Yesterday I picked up a new 16' Hallmark box trailer for my Scout Troop. It is a tandem axle trailer with trailer brakes. We have graphics on the sides showing our main sponsor. I hauled it out to a Kiwanis meeting to thank them and ask for graphics to advertise and thank them for their support. I pulled it darn near all day and have another day with it today as I need to have some more graphics applied to signify the Scout Troop. I've been working for three years to acquire a trailer for the Troop and needless to say, I'm a proud Papa when it comes to my son and his involvement in Scouting.

I commented on another thread about the need to a trailer brake controller. It is a MUST IMHO. As far as the truck hauling the trailer, I never knew it was back there. To give credit where credit is due, the trailer pulls like a dream, is very light and aerodynamic so the drag isn't what I would have thought. But my truck pulls it like it isn't even back there.

There is my brag for the day. I'll drop off and look forward to many years of use out of the trailer (and truck) with the Scouts.

 

Glad to hear you have your trailer and thanks for working with the Scouts,

Steve

 

Show a picture of the trailer. I received my Eagle at 17 years 6 months. Keep him motivated and excited as 18 comes pretty quick once you get involved in sports.

I have a 4 year old and I will introduce him to scouting in a few years. He already enjoys camping.

 

I agree that the TBC is a requirement. It was on my list of 'must haves' when I was looking for this last truck.

 

I agree about getting him through to Eagle. It's hard to push them once they get the smell of gasoline and perfume. I have an old '88 Silverado in the garage that I've had since '89. 10 years ago I had it taken down to the nuts and bolts, short-blocked it and had the tranny freshened up. I told my son that it would be his but he had to have his Eagle before he was 16. During drivers ed, he's welcome to drive me all over, but if he doesn't have an Eagle by 16, he's going to start taking the bus if he wants to go anywhere I'm not planning on going - like to school!!!!

I never made it past Cub Scouts 'cause we moved a lot when I was a kid. I'm sorta living a second childhood through my son.

This has been a three year project of mine. We've been taking the kids camping in an old '84 school bus that had the diesel engine rebuilt 8,500 miles ago along with the tranny. Its been a good one, but a money pit. Plus it leaks in the back and we have to load and unload it everytime we take them out. Plus the only one licensed to drive it has a son in the Troop that's about to earn his Eagle. When he does, we lose the driver too even though he is VERY committed to Scouting. Problem being is that he's got a daughter at Baylor, and a younger daughter in the band in high school and he's heavily involved in the band booster program. None of the other adult leaders want the liability of driving the money pit, nor do we want to go through the process of getting the license. I have a CDL, but going beyond that to be licensed to drive a bus and haul passengers isn't something I really don't want, nor need to do. All the adult leaders either drive trucks or full sized SUV's, so the trailer just makes more sense all the way around. I made a deal with the sponsor church to swap the bus for the trailer. They went WAY above what I ever expected in a trailer. It is choice, for sure.

Here is a picture....

 

We broke the trailer in this weekend. It is licensed now and we have officially used it for the first camp out. One of my counterpart adult leaders got to pull it as I pulling my pop-up to the campsite. My hips don't do so well on the ground in a tent. The boy's were thrilled and the other campers near us all commented not only on the trailer, but our boys and how they acted. We have a flag burning ceremony last night around the campfire and the man next to us came over this morning saying that he was veteran and that when we sung the National Anthem, it brought a tear to his eyes. In fact, he even gave a new flag to replace the one we retired last night.

We got a good group of boys. They do what they need to do, when they need to do it, leaving the adult leaders the time to work on the very elusive Scout Leader Napping Merit badge, which is an on-going thing. I couldn't be more proud of our boys.