Good vehicle for a touring band?

[me and my metro]

Theft and personal safety should be your main concerns. I know you are doing this to make a living but there are people out there that do not care about anything except their drug habit. I hear about trailer theft all the time in Oregon. As a father and grandfather I would be concerned about your traveling safety more than anything. You need to limit your exposure and stay safe as possible.

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by purplegirl

A battery powered drill and reciprocating saw....relatively stealthily in the dark of night.

You've obviously never used a reciprocating saw on a hollow steel clad structure. Waking the dead comes to mind.

If you really had to you could add steel mesh to the inside. As for theft if you reverse in they can't steel it. Tongue lock and wheel clamps.

Nothing is 100% but someone would have to be seriously determined to get past all that undetected. You could also add a simple tilt alarm, all the way up to a full security system depending on the level of paranoia.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015...y-bike-stolen/

[purplegirl]

Adding an inner cage of 1/2" rebar to a trailer or van cargo area would certainly slow down the whole breaking and entering process, but would not make it impossible given enough time.

Has anyone attempted to eco-mod a small/short bus? I like the idea of not being reliant on random housing and having a place we could actually sleep in quiet, together.

[Shaneajanderson]

If you really want to protect yourself from someone cutting the sides of the trailer open, line the inside with some old car leaf springs, spaced I would say every 4-5" apart. Nothing ruins a cutting tool faster than a spring.

Remember thieves are usually lazy opportunists, make it a little bit hard, or even appear to be hard, and they will be more likely to leave you alone.

+1 for medical waste, septic cleanout, or some other such labels on your trailer to dissuade folks from invading.

[Piotrsko]

Short busses are typically gassers and horrible for any purpose other than schlepping a few people around a city. A used transit van is a bit better, juice brake cargo van better still. Anything different is going to start costing $$$$ either in maintenance or operation.

Theft issues, can't really do a lot there except for staying in locations that deter stealth theft.

[Hersbird]

Look on publicsurplus.com for lots of buses. I think the paratransit or shuttle buses look the best. Many are Ford or Chevy diesels, have full standup height, and are maybe a bit sleeker than school version. Old ambulances might be a decent choice and could make for a sic band promotion tool, stealth be damned.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I think the paratransit or shuttle buses look the best. Many are Ford or Chevy diesels, have full standup height, and are maybe a bit sleeker than school version.

Maybe the wheelchair lift can also be repurposed to assist loading and unloading heavy equipment. Unless it's removed for weight-saving purposes.

Old ambulances might be a decent choice and could make for a sic band promotion tool, stealth be damned.

For a long time I consider a retired ambulance to be a great base for a campervan conversion, as it's usually already fitted with a higher-capacity electric system, often some plumbing, and some thermal insulation which increases comfort.

[teoman]

I believe the band business is going good as I just noticed your avatar has changed.

[Xist]

PurpleGirl, welcome to the site! A couple of months ago some guys stole specialized plumbing equipment and the owner said they wouldn't know what it was or what to do with it, but they stole it anyway:
Trio Caught Misbehaving on camera stealing equipment from plumber in Phoenix

Thieves often do not make sense to the rest of us.

[redpoint5]

I'm curious to hear some updates on this thread. I've got a friend that has been in various touring bands and what vehicle to get always comes up.

Did the tour happen?