Buy a trailer (instead of a pickup truck)

[oil pan 4]

This is why I think heavy duty semi float axles are an oxymoron.

Here is a visual aid from fourwheeler magazine, that I drew on:

You can see the rub marks from where the bearing that supports the entire rear axle weight rides on the axle shaft.
The wider rub marks to the out side, closer to the hub is where the oil seal rides, the thinner more even rub mark further down the axle is where the bearings ride.

With full float the hub and the weight of the vehicle rides on the axle's tube housing structure. All the axle has to do in a full float application is drive the wheel. (this is why I switched to a 3/4 ton suburban and full float axle)

So you want to put all the drive torque, the weight of the rear of the vehicle, thermal stress from the rear brake and the moment of inertia from the off set all on one point?
On paper it looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

With all the stupid stuff people do to half ton trucks and fact that semi float axles are not snapping the hubs off all over the place is a miracle.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

At that point all you are doing is wasting money so you can pull around 200 to 300 pounds of goose neck structure that you don't need. Whats the point?

You know it's all about that bragging rights

[freebeard]

Here's a trailer and a pickup from Just A Car Guy:


http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/10/cool-in-many-ways.html

The tow vehicle has it's problems. I'll bet the trailer really cleans up the airflow.

[RedDevil]

I could not believe my eyes on this one...



Anyone from here?

[freebeard]

When I went to pick up a Westfalia utility trailer with my Type III, it had blown-out elastomeric spring units, so I rented a trailer that weighed probably three times as much to haul it. It put the engine into a downward spiral that led to a rebuild.

[Miller88]

This morning I got passed by a Saturn Vue towing a Legacy (bra d. New ) on a uhaul car trailer ...

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

[Swordsmith]

I bought a lightweight folding trailer from Harbor Freight last January, and had UHaul install a hitch on my little Sonic.

Turns out you have to go through a number of hoops here in PA to register a trailer; you need a certified letter from the manufacturer, you need the receipt, you need to go somewhere to have it weighed, and then you need to have it inspected by specialty trailer inspection people.

In the horrid weather last winter, I made repeated stabs at getting it put together (didn't take a lot of work really) and getting the lights working (That on the other hand was a mess) and then realized that I'd misplaced the receipt. Busy season came up and well here I am 11 months later with a non registered trailer hanging on my wall.

BUT several times now I have had to move a large load, and I've just run back to UHaul and rented a trailer.

First time, I rented a pickup. Nominal cost $19.99 but real cost was over $60 with insurance, gas, and the various special fees they charge, including mileage... and I only put 10 miles on the thing round trip.

Little trailer, on the other hand, cost $14.99 plus tax... less than $17. Miles don't matter, it's just a daily fee, I put over 200 miles on one of the rentals.

Another great thing about renting is that you don't have to haul an empty trailer around much; you can drive hundreds of miles to a destination with a full trailer and return it to a uhaul near the destination. You can drive hundreds of miles, then rent a trailer near your destination to haul supplies from a local store, return the trailer and drive home.

On the other hand, I'll still fix my own trailer up eventually since I already own the thing... there's nothing -requiring- me to use it on trips where that one way feature makes more sense, but it would be handy to have around for local journies.

The Sonic is not rated to tow in the US, however the exact same car is rated to tow 2000lbs in europe, so it's not about the car's capacity it's about the beauracracy in the US. Uhaul had a Sonic-specific hitch and rated me to rent up to 2000lb trailers so I guess they agree.

(add note) I got no noticeable difference in MPG before and after hitch... same trip at roughly same time of year got same MPG within less than 1mpg. So the fact that I'm constantly carrying around an extra 30 lbs or so worth of hitch doesn't seem to matter.

[user removed]

It cost $131 to register my $175 Harbor Freight trailer in Virginia. Used it twice and sold. From here on I'll just borrow my youngest brothers rig.

regards
mech

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by Swordsmith

Turns out you have to go through a number of hoops here in PA to register a trailer; you need a certified letter from the manufacturer, you need the receipt, you need to go somewhere to have it weighed, and then you need to have it inspected by specialty trailer inspection people.

In the horrid weather last winter, I made repeated stabs at getting it put together (didn't take a lot of work really) and getting the lights working (That on the other hand was a mess) and then realized that I'd misplaced the receipt. Busy season came up and well here I am 11 months later with a non registered trailer hanging on my wall.

BUT several times now I have had to move a large load, and I've just run back to UHaul and rented a trailer.

That is why I registered mind in maine, the entire time I lived in Virginia and here.
If you lost the receipt, go buy a second one use that receipt and then return it or register that one you have as "home made".