What to do?
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 313
Likes: 0
From: Fairbanks, AK
Go to uship.com and create a listing. I bet you can find a trucker deadheading that would cut you a break on price. Or, as someone else suggested earlier, they might at least shorthaul it for you to a nearby city.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,906
Likes: 82
From: Oregon
I put a listing on uship.com. If that doesn't pan out, do I have any volunteers? Maybe I should post a thread for a relay towing. Something like...Start in IA, and maybe get a few members to be willing to haul it or tow it one or two hundred miles or so. Think anyone on here would volunteer for something like that? Oh well, I guess if I can't get it here, then it'll sit in Randy's yard til it rots. At least I'll be able to say I owned a 53 Ford F-750 fire truck.
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,231
Likes: 1
From: Near Fresno, California
Originally Posted by wmjoe1953
do I have any volunteers? Maybe I should post a thread for a relay towing. Something like...Start in IA, and maybe get a few members to be willing to haul it or tow it one or two hundred miles or so. Think anyone on here would volunteer for something like that?
You would need a stout 3/4 ton with good brakes, 1 ton better, and 2 ton best, plus experance with heavy tows.
How much does the truck weigh? Is the problem money, or lack of time and experance on your part? With today's price of gas you are looking at $1700 worth of gas (round trip with a heavy truck) plus motels and meals. I wouldn't leave home with less than $2500 cash on me. And I would not expect to bring much back.
If it is driveable by far the cheapest way is to fly out, replace tires, brakes, hoses as needed, and head for home. Any money you spend getting it ready is money you would spent anyway as part of the rebuild.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,561
Likes: 1
From: Earth
There are a couple of currently active threads over on club hot rod where some guys are looking for transporters. You might check into them:
http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19494
http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21244
http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19494
http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21244
Roast em' if you got 'em
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22,017
Likes: 9,975
From: Rio Rancho, NM
Joseph,
What ***** B say is true, I once flat towed a 1942 American LaFrance firetruck home behind a 1983 F-150. Let me tell you, that was scary!!!! I towed approx 200 miles and never got it above 40mph as it got a bit spooky. Downhill was the worst as the big sucker would try to come around the tow vehicle.
I stil say drive it. "Big Job Joe and His Phenomenal Firetruck Adventurers From The Midwest to the Western Shores" Sounds like a good road log to me
You might refer to the thread about "Where are you located" that has the link to the Frapper site to see which members are on your route.
Good luck
Bobby
What ***** B say is true, I once flat towed a 1942 American LaFrance firetruck home behind a 1983 F-150. Let me tell you, that was scary!!!! I towed approx 200 miles and never got it above 40mph as it got a bit spooky. Downhill was the worst as the big sucker would try to come around the tow vehicle.
I stil say drive it. "Big Job Joe and His Phenomenal Firetruck Adventurers From The Midwest to the Western Shores" Sounds like a good road log to me
You might refer to the thread about "Where are you located" that has the link to the Frapper site to see which members are on your route.
Good luck
Bobby
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,858
Likes: 3
From: Friendswood, Texas
Originally Posted by wmjoe1953
So Carl, you buy the tickets, and I'll meet you there. 
I'll pay for the gas on the return trip.
I'll pay for the gas on the return trip.Time was I might have taken you up on this but 8 weeks ago my wife and I had a 5 year old little girl come to live with us as an adoptive placement. Consequently, my days of wild, nationwide roadies are just about done I'm afraid.
More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 716
Likes: 78
From: Salem
Joe, you can always use my place along I-5 as a holding place. Redmond is a little off the beaten path and it may be cheeper to ship to Medford.
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Tuned
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 263
Likes: 0
From: ELLICOTT CITY, MD. USA
Man, I would love to get in on this on a weekend or something. I'm near Baltimore though. I don't think that is near Iowa or Oregon. Seriously though, I would love to drive it a hundred miles or so and have a relay type set up. I have a friend that would be right there on a saturday and sunday and if it broke down, that would be part of the adventure as well. You gotta get it though. Suppose someone else gets it and screws it up, what then? Get it to it's new home!!
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,906
Likes: 82
From: Oregon
Ok guys. I think we can get some serious planning going on here, and maybe we can all relay it to me with a members driving it along the way. If we can pull that off, it really would have to be considered the mascot for FTE, at least for the 48-60 section. I'll do some digging on my end, and I'll get with the guy I bought it from, and I'll find out how much needs to be done to make it road worthy if it's not already.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,906
Likes: 82
From: Oregon
Randy in Iowa told me that he has changed all the fluids in the truck, and it has been tuned up. He says that the only mechanical problem with the truck is that moisture between the tank brackets and the tank has caused tiny pinholes to form in the tank. He said that it does run fine, and I do have a replacement tank for it. If this is a relay trip we can pull off, I can send the tank to the nearest member willing to pick up the truck, and do a little tinkering with it. I can get and send brake hoses, the siren, and some little items that the pick up person thinks it needs, or is willing to put in. This could go down as the most exciting automotive movement in history. Actually, the idea of a FTE group effort to get this old gal headed to her new home is kind of turning me off to the idea of having her shipped, or flying in and driving her back alone.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,906
Likes: 82
From: Oregon
The route is basically I-80 all the wayto Salt Lake City. It starts in Eastern Iowa, goes across and down to Nebraska, then Wyoming, then Utah. At SLC it goes up I-84 to Idaho, and then straight over to Oregon. Not too bad, only 6 states. The longest leg according to mapquest is the enter Nebraska, go to Utah section, and it's 887 miles. It could be done very easily, it would just require some great communication, and some willing volunteers. Who knows, it could even end up aquiring some media attention, and maybe even some Police or Fire Department escorts. Hey, this could be huge. Lord knows we need something fun like to distract us from the goings on around the world. Should we start a volunteers list? Should I call CNN? I'll send the siren and fuel tank to someone in IA, or mabe we can relay the parts that way too. UPS aint got S!@# on FTE!!