Eric,
I was faced with the same dilemma. Had to get a 1959 NAPCO from San
Antonio to Norfolk Virginia. Ended up buying a tow bar. Rental from U-Haul
and purchase from Hidden Hitch were about the same - ($115.00). Greased the
wheel bearings, checked the rear end fluid and air pressure. Tires were
good with no dry rot or cracks/slices. Hooked up the taillights, connected
in at an original connector about halfway back the frame rail on the drivers
side of the 59', got good brake turn and stoplights from the factory wiring
harness on the tow vehicle (95'GMC). Disconnected both driveshafts, taped
the ends and wired them securely to the frame rails up out of the way, in
case I had to do a quick switch for an under it's own power evolution.
Really was a dream to tow. Checked the hubs and axle ends for heat at each
stop, and maintained the tightness of the tow-bar (The ball lock worked
itself loose regularly). Left half my heart and stomach at One serious
panic stop in Houston, then doubled what I thought was a safe following
distance. Again, it was a pleasure. Stayed out of overdrive all the way,
and had no problems. Go for it! Spend that hard earned money wisely!
Kevin
59' Apache38/NAPCO
-----Original Message-----
From: varanus@mail.phoenix.net <varanus@mail.phoenix.net>
To: oletrucks@autox.team.net <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 12:42 PM
Subject: [oletrucks] trailering a napco suburban
>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
>oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
>
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