Crafter window van
Owners
Why we love our Crafter
Tour manager Jason Sinclair picks the Crafter from Good 2 Go Tours for its faultless efficiency and space
I manage tours for R&B artists such as Ne-Yo and Omarion, and rock bands like Bullet for My Valentine. I’ll probably hire a Crafter like this once a week. It's perfect for up-and-coming bands that don’t have a big entourage.
If you're playing at a festival, you'll be on the road for a couple of days. A tour, however, can last up to a month, which means a lot of miles, especially if there are dates around Europe. So, you need your transport to be ultra-reliable. Any breakdowns mean cancelled gigs and extra costs for alternative transport or hotels. I've never had a problem with a Crafter, though.
Those long distances mean that fuel economy is important – and the Crafter delivers here, too.
Customised interior
This particular Crafter has been customised with a splitter in the back so that there's a secure luggage area for guitars, drums, amps and other equipment. However - because it's got a long wheelbase - the passenger area can still seat six people in comfort. Not only that, you've got room for a driver and two roadies in the front. It that wasn't enough, there's a towbar for a trailer, too.
They've also added air conditioning and heating, a TV and a PS3 so that bands can play games and watch DVDs. There's even a couple of bunk beds for the crew. Even so, there's loads of legroom. It's very spacious. Thanks to the engine and smooth ride, it's quiet inside, too - perfect for long journeys.
Our favourite features:
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Spacious interior
There’s room for six passengers, two roadies and all the band's luggage and equipment.
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Efficient engines
The Crafter is smooth, easy and quiet to drive. It's also economical - great for those long trips on tour.
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Safety features
The Crafter's safety systems are important factors.
Why we love our Crafter
Paul Reynolds and Damian Wright reckon the Crafter is a refreshing choice for their mobile bar business
We wanted to launch our own cocktail bar. But there weren’t any sites around that we liked, so we came up with the idea of a mobile bar. It was always our intention to increase the size of the business, and we may have to add to our fleet soon. If so, we'll definitely get another Crafter. We can get a ridiculous amount of stuff in the back – four modular bars, a marquee, draft beer pumps, chillers and all the drinks and glasses that we need.
Easy to drive, and fuel efficient
Having never driven anything other than a small van, I was a bit nervous about driving such a large vehicle, but it's so easy, and it’s equally suited to long-haul trips and city driving. Most of our jobs are outside the M25, so I’m impressed by how good the fuel efficiency is. Driving right across the country from Bristol to Twickenham only uses up half a tank.
In terms of maintenance, we’ve not had any problems, but if any problems do arise we'll be in touch with the Van Centre. If we were to add any accessories it would just be new alloys and a sound system. It already does everything else we need.
Our favourite features:
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The large rear load space
Given that we have to take so much equipment to the events that we do, it's a complete necessity
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A driver-friendly engine
It's very comfortable and smooth to drive on long journeys, and it's really fuel efficient as well
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The design
The Crafter looks good for a large van. It stands out, but is quite slick
