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How is your car configured?


Scissors
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I've seen some guys do it differently so I'm curious. For a while I had all my stuff in a duffel bag, and uniforms hanging from the two coat hooks in the back of my suv. I decided to ditch the bag recently and just have it laid out in the back. My car is pretty full lugging around everything for my job, gear for playing baseball, and umpiring so I'm wondering if there's a better way.

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No question...the worst part of The Job, IMHO...

In my next life, I'm going to invent valet drones to manage my gear and uniforms. I'll just pull into the parking lot like Tony Stark and everything will come out on mini-drones and gear me up in 2 minutes. Then when I'm done, I'll take everything off, street clothes will come out and by the time I have gotten in the driver's seat, everything is now stowed.

~Dawg

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1 hour ago, noumpere said:

Your uniforms will fade if you leave them hanging. 

Didn't think about that, but my car has very black tinted windows (former government vehicle), to the point you can't see in the back at all unless you put your nose right against the glass, so not sure how that affects it.

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Mini Countryman ALL4. This one’s a Cooper S E, meaning it’s got eeeelectric motors in it... which makes it a hybrid! Bring on the officiating mileage! 

  • I have a clothes bar across the back seat. Any shirts, jackets, and pants I’m bringing to a venue are hung on it.
  • In the hatchback trunk is located my Fūl Workhorse rolling duffel bag. This is the same bag I’ve taken on tour for the past 3 – now about to go on 4 – summer baseball league seasons. It holds my undershirts, sliders, base shoes (one pair), ball bags, belts (3), shin sleeves, protector, sunglass cases, accessories, CP, shinguards, and 2 masks. 
  • During the summer tour, I keep my league hats in the gear bag. Otherwise, during the rest of the year, I have an UmpLife Hat Carrier, and that sits in the car. 
  • I have a cleaning caddy, with all cleaning supplies, rags, brushes and tape in it. This is in the back of the car. 
  • There’s an IKEA turf carpet I have rolled up to deploy and stand on. Hot pavement or rocky lots suck. 
  • There’s a Life’s Good! soft-sided cooler sitting in the back seat, opposite the shirts & slacks. I’ve gotten conditioned to “run light” on multi-game days. Even when doing 4-6 games, I only bring and eat protein bars, bananas, melon chunks, and consume gallons of water. 
  • Any time I’m going to multi-field complex, I bring a selection of additional gear for my colleagues, should they need it. This goes in a zippered IKEA blue tyvek bag. $1.50 at IKEA, worth every penny.

If anything, I’ve become a practiced hand at loading and unloading my zippy hatchback. Most of my time is spent doing and folding the copious amounts of laundry!

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So currently have a 05 F150 SCrew 4x4 with the cursed 5.4

Usually

pants and shirts are on hangers hanging behind drivers seat in the rear

equipment bag with all the 1st tier stuff is on the top level in the bottom of the bag is all the 2nd tier equipment, that is on the back seat behind the driver side

I found a carboard box that fits well behind the pass side so the bag wont slide over to the middle of the seat and or anywhere else. Also keep my base shoes on the floor behind the driver side seat and my plate shoes go under the rear seat.

In said box is a container of armor all wipes and a roll of paper towels as well as a spray bottle of armor all protectant for the shoes.

on the side pocket of the driver side I will have a couple things from red flags that LL use as well as counters and sometimes a brush 

However at this current time my 05 crap box broke on the way to work this morning so I had the wife drop off her car and I am going to transfer all of it minus the unis to the trunk of her car at lunch

sigh..  lost 3rd gear in the tranny this outta be a fun bill =/

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How do you all afford to drive trucks and SUVs with the amount of windshield time you get as an umpire (or maybe that's just in my sparsely-populated neck of the woods)? I drive one of these.

2013-honda-crz-hatchback-angular-front.p

So, I don't really have much of a choice, as even if I had a clothes bar, there's not enough vertical space for them to hang. So I keep my shirts and pants on hangers in one of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9FHOOQ/ and lay it on top of (or beside) my gear bag in the hatchback.

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8 minutes ago, kylehutson said:

How do you all afford to drive trucks and SUVs with the amount of windshield time you get as an umpire (or maybe that's just in my sparsely-populated neck of the woods)? I drive one of these.

2013-honda-crz-hatchback-angular-front.p

So, I don't really have much of a choice, as even if I had a clothes bar, there's not enough vertical space for them to hang. So I keep my shirts and pants on hangers in one of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9FHOOQ/ and lay it on top of (or beside) my gear bag in the hatchback.

 

you did see where I said I drove a 2005 F150 right?

but yeah my mpg is awful at 12 

 

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2 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

but yeah my mpg is awful at 12 

 

Must be nice to be able to get from the gas station all the way home before you have to head back to refuel. :laugh:

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9 minutes ago, kylehutson said:

Must be nice to be able to get from the gas station all the way home before you have to head back to refuel. :laugh:

My AOR is typically 5 minutes from my house now and previous to that I was 30 min from home BUT I was only 10 minutes out of the way from my normal way home from work. SO it has not hit me too hard.

I know come July the state tourney will be 40 min north of my work so.. THAT will suck as I will then be an hour plus to get home.

but eh such is life. I will probably swap it all into the wifes fusion as I can get like 27 mpg outta that.

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35 minutes ago, kylehutson said:

How do you all afford to drive trucks and SUVs with the amount of windshield time you get as an umpire (or maybe that's just in my sparsely-populated neck of the woods)? I drive one of these.

I have a 2010 explorer and they're probably about the same price as that honda. It gets 17mpg which is ok and has room for all my baseball junk so it works for me

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This is my ride: Tesla 2019 M3

2019-Tesla-Model-3-Standard-Plus-doors.j 

Large trunk holds everything.

This time of year, I'm getting 150–160 MPGe.

And before I'm snarked: the average new car in the U.S. sells for about $38.5K, and the M3 starts at $35K. Not a "luxury vehicle" (though the Models S and X are in that class).

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5 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

fusion as I can get like 27 mpg outta that.

As much as I like/love my Countryman, did I ever introduce you to my ultimate, dream umpire vehicle?? 

Agate%20Black%20Metallic-UM-10,10,12-640

A Ford Transit Connect. Opt for the flank windows, put a reclining seat in the back on one side, and you’ve got enough seating for a 3-man crew on tour. Best part? It’s built on a Ford Fusion chassis and powertrain, so it gets 25-27 mpg! 

If I could only get it in white (as used, with cost savings), then I’d get it a vinyl-wrap complete with baseball branding. Maybe not blatantly advertise anything regarding umpiring... OOH! Get a sponsorship from Johnsonville or Klements or Usingers (all proud Wisconsin companies)!!! Ya know?!?! We deal in brats (little ballplayers) and hot dogs 🌭!!! (teenagers)

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Just now, Scissors said:

I have a 2010 explorer and they're probably about the same price as that honda. It gets 17mpg which is ok and has room for all my baseball junk so it works for me

1) Even if we bought them both new, there's an $11k difference in new purchase price. ($31,600 vs $20,600) - I bought mine used for just under $6k.

2) The gas mileage is what I was really referring to, though. You say you get 17 mpg. At (being generous) $2.50/gal gas, that costs you $14.71 per 100 miles. Mine, at 40mpg costs $6.25 per 100 miles.

I also own a Chevy Avalanche (which, by coincidence, also gets 17 mpg). I don't use that for umpiring for that very reason (unless SWMBO is taking the gas miser on a road trip or something).

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5 minutes ago, maven said:

This is my ride: Tesla 2019 M3

I'm officially jealous. My boss has a Tesla, and I tell people you shouldn't drive one ... because you'll want one.

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1 minute ago, kylehutson said:

I'm officially jealous. My boss has a Tesla, and I tell people you shouldn't drive one ... because you'll want one.

"Officially Jealous" is the title of the umpiring soap opera I'm writing.

And about the car: I don't want to hijack the thread, but let me say: you have no idea! I'm thinking of getting a new one, and those online car buyers are offering me 90% of what I paid 2 years ago for mine. Crazy trade-in value (normal residuals at 24 months are in the 65% range).

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2015 Ford Escape

  • F3 roller in back "trunk" with plate gear, belts, extra parts, etc.
  • Clothes bar in middle (tinted windows prevent uniform fading in OH)
  • Plate shoes behind passenger seat
  • Base shoes behind driver seat
  • Hats in UL container on middle seat
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23 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

I have started to drool over the new F150 lightning but the range is holding me back on it. If I get an E car it better get near 500 miles range as during the winter Ill prolly be knocked back to 350

 

I had to umpire for about 6 months out of a 2000 Ranger with the tiny extended cab. Never again! 

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I have my '14 Sonata.  I can get 30+ mpg if I'm on the highway, and all my gear fits great in the trunk.  I hang my clothes from a handhold in the backseat.  I'll live with the fading issue.

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39 minutes ago, maven said:

This is my ride: Tesla 2019 M3

2019-Tesla-Model-3-Standard-Plus-doors.j 

Large trunk holds everything.

This time of year, I'm getting 150–160 MPGe.

And before I'm snarked: the average new car in the U.S. sells for about $38.5K, and the M3 starts at $35K. Not a "luxury vehicle" (though the Models S and X are in that class).

Looks like Navy Blue to the colorblind/deficient...

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7 minutes ago, BLWizzRanger said:

Looks like Navy Blue to the colorblind/deficient...

@maven does live somewhere in Ohio... which is, unfortunately, a “stubborn state”... and won’t relinquish navy.

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I drive a Jeep Wrangler 2 door and keep the top off as much I can do in the summer and doors off when we have extended no-rain days.

I work from home so I only load what I'm going to use when I leave...I'm also typically less than 15 minutes to the diamond.

I do bring a backpack and load whatever food/supplies I need.

During long days 3-4 games in a row, I'll bring a chair and cooler but leave it in the Jeep to visit between games as time permits.

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20 hours ago, maven said:

And about the car: I don't want to hijack the thread, but let me say: you have no idea! I'm thinking of getting a new one, and those online car buyers are offering me 90% of what I paid 2 years ago for mine. Crazy trade-in value (normal residuals at 24 months are in the 65% range).

Not to rain on your parade BUT, look at car lots...they have nothing to sell.  The place we purchased my wife's Toyota FJ new in 2010 (yellow color, 97,000 miles, call about every year trying to buy it back) called two weeks ago and offered us $25,500--original purchase price of just under $30,000. I did the math, 85% residual IN 10 YEARS.

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