>>>>>>>>>>Goodness. We'd better ship some trailers over asap.
>>>>>>>>>> I had no idea hitching things onto the back of your vehicle or using what we like to call roof bars was unknown over there.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>But the problem with a trailer is that you need a vehicle capable of towing it - which usually brings you back to square one.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>C'mon, I towed 200 bricks in a little trailer, and the capable engine was a 1,2 liter Škoda.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>And the capable brakes were ? :-}
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Which actually brings another question - a typical small car is rated four persons, which is cca 320kg, plus 100kg luggage.
>>>>>>>> So how come I've seen many of these trucks rated at only 350kg of payload? Huh? Shouldn't they carry at least two tons, given the amount of hardware invested in them?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I've got a 1.2 car and happen to have the registration document to hand. FWIW, max carrying capacity is 330kg. On the towing front it gives 800kg for braked trailers; 450kg for un-braked. 4WD's have their uses but here in the UK (as I suspect in the US) 90%+ of owners don't really need them. The only time we see one of the 'over-the-top' 4WDs around here it will be someone from the city visiting the countryside to try out their new green wellies.....
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>The most useful machine for me here is actually a quad-bike (sometimes with a small trailer) - gets to places where any normal 4WD can't even get close.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I'm planning to get a trike, or a trailer for the bike. We'll see.
>>>>>>>You mean of the pedalled variety ? Good luck with the 200 bricks :-}
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I was living in East Finchley last year. A bit of left arty area. Quite a few electric cars G Whizzes and Priuses. Now I've moved to Cockfosters and I am surrounded by 4WD vehicles (always black for some reason). I particularly like the range Rovers with huge allow wheels and those thin profile tyres. Very useful on a track I'm sure
>>>>>
>>>>>:-}
>>>>>I used to have a RangeRover - but an old, very early model. All plastics seats - I could (and regularly did) hose down the interior with a pressure washer. Not likely to see anyone doing that with the current crop :-}
>>>>>Anyway - off to the pub in my current 4WD in a few minutes (I know what constitutes an 'essential journey'). We've only managed to use the regular car a couple of times in the last three weeks because of snow - but I think you presently have a lot more of that than us ?
>>>>
>>>>4WD car? Subaru?
>>>
>>>Good guess !
>>
>>They are popular vehicles where I live for both city and rural folks who live in hard to drive areas in snow but don't have actual farms or ranches. A few people where I work drive them. I considered one myself.
>
>I bought a 4wd Subaru in 1987 when I lived in the East Bay of SF. When there was chain control on over the Donner Pass above Truckee if you had 4wd and snow tires you could go through without chains. ( chain control was strictly enforced because California drivers would head up to gamble in Reno when it was 50 degrees in SF and be astounded when they hit snow at 6,000 ft. Many had never seen (or driven in) snow before and would quickly go off the road ( which in some cases was a 4,000 drop ) If you were going up skiing every week 4wd was pretty much a must and in those days the only options were the on-demand 4wd Subaru wagon or a Jeep Cherokee.
>
>It was a really good car.

They do tend to give pretty poor mileage - some inherent side effect of a flat engine?
They finally got round to a diesel version but I think that has the same defect....