How do we get to the gig economically?

[Kentucky Ryan]

i drive an '08 4 door wrangler. i get around 17mpg when all loaded up. but i can carry my whole bass rig (rack head and 2x15 cab) my bass in a hardshell case. my guitar players 2x12 cab and head the singers vox ac15. my drummers 4 piece kit (22" bass drum) plus cymbals and hardware. we still have to take 2 vehicles to gigs. but the other car is a Camry that gets really good gas millage. i think the fact that we dont have to load up 2 vehicles saves more money than a smaller more fuel efficient vehicle.

[T_Bone_TL]

Probably does make the most fiscal sense to consider this "when the current one dies" or if you can find a willing buyer for it at a good price. Even used, a Fit isn't going to be cheap, usually.

For the one you have:

Depending what you do with the Jeep and what you have on it now for tires, you might find that a set of "boring street tires" preferably bought with boring rims so you can swap them if you do take it offroad or need serious snow action sometimes may help your milage a lot. Aggressive and wide tires can really smack the mileage on the road. Boring tires and rims can sometimes be had cheap on craigslist from people seeking ever more extreme tires and rims for offroading. Having the right tire pressure also helps, if you haven't checked it recently.

And, the way you drive also can have a huge effect on milage - costs nothing more than being calmer and planning further ahead so everything is smooth and nothing requires "stomping" on any of the pedals. Or you can invest a few bucks in an aftermarket mileage monitor if you don't have one built in (use the built in one if you have one.) Either can help you to see where your driving style might be affecting your milage, and no new car is required.

For the next one:

I'll add to the Fit praise - it's a huge small car if you don't need to haul too many people too. And unlike the Saturn and VW we had in between it and the previous Honda, it's, well, a Honda. There's more than gas to save money on...those things wanted new brakes every couple of years, among other problems. I don't know how yours is treating you but 3 people I've known with Jeeps over the past few years have also found them expensive to maintain in running order. A couple of others seem happy though.

Have someone you know who owns a Fit come by with it and drop the back seats - perhaps even test-fit your gear in there - you'd certainly want to do that before buying one, anyway. Be aware that there are slight differences in the different years as to the exact dimensions/shape of the back.

If you are hauling both people and gear (as with Kentucky Ryan's case above) a trailer can be hugely efficient - put all the gear in trailer, put the people in the Jeep, take one car. But, finding a good one at a good price takes time, usually.

[Stilettoprefer]

1997 Honda accord 4 cylinder with the V-tec engine. 28+ mpg fully loaded if I don't drive like an ass.

Removing the back rest of the back seat (2 bolts) reveals most of the trunk area to the cabin of the car. This will allow a pile of guitar cases and cymbal stands going through the hole, a decent sized amp/cab on either side of the cases in the trunk, carefully placed drum equipment in the back seat area of the cab. Then a band member in the passenger seat. The rest of the equipment (guitarists 2x15 bass man cab and PA stuff) can go in someone else's car.

Now my dads dodge caliber, that thing is a gig master.

3 amps: My 1x15 acoustic amp, guitarist 1's Marshall 4x10 half stack and guitarist 2's 1x12 combo amp. 5 guitars/basses, 4 of them in hard cases. And all of the drum equipment (unless there needed to be more than one passenger, then kick drum had to go in a different vehicle)

[drummer5359]

I vote for "stick with what you've got". My economy hauler these days is a 2008 HHR. I get 30 mph on the highway, even loaded and 24 combined city highway.

I went from a mini van to this which is much more frugal. The minivan would haul a lot more though. I haven't figured out what my next gear-mobile will be. I have a few more years before I have to think about it. (I hope.)

[MatticusMania]

teleportation

[Kmonk]

I have a friend who fits all of his drums into a Mini Cooper. They have a lot more room in them than most people realize.

Even though the Caravan is rated at 24-26 MPG doesn't mean it actually gets that much.

You don't say if your drive is one way or round trip but look at this way. Assuming you are driving on the highway, and you drive for two hours, that's about 120 miles. Gas costs around $3.50 per gallon so it will cost you about $26 to make the trip. If you get a car that gets 32 MPG you will cut your cost in half to a total of $13. Will the savings in fuel offset the cost of the vehicle? Unless you are making the trip every night, you probably won't realize any savings.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by T_Bone_TL

Depending what you do with the Jeep and what you have on it now for tires, you might find that a set of "boring street tires" preferably bought with boring rims so you can swap them if you do take it offroad or need serious snow action sometimes may help your milage a lot. Aggressive and wide tires can really smack the mileage on the road. Having the right tire pressure also helps, if you haven't checked it recently.

And, the way you drive also can have a huge effect on milage - costs nothing more than being calmer and planning further ahead so everything is smooth and nothing requires "stomping" on any of the pedals.

Two EXCELLENT points. Traction tires KILL gas mileage. So does low tire pressures....and most people run tires lower than they should.

First, get some highway tires and basic rims, and run tire pressures at least at 40 PSI (it's safe to run any pressure UP TO the maximum noted on the sidewall). Your ride will be a bit more harsh, but your mileage will improve both by the type of tire and the reduction in rolling resistance caused by higher tire pressures.

Second, imagine there's a raw egg between your foot and the gas pedal. It may bore you to death, but it's probably good for an additional 2 MPG or more.

[butchblack]

I have a 2002 Mazda protegé5. I don't know how much gear you have, I've downsized but I can get my Mb210 and suitcase full of wires etc in the back with the seat up. Unless your running a fridge or large drum kit I can't imagine not getting it all in with the back seat removed. The newer Mazda3 5 door can get 40 mph highway I routinely pull 31-32 mpg highway with 160k on it.

I agree with the other posters that unless it's getting near time to replace it the savings may not equal the cost of car payments etc.

[TolerancEJ]

Oh my, I remember a long time ago. My band was asked to play an all-ages show, which was probably an hour drive. We all had to take separate cars because nobody had one big enough that we could fit our gear inside.

Anyway, after the show, we were paid a whopping $20 to split! It wasn't even enough for one of our car's gas expense. Ugh!

[carl h.]

I drive a paid for 99 Durango with a V8. It costs a bit to fill it up, but it always runs and can pull a sizable trailer when needed. My monthly fuel bill is far less than a payment on a cheap new car, and new cars still need gas. Even a big repair bill is cheaper than monthly payments.

If your car is reliable, does what you need a car to do for you, and is paid for - keep it.