remodel without a truck?

:Can your car pull a trailer?

This is a good point. I think Harbor Freight sells trailers that will fold up and you can store in your garage. I was tempted.

I keep an old compact station wagon for just this kind of thing. It's a hassle to keep up, and I only use it average 2 maybe 3 times a year, but it's great to have it when I need it. One year it looked like it would be expensive to get past the smog test and I started looking for alternatives, including a trailer as mentioned. Turned out I got the smog thing done for less than $100, so I still have the wagon. Brought home a 16' extension ladder with it just the other day on the roof rack.

Reply to
Dan_Musicant
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Bingo. I knew if I read all of these somebody would pick a winner. Just buy a trailer, (couple hundred bucks at Northern or one of the other industrial guys, sell it when you are done or fall on love and keep it. I know a few neighbors who share one. That lets you have a regular car (with a trailer hitch) and move damn near anything. If you are not trying to tow a backhoe or go out on the interstate, you can do it with a pretty small car.

Reply to
gfretwell

Undermaintained or not, the odds are tiny that it will break down in the 75 minutes you have it, and if it does, call them and they'll send another truck, take your materials to your house for you, and they probably will cancel the charge for the truck.

Do you think they will expect you to hitchhike back to the store, rent another truck, and do everything yourself?

Don't go making up problems where there are none.

Reply to
mm

I don't think uhaul trucks are bad, but I don't think one can judge anything by what he sees on the side of the road. I only see a car or truck on the side maybe every 2 weeks, and I know there are thousands that break down in that same time. It's just not a good sample.

Reply to
mm

Or buy a convertible. I can get a 4x8' sheet of plywood in floor of the back seat of my LeBaron with just a little bend.

Reply to
mm

Most cars dont actually have frames anymore, and can only pull about

500 pounds, and not even that if you accelerate fast. The trailer weighs at least 200 usually, so that gives you 300 payload.

I'm probably going to buy a Harbor Freight trailer tonight or tomorrow (but since someone mentioned it, I'll look in the NOrthern catalog.

I'm having it delivered to my borother in Texas where i will assemble it while visiting. My 7 year old nephew can help me. And then I will drive back with some furniture. Unfortunately I have nowhere to keep the trailer and I'll have to sell it after that. It's still cheper than renting a truck or a van, 900 plus airfare one way, versus 200 plus gas an extra one-way. Gas and airfare are about the same, so 700 dollars cheaper and I 'm going to have a 5+5 day sightseeing trip.

Reply to
mm

We had that problem and our VW mechanic was going to scrap a van, so we got it , fixed it up. (an engine) and cut the back off for a very cheap and fun "pick-up" It helped us decide to get a canoe. and we now get our own firewood.

Reply to
ITMFA

You could always just call your garbage company and have them deliver a dumpster. they come in various sizes, from 5 cubic yards to 25 cubic yards, with various prices. I remodelled a couple of years ago, which meant I had to clean out the house, which meant I had to clean out the barn. My wife and I filled six 25 cubic yard dumpsters, we sold two van loads of furniture to a second hand dealer, and I hauled several pickup loads of good junk to Goodwill and Salvation Army.

Farms do tend to accumulate stuff. Quite a bit of the dumpster stuff was left over from the previous owner. When we moved out of our last place, we parked a dumpster next to the house and the moving van in the driveway. To load the van, you had to carry it past the dumpster. Anyone who helped got dumpster diving privileges.

Reply to
Larry Caldwell

I've been on the side of the road with one. Trust me, it's no fun.

Reply to
krw

A 4' X 8' utility trailer kit for about $200, $50 to build the deck & sides & buy some straps & misc. tiedowns, and perhaps $50 to $100 to install a hitch and light connector kit on your car.

Reply to
lwasserm

Then Rent a Uhaul (or other equivalent rental company) for 1 day. It will probably be cheaper than $20/hour.

Reply to
George E. Cawthon

have it delivered so they can weed out all the twisted lumber for the next time I go there to get mine. for $100 I will deliver it to you on my way by.

Reply to
wildo

In 2005 a canadian investigative journalism TV show ("W5" if you're interested) did an investigation into UHaul.

They rented 13 trucks in 4 cities, and all of them failed safety inspections at 3rd party garages. Worn out brakes (metal-on-metal in one case), loose steering, broken seatbelts, etc. In 2006 they rented 9 trucks, and 7 of them failed inspection.

Apparantly UHaul's incidence of truck problems is 5x the industry average.

I've sworn off UHaul.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Friesen

that's hilarious.

Reply to
kellyj00

Very good point about the trailer. I've got a good buddy with four kids who lives out in the boonies just outside of Valley Center, KS. He went out and got a mini-van after having a fourth child about 8 years ago, then picked up a 4x8 or so hand-made trailer. The van's even got trailer light hookups, go figure.

he takes that thing all over the place, he gets firewood, building materials...hell, he even came and picked up my old olympic sized weightbench with that beast. I was impressed at how much it would hold, especially when he told me that he's got a 4x8 1/2" OSB that he throws on the top that he can lock when they're going on vacation. Beats the snot out of one of those car-top deals and holds a LOT more.

for some reason, ford mounted a rear valance of my 2004 Mustang GT in such a way that welding a hitch on would be, interesting, to say the least. I'd have to cut out a lot of ABS and fiberglass just to get to the frame.... or I wouldn't be asking the question, i'd be borrowing a buddy's trailer.

I think I've got it worked out guys, delivery ain't that bad. Thanks again!

Reply to
kellyj00

When I had a full-size convertible, a '65 and then a '67 Pontiac Catalina, I could carry a whole room of furniture in the back seat and on the trunk. Went 3 feet above my head when I was driving.

And twice I put a double bed mattress on the trunk and moved a spinet piano. They should be moved while upright but I only drove about

10mph on the bumps and 25 on the flat spots.
Reply to
mm

I'm seriously considering the purchase of a '64 Studebaker Wagonaire as a beater car. That's the car that originated the sliding roof recently re-introduced by GM on the Trailblazer.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

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