I give you Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson

Poor build quality is why I hate GM products. However, I don’t need all the amenities to work for the vehicle to be an effective tow vehicle. The chassis and drivetrains is rock solid and well known for handling 250k miles of abuse without a second thought. In that respects, who cares if all the cheap dodads GM adds…

For tow cars I like Volvo wagons. 3,300 lbs tow capacity, lots of low end torque, 4 wheel disc brakes, minivan type storage, long wheelbase for stability, and creature comforts gallore. The overly beefy autos also do well compared to most cars and minivans.

An Explorer can tow 6,000 lbs fine WITH a Weight Distributing Hitch and Anti sway. Exactly as stated by the manufacturer. It’s on you if you ignore or are ignorant of how to tow with your vehicle properly.

When we were looking for a tow vehicle I quickly realized I’d much rather be comfy in a van than crammed in a truck. I tend to buy what meets our needs and the Astro covers every base handily.

If you are going to rub a liquid into the wood why wouldn’t you just stain/paint it? Both last longer too.

3,300 lbs for the average minivan is max. Weight Distribution hitches are needed to get near max. Trannys still fail even with a cooler. FWD and AWD minivans (except Astro, Safari, Aerostar) suck if you actually want to tow a load for any distance.

3% HP loss per 1,000’ elevation. Higher with a turbo motor. Try pulling near your max through mountains and you will quickly find that 70-85% of your cars output won’t cover you. This is why high tow capability and low actual tow load is preffered. The short wheelbase also hurts you when stability becomes a factor.

Car hitches are rarely rated for Weight Distribution systems. WD and a Sway setup are pretty important if you want to maximize towing capacity. Manufacturers don’t point out that to hit their max towing numbers you need WD.

Towing is an art all to itself. When you tow with a car you have to realize that:

I should add that I bought this one SPECIFICALLY for towing

Now I want to build the hybrid Pi/Ouya gaming console I’ve been dreaming of.

Domestic I6s made gobs of torque and tended to be very robust. If you’re willing to go through a rebuild that let’s them rev you’d be pleasantly surprised.

The Chevy Astro / GMC Safari

Transition directly into your hobby. You get the most done because you’re still in work mode and before you realize it you’ve cooled down mentally doing what you enjoy.

Can’t buy it without the subWOOFER obviously

1450 grams = 3.2 lbs

The best advice is to use a beater as a beater. No road trips, no drives to important time sensitive things (like interviews), and no daily driving unless your main toy is down.

Are the CVTs Nissan is using still giving people a lot of trouble?

The issue is when you provide an optimal breeding ground for the botulism bacteria that is present. No or low oxygen, no or low light, and moisture. That is why it is a concern when doing home fermenting and canning as you are creating the perfect environment.