Kent, it's just a little 8-foot, wooden-sided, boxed shaped trailer. You can load stuff inside and put the raft on top and you're good to go. I bought it through a private party. They're around. I think Costco used to sell them.
Gary Meyers, Kirkland > Gary, > > Forgot all about those Wilderness AT tires ;-) Ford ended up buying > me a set of new Michelin LTX's. Their less-aggressive tread design > gives away some traction in the muck and snow. But they're MUCH > better than the Firestones on wet pavement, which unfortunately is > where I do most of my driving. > > Where'd you find the utility trailer and how big is it? A fishing > friend is looking for one as an excuse to buy a pontoon boat to tow > behind his Benz SUV (doesn't want to muss it up by trying to put the > boat on the roof ;-) > > Kent Lufkin > >> Good discussion topic, Kent. >> >> I've got a Ford Ranger Pick-up almost identical to yours, but a year older >> (1997). Same plusses and minuses. I too, really wish it had those small rear >> doors. It's a pain in the butt sometimes to access the back seat. And yes, >> it's tough to get a long rod caddy in the back. I tow a utility trailer and >> inflated raft with it and no problem--plenty of power. It's perfect for one >> or two people. I think it's the most comfortable vehicle I've ever driven. >> I'm tall and it fits me well. I can drive 12-14 hours (such as to Montana) >> without getting fatigued. I think it's great truck and fishing rig overall. >> Good ground clearance. Maneuverable. Tight. Good 4WD (I take it skiing too). >> No mechanical problems. Plus it had Firestones. So I got 4 free new tires >> from Ford. >> >> I also have a '98 Suburban and if I'm hauling a crowd or going somewhere >> where I'm camping and I want my gear secure, I'll take it. Surprisingly, it >> gets decent highway mileage. Sometimes 20+ mpg. But, I find it >> uncomfortable. The front seats are cramped for such a big vehicle. And of >> course it's a pig to park and drive around town. Whenever possible, I'll >> drive the Ranger. >> >> Gary Meyers >> Kirkland >> >> >> >>> Over the years, we've discussed just about every kind of fishing gear >>> or strategy imaginable. But it struck me the other day that there's >>> still one indispensable piece of gear that every one of us uses: the >>> vehicle that gets us where we fish. >>> >>> I assume that for most of us, our fishing vehicle is also our daily >>> driver that spends most of its time making trips to the store or >>> commuting. For some of us in a multi-car household, a second vehicle >>> may be much more appropriate for fishing. A very few of us may >>> actually have a rig dedicated just for fishing, refined over years of >>> use. >>> >>> To get the ball rolling, here's my own 2� on the subject: >>> >>> I've always owned a pickup. In fact I can only remember a couple >>> years when I didn't have one. My current ride is a 1998 Ford Ranger >>> XLT extra cab 4x4 with a 4.0 liter V-6 and an automatic. Wish I'd got >>> it with the small, half-sized doors to get behind the front seats. >>> However, a retractable cover keeps things out of sight back there. >>> >>> The bed will hold a couple float tubes fully inflated or my 9 foot >>> pontoon boat (I haven't tried stacking two pontoon boats back there >>> yet.) There's plenty of room left over for gear bags, coolers, oars >>> or rod tubes. Plus, the bed doubles as a place to sit and wader up >>> without rocks that can tear up my neoprene wader feet. >>> >>> But having a pickup does pose some limitations. Leaving stuff in the >>> back is an open invitation to theft if you leave it there even >>> briefly. And relatively light weight stuff needs to be tied down to >>> keep it from becoming airborne at highway speeds. >>> >>> My truck's bed isn't long enough that I can stretch out in it to >>> sleep, and I'd need some sort of canopy to stay dry in the rain. The >>> space behind the seats doesn't hold very much gear (long rod tubes >>> are an especially tight fit) and it's a real pain to get to. Finally, >>> if I owned a boat and trailer, my rig is probably much too puny for >>> serious towing. >>> >>> But for the most part, it works well for the kind of fishing I do. >>> The 4wd and high ground clearance are a real plus on marginal roads. >>> >>> I'd sure like to hear how other subscribers have adapted their >>> vehicles for their own fishing style. >>> >>> Kent Lufkin >>> >>> >> > >
