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The Best Tour Route of the West Coast

Oct 30, 2012 at 5:22 am

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The considerations for buying a good van (a used Sprinter or Econoline is what I am shorthanding here) need to be beyond whether it is simply useful to your career. Will it help you make money to pay it off, if you cannot afford the purchase outright? Do you live in a city where it is reasonable to own, park and insure a van? If not, is there a familial driveway in the burbs where it can hang between gigs and tours? Is there someone in the band who is truly responsible enough to keep up on the tags, insurance, Triple AAA, maintenance, city stickers and moving it for street cleaning? Band and their vans also tend to run into trouble when one or more band members do not have vehicles or transportation otherwise, or are in other bands; suddenly someone needs to borrow it, it's getting used by friends to move, getting towed because someone got drunk and parked in front of a hydrant. Band vans purchased by the band should principally band use, not someone's primary vehicle.

If you are in a total road-dog band, if you have the money to go towards a fuel efficient van or convert a diesel vehicle to bio-diesel, you are going to wind up saving a lot of money in the long run, as your typical passenger van is going to top out at like, 12 MPG if it's loaded with people and gear. (Also, maybe it was already on your to-do list, but please build a loft with a lockable cage underneath, for your gear, for safety's sake. You don't want your arm crushed by flying gear in case of an accident. We will cover tour safety in depth at a later date.)

If you are doing sporadic touring--a few weeks here and there, maybe a month in summer--renting is the way to go. There are some places and some bands that rent tour vehicles--ask around to see what people's experiences have been. If you are going to rent from another band, only do so based on others positive experiences. If the van breaks down or gets stolen weirdness will ensue because there is no back up or contingency in place, unlike when you rent from Hertz or wherever. You will pay more for corporate-backed safety, but if you return the van with puke crusted in the doorframe they are just going to charge you a cleaning fee, not badmouth you to the whole scene.

Have a safe tour and good luck in Spokane! Fan

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