Car boot lip and twinsets....

[Bantam]

I had two previous cars that were ideal for diving - a Nissan Pathfinder which was the best all rounder, but sadly very much a rarity nowadays. I did look for a new one but they stopped making them a few years back and it's Navara or nothing now

THen I had two Volvo V60's on the bounce. They were good however, being a tall bastard and long in body means that the flat boot isn't much use - I need it a bit higher still. Also, the rubber seals around the boot lid weren't particularly robust and I tended to remove most of the bottom seal after a few diving sessions.

I've given up on kitting up using the boot - now I've a Skoda Octavia Saloon, with one of those portable work platforms (like here) which I lift the twinset out of the boot and onto.

Interestingly, the boot liner from the Volvo fits in the Skoda with room to spare, and the boot in the skoda is so much bigger there's a 4 to 6 inch gap around the edge of it with the boot liner just sitting in the middle! (I'd have put money on the volvo boot being bigger but the skoda is nearly 100 litres larger and it's not an estate!)

[John63]

I had two previous cars that were ideal for diving - a Nissan Pathfinder which was the best all rounder, but sadly very much a rarity nowadays. I did look for a new one but they stopped making them a few years back and it's Navara or nothing now

THen I had two Volvo V60's on the bounce. They were good however, being a tall bastard and long in body means that the flat boot isn't much use - I need it a bit higher still. Also, the rubber seals around the boot lid weren't particularly robust and I tended to remove most of the bottom seal after a few diving sessions.

I've given up on kitting up using the boot - now I've a Skoda Octavia Saloon, with one of those portable work platforms (like here) which I lift the twinset out of the boot and onto.

Interestingly, the boot liner from the Volvo fits in the Skoda with room to spare, and the boot in the skoda is so much bigger there's a 4 to 6 inch gap around the edge of it with the boot liner just sitting in the middle! (I'd have put money on the volvo boot being bigger but the skoda is nearly 100 litres larger and it's not an estate!)

Still make pathfinders and sell in many markets but I guess not in UK.

[Bantam]

Still make pathfinders and sell in many markets but I guess not in UK.

Yep indeed - the Navara's still on sale here, but the biggest non-truck they sell in the UK now is the X-Trail which also seems to be smaller than the old one - more along the lines of the Qashqai+2 size.

Must be something to do with Nissan's green credentials in the UK as the Pathfinder isn't a very green / economical car, and Nissan UK are focussing on increasing their Eco footprint, especially with the new Leaf.

I think with the 2.5L turbo diesel automatic I had, if I got anything above 30mpg I'd be lucky, and it would do just around 400 miles to a tank of diesel which at one point was costing me over £110 per tank - but it was pre Euro-IV and was a bit of a beast.

In the USA, I did once rent a Pathfinder Armada which was just enormous, had a huge V6 lump, and a really nice car, and like an inflated version of my own Pathfinder at the time, but it would have been way too big for the british market.
Plus the car I always wanted them to bring over which was like a baby Pathfinder was the X-Terra (rather than X-Trail). They've also done an XTerra/Juke Nismo mashup which is quite nice for the USA market too, albeit very rare.

To be fair, though - the automatic gearbox in my Pathfinder was always a bit shite. Nothing like the pretty nailed down VW-derived DSG 7-Speed in my Skoda now.

[Spinal]

Buy a Dacia duster... cheaper than any other car in it's class at under 10k brand new... and pretty solid. Just took mine (2 weeks old) up a mountain to 3000+m (on an abandoned military track)...

[Bantam]

Buy a Dacia duster... cheaper than any other car in it's class at under 10k brand new... and pretty solid. Just took mine (2 weeks old) up a mountain to 3000+m (on an abandoned military track)...

I had one as a rental in Germany. It was quite scary on the autobahn. Also found the 90's Renault Parts Bin interior a bit bizarre. The remote for the stereo was the same as the one I had in my 1995 Renault Safrane, the indicators were from a Renault 19, but what I found really odd was the electric window openers were in the centre console where I'd expect switches for something like seat heaters to be, as was the cruise control switch. Not very ergonomic.

But saying that I could imagine it being a good dive wagon as it was nice and high but just hated how wobbly it felt above 120km/h

[Doomanic]

Cardboard boot floor as well. Can't see that lasting long with wet dive kit.

[scuba]

Until recently I had a Freelander which had a flat boot. It was great for kitting up on shore dives.

[Druid]

I'm selling my pick up soon, might get a van. I think vans are the way to go too. Now that I don't have my RHIB I don't really need 4wd, I can sling a hammock in the back over my kit, space to cook/sit out the rain. Always fancied a Merc Vito. There's one at the bottom of Dorry that's stood up to ten years underwater quite well (often thought about trying to get the engine and gearbox out as a winter project).

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I've got a Merc Vito campervan. They drive well and used ones are about half the price of a similar VW Transporter. Two twinsets will fit under the rock n roll bed



However, my mate usually drives in his Navara

[notdeadyet]

I've got a Merc Vito campervan. They drive well and used ones are about half the price of a similar VW Transporter. Two twinsets will fit under the rock n roll bed



However, my mate usually drives in his Navara

I couldn't bring myself to get a VW, too many bellends with them with flower garlands hanging off the mirror and stupid names painted on the side. Twatmobiles.

I went to France in the back of a Vito, me and a mate with a couple of Thermarests and a lot of beer on top of a dozen twinsets. Very comfy journey.

Surprisingly decent prices for Vitos on Autotrader. What are Merc prices like for van parts? Are they more reasonable than car parts?

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[Paulo]

I had an Astra estate. Grand for kitting up in the boot but the cardboard boot base sagged.

I have just bought a van, VW Caddy Maxi. Even better for diving. All gear can fit 1 side and I can out a thermarest down the otherside and sleep