Hi friends:
I need to go pick up a 58 napco suburban from CO and bring it back to
houston. I used a uhaul auto transport to drag my 57 2wd suburban
and it worked beautifully. Our tow vehicle is a 97 1500 suburban. I
say the 57 towed beautifully because we didn't have any problems.
However, I have never towed anything before so I have nothing to
compare it with. Maybe one of you veteran towers would have felt it
was borderline. I definitly felt the weight back there but it seemed
OK. I need a brother!
Anyway, I need to pick up this 58 napco. I have never been to Grand
Junction, CO but I assume there are some mountains to traverse. Once
I get to Eastern CO, it is pretty flat all the way back to Houston.
One of my books says the 1960 (I don't have 58 data) K series
suburban weighs 4,365# where the 2wd weighs 3,960. The shipping
weight of the 58 2wd is stated at 3,794. Using the 1960 ratios, that
would mean that the 58 napco sub weighs in the neighborhood of 4,244#
(I added 450# based on the difference of 405# in the 1960 models).
In addition to the actual suburban, I will be carrying the original
235ci motor (it presently has a 283ci installed) plus various parts.
The uhaul trailer is rated for 3,900#. We have a class 3 hitch
with a tongue rating of 5,000# on the 97 suburban. I need to check
whether or not we have the transmission cooler lines (does anyone
know if they come stock on the 97 1500s). I would guess that our
transmission is not a heavy duty model. The manual says that we
can/should tow in OD.
What do ya'll think about this? The 57 2wd shipping weight is stated
at 3,738#. I don't know what the uhaul trailer weighs but I am sure
not less than 800-1000#. Right there we towed approx. 4,738# without
problem.
I have looked, although not really hard, for an alternative rental
trailer in the houston area. So far, apart from goosenecks and 3rd
wheel trailers, I haven't found one that we could rent for just a few
days or a week. Plus, I was hoping to spend some time up in CO and
don't want to pay for extra days. The uhaul store told me to think
about using a tow bar. The 58 suburban is driveable but the steering
is very sloppy. All the axle seals, bearings, etc are purported to
be in excellent condition. I am not a half ass kind of guy but the
tow bar seems a viable option. But, don't get me wrong, I would
rather just put the old beast up on a nice sturdy trailer and pull
her home. The tow bar would work in that it wouldn't cost me
anything during my "vacation" time as I could rent it locally in CO.
Plus, for the mountains, I could just fire up the suburban and drive
it until I get to level ground. That would be fun, also.
So, what do ya'll think?? Give me your 2 cents. I have spoken with
Kevin, Mark and Bob McNulty and they have all expressed their
reservations with the uhaul trailer. If I were wealthy, I would just
rent a 1 ton truck with a gooseneck but that is not even remotely
possible (unless one of ya'll want to make a donation to the poor
suburban owners fund) as I have to pick the sub up before June 20th.
The alternative is to sell the 58 napco -- NOT! I would rather
push it back to Houston! The funny thing is that I am building that
51 3/4 ton 4x4 and it would be a great tow vehicle. But, it won't be
finished and tested before July.
I need real numbers on the 58 K series suburbans. I would like to
know the weights of both the 235 and the 283. I would love to hear
about others experiences towing the heavier napco vehicles (suburbans
specifically) of like years. My gut feeling is that, much like an
overpass' stated clearence is less then the actual clearence,
conversely the uhaul auto transport's rated 3,900# is an underrating
based on liability. But, that doesn't mean I would push it.
Thanks for all of your help and opinions. I am most interested in
your opinion concerning use of a tow bar. Houston isn't that far
from CO.
Eric Pesci
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