Cart to lug all this kit in an overpacked vehicle

Justin Kuhn

Justin Kuhn

Veteran
So...if you have a lot of gear in cases you schlep in the back of a van wagon or car...you may be interested in this subject. I have a station wagon myself and space can get limited fairly easily with four Lowel cases (skinnier than the Arri case) and a camera case that holds the entirety of my camera kit, which has accumulated quite a bit. It's the biggest case, some kind of Storm, 10x18x28ish. I used to have a bunch of stuff in a Pelican 1650 until I put my back out lifting it. My own fault, I had lead weights in it. Just because they fit. What a dumbass! Tangent over.

So I've gotten pretty tired of loading and unloading all that stuff into locations. I wanted something that could fit in my car along with all the rest of it and make one trip with everything. I found something I think will do it, maybe minus the camera crate in some situations: http://www.gruvgear.com/muver6

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So far the only drawbacks I can see are the wheels aren't good for gravel or grass. But I haven't got the room for bigger wheels really anyway, and that kind of outdoor situation is pretty rare for me. The tabletop accessory seems cool but not usable in a camera situation (no lip) and it packs too big. I don't know if it comes with that anyway. Also the folded version of the cart itself is a bit bigger than I'd like but if I want to carry all the cases (plus c-stands and pipe) this seems to be where it's at.


Anyone else addressing these types of problems?
 
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I like a Multicart myself. You can get 'em up to like 700 lbs capacity. And down pretty small. With all kinds of accessories including shelves. Does fine outside, but I doubt any unpowered cart is going to do too well in thick coarse gravel.

Just remember that one of the things you have to pack and take with you, is the cart. So make sure it folds down small and compact.
 
yep, I have to watch my back and I'm in a Subaru Outback at this time. I wound up getting the Multicart R14 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/877646-REG/MultiCart_r14rt_R14_8_In_1_Convertible_Hand.html

I hadn't seen the GruvGear one you're talking about at the time. It seems to have a better build quality. The Mulitcart is OK. The wheels aren't all that great, definitely not so good for gravel... grass, not too bad, but it's doing alright for now. It folds up pretty small which is a good feature for me and I've had a lot on it, dragging it across Canal Street and it is holding up OK.

It looks like that cart is able to turn on the center wheels which must come in really handy. It reminds me of the "U Boats" you see in grocery stores. The multicart wheels just spin on one side so I've gotten stuck in hallways with it when it's fully extended.
 
I also looked at the RockNRoller/Multicart and some of the reviews said it tended to sag somewhat in the middle. Another guy said he had a handle snap off--after 5 years though. I was gonna go with that until I found this. What I did like about the Multicart were the shelves. But all the different configurations on the Muver sold me. I'm a sucker for versatility, or at least the appearance of it.
 
Love the rock & roller. Although the model I have only cost $100 as opposed to link above. No sagging or breaking issues yet.
 
Justin Kuhn said:
I also looked at the RockNRoller/Multicart and some of the reviews said it tended to sag somewhat in the middle.
Click to expand...

You've got to be kidding! I've had my wife and me both standing on our fully extended multi-cart. Held us just fine, no sagging, nice and sturdy. And this is for the R8 (500 lbs capacity) version. Granted, the two of us aren't close to 500 lbs together, but still -- I very seldom use that cart at full extension, and all my gear (C-stands, light stands, light modifiers, sandbags, lights, camera gear, sound gear) together are closer to 300 lbs.

I suspect the only way you could get a multicart to sag would be to pull it out at full extension, then put a stack of steel plates right at the middle. But a worst-case scenario like that doesn't happen in real life because camera and lighting equipment isn't solid steel plates. At least mine isn't.
 
Bruce Watson said:
You've got to be kidding! I've had my wife and me both standing on our fully extended multi-cart. Held us just fine, no sagging, nice and sturdy. And this is for the R8 (500 lbs capacity) version. Granted, the two of us aren't close to 500 lbs together, but still -- I very seldom use that cart at full extension, and all my gear (C-stands, light stands, light modifiers, sandbags, lights, camera gear, sound gear) together are closer to 300 lbs.

I suspect the only way you could get a multicart to sag would be to pull it out at full extension, then put a stack of steel plates right at the middle. But a worst-case scenario like that doesn't happen in real life because camera and lighting equipment isn't solid steel plates. At least mine isn't.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have said "one" of the reviews. If this expensive cart gets here and it's just too much overkill and won't fit in the car, I'll probably send it back and get a smaller and cheaper Multicart. I just wanted something that would handle *everything* I threw at it. It should arrive in three days or so, maybe I'll post some fully-loaded pics and different pack configurations.

The filmtools Magliner pro carts are definitely too big for me...in both price and size.
 
[h=2] [/h]Great piece of kit. I love mine and never go anywhere without it. I bought a top shelf for it so I not only can lug more crap around than I sometimes need but have a utility "desk top" during the shoot.
 
I have a Rock N Roller, and it's tires are always going flat.
My Filmtools camera assistant cart has been the bomb! Wouldn't want to work without it now. The price only hurts once.
 
I replaced the old tires on my rock n roller because they too kept going flat. They now have no-flat tires and so the issue isn't there anymore.
 
I have the RocknRoller All Terrain, for the price it's great but also a bit wobbly and I don't like how it has be taken apart und put together for travelling in tight spaces.
 
Sorry about these huge pics. Test pack of the Muver 6:
9nNsyZV.jpg

C-stands were tricky:
8uGZ6UK.jpg
Shop vaccuum in the bg for hunting camel crickets. The only crickets left are the huge & cautious ones and the tiny ones. Until the tiny ones grow up.
camel_crickets_jenny_2.jpg
 
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