Van is long gone.

DeeDeeEntwistle · #1 11-14-2010, 09:34 AM

We'll we have spent the last 6 months playing shows, recording our second album and gearing up for our first real tour. Then coming back from a show, our van breaks down......

Taken it to many mechanics and they all say it would be cheaper to just buy a new one. Well that would be great except we saved well over a year for this one and can't exactly afford to just go buy another.

Im asking for any advice, what should we do. is there anyway to raise money for a van? our home town is small with no music support so constantly playing here or nearby isnt an option and to make it worse within the next few months we are supposed to audition for a "major" indie label.

any advice would be great, Thanks guys.

Ric5 · #2 11-14-2010, 09:39 AM

It is really a shame that in the music business musicians work so hard and get paid so little.

debris · #3 11-14-2010, 09:43 AM

Benefit concert dude.

EddiePlaysBass · #4 11-14-2010, 09:46 AM

Can you sell the van in parts, for scrap iron? Over here that would make you some money at least.

singlemalt · #5 11-14-2010, 09:47 AM

When a mechanic tells you he'd rather not charge you to fix something because its just not worth it, you can probably believe him. Unless one of your bandmates is mechanical, put the van on Craigslist and get what you can for it.

Anybody in your band have a car that is capable of towing a small trailer? You could rent a uhaul trailer for pretty cheap just for the days you are playing. Remember to reserve the trailer ahead of time, they can be scarce on the weekends.

D.A.R.K. · #6 11-14-2010, 09:48 AM

just left my 7th dead van(in 24 years) in tallahassee 5 weeks ago. if you earn enough, rent. it's a great shelter.
if not, my .02 is to get a loan on a guaranteed/ low mileage or new van and deal with it. if you are playing seriously, it costs no less than dealing with a pos if you look at repair/ maintenance bills and average it out.
ime, anyway.
good luck

DeeDeeEntwistle · #7 11-14-2010, 09:49 AM

We'll we play punk music. our crowds in bigger cities can get up to a few hundred or more, but local shows, the people are lucky to get in 20 people. and without the van we cant make outta town shows. we put every penny into this van and now we're screwed. i just dont know what to do ....... breaks my heart that ive busted my ass getting us these tour gigs and audtions for the label and now we're screwed....... i dont even know what to say about it anymore.

DeeDeeEntwistle · #8 11-14-2010, 09:51 AM

none of us have a car. everything we had except our gear we sold for this van. how much is a loan for something like that? im 22 the other 2 guys are 25. and we are all dead broke. would we even stand a chance at a load like this?

debris · #9 11-14-2010, 09:58 AM

There's no one who could front you some money while you sort out your transportation problems? Parents, girlfriends, co-workers? Ex-girlfriends? Bank?

Also I would recommend explaining the situation to the label guys. They might be sympathetic and reschedule you or who knows, they could happen to have a hook-up and help you out with a ride for the audition if they really want you.

Jim Campbell · #10 11-14-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeeDeeEntwistle

none of us have a car. everything we had except our gear we sold for this van. how much is a loan for something like that? im 22 the other 2 guys are 25. and we are all dead broke. would we even stand a chance at a load like this?

well have you considered,i dunno,a job.....i know that living the starving musician/punk lifestyle has some kind of romantic illusory quality,but the reality is that you need a van.....working is the way to get there....

**john turner** · #11 11-14-2010, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeeDeeEntwistle

We'll we have spent the last 6 months playing shows, recording our second album and gearing up for our first real tour. Then coming back from a show, our van breaks down......

Taken it to many mechanics and they all say it would be cheaper to just buy a new one. Well that would be great except we saved well over a year for this one and can't exactly afford to just go buy another.

Im asking for any advice, what should we do. is there anyway to raise money for a van? our home town is small with no music support so constantly playing here or nearby isnt an option and to make it worse within the next few months we are supposed to audition for a "major" indie label.

any advice would be great, Thanks guys.

a few months ago fellow tb'er was selling his band's old bus...

F/S Tour Bus 1991 Bluebird

if i were in a situation to require transport like this i would be all over this thing.

also, what about all the guys in the band getting some kind of short term/temporary job to put in the "transportation" fund? you get a few folks dumping a bunch of money in a pot it can add up pretty quick.

Jason P Bass · #12 11-14-2010, 02:53 PM

What exactly is wrong with your van?

Do you have any local trade school students? Any high school kids who want to be a mechanic? There can be ways of getting cheap labor if you're creative.

IbanezBass69 · #13 11-14-2010, 03:01 PM

The tech college I went to would fix your vehicle for cost of parts alone. That took a lot off the bill. Yes, it might have taken us a week to do head gaskets sometimes, but it was plenty cheaper then a pro shop. Perhaps that is an option? It would help if I knew what was wrong I guess, more details on van. Mileage, year make model, that stuff. Yes, I have graduated for being a technician, I know what I am talking about... most of the time....

BardoBass · #14 11-14-2010, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

well have you considered,i dunno,a job.....i know that living the starving musician/punk lifestyle has some kind of romantic illusory quality,but the reality is that you need a van.....working is the way to get there....

Well he didn't say that none of them had day jobs. It's entirely possible to have one and be mostly broke. But I tend to agree if that's the case. Got to pull one's own weight and all that.
Personally I don't agree with the above statement that if a mechanic says it's not worth fixing, forget about it. It's not always the case.
If you've worked that long and hard to get that van on the road, at least tell us what the problem is and get some more mechanics' opinions. There may be some connection you have that can help fix it in someone's yard.

IbanezBass69 · #15 11-14-2010, 04:44 PM

Perhaps the tech you took it to just doesn't want to fix it? I know I have turned down work for that reason, though I just do work out of my driveway, not in an actual shop...

DougBass · #16 11-14-2010, 05:32 PM

If you guys have a credit card you could rent a van. Most car rental companies have what are called multi month rates which can be cheap. Depending on where you live will make a difference in the cost. If you can sell your van and put that money to the rental. It is not ideal, but it might save the tour. You won't have to worry about break downs either.

DeeDeeEntwistle · #17 11-15-2010, 01:26 PM

Yeah, our van is ****ed dude. my dads a mechanic and was the 4th one to look at it. that was with just parts alone.

Violen · #18 11-15-2010, 01:29 PM

OP: IM in a small town in Missouri. Keep your ear to the ground and you'll find another van for really cheap. look in craigslist but also put the word out.

In my town last year alone 3 ford Econoline vans were given to various bands by people who no longer needed them (these people were friends of the bands of course) or sold for up to 300 bucks!

My Girlfriend and i got a similar van this year. If you start looking you'll find another van pretty quick.

lousybassplayer · #19 11-15-2010, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by singlemalt

When a mechanic tells you he'd rather not charge you to fix something because its just not worth it, you can probably believe him. Unless one of your bandmates is mechanical, put the van on Craigslist and get what you can for it.

+1 to the first part, trust me that is some of the best advice you'll ever get (I'd take you for all you were worth and then pronounce the project worthless

) and indicates a fairly trustowrthy mechanic.

I would say don't bother trying to fix it up if the mech called it a lost cause. This will end up costing more money and being a pain, and depending on what type of job needs done, could be dangerous. Sell the heap and get what you can for it, then go have a bake sale/benefit concert. You should be able to find a van that fits your needs for under 2500 bucks if you look in the right places, especially since bare bones, high mileage former fleet vans get sold off all the time for pretty cheap.

gumtownbassman · #20 11-15-2010, 01:36 PM

surely you could find a replacement used motor if that has expired, or transmission, or what ever.
I have done a few motor rebuilds, and if the motor hasn't physically exploded over the road, they can always be repaired, it depends on how much time you want to put into it, and if you can find a suitable organ donor for used parts.
D.I.Y. is the way to do it affordably.