| [GMCnet] trip report [message #195618] |
Tue, 15 January 2013 14:17  |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Off went I and the BWD and the toadstone for Starkeville, MS last weekend. Out of here Friday afternoon. GMC full of no-alcohol gas, toadstone following happily along. I stopped in Scenic Gordo, AL for coffee in a 7 - 11. Without noticing it was there, went ker-chunk through a bit of a ditch and got a horrible noise from behind me. A look in the mirror showed the Toadstone slowly rolling into the parking lot beside me sans much of the front parts of the car, all of which were subsequently found still attached to the towbar which was still attached to the GMC. The quick drop fractured the steel plate where it was bolted to the front frame stubs. Fortunately, nothing hurt. I cadged a piece of a guy's driveway, left the toadstone off and continued on my way. Went back with friends and got it Saturday after the show. For the trip home, I throughbolted the towbar ends to the frame stubs where the pieces were missing and it rode home
without problems. I'll weld up the fractures and replace the plate, bumper, and bracing sans towbar clips. They're going on a couple of pieces of box beam where the tie down rings currently reside. We live and learn.
Trip home was in a thunderstorm which was blowing East at my speed, so I spent 200 odd miles in lightning, thunder, and torrential rain. The new wheels and tyres performed flawlessly, they're a lot more stable in the wet than the Firestones were. Cooper Discovery LT IIs, highly recommended. $150 each E load range on the wheels and balanced. Cooper sells a lot of them, so it should be easy to find new ones. My guy got me some hiugh 40s weeks without trouble. Interestingly, they are made in the USA, the Firestones are not.
Pulling the Toadstone on no alcohol gas, 9+ MPG going West in good weather, 9 even going East in the storm.
A note to the sensible - a rainstorm does >not< constitute an emergancy, there is no need to turn your emergency flashers on. All they do is confuse people. If you are not comfortable driving in the current conditions, whatever they may be, simply pull to the side of the road at the first safe opportunity, get well out of the travel lanes, and wait out the conditions you don't like. Sheesh <tm>.
--johnny
'76 23' transmode norris
'76 palm beach
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Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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