[Milsurplus] handtruck, wagon etc. suggestions?

[Thomas Adams]

At 16:44 10-08-14, Hue Miller wrote:
>Mainly for hauling heavy metal from the car to hamfest table,
>what do you use, that works and works well?
>I have borrowed from work a folding handtruck. It's quite light
>and folds down in 2 dimensions but - with handtrucks, the weight 
>bearing surface, "nose plate", is never really large enough
>and not ideal for our subjects, which are not mostly boxed items.
>My criteria are, not real heavy, I mean around 30 lbs at most,
>collapsible if possible, and tires that are no smaller than say,
>8-10 inches.  Caster-size tires do not work in dirt parking lots,
>especially in the Northwest, where you might also have to ford
>some large puddles in the parking lot. I suppose maybe some kind of 
>wagon would be best, rather than the good old fallback
>handtruck? I don't need to have more than maybe 150 lbs per
>load, but figure many of the riders will be boatanchors. What works 
>well for you?
>thanks-
>Hue Miller
>______________________________________________________________


It might be in excess of your needs, but my solar panel outfit (AND 
the six deep cycle batteries that are a part of it)
are riding around in style...   the same way I did it when I was 
eight; a Radio Flyer wagon!

I call it "The Volts Wagon" ; two 53 watt solar panels (stowable), a 
homebrewed analog charge regulator, six deep
cycle batteries, and a 750 watt inverter.

Transporting it to hamfests, astronomy sites, etc. is a snap; when we 
got our van, it had a wheelchair hoist already
installed. It's more than adequate to hoist the load aboard.

The product is somewhat more sophisticated now than it was when I was 
a kid...  built of nicely finished wood,
removable sides, and inflatable, heavy duty tires. A large part of 
the market these days in Baby Boomers who need
a means of moving gardening tools and such with a touch of nostalgia.

A real, Honest To Gawd Radio Flyer wagon can be had for about $100, 
and it's MORE than adequate to haul Heavy
Metal rigs (Valiants, R390As, DX-100s, etc.) easily. The wagon itself 
is reasonably light, maybe 15 - 20 pounds...  and
it's a BIG hit with kids & Old Farts alike at hamfests!

It's an option to be considered anyway.