[What is your ideal transport suggestion, that fits the parameters I will set out below.]

This is something I've wondered about, ever since owning my first pin ~ 8 years ago. I see that this thread has been going on for 9 years worth of posts, so I've got a lot of catching up to do in reading through it. Most of the games I own came to me via NAVL, from coast to coast distance or approaching that. They must break up the transport into segments, as the last leg of it was always delivered by a local region firm. This firm used a sizable, fully enclosed truck -- I'd estimate having an internal capacity of 8 pins or more -- equipped with a formidable, pro liftgate, which makes a huge difference.

BUT, WHAT IF you needed or desired to move a few pins around from time to time in your local area, did not want to go out and rent a truck each time for this, and your budget would accommodate owning your own vehicle for this ? What would you choose ? Consider that basically as being open-ended, covering various price points. (The each-time rental is likely still going to be a much more feasible solution, but I'd still like to field your ideas.)

Factors I would list as highly desirable:

1. Fully enclosed, no flatbed trucks. So you don't have to deal with a tarp in rainy or windy weather.
2. Will accommodate at least 2 widebody pins. and probably a max. of 4, because:

3. Don't want to have to work with some HUGE vehicle that it can be difficult to maneuver or to find a suitable parking space for.

4. Well drivable, for people with ordinary driving skills. (I've driven a medium panel truck or van, which qualifies.)

5. Has a pin-sized or larger powered liftgate, capable of supporting 250 - 300 lb.s at a time. This could be after-market. (I've heard of one called 'Tommygate.' Don't know how good it might be . . . . ) Liftgate much preferred over any ramp.

6. Can be fitted with interior fixtures at which to secure restraining straps.
7. Good vehicle reliability. I've seen some trucks or vans that might be candidates, based on the overall size, ranging from Dodge to Mercedes. (Why I said to cover various price points.)

8. Should be able to take the height of a pin that does not have the head folded, or removed if it's a non-foldable EM. That most likely rules out being able to see out of any rear windows, if they exist. So:

9. Decent visibility around the vehicle, from the mirrors, and any possible camera features.

I think that would pretty much be my wish list, if I could enumerate the specs.

As some of you have noted in response, this does not really come down to what is cost effective. (And just wait for that $7. gas, which may be in our future.) It might not even make strict financial sense if one happened into some wonderful financial windfall, vs. the cost of each-occasion rentals of whatever might be needed. My list was more of a theoretical, idealized, best-case-scenario wish list, if one could design things from scratch and not be too concerned about the cost. If you happened to be a route operator, you'd have more of a need for this, and could write it off as a business expense. (I continue to wonder if route operators are nearly extinct now, as pin ownership has gone in a decidedly home use direction for quite some time, and the economics of any route biz seems to have gotten very shaky in many parts of the country, to say the least.)

There is a local route operator, who the last time I asked about this (not recently) was I think using some vehicle like a Honda Odyssey to transport one pin at a time. That to me seemed inefficient and inadequate -- more work and trouble than is desirable. More recently, I had help in moving a pin. This involved a borrowed Ford F-series truck, lots of special handling, plus removing and then later reattaching the pin's legs. Notably more work involved than I've seen this take under the fancier scenarios.

A friend of mine not long ago purchased a warehouse, in which to store and grow his collection. So, in that situation we are not talking about minor costs. He will be moving pins in and out. If one is ever in a position to go that far, I think something like my idealized list moves out of the 'pipe dream' category and becomes more open to serious consideration.

In line with my earlier posts, possible interesting candidates: Ford Transit 250, MBZ Sprinter . . . although neither is likely liftgate suitable. Both are taller van types.

Adding to my ongoing list of interesting, van-type candidates from post #1872: Nissan NV 200; Dodge has a couple models that are larger than a more compact one I just saw on the road -- have forgotten the model, as I didn't make note of it -- which was tall enough but not deep enough.

Have to reiterate that for any passenger type vehicle, you'd never want to stop short in traffic and have a hulking mass weighing 250 lb.s or more hurtling towards you. A separate, fully enclosed cargo section with effective internal restraints should avoid that.

Yes, just saw a Promaster 3500 in a parking lot. Looks like it might be an appropriate size. Probably not so much with a model of theirs smaller than this.

Besides relative dimensions, another thing worth evaluating is the overall *brand reliability* scores. Some won't measure up well in that regard. Toyota and Honda have topped the list for years in regard to regular passenger car models, but I don't know whether that will necessarily carry over to their van or truck models, or which of those may apply to this conversation.

Despite what bobukcat wrote in post 1945, that is why I think I'd hold out for a van, panel truck, or actual (fully enclosed for weather reasons) truck with a wall-separated cargo cabin or section, apart from the driver / passenger seating, and which had very adequate internal restraints, to deal with possible momentum or impact situations. For very short distance hauls where weather considerations were not a factor, one might get by with a range of lesser options -- provided that the game fits.

This is a bit of a deviation, but others previously in this thread referenced use of a ramp for loading into their vehicle of choice. I'm looking for a sturdy, compact ramp just to ease a pin over a 6-inch half-step drop -- at the top -- down into the garage. (Or vice-versa.) Say about 28" wide, with the doorway being more like 29". The ramp should slope downwards for perhaps 2 - 3 feet., and should support the weight of a widebody pin. (I already have one of those hydraulic pin movers, for lifting / moving, and then onto the ramp, which would ease the process.) I think the vehicle-loading ramps spoken of here must be longer and steeper affairs.

A guy at Ace Hardware suggested some pieces for a DIY build on this, but if there is a good off-the-shelf version that I could buy, that would be preferable. Perhaps some of you have acquired something like this, and can tell me where it could be purchased ?

Never mind: found a ramp online that looks like it ought to meet the specs and do the job, so I ordered it.