i just bought my first high end rod    and  i  was wondering what you guys put them in  to tranport them and protect them in  a car or back of a pickup  i was looking at some of the rod and reel cases at bps website and noticed not many of them got rave reviews , i tried making something out of pvc pipe but the 2inch pipe was to small for the last eyelet and the 3inch way to bulky i was also hoping to leave the reel on if possible . thanks in advance.    

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I'm interested in suggestions as well.  I've been thinking of the bazooka tube - holds 4 rods/reels...  anyone used it?  Thanks!

Is this just for short trips or long trips? For long trips I use two 4" pvc pipes in the back of my truck. I can get ten to twelve rods in there without reels. I only use that for long trips without the boat. In your truck, do you have a topper or taneu cover? They make things to attach to those things that will support your rods. In a car, I have no ideas.

I have an older Plano case that hold about 6 rods. It has foam at the top to protect the tips. The best thing you can do no matter what case you use is to wrap a dishtowel around the tips and midsections.

This will not only protect the tips but make for a snug fit in the case so they don't clank into each other. Had an overhead rack in my old Suburban but it's long gone.

The idea is to prevent scratches and nicks that happen without notice... those are the places a rod will break later. Nothing worse than the bed of a pick up and several rods rattling around... the guide frames from one rod dinging up other rods. Same for a rod box that doesn't have separators.

You just need to be careful and use some common sense for the big stuff like car doors and tailgates.

The problem with the bazooka or PVC type is that it's not convenient for short trips... and then you won't use them. Your best be is a rod sock, stick jacket or nylon cover. They go on in 3-4 seconds and provide decent protection. You will actually use these. Nothing that you'll actually use will stop a tailgate.

I use the covers from five.bass.limit (which I think are similar to stick jackets) and the cheap nylon covers from bps and cabela's.

A cheap cover used all the time trumps a hard case use once in a while.

rod socks/ cheap and easy

The rod socks protect them but whats a good thing to keep them bundled together for easy transport?

Every single rod I own when it doesn 't travel in Da Feechin Machina travels inside a rod sock and then into a rod tube. When they travel in Da Feechin Machina they can travel in the rod holders installed on the ceiling of the SUV. It doesn 't matter if the trip is short or long.

rod socks/ cheap and easy

I own the Stick Jackets and they do offer pretty good protection.  I feel much better having these on while they are in my car.  Obviously they aren't going to be any protection against a door or tailgate, but against the minor bumps and bangs, they do great.  The price is right as well

Another suggestion, is when you carry the rods in/on a vehicle whether loose, in a tube, sock, or any other enclosure is to always have the handle end towards the front of the vehicle. The rod butt can handle sudden stops better than the rod tips.

For long trips I put take the reels off and put the rods in a sock.  I bought one of the berkely vertical rod racks and screwed them into the bed liner in my truck.  I take the rod in the sack in put on the rack.  It keeps them off the bedliner and secure.

Cabelas has nice nylon rod covers with hook guards and a rigid poly tube at the base to protect lures and hooks from tangling.They also have a shock slip cord which easily adjusts to hold the nylon cover secure on the rod. I secure my rods in the boat with a bunje cord slipped over the rods with the bunje attached to my boat anchor. Also keep a couple of rods in the side boat compartment with these rods protected with the nylon covers.   Price $ 6.99 ea. I think their super. Easy/quick to use and to slip on and off. I