Show us your band van!
- Thread starter Dave Sloven
- Start date
Kerry Brown
Ambassador of the Great Northern Bar Jams
Kia Souls have a lot of room with the seats folded down. That was just my gear though. There are three more guitars and a Blues Jr. to go in there yet.
OP
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
I have been spending a lot of time doing the car tetris and upgrading stuff on my Toyota Avensis Verso and I am convinced that the guys who designed this in Japan played in bands. It is pretty much the ultimate band vehicle in terms of the way stuff fits in. I wasn't sure of all of its capabilities until today when I discovered that an Explorer or bass case can fit across the back of the middle seat with Strat or Les Paul cases behind it between the wheel arches, and everything be covered by the cargo blind. The cargo blind, which I purchased from a dismantler on eBay for $90 (delivered) is a genuine Toyota part that new costs more than $800. I discovered today that it also clicks into two recesses in the hidden compartment under the rear floor for safe stowage. There are drink holders everywhere! It is also a great platform for upgrading the double-din multimedia player, speakers, phones, chargers, yada yada.
Here are some photos of stuff fitting in to the car.
First of all everything shown fits into this vehicle, which is relatively small and powered by a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine.
The rear row of seats has been folded down the whole time I've owned it. I've added a 'boot mat' with a number protector to protect the bumper when loading/unloadiing.
Here you can see how the rear seat belts go behind clips to be kept out of the way. Note also the anchor points for the cargo blind.
This is an SKB Strat case. Each of the middle and rear seats has child seat mounts.
This 'king single' air mattress fits in the back easily. I could probably fit a double mattress.
An Explorer or bass case fits easily on the diagonal either way.
If you push the left middle seat all the way forward you can get it in longways (not needed, I later discovered). This way you lose a band member and the cargo blind won't fit (the cross bar goes into those two notches either side).
With the middle sit forward one notch I can easily get my amp head and 412 cab in. Still plenty of room for passenger's legs.
This is the cargo blind. It clicks into the slots either side and clips attach to the headrests on either side of the middle seat (not the centre headrest though). The Strat case and cab fit under easily. Here I only have the front part of the blind extended.
This is with the rear section extended, and clicked into notches either side at the back. I just roll back this section most times when loading, unless I want to get the Explorer case in behind the middle seat.
Here you see the huge hidden compartment under the floor, where you can store the rear row headrests and other stuff. It has a hanger on one side to keep it up when open. Note how the cargo blind stows away in the top rear of this compartment.
Here you can see how a Strat case fits comfortably between the rear wheel arches
Here you can see that the Explorer case actually fits behind the middle row standing up!
You can reinstall the blind and it fits over the Explorer case in this position!
Here you can see how with the Explorer case loaded that way the cargo blind easily conceals everything!
Here are some photos of stuff fitting in to the car.
First of all everything shown fits into this vehicle, which is relatively small and powered by a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine.
The rear row of seats has been folded down the whole time I've owned it. I've added a 'boot mat' with a number protector to protect the bumper when loading/unloadiing.
Here you can see how the rear seat belts go behind clips to be kept out of the way. Note also the anchor points for the cargo blind.
This is an SKB Strat case. Each of the middle and rear seats has child seat mounts.
This 'king single' air mattress fits in the back easily. I could probably fit a double mattress.
An Explorer or bass case fits easily on the diagonal either way.
If you push the left middle seat all the way forward you can get it in longways (not needed, I later discovered). This way you lose a band member and the cargo blind won't fit (the cross bar goes into those two notches either side).
With the middle sit forward one notch I can easily get my amp head and 412 cab in. Still plenty of room for passenger's legs.
This is the cargo blind. It clicks into the slots either side and clips attach to the headrests on either side of the middle seat (not the centre headrest though). The Strat case and cab fit under easily. Here I only have the front part of the blind extended.
This is with the rear section extended, and clicked into notches either side at the back. I just roll back this section most times when loading, unless I want to get the Explorer case in behind the middle seat.
Here you see the huge hidden compartment under the floor, where you can store the rear row headrests and other stuff. It has a hanger on one side to keep it up when open. Note how the cargo blind stows away in the top rear of this compartment.
Here you can see how a Strat case fits comfortably between the rear wheel arches
Here you can see that the Explorer case actually fits behind the middle row standing up!
You can reinstall the blind and it fits over the Explorer case in this position!
Here you can see how with the Explorer case loaded that way the cargo blind easily conceals everything!
Last edited:
OP
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
How on earth do you fit any band gear into a Corvette??
Easy actually. Gig bag goes on the shot gun seat. Guitar case goes in small end on the floor. Big end up by head rest. Didn’t need an amp since I was playing acoustic straight into house.
OP
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
It was just Josh and I jamming tonight and he came via the train, so I took everything for him as well as myself besides the cables and pedals, which he brought in his bag on the train.
Barely got the rear doors shut with a 6534+ and a JSX side-by-side on the middle seat. Pedaltrain 2 and Hercules guitar stand in front of that seat, a box of cables on top of the JSX (I really need to use a bag instead so that I can squeeze it into the concealed compartment below the floor), Explorer case, two Strat cases, 412 cab, and furniture dolly in the cargo area.
Barely got the rear doors shut with a 6534+ and a JSX side-by-side on the middle seat. Pedaltrain 2 and Hercules guitar stand in front of that seat, a box of cables on top of the JSX (I really need to use a bag instead so that I can squeeze it into the concealed compartment below the floor), Explorer case, two Strat cases, 412 cab, and furniture dolly in the cargo area.
Not mine, but a cool story...
www.foxnews.com
The 'American Pickers' found and fixed Aerosmith's 1970s tour van
This van definitely rocks.
OP
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
This is my little Avensis Verso loaded up for the trip to Melbourne on Saturday morning.
Backseat legroom with the middle seat forward one notch to allow for the bass case to go in behind it:
Here you see it with all of our gear stashed out of sight under the luggage cover:
Here you can see some of the gear better with the luggage cover partly rolled-up:
Here you can see how the bass and three guitar cases stack in the back:
Under the floor we can fit all the other stuff (pedalboards, cables, stick bag, etc):
And here you can see the lid on that under-floor compartment (and the rear row of seats folded down):
Stuff carried in the back:
Three Schecter guitars in Strat size guitar cases
One Jazz bass in hard case
One Peavey JSX head
One Peavey 6534+ head
One snare drum
Two drum pedals and the link between them
Cymbal bag
Under the floor:
Three Hercules stands
One Pedaltrain PT-2 in soft case
Several bags of cables, pedals, and other items for the two guitarists and bassist
Stick bag
I have had some water leak issues with the tailgate, hence the blue tape over the rubber seal. I hope to find a better one when we get back from Melbourne
Backseat legroom with the middle seat forward one notch to allow for the bass case to go in behind it:
Here you see it with all of our gear stashed out of sight under the luggage cover:
Here you can see some of the gear better with the luggage cover partly rolled-up:
Here you can see how the bass and three guitar cases stack in the back:
Under the floor we can fit all the other stuff (pedalboards, cables, stick bag, etc):
And here you can see the lid on that under-floor compartment (and the rear row of seats folded down):
Stuff carried in the back:
Three Schecter guitars in Strat size guitar cases
One Jazz bass in hard case
One Peavey JSX head
One Peavey 6534+ head
One snare drum
Two drum pedals and the link between them
Cymbal bag
Under the floor:
Three Hercules stands
One Pedaltrain PT-2 in soft case
Several bags of cables, pedals, and other items for the two guitarists and bassist
Stick bag
I have had some water leak issues with the tailgate, hence the blue tape over the rubber seal. I hope to find a better one when we get back from Melbourne
OP
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
We got 8L/100KM on the highway fully-loaded with band members and gear last weekend, ran like a clock, very impressed.
CabanaBoy
Ambassador of Electric Mayhem
I truly believe my Plymouth Grand Voyager got better gas mileage the more you loaded it up. It was tough too. But, at last, NY salted roads got the best of it - the poor thing rusted into oblivion...
I feel a song and tears coming to mind in memory of my van...
BFT Gibson
Ambassador of Originality
