What is the perfect landscape photography support vehicle?

[Peter McLennan]

Frito parks easily in a standard stall or anywhere on the street.  Height is an issue.  He's nine feet with the antenna, so most parkades are a no-go.  There are few parkades on the Burr Trail, however.

As a daily driver, you soon forget you're in a large vehicle, and unlike many drivers, I don't care what I look like or what the vehicle says about my "taste".  The view from the driver's seat is spectacular, so traffic and parking are easy because you can see everything.  Designed to negotiate narrow European streets, he's very agile.

One benefit that I didn't realize until I'd owned a white van for a while is inconspicuity.  He's invisible.  Unlike Land Rovers, campers and other large SUVs, nobody notices white vans.  Good to know when you've left all your gear inside when you leave the vehicle for a little shopping.


I apologize to all for my thread-dominating Sprinter evangelism.  It's just that, they are the Perfect Landscape Photography Support Vehicle. For me, at least.

[Hulyss]

Found it !! 

http://www.unicat.net/ua/en/info/GMXXL24AH-MAN8x8.html

[HSakols]

I drive a honda civic that has a bite mark on one of the seats from a black bear. I like to set up a tent.  If I need 4wd I take a 90 Toyota truck. 

[stever]

the Unicat looks like a nice accessory for the superyacht, but i'm not sure we have room for the car ferry tender to get it shoreside and back.  any advice?

[NancyP]

Did the black bear break in, or had you left the door open and he just wandered by? At any rate, if you don't mind the bear slobber residue, you have a great conversation piece for your car.

[Allen Bourgeois]

What one of the greatest of all time used
Ansel Adams
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/04/27/travel/27journeys600.jpg

Results
http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/features/grant/ansel-adams-moonrise-hernandez-8-31-11_detail.asp?picnum=2

[schrodingerscat]

For me it's the one you have, which is currently an '07 Prius. It's been through Death Valley and the Pinnacles several times(including Ballarat and the campground above the kilns, the Carrizo Plain, as well as many dirt roads through the Sierras. The first mod I did on the Prius was a skid plate. Camping is always a tent(usually my backpacking one), and try and backpack around 10,000' at least once a year. Nothing like watching the sun come up miles from anywhere and the whole place to yourself.

The last thing I want to do is drag as many trappings of 'civilization' with me as I can into a natural setting.

[NancyP]

Or do you find yourself scraping bottom? The current Prii have relatively little clearance. I am relatively fearless with 7.5" clearance and all-wheel-drive, and haven't got stuck in mud patches or scraped bottom on ginormous potholes yet.

[Roman Racela]

Any vehicle will do, but not all vehicles can go everywhere.

I have an Infiniti G35 sedan that I took to White Mountain several years ago.  It took me more than an hour to travel the 12 miles of dirt road from Schulman Grove to Patriarch Grove. It was not very wise to take the Infiniti off-roading.  I've also done the drive in my Toyota 4Runner 4WD and it took me less than half an hour to get there.

I've also taken the 4Runner to Toroweap reaching speeds of nearly 60mph on long straight stretches of dirt road...dangerous, but fun.

[Dahlmann]

This is my vehicle.
I love my Navara stx 550, Takes me whatever i want.



I dreaming about this one to put on my Navara.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WDHch7bJp8c
amazing if you ask me...



Sorry for bad English 


 

[dchew]

Here is my get-almost-anywhere rig.  Bought it new in December, then in January put it up on a lift and started cutting.  Completely different suspension, axle shafts, drive shafts, steering assist, gears, blah blah... 

I can now go 100 meters farther than I could before.  After that I'm really stuck!   

Dave

[Peter McLennan]

For me it's the one you have, which is currently an '07 Prius. It's been through Death Valley and the Pinnacles several times

Impressive.  I turned back from the Pinnacles in my AWD Asstro.  Too rough.

[arlon]

Impressive.  I turned back from the Pinnacles in my AWD Asstro.  Too rough.

The AWD Astro is my goto vehicle if I have to leave the pavement. I did a lift and slightly taller tires. I now look down on any stock JEEP.. (-:}

I love the platform on Ansel Adams station wagon posted earlier too. That is exactly what I'm looking to do for the top of my van... I'm getting a lot of ideas from these posts. My van may not be perfect but it's getting better.

No worries on the sprinter stuff. I'm taking notes on all the Sprinter points, a lot of that can be applied to my Astro. Been considering trading in my truck and Astro van on a sprinter. I could cut down on vehicles with that setup. I seldom need the AWD but the clearance is a must.. Sprinter would make a good tow vehicle for my Casita travel trailer too making the truck expendable..

[orchidblooms]

I have been thinking of a 4x4 tacoma with a popup camper insert....

[theguywitha645d]

For me it's the one you have, which is currently an '07 Prius. It's been through Death Valley and the Pinnacles several times(including Ballarat and the campground above the kilns, the Carrizo Plain, as well as many dirt roads through the Sierras. The first mod I did on the Prius was a skid plate. Camping is always a tent(usually my backpacking one), and try and backpack around 10,000' at least once a year. Nothing like watching the sun come up miles from anywhere and the whole place to yourself.

The last thing I want to do is drag as many trappings of 'civilization' with me as I can into a natural setting.

+1

I have taken my Prius down mud tracks (sometimes known as roads in Maine). If it was not just a normal vehicle too, I would love to convert it to have a sleeping deck in back and a few storage bins, but my wife says we need the back seats.