In Search of... The PERFECT MD Vehicle.

Over the years that I have been involved in this wonderful hobby, I have been constantly looking for the perfect "Searcher/Hunter" Vehicle.  And I have pretty much looked at them all, in some form or another,  motorcycles, boats, Jeeps, other 4WD vehicles, and so on.  Here's a quick breakdown of the Pro's and Con's of each:

Motorcycle:  Pro's- Light, quick, Economical, Fun, All-Terrain.

Con's- NO Shelter, Weather, Theft, Physical, Temperatures.

ATV/UTV:  Pro's- All Terrain, 4X4, Multi-Person, Cargo.

Con's- Off Road Only, Has to be Towed, Best as a Support Vehicle.

4WD Truck: Pro's- 4WD, All-Terrain, Sleeping Area, Cargo

Con's- NO Standing, 

Class C Motorhome: Pro's- House on Wheels, Storage.

Con's- Large, Cost per Mile, NOT Off Road Friendly.

Van: Pro's- Pretty much the same as a Pickup Truck, still no full height standing room.

So...  Within this hobby, I would easily say the Pickup Truck is by far, the most popular choice.  They can be used as a "good" transport vehicle to get you, possibly a few passengers, and all your associated gear to and from the various hunts/events.  And with just a little creative modification, they can also serve as a pretty darn good "Base Camp" to operate out of whether you are at an Event, or just going solo while scouting for the weekend.  The younger crowd (with better knees than I), have no problem crawling around in the bed of the truck on their knees as they go from hunting to sleeping mode.  Depending on what type of "Camper Shell" you have covering your truck bed, you can comfortably sleep 4, bunkbed style back there, all while being "out of the weather" such as rain and wind.  Personally, I have trouble sleeping in a tent with my wife of 36+ years, so I'm quite sure that sharing an enclosed truck bed with 4 other mouth breathers would not be an option for me.  Most of your "other" camping activities, such as campfire, napping, cooking, eating, etc. could all easily be handled under a canopy, etc. IF the weather and season permitted.  I've camped when it was at freezing temps and I gotta tell ya, crawling out of a wet tent at 3am to take a wiz in yonder bush is not something I wish to experience again in this lifetime!

For all intents and purposes, the trusty ole' pickup is the standard adventurer's vehicle for SO many hobbies that take us out into the "Great Outdoors".  And rightly so.  But for those of us who have made it to the "Over 50" ranks, trying to survive a weekend (or longer) in a pickup truck, is, at best, a painful compromise.  So, I need something else.  Something better, softer, with both full standing headroom and a nice quite, private, place to sit and take care of "Nature".  And having some sort of comfortable, reclining chair would go a LONG way for me personally, and my back pretty much requires it too. 

AND...  If you are a "Urban Jungle Specialist", like me, then the inner city is where you do the majority of your hunting.  And in "the city", pickup trucks are NOT looked at with the same level of admiration and appreciation as in a more rural setting.  In the city, they are very often thought of as a thief's mode of transportation as they are quite commonly used by thieves to toss something that doesn't belong to them into the back and haul boogie.  Another popular mistake about pickups here in the city is they are "bum" housing.  They are also looked upon as "dangerous" and a threat to women and small children as "abduction vehicles" and most people will cross the street  to avoid having to walk right by a lone pickup.  Most of these "beliefs" are far fetched and very unfounded in reality, but it is what it is.  So much so that any "strange" pickup truck that suddenly parks on the street and has people milling about it, and/or coming to and from it, would be watched very cautiously.  And just as soon as "Nosey Miss Johnson" sees you crawl in the back and disappear for a visit to the "portable toilet", she'll be on the phone with the local Police Department, who will indeed show up at the most inopportune time possible.  Yeah, try talking your way out of that one as you explain just exactly why you're in the back of a pickup truck with your pants down around your knees parked next to a City Park or School playground full of kids.  And won't your Wife, Neighbors and Employer be surprised to see the Police dragging you out of the back of your pickup with your pants down around your ankles on the nightly local news at 5Pm?  Don't laugh, I know several folks this exact scenario has happened to!

What I need for MY perfect Detecting Vehicle, would allow me to pretty much pull up to any City Park, empty house lot, etc., hop out and do my detecting and then return to the comforts of home pretty much instantly.  If I got hot, fire up the generator and set the A/C to "Ice Cubes" and let 'er rip!  If I got all sweaty and filthy, hop in the shower, get squeaky clean, hop out and throw on some clean clothes out of the closet!  If I was having such a good time detecting that I missed stopping for lunch, all I'd have to do is look in the refrigerator and make me a nice sandwich or heat up a quick bowl of soup in the microwave and enjoy lunch before my blood sugar falls thru the floor.  If I was going to be hunting with other folks and they couldn't get off early and I now had a 2 hour wait, no problem, fire up the 55" Plasma TV and kick back in the recliner in front of the A/C vent and just chill.  Luckily, my city has excellent Digital TV channels (35+) and since I watch them every day, I am already familiar with their lineup and schedules.  And IF, I just happen to be in a spot with bad signal reception, I can always toss a disc in the BluRay and enjoy that too.  Or I can fire up my laptop thru my portable Hot Spot or thru my phone's portable hot spot and research the place I am about to hunt so I can get to the "sweet spots" before my friends can stumble across them :) .

In essence, I need a vehicle that will give me a controlled climate so I can keep from overheating in the Summer or hearing my Man Marbles rattling around in the Winter.  I'll be 60 on my next Birthday and at that age, being able to stay in my own "temperate zone" means the difference between hunting, or not hunting.  I need a vehicle where I can both store, and fix a meal, whether it's a simple can of soup heated on the gas stove or a frozen pizza zapped back to life in the microwave.  Also at around age 60, you too will probably be taking a diuretic like I am and having a cool, comfortable place to pee, often, and without having to wait, can actually make or break an outing.  Having a nice comfortable recliner to kick back in is the fastest "cure" for my lower back pain.  And having a safe place where I could possibly just doze off while my back relaxes would be wonderful too.  Sounds to me that a Class C Motorhome would cover all of those needs, and more.

Let's look a little more in-depth at the Motorhome options.  There are Class A motorhomes, those are the much larger, think bus, chassis'.  And while they may be the "King of the Open Road", due to their sheer size and dimensions, they would be a nightmare to try to navigate around in tight city streets, and off road, well...  you'd be leaving chunks and pieces of your beloved house on wheels strewn all thru the woods and trails, so Class A is a big ole' fat, NO! 

What about the Class B motorhomes?  Well, yes, there is a Class B, but they are actually the smallest of the 3 motorhome classes.  Most often they are built on a stock or slightly modified Van chassis and body.  Think of a full sized Ford Van, with a small kitchenette area, a small "hassock style" portable toilet that slides in and out of a cabinet for use and more than likely, sleeping on your dining table that converts into a "bed".  Depending on which Class B brand you go with, you may or may not have to stoop over anytime you are inside as headroom is usually only slightly better than a stock cargo van.  For my needs, and wants, the Class B is just a little too small for comfort to me, so that's a also a NO.

The Class C motorhome is just the right size for me!  Unless I can find a Manufacturer to sponsor me in a new motorhome, then a used ride is going to be the best option for me.  Luckily, they are plentiful, cheap and usually have lower miles than any used car I have ever purchased.  They come in all shapes, sizes and floorplans.  18', 20', 21', 22', 24', up to around 35' max.  Anything in the 20' to 30' range would work for my needs being both more economical on fuel and easier to maneuver around city streets too.  You can buy 1980 - 2000 year models with under 50K miles all day long for under $10K dollars.  Many of these will be in the "fixer upper" category but if you're handy with tools and enjoy working on things, they are usually well within the capabilities of most D.I.Y'ers.  THIS option is most likely where I will wind up, I always loved the look of the mid 1980's Ford F-350 Class C Motorhomes and I know which end of a screwdriver to use, and I would actually enjoy the upgrades and repairs too.

For those of you that were around in the 1970's, you may remember the next option I have been exploring to base a "city only" hunter rig upon.  The VW Westfalia Camper Vans!  Produced since the 1960's, they went thru many, many changes over the years.  Starting out with the typical 40hp air cooled VW engine, they were drastically underpowered and under geared for much above 60mph on flat ground.  Then they added horsepower, and there were several diesel models, and then the water cooled motors took over.  There were "Westfalia" campers, 4X4 "Syncro" Campers, Types 1/2/3/4 and maybe even more!  I wouldn't care to make a trip in one of these, but for putting around in a city where I know each road like the back of my hand, then yeah, something like this might just fill the gap betwixt Jeep and Motorhome! 

There was even a "pickup truck" version too.  I think it originally had some military uses intended with a canvas cover over the back and then it sort of morphed into the perfect "service vehicle" for various businesses over time. 

By far, the "Westfalia" camper van was my personal favorite, but there were more than a handful of different designs and intended uses.  There was a "Hightop" version that was like what you'd get if VW was Wendy's and you "Biggie Sized" your van order.  They saw they were about as aerodynamic as a house and the wind could blow them all over the road with the slightest breeze.

And there was a version that had no "upstairs" bed but had a center "hat" section that raised up while you were camped so you could stand while cooking and washing dishes.  No matter what your needs, wants or desires, they made one of these for you sometime between 1960 and 1990.

As more and more of these iconic vehicles meet the crusher, their prices grow yearly based upon how many they speculate are still out there.  So if you're interested in these at all, GET ONE!  And the sooner, the better!