Junk car caravan

[brages]

One thing I've noticed in the last few years is I'll see what I'm going to call a "junk car caravan" -

One car towing another down the interstate (they are always heading south it seems like). The lead car usually has minor damage and the towed car has the front bumper cover removed and a tow bar attached to the metal bumper underneath. Usually there are additional brake lights attached to the towed car and the towed car will also have some body damage.

I guess what is happening is small-time car lots are buying rolling vehicles at auction with moderate body damage in order to repair and flip, but they don't have a car carrier to haul them back on. Or maybe this is just a more efficient method if you don't have a semi to haul cars.

Have you seen this? Do you have any more insight?

 

[atikovi]

Usually cars bought by Mexican dealers getting driven home.

 

[jhellwig]

Rebuilders

 

[bullwinkle]

One thing I've noticed in the last few years is I'll see what I'm going to call a "junk car caravan" -

One car towing another down the interstate (they are always heading south it seems like). The lead car usually has minor damage and the towed car has the front bumper cover removed and a tow bar attached to the metal bumper underneath. Usually there are additional brake lights attached to the towed car and the towed car will also have some body damage.

I guess what is happening is small-time car lots are buying rolling vehicles at auction with moderate body damage in order to repair and flip, but they don't have a car carrier to haul them back on. Or maybe this is just a more efficient method if you don't have a semi to haul cars.

Have you seen this? Do you have any more insight?

I saw one today, including a beat up bumperless Fusion towing a bigger vehicle (small SUV?) on I-75 N in KY. When I saw the rear vehicle towing a car on a dolly, and another empty dolly on the towed car's hitch-I got as far away as possible! I'm sure they had a CDL for pulling that "double"!

 

[zyxelenator]

Yeah, they go towards Mexico usually. Probably cheap cars to rebuild and resell. Once I saw 3 cars connected that way…

 

[bullwinkle]

Usually cars bought by Mexican dealers getting driven home.

Weird to see one going NORTH-maybe they were lost...

 

[oldcodger]

Very common here. Going to Mexico to be repaired or chopped for parts. Used parts are gold in Mexico.

 

[brages]

Are they really going to Mexico? It's a long way from here to the border!

 

[atikovi]

Are they really going to Mexico? It's a long way from here to the border!

Minimum wage is like $2 an hour. A wrecked or broken down car that isn't worth fixing here, is, down there. A lot of people send their classic cars there for restoration on the cheap.

 

[cptbarkey]

All the time on the NAFTA I-35 superhighway.

 

[c502cid]

Same thing on I-25 south. You see three car caravans all the time. Sketchy and slow, but I've never ever seen the CSP pull any of them over.

 

[AZjeff]

We saw this last May on I-10 in Louisiana and the Florida panhandle and they were going east. Can't get to Mexico that way. Super sketchy wondered how it could be legal and no way the police didn't see them.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It’s a reality when you have a virtually third world country next door. ( no, not Canada) It’s a very good example of helping an economy along. No shame it it and I hope they get home safe. I do see the safety issue. That’s too bad.

 

[dishdude]

It's a scrapper, there are people that go around to dealers and buy the complete junk trade ins they take in. They'll sell them as a package, one good one but you have to take these two.

 

[97prizm]

One thing I've noticed in the last few years is I'll see what I'm going to call a "junk car caravan" -

One car towing another down the interstate (they are always heading south it seems like). The lead car usually has minor damage and the towed car has the front bumper cover removed and a tow bar attached to the metal bumper underneath. Usually there are additional brake lights attached to the towed car and the towed car will also have some body damage.

I guess what is happening is small-time car lots are buying rolling vehicles at auction with moderate body damage in order to repair and flip, but they don't have a car carrier to haul them back on. Or maybe this is just a more efficient method if you don't have a semi to haul cars.

Have you seen this? Do you have any more insight?

My dad has seen this on a few occasions in Arizona. NPR has an article about it. Mexican dealers/ repair shops are looking for old Toyotas Nissans etc that are easy to work on with minimal tools.

 

[Plawan]

One thing I've noticed in the last few years is I'll see what I'm going to call a "junk car caravan" -

One car towing another down the interstate (they are always heading south it seems like). The lead car usually has minor damage and the towed car has the front bumper cover removed and a tow bar attached to the metal bumper underneath. Usually there are additional brake lights attached to the towed car and the towed car will also have some body damage.

I guess what is happening is small-time car lots are buying rolling vehicles at auction with moderate body damage in order to repair and flip, but they don't have a car carrier to haul them back on. Or maybe this is just a more efficient method if you don't have a semi to haul cars.

Have you seen this? Do you have any more insight?

Going to Mexico.

 

[atikovi]

Going to Mexico.

What gave you that idea?

 

[FADEC]

Going to Mexico. They love our old clapped out Toyota pickups. Also Honda and Nissan cars.

 

[Plawan]

What gave you that idea?

They buy old cars and take to Mexico. Not a lot of cars sold in Mexico

 

[AZjeff]

Doesn’t explain what I saw heading east into Florida.