Hi, guys, Sandy Kramer here. I'm kinda-sorta lookin' around for new wheels. Having extolled the virtues of a station wagon the last time someone asked about this, I'd really like to find something that drives higher than my '95 Honda Accord wagon. I want a slightly newer car and have been eyeing the Honda Odyssey - a small minivan. '97 - 98 perhaps. The 2000 model is a lot bigger, plus the floor isn't flat and I want to be able to sleep inside and not be on a downhill. Anyway, apart from cost and depreciation, I don't want to be petrified when the inevitable yak scratches occur. SUV's are way too high for a five-foot shrimp like me. Although Honda's CRV didn't look too high. Kinda short though. I really like the feel of being higher up while driving. Any comments? I have Yakima's Q Towers. I like Thule's overloader model - is there one that has an overloader on each side so one can transport two boats? Thanks *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Sandy wrote: >I'm kinda-sorta lookin' around for new wheels. <Big Snip> >Any comments? Hey Sandy - I'm in the market for a new vehicle as well. I feel bad for loading down my poor '95 VW Jetta with kayaks and camping gear. For the first time in my life I'm looking at getting a pickup truck (GASP!). More specifically the Dodge Dakota Quad cab (new for 2000). It is a mid-sized pickup with 4 full sized doors - the back seat is actually roomier than my Jetta's, and they fold up against the back wall for more storage space. It seats 4 full sized adults with no problem - I'm 6'2" and could actually sit comfortably in the back with another 6 footer in the front. The bed is shortened to 63" so it's not like one of those really long trucks. Gas mileage of course suffers, but it's not much worse than my car with the rack and roof box on (I have a 6 cyl). The roof on the Dakota is about 9" higher than on my car so it's not too far up there, but I'm considerably taller than you. Mirage makes a truck rack that accepts the yakima accessories so you don't have to give those up. Just a suggestion. It seems to be a good alternative to a SUV, and considerably less expensive. And no I don't work for a Dodge dealership. BTW, Nissan makes a crew cab but the rear seats aren't nearly as roomy. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
It's funny but those 4 doors have been a standard in South Africa for years. They usually come with a roll bar over the bed and sometimes with additional bucket seats with seatbelts mounted on the bed. They are referred to as "Bakkies". cya *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Don't rule out a pick'em up truck because the roof is to tall for you. I have a full size pick em up with a extended cab. To put the kayaks on the racks I put the kayaks into the truck bed, step into the bed and then lift the yaks into the racks. Its very easy to do since I'm never lifting much above my waist. The tailgate is at just the right carry hight so all I have to do is walk up to the back of the truck and lay the kayak down in the bed. I have a 4X4 so it is a little high. A 2x4 is going to be lower to the ground than a 4X4 so that is an advantage as well. It is much much much easier to load the kayaks on my truck than it is on the wifes Cherokee. Much easier. Besides a trailer, I think a pick up truck is the easiest way to carry a kayak by a automobile. Now, you may not want a pickup truck for other reasons! 8-) If you put a cap on the bed you get a large sleeping area but then you give up the ease of loading and unloading...... How often are you going to be kayaking and camping from the vehicle as compared with just taking the yak to the put in? Choices, choices, choices.... 8-) Hope this helps.... Dan McCarty *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com wrote: Don't rule out a pick'em up truck because the roof is to tall for you. I agree! A number of years ago we decided a full sized van was the way to go. Place to sleep, place for the dog etc. etc. The roof is high but well placed racks and a set of HULLY ROLLERS in the rear did the trick. If you are interested in seeing what this arrangement looks like visit: http://www.jlc.net/~hlevin/hardware.html Hal Wilton, NH Power your boat with carbohydrates, not hydrocarbons. http://www.jlc.net/~hlevin "I can think of nothing pleasanter than to be close to danger or discomfort, but still to be protected, preferably by one’s own foresight and effort." Wallace Stegner *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com wrote: > > Don't rule out a pickup truck because the roof is too tall for you.[snip] > If you put a cap on the bed you get a large sleeping area but then you give > up the ease of loading and unloading...... How often are you going to be > kayaking and camping from the vehicle as compared with just taking the yak > to the put in? My two cents: Toyota's Tacoma-line 4-cylinder X-Cab 2WD pickups (at least through the '96 year) are low enough to the ground that Hully rollers on a cap are very manageable by one person. In addition, the legroom in the back seats of the cab is significantly better than Ranger or Nissan or the Chevy S-10. (All are comparable in bed size, horsepower options, etc.). It is not comfy for those in back, but you CAN take two regular-size adults as passengers in the back seats of the cab in the Toy Tacoma X-Cab PU's. [For the xenophobic: last I heard, the 2WD Toyota PU's sold in this country are assembled here, but the 4WD's are assembled in Japan. Go figure.] On the value of a canopy: one which maintains the cab's roofline is perfect for somebody who is a loner much of the time, and has just one passenger most of the rest of the time. I drive to put-ins the night before and crash in back, moving gear to the cab. No wet tent to deal with in the am, and it's a quick launch. Wet/nasty gear on the way home? Goes in the back. Remove later and hose it out. The small cab (re: minivans and station wagons and (shudder) SUV's) heats up fast and allows enough room to change clothes unless you are an NFL linebacker or Momma Cass. Separating yourself from wet gear makes the cab really comfy. We have two of these X-cab PU's in our family of two, and LOVE 'em! -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The Honda Odyssey minivan is one of the best in my opinion, especially from a driver point of view (I've only test drove them). The best station wagon, IMHO, is by far the Subaru Outback (I've seen one rolled over a ravine - it was completely intact still). If you paddle a British heavy, go small sedan! I'm currently looking for a medium sized van to partially camperize so I can spend cold Canadian winter weekends at the surf beach when the surf is rockin. Oh yeah, don't buy Ford! BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Don't buy Ford is advice I've always heard - when I was just a child, I learned that FORD meant Fix Or Repair Daily. However - my current car is a Mercury Mystique - which, of course, is aFord product. I like the car a lot, and as far as paddling, even though it's a sedan, it has a trunk that takes everything I throw in it. Considering that my husband & I usually paddle together, that means everything both of us can throw in it. (And we both carry enough so that our British heavies are even heavier - trust me, nobody could carry either of those boats single-handedly). Also, it's not too high, in terms of getting the boats on & off the roof. Joan On Fri, 21 Jan 2000 19:50:11 -0800 Doug Lloyd <dlloyd_at_telus.net> writes: > The Honda Odyssey minivan is one of the best in my opinion, > especially from > a driver point of view (I've only test drove them). The best station > wagon, > IMHO, is by far the Subaru Outback (I've seen one rolled over a > ravine - it > was completely intact still). > > If you paddle a British heavy, go small sedan! I'm currently looking > for a > medium sized van to partially camperize so I can spend cold Canadian > winter > weekends at the surf beach when the surf is rockin. > > Oh yeah, don't buy Ford! > > BC'in Ya > Doug Lloyd > ************************************************************************* ** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author > and not > to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > ************************************************************************* ** ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Kruger wrote: >On the value of a canopy: one which maintains the cab's roofline is perfect >for somebody who is a loner much of the time, and has just one passenger most >of the rest of the time. I drive to put-ins the night before and crash in >back, moving gear to the cab. No wet tent to deal with in the am, and it's a >quick launch. I have basically the same setup with my Nissan king cab pickup with an aluminum canopy (which is easy for one [largish] person to put on or take off). I like camping in the back at/on the way to/after the put in/take-out, but I have a big problem with moisture buildup. Tents breathe so much better than aluminum. Even with both side windows open and the back window open (if it's not windy) I still get pretty wet. How do you deal with humidity, in the even-more-humid Pac. NW? Also, what about mid-summer camping when it's hotter than blazes but the 'skeeters are also out? I agree that a small pickup is one of the optimum kayak vehicles. Wet stuff goes in back, big stuff goes on the rack, cold people get in the cab to warm up. My pickup is a 4wd, but even older, small 4wd's like mine get 20 mpg on the highway. Of course, 4wd's make plain lousy daily-drivers, (unless you're a logger) so I compensate by riding the bus to work and save the gas for driving to bumpy put-ins and trailheads on the weekend. Shawn *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
"Shawn W. Baker" wrote: > I have basically the same setup with my Nissan king cab pickup with an > aluminum canopy [snip] > I like camping in the back at/on the way to/after the put > in/take-out, but I have a big problem with moisture buildup. Tents > breathe so much better than aluminum. Even with both side windows open > and the back window open (if it's not windy) I still get pretty wet. > How do you deal with humidity, in the even-more-humid Pac. NW? Not very well. My canopy is FG, so it does not sweat as much as a metal one, but the condensation is a problem. The only thing I hve going for me is that I have a bed liner **on the bed only** (not on the sides), so most of the runoff goes under the liner, and eventually drips out the tailgate or evaporates. > Also, what about mid-summer camping when it's hotter than blazes but the > 'skeeters are also out? Hot? What's that? Oregon and Washington and BC -- coastal parts anyway -- are never that hot! Seriously, my cap has screens over the windows -- these are an aftermarket item available at most RV outfitters. They just pop into a channel on the inside of the slider. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> -----Original Message----- > From: dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com [mailto:dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com] > Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 11:32 AM snip > It is much much much easier to load the kayaks on my truck > than it is on > the wifes Cherokee. Much easier. Besides a trailer, I think > a pick up > truck is the easiest way to carry a kayak by a automobile. Total agreement from this quarter - I'm 5'7" and my paddling support vehicle is a '97 Cherokee and the process (pre Hully Rollers) consisted of hoisting/balancing the kayak above my head with both arms fully extended (I think the weightlifting term is "clean and jerk") and then rolling it into the cradles. Doing this in a 20 knot wind no doubt provided many laughs for passing spectators, but was always a task fraught with dread for me. The Hully Rollers made loading kayaks onto a tall vehicle MUCH easier. Dave Seng Juneau, Alaska *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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