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OK--I caved and bought a Transit Connect


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Phil, do you REALLY want a Fiat?.... really? ;D Just kidding.... LOL...

Enjoy your new ride...!!!

I spent several weeks driving all over the Alps in wintertime in an overloaded Fiat Ducato van that we could NOT kill. We even screwed up and put the wrong gas (ie not diesel) in it one confused and exhausted night--a mechanic cleaned it out and it kept chugging along. Not a sweet ride, but it held up. I'll be interested in checking out the Doblo, which is a miniature Ducato. Think what Ford/Chevy could come up with in a cool smaller van if they wanted to. (I guess FTCs are now US-made, not imports from Turkey anymore).

phil p

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  • 1 month later...

:) Nice, Simon.

You make me want to study wood working, too.

Like your bulkhead.

Nice plate, Riza.

Next year, think I will replace the FTC floor liner with a flat (not ribbed) one.

Thanks Jan

The bulkhead gives me great peace of mind if the worst happens, and woodworking is one of the things I like to do when I haven't got my headphones on.

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How did you attach the thing you have your fishpoles in?

phil p

That took a while to work out. They are ladder hooks from a hardware store and are attached to the more solid pieces in the roofline with no more than self tapping screws. I wasn't sure they would last, but it's been over a year now and they are still solid!

The pole cases are held onto the hooks with bunjee cords!

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Thanks Jan

The bulkhead gives me great peace of mind if the worst happens, and woodworking is one of the things I like to do when I haven't got my headphones on.

Glad to hear I am not the only one that trades his headphones for earmuffs when he comes home.

I would just add that the bulk head should be a must for anybody in our line of work. Even a single pelican 1510 would be enough to kill someone should it be launched.

Years ago I used to run live vans at a local tv station and the safety video was basically a string of people killing themselves with mast accidents and you name it. The couple that stood out most to me were the ones were either the mast was located behind the drivers seat and the opperator tried to drive off causeing the mast to come dislodged and push forward and another involving a heavily loaded van where the boxes shifted foward during either an accident or crash.

All I can say on the matter is that you do not ever want you or one of your friends/ coworkers pushed through a windshield from the inside. Spend the money it will be worth while, and for what it is worth you should be able to to get one with a built in lockable door so you can access the back when you need to.

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I cuise in a Honda Element, they quit making them last year I think

I got it because the rear seats fold up or can be removed, Giving about 75 cu ft of space

I can tip a PSC sound cart in, lay it in flat and secure to the rear seat brackets which are bolted to the frame or place the cart up right

and ratchet strap it to the passenger seat, of course with no passenger. The car was rated one of the safest on the road with air bags everywhere, Hope I never test them.

I have been told it looks like a silver toaster on wheels !

Works well for what I do, holds the PSC cart, a Rock& Roller follow cart ,, couple of Pelis and such

What is totally amazing to me is how much gear one does acquire in this craft.

I started with a bag couple of radios and a boom , now it is carts, c stands, cables , chargers, blankets

tapes, slates. can never leave anything behind because if I do I know I will need it

Tom

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Thanks for chiming in re: the value of the bulkhead, Geoff. Extrapolation is a game I often play, and with two packed Magliner carts in the back, any kind of protection between me and them seemed wise.

Speaking of which, just added another anchor point to the back. Got two Universal Anchor Points (they come in packs of two) and found the bolts too long to mount them where I first imagined (in one of the oblong holes). They were obviously designed to work perfectly in the stake pocket of a pickup.

Mounted one on the passenger side into an extant round hole. Seems secure, but neither quite flush nor pretty as I'd prefer.

7921141340_8ed2ff8019_z.jpg

There's no matching hole on the driver's side, so I'll continue to hook the strap to the seatbelt anchor until I decide what to do.

Got two lengths of E-track before I even bought the van, and think I could fairly easily mount a board along those oblong holes that would take care of the driver's side (or both sides if it works well). I just don't have enough construction experience to figure how to mount the board off the top of my head. Maybe I can get some advice from the shop boys once work starts next month.

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I was in an accident in my old Econoline that involved being hit really hard from behind and rammed into a truck in front of me. I heard several pieces of loose gear in my cargo bay hit the bulkhead behind me. That was enough for me for all time--I do too much freeway driving to not feel I need some protection from the gear in a high speed accident. Protect yourselves people, please!

phil p

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