How do you transport your gear?

[oddeotek]

I wasn’t quite sure where to post this thread but I have been wanting to for a while since I keep getting incredulous looks when I show up to a gig and start unloading my little car. In the past I had owned everything from a 22ft step van to a smaller Chevy van and, more recently, a smaller SUV. Those all worked well for the equipment I had at the time but in my “advanced age” I have missed the thrill of driving a nice sports car, especially since a lot of my gigs now are about an hour’s drive from my house here in WA. I found a very nice, used Audi TT Mk 2 series that pushed all my good buttons and bought it. I had owned the original model in 2003 but it was stolen after owning it just over a month - long story. Always wanted another one but I knew it was pretty impractical. Now that most of my gigs are in casinos and venues where all I need is my bass rig, bass and microphone, I thought it might just work. After being thrilled that my bass rig fit in the back without even needing to fold down the rear seats I got brave enough to see if I could fit in even more of my gear. I also own a small PA with 2 small EV subs and 2 Yamaha DSR 112s (fantastic speakers, BTW) and the band’s LED lights. Through the magic of my Tetris mastery and the amazing engineering of the Audi TT interior I was blown away when I could carry ALL of my gear in the little car. I had a very nice BMW X3 before this that I still struggled to fit all my gear in but I would have never expected to carry it all in the TT (which now, laughingly, stands for Tiny Truck).
If you crave a fun

driving experience but still have some gear to carry, you just might want to check out an Audi TT.

 

[WayneP]

Welp – judging by that picture, it looks impossible. Amazing if you could pull it off. Talk about having your cake and eating it too!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Pedulla Club #45 Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Pedulla Club #45

 

[JRA]

 

[mapleglo]

2018 Chevy Bolt EV.

 

[evs]

I also have an Audi TT MK2.
I love it.

The back seats fold down flat, so there is actually a surprising amount of room in there.
In mine I carry: 2 basses in gig bags, a 2x10 cab, a milk crate with accessories, mic stand, amp head, etc.
It fits easily.

However, you have way more stuff than me.
I'm impressed!

Here's an older photo from when I had an Ampeg RB210 combo:

 

[aglide]

Honda Element is the ultimate. It has the wheelbase of a car, but can fit my bass rig, our 2x12 sub, two 12" mains, 4 wedges, 6 mic stands, all power and mic cables, mics, everything. The seats fold up or can be totally removed for different workloads. I'm so sad they stopped making these. Mine has 250K miles and I can't figure out what to replace it with.

 

[Wasnex]

Why people stare at you in disbelief...they literally don't believe all that stuff came out of your car.

Perhaps TT = Tardis (time travel capsule)

...if you don't know, a Tardis is bigger on the outside than the inside.

 

[2saddleslab]

Well done, OP! Only need to haul my own gear but all fits easily in my Audi A5.

 

[Wasnex]

...if you don't know, a Tardis is bigger on the outside than the inside.

Sorry I meant to say a Tardis (TT capsule) is bigger on the inside than the outside .

 

[skwee]

obligatory soundtrack to the loading and unloading of your little car:

 

[gsneto]

Wow.

My brother is a drummer and we were really good at loading the car with drum kit and bass gear, but the OP is in a league of his own.

 

[mexicanyella]

I was in a band for awhile where the bassist hauled a Hartke 2 x 15 or 4.5 XL, a racked Hartke 3500 head and a Stingray around in a Geo Metro hatchback.

I hauled a racked guitar pre/power amp setup, a Fender 4 x 12 cab and two guitars around in a rusty CJ-5 with a pretty skanky soft top on it.

The drummer crammed his whole kit in a tired Toyota Tercel.

load in/load out was quite an exercise.

But that Audi TT business makes what we did look pretty easy.

 

[Manticore]

Most gigs are easy; Kemper and a pair of basses fit in just about anything. If I'm supplying the PA I use a cargo van, also easy.

 

[Thumpin6string]

All my gear fits in the back of my Subaru Tribeca without putting the rear seat down.
My Shuttlemax 12.0
My Epifani UL210
My Epifani UL112
My 6 string fretted and my 6 string fretless

 

[juancaminos]

I started with a Telecaster Bass and Kustom 100 stuffed into a '68 VW Bug. Then a VW square back (man that was a great car!), then went thru a bunch of others. One of the best I remember was a full size 2001 Ford van. Boy that thing could hold a lot.

Forward to my wife's HHR, it was pretty cool. My GMC Pick up but I had to unload every night. So I bought an enclosed trailer but parking in bar parking lots was not ideal.

So then came the Chevy Tahoe and then the current Ford Transit. At 29 mpg and room for bass amp, 210 & 115 stack, two basses, mains, monitors, dog and wife it is a real winner.

 

[juancaminos]

That trailer was 20 foot long. We would fill it up to the side window!

 

[oddeotek]

obligatory soundtrack to the loading and unloading of your little car:

Hilarious! That song has literally played in my head while packing up a few times! Big Benny Hill fan!

 

[themickster]

I wasn’t quite sure where to post this thread but I have been wanting to for a while since I keep getting incredulous looks when I show up to a gig and start unloading my little car. In the past I had owned everything from a 22ft step van to a smaller Chevy van and, more recently, a smaller SUV. Those all worked well for the equipment I had at the time but in my “advanced age” I have missed the thrill of driving a nice sports car, especially since a lot of my gigs now are about an hour’s drive from my house here in WA. I found a very nice, used Audi TT Mk 2 series that pushed all my good buttons and bought it. I had owned the original model in 2003 but it was stolen after owning it just over a month - long story. Always wanted another one but I knew it was pretty impractical. Now that most of my gigs are in casinos and venues where all I need is my bass rig, bass and microphone, I thought it might just work. After being thrilled that my bass rig fit in the back without even needing to fold down the rear seats I got brave enough to see if I could fit in even more of my gear. I also own a small PA with 2 small EV subs and 2 Yamaha DSR 112s (fantastic speakers, BTW) and the band’s LED lights. Through the magic of my Tetris mastery and the amazing engineering of the Audi TT interior I was blown away when I could carry ALL of my gear in the little car. I had a very nice BMW X3 before this that I still struggled to fit all my gear in but I would have never expected to carry it all in the TT (which now, laughingly, stands for Tiny Truck).
If you crave a funView attachment 5208157 driving experience but still have some gear to carry, you just might want to check out an Audi TT.

I cycle to my gigs. A sling holds my bass bag beside the back wheel. I hook up a trailer, when I need to take my 1x12 combo and/or electric drum kit.

 

[oddeotek]

I started with a Telecaster Bass and Kustom 100 stuffed into a '68 VW Bug. Then a VW square back (man that was a great car!), then went thru a bunch of others. One of the best I remember was a full size 2001 Ford van. Boy that thing could hold a lot.

Forward to my wife's HHR, it was pretty cool. My GMC Pick up but I had to unload every night. So I bought an enclosed trailer but parking in bar parking lots was not ideal.

So then came the Chevy Tahoe and then the current Ford Transit. At 29 mpg and room for bass amp, 210 & 115 stack, two basses, mains, monitors, dog and wife it is a real winner.

I’m glad I don’t have to carry a Hammond B3 and two Leslie speakers any more as I owned the band van in the 70’s and carried everyone’s equipment which was so huge back then! My bass rig was 2 Acoustic 360s at one time.

 

[oddeotek]

I cycle to my gigs. A sling holds my bass bag beside the back wheel. I hook up a trailer, when I need to take my 1x12 combo and/or electric drum kit.

View attachment 5208532

I’m gonna call you the winner here!