fuel economy. Hence a light trailer for my little Echo. I have yet to use it in anger but hopefully this summer my current project will be operational.

There is a small lot at the end of our road that regularly get the little school busses, mail delivery vans etc. in for sale. I was thinking along the same lines as at $3000 it seemed not unreasonable. I learned recently that any vehicle of 1 ton capacity or more is classified as comercial and must be inspected yearly. Not something they will tell you. It came via a guy who bought a used ambulance as a contractor van.

Stephen

[Papa]

Stephen, in keeping with the Electric theme how about an Electric Van from Ford.

http://tooltruckcentral.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/fords-electric-van-is-here/

Note the Google add at the bottom ..... is that weird or what?

Jack.

[thehaze]

My Honda element is terrific for hauling planes. It's one of the reasons I bought it.

[wollins]

It seems like there will never be a big enough car ... last year I upgraded my little Mazda Protege for a Santa Fe (SUV) and now of course because I have more space my planes got bigger so we're right back to square one ... space limited!!

I suspect if we all get flat bed trucks we will fill them to capacity with 40% size planes! []

Colin

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Three things are certain ... Death, Taxes and CRASHIN'!

[Gregor77]

I  still don't know how Glen manages to get a plane in the trunk of the FB (Firebird).

I have a 1965 VW Kombi at home that has most of the original interior in it.  I was thinking of building a rack that sits on the of the seats and I can lay 3 planes high.  Maybe something with white PCV piping?  The middle of the van has a folding table and each seat faces each other.   Mind you it will be a VERY big project to get it finished before the summer.  ;o)



Fight on and fly on to the last drop of blood and the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart.

— Baron Manfred von Richthofen.

[eric]

SMALL CAR: It's hard to beat my Toyota Matrix. The back and front passenger seats fold down flat. I can get my 88" span Bucaneer in there. I built a flat shelf (got that idea from Michael, brilliant!) of peg board to split the rear area horizontally. That makes 2 levels and I can easily bring 6 regular size planes and all my gear to the field. By building wheel chocks that plug into the peg board where ever I want, my stuff never moves.

LARGE CAR: I love my Sienna van. The rear seats fold into the floor and the middle seats tumble and lock forward. I can get a ton of stuff in there. I use 2 bungee chords covered in foam pipe insulation stretched across the roof between the grab handles over the doors, front and rear, for both vehicles. All my wings ride on top, in wing bags made of thick plastic vapour barrier, trapped safely between the bungees and the roof. With 265 hp, I can tow my house trailer to events and completely fill the van with planes and gear for weekend fun flys.

Eric