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Shipping New coach [message #356937] Sat, 18 July 2020 17:29 Go to next message
jfkarls is currently offline  jfkarls   United States
Messages: 53
Registered: June 2019
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
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Any suggestions on shipping my new 26' Palm Beach from Montgomery Texas to Racine Wisconsin? The only quote I've received online is crazy money - they claim because of spike of covid in Texas. It is a very long way from running so driving home is out. I even looked into renting a lowboy myself (I have a CDL) but with insurance & medical card it's not practical - thanks for any suggestions - Also is everyone seeing my signature at the bottom of note? I filled it out but I'm not sure if it's working - cheers Joe Karls

Joe & Valerie Karls 1976 Eleganza II, & 1976 Palm Beach - Also own 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible,
Re: Shipping New coach [message #356940 is a reply to message #356937] Sat, 18 July 2020 17:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jhbridges is currently offline  jhbridges   United States
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Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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If the rear wheels and bearings are good, run the suspension all the way up and a wheel lift single axle wrecker will tow it easily. Probaly with a heavy enough tow dolly you cold haul it behind a 3500 pickuop. Otherwise, flat trailer is the answer.
Is it close enough to working tobring it home o0n a boat tank un der its own power? The investment in working brakes and tires you have to ake anyway and it might be less than a towing charge.

--johnny


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
Re: Shipping New coach [message #356945 is a reply to message #356940] Sat, 18 July 2020 18:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jfkarls is currently offline  jfkarls   United States
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Registered: June 2019
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
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Thanks for the note Johnny - it's months maybe year before its road-able. Wheel lift wrecker is interesting, I'll have to look into that

Joe & Valerie Karls 1976 Eleganza II, & 1976 Palm Beach - Also own 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible,
Re: Shipping New coach [message #356958 is a reply to message #356937] Sun, 19 July 2020 06:58 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jhbridges is currently offline  jhbridges   United States
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Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
Senior Member
Mine came home on a Haynes 500. With a heavy duty pickup, a Big Tex flatbed trailer would carry it.

--johnny


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
Re: Shipping New coach [message #356968 is a reply to message #356958] Sun, 19 July 2020 09:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jfkarls is currently offline  jfkarls   United States
Messages: 53
Registered: June 2019
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
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Thanks for the note Johnny - what is a Haynes 500? I can't find it online. I did see the Big Tex flatbed trailer - a 5th wheel right? Is the haynes 500 also a 5th wheel?

Joe & Valerie Karls 1976 Eleganza II, & 1976 Palm Beach - Also own 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible,
Re: Shipping New coach [message #356969 is a reply to message #356937] Sun, 19 July 2020 09:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jhbridges is currently offline  jhbridges   United States
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Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
Senior Member
Haynes builds - or built - wreckers. The 500 was a sigle axle on a Ford F450 chassis with a wheel lift and a boom. Alton Edge locally hauled mine with one. I figure it would go for less than the big stuff many serv9ces want to use.


--johnny


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
Re: Shipping New coach [message #356970 is a reply to message #356937] Sun, 19 July 2020 09:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jhbridges is currently offline  jhbridges   United States
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
Senior Member
Ack, my dumb. HOLMES 500 wrecker.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&ei=SlgUX5DmC4Ok_QaO7LywCg&q=holmes+500+wrecker&oq=Holmes&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgBMgU IABCRAjIECAAQQzIECAAQQzIHCAAQsQMQQzIECAAQQzIECAAQQzIECAAQQzICCC4yBAgAEEMyBAgAEEM6CAgAELADEM0COgsILhDHARCvARCRAjoECC4QQzoLCC4QsQMQxwEQowI6BQgAELEDOggIA BCxAxCDAToCCAA6CAguELEDEIMBOg4ILhDHARCvARCRAhCTAjoGCAAQChBDOg0ILhCxAxDHARCjAhBDOgoILhDHARCvARBDULOTAVjvnQFg78ABaAFwAHgAgAF1iAHUBJIBAzQuMpgBAKABAaoBB2d 3cy13aXo&sclient=psy-ab

--johnny


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
Re: Shipping New coach [message #356982 is a reply to message #356970] Sun, 19 July 2020 12:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jfkarls is currently offline  jfkarls   United States
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Location: Racine, Wisconsin
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ok got ya - thanks for the info!!

Joe & Valerie Karls 1976 Eleganza II, & 1976 Palm Beach - Also own 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible,
Re: Shipping New coach [message #357034 is a reply to message #356937] Mon, 20 July 2020 22:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
agoogol is currently offline  agoogol   United States
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Registered: August 2019
Location: Centennial, Colorado
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Check Kevin Tully at Action Heavy Haul for a quote.

Kevin Carter 1977 Kingsley - 403 c.i. Centennial CO
Re: Shipping New coach [message #357040 is a reply to message #356937] Tue, 21 July 2020 07:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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Registered: January 2004
Location: Menomonie, WI
Karma: 10
Senior Member
IMHO, this is the best way to "tow" our coaches. I got lucky. This towing service (Irvington Garage) is about 2mi from my house, and most of the guys that work at this business were students in the school I taught at. Used them twice. Both times about 250 miles from home. Hope things work out for you as good as it did for me.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/our-coach/p56437-towing-our-coach.html


Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: Shipping New coach [message #357042 is a reply to message #356937] Tue, 21 July 2020 10:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
TR 1 is currently offline  TR 1   United States
Messages: 348
Registered: August 2015
Location: DFW
Karma: -7
Senior Member
If brakes and bearings are in good shape or can be made functional, I've toyed with the idea of setting up a GMC for flat towing.... Does anyone know of this having been done in the past or any thoughts on flat towing a GMC? I haven't seriously considered this, but have had some idle musings about what it would take to do this for buying a project coach or recovering a disabled one...

Anyway, my thoughts got about this far:

1. Pull the halfshafts and install just the outer joint in the hub without a shaft attached, then cover or install inner joints to keep dirt and dust out of the fd...
2. Use a Brake Buddy or equivalent (Using the one from my toad came to mind) to actuate the brakes in the GMC
3. Pull the front bumper and fabricate or modify a towbar to fit the bumper mount... Several options for this.... It could be done by: 1. building one from scratch if you have the tools/skills, or 2. at least around here in TX, there are a lot of mom and pop trailer manufacturers and/or other metal fabricators that could probably make what you need, or 3. If you look on ebay, etc. there are generally heavy duty military surplus tow bars and connectors available that could be suitable if modified.... Something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Military-Towbar-Medium-Telescoping-Arms-With-3-4-Inch-Feet/264308643325?hash=item3d8a05d5fd:g:rkgAAOSwivlczKE-

Now you'd of course need a heavy duty pickup or some other truck to pull this... Also, it might make sense to make a tow plate that runs between the front frame rails on the bumper mounts to reinforce the front end since the bumper is removed....

Again, I have not attempted this, nor am I aware of anyone doing this, though it does not seem out of the realm of possibility.... Of course, if you do not have or have access to a heavy duty truck, Brake Buddy, etc. the cost on this would go way up... But if you already have or have access to those things, the only real cost would be the tow bar.... But I would bet that won't go more than 2-$500 bucks if you're willing to scrounge around and/or make what you need....

And of course, having not driven anything like this, it may not "pull" well at all, which makes this an experiment, for sure... I do not think I would attempt running a rig like this through the Rockies or anything like that..... Texas to Wisconsin? It's a hike for sure, but pretty flat depending on the route you take....


Mark S. '73 Painted Desert, Manny 1 Ton Front End, Howell Injection, Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes, Fort Worth, TX
Re: Shipping New coach [message #357045 is a reply to message #356937] Tue, 21 July 2020 10:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JohnL455 is currently offline  JohnL455   United States
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
Senior Member
If it can do that flat tow, it’s only a working power train away from driving. So—Get that done locally and drive it.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
Re: [GMCnet] Shipping New coach [message #357047 is a reply to message #357045] Tue, 21 July 2020 10:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
James Hupy is currently offline  James Hupy   United States
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Registered: May 2010
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Senior Member
Kinda the way I am thinking about it. A heavy duty "Reposession Wrecker"
that just raises the front end off the ground, really, really is all that
is needed. They do a great job, and are far less money than a big tilt back
or tractor-trailer combo.
Get the darned thing fixed locally and limp home is another option.
Although, one could just torch off the half shafts, mickey mouse some kind
of tow bar, and drag it home, too.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Tue, Jul 21, 2020, 8:33 AM John R. Lebetski via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:

> If it can do that flat tow, it’s only a working power train away from
> driving. So—Get that done locally and drive it.
> --
> John Lebetski
> Woodstock, IL
> 77 Eleganza II
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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Re: [GMCnet] Shipping New coach [message #357049 is a reply to message #357047] Tue, 21 July 2020 11:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stu@97381.com, Emery  is currently offline  stu@97381.com, Emery   United States
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When I had mine towed from Texas to Colorado they had to cross state lines at Oklahoma and Colorado and I was told they could not legally tow it with the smaller wrecker so they did overkill using a giant rig. Besides charging me $10 per mile, they broke my driveway and did about $1200 of damage to the concrete and to the GMC backing it into the drive.
I would have been better off towing it to the State Line, using my Tracker to push it across and using another smaller tow truck to tow it home.
Emery Stora

> On Jul 21, 2020, at 9:50 AM, James Hupy via Gmclist wrote:
>
> Kinda the way I am thinking about it. A heavy duty "Reposession Wrecker"
> that just raises the front end off the ground, really, really is all that
> is needed. They do a great job, and are far less money than a big tilt back
> or tractor-trailer combo.
> Get the darned thing fixed locally and limp home is another option.
> Although, one could just torch off the half shafts, mickey mouse some kind
> of tow bar, and drag it home, too.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Oregon
>
>> On Tue, Jul 21, 2020, 8:33 AM John R. Lebetski via Gmclist > gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> If it can do that flat tow, it’s only a working power train away from
>> driving. So—Get that done locally and drive it.
>> --
>> John Lebetski
>> Woodstock, IL
>> 77 Eleganza II
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
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Re: Shipping New coach [message #357055 is a reply to message #357042] Tue, 21 July 2020 12:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ken Burton is currently offline  Ken Burton   United States
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
Senior Member
I flat land towed mine home last fall for 63 miles with my Colorado PU. The cruise control on the PU was set at 55 mph the whole way.

Some additional things you will need:
1. A magnetic light bar for rear of coach with tail and brake lights attached to ad powered by the tow vehicle.
2. An electric vacuum pump attached to the GMC brake booster if you intend to use a "brake buddy".
3. A 12 volt circuit from the towing vehicle to the GMC engine battery to keep the battery charged for parking and clearance lights plus the vacuum pump. I suggest using a 7 pin round trailer plug on the towing vehicle for all of the electric stuff.

TR 1 wrote on Tue, 21 July 2020 10:00
If brakes and bearings are in good shape or can be made functional, I've toyed with the idea of setting up a GMC for flat towing.... Does anyone know of this having been done in the past or any thoughts on flat towing a GMC? I haven't seriously considered this, but have had some idle musings about what it would take to do this for buying a project coach or recovering a disabled one...

Anyway, my thoughts got about this far:

1. Pull the halfshafts and install just the outer joint in the hub without a shaft attached, then cover or install inner joints to keep dirt and dust out of the fd...
2. Use a Brake Buddy or equivalent (Using the one from my toad came to mind) to actTuate the brakes in the GMC
3. Pull the front bumper and fabricate or modify a towbar to fit the bumper mount... Several options for this.... It could be done by: 1. building one from scratch if you have the tools/skills, or 2. at least around here in TX, there are a lot of mom and pop trailer manufacturers and/or other metal fabricators that could probably make what you need, or 3. If you look on ebay, etc. there are generally heavy duty military surplus tow bars and connectors available that could be suitable if modified.... Something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Military-Towbar-Medium-Telescoping-Arms-With-3-4-Inch-Feet/264308643325?hash=item3d8a05d5fd:g:rkgAAOSwivlczKE-

Now you'd of course need a heavy duty pickup or some other truck to pull this... Also, it might make sense to make a tow plate that runs between the front frame rails on the bumper mounts to reinforce the front end since the bumper is removed....

Again, I have not attempted this, nor am I aware of anyone doing this, though it does not seem out of the realm of possibility.... Of course, if you do not have or have access to a heavy duty truck, Brake Buddy, etc. the cost on this would go way up... But if you already have or have access to those things, the only real cost would be the tow bar.... But I would bet that won't go more than 2-$500 bucks if you're willing to scrounge around and/or make what you need....

And of course, having not driven anything like this, it may not "pull" well at all, which makes this an experiment, for sure... I do not think I would attempt running a rig like this through the Rockies or anything like that..... Texas to Wisconsin? It's a hike for sure, but pretty flat depending on the route you take....


Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
Re: [GMCnet] Shipping New coach [message #357061 is a reply to message #357042] Tue, 21 July 2020 13:38 Go to previous message
Ken Henderson is currently offline  Ken Henderson   United States
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
Senior Member
Seems to me it would be cheaper, safer, and less trouble to just keep a
service like Allstate's RV Roadhelp, which I've had for 22+ years. Sure,
I've paid them a lot of subscription fees during that time, but I've also
been towed several times without any hassles nor worries. My overall
coast has been much less than if I'd worried about and paid for the
individual tows.

Now for short distances, like 5 miles to the service station, I've had HER
get in the toad to work its throttle, dependent upon the condition of the
GMC's brake lights. NO problem to me -- SHE HATES IT!

If I were determined to try flat-towing the GMC, in the proposed step 1.,
I'd remove the front axles at the 6-bolt inner flanges rather than trying
any other way to keep them out of the way -- especially since I'd have to
remove them anyway to get the stub (half) axles to go into the hubs. DON'T
try towing without re-installing those stubs!

JMHO,

Ken H.

On Tue, Jul 21, 2020 at 11:01 AM Mark Sawyer via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:

> If brakes and bearings are in good shape or can be made functional, I've
> toyed with the idea of setting up a GMC for flat towing.... Does anyone know
> of this having been done in the past or any thoughts on flat towing a
> GMC? I haven't seriously considered this, but have had some idle musings
> about
> what it would take to do this for buying a project coach or recovering a
> disabled one...
>
> Anyway, my thoughts got about this far:
>
> 1. Pull the halfshafts and install just the outer joint in the hub without
> a shaft attached, then cover or install inner joints to keep dirt and dust
> out of the fd...
> 2. Use a Brake Buddy or equivalent (Using the one from my toad came to
> mind) to actuate the brakes in the GMC
> 3. Pull the front bumper and fabricate or modify a towbar to fit the
> bumper mount... Several options for this.... It could be done by: 1.
> building
> one from scratch if you have the tools/skills, or 2. at least around here
> in TX, there are a lot of mom and pop trailer manufacturers and/or other
> metal fabricators that could probably make what you need, or 3. If you
> look on ebay, etc. there are generally heavy duty military surplus tow bars
> and
> connectors available that could be suitable if modified.... Something
> like this:
>
>
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Military-Towbar-Medium-Telescoping-Arms-With-3-4-Inch-Feet/264308643325?hash=item3d8a05d5fd:g:rkgAAOSwivlczKE-
>
> Now you'd of course need a heavy duty pickup or some other truck to pull
> this... Also, it might make sense to make a tow plate that runs between the
> front frame rails on the bumper mounts to reinforce the front end since
> the bumper is removed....
>
> Again, I have not attempted this, nor am I aware of anyone doing this,
> though it does not seem out of the realm of possibility.... Of course, if
> you
> do not have or have access to a heavy duty truck, Brake Buddy, etc. the
> cost on this would go way up... But if you already have or have access to
> those things, the only real cost would be the tow bar.... But I would bet
> that won't go more than 2-$500 bucks if you're willing to scrounge around
> and/or make what you need....
>
> And of course, having not driven anything like this, it may not "pull"
> well at all, which makes this an experiment, for sure... I do not think I
> would attempt running a rig like this through the Rockies or anything like
> that..... Texas to Wisconsin? It's a hike for sure, but pretty flat
> depending on the route you take....
> --
> Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
> Manny 1 Ton Front End,
> Howell Injection,
> Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
> Fort Worth, TX
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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