| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
motogon
Joined: 19 Aug 2000
Posts: 376
Location: Philly
|
 Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 5:11 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| gregnw44 wrote: | Who will be the first windsurfer to buy the new Mercedes Benz Metris Van for windsurfing?
If anyone has one already, we'd like your impressions.
I'm not in the market right now, but I looked at several at a local dealership last week (haven't driven one yet). They're available in passenger or cargo style. Only rear wheel drive. They're a couple inches bigger in every direction, than most modern typical mini-vans. With corresponding more interior passenger / cargo room. However, they still fit in garages and parking lots... compared to the much bigger Sprinter size vans.
And - I really like the roof rack they come with. I often carry longboards, and the roof rack on this van goes all the way forward to the front windshield. Most van and SUV factory racks only go up to the rear edge of the front doors. I like old school racks that go all the way forward, it gives you way more flexibility to put your cross-bars where you want... and this new Metris has it. Not-to-mention ALL the other excellent features a new import from M-B would have... with tons of room (for less than 40K).
Greg 
|
I was thinking about Metris, it few inches bigger then Sienna and Odyssey ... but for same price Sienna and Odyssey give way more options. They are much more comfortable and definitely much more reliable. Metris is US version of MB Vito which has bad reputation in Europe.
_________________
Andrew
------------------------
A lot of great surfers were ruined by family and steady job. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 5:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| gregnw44 wrote: | < When u say the seats fold Down flat, I think they intrude on the cargo area,
Is the useable space anything like a mini van that holds a 8x 4 foot of plywood. >
U2 - Just answering your question.
* The Pilot seats are not designed to be easily removable, but they fold flat, creating a flat loading surface. The "cargo space" is above those folded seats. The actual floor of the Pilot, is below those folded-flat seats.
If you didn't need the seats... and you have the tools and the mechanic ability, you "could" remove the seats. And then you would have much more vertical cargo stacking room.
* No, you can't lay flat sheets of 4X8 plywood in the cargo area of a Pilot, like you can in a Dodge Chrysler van. The Pilot doesn't have the length and width that is needed for that.
Greg |
Your starship is 8 foot long, how or where do you put it,,? Does it mean no passenger seat that useable?
_________________
K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
http://www.k4fins.com/fins.html
http://4boards.co.uk/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gregnw44
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 5:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
U2 - I don't have a Starship. I was just answering your Pilot cargo area question.
The guy with the Pilot and the Starship can answer, where he puts it.
But I'll take a guess.
The Pilot won't carry 4X8 sheets of plywood laying flat in the floor, like our vans will.
However, it probably has close to 8' of cargo length. So, the nose of the board will probably stick between the 2 front seats, just a bit.
Or another way might be to lay the Starship diagonally in the cargo area.
Anyway plywood won't fit, cause the back of the Pilot isn't as wide as our vans area.
Greg -
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 6:12 pm Post subject: Re: Pilot |
|
|
| U2U2U2 wrote: | | deanpea73 wrote: | I have a 2015 Pilot (also had a 2009 same shape, and 2006 slightly smaller). For windsurfing, work and family use I cannot find a better SUV on the market. You'll love it
I typically will load 6-8 sails (at least 8.4, 7.6, 6.6, 6.0, 5.2, 4.5)
6 masts
3 booms
4 boards
ALL these go inside the pilot and I also have the option of the roof rack for my SUP's
RRD Slalom - 228
JP Slalom - 235
Naish Starship - 240
JP Freestyle - 235
3 x totes with my wetsuits, harness, fins and mast ext.
This is my 3rd Pilot (the other 2 pilots I drove 126k and 105k) with doing nothing but oil changes, brake pads, tires etc) very reliable cars.
MPG is 18 round town up to 24 mpg on highways.
Yes all headrests come out and the back 2 rows lay nice and flat...I have worked out exactly how to stow all my equipment and what order |
This should prove useful to tHE OP.
I had A LOOK AT A new one, I like the Honda products a lot.
When u say the seats fold Down flat, I think they intrude on the cargo area,
Is the useable space anything like a mini van that holds a 8x 4 foot of plywood
I like the MPG YOU quote, and the AWD is a huge plus, by chance do you any photos of it loaded?
Always looking for a better mousetrap, my Chrysler Town n Country is ideal, but without AWD. CHEAP TO OWN AND CANBE FIXED IN THE MIDDLE OF HICKSVILLE. |
.
Where and how do you stow the starship?
_________________
K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
http://www.k4fins.com/fins.html
http://4boards.co.uk/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 6:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| gregnw44 wrote: | U2 - I don't have a Starship. I was just answering your Pilot cargo area question.
The guy with the Pilot and the Starship can answer, where he puts it.
But I'll take a guess.
The Pilot won't carry 4X8 sheets of plywood laying flat in the floor, like our vans will.
However, it probably has close to 8' of cargo length. So, the nose of the board will probably stick between the 2 front seats, just a bit.
Or another way might be to lay the Starship diagonally in the cargo area.
Anyway plywood won't fit, cause the back of the Pilot isn't as wide as our vans area.
Greg - |
Sorry my bad
I put 7 boards inside + a shitload of sails in the TOWN N COUNTRY
_________________
K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
http://www.k4fins.com/fins.html
http://4boards.co.uk/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 7:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| starik333 wrote: | | Metris is US version of MB Vito which has bad reputation in Europe. |
I wanted any of several German cars for decades. Their awful reliability statistics, born out by owners and mechanics, cured me of that.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PCfoiling
Joined: 23 Oct 2015
Posts: 65
Location: Dallas, TX
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 2:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
U2
This from yesterday, only took 3 boards.
RRD 228
JP 235
Starship 240
lay the masts between the driver and passenger seat, lay the 7.6 & 6.4 on top of masts. next all the sails and 3 booms.
Take off passenger head rest (very easy) slide pass seat all the way forward and recline back as far as it goes.
Once I have the 3 totes, masts and sails in that provides a nice level area to slide the 3-4 boards in on top. the Starship 240 is the last board to go in and the nose rocker sits nicely up out of the way.
I still have clear access to pass side window.
| Description: |
|
| Filesize: |
115.12 KB |
| Viewed: |
11664 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 2:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Better I expected, no way as much room as a large mini van, but the Honda name and AWD ARE VERY DESIRABLE
THX FOR THE PHOTO AND UPDATE.
The main factor for me, and everyone has their own requirements the the number of boards that fit, I started warning 4 and now do 7, not local but cross country trips
_________________
K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
http://www.k4fins.com/fins.html
http://4boards.co.uk/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
beaglebuddy
Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 2:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Probably no one wants to hear this but a woman where I live was recently killed when she was in a rear end accident and a portable massage table she was carrying in the back of her SUV flew forward and struck her on the back of the head killing her. 
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 2:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Nothing gets transported in my vehicles without a substantial restraint system in place. Any boards behind me are tied down with 10,000 pound test webbing (the thinner stuff gets tangled) AND I wrap a webbing cargo net in front of them so any smaller items like booms are also restrained. This takes well under 10 seconds to secure or unsecure.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
|
|
|
Search
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Register
