>>>>>>>>>>>>>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've had a string of them. Best was the early pick-up version but they are pretty much impossible to find now. Current one is a Forester. And it is used around the farm - usually to be found with a couple of bags of animal feed, maybe a hawk, sometimes a sheep inside.....
>>>
>>>Two outbacks and two Foresters at my work -- if you can fit a sheep inside it then yours is twice the size of the ones here... :o)
>>
>>Back seats always down. Or are you claiming that American sheep are bigger than Welsh ones :=}
>
>My cousins raised sheep in Wisconsin... :o) I just cannot imagine a full-grown ewe inside of a Subaru!

At least since they closed the drive-in movies in farm country ...

( sorry, the season of shepherds watching their flocks at night brings up seasonal adolescent bestiality humor .. )