Two or three times a year, my brother and I need to move a ~5500 lbs sailboat + trailer. Not very far (<10 km = mi.), and not very fast (typically <20 km/h = 16 mph, though sometimes up to 65 km/h)
Years ago, we used to use my brother's Honda Ridgeline. Things were a little bit beyond the Honda's towing rating (5k lbs), but it was fine.
(From: Honda Ridgeline MPG vs speed graph: fuel economy with & without cargo trailer )
Unfortunately, someone smashed into the Ridgeline in a snowstorm, and his replacement vehicle is only rated for half the Honda's towing ability. So, no go.
(Not my brother's actual smashed Ridgeline, but pretty darned close to it! White, too.)
Since the Ridgeline's premature exit, we've been begging/borrowing numerous friends' pickup trucks. Always repaid with beer/gas, but we hate asking. We've rented trucks too, but it's $$$, and the local rental company no longer has half-tons available.
Enter crazy idea: the neighbour of a good friend has a running & driving but otherwise beat-up 1985 F-150 that he parked in a field about a dozen years ago.
Something close to this:
Lately I've been watching too many episodes of Vicegrip Garage, so obviously I'm thinking the ideal thing to do is drag said pickup from its field/grave and fix it up to use as our 2-3 times per year tow vehicle.
It'd definitely need a battery, and brakes & brake lines, and fuel lines, & parking brake cables, and exhaust, and probably tires, and a tune-up, and bodywork, and mouse removal, and miscellaneous other repairs, and an air freshener. But it might be a fun project, right?
Probably not. Well, probably
initially.
What am I thinking?!
I should be trying to
cull the herd, not add to it!