My New Steadi vehicle

[Brant S. Fagan SOC]

That is exactly why I went the other way in vehicle choice: Full size 3/4 ton Turbo Diesel GMC pickup with the 6-speed manual. Even with all the gear aboard, I get 22 mpg on the highway! I installed a hard bed cover fabricated from aluminum diamond plate which opens with two panels, one rearward and the other to the front for great access.

 

And if Ron wants to experience the thrill of the open road, clean up is a simple flush with a water hose.

 

Plus, with the diesel, I get lots of respect from Transpo when I show up. They tend to notice the manual real quick, too.

 

I love the power of the diesel and the fact that I can make my own fuel and store it at home as well.

 

Working on a solar panel project for charging batteries either on the road or on location.

[Dan Ayers]

Who has a vehicle that they can roll their whole cart into without breaking it down? I'm getting ready to move on to a steadi-specific vehicle. I have Brants version with a GMC Truck, but have a big commute and was hoping to get a little more green. Now I know that being able to wheel in my cart might preclude me from getting something green. So my other idea is to get a commuter car. Can you pack a cart and steadi gear into a Prius?

 

Thanks

Dan

[RonBaldwin]

I don't know how big (or easy to load into) a prius is...but I have a mazda3 hatchback I use as a daily-driver and I can squeeze in all my gear plus a yeager jr cart. I'm actually in the process of re-organizing/slimming my gear down a bit and trading some of the hard cases for porta-brace/modular 51 bags to save weight and space so my mazda won't be so packed. I think the jetta tdi wagon would be perfect for me, but for now the mazda will do fine.

 

I know a few have honda elements, which have loads of space but pretty bad mpg. If you are not going to break things down and need space seems a mini-van might be the best bet...but again, pretty dismal mpg.

 

rb

[Charles Papert]

The electric Ford Transit Connect we've bandied around here in the past looks to be a great vehicle for rolling the cart up intact, but it won't be out here for a year. For some the 100 mile per charge might be a deal-breaker. I have a hard time remembering when I've had to drive my gear further than that for a local shoot, so I'm interested. The gas model will be available soon but unfortunatelyit gets lousy mileage considering its size. Oh, and there's that made-by-Ford thing!

[Jess Haas SOC]

Anyone know of a pickup cap big enough to allow for rolling a built cart in? I was thinking something along the lines of this although I don't think they are tall enough: http://www.centurycaps.com/tclass.php

Would something that tall be ridiculous or is it a valid option? I would love to be able to roll my built cart into my vehicle, I just don't want to end up like Erwin :-)

 

~Jess

[Jess Haas SOC]

This looks intriguing. http://www.cargobody.com/cap_size_dime.htm http://www.cargobody.com/ Not only will a cart fit in it, but maybe it is the cart....

 

~Jess

[RonBaldwin]

you also have to consider that many of the studios in town have parking garages so watch the height. Parking on the lot next to the stage is usually not an option...even when they say it's cool you'll show up to find transpo in the spot not willing to move!

 

rb

[Jess Haas SOC]

Good point. Many parking garages are going to have somewhere around a 7ft clearance whereas with this thing you up with over an 8ft height. Way to burst my bubble. Of course I don't even have a pickup just dreaming about future purchases.

 

I still want one, although I might have to leave it in the garage on some occasions.

 

A van seems the most logical but not nearly as cool as a 4x4 pickup with one of these things :-) Of course gas mileage wouldn't be so cool but it would have lots of space and could go just about anywhere(except parking garages). For now I will stick with my toyota camry which isn't cool or spacious and bottoms out simply going in and out of driveways. On the plus side it gets decent gas mileage and I have been pleasantly surprised at just how much stuff I can fit in it. The trunk is surprisingly large.

 

~Jess

[Jess Haas SOC]

The other option would of course be to pull some sort of trailer. while not having the height restrictions it would of course have its own parking problems. On the plus side you could throw other fun stuff in there such as a motorcycle or jib arm.....

 

~Jess

[Ed Moore]

I've done a load of filming for Modec, who in the UK (and soon to be US) make fantastic all-electric delivery vehicles. Range of 100 miles at 50mph. Loading weight 2 tonnes. Lithium-ion batteries. In the UK they are road tax and congestion charge exempt which is a big saving around London.

 

They're also, I think, a really awesome design with insanely good visibility, and some really cool options on the loadspace (like, you can have a sort of open "corridor" immediately behind the cab so you get out of the cab through a sliding door in the rear wall then can walk to whatever side the kerb happens to be at; or use the corridor as a back route into the load space through a second sliding door without opening the back).

 

Unnecessarily big for steadicam really, but everytime I'm filming with them it strikes me what a great film unit vehicle it would be. Especially as there's usually 3-phase power available on set for recharging.

 

http://www.modeczev.com/images_and_videos.asp

 

E

Edited May 21, 2009 by Ed Moore

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

I'm using a FORD Windstar. My steadicam magliner (filmtools) stays completely build and I'm using a lightweight ramp to push it in through the sliding door. The floor is flat and has tie downs (normally for seats). I'm loving it... 18-22 MPG

 

JP

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

I'm using a FORD Windstar. My steadicam magliner (filmtools) stays completely build and I'm using a lightweight ramp to push it in through the sliding door. The floor is flat and has tie downs (normally for seats). I'm loving it... 18-22 MPG

 

JP

 

 

I break down my cart (2 mins tops) and transport everything but the cart bottom and handles in the trunk of My AMG E55 I get 14mpg in the city and 22 on the highway and LOVE it.

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

I'm using a FORD Windstar. My steadicam magliner (filmtools) stays completely build and I'm using a lightweight ramp to push it in through the sliding door. The floor is flat and has tie downs (normally for seats). I'm loving it... 18-22 MPG

 

JP

 

 

I break down my cart (2 mins tops) and transport everything but the cart bottom and handles in the trunk of My AMG E55 I get 14mpg in the city and 22 on the highway and LOVE it.

 

 

I wish it would fit in my Porsche, but she does not have a trunk.....

[Ed Moore]

I'm staggered by the fuel consumption figures that everyone seems to be proud of in here... I have a VW Passat diesel estate which is more than big enough for all my equipment, folded magliner etc and I easily get 40 mpg on motorways at 70mph, and if I trundle along at 50-60mph I can get that down to 50mpg - that's US gallons, not UK.

 

Is it just not possible to buy vehicles with sane fuel consumption in the US?

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

I'm staggered by the fuel consumption figures that everyone seems to be proud of in here... I have a VW Passat diesel estate which is more than big enough for all my equipment, folded magliner etc and I easily get 40 mpg on motorways at 70mph, and if I trundle along at 50-60mph I can get that down to 50mpg - that's US gallons, not UK.

 

Is it just not possible to buy vehicles with sane fuel consumption in the US?

 

 

Dude,

 

I have a race team, I fly airplanes and my E55 has over 625hp. I'm not really that into fuel economy. I'm into converting hydrocarbons into noise and fun.