Small dog trailer market w/ gas prices today !

SouthernBeagles · Post by **SouthernBeagles** » Thu May 17, 2007 7:55 pm

I have been thinking real hard about a motercycle with one of them 4 wheeler dog boxes on the luggage rack or maybe a side car. Its either that or start out a week before the trial on horse back lol.

For the life of me, I can't understand why gas is so high??? Hurricane Katrina was blamed last time gas got so high for damaging all them plants........Whats behind it now?

bunnie harvester · Post by **bunnie harvester** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:08 pm

PURE GREED

DIXIEDOG · Post by **DIXIEDOG** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:29 pm

You won't save much on gas going to a Tacoma or Sonoma from what I've experienced. I owned two Tacomas a 2000 and a 2005 and my fuel economy was around 20 MPG give or take a couple and the Sonoma was around 18MPG. I now drive a fullsize V8 Sierra w/ 5.3 V8 getting 19 MPG. You always hear about the great fuel economy of the small trucks but I haven't seen it in my experience. The car I own gets 30 MPG but the offroad ability for getting to hunting areas is non existent with 5" of ground clearance the cost of mufflers far exceeds fuel savings. It's not cheap going to trials and cost is probably preventing many great dogs from being seen because owners can't justify the expense.

coolbrze · Post by **coolbrze** » Thu May 17, 2007 10:26 pm

I can't afford to pull a trailer cross country. As it is, I get 8-12 mpg city/highway. That's why I'll keep my Owens box in the bed vice pulling a dog trailer:)

I've got a buddy that has a little 1 wheel wonder 4 banger newer F*rd Ranger that gets 24 mpg and that's usually what I roll. Ain't the best, but $100 in that Ranger goes a lot further than $100 in my Silverado.

tiffinis · Post by **tiffinis** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:42 am

I know pulling trailers cuts down on the gas mileage while you are pulling it, but the other 300 miles a week on the vehicle during the week would more then justify downsizing. The majority of miles I put on a vehicle is simply going to work and home every day. Even with a trailer, my mileage wont drop as low as our Silverado either!!! I swear that thing takes a quarter tank just to start it!!!

Larry G · Post by **Larry G** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:54 am

My knee jerk on this is, yes we all do need to economize, but we need to find out if the high energy prices are justifiable and unavoidable... or are we just being ripped off by greed mongers with Uncle Sam's blessing. Comments?

tiffinis · Post by **tiffinis** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:58 am

My sentiments on it... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Even with the Hurricane KAtrina episode, they were claiming prices were higher per barrel yada yada yada, but then why were they charging exorbitant prices on the fuel they already had in their tanks that they had already paid the lower price on???? I dont know about where you live but right now it is 3.01 per gallon. It is hurting business as a whole. The entire economy is effected. I spend so much on gas that doing much of anything "extra" is pretty much out.

Emery · Post by **Emery** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:22 am

SouthernBeagles wrote:I have been thinking real hard about a motercycle with one of them 4 wheeler dog boxes on the luggage rack or maybe a side car. Its either that or start out a week before the trial on horse back lol.

That is funny SB, I have actually strapped my little pet porter onto my motorcycle before. I am sure I was called every hillbilly name under the sun, but it was cheaper than driving my car with that trailer... and a little more fun too.

Emery

S.R.Patch · Post by **S.R.Patch** » Fri May 18, 2007 12:51 pm

The futures set the price of what is expcted and that's what we pay today. We have a 14cent dif. in a 10 mile span (3.15-3.29). One thing I've found interesting is, there is 4X the normal refinery off-line (or outage) going on now, than what is normal???...

..
The car dalerships have what is called "hold back" profit figured in, so your really not giving them so little in pocket as you think...
Alot of money has been lost by Co's through investments just as the individual has lost money in investment. They have to make this money back to pay the top tier they're cream. I believe this storm has been created to do just that, the demand for new tech, results in new development w/ large profits. (building a new wheel)

These fads have come and gone before. My fullsize gets 17-18, I'm not trading off for a econo-can until they can show some real marked improvement in MPG and if the "falling sky" is real, they should improve in short order but the Lots need to move what's in stock.

As far as the Field trials, the clubs grouping their dates where one has a hunt on Sat. and the other closest by has one on Sun. is a big help on driving, but this change would only be helpful planning next year.

I don't worry to much about gas prices, I look on the counter and I pay $600 per yr to watch TV, that was once free, $800per yr for cell ph.that used to be $32 for the old rotorery, what's a few more bucks...

... as long as i never retire, things should be fine...

...yup, looks like their storm is working perfectly... they create the weather and then say, "dang, it's raining"...

Larry G · Post by **Larry G** » Fri May 18, 2007 3:10 pm

Patch that's better rhetoric than Clinton had. I have no idea what you are trying to say, but I think you should run for office, maybe president. If we are all enriching the oil companies WHO ARE CONDUCTING BUSINESS FAIRLY AND LEGALLY that is one thing, if they are outside the law it is quite another and we need government that will do something about it. G Dub has the reputation of being in big oil's pocket, deserved or not but I think the price of gas is going to be on a lot of folk's minds come election day.

Not long ago the government was talking about busting up Bill Gates and Wal Mart as illegal monopolies. Well I don't feel near as ripped off by either of them as I do at the gas pumps.

APFII · Post by **APFII** » Fri May 18, 2007 3:27 pm

Seems to me ,the small trailers do a lot of bounceing going down the road. Are they hard on the dogs ?

TurnLeftBeagles · Post by **TurnLeftBeagles** » Fri May 18, 2007 8:07 pm

APFII wrote:Seems to me ,the small trailers do a lot of bounceing going down the road. Are they hard on the dogs ?

That's only because they aren't properly constructed

tiffinis · Post by **tiffinis** » Sat May 19, 2007 5:28 am

AH the infamous Turn Left Beagles speaks!! Please give us info...not a sales pitch. I would love to get a trailer..but $2000 is WAY out of my league.

TurnLeftBeagles · Post by **TurnLeftBeagles** » Sat May 19, 2007 6:18 am

For the info, you have to match the parts you construct your trailer with properly. Most dog trailers have to heavy of suspension under them causing them to bounce. Another culprit is wheel and tire selection. I favor torsion axels, they ride very smooth. The more a torsion axle is loaded the heavier the rate of it becomes unlike a spung axle that is the same rate (stiffness) constantly. With the wheels and tires, a 15" wheeled trailer is going to also ride smoother than a 12" (or anything smaller) becuse you are able to run larger diameter tires to take up the voids in a road surface. Of course torsion axles and large diameter wheels and tires increases the cost, but IMO you get a better product when you use them on a build.

gus · Post by **gus** » Sat May 19, 2007 9:27 am

Back in the 80's, when gas was high, I bought a VW Rabbit diesel. I made a box out of aluminum that looked like a big mail box with a door on the end. I mounted it on some brackets on the rear bumper. I could put three beagles in it and head down the Interstate at about 45 mpg.