2006Cases/Carts/Stands and Transport forum
Vehicle selection and cargo safety strategies for transporting film equipment
20 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Unsecured heavy equipment in vehicles during collisions creates a serious safety hazard and should be addressed with restraint systems appropriate to the vehicle type.
- Pickup trucks with bed caps or tonneau covers provide secure cargo storage separated from the cabin, reducing noise and improving safety compared to SUVs or sedans.
- Minivans offer practical advantages including low-floor loading height, internal cargo access without exiting the vehicle, lower insurance costs, and potential tax benefits if they meet weight requirements.
- Commercial vans like Mercedes Sprinter, Dodge Sprinter, and Volkswagen Transporter provide ample space for multiple equipment packages and allow standing room for complex setup and loading.
- Compact SUVs and station wagons can accommodate full equipment packages when third-row seating is removed and cargo barriers are properly installed.
- Cargo barriers or dog gates installed behind passenger seats significantly reduce the risk of equipment becoming a projectile during frontal collisions.
- Different vehicle solutions optimize for different priorities: parking space constraints, fuel economy, load capacity, weather protection, and ease of access to equipment.
Depends on
- Recommendations reflect primarily North American vehicle market and road conditions; European contributors note different vehicle availability and road tax implications.
- Pickup truck recommendations assume bed cap or tonneau cover installation, which adds significant cost.
- Minivan tax write-off benefit depends on vehicle meeting specific GVWR requirements and local tax regulations.
- Large van options like Sprinter are impractical for city parking in congested areas like Los Angeles or New York.
- Some solutions involve custom modifications whose effectiveness depends on proper installation and maintenance.
- The discussion does not address modern vehicle safety systems or how aftermarket cargo restraints interact with airbag systems.