Went to the County Dump yesterday for one of my many spring trips for the free mulch. People with trucks and trailers pull up and the county bulldozer loads them right up and they are on their way. I'm there in my little Toyota Corolla 4 door and a bunch of woven, blue feed bags filling as many bags as I can fit in the car with 3 passengers (that's about 8 bags). Sigh....

I've talked with dh about getting a little truch but things just are going in that direction right now. Maybe when the Toyota dies (it has about 250,000 miles on it, we will look for a truck.

It is just soooo frustrating when I pass a good trash pile and see things that I'd like but don't have anyway to get them home.

Our dump also has a Swap Shop where you can leave stuff and/or take stuff. This was especially frustrating yesterday when we got there and found that someone had left a, get this now...a stainless steel tank that looked like it was about 3 feet in diameter and about 4 feet deep. It stood on 4 welded legs and had 3 holes for pipes or fittings ( two opposite each other toward the bottom of the sides and one underneath). I'm thinking WOW! that would make a great rain water resevoir for water the garden and flower beds. But alas and alack, I had no way to get it home. Someone came along within the hour and claimed it. Even if I had no use for the thing, I'm sure it was worth quite a lot of money.

Instead of the vat though, I came away with an almost brand new (cord was still wound and tied with the original twist tie) fat curling iron, a fold up bed rail for an elderly person, an ironing board for a friend that doesn't have one, and the big Black Book filled with consumer financial tips (dh really liked that).

I've gotten 16 bags of mulch so far and will need about that much more so that will give me more opportunities to check out the swap shop for more goodies and thus make the multiple trips for mulch more worthwhile.

-- Lavender, Central Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002

Answers

A small utility trailer is great. Even on a smaller car they can be of use. Wallmart even has a small fold up trailer that can haul a fair amount of load if you put sides on it.

-- GAry (gws@columbus.rr.com), May 09, 2002.

my vote is with Gary...get a small utility trailer. As he said you can find them at Walmart, we got ours at Lowes. We use ours all the time for misc. jobs...and we have a pick up as well. But the trailer is nice because if you can't get to unloading right away you just unhitch it where you need it be to and go back later. Good luck.

-- claudia in NY (cooleyville@aol.com), May 09, 2002.

I can't imagine life without a pickup truck. I drive a Tahoe but have pickups available to me through my business. I've 'graduated' from a pickup at the farm to an old Ford F-450 dump truck with a hydraulic lift. It even has a snow plow on the front. ;o)

I might suggest putting a frame mount hitch on your car and getting a little 4' x 8', 900-1000 lb. GVW trailer. I have one with a tilt bed and still use it even with all the other options I have. With some sides and some good ratchet straps you'll be amazed at what you can move. There are some things it can do that no pickup or dump can do as easily. I mostly use it for my motorcycle now but if I got rid of the bike tomorrow I still wouldn't be without the trailer.

I think you might find something like that a very good investment. It sounds like you could about pay for it with a couple trips to your dump getting things you now have to leave behind. Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), May 09, 2002.

Go for the small utility trailer, use the trailer to collect "your finds", sell them and buy a pickup truck.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), May 09, 2002.

what county are you in lavnder??

-- Grizz Wondering the outskirts of DC!! (southerneagle@yahoo.com), May 09, 2002.

Do you have a friend with a pickup who would like mulch? Working together, you could do a load for the pickup owner, a load for you, etc.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), May 09, 2002.

A trailer or roof rack.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), May 09, 2002.

I also like pickups; drove one for years, but had to trade mine in because of new additions to family (two so far)for a Suburban. It's like a pickup, only enclosed so you can't carry the really bulky stuff. Pickups RULE!

Trailers are really handy; my brother has a pickup bed trailer, cost him only $200. Comes in real handy, but man, if you aren't used to backing up them suckers . . . ! ! ! Definitely one of the ingredients to the "Do-it-yourself-Divorce-Kit", if one or the other spouse is giving directions.

"TURN RIGHT . . . MY RIGHT . . . NO THE OTHER RIGHT . . . OH #$%&@#% $! Thats okay; we needed a new bumper anyway . . . "

Good test for your marriage, those trailers.

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), May 09, 2002.

Hey thanks guys/gals for the utility trailer ideas. I will talk to dh about the possibility of a hitch for the car and then the trailer.

A trailer is not my first choice because we've been there done that with a pop-up camper. I can fully appreciate the directional challenges involved with backing up a trailer or camper.

We have a friend or two with trucks but do not like to impose on them unless really necessary. Our one friend is in the process of moving and needs the truck for his own use whenever he has time.

Thanks again for the encouragement and ideas.

-- Lavender, Central Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002.

I would advise against the trailer unless you are expert at driving with one! Especially if you are driving with kids in the car! Even small trailers can cause problems!

When my husband bought his work van for his handyman business this year (we traded my car in on it) I got his little 1994 Toyota truck and I LOVE HAVING THE TRUCK! Day before yesterday I came from the co-op with 50 pounds of feed, some other stuff and a bale of hay and had room to spare. Why not just trade your car for a good second hand truck????

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), May 09, 2002.

I have just about every combination and I don't know if I 'm blessed or cursed. The menagarie is an 84 Ford F150 FWD, a 93 van an 89 Festiva and an old Sears metal trailer with a hinged hood that holds about 1 yard of stuff. The van is a money sink that is slow to load and unload, especially messy stuff. It is very highway worthy that is really designed to carry people. The pickup is fun and fast, particularly for stuff sold by the yard or for lumber. DRive under the scoop, pay the man and drive away. Then go back to the gas pump. But the Festiva and trailer combo are the most economical, I pulled the rear seat and there are at least two cubic yards of space available. I have carried unbeliveable amounts of stuff back there. The trailer has reinforced springs and is almost as good as the pickup. Just drive under the scoop and pay up. You may have to back a few times, but you get more trips per fillup. For deer, branches and other yard waste, just pile on top, strap down and go. It's OK on long trips; you can sleep two in it with fold-down seats. But it is no good for lumber. It even has a 150A Zena welder mounted in it! The pickup is not travelworthy and stays on the farm, which is where all three will end up in a couple months and the van will be the first to go. The best I can say about the van is that it's air conditioned and is good for moving.

Hope this is useful.

-- MartyB (mebtn@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002.

Kids are not a reason to get rid of the truck unless you go over 4 .I have an f150 extended cab , love it.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002.

do you know of anyone that would lend you their truck..or go with you to the dump ?? Pay for the gas and a cup of coffee for their trouble. It is always more fun to go "junkin'" with someone else anyway !! Or when you are there someone there with a truck would help you too. If I saw something great I wouldn't leave it behind !! I'd sit on it until someone gave me a lift or go get the horse and drag it home !! Maybe that is way we have so much "stuff" and now with the thought of moving I'm overwhelmed !! Good Luck !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), May 09, 2002.

Getting a pickup at this point isn't going to happen. Have to wait until dh decides it is the thing to do. Ditto with the trailer hitch but at least that is an easier option.

"Junking" with a friend would be great but as of right now I have no relationships that would qualify for that. Peoples schedules just don't coincide enough to do things when they just come up.

Also, the dump won't allow you to hang around the swap shop for more than 30 min and then for only twice in a day. Otherwise, you'd have people parked there all day pouncing on the goodies. It is catch as catch can, first come, first serve.

An extended cab would be great. We have 3 children and it would make it easier to use the truck as a familiy. But hey, we had one car for a long time and I could very happy to have a car and a pickup. But the truck thing is wishful thinking at this point.

-- Lavender, Central Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002.

Definitely the trailer option IMO. Its a pretty inexpensive way to have some fairly serious hauling ability.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), May 09, 2002.

I LOVE MY TRUCK!!!!! I had an old truck when we moved to the country six years ago but it was more trouble than it was worth so we gave it to my husbands brother-in-law who promptly sold it. Then I got a van which I loved. I kept the back seat out most of the time so when I went antiquing (actually junking) I'd have room to haul stuff. Then I got goats. They meant hay and straw that is very hard to get out of carpets. The ABS pump went bad on the anti-lock breaks and the dealer says he can't get one to replace it. So now here's my chance to get my truck. I got a '98 Dodge Dakota Quad cab and I love it. The only thing I don't like is pulling into the gas station. It cost $24.00 just to fill up from a half tank. I've never let it get lower than a half tank. I have a trailer also, but I have a very hard time backing it up. It has and unusually long tounge and it jack-knifes real quick. So if I have to take the trailer I always make sure I can drive through or drive around. My van and my DH's old work car with over 250,000 mile are headed for the junk yard. I need a small gas efficient car for long trips. BUT, I LOVE MY TRUCK!!!

-- Sheila in NC (nannie@intrstar.net), May 09, 2002.

have x-tra vehicles, wish I could loan ya mine, but Im in cen> Louisiana, wish I could help you more.

-- rick normand (rickeynormand@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.