Just to add my .02...

Back in '97 we started off carrying our tandems in the back of an '89 Toyota X-Cab pick-up. It was great having the tandem and tandem stuff in back with us and our stuff up front. As we began to take more trips we decided that the ultimate tandem accessory was a Suburban in that it allowed us to carry two tandems and four adults inside + luggage or three tandems on the roof rack system with three teams and their stuff inside. We did two of the Suburbans for this very reason and then came to a crossroads as the 2nd Suburban reached that point (80k miles) where resale value would begin to plummit so we'd either have to 'sh*t or get off the pot".

We decided to get off the pot and then we faced the dilemma: Honda Odyssey or Toyota Tundra Double Cab pick-up. We went with the Toyota Tundra DC pick-up for a couple reasons:

1. It has an honest to goodness 6' bed that accommodates our road tandem with just the front wheel removed.
2. It seats four or five adults quite nicely and fully compartmentalized from the cargo bed and grease / odors / noises that go along with having a tandem and tool box in the car. In fact, we were actually able to stuff six adults in at TRR for a very short trip without removing the tandem and tandem stuff from the bed.
3. It's perfect for hauling the grandkids around as a child seat fits smack dab in the middle or in either of the right or left rear seats so that mom and dad can sit along side and/or we'll be able to haul up to three of our four grandkids in the backseat push-come-to-shove while still having full use of the 6' bed.
4. For all of those times when we're not hauling bikes, the pick-up truck is still a pick-up truck. I can haul yard debris to the recycling center, 30 bags of mulch back to the house without asphyxiating myself and so on. It's not as easy to haul 8 - 12 foot loads like it was with the Suburbans, but that's a small price to pay as those events are far and few between.

On the down side the fuel economy isn't all that much better than the Suburbans UNLESS you drive the speed limits and don't run the A/C. Typically we'll see 15.5 - 16.5 mph city with anywhere from 16.0 - 20.0 on the highway. The Honda's claimed 28 mpg was really a strong attraction as was the ability to seat 7 coupled with all of the entertainment stuff. However, the Odyssey ain't a truck and when you need a truck only a truck will do.

I still look at the Odyssey's whenever I take Debbie's little S2000 in for service, but if I had to pull the trigger on a 3rd car I'm guessing it would be a Camry SE or a Porsche 996 and not a mini-van.

Here's the basic tandem hauling configuration for our Tundra. There is usually an extra set of wheels stuffed in the back along with a Universal folding repair stand, a couple tool boxes and a duffle bag with all of our cycling gear. What you're seeing here is a typical day-ride configuration as tomorrow we hope to join several other Georgia tandem teams for the monthly PEACHES ride up in Rome, Georgia. Of course, I had foot surgery today so it remains to be seen if I'll be able to ride when I wake up tomorrow. Fingers crossed, the Shimano sandals will allow me to hobble along for at least the short or medium routes.