At 10:31 AM 10/17/2010, you wrote:
>I've been thinking about getting a better vehicle for my side construction
>business. The Impreza does great except for the plywood sheets :-)
>... I've been thinking about a mini-van. A few people have told me
theirs will
>haul 4x8 sheets. I'm assuming if it can haul 7 people it'll be ok
with bags of
>mortar, etc. Any thoughts?
Jim,
I agree with both Pat and Jack to some extent. I have both a taurus wagon and
a Chrysler mini van. Both have the V6 engines and get pretty close to the
same gas milage, 17 city 22-24 highway.
I see a little more advantage to the mini van over the wagon, it has
a larger/taller
interior, so you can fit larger items, like a hot water heater or a
TV. etc. Not to mention
I can carry 7 people in the van an only 5 in the taurus.
That being said, I really like the idea of a trailer in that if I
have to move something dirty,
like an engine, or dirt, I can put that in the trailer, and not ruin
the interior of the van or
wagon.
As to the trailers, a lot depends on how much weight you plan on
carrying. I really like the
folding trailers that Harbor Freight and Northern sell,
http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb-capacity-48-inch-x-96-inch-heavy-duty-foldable-utility-trailer-with-12-inch-wheels-90154.html
You don't have to waste as much of your yard with a trailer parked,
if you fold the trailer
up. Although a friend that had one, used to leave it open all the
time. He had a lot of
space where he parked his cars and trailer.
One thing to think about, if looking at a mini vans, the seats. The
new thing is the "sto & go"
seats, that fold into the floor of the mini vans. These are
great!!!! My 95 Voyager has the old
style bench seats, which are a real pain in the A$$ to take out of
the van. They are heavy and
and hard to manage by one person. Once out, you have the problem of
storing the seats.
The problem with the "sto & go" seating is that with the seats folded
into the floor, you still have
the weight of the seats. My guess is close to 200#, which reduces
how much you can carry.
I personally prefer my mini van to the taurus. So my vote would be
for a mini van and a trailer.
John
John T. Blair WA4OHZ email: jblair1948@cox.net
Va. Beach, Va
Phone: (757) 495-8229
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