First trip is done, and the results

[trudinator]

Originally Posted by prof_fate

I've towed small things many times, bass boats and jet skis and a small p'up. I wasn't sure what to expect when towing a 6500 lb 30' beast down the road.

The plan was to go to the mall parking lot some sunday morning and practice a bit but that never happened, so we load up Friday night and head out - OK, Friday night rushour on a holiday weekend. We can do this, right?

Lets add in we're on the PA Turnpike, which is under construction and it's raining too. Can it get any more fun?

Actually it went rather well I think - not a bit of sway anyplace at all, either being passes or popping on and off the berm of the road, never hit anything (like concrete walls or barrels), maintained 55 to 60 as a target speed and got to 75 at one point downhill.

At couple of times we experienced the feeling we were in a basketball, but then we never once felt the push-pull I"m used to with a trailer and experienced riding with the guy that delivered it to us. I assume the WD and anti-sway turned the bucking into bouncing. (shocks are 20,000 miles old so it's not that).

Got to the campground and now it's time to back it into the spot...seems every spot is already full and it had quit raining by now at least. Believe it or not got it into the spot in the perfect location on the first try!

Ok, the downsides to an older tow vehicle...The truck was well kept by the previous owner and topside looks great. No rust, no repairs, never wrecked. Underneath is some rust and i knew that. Nothing looked all that bad. Well, the A/C quit a week or so ago and I took a look - no freon, so I put some in and find a leak - a line had chafed on the rad support. Some investigation shows the lower part of the support has rusted away leaving nothing for the condenser and trans cooler to mount to.

It's sold as the entire front core support for $700, and it's 15 hours to change it out - about $2000 total. Oh joy. I"m taking it to a guy next week that I've been told can do a reapair on it for 1/4 of that. Then the AC line needs replaced.

Also found a leak at the rear axle - apparently the rear pumpkin cover has rusted to the point it's got a hole in it. That's a new one. I've never seen a cover that has oil behind it rust out. Easy fix, not sure the cost but it can't be too much...famous last words.

I was picking my son up from school today and saw the most obscene truck ever - a Ford F650 4 door dually pickup. Sounds like it had air brakes on it too. Big? Get a ladder to get in and out and forget using the bed for anything - the bed floor is about chest high

The F650, Ford F650, ford f650 truck, f650 truck, Ford F650 Super Crewzer, Ford f650 for sale, the f650 .com

I like this one - it has SIX doors. Wish I had an extra $100K lying around. LOL. Can you imagine the looks you'd get driving into the campground with this rig??? Richard Petty has one. Website is: F650 SuperTruck

[prof_fate]

Wish I had a garage to build one - then I'd take an order and have an extra $100k LOL