Am I crazy? I want a big truck. How to move big grain truck from MN to WI

If you can drive it, can you take the ferry?

 

I've hauled a couple this size. I just make sure the rear tires are the best of the bunch and just load the front of the truck on the trailer and chain it down with the rear wheels on the road. Worked great, both times I did it and went 70 miles the with the first one i brought home. I have no idea if its legal but its kinda like a dolly for a car....

 

LOL, post pictures!

 

Never took any...hell, I was in too big of a hurry to get the dang thing home...haha

 

As others have said--find a local shop that will do the brakes. It shouldn't be that hard to find the parts and have them shipped to the place, and then have them installed.

Check the coil, the carb, the fuel filter, the plugs and wires, the U-joints, and drive it home.
Now, this is just me, but if it's going to take a few days for the drive home, I'd throw a tarp over the box, throw a cot and a cooler in the box, and on the way home sleep in Wal-Mart parking lots or KOA camp grounds at night, and save on hotel bills.

It's mechanical, and short of driving over your crankshaft, there is very little that can not be repaired between where the truck is now, and your home.

-Brad

 

20" are tube type... obsolete except on ocean container chassis... add the price of a tube plus the extra $$$ they get to change a tube type tire and you are even.

 

-------------
It's probably a bit too heavy for a
U-Haul dolly, but...

Something else to remember, if you
tow a 'big truck' with a floater-style
rearend for any distance at all with
the rear wheels on the ground..very
important - pull the axles out, in
order to disengage the differential.
Otherwise you risk damaging
the differential. After you pull the
axles, you'll need to cap off the hole
in the hubs were the axles previously
where in order to keep the oil in and
dirt out,. You can fabricate some
bolt-on caps from either plywood or
some thick (- ie- 1/4 inch or thicker)
polyethylene plastic, plexi or similar
material and use an axle gasket as
template to drill the holes.

Mart3406
================

 

As the (partial) owner of a big grain truck ('65 Ford C600 COE), I'd say don't bother with the truck in MN 400+ miles away. Fuel costs will be killer if you drive it back (if you trust it) and hauling costs would be high if you hire it out (probably close to a grand or more).

These things are plentiful enough to find locally. Just check your local Craigslists and farm classifieds.

ie)
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/grd/3983125660.html
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/3989209569.html
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/3984278930.html
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/3951754442.html



If it needs work, expect to have to invest in some heavy duty tools (jacks, sockets, breaker bars, torque wrenches, etc) as everything is bigger and requires more torque than passenger car size stuff. Wheel stud torques are in the hundreds of foot-lbs (vs. <100 ft-lbs for cars), for example. Also be aware that depending upon the model and options (ie; axle size, brake size/type, etc), some parts can be very expensive if they need to be replaced.

I've found that there are not as many trucks have the Firestone RH-5 "widow makers" as are made out to be. Most are the typical 3-piece locking style rings or another 2-piece type that aren't as dangerous.

 

One responder suggested looking around locally if you wanted a truck, excellent idea.

Another responder suggested checking with some of the folks that haul tractors, another excellent idea. Last summer, I priced having a 6000 pound tractor hauled about 700 miles at around $550.

As far as driving the truck is concerned, my guess is that truck under ideal conditions will average 4~5 MPG. If it gets 5 (remember, ideal conditions), and gas is $3.50/gallon, then gasoline alone is going to cost you 70 cents per mile. At 4 miles per gallon, almost 90 cents per mile. How far are you going.

One other thing, how good a physical shape are you? I remember driving these things several trips from the field to the barn when I was 50 years younger. The following day, arms and shoulders were pretty sore. A trip such as you are considering would be an extreme workout.

I'd say go for it, but have it delivered to your door. I really doubt that you can drive it as inexpensively as you can have it delivered. Get it home, get it in really good roadworthy shape, then do your adventure.

Just my opinion, others have already differed.

Jon.

 

Oportunity to do something really cool and you're missing it.

Map the route from where it is to where it needs to go. Then go to satellite view, look for wrecking yards along the way that have a lot of old cars/trucks..... hit them all on the way back !!! You can collect enough parts to sell in that truck to pay for the trip and fix the truck up when you get back !!

I remember driving around in an old army surplus 58 Chevy flatbed in the early 70's..... it was a blast !!!

 

i would try and catch an empty hauler headed ur way. who knows you may luck out

 

You know,you could do custum hauling on the way home and pay for the truck!Should be lot's of guys needing hauling now to make room in the bin.LOL

 

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There are a lot of great ideas on here.I agree with these two.

I hauled a 21' 1947 Ford School Bus from Southeast Colorado to Northeast Georgia. I could not find any haulers that would do the job for me. (I didn't know about the H.A.M.B. then) I went out and hauled it back on a dual axle equipment trailer behind a 1 ton dually (sorry I don't remember the # size of the axles). The only issues that I had was a blown trailer tire and an idiot that decided to pull out in front of me. My son, a friend and myself had a blast making the trip. What ever you decide to do be careful and share the details with us here.

Take Care

 

You're going to fix the brakes and give it a tune up and general going over anyway when you get it home, might as well do that before you start home with it and drive it. NEVER try to trailer something that weighs more than what you are pulling it with. Don't try to get this beast on a car trailer or even worse, one of those two wheel dollies.

 

Low boy. For sure.

 

one possibility I thought of that you might do but it involves some work on the tow vehicle ( pull the bed and install a fifth wheel or goosneck plate , is a driveaway set up , what that invloves is making a plate with a saddle that clamps over the front axle of the vehicle being towed ( like how the move semis from the plant to the dealer , the only thing you need at each end is a a frame hoist unit to lift the truck off . its a legal way set up and to do . google it if you want more of a explanation

the way we lift the front onff when we got our trucks was to get 2 tow trucks or one with a rotator and extenda boom and lift them up to unhook them . eevry once and a while we would get them withthe front tires removed to save weight and make it easier for the towing vehicle to turn

 

shhh...It's a secret...

 

I am wanting a even larger truck a old road tractor with twin sticks.

 

Ken, nice to see you're back among the living. How about giving me a call with an update on the Studebaker?

 

Or someone with the brass to JUST DO IT. I flew to San Antonio and drove a 1950 Buick to MO. You can, also!

Ben

 

NEVER try to trailer something that weighs more than what you are pulling it with.

I don't understand this statement, by this theory almost every camper being pulled down the road is unsafe, hell you couldn't haul a pickup on a trailer behind a pickup because it would weigh more than the tow vehicle...I agree with not exceeding the towing capacity of the tow vehicle and k owing how to properly load/distribute weight is the most important thing to remember.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Fix the brakes, get yourself a premium AAA plan and dive that sucker


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

A semi tractor weighs about 25,000 lbs and regularly haul 55,000 lbs for a gross weight of 80,000 lbs. Some are permitted to haul 100,000 lbs. As long as the trailer has brakes to handle the load and the tow vehicle has enough power to pull it.

My dad pulled a 28 foot house trailer with a 48 Chevy car. He pulled a 40 foot house trailer with a 50 chevy pickup from Wisconsin to West Virginia and back.

 

Heres what few consider: If you have a job, you could be making money for the amount of days that you would have to take off and make no money to do this epic-roadtrip-adventure. That kind of helps pay shipping costs.

 

I did this back in October. When I bought my F600 I had lots of friends that could move it for gas money. Once I wanted to move it, they had either sold trailers, or scared that it was too big, etc. So I ended up having to get a rollback to move it. Cost by the hour from the time they leave their shop until they get back. So I had the truck staged ready to load and just had them drop it in the street at my house.
Still cost me $325 for the 25 mile ride. The F600 has a 18' bed and looks small on the truck that hauled it. See attached picture.


As for tires, shop around. I bought new steer tires 7.50x20 from a small tire shop for $175 each with new tubes and liners. About a $100 in tire tools from a farm store and I was able to split the ring style rims, clean, paint and install tires myself. Just lube them well with hot water and dishwashing soap. The brakes were the expensive part. Hard to find and much more expensive than normal truck parts. The wheel cylinders came from 4 different Napa's spread across the US and cost me $300 total. Plus the trucks have miles of brake tubing (at least it feels like it when your replacing it).

 

Ken, nice to see you're back among the living. I sure would like an update on the Studebaker since you backed out of our deal and then dissappeared incommunicado. Thanks.

 

Would I rather work my job or be on the road? I choose Road.

 

down here, you take off from the job, it might not be there when you get back. just saying. no guarantees even if you ARE taking vacation time. sucks.

 

Do safety check.Fix what's not safe.Make it stop,steer and go.Drive it home.

 

if you have no use for the box get rid of that to get the weight down, the heavier gooseneck dual axle dual wheel trailers will haul it but will cost a premium for fuel use