Packard Forum Index » Shows and Events

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If you go U-haul, you may have to lie about your truck. I've rented from U-haul twice to haul a 56 Packard and we told them my buddy's F-250 turbo diesel truck was a F-350, otherwise U-haul's computer would not allow the rental because the truck was "too small." BS... we had no problem in actuality, even hauling "over the hump" from Las Vegas to Pahrump, NV.

Craig

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I have 2 possible tow vehicles, a Chevy Tahoe 350 cid and a Chevy 1500 4x4. I do have a third choice and that's my 94 Winnebago 29' 454 Motorhome (got 9.1 mpg w/o towing anything). I would be borrowing the Tahoe or Chevy 1500 and I don't know what kind of mileage I would get. Dunno which is best, any thoughts?

I'd like to invite any of y'all to visit Scotty's Castle in Death Valley National Park either before or after this event.

The historic owner of Scotty's Castle - Albert Johnson was a long time Packard owner and we have on display here his 1914 7 passenger touring sedan - one of only 4 left in the world - and his 1933 Twelve Coupe Roadster.

The castle grounds are open from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM 7 days a week.

Thanks and hope to see some of you.

Mike Wehmeyer
Scotty's Castle
Death Valley National Park, California

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Yes. Back in my drag racing days, my first truck was a 1972 Chevy 3/4 ton with 350CID V-8 with a bumper hitch. It was barely adequate and wandered around on the road to the point of making a trip very tiring. The race car, tools and trailer were probably 6500lbs.

I then bought a new 1977 Chevy 3/4 ton with 454CID V-8. I installed a frame-based lift bar towing rig and matching setup on the trailer. It was entirely satisfactory and gave many years of good service. It was not fatiguing to drive.

Therefore, I would say NO to the Tahoe 350. What engine is in the Chevy 1500? Does it have the "Max trailering pack"?

WRT the motor home, I once helped drive a diesel truck motor home conversion towing a tandem trailer (2 cars nose-to-tail) from Las Vegas to Reno (425 miles & back). It was entirely satisfactory, but required high skill and very strict situational awareness. It was not for the inexperienced or faint of heart. IIRC, it was 54ft long. Since I don't know your skill or experience level, take this example for what it's worth.

Craig

Trailering a vehicle over a long distance is a event that takes forethought, planning, quality equipment and a strong commitment to safety. I recently trailered my '55 Packard to Greer AZ using my '01 Chevrolet 2500HD Silverado and my car trailer rated for 6000 lbs. The Silverado has an 8.1 liter (496 CI) with a Allison transmission and it is a stock 3/4 ton truck with an extended cab. Though this trip was only a (500) mile in-state excursion, I had to navigate the famous Salt River Canyon roadway and climb to a final elevation of approximately 8600'.

Good luck on your upcoming trip.

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I thank you for the good widhes and trailering experiences. I have learned a lot and will heed the warnings. I have towed vehicles in the past, but not for such a long distance. I will train by doing a shorter trip of about 100 miles b4 heading out to Laughlin, NV.

MANY THANKS and I'll see you there!

Wow, thanks for inviting everyone to Scotty's Castle, Mike. I hope some of our attendees might have the opportunity in their travels.

Looks like some great discussion on trailering cars. I hope everything goes smooth for all of us, hopefully I will trailer both the '39 and '40.

We have a pretty good interest level so far. Please keep in mind, if you are making your room reservations to use the code provided in the flier. That is how we qualify to use the venue for our car display and swap meet. Thus far, we seem to have more registrants than reserved rooms. If you made reservations, and didn't use the code, you didn't get the reduced group rate either.

Also, the trip back and forth to the cars is easier if you request the south tower facing the marquee.

I have really enjoyed corresponding with many of the forum members who are coming to this first time gathering.

Thanks everyone!
Jim

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Let me add one more example from yesterday. I sold two 78 Trans Am T-Tops to a guy in Phoenix via Craigslist. He and his son arrived yesterday to strip parts off the already stripped T-Top and load the restorable one onto his borrowed trailer. IMO, here are the relevant points from that exercise:

1) Phoenix, AZ to Pahrump, NV and back is a non-trival haul being 11hrs straight drive time. These guys did it in one day and worked 5-1/2 hours while here to strip the donor T/A. IMO, this was not smart. A smarter itinerary would have been to drive Phoenix to Pahrump, work on stripping the donor and then stay the night in a local motel. Apparently due to other commitments and maybe budget constraints they did not do this. So, rule 1: allow plenty of time so that you are not overly tired and have some leeway for unexpected events.

2) They did not come properly equipped for the job at hand. I offered loan of all tools in my shop including Oxy/Acc welder, compressor, jackstands, etc. Since part of the stripping process involved removing the roof and rear end from the donor car, this was a non-trivial exercise for them. For me, I just pointed them to the tools and went back inside to watch football. While one can never be 100% prepared for any eventuality, I really don't have words to describe these guys. So, rule 2: for any trip, one can never be too prepared for any eventuality.

3) I could describe some other details, but the deal worked out OK for both of us. I got my asking price and the buyer got his restorable car and parts off the donor. Also, the buyer and son made it back home to Phoenix without any bad stuff happening. So, rule 3: sometimes better lucky than good.

Craig

Craig..words of wisdom for sure

I am coming to the River Run and bringing my back issues of the Packard club magazines dating back to 1979. Dont know what they would be worth but it is more important that they go to a good home.

If there is any interest i have a 54 3peed tranny with an R-11 overdrive. I bought this from David Moe at Seattle Packard when rebuilding my current 3 speed. I paid 450 for it but more than willing to lower the price. Not sure of the condition, it was opened and inspected but not needed at the time as it turns out.