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Camera Gear and Cars
- Thread starter DavidT
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O
Well-known member
Absolutely the Ducks Guts, love it, I have had a bed on wheels for most of my life, some of my friends traveling like this have rented out their homes to very carefully selected tenants, been gone on the road for 2 to 3 years one couple 5 years, some come back occasionally for medical needs, or major family events and after a month off again......
The rent of $2500 plus a month certainly supports things comfortably, one person she works from her lap top 3 days a week while her girlfriend goes fishing LOL the girls just love it, the others mange on their rent plus superannuation fund or like your 401k, with no intention of leaving it to the kids LOL.
Some i know have taken out a reverse mortgage on their home added to their rent........to fund long term trips and have made a huge network of fellow traveling friends along the way and many also interested in Photography.
If they want to travel overseas they drop their vehicle off at family and take off.
Great if you can do it while you can.....
Life is like a bucket full of water with a small hole in it.........
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Calson
Well-known member
A problem with the camper vans is lack of cargo space and security for expensive photo gear. Parking at hotels or at a trail head a thief knows the owner is not around. All I can do is make the contents not visible and install metal locking boxes. A thief cannot see inside the camper shell on my truck with the black curtains over the windows and they need to get past the locking camper rear window and the locking tailgate and then they will see a large metal box with recessed locks. A box that is tough to break in and too heavy to run off with unless they have a van or pickup and are willing to spend the time it takes to remove 4 turnbuckles. I could hide gear in my Class C motorhome but not my large SUV.
If you don't care about having gear stolen from your vehicle then anything will work.
Traveling with the pickup/strongbox means staying nights at hotels and B&B places but this gives us space to spread out our gear which was possilbe in the large motorhome but not in a Class B van. A van may be fine for one photographer but very tight for two and not my idea of fun for sitting out several days of rain or snow.
If you don't care about having gear stolen from your vehicle then anything will work.
Traveling with the pickup/strongbox means staying nights at hotels and B&B places but this gives us space to spread out our gear which was possilbe in the large motorhome but not in a Class B van. A van may be fine for one photographer but very tight for two and not my idea of fun for sitting out several days of rain or snow.
fulltimewanderer
Active member
David, Just a thought on the side of caution. With the world of technology and computer controlled automobiles. I would suggest prior to making any changes (tires, increasing the electrical load etc), maybe even before purchasing to discuss those changes with a dealer. A very good mechanic friend of mine told me of a horror story, owner changed the exhaust on a new Cadillac, destroyed 2 motors first was warranted second was on the owner. Early in this thread I posted about our Jeep Grand Cherokee L being in the shop for months in Wyoming, original problem the radio not working. Well after 3 months still not fixed, totally dead. Made the trip back to Florida on a transport trailer behind the motorhome. Took it to the selling dealer, first day found a 150 amp fuse blown. Then ordered a new radio 2 weeks later fixed, took longer the get radio than to fix it. I kept having a fear that they were going to blame the wiring and brake system for flat towing behind motorhome. Did come up but after discussing operation they dropped the thought. Wiring on newer vehicles is very sensitive. Apologize the babbling, Just be careful.I sold my car this week and am shopping for my next vehicle which will be centered around my three hobbies of shooting guns, fishing and photography. I am leaning towards an SUV over a truck and if I go the SUV route I am debating between a full-size or midsize. It will be a 4x4 model, I will do some mods to it improve clearance, lighting and tires. I want to be able to access off the beaten path via forest roads, trails but not looking to take it rock crawling. It will be a vehicle that is a daily driver however capable for long trips and backcountry (see what I did there lol).
So with that out of the way I am curious if any of you have done the same and what do you do to store your gear? I am considering either a custom build rear storage system or an off the shelf drawer system. I am thinking camera gear on one side and recovery, food and camping gear on the other side. If camping I see it as a 1-3 day limit and than staying in a hotel etc.
I would like to be able to safely leave my vehicle with some gear in it while say hiking, eating etc. If going to a hotel I would take the gear in with me. I am thinking drawers that will accommodate my bags so they are an insert and if pulling gear out it is simply zip up the bag and go.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and any pics of what your solution has been.
O
Well-known member
Sadly its hard to avoid, the only thing i do is pay $500/$600 a year insurance that covers all valuables plus, yes its an issue and in some places more so than others, but i cant live my life in fear, one thing is i never leave spare vehicle or the house keys or evidence of a home address in the vehicle.
I do believe a small proper combination safe dropped in the floor for money or personal things is excellent but its not ideal for all the camera gear, for that I am looking at adding a long slim steel box bolted down with security bolts and a strong combination lock.
If we ever see lots of broken glass around we know someone is working the area and we don't stay.
We have a full queen size bed in our Van with massive floor space under the bed which is 750mm off the floor, we also have several meters of clear floor space as well, we have never wanted any more, currently we have a Toyota SLWB GL HI ACE 2022 model doing 7 ltrs per 100klm and goes like a Ferrari.........easy to park super fast, tones of room for two, we don't eat red meat or need refrigeration or stoves etc hence we can travel light and spaciously, we looked at the extra large vans but for us was restrictive in parking, access, and general use. We also mostly beach crawl a hell of a lot and do short 2 to 5 or 8-15 day trips regularly, and several times a year we do several months at a time depending on whether and location of interest.
Camera gear, swim gear, fishing gear, surf board, protective clothing is Hoody track pants, for snow lime freezing conditions its simply ski suits gloves, but mostly we ware T Shirt short in bare feet or sandals.
For us less is more, i say to my girlfriend if you have a cupboard or draw you will only fill it with things your rarely or ever use. LOL
Only an opinion
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O
Well-known member
In Oz we are a Toyota nation with 250 plus service centres and thousands of Toyota experienced mechanic shops....its allways a consideration when traveling.
Calson
Well-known member
As I mentioned my camera or trip insurance would not cover the lost use of the camera or lenses while on a trip, which is where the theft is most likely to occur. If I lost my Z9 cameras or my 800mm PF or my 400mm f/4.5 or my two S teleconverters or my Gura Gear backpack, it would take at least a year to replace them all. That would mean cancceling the remainder of my current trip and any planned for 2023. That is the simple reality with the Nikon mirrorless cameras and lenses and teleconverters.
I have had to cancel trips due to problems with my truck and problems with the pandemic (which is not over by the way). I replaced the diesel pickup with a gas powered one and that leaves the problem of theft from the truck or our hotel room.
One thing I have learned over the many years is to not take chances when I cannot afford the results if things go sideways. I spend money on home and auto and photo equipment insurance but it would be unwise to rely upon it and not take precautions to minimize loss.
I have had to cancel trips due to problems with my truck and problems with the pandemic (which is not over by the way). I replaced the diesel pickup with a gas powered one and that leaves the problem of theft from the truck or our hotel room.
One thing I have learned over the many years is to not take chances when I cannot afford the results if things go sideways. I spend money on home and auto and photo equipment insurance but it would be unwise to rely upon it and not take precautions to minimize loss.
I've gotta start camping in the desert! That's the smoothest, flattest tenting spot I've ever seen (well, since I set my tent up in my living room once to seam seal itOh! And one more thing I've found extremely helpful on my Jeep. I installed a tailgate table, which makes an absolutely wonderful worktop for getting camera gear put together on site.
View attachment 45624
(Don't mind me, I love talking about cars almost as much a I do cameras and photography!)
).
Toyota is generally regarded as one of the most reliable vehicles - and similar looking to a Landcruiser 200 (different countries have different vehicles - eg 4Runner, Fortuna, Prado, Sequoia, Tahoe, etc, Or whatever floats your boat.
It is not only the vehicle - it's what you do with it.
Windows - anti-smash and grab films and motor glass tinting (mine is very dark, you really can't see inside in a hurry. What they can't see, doesn't interest them so much (driving at night tho is a b*tch)
I removed my second and third-row seats out of my station wagon, added cupboards in the back - left side and right side, I had a rooftop conversion done, so when the roof lifts up, I can sit/stand in the back. (and sleep up top when traveling in the parks)
In the National parks my gear lives on my front seat on a shelf system - covered.
I also have a Gimprogear door mount which I can't live without. Especially for birds-in-flight shots. (gimprogear.com) The mount can stay on the door when driving (not the camera) and cant be stolen without opening the door itself.
It is not only the vehicle - it's what you do with it.
Windows - anti-smash and grab films and motor glass tinting (mine is very dark, you really can't see inside in a hurry. What they can't see, doesn't interest them so much (driving at night tho is a b*tch)
I removed my second and third-row seats out of my station wagon, added cupboards in the back - left side and right side, I had a rooftop conversion done, so when the roof lifts up, I can sit/stand in the back. (and sleep up top when traveling in the parks)
In the National parks my gear lives on my front seat on a shelf system - covered.
I also have a Gimprogear door mount which I can't live without. Especially for birds-in-flight shots. (gimprogear.com) The mount can stay on the door when driving (not the camera) and cant be stolen without opening the door itself.
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jadewolf
Well-known member
Haha! Don't let the picture fool you.I've gotta start camping in the desert! That's the smoothest, flattest tenting spot I've ever seen (well, since I set my tent up in my living room once to seam seal it
Not pictured: Super loose, coarse sand in a thin layer over hard granite desert floor that's nearly impossible to drive stakes into. Also sudden 50mph winds.
Later that night, I had to pull my awning down before the wind could blow it to Nevada. It can be a challenge to camp in the desert, but I love it!
I chose to buy the new 600 f4 instead of a new car (true story LOL) but I had concluded for camping/photo expeditions the Suburu Outback was the car for me.
Looks like a GX, Prado in ROW. Thinking of picking one up for building something similar. The 200 I drive doesn't have this rear door configuration and my LC78 is 2000 miles away from Texas and outfitted similarly ex the rooftop tent which makes it too tall for my garage with its lift.
Calson
Well-known member
It depends a great deal on whether one goes out alone or there are two or more people on a trip. With two people you want twice the cargo space and twice as much working space equipment and setup. For me it is important that this is not outside the vehicle and not exposed to outdoor dirt and rain or snow blowing around.
With the truck box removed from my truck which takes about 30 minutes or less, I then have a working pickup to transport plants from the nursery or hauling bags of compost or concrete or picking up sheets of plywood or for transporting our road bikes without removing the front wheels. A cargo van or a pickup with a camper shell are the only two ways to accomplish this. With my pickup I have true 4WD with low range and a locking rear differential and a large gas tank, all straight from the factory and covered by the warranty.
With the truck box removed from my truck which takes about 30 minutes or less, I then have a working pickup to transport plants from the nursery or hauling bags of compost or concrete or picking up sheets of plywood or for transporting our road bikes without removing the front wheels. A cargo van or a pickup with a camper shell are the only two ways to accomplish this. With my pickup I have true 4WD with low range and a locking rear differential and a large gas tank, all straight from the factory and covered by the warranty.
FWIW we have been driving Subaru Outback for years. Great cars, excellent mileage, affordable. Not over sized (if that matters to you) but the rear section with the 2nd row seat up will accommodate a tripod and ball head.
Are you traveling alone, with spouse/friend (non-photographer) or photographer
Are you traveling alone, with spouse/friend (non-photographer) or photographer
There are two of us along with a couple dogs at times. I’m going to build a platform in the rear seat allowing camera bags underneath and dogs on top. Installed a cover and bed mat yesterday.