Eric,
In order to get to Grand Junction (el = 4600 ft) from eastern CO you are
going to have to go over mountain passes 10,000 -11,000 feet no matter
what way you look at it. There are basically 3 main routes.
1. Northern route, I 70 west from Denver.
Eisenhower Tunnel - 11,100
Vail Pass - 10,700
2. Middle route, US 50 west from Pueblo
Monarch Pass - 11,300
3. Southern route, US 160 west from Walsenburg
La Veta Pass - 9,400
Wolf Creek Pass - 10,850
I grew up in Rye, a small (250 people) town in southern CO. I now live
in the Denver area. I've traveled, hiked, camped all over this state so
if I can help you out with any questions you have concerning route
selection, I'd be more than happy to.
If I was towing a vehicle, I'd want to have a good trailer w/ good
brakes. Wouldn't want you to have to use one of those runaway truck
ramps :-). It always makes me nervous when I smell someones brakes
while I'm driving in the mountains. I personally witnessed a trucker in
dire straights coming down the west side of the Ike Tunnel - smoke
billowing from his brakes. Fortunately he made it OK - some don't.
Another less mountainous option might be I 40 through Albuquerque, then
northwest to Farmington, although if you break down in that section help
is few and far between. You then could skate the CO-UT border to Grand
Junction.
Good luck,
Mike
> ----------
> From: varanus@mail.phoenix.net[SMTP:varanus@mail.phoenix.net]
> Reply To: varanus@mail.phoenix.net
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 5:09 AM
> To: oletrucks@autox.team.net
> 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
>
|