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Stolen - 1931 Reo, Lansing, MI

Michigan Farmer

By Michigan Farmer
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TAKerry 25,000+ Points

TAKerry

Posted
Posted

Hope the owner gets it back easily and quickly.

 

I knew a brick mason that had his truck broken into and all of his tools were stolen. He called the police then went on the usual pawn shop run to find them. Lo and behold he came across them. Shop wanted a hundred dollars or so for them. He called the authorities and reported them. They took them in as evidence and would not release them. Dave still had to go out and buy all new tools!  He said he would have been better off buying them back and forgetting about the whole thing.

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Matt Harwood 25,000+ Points

Matt Harwood

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Glad the Reo is OK. This was simply a trailer theft, but you're never sure whether they'll just dump the contents or burn/destroy them to erase evidence. My former business partner was on a Silver Ghost tour and had his 18-year-old Suburban and ratty old trailer stolen at an event--with his 1924 Silver Ghost inside. The $200,000 Ghost was found several miles up the road, dumped in the ditch. The $12,000 Suburban and $6000 trailer were never seen again.

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60FlatTop 25,000+ Points

60FlatTop

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18 hours ago, alsancle said:

Considering there are a total of nine Reo Royale convertible coupes known to exist.

What would the average ago of those 9 people be? Maybe the owner misplaced it.

 

Certainly wouldn't want to stereotype but....

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Grimy 25,000+ Points

Grimy

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Posted
36 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

Glad the Reo is OK. This was simply a trailer theft, but you're never sure whether they'll just dump the contents or burn/destroy them to erase evidence. My former business partner was on a Silver Ghost tour and had his 18-year-old Suburban and ratty old trailer stolen at an event--with his 1924 Silver Ghost inside. The $200,000 Ghost was found several miles up the road, dumped in the ditch. The $12,000 Suburban and $6000 trailer were never seen again.

Out here in the west, the trailers are stolen to become meth labs, and any cars inside are a liability to be dumped or destroyed.

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TAKerry 25,000+ Points

TAKerry

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Oops, I have a plain white trailer, I guess I should be a bit more diligent. I think there was an article on the forum awhile ago about a truck stolen may have had a trailer and an old car. The meth lab thing was exactly what happened. They had no idea what the contents were.

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John_S_in_Penna 25,000+ Points

John_S_in_Penna

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1 hour ago, TAKerry said:

Oops, I have a plain white trailer, I guess I should be a bit more diligent....

You could customize it to make it easily identifiable.

That would be useful in a big car-show trailer lot, too.

 

Or, paint lettering on the trailer that says,

"University Labs.  Radioactive Waste Disposal Services!"

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wayne sheldon 25,000+ Points

wayne sheldon

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Posted (edited)
6 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

Or, paint lettering on the trailer that says,

"University Labs.  Radioactive Waste Disposal Services!"

 

Uh, you MIGHT want to rethink that?

 

WARNING! Thread drift ahead! Although long, I swear every word of this is absolutely TRUE! (Although I would bet not verifiable?)

 

Several years ago, my wife wanted to spend some time with her parents. The sad fact is, that her parents were not good people. I had always tried to be supportive of her, and her desire to have some sort of healthy relationship with them. However, they continued to treat her like dirt, and I eventually had had all I could stand of them. Whereas for years before, I would take her up, and we would both stay for a few (very FEW) days while they would visit, and I would entertain myself around the area they lived, visiting historic sites, antique shops, and even antique automobile friends. Their constant fighting, and abuse of her finally became more than I could watch. So, for the last several years of their lives, I would drive her up, and drop her off for a planned few days (nearly always cut short with her crying from their abuse). My trips amounted to two nearly 600 mile round trips in a few days time, nearly always 600 miles in a single day, each way.

One such trip was, shall we say "interesting"? I had dropped her off at her parent's place, and headed South toward home. About thirty miles after leaving their place, I get passed by an unusual looking service truck, with I noticed mid-Western license plates. The truck was several years old, had some odd specialty equipment carriers, Long enclosed tubes, something that looked like it might have been a hoist, ladders, etc. It was painted darkish colors, and -----

-----it had several "DANGER" and "RADIATION" warning stickers on it! A few on those "specialty carriers" that I could not see what was inside!

 

It did look suspicious, but I was in a no-cell service area, and quickly lost sight of them.

About twenty miles later, they passed me again. They had been driving considerably faster than I usually drive, so I figured they had pulled off and gotten gasoline. Again, in a no-cell service area, again, I quickly lost sight of them.

About thirty miles later, I stopped for gasoline. Then hit the road, only to be passed by them again about ten miles later! I figured they might have stopped for fast-food. 

Every time they passed me, I wondered about this truck. Should I be suspicious? Should I make a call? (Didn't help that that area of North coast California has a LOT of no-cell area!)  And I was nearing the end of that highway for my trip with a turnoff onto another highway.

A different highway, now heading East, I figure I have seen the last of them. This particular highway has a lot of slow two lane sections, a few good size hills with nasty twists and turns. The sun is setting, it is getting dark out there. For some reason, I notice a car passing me. The conditions weren't right for it, and if you have ever noticed how certain types of professional drivers handle a car? And then another one. Odd? 

I am very used to driving winding hilly roads, and if I must say so myself, can usually keep up with most of the best of them!

As I come near the end of the worst of that road, I suddenly realize that I am two cars behind "the truck"! And the car behind me is tailgating literally feet behind my big 2001 Expedition's rear bumper! Shortly before the winding road drops onto the floor of the valley (and thirty miles of the straightest two lane you have ever seen!), there is a lookout point, with parking. I can see several cars parked up there as I approach.

 

And all H#!! breaks loose! Just before we pass in front of the lookout's parking, Two cars jump out in front of the "truck"! The car on my bumper AND the car behind him fly around ME and force the "truck" off onto the shoulder! Right behind us, two more cars jump out of the parking lot! Meanwhile a couple of other cars coming from the other direction join in. At least one Sherriff's SUV and a California Highway Patrol!

 

One thing I MUST say! They had their act together! I never stopped. I was prepared to, I dropped my speed to a crawl, gave each of their cars the space they needed, steered around and avoided what could have been collisions while getting out of their way.

Whether someone in one of the small towns made a call? Or what I don't know. But they had obviously been following or tracking him for more than an hour. Maybe days? They apparently knew I wasn't with him, cut him out of the traffic, and let me go on my merry way. As I looked back in my rear view mirror. It appeared the highway was closed at that point right behind me. I have no idea for how long.

I never saw anything on the news, didn't expect I would. I wonder what they told other people that saw less than I did? 

I often wonder about it. Were the stickers a joke? Was there a terrorist threat? I will probably never know. I wonder how long it took to put that "capture" together? I counted at least five unmarked dark sedans including the two right behind me. I think at least two each Sherriff Department and Highway Patrol, plus a couple I couldn't see enough to identify. They had at least three arrive early, two right behind me and a couple driving in from the other direction just as they forced him onto the shoulder. Took some planning.

It was quite a show, And I had the front row center seat for it!

And I am NEVER going to put "radioactive" labels on anything unless it is legitimate and authorized!

 

 

Edited by wayne sheldon
I hate leaving typos! (see edit history)
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TAKerry 25,000+ Points

TAKerry

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I traveled when I bought my TA. I had an open trailer. I slept in the backseat of the truck at a truck stop on the way to get it. On the way home I splurged on a hotel room. I parked right outside of my window but still couldn't sleep as I was worried all night I would wake up and the car and or truck and car would be gone. I used to worry about travelling on motorcycle with it being stolen whilst asleep in a hotel. I finally just made sure my insurance was good and never worried about it again.

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8E45E 25,000+ Points

8E45E

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11 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

You could customize it to make it easily identifiable.

That would be useful in a big car-show trailer lot, too.

 

Or, paint lettering on the trailer that says,

"University Labs.  Radioactive Waste Disposal Services!"

Or "Joe's Sewer & Drain Cleaning" with graphic pictures of plugged toilets on it.

 

Craig

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TAKerry 25,000+ Points

TAKerry

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41 minutes ago, K8096 said:

The problem with putting any kind of graphics or words on a trailer is that in the eyes of some law enforcement & the BMV that makes it a commercial vehicle - which then may require commercial license plates which cost more.  

When pulling a trailer with commercial graphics you open yourself up to a whole host of new issues requiring DOT and the such, though license plates are actually much cheaper if you do it the right way, nod/grin . I was on a job in PA (which is the only place I have personally encountered problems with the above named) and the electrician had a trailer he used for tool and material storage. He had different motorcycle brands painted on the sides as well as m/c aftermarket parts suppliers. It looked like he was off to the races. Told me he was never bothered at all by law enforcement. 

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JACK M 25,000+ Points

JACK M

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3 hours ago, TAKerry said:

When pulling a trailer with commercial graphics you open yourself up to a whole host of new issues requiring DOT and the such,

I was towing a friends trailer with a racecar on it and some advertising on the front box.

The trooper followed me for several miles and finally pulled me over at a closed scale house.

First he checked my truck to learn its towing capacities. then weighed me.

Then went into about an hour of education about towing something in an effort to endeavor in business.

Needed all kinds of stuff, fire extinguisher, DOT numbers, physical card, on and on.

I played real dumb as I was only doing a friend a favor moving his car with his trailer.

No citations, just warning from a bored cop that had nothing better to do than harass me.

I often see trailers being towed with lots of non related advertising on them. I think some guys that are legal get paid to haul around advertising.

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TAKerry 25,000+ Points

TAKerry

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I was erecting a building in western pa. When I pulled in to the landfill heading to work one morning there were 2 pa state troopers. Pulled me to the side (on private property inside the landfill). Did exactly as you said. Went over the truck, trailer, contents etc. with a fine tooth comb. They had me tied up for  2 hours. This was after a 5hr drive just to get there, not to mention we still had to work a 10 hr day. I had no idea that a f150 needed a DOT #.  Though I had fire extinguisher, and truck and trailer were in good working order. I was ignorant of the law and they took that into acct. After the 2+ hr check, they informed me of the violations and the fact that they could issue a fine upwards of $500 or so. They 'did me a favor' and let it slide, giving me 2 weeks to get everything legal. Then before they let me go they asked to see my medical card and license. Much to their surprise I carry a class A cdl, and had a current medical card. You could see the blood draining from their faces. I know they were going to give me a citation for that one which starts around $1000.!

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zepher 10,000+ Points

zepher

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33 minutes ago, TAKerry said:

Much to their surprise I carry a class A cdl, and had a current medical card. You could see the blood draining from their faces. I know they were going to give me a citation for that one which starts around $1000.!

 

This is the number one reason that I held onto my CDL with a current medical all these years although I have not used it for employment for about 25 years.

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3makes 1,000+ Points

3makes

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Number of years ago, I was coming south on I-95 through Vermont and pulled into a rest stop at White River Junction and was greeted by VT State Police and a Federal DEA taskforce. When I asked about the use of the facilities, after inspecting my car hauling box trailer with its vehicle inside and suburban throughly, I was told to use the nearest tree. They were busy using the facilities for strip searching questionable suspects and not available. Male or female, it didn't make any difference, use the nearest tree.

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kbeach 5,000+ Points

kbeach

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Back to the 1931 REO, does anyone know what condition it is in and was the trailer and towing vehicle also recovered? 

Quote

 

 

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