Trailer 4x4 lorry? Insane husband?

J

JACQSZOO

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Fuel costs are crippling us all at the moment. As a family we have two cars - my OH uses his for work, a small rover- seventy mile round trip daily. I have a trooper 4x4, I only use it when his is not available and to pull the trailer. Our fuel bill is currently £90 per week!!!! OH has suggested that we should look at selling the trooper and trailer and buying another little run about and a small horsebox.
Realistically I think hes off his trolly for several reasons
a. I dont use transport often enough to sawp for a lorry - the whole reason we got a blinkin trailer in the first place (I wanted a lorry he wouldnt let me!!).
b. Theres no way on this planet that funds from selling car and trailer would cover a lorry and car.
C. Due to crippling fuel costs saving up to buy a lorry would take approximately 3000 years
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Its taken me 16 years before I finally got my own horse transport and I am not ready to give it up just yet! Is he mad? Will it really work out cheaper to run a small car and lorry? And realistically what should you expect to pay for a reliable little lorry?
I think thats it.
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I have just started this process and feel its deffo cheaper so far, i had same fuel weekly costs as you, and have a runabout and a small lorry, i feel the 4x4 drivers are going to hit hard by the government and dont want to pay anymore tax!!
 
Me too - I sold my Shogun and Trailer and bought a crappy Fiesta (£300) to run abut in and a 7.5 tonne lorry - a lot cheaper option than running the Shogan as my car to and from work and ocasional towing.
 
Trouble is Georgie is a big lad - would he fit in one of them ickle lorries - and I know I would'nt be able to take a friend with me which is a bit of a bummer
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I have no ideas about prices of lorries - just scared myself actually by looking on auto trader to see what my car would sell for - wish I had'nt looked now
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If I'm being realistic I would only have about 3K to spend on a lorry at the mo and I'm pretty sure I aint gonna get anything for that!
 
O and forgot to say that thankfully I am soooo old that I can drive anything up to 7.5 ton - although I am told that that is to change!!!!!
 
Soemthing that I had thought about too.

have a disco for towing and going to work (18 mile round trip), however no one at the moment is going to buy a 4x4 or a trailer and the prices of small lorries is rocketing at the mo as everyone is going for them.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place. opting for keeping landy and trailer and possibly getting the bus to work
 
If you saved £20 a weekin fuel, that woudlpay for running a second vehicle. tax, insurance, servicing etc.

But that 2nd vehilce could be a mini hatchback type car.

As its unlikey that you get a good lorry and a small car for the price of a 4x4 and trailer .

Split you £90 a week and see where it is going- how much in the 4x4 ad how much for his commuting
 
Would you not be better keeping the 4x4 and trailer and buying a cheap old banger like the Maverick MD's crappy fiesta above as an everyday runabout? It might pay for itself in fuel saved in not too long a period.

Probably most of the fuel is being used by your husband anyway....
 
The beauty of a 4x4 and trailer is that you don't have to have the trailer attached if you want to go somewhere without your horse and OHs car is not available . . A lorry is a bit cumbersome to park just anywhere! At least with the 4x4 you can run around wherever you like without worrying about parking a lorry or waiting for the small car to be available
 
I was thinking that just keep the 4x4 and trailer, as you would a lorry, and get a really cheap little run around, surely the 4x4 and trailer would cost the same as a lorry over a year with the same amount of use? e.g you then wouldn't be using the 4x4 as an every day car? Does that make any sense at all? What does a lorry cost P.A. to run?
 
i used to spend 90 a week in my disco - traded that in now have crappy golf cabriolet that cost us 1500 quid - thereby saving 10k in car and 60 pw in petrol, will soon be able to convince OH to buy me a theult!!! seriously tho i know of a few people who are taking the small lorry option and trading in their 4x4's.
 
i've just bought a 4x4 and trailer. if fuel costs keep rising then i'll buy a little £300 runabout and use that rather than selling the 4x4 and trailer and buying a lorry and i'll just use the 4x4 at weekends.
 
I think your right folks. A cheap little runaroud as a third car may well be the answer. YO would be quite happy for me to leave the 4x4 at the yard when I'm not using it so I don't upset the neighbours!!! (shared car park) As long as I use the 4x4 once a week it should be fine.
 
I am getting my cheap little run around Peugeot 306 diesel back asap when OH gets the the wheels back on after a service, and leaving the Terrano on the driveway until I want to pull the trailer. Reckon keeping the two taxed and MOT ed an maintained will still work out cheaper than using the Terrano for everyday usage.
Its amounting to almost £60 per week just up and down to shops, field and mother-in-law.
OH has a Cherokee Jeep for company car but he is often at work when I need him to pull the trailer so I have to keep the Terrano just in case.
Otherwise I would get rid of it.
Price of fuel is a killer
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