Buy a trailer (instead of a pickup truck)

[monster76]

Originally Posted by bestclimb

That could be fun to watch, but if one had the need to pull a backhoe on a regular basis then a truck capable of pulling it would be the way to go. If one had no need to pull a large load regularly then a large truck seems like an affectation.



Having pulled over 3 tons (closer to 5) of wood in the last little while (2000lb tow rated Subaru and multiple trips), by far the largest amount of time dealing with it has been cutting, trimming, chopping, splitting, loading, unloading, and stacking. Even with the extra trips the pulling of the wood was pretty minimal. If I had to go farther or had other large loads to pull then a bigger rig to pull it may have been useful but for the rest of the time (for me anyway) it would be unused capacity. I have a full size pickup that was parked for this wood getting season but used last season. The Subaru pulled more wood than I could fit into the truck, got better mileage while pulling. Plus I had a usable vehicle while the load was waiting for me to process it.

For more than incidental usage a large truck makes sense with your metro for a daily driver.

yea i only said it because of the out pulling the f250 comment. nut i totally agree if i didnt use my truck my truck as a truck id just keep a tiny car car as a daily

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by flying kurmaster

I must have said it in a confusing way. It was a one wheel trailer to haul a motorcycle on behind a car.

I have seen some towing setups that used the rear wheel of the motorcycle itself, but never seen a motorcycle getting towed in a single-wheel trailer. That might still look odd anyways...

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by techieguy

I think keep my truck than trying to haul a trailer behind my Metro. Last load of firewood I picked up was over 6.5K lbs! If my Metro could haul 1K lbs gross that would be over six trips and and would save any fuel what so ever. Even with a full load of firewood I still manage 18-20 mpg in my 1 ton Dodge with a diesel...then there is my value of my time. Now if you are moving light but bulky items from time to time then maybe a trailer is viable.

It sounds like you have a legitimate need for a larger truck.
I am just trying to discourage people from buying a 15mpg truck when all they are going to use it for is hauling 1 or 2 small loads that are under 1000lb a few times a year.

When I move fire wood I pull it with my suburban and some times I pull 2 loaded trailers at once (yes its legal in newmexico and texas). I usually bring 2 trailers just in case, But I rarely need the capacity.

[RedDevil]

For those who cannot choose, there is a solution

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

(yes its legal in newmexico and texas)

So your saying that you could use a double decker school bus pulling a tandem axle travel trailer, to tow a single axle trailer composting toilet with a gabled-roofed wooden shack with a crescent moon cutout in the door?


Awesome!

RedDevil -- The only thing novel to me in that picture is that the vehicle and trailer both are fairly late model.

[bestclimb]

Originally Posted by freebeard

So your saying that you could use a double decker school bus pulling a tandem axle travel trailer, to tow a single axle trailer composting toilet with a gabled-roofed wooden shack with a crescent moon cutout in the door?


Awesome!

Verily.

Originally Posted by RedDevel

For those who cannot choose, there is a solution

the salvaged pickup bed trailer is a time honored tradition in these parts. The price is right, and you get a frame, axle and lights.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

For those who cannot choose, there is a solution

I've already seen similar setups, altough back here AFAIK it's currently not legal to repurpose part of a truck frame as a trailer frame...

[Fat Charlie]

Plenty of them around here. I so wanted one, but when I was actually in the market for a trailer I didn't feel like crawling around inspecting someone's welding and hack wiring and then trusting everyone's lives to it for years to come. So I just bought a regular one.

[oil pan 4]

In NM and TX there is an over all vehicle length limit. I don't know what it is but its pretty freaking long because I do see busses towing a trailer and have seen RVs double trailering.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Yesterday I saw a Fiat Strada coupe-utility pulling a 2-axle trailer, and a Corolla with a single-axle trailer.