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purplegirl · 07-01-2019, 01:27 PM

Hi all, new member and singer/guitarist in Natalija's aformentioned band. As a side, I also own a 2000 Honda Insight (citrus) and the 2002 F250 PowerStroke 7.3L diesel truck mentioned above.

Our bass cabs use Eminence Neo 12s which are surprisingly lightweight and decently loud. That said, replacing all cabinet speakers with lightweight options is ideal, but also probably not very cheap. Also speaker selection for our tube guitar amps is critical for tone. We may lose a few pounds but end up with a tone that doesn't suit our music.

My initial suggestion was a cargo van with zero rear or side windows however one of the other bandmates requested side windows so the ride wouldn't be as dull for those sitting in the back. However even a mostly windowless van could be broken into given enough time and resources.

Another option I've thought about is using an older school bus. Mileage would be almost as bad as my F250 SuperDuty with 7.3L diesel, but many of these older buses use the same engine as my truck. So I'd at least know how to work on it.

Another advantage with a bus is availability of space. There would be plenty of room for gear, however we'd also have room for actual mattresses and living quarters. Since all of us could sleep in the bus, there would be less opportunity for break-in and theft.

Another disadvantage with a bus is parking. Many venues know to expect touring bands with busses and could accommodate. Other venues may be in locations that might allow loading/unloading of gear but we'd have to park further away.

We also half-jokingly toyed with the idea of loading each of our three Honda Insights and traveling via caravan. The risks/disadvantages are numerous however it would be pretty cheap and one of us is already very handy with repairing these cars. Failure points x3 with this option.

Yet another option is finding a box van and converting the storage area for carrying gear as well as serving as a sleeping area. This would not be as comfortable to travel in, but the enclosed box would offer more protection than say a van, and especially a camper shell over a truck bed.

I feel like we will wind up with a custom or cargo type of van which seems what most bands our size end up using for regional tours.

Buses looks awful appealing though, for it serving as relatively comfortable lodging as well as transportation.

07-01-2019, 01:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
purplegirl EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Atlanta/Athens GA Posts: 5 STT - '02 Ford F250 Super Duty RQV - '00 Honda Insight KX2 -- 2007 - '07 Kawasaki KX250-R7 two stroke KX2 -- 1987 - '87 Kawasaki KX250 two stroke Thanks: 5 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Hi all, new member and singer/guitarist in Natalija's aformentioned band. As a side, I also own a 2000 Honda Insight (citrus) and the 2002 F250 PowerStroke 7.3L diesel truck mentioned above. Our bass cabs use Eminence Neo 12s which are surprisingly lightweight and decently loud. That said, replacing all cabinet speakers with lightweight options is ideal, but also probably not very cheap. Also speaker selection for our tube guitar amps is critical for tone. We may lose a few pounds but end up with a tone that doesn't suit our music. My initial suggestion was a cargo van with zero rear or side windows however one of the other bandmates requested side windows so the ride wouldn't be as dull for those sitting in the back. However even a mostly windowless van could be broken into given enough time and resources. Another option I've thought about is using an older school bus. Mileage would be almost as bad as my F250 SuperDuty with 7.3L diesel, but many of these older buses use the same engine as my truck. So I'd at least know how to work on it. Another advantage with a bus is availability of space. There would be plenty of room for gear, however we'd also have room for actual mattresses and living quarters. Since all of us could sleep in the bus, there would be less opportunity for break-in and theft. Another disadvantage with a bus is parking. Many venues know to expect touring bands with busses and could accommodate. Other venues may be in locations that might allow loading/unloading of gear but we'd have to park further away. We also half-jokingly toyed with the idea of loading each of our three Honda Insights and traveling via caravan. The risks/disadvantages are numerous however it would be pretty cheap and one of us is already very handy with repairing these cars. Failure points x3 with this option. Yet another option is finding a box van and converting the storage area for carrying gear as well as serving as a sleeping area. This would not be as comfortable to travel in, but the enclosed box would offer more protection than say a van, and especially a camper shell over a truck bed. I feel like we will wind up with a custom or cargo type of van which seems what most bands our size end up using for regional tours. Buses looks awful appealing though, for it serving as relatively comfortable lodging as well as transportation. Last edited by purplegirl; 07-01-2019 at 02:03 PM..