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posted by
martyb
on Wednesday December 19 2018, @04:34AM
from the now-they're-buying...trucks? dept.
from the now-they're-buying...trucks? dept.
General Motors has announced it's shuttering five production facilities and killing six vehicle platforms by the end of 2019 as it reallocates resources towards self-driving technologies and electric vehicles.
[...] North American car production hit 17.5 million vehicles in 2016, and dropped marginally to 17.2 million in 2017. Interesting, but perhaps not significant.
More telling are changes in driver behaviour. In North America, for example, fewer teens are getting driver's licences. In 1983, 92 per cent of teens were licensed, while by 2014, that number had dropped to 77 per cent. In Germany, the number of new licences issued to drivers aged 17 to 25 has dropped by 300,000 over the last 10 years.
Are we over our love affair with cars?
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 19 2018, @09:57AM (6 children)
That's what a trailer is for.
(Score: 2) by schad on Wednesday December 19 2018, @03:27PM (5 children)
Most cars and crossovers/small SUVs have tow ratings of no more than 1500 pounds. That's about what most smaller trailers weigh by themselves. It's generally fine to go over your tow rating for occasional short low-speed drives. But if it's something you're going to do regularly, if you have to go more than a few miles, or if you'll be on the highway, it's extremely dangerous.
Even most full-size SUVs are typically rated at no more than 6000 pounds. In practice, the hitch receiver, payload, and axle weight rating limits mean the actual limit is probably no more than 3500 pounds.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 19 2018, @04:11PM (4 children)
"...1500 pounds. That's about what most smaller trailers weigh by themselves. "
/
/
You're not even close. I'd fail you for the academic year if you were in my class, because you're spewing bullshit while being too lazy to check
basic facts.
A U Haul enclosed trailer weighs 850 pounds.
https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/4x8-Cargo-Trailer-Rental/UV/ [uhaul.com]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Sulla on Wednesday December 19 2018, @04:59PM (3 children)
Uhaul is a bad comparison because they are aluminum. A new/used alum trailer will cost 3k for even the most basic one. If you need to be able to tow vehicles you can do it with a minivan or small car but is dangerous and will cause premature wear on the vehicle doing the towing. My 16ft trailer weighs 1500 empty, bought it for moving cross country because it was the same price as renting. To rent a trailer every time you need to do something also runs 20/day +tax +more if long distance.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 19 2018, @06:37PM
It's funny how the self righteous "educator" claims he or she would fail you for the semester for spouting bullshit without checking for facts when it's obvious he knows jack shit about trailers other than what UHaul (WTF?) puts on their website. I had a boat trailer that was easily 1,500 lbs empty. Welded iron.
(Score: 2) by aclarke on Thursday December 20 2018, @12:19PM (1 child)
Since we're comparing trailer weights, my welded steel double axle flatbed with a wood deck weighs 739kg, or 1630lbs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 20 2018, @07:53PM
Is not the "tow weight" rating the rating of weight on the hitch, not total weight of trailer?
I.e., a 1,500lb tow weight would mean 1,500 pounds pushing down on the hitch?
Since the trailer wheels take the majority of the weight (if the load is properly distributed) the weight on the hitch can be much less than the total weight on the trailer (and on its wheels).