Buy a trailer (instead of a pickup truck)

[freebeard]

One of these:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/po...uote&p=1788178
Although I have no idea why the back of the roof is still on that trailer.

[hat_man]

I have always wondered what a Rabbit diesel pick up truck with slightly over sized LLR tires, 5-speed with OD (wasn't there a "freeway flyer" trans-axle from a VW bus that could be swapped in?) and a full fledged template shaped aerocap could pull down for strictly highway mileage.

[freebeard]

The freeway flyer was a four-sped with revised 3rd and 4th ratios.

Here is a comparable:

Northern leg (straight up I-5): 288 miles on 6.195 gallons of #2 diesel = 46mpg

Southern leg (Hwy 99 south of Tigard): 279.8 miles on 6.34 gallons = 44mpg

It's first car show, at the Amity Oregon Pancake Breakfast:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...8-100-1154.jpg
https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...html#post545774

A five-speed naturally aspirated diesel, same as came in the Mark I Rabbit and therefore the pickup. It doesn't have the aerocap but the pickup doesn't have much taper abaft the rear wheels.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by hat_man

Just as a quick comment (I just couldn't read through 900+ replies) I know the OP wasn't about small trucks, but son of a gun they can be efficient and haul stuff too. I post on a Ranger forum and all I hear is "If you're worried about mileage then you should buy a small car." Then they all laugh. When I link to my Garage fuel logs they can't believe I get the mileage I do. It's a shame that when I try and share how I have done it, no one over there seems to care. Their loss. I love my little truck and don't think I could ever switch to a small car and trailer combo.

Where do you plan to carry your family? Or their gear?

Are you saying you aren’t responsible to or for anyone else?

A man alone doesn’t long survive.

I have a four door pickup that could seat six. Carry 2,500-lbs in the bed. Tow a trailer just over 20,000lbs.

Can get up to 21-mpg city and 27-mpg Highway solo. Over 1,000-mile range.

Doesn’t make it ideal as it was expensive when new, and potentially VERY expensive to repair. It might or might not outlast a car far cheaper and able to tow a trailer of some sort where re-supply for a week isn’t needed for six people.

What I’m saying is, put a framework around your assumptions. Examine more closely. If for any reason your vehicle isn’t up to the above, it wasn’t such a great choice. Abandoned in favor of another when it’s time to boogie.

If the reply is me, me, me then don’t bother.

The annual cost of fuel isn’t at the same level of importance as basic specification.

.

[hat_man]

Slowmover.....just the wife of 33 years and me at this point. Her sedan is a smooth ride for the long trips together and has room enough for dinner friends. But with a 120 mile round trip for work 5-6 days a week a little diesel pick-up would be ideal. Not that I would give up my Ranger at this point. 33 mpg in that is pretty darn good. But at something closer to 55-60 mpg would mean only filling up half as often. It would give me more money to spend on my beautiful wife.

[freebeard]

There's a lot to like here. One-piece tilt bed, welded aluminum frame with the wiring run internally and Torsion bar axle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShoHOCN6-BM

I didn't look at the price on purpose.

[redpoint5]

Seems too good to be reasonably priced.

[Fat Charlie]

Not a fan of the ducktail. Yes, integral ramp, but if you make it less of an airbrake, you're also making it less of a rear wall.

[freebeard]

Isn't it a stabilizing 'grid fin'?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I have no idea why the back of the roof is still on that trailer.

Might be still more effective than a Canadian roll-cage