The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk hauling your old bolts

What kind of vehicle do you use to bring your old bolt home

In my case, I had a 59 1 ton, that was only a few miles from where I live. I had a big wrecker tow it for me. But due to the angle of my driveway, I had to use a come-along (ratched winder) to pull the truck up into the driveway.

I then used the 59 once fixed to tow my 47 jeep home.

On my 72 truck, it was in the neighbor's driveway so I aired up the tires and got a couple of buds to push it into my driveway. So its been pretty easy for me.

I've driven several of mine home. Three I've had delivered by a tow truck. Last summer I finally bought a trailer, and since then I've used my own trailer to drag new fun home.

I used my '02 Silverado 2500 with a car trailer to bring home the '42 about 170 miles one way. With my '59 Viking, I was planning to use a rented tow bar, because I thought that it would weigh too much for a standard car trailer. But I got lucky and was able to drive it all the way (65 miles) with only adding oil and coolant.
When I upgraded trucks a couple years ago, I went from a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton (glad that I did) as the difference in torque is like night and day.

i've got a 97 Z-71 and a slightly modified( or hacked up)16ft utillity trailer that has made a many project get'n trips,the last trip was just over 600 miles(round trip)and was the first time I had any trouble.I would like to upgrade to a newer 3/4ton like J Lucas but I have a bad habbit of spending the new truck fund on old stuff,example,last trip the typical intake leak on Z-71'S became a bad leak,especially pull'n a loaded trailer,run hot if not pay'n attn.,that was in early Dec. the truck still leaks but I just got two boxes of front end parts for a 49sedan project.This is'nt a hobby,this is a disease!!!!

I pulled my '66 C-60 home,about 2 miles,then over a summit to a friends place,about 20 miles,behind my '57 GMC half ton,on a tow bar. Later,I towed it back over that summit to my house again with my '62 one ton on the same tow bar.(handled a LOT better that time) Pretty much everything else I've had to move,I've used the '62 for. I used an old U-Haul trailer hitch,the kind that attachews with flatiron hooks and chains and big wing nuts. I welded brackets onto the crossbar and mounted my old tow bar to it,so now I can use it either way,and it connects easily. Works like a champ!
Speed

I pull my stuff around, with my, Antique Holmes Wreckers, See them here, http://community.webshots.com/album/116208177WBeZZP

After partial disassembly (front clip and doors off) I towed my '51 3100 home with my $75 '77 Datsun pick-up and a tow rope. That had to look funny!

I brought the red58 home on a UHaul trailer behind my 250 powered 67 3/4T - worked fine, but took over 4 hours instead of the 3 the trip takes unloaded - I also dragged in a 58 parts panel w/ the 67 after I put a 327 in it - much better!

nowadays a friend has an 03 dually duramax and trailer so I let him deal w/ heavy haulin, but I use red for non-trailer jobs

Bill

WE pulled mine out of the snow with a bulldozer and draged it thru the fields.I rented a u-haul moving truck and trailer. We brought her home in a snow storm.It was so much fun

I drove it home,half way them got a tow truck

I pulled the 38 Chevy dump on a trailer with a 2001 Chevy dump.I'm sure it was the fastest it's ever gone

This is the rig I use Now, its a 1994 GMC 3500 with 1996 28\' Gooseneck trailer . But I did bring my 1965 GMC 2500 Dually home behind the same 1994 GMC with a Tow Bar all the way from Crooked River Ranch in Oregon. and I used the same tow bar to bring home a 1986 Suzuki Samurai (yes it saids 1987 on the album, that is what I was told, on the title its a 1986).

But the BIG fun was bring home the 1966 GMC 1500 with bad clutch, I started out on the tow bar, broke a bolt, so we removed the tow bar and I tryed driving it the rest of the way, about 15 miles out the clutch gave all the way out, so we pushed it the rest of the way with the 94 GMC 3500, I forgot to bring a chain, doh!

So what have I learned? Use the trailer on bigger trucks, and the tow bar oon the wee little ones.....

I had to go bush for mine. I drove a 4wd Pajero. If the weather had changed i would not be able to get out. It was a 3000km round trip. The tow-ball stripped its nut 600km into the journey. I tied the trailer back on and drove to the next town where i managed to swap 20L of petrol for a tow-ball to a lady who had run out of fuel. A good trade i thought. The rest of the trip was great.
Brendon

Learned my lesson the hard way about 15 years ago -- don't screw around when you're moving old iron.

I do my hauling with my '95 Cummins-Dodge 3500 and a 25-foot gooseneck (equipped with a 9,000-lb Superwinch-brand winch). Picture of the rig at work

Usually, this rig hauls hay, produce and farm equipment. But sometimes it gets to play!


John

I remember the 61 was an easy move for me,I took some gas,wd40,brake fluid and went to the guys house and took the plugs out sprayed a little wd40 in each cylinder,disconnected the rear brake line from the tee and capped them off,bleed the front brakes added some new brake fluid,bleed the clutch cylinder added more brake fluid.Gapped the plugs and replaced them poured a little gas in the carb and cranked her over a few times waited about 15 minutes and cranked her over a few more times and BAM she started.I loaded her on the old Lowboy behind my Dodge one ton and brought her home (about 75 miles).I was at the guys house about 45 minutes max and the truck had sit for several years without being started but it was driven to where it was parked.

The 60 was a different story,it was in pieces when I went to get it(about 300 miles)all sorts of problems starting with the gentleman was'nt home when I got there,I dont beleave he could tell time,I waited on him for 4 hours and was about to leave when he showed up "drunker than a skunk".Loooooong story short I loaded her on the Lowboy behind the 61 and came home.He did throw in a real nice extra 235 engine and insisted on following me out of the holler so I would'nt get lost.He was a nice guy.

My 61 c60 was a running truck so I just drove it home with no problem.
Hobert

Grandpa and I drove mine home from the farm.

Well, Grandpa did. He hadn't driven the old girl (or any 'bolt, for that matter) in a long time and I figured that I'd let him drive it again for old time's sake.

I bought an old trailer about 5 years ago and have used it to haul several projects. I went about 450 miles to pick up my last project, a 64 chevy stepside. Paid almost as much for fuel as I gave for the truck.
James

All right this is my first attempt at adding a picture so bare with me. Either way go easy on me.... My bolt hauler

second try web page

You guys with big goosenecks are making me jealous!

That is until I remember how tough it can be to get my little 18 foot trailer in and out of some of the places where I've found trucks hiding...

I pull my trailer with an '89 K3500 with a 454 and 165,000 miles of experience. I've pulled big loads behind little pickups and the bigger one sure inspires more confidence.

On one trip I paid more for gas than I did for the truck I brought home.

I think gettin' it home is part of the fun.It's like a personal challenge. There's been a couple of times it crossed my mind to call in a tow truck,but I just can't get myself to pay somebody to haul something I can haul myself,and so far I haven't gotten anything I couldn't haul myself.
Speed

Used to just get em home any way that worked. Drove some. Towed some. Hired a rollback wrecker a couple times. Borrowed and rented trailers a couple times. Finally, I decided I better get a trailer of my own. Bought a tandem axle bumper, pull trailer and put a hand operated winch on it. It works pretty good up to a 3/4 ton truck. Down the road, I would like to get one that would handle a backhoe. I used to use a \'91 GMC dually with a 454 to tow, but it got to be too much to feed it. Last fall I traded it on a \'01 Dodge 2500 Turbo Diesel Tows as good or better with about 1/2 the fuel.

drove my BABY home (ok it was only 6 blocks)

Cliff59

The way we move our cars and trucks is with a 1979
Ford F-350 Car hauler.
About a year ago I got a 1949 Ford F-5 truck complete with no bed. We could not get nobody to move it so my dad hauled it own his car hauler even though I told him he could not

Hey folks. Newbie here. I just had 2 '39 trucks, a pickup and a 1 1/2 ton flat bed, 2 modal A bodies and extra sheet metal hauled from MO to IN. I have no way to haul anything. I got prices from $1200 to $1000 to do it. Then found a feller who bcame a fast friend that did it for $411!! This guy is great!! I'll use'em everytime. Cheaper than a trailer and insurance here!

"You guys with big goosenecks are making me jealous!"

I had a good reason for buying my Gooseneck Trailer, I figured it would be harder for people to want to barrow then a pull behind trailer.....

Also at the time I bought it, I had some extra money kicking around from all the overtime I had to work keeping buses on the road During the 2002 Winter Olympics.

I have used it to haul trucks & Tractors, Hey and all those V12s I got from Texas, as well as a load of junk from time to time. Even used it in a $4th of July Parade once as a float.

Just incase anyone really cared, I Posted Some More Photos of MY Truck & Trailer <~~~There.

dang Jolly thats nice!

Cliff59

I've been lucky and was able to borrow a truck and rent a trailer both times.

Truckin..

The run with the Chevy was about 200 miles each way while the run with the Freightliner was 1,000 each way. The Chevy handled well but the Freightliner didn't even know it had anything behind it!

I agree with Speed, getting it home is what makes it an adventure. I like every bit of it, including the part of thinking through all the problems that could occur and being equipped and prepared to handle any obstacle that one might encounter.

In '98 I bought a '82 C20 Chevy and a couple months later a 20' flatbed trailer. Since, I've hauled about 20 different cars/trucks. Some more than once. The 20' trailer was overkill for most of the vehicles, but it was barely enough to pull a '51 4400 w/dump bed from Nebraska to St.Louis. It rode fine but squatted rather low. That opossum on I-70 cleared the truck, but no way it cleared the trailer. Now I pull with my '66 C20. The 283 is no match for the 350 though.

well the first truck i got was free and only 3 blocks away. so a chain and a running truck and 5 min and it was done. now my ne old truck im getting is going to turn into a car carrier, the problem is getting it . its a 37 international duel axle. this should prove interesting.

i'm a bit jealous the trailer i've used is borrowed and could really use a re-wire or new bulbs and a trailer brake system (not equiped with brakes) (but none of my trucks are setup for trailer brakes) so far all i've ever used is 1/2 tons 85 Chevy 1/2 2wd has the suspension for it but the 305 and 3.08 rear end make it interesting but a ton of scrap iron in the bed makes it sit 1 in. lower then level, 78 chevy suburban 1/2ton 4x4 has suspension and 4.11s and granny 4speed but the motor could use a tad more power but other then that it works really well and last one was 70 Chevy 1/2 even with 3.08s i could get up and moving fast via somewhat fresh 350 4bolt .030 overbore and other go fast parts but hauled a 68 IH 4x4 1/2ton and that really did a number on my frame cracked and bent it badly 1/2ton coil trucks don't make good tow vehicles and i used my 90 S10 2-dr blazer with a car dolly that wasn't as bad as i thought but kept it around 50-55 i would like to get a 3/4-ton or 1-ton and a gooseneck someday
Nate

I've hauled a 1 1/2 ton home with a tow dolly. Mine can handle a new full size 1/2 ton (by the book). You want to be careful about corners though. A truck on a dolly can push your rear end around if you are not careful. The dolly comes in handy when you are alone and have good tires on the rear of the towed vehicle. You also need to be carefull of your state laws concerning towing a vehicle with the wheels on the ground. It may have to have current license. I also wouldn't tow too far with a dolly when dealing with an old vehicle.

My brother and I just hauled a 1959 Chevy Fleetside home with a 18 ft trailer and towed it with a 2004 GMC extended cab 3/4 ton with the Duramax Deisel and Allison transmission. What a setup! That GMC never broke a sweat. The transmission breaking worked great in the tow mode. We pulled 70 to 75 mph all the way. That truck didn't even slow down 1 mph going up hills. It is one heck of a truck.

From Colorado to Mass? I had her hauled.

left franklin oh. with a 20ft. trailer in aborrowed chev g20 work van, two breakdowns and 900 miles later was in fletcher oaklahoma only to find my newly purchased 49 3100 wouldnt fit up on the trailer, with some creativity got it loaded as the snow started . drove 900 miles back with the storm front right over our truck. i'm still pulling seat fabric out of my butt cheeks. darn i love old trucks

The only time I had "trouble" finding a way to get something home was when I bought my Bulldozer. I had a guy in town that hauls farm equipment with his 1 ton Dodge V-10 and a gooseneck dual wheel dual axle trailer. Even though he was lisenced to the max, we were still 5000 pounds over weight. We waited until early evening to haul it to help avoid the DOT, and he hauled it home with the promise that I would pay the fines if need be. I have a triple axle trailer but the truck I used to pull it with is now under construction. I have a ramprod truck project in the works but it's on the back burner so far I can't even see it yet. Depending on how far away it is, I've had them towed home too. I keep friends in all lines of work so I can trade favors with them.
Scott

now we got an 18 foot car trailer to haul them on and it works really good. It is much easier to load them on the trailer than it was to load them on the car hauler

Me and dad drove the Green Machine home. It was about a 40 mile trip on the interstate. The only real problem we encountered was 2 weeks later when we learned that there wasn't a nut on the steering column holding the steering wheel on. It would have been interesting if the wheel had come off on the interstate instead of pulling into my driveway.

Drew