jermaldan, FlickySpinny

It's like you guys were reading my mind. Good thing I didn't budge on the weekend. Only $500 were separating me from a Tiguan.

I don't own a van. Never been a van person. I once had to drive one. I fell in love with it after the first windsurfing trip. The gear packed away in less than half the time. Didn't have to use board bags or remove fins. Setup of the gear took much less. I didn't have to empty it out so i could stay on the water for longer. I didn't have to worry about getting sand and saltwater on the seats. I could stop on the way back at the shops and felt much better knowing my precious windsurfing gear was locked away, not held down by straps only... List goes on.

Serious WARNING. If you are an avid windsurfer, things will never be the same once you've used a van...

If you can blow the money on a new car, then buy a cheaper one, spend the rest on a van to go windsurfing. Enjoyment definitely increases when you minimise the negatives of our sport, namely bulky equipment, storage space, setup and pack up time. If everybody owned vans, I often wonder if kites would have ever been invented.

Now, If only the vans could help with the number of windy days...hmmm.

Rant over.

+ 1 Gus Tee

A van will will get you on the water with all the gear you would need for whatever location or conditions you may encounter.

Some peoples (including myself) windsurfing is a regime of manipulating everything else around sailing and others are opportunists that are happy to fill in free time with a good day on the water.
But we are all bound by the irregularities of mother nature.

If my van allows me to make just a couple of spontaneous decisions a week to go sailing without factoring in anything else then that to me is priceless.
5000k busted ass bread van=2 sessions a week that you might otherwise not have had=100 odd days sailing a year in perfect world?

I would assume I'm not alone here, the longer you sail you more crap you acquire and the more compelled you will be to have it all on hand all the time, why? because you can!

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mr love said..

Ore you could get one of these



The story goes some really good lookin genius worked on the design.

Yes best looking wagon out there Mr love. Well done. I've had Commodore wagons for most of my windsurfing career. They are the most sensible option for getting the job done at a reasonable price. But ... I've recently discovered the van. The big advantage of the van, apart from the obvious, is the driving stance. In a wagon you're all locked in. In a van you've got freedom of movement. It's like seat harness vs. waist harness. ( Yes, I only discovered the waist harnesses late in my windsurfing career). Check this video of Sabine Schmitz, the Robby Naish of van drivers. Note the subtle weight transfer as she punts the van through the esses. How she moves the upper body forward to weight the front wheels and prevent spinout. Shoulders counter rotating at the apex of the corner. The footwork!



If you appreciate the freedom of movement of the waist harness you'll love a van.

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MrCranky said..

Another option just came up (OK, it's a VAG, but the reliable one)

http://skoda.com.au/newoctaviawagon/

I like these. Have come damn close to buying one myself.

My dad put 300 000 kms on an 02 Octavia manual and it only died after someone ran into it.

HOWEVER... make sure you're going to own it forever. The depreciation in Australia on them is terrifying.

I'd still buy the Commodore Wagon though. Every sorry grease monkey in the country has a spare alternator being used as a door stop.

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FlickySpinny said...

HOWEVER... make sure you're going to own it forever. The depreciation in Australia on them is terrifying.

I'd still buy the Commodore Wagon though. Every sorry grease monkey in the country has a spare alternator being used as a door stop.

Well the new Octavia is not dowdy like the other Skodas. VW from the front, Audi from the back . That may help the resale value. It's also based on the new VAG common platform. Previously Skodas were always a generation behind the other VAGs. On the other hand, that may mean it's less reliable.

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MrCranky said..

FlickySpinny said...

HOWEVER... make sure you're going to own it forever. The depreciation in Australia on them is terrifying.

I'd still buy the Commodore Wagon though. Every sorry grease monkey in the country has a spare alternator being used as a door stop.

Well the new Octavia is not dowdy like the other Skodas. VW from the front, Audi from the back . That may help the resale value. It's also based on the new VAG common platform. Previously Skodas were always a generation behind the other VAGs. On the other hand, that may mean it's less reliable.

Its a Czech car. Nuff said.

I bought the missus a brand new Hyundai Accent in August. It's 'our' car because I live within walking distance of work, so we only need the one vehicle. As some of you will know, I've recently started 'surfing' a couple of obsolete fibreglass windsurfers, and I started carrying them on those 'soft' roof racks on the new car... DISASTER! The Accent roof simply isn't designed to have a 10 or 11kg board lying on the middle of it, and I've put a couple of slight depressions in the sheet metal. No biggie, but I'm now banned from using the soft racks on the car, and proper roof racks are a strict no-no on the Boss's nice new little car...

So I opened the hatch, removed the package tray, laid the right side of the split-fold back bench seat down, stood the passenger seat dead upright, and slid the old Farrelly (8'4" x 22" x 31/2") vertically down through the car... And it fits! (Just I might add.) But that's with the single fin in place too.

Now all I need is a cloth cover to keep the wax off the new upholstery, and I can carry at least this board inside the car with the hatch closed. The 9'6" Wind Action will have to travel with the rear hatch partly open, but with an occy strap to hold it partly closed, that shouldn't be an issue either.

The li'l Accent is nimble, cheap to run, fun to drive, and has all the bells and whistles of the others, and was just over $18k on the road with 5 years warranty, free servicing, roadside assist etc.

Good luck, Glen.

^^+1

I have a Subaru Impreza and after laying the back and front passenger seats down I can fit an 88lt, 74lt wave boards plus 4 x sails, 2 x masts, 2 x booms and all accessories. Last year I had all the above plus clothes and a set of golf clubs and travelled from Lake Macquarie to Merimbula. No roof racks to slow me down and all locked in the car.

Inherited my Dad's old Mitsi L300 which was great until it started to die (chewed through more gas than a V8 though). No back seats though and no crash rating so not good for family trips.

Best balance of all requirements if you want family comfort, fuel efficiency, a car like drive, heaps of space inside for all the gear on your own, or boards on the roof and sails down the middle to keep the kids from squabbling is a small people mover - and you have extra seats for the cousies or kid's friends.

Have a 2000 Honda Stream which is great to drive. Nearly bought a Subaru Liberty Exiga - same as the liberty with a taller body. Has a good tow rating too for this type of vehicle (1400kg). Deal fell through as dealer wouldn't drop $1000 off the list price.

Never mind - spent that money on upgrading the boat instead and just borrow brother in laws car for big trips


P.S. does no one else value the 40/20/40 seat split as much as I do? Only vehicles with it that I can afford are people movers and older full size 4x4's. The latest mid size SUVs seem to have it but I am not keen - less space inside, would rather have more car like handling.

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mr love said..
Ore you could get one of these

The story goes some really good lookin genius worked on the design.

But he forgot to make the front seat fold forward enough! your 7.8s have to squeeze around the side of the front passenger seat scuffing the upholstery whilst the board scuffs the back of the seat. :-))

Or you could get the new Renault Clio. 5 year warranty. Better value than VW. It has been getting good reviews.
The wagon comes soon but I think the hatch has the same seat folding arrangement. 3.9litres/100km on the highway!

The rear seat split may be different. (photo is flipped LHD euro version)

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jermaldan said..

How's this a windsurfing related decision? Both cars are equally crap as windsurfing cars. You may as well post this question in a car sales forum.

Total rubbish, i've had three Golfs and i currantly have a Scirocco all of which carry three boards and a bunch of sail without the inside smelling of wetsuits.

roof racks........

I have an '82 Kombi now for 10 years, love it, last of the air cooled and quite reliable, but wouldn't bother going long distances as it chews the fuel, and I also have a '95 VW Vento, a predecessor of the Bora, it is the biggest piece of ** I have ever owned. Spares are through the roof, plastics are below par, electric windows are all faulty. Forget European, their era has passed, and that is coming from someone who has always had Euro cars.

BMW ,Audi and Benz may not see it that way. Asian cars seem so boring to drive and sorry but Aussie cars are still pretty poor but the new sv6 I tried last week was on the right track.

If you can't afford a van and a nice car then I guess you have to live with the plus and minus sides of the one you buy.

Have a look at the V70 T6 for the room and good performance as to mpg's who cares you'll be dead at some point

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scott265 said...

jermaldan said..

How's this a windsurfing related decision? Both cars are equally crap as windsurfing cars. You may as well post this question in a car sales forum.

Total rubbish, i've had three Golfs and i currantly have a Scirocco all of which carry three boards and a bunch of sail without the inside smelling of wetsuits.

roof racks........

The new golf wagon is some
time away. The hatchback has no rails or gutters, so you need these ugly clamps on the side that don't look very secure.

How do you find your roof racks?

P.S.
The more I think about it, the better the idea of a trailer or a beater van as a second car sound.

Beater van is the way to go. Trailers are a pain to park and are not that cheap or easy to source.

A 90's hiace will set you back between 4K and 5K with RWC. They cost nothing to maintain. Maybe a couple of hundred a year.

I know guys whose beaters are still going strong 10 years later.

Any guy who has had a van at any point will tell you its the ultimate windsurf car.

Everything else is just a compromise.

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MrCranky said..

scott265 said...

jermaldan said..

How's this a windsurfing related decision? Both cars are equally crap as windsurfing cars. You may as well post this question in a car sales forum.

Total rubbish, i've had three Golfs and i currantly have a Scirocco all of which carry three boards and a bunch of sail without the inside smelling of wetsuits.

roof racks........

The new golf wagon is some
time away. The hatchback has no rails or gutters, so you need these ugly clamps on the side that don't look very secure.

How do you find your roof racks?

P.S.
The more I think about it, the better the idea of a trailer or a beater van as a second car sound.

First and foremost don't get them from VW i got mine from a place down by Frankston on the coast road, much cheaper and better service.
I load mine up and use a kayak holder to carry the sails and mast as the arms don't crush the sails and the masts don't roll off the side and get damaged. I carry a two to three boards next to the kayak holder with a good set of thule straps and have no issues doing 110kph, back home i would happily do 90mph.
Fitting takes a little more time but well under 5 minutes and just the normal loading time for the rest of the gear.

I looked at trailers and used to use a large van from work at home in the UK and that was great as it took up to a 6.5 sail fully rigged and was a great place to get changed. I would look at a Amarok and hang the boards out the back or a monster SUV but a van is still the best, just as long as you have a car as well.

Still the best move i made back home was to rent a place at the beach and keep my sails rigged up in the garage and just walk across the road.

What about Whispbar?

I use an Aero bar as I take the bars off when ever possible for no other reason than they look ugly on a coupe. On my older wagons (A4 S line, SUV Etc) I just left them on.

When you have board bags slapping on the roof the shape of the bar does no matter to the noise level, also the shape of the brackets holding the roof rack on are never any good for drag reduction. I just liked the look of the aero bar and didn't want to pay the extra for the super bars.

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MrCranky said..

What about Whispbar?

I have the Thule version (www.thule.com/en-au) on a 2012 Ford Focus and have tried everything to stop them whistling - no success yet. I can average 6.1 l/100km without racks and only 7.0 with them on (rack only). Lucky I have a massive trailer and don't mind getting 9l/100kms. At least I never forget anything.

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MrCranky said..

Well the new Octavia is not dowdy like the other Skodas. VW from the front, Audi from the back . That may help the resale value. It's also based on the new VAG common platform. Previously Skodas were always a generation behind the other VAGs. On the other hand, that may mean it's less reliable.

They are great cars and I'm a massive fan. If I lived back in the UK I'd have one in a heatbeat. There's no way I'd want to try and sell a second hand one in Australia though. Word hasn't got round yet and too many badge snobs won't even look at them. A lot of people I know would happily spend double the money on an Audi yet would never be seen dead in a Skoda.

Also. Before I had the van I had a car with (soft) roof racks.

You need to remember to rinse the roof. Salt water dripping on thee roof over time will destroy it and the paint.

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FlickySpinny said..

MrCranky said..

Well the new Octavia is not dowdy like the other Skodas. <span class="spnSearchHighlight" id="hilite">VW</span> from the front, Audi from the back . That may help the resale value. It's also based on the new VAG common platform. Previously Skodas were always a generation behind the other VAGs. On the other hand, that may mean it's less reliable.

They are great cars and I'm a massive fan. If I lived back in the UK I'd have one in a heatbeat. There's no way I'd want to try and sell a second hand one in Australia though. Word hasn't got round yet and too many badge snobs won't even look at them. A lot of people I know would happily spend double the money on an Audi yet would never be seen dead in a Skoda.

Still a VW. Just make sure you don't get a DSG. Otherwise expect a clunking spline wearing clutch wobbling money pit from about 20,000ks on.

And the TSI 118 engine? Reputation is it is a hand grenade.

I read in this Weekend's Australian that the new Golf is 'impressive', World Car of the Year. Yeah sure. I wish those journos got to drive one with 40,000 ks on the clock. No way that would be Car of the Year then. Nice to drive initially, but the reliability is Trabant.

I imported one of these Delica D5's last year for my wife and the odd windsurfing trip...
$35k landed with 18k on the clock.

It is the business.
Monocoque chassis so it drives like a car. 8 airbags, 4cyl economy.
Every conceivable luxury extra such as 5 cameras, media server, electric remote side doors and tailgate
And full interior flexibility with the seating.

Vehicle of choice is the windsurfer's conundrum.

Had a Hyundai Excel for years. Hatches are pretty cool windsurfing cars. Awesome econ, could fit heaps of gear inside and easy to put stuff on racks with low height. After 378,000 without skipping a beat, decided to live the childhood dream...

Finally forked out for a Transporter. Bought from VW Dealer, single owner, full service history, less than 100k on clock. Mystery electrical glitches meant it would randomly cut out. Not so random - it would pick peak traffic in locations where you couldn't pull over so were subject to the wrath of everyone around you. Numerous trips to multiple VW service deps for big $$ and no one could find the problem. Finally they tried something else and it seemed to stop. But I couldn't trust it anymore. I sold it before I even put racks in it.

Ironic how much crap Hyundais cop for being crappy after my Excel v Transporter experience.

Just pre-iLoad, went back to Hyundai and bought a Santa Fe. Diesel, fantastic fuel econ and 2000 kg towing capacity means it really comfortably tows the horse float. But most importantly, front seat down and it fits 1 x 9'8 SUP, 3 sailboards, 3 masts, 5 sails, boom, boxes of bits, golf clubs, tennis racquet, tent, mattress, clothes AND takes sea kayak in racks on top. Has carried all that up and down the east coast lots of times. Or can take 3 boards plus gear and still fit passenger (or dog) in seat behind driver. 130,000 and not a hint of drama so far.

So if you can't get a van, a hatch or a med SUV is a great way to go. HOWEVER, for all the intelligent reasons people have posted above, I still dream of a van or think about a trailer. Windsurfing time is precious, and all gear ready to go at a moment's notice is such an advantage. I still have to commute a bit each day so appreciate a car-like drive and parking, but one day soon...

I admire people who somehow manage to fit in essential windsurfing gear plus an optional extra family!!

Just get a van. You will never look back. Great for winsurfing, great for DIY, great visibility, great for relaxed driving, great for camping, and a massive boost to you masculinity. Cars, wagons, suvs can't compete.

I was at a funeral the other day and had an idea...



although it would be a bitch to park.