I used to put my ferrous scrap metal out by the road and let my
local junk guys pick it up. I love their trailers with axles bowed in
so much the top of wheels look like they are against the frame.
Washing machines, old exercise bikes and whatever piled on barely
secured with old rope.
The trailers are a hazard but I had never seen one buckle until
recently. He was on the shoulder of I-10 with two broken axles. I
suspect one went, then the other succumbed. The police were there and
it was a mess. The cops generally leave these guys alone from what I
can tell. They perform an important function and I think they deserve
a little slack. They never go over 45 mph anyway.
The price of scrap is way up as I am sure everybody knows. I called
and got a price on ferrous metal. $8 per hundred pounds for #1, $6.75
per 100 on #2. I didn't know what these grades were. My recycler tells
me this: #1 is over 1/4" thick no galvanized but painted and rust is
OK, everything else is #2. I was giving this away before!
I got rid of my 3/4 ton truck as it got 9 miles per gallon city 10
highway, only needing a truck every once in a while, it is cheaper to
rent or borrow one. I have a Corolla now but I am not shy to load it
up with all my scrap metal. I think I can get maybe 750-1000 lbs a
trip and I must have at least 5000 lbs laying around. I really need a
rickety old trailer. I wonder what the tow capacity is on a 1992
Corolla.

"texasjim1093" wrote in message
...
I really need a
rickety old trailer. I wonder what the tow capacity is on a 1992
Corolla.

I replaced my pickup years ago with a $99.00 4X4 trailer from Kmart pulled
by my Honda Civic. It was the best move I ever made. I save $ hundreds on gas
and insurance, yet it does nearly everything the pickup can do; plus I can carry
four adults in air-conditioned comfort. I find that the trailer actually gets
used less than once a month. But on those rare occasions when I need it, it is
worth its weight in gold.

As a bonus, I now rarely get calls from friends who need to move things (or
themselves). I suppose that folks don't see my trailer, so they forget about
it. Did you ever notice that the pickup owner is invariably expected to supply
a significant part of the labor?

Vaughn

Vaughn Simon wrote:

I replaced my pickup years ago with a $99.00 4X4 trailer from Kmart pulled
by my Honda Civic. It was the best move I ever made. I save $ hundreds on gas
and insurance, yet it does nearly everything the pickup can do; plus I can carry
four adults in air-conditioned comfort. I find that the trailer actually gets
used less than once a month. But on those rare occasions when I need it, it is
worth its weight in gold.

I drive a '94 Escort wagon w/5 speed. I'm getting on
average, 32-34-mpg city driving, and that's up in the Sierra
Nevada foothills. Straight highway is right around 40mpg.
Being a wagon, it will haul a fair volume of stuff. I am
thinking hard about getting rid of my beater Toyota truck
and going the trailer route myself.


Jon

I have one of the "6 wheel wonder" trailers (1 axle, 4 caster wheels,
1000# capacity) It easily does 1000 pounds (18 sheets) of sheetrock,
tows straight, then folds up to take up 18"x 66" of garage floor space
an drolls around on it's built in casters. It's on it's second set of
tires, the first set rotted after 15 years of use. Other than that, it
has hauled home 2 lathes, countless runs for sheetrock, occasional
concrete blocks, and who knows what else. I love it.

Vaughn Simon wrote:
"texasjim1093" wrote in message
...
I really need a
rickety old trailer. I wonder what the tow capacity is on a 1992
Corolla.

I replaced my pickup years ago with a $99.00 4X4 trailer from Kmart pulled
by my Honda Civic. It was the best move I ever made. I save $ hundreds on gas
and insurance, yet it does nearly everything the pickup can do; plus I can carry
four adults in air-conditioned comfort. I find that the trailer actually gets
used less than once a month. But on those rare occasions when I need it, it is
worth its weight in gold.

As a bonus, I now rarely get calls from friends who need to move things (or
themselves). I suppose that folks don't see my trailer, so they forget about
it. Did you ever notice that the pickup owner is invariably expected to supply
a significant part of the labor?

Vaughn

On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:19:01 GMT, "Vaughn Simon"
wrote:


"texasjim1093" wrote in message
...
I really need a
rickety old trailer. I wonder what the tow capacity is on a 1992
Corolla.

I replaced my pickup years ago with a $99.00 4X4 trailer from Kmart pulled
by my Honda Civic. It was the best move I ever made. I save $ hundreds on gas
and insurance, yet it does nearly everything the pickup can do; plus I can carry
four adults in air-conditioned comfort. I find that the trailer actually gets
used less than once a month. But on those rare occasions when I need it, it is
worth its weight in gold.

As a bonus, I now rarely get calls from friends who need to move things (or
themselves). I suppose that folks don't see my trailer, so they forget about
it. Did you ever notice that the pickup owner is invariably expected to supply
a significant part of the labor?

Most often done as a form of self preservation, otherwise "It's not
mine, so I'll take it all in one load"
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Why ask us? You said you just saw one on the side of the road. Just
needs a little TLC. Probably get it cheap, too.

Seriously, try craigslist.

Years ago I needed a trailer, too. I looked in the closest big town
paper and found an ad where someone else was looking too. I called them
and told 'em I'd pay them $10 for the list of offers they did not take.
They gave me 10 names. I bought 2 of them. That was 1974. I still
have both.

Pete Stanaitis

texasjim1093 wrote:
I really need a
rickety old trailer. I wonder what the tow capacity is on a 1992
Corolla.

"RoyJ" wrote in message
news
I have one of the "6 wheel wonder" trailers (1 axle, 4 caster wheels, 1000#
capacity) It easily does 1000 pounds (18 sheets) of sheetrock, tows
straight, then folds up to take up 18"x 66" of garage floor space an drolls
around on it's built in casters.

This sounds like something I could sure use. Where did you find this, and
do you remember what it cost (back then, if it's more than 15 years old :-)

My Google searching is finding too many trailers that aren't really close to
what you describe. Thanks.

Dave O'Heare
oheareATmagmaDOTca

Dave O'Heare wrote:

"RoyJ" wrote in message
news
I have one of the "6 wheel wonder" trailers (1 axle, 4 caster wheels,
1000# capacity) It easily does 1000 pounds (18 sheets) of sheetrock,
tows straight, then folds up to take up 18"x 66" of garage floor space
an drolls around on it's built in casters.


This sounds like something I could sure use. Where did you find this,
and do you remember what it cost (back then, if it's more than 15 years
old :-)

My Google searching is finding too many trailers that aren't really
close to what you describe. Thanks.

Dave O'Heare
oheareATmagmaDOTca

This is pretty close:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90154

--Winston

"Vaughn Simon" wrote:

I replaced my pickup years ago with a $99.00 4X4 trailer from Kmart pulled
by my Honda Civic. It was the best move I ever made. I save $ hundreds on gas
and insurance, yet it does nearly everything the pickup can do; plus I can carry
four adults in air-conditioned comfort. I find that the trailer actually gets
used less than once a month. But on those rare occasions when I need it, it is
worth its weight in gold.


When I gave up my 4x4 for a saturn sl1, I bought a 5x8 trailer. I can't pull a full rated
load in the trailer but 5 or 6 hundred pounds are not a big deal.

Hooked to a truck, we pulled a bridgeport column, knee and, table on it and on a separate
trip a 12x36 lathe.

I seldom put heavy loads in my truck. Usually a few sheets of plywood and some studs.
Maybe 5 or 6 bags of redi mix.

The only nice thing about the truck is that you had it with you all the time. With the
trailer, I have to think a head but that is hardly much of a burden.

Most recent trip http://wess.freeshell.org/usenet/rec...railerload.jpg

Not a monster load but considering it required two 35 miles two way trips, (140 miles) and
my mileage was still in the 30's, I'm pretty happy.

Wes


--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller