If you ask me why I come up with bone-headed ideas don't ask me why or where they come from... Last spring when I still had extra cash before another new Pontiac, new kitchen gadgets for the wife, and a son heading into college I looked into having our home professionally landscaped. Yeah well the two men father and son biz I had doing it had a slight problem the father fell off his roof and isn't doing so hot so now I am stuck landscaping. I have decent sized large front shrubs that need to go... The folks that were going to help landscape had a 2006 Silverado 2500HD with a Duramax and were going to "tow out the shrubs". Well I have got thinking and a hitch needs to go on my Torrent anyways, what would happen or could I tow them out with the Pontiac instead? I know it will tow 3500lbs with the proper hitch, would it do it? Would it hurt it? Or am I just to crazy to try and save a buck. I still need new garage doors, a GPS and my son needs a new notebook for school so anywhere I can save I will... I know this is a total redneck idea I can see it posted on youtube, idot Iowan with a small SUV attempts to tow out his shrubs... So could I? Should I? Or just forget it...

I wouldn't... I'd care too much about my car.

Yeah I was starting to think that way too... But could it really hurt it?

I would allow enough rope so that it wouldn't hit the rear of the SUV. At least I think... Attached is a diagram.

Edited May 23, 200817 yr by gm4life

i did it with my moms 99 explorer... hell, i pulled small bushes out with my POS 100 cc Dirtbike... though that was a challenge

IMO, you have 2 worries: hitting the back of the vehicle (which you will plan against), and if it takes more than 10 minutes to pull out, you are going to be putting some heat stress into your trans... but I can't see that happening; it's either going to move within 10 seconds, or it's not going to come out without more work. Go for it.

I pulled several shrubs out of my yard with my Colorado. What you need is a tow strap, something that is flexible. It will help put more force on the bushes, while putting less force on your Torrent. And start out with some slack, not a taught strap. Just pull or back away and kind of "snap" it out of the ground. Dig out a bit around your bushes first and they should come out nice for you.

Chewing tobacco and spittin' it out the window of your Torrent while doing this will enhance the experience.

I wonder if the Prizm could do it? It does have a tow hitch after all.

I pulled several shrubs out of my yard with my Colorado. What you need is a tow strap, something that is flexible. It will help put more force on the bushes, while putting less force on your Torrent. And start out with some slack, not a taught strap. Just pull or back away and kind of "snap" it out of the ground. Dig out a bit around your bushes first and they should come out nice for you.

Chewing tobacco and spittin' it out the window of your Torrent while doing this will enhance the experience.

I was going to say no-but I agree with Ocn there....

I wonder if the Prizm could do it? It does have a tow hitch after all.

Umm...no. With your luck, the bush would take out your car...

Umm...no. With your luck, the bush would take out your car...

Sad part is there's probably truth to that. v_v

Depends on what the shrubs in question are - don't even try to pull out any Yews with your car. Yews have deep taproots and I have broken heavy chains while pulling them out with my Duramax.

Generally, do all the digging and cutting of roots you can before trying this on any substantial plant.

JMHO, but I wouldn't try it with a Torrent at all.

So you wouldn't try it Camino? Well I have time to make my mind up just wondering. I honestly don't what to do it is split forum.

Size matters of course. How big are we talkin?

Let me get a photo up later today. I am working now or suppose to be at least...

I do this for a living, so post up a few pics and I'll give you some free professional advice.

I won't be back on 'til at least this evening.

Okay here are the bushs attached in a photo so you can take a look. There are lots of little ones. But only two large ones like whats on the right. Thanks Camino again for all the help...

Edited May 23, 200817 yr by gm4life

The tall one is an arborvitae, and it looks like the low ones are yews - hard to tell from that pic. Both have very tough root systems, and if they've been there for more than about 5 years, I wouldn't even try to remove them with the Torrent. If you decide to try it anyway, chop as many roots as you possibly can first and dig around each one as much as you can.

Good luck.

No I checked with the wife that is what they are. Good job Camino, maybe I'll try to scare up a truck or a back-hoe.

5-10 minutes with a backhoe should do the trick.

Why do you wanna remove them? They look nice.

Well gee thanks my wife is sick of them. The gravel around them is getting old and dated. The gravel and trim go around the whole house and it is getting very beat up looking plus it is 13 years old.

Well gee thanks my wife is sick of them. The gravel around them is getting old and dated. The gravel and trim go around the whole house and it is getting very beat up looking plus it is 13 years old.

I see, just curious.

They are nice..but sometimes change is good....

go get yourself a Ryder truck...tell them you need the 26 foot cube truck so you have a diesel powered BIG truck...then dig around those a little and then yank them with the rental. Get the insurance. That is if you cannot get the aforementioned back hoe.

And I would not even think of ripping out the bushes with the Torrent.

That isn't a bad idea actually.

Compact backhoes go for about $200/day. If you get one for 1/2 day, they should pro-rate the price for you.

It will be so easy if you go this route - trust me on this.

Another good idea. I am going to talk to my nephew he might have one that I could use.

Good Lord, just don't knock the house over.

if you go the back hoe route, get the smallest bucket you can, and for the love of all things holy, get the yard marked for all utilities...you may loose basic cable or Skinamax for a night or two if you dig in the wrong spot! Or blow the joint up by hitting a gas main or something else you don't want to find.

The smallest bucket idea lends itself for digging a trench out to the street or lowest area of the yard and putting your down spouts and sump pump outlets under ground and away from the house. Makes mowing much easier and makes for a cleaner all around look to the house. Just my two :twocents:

WAIT!!! It just struck me! Go to your local Toyota Dealer and ask him/her to allow you to test drive the all new Tundra! If they do a ride along, let them hook the ropes around the bushes and show you how great the truck is! Test drives are free..beats renting something!

if you go the back hoe route, get the smallest bucket you can, and for the love of all things holy, get the yard marked for all utilities...you may loose basic cable or Skinamax for a night or two if you dig in the wrong spot! Or blow the joint up by hitting a gas main or something else you don't want to find.

The smallest bucket idea lends itself for digging a trench out to the street or lowest area of the yard and putting your down spouts and sump pump outlets under ground and away from the house. Makes mowing much easier and makes for a cleaner all around look to the house. Just my two :twocents:

WAIT!!! It just struck me! Go to your local Toyota Dealer and ask him/her to allow you to test drive the all new Tundra! If they do a ride along, let them hook the ropes around the bushes and show you how great the truck is! Test drives are free..beats renting something!

Good advice here.

But be sure to have the tow truck on call to remove the remains of the Tundra.

how about renting a CAT 793 should get er done

Good idea on renting a Turd. I wouldn't be caught dead in a new Turd they are ugly and discrease to a "green" company like Toyota. As for the bucket size good idea.