Vehicles for wing foilers

General discussions about wingfoiling: equipment, tips, problems, where to go, where you should have been, pump safety.
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slake
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Vehicles for wing foilers

Unread post by slake »

Happened to have a Delica before getting into wing foiling. Benefit: fully assembled board goes from garage to launch, and back. I know it's lazy. Downside: it is a Delica, and it is old (like almost 30 years). Back of the mind for a few years: it has to go, or it will go on its own soon. Outside wing foiling, general needs could get by with a vehicle like a Crosstrek. Hunch (from some interweb searches) is a board in the back would have to be 5'4' or less with back seats down (and obviously mast dismounted). My boards are 5'5 and 5'8 so that doesn't work so well.

Needs: local drives (15 min to launch), longer drives (1 hr to launch), and Nitinat/China Creek (a few hours), maybe Nimpkish one of the these days. Nitinat/China Creek I'm always loaded up with camping gear so all the boards are bagged, and foils disassembled. For the 15 min / 1 hr drives I just go with the board good-to-go - the benefit of the Delica. I probably have to suck it up and be prepared to take off mast/foil/stab/fuse if getting a new vehicle.

Are there any preferences for vehicles for the needs mentioned? I'm not a car person, just curious to find something useful. General car use 90% of the time/wing foil 10% of the time. Do people take wing boards on roof to Nitinat or always in the vehicle? Can't imagine all the dust a bag would get covered with on that drive. Maybe Crosstreks are too small. Maybe a challenge to have one vehicle that does it all (that is what I was hoping to do / what I do now).
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KUS
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Re: Vehicles for wing foilers

Unread post by KUS »

I know mini vans aren’t all that sexy but with back seat removed especially and a rack for a decent wide roof pod, a single person should find ample space even to camp. Hatches work well to sit out of the rains. Too bad about all the side slider doors, loved my old vans with barn doors! Huge downside of my sprinter too!
Budget models like fix everything caravans are harder to find used now, my AWD Safari did a lot if not all of the chores but again repairs were endless, my old full size domestic vans were bigger/luxurious space wise but $$ to run and had mysterious dust holes but ran well enough, even newer odyssey’s suck fuel but are tighter so always loved Honda for that. My new to me Honda Pilot with 4wd or my Tacoma are better/safer for skiing and Lake day trips (sprinter oh so sucks in snow!! …The worst ever with brand spanking snows even) but despite their size and only moderate fuel economy are almost useless for camping or multi sport,

throw partners, pets, multi sport into the mix in my view even the short wheelbase sprinter is too small!! My 23’ motorhome still after 36 years has them all beat!! Luxury, fits everything tho now foils …omg, with kites AND foils it’s gonna get dicey.
But everything just seems to pile up now…currently my extended sprinter full time stores the e-bike, all windsurfing gear, 3 pairs of skis and boots, snowboard sometimes, among fully rigged out camping kit, odd days the hanging acoustic bike and foil gear get added. It’s getting silly lol thank god snow season ends in 2 months, whew!
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Last edited by KUS on Wed Feb 19, 2025 10:52 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Highrocker
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Re: Vehicles for wing foilers

Unread post by Highrocker »

MiniVan works for me for similar needs. Lots in RBFC sport manvans.
Fold all the seats down and you've got a 4x8x4ft high protected cab. I've used it comfortably as an RV in China Ck, Tofino, etc.
Max load out has been 2 surf SUPs, 2 foil boards, and an MTB. We once loaded up 7 bikes/riders for a Whistler Bike Park session with the bikes pulled in a trailer. 
I typically store wings and stuff in a big car top carrier. Bike rack doubles as a carrier for a fully assembled 7ft foil board. Looks sketchy, but it's worked well for 2+ years. Even on the highway to China Ck. Logging roads to Nitinat would not be good. 
Definitely lots of room for a little man, like me. Nice warm spot to change and unchill, especially with a Lil Buddy heater. Not the best fuel economy, but better than a pickup or bigger RV vehicle. 
Just super versatile.
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Re: Vehicles for wing foilers

Unread post by grantmac »

I'm driving a truck after years of wagons. Mainly because I want to keep wet stuff in a different part of the vehicle from where the people go.
6' bed and canopy go a long way.
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voodmon
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Re: Vehicles for wing foilers

Unread post by voodmon »

If you have a honda with the 3,5 liter V6 and VCM make sure you get a muzzler for the VCM it deactivates the VCM which down the road if not deactivated will cause some serious problems. It takes about 5 minutes to instal and works, I have had one on mine for the past 2 years, no issues. https://www.odyclub.com/threads/which-v ... uy.284178/
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Re: Vehicles for wing foilers

Unread post by Highrocker »

Thanks!
No VCM on my cheap man van.
Just 19yrs of loyal service.
Interesting thread....
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Re: Vehicles for wing foilers

Unread post by voodmon »

My Odyssey is a 2010 , I bought it 2 years a go with 150 k on it, an EXL, lucky you for not having VCM, I've had the roof leak , the spool valve leak done. It's a tank!
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