>>>>>>>>>>>>>>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 ...
LOL. I think the reason they never caught on was because they refused to sell cheaper tickets for the sheep.

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