R W Burgess Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Well, guys the 1/2 ton GMC pulled the 30 foot box trailer just fine. Of course it only had a'65 Corvette coupe in it, whatever that weighs.I bought this trailer because of the heavy duty axles and 16 inch wheels. It was very hot today, between 95 - 98 at times. We got behind today with our work so we did not leave until about noon, that hottest part of the day. I have a spare tire, but did not have time to buy an extra rim.Because of the heat, I only drove around 60-63 mph, just in case. A Goodyear blew out around Roanoke, Va, only 40 miles or so from my destination. Oh well, they were used Goodyears. Luck was with us. We were only 4 miles from an exit with a truckstop and a friendly cop followed us on the shoulder of the road as I drove along at 20mph. $36.00 later and we were on the road again. No fuel milage readings this time guys, maybe on the trip home.Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted August 13, 2010 Author Share Posted August 13, 2010 While waiting for the wife to shower, another update..............I went out to find a spare tire and wheel assembly this morning. Wal-Mart?, (could not get through shop doors), Lowes Stores?, (no wheels, looking for a spare 16 inch-8stud), so I went to a local "Auto-Master" shop. They did not have a 10 ply in stock (they knew what a transporter needed-be still my heart:eek:), but had access to one in the afternoon, plus they could get me a spare steel wheel too. I left my phone number and the trailer with them in a security fense, so I can enjoy the day's activities with little worry. They stay open until 6pm, so I can get my rig back, unload the Corvette in time for the evening Starlight drive-in movie appointment.What's not to like about the AACA and the good luck that follows us!Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 Wayne,When I get the trailer home from Taos, New Mexico and do an oil-change on the diesel Excusion, I'll head to Moline, and then diredtly to Denver on the way to Cheyenne, showing the Packard again.I carry the trailer's (replaced-american ) spare plus another spare rim/tire from the 2500 series Suburban -- iN A PINCH, IT COULD BE MOUNTED ON THE TRAILER AXLE SINCE THEY ARE ALL 8-LUG (sorry for the all-caps - my fingers slipped) - all are load-range-"E" 235/85-R16.Enjoy Roanoke -- will I see you at Moline and Cheyenne? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hill Posted August 16, 2010 Share Posted August 16, 2010 Call Trailer World in Bowling Green, KY (could ship it but would porbably be end of week before it arrived) or if you have a Tractor Supply in your area, they may have the wheel you are needing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted August 17, 2010 Author Share Posted August 17, 2010 I carry the trailer's (replaced-american ) spare plus another spare rim/tire from the 2500 series Suburban -- iN A PINCH, IT COULD BE MOUNTED ON THE TRAILER AXLE SINCE THEY ARE ALL 8-LUG ..............Enjoy Roanoke -- will I see you at Moline and Cheyenne?You won't see me at either of those events, Marty. Hershey is next on the list.I checked with my tire dealer today. Someone in my area has a completeset of 8 lug GM wheels (takeoffs). I'm going to check with him this week and buy all of them if they fit my trailer. (Got home with no more tire problems, by the way.)I might even get real brave and see how long the used big white walls from my pickup last on the trailer. They now have 40,000 miles on them and are not worth anything as a trade-in so we will see. I will also have 4 extra mounted spares from now on anyway. I'm getting really good at changing them in 15 minutes, too. Not quite NASCAR ready yet!On another note, since I brought my average speed back down to 60-63 miles per hour on the way home, my rig averaged 10.3 and 10.1mpg on the two tank fulls. The only effect I saw with the 30 foot trailer and the 1/2 pick up was it pulled a little harder on the mountains. It still never dropped below 50 mph and either mountain that I crossed.Thanks guys!Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Wayne,I think you'll find that the offset and rim-depth of the GM rims may not fit the trailer with regard to clearance. Trailer rims are usually zero offset - not so on truck rims. The spare that I carry is from an older suburban, less depth, and could be mounted inside-out in a pinch - at least to get me to a repair shop.Good luck -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted August 18, 2010 Author Share Posted August 18, 2010 I have an appointment later in the week to check them out Marty. We're getting rain today, so I'm enjoying watching the change in weather.W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 Hi Wayne,The 2000 Excursion 7.3L TurboDiesel 4-WD pulled the 30' extra-tall trailer from New Orleans to Taos, NM and back again with the '54 Caddy convertible inside - we made 8.5 mpg at 70 mph, and 10.25 at 60 mph with a fair amount of rolling countryside and a few very steep hills.Left the Caddy at home on Sunday, loaded the 1930 Packard Phaeton, and drove to Moline, IL making about 9.5 mpg overall. I'll keep you posted on the mileage on the next leg of the trip, driving to Denver, Colorado in preparation for the Cheyenne Meet.So far, the American made tires have given me 2 years -- so much better than the Chinese "Ironman" tires which I believe were sourced through Carlisle as original equipment.Best regards,Marty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 Wal-Mart?, (could not get through shop doors), Lowes Stores?, (no wheels, looking for a spare 16 inch-8stud), so I went to a local "Auto-Master" shop. They did not have a 10 ply in stock (they knew what a transporter needed-be still my heart:eek:), but had access to one in the afternoon, plus they could get me a spare steel wheel too. I left my phone number and the trailer with them in a security fense, so I can enjoy the day's activities with little worry. They stay open until 6pm, so I can get my rig back, unload the Corvette in time for the evening Starlight drive-in movie appointment.What's not to like about the AACA and the good luck that follows us!WayneAnother AACA Member at Blacksburg told me the Air Conditioning in his tow vehicle stopped working on the way to the meet on Thursday. Through other AACA members he was able to find an A/C repair ship in Blacksburg (owned/run by an AACA member IIRC) that was able to repair his A/C on that Friday. Like you said "What's not to like about the AACA and the good luck that follows us!:)"I might even get real brave and see how long the used big white walls from my pickup last on the trailer. They now have 40,000 miles on them and are not worth anything as a trade-in so we will see. I will also have 4 extra mounted spares from now on anyway. I'm getting really good at changing them in 15 minutes, too. Not quite NASCAR ready yet!On another note, since I brought my average speed back down to 60-63 miles per hour on the way home, my rig averaged 10.3 and 10.1mpg on the two tank fulls. The only effect I saw with the 30 foot trailer and the 1/2 pick up was it pulled a little harder on the mountains. It still never dropped below 50 mph and either mountain that I crossed.Thanks guys!WayneI hope I don't find out too soon how long it takes me to change a trailer tire.With your trailer tire changing experience maybe you should consider adding that to the Trailer Seminar at an AACA Meet in the future? Going down to Blacksburg I average 8.75 mpg on three tanks of fuel. Coming back home I averaged 7.52 mpg on three tanks of fuel towing my 20ft enclosed trailer. I guess coming home to Pennsylvania is all uphill from Blacksburg or maybe it had something to do with my higher speed due to less traffic. BTW Wayne, just curious as to the country of origin (America or overseas) of the Goodyear tire that blew out on this trip?That always seems to be a hot topic in tire blow out discussions here on the forums.Interesting side note... I noticed a few more tow vehicles at Blacksburg made by the company that made my tow vehicle (ie not one of the Big 3). Here where I live I have also noticed an increasein this manufacturer's vehicles towing RV & Car trailers and being used as "real world work trucks".The Big 3 probably don't have anything to worry about but it is nice to know that there are viable alternativesshould the consumer want them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 Great post Wayne For anyone towing a trailer - heat is what destroys a tire from the inside out(often before the tread has worn down)The slower you tow - the less likely you will experience a trailer tire blowoutJim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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