A better plastic uke for my car? :^)

do you folks leave the uke in the trunk or the passenger area of the car? Is this primarily when you find yourself waiting in a parking lot and need to pass the time for a few minutes, or is it you find yourself somewhere unexpected (like a beach or park) and you always have a uke with you?
I leave mine in the back seat (under a tonneau cover so it's not completely visible). Primary use is in parking lots if I'm early for something or someone. If it's nice out (particularly in the summer) and I have time I'll sometimes pull into a park and play a bit. It's also been handy a couple of times when I ran late for a uke group and didn't have time to run home for my normal one.
 
Trunk generally is a better place for security and heat. The passenger compartment heats up much quicker (and maybe hotter) due to the greenhouse effect of the windows whereas the trunk will likely settle closer to the outside temperature compared to the passenger compartment.
 
I don't have a car uke but I need one because my friends and I are too disorganized to plan in advance. I go to a party and Pete shows up with a uke and asks if I brought one, but I didn't. Bill and Liz might show up with ukes, too. Naturally, when I do bring a uke they didn't. If I kept a uke in the car then I would always be prepared... unless I took the L instead of driving. That's why I also need a tiny sopranissimo. Plus a stylish lightweight jacket with a big enough pocket.

What I really need is a servant who trails behind me, carrying a perfectly-tuned uke at all times.

Or an Outdoor Uke attached to a small intelligent drone. Amazon, where are those delivery drones? I want to borrow one for a while...
 
Well....I was ready to pull the trigger, and a friend did an intervention with me, knowing of my UAS. I just checked my $$ balance, and I can forget it, because I forgot I gave away $250 to a colleague that needed it.
Oh well, at least I can prove I'm a practicing socialist.
I had to ask myself, do I really need it?
Maybe, just maybe, I'm getting this UAS thing under control...?
Sorry to hijack the thread with my personal challenges...
 
The voice of logic and reason does not apply once one is deciding whether to get a pink or blue (or orange, white, or black) ukulele.
 
The voice of logic and reason does not apply once one is deciding whether to get a pink or blue (or orange, white, or black) ukulele.

I can totally relate....

Realistically, many uke owners already own an old Asian made uke that it collecting dust and will eventually end up as land fill. Why not save yourself some cash and put it in you car instead of the cupboard if you want a "car uke"? Sure it will suffer due to temperature extremes, but so what, at least its being used. It is amazing what a 1m square of white towelling or insulating fabric can do to keep a ukulele in a good temperature range.

This is sound reasoning, except, to be honest, I don't play in my car. It's challenge enough to keep from getting killed around here without a distraction. (Half the other drivers are distracted by I-don't-know-what!
 
Trunk generally is a better place for security and heat. The passenger compartment heats up much quicker (and maybe hotter) due to the greenhouse effect of the windows whereas the trunk will likely settle closer to the outside temperature compared to the passenger compartment.

Rainbow, that makes good sense, and I (and I'm sure many others) appreciate that insight. I have always tended to gravitate toward the passenger compartment, but from now on, I'll opt for the trunk-- at least in hot weather. Now, as to the cold winter days, any thoughts on that...?
 
Rainbow, that makes good sense, and I (and I'm sure many others) appreciate that insight. I have always tended to gravitate toward the passenger compartment, but from now on, I'll opt for the trunk-- at least in hot weather. Now, as to the cold winter days, any thoughts on that...?

I would think the opposite (trunk still better for security, though) in that the coldest the passenger compartment or trunk will get is the outside temp. The passenger compartment will be warmer due to the passengers and heater and a little greenhouse heating in the daytime (but not night)
 
I would think the opposite (trunk still better for security, though) in that the coldest the passenger compartment or trunk will get is the outside temp. The passenger compartment will be warmer due to the passengers and heater and a little greenhouse heating in the daytime (but not night)

Ah, but in the trunk it is not right there if one happens to have a moment to take advantage of. It has to be within easy reach.
 
Ah, but in the trunk it is not right there if one happens to have a moment to take advantage of. It has to be within easy reach.

Dang, hadn't thought about that! Okay, how 'bout passenger compartment when you're driving (and can regulate the "cabin temperature"), then place in trunk when you park and walk away...? :eek:)
 
Ah, but in the trunk it is not right there if one happens to have a moment to take advantage of. It has to be within easy reach.

My perception of having a uke to leave in the car is that it would stay there to be available for times when I travel somewhere and want to grab it to play outside the car, like a picnic, at the beach, etc. By all means, keep it in the passenger compartment while you are there as temperature extremes will not occur due to air conditioning and heating. But leave the car in the sun on a hot day and temps quickly climb to 120 degrees or higher which is why we have too many tragedies involving unattended children. The trunk will be a cooler spot for the uke.
 
My perception of having a uke to leave in the car is that it would stay there to be available for times when I travel somewhere and want to grab it to play outside the car, like a picnic, at the beach, etc. By all means, keep it in the passenger compartment while you are there as temperature extremes will not occur due to air conditioning and heating. But leave the car in the sun on a hot day and temps quickly climb to 120 degrees or higher which is why we have too many tragedies involving unattended children. The trunk will be a cooler spot for the uke.

That's why you have to have a special car uke that will withstand such temps. I think that's what the thread is about. If one is planning to go on a picnic or to the beach they could plan to take their ukulele with them. No need to keep it in the car all the time. I don't know, I'm just commenting. I'm bored today.:)
 
Where is best to put the uke will depend on personal preferences and circumstances.

I like to pull my uke into the drivers seat while I'm parked waiting for something. I could get out of my seat to get the uke, but for a normal 5-10 minute wait (especially if it's raining) it's a lot easier to just reach behind me. I don't worry about the heat damaging the uke because my Outdoor Carbon is good to well higher than the car will get, and I'm pretty good about controlling the car heat for my own comfort. I certainly wouldn't leave anything living who couldn't get themselves out inside it while parked, but between the convertible top letting air out and sun shades it doesn't get nearly hot enough to damage my uke. Conversely, if I put the uke in the trunk it'd pretty much take up all of that cargo space (because of shape rather than size).

Security is a significant issue (especially with a convertible), but I'm much more concerned that somebody would cut the top than that they'd take the uke. My so-called rear "seats" are covered by a tonneau / wind-screen and the black uke isn't visible from outside with the top up.
 
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