FrozenMerc
Full Access Member
I found the limit of my truck the past few days.
The Back Story:
We rented a trailer last week to go get a 1960 Ford C-700 that I had stored on a farm in far Northwest Minnesota, before I moved to Springfield a number of years ago. The farm owner asked me to come pick it up a few months ago as he has been trying to clean the farm up. Since my sister's wedding reception was this past Saturday in St. Paul, the wife and I decided to take a few days off work and make a road trip out of the deal. I initially rented a simple 24' deck-over bumper pull, but the previous renter of that trailer decided not to return it to Sancrest Trailer (great bunch of guys by the way), and they gave me a 30' gooseneck flatbed instead, rated at 20,000 lbs. Way more trailer than I thought I needed, but it was my only option.
The 1000 mile trip up to Warren, MN from Springfield, MO, via St. Paul went really well. The truck pulled great. It would hold 70-75 mph on the interstate with no problem, pulled down between 11 and 12 mpg, and kept the temps in check, even on Friday which was in the mid 90's, with the AC cranked. All the mods I have done recently (3.73 rear gears, ZF 5spd, CDD pump) really worked well together.
We got up to Warren on Monday morning after stopping to visit friends in Brainerd and Grand Forks. Loaded the old heap on the trailer, and took off, heading South into a stiff 30 mph headwind.
Those of you that are familiar with the Red River Valley in Northern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota, understand the wind and just how relentless it can be in that flat, treeless plain. The truck held it's own, but it was not a fun start to the trip. Heading into the wind was a 4th gear, flat on the floor and hope for 60 mph affair. Turning East and heading down US 2 wasn't much better until we crawled out of the valley and got back into the North Woods. We made the 250 mile journey back to my parents place in Aitkin, MN in a bit over 5 hrs (2 stops, lunch and fuel). That load maxed out everything about my F350, engine, brakes, transmission, you name it. I did not feel comfortable driving another 750 miles, through 2.5 major metropolitan areas (MSP, KC, and Des Moines), so I decided to leave the C-700 at my parents, and drove back to Springfield with the empty trailer. I will most likely hire someone to go get it and bring it back at a later date. Anyone know of a good vehicle transporter?
All in all, a good road trip, and it taught me alot about the truck, what are it's weak points and areas that still need work.
The Back Story:
We rented a trailer last week to go get a 1960 Ford C-700 that I had stored on a farm in far Northwest Minnesota, before I moved to Springfield a number of years ago. The farm owner asked me to come pick it up a few months ago as he has been trying to clean the farm up. Since my sister's wedding reception was this past Saturday in St. Paul, the wife and I decided to take a few days off work and make a road trip out of the deal. I initially rented a simple 24' deck-over bumper pull, but the previous renter of that trailer decided not to return it to Sancrest Trailer (great bunch of guys by the way), and they gave me a 30' gooseneck flatbed instead, rated at 20,000 lbs. Way more trailer than I thought I needed, but it was my only option.
The 1000 mile trip up to Warren, MN from Springfield, MO, via St. Paul went really well. The truck pulled great. It would hold 70-75 mph on the interstate with no problem, pulled down between 11 and 12 mpg, and kept the temps in check, even on Friday which was in the mid 90's, with the AC cranked. All the mods I have done recently (3.73 rear gears, ZF 5spd, CDD pump) really worked well together.
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We got up to Warren on Monday morning after stopping to visit friends in Brainerd and Grand Forks. Loaded the old heap on the trailer, and took off, heading South into a stiff 30 mph headwind.
You must be registered for see images attach
Those of you that are familiar with the Red River Valley in Northern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota, understand the wind and just how relentless it can be in that flat, treeless plain. The truck held it's own, but it was not a fun start to the trip. Heading into the wind was a 4th gear, flat on the floor and hope for 60 mph affair. Turning East and heading down US 2 wasn't much better until we crawled out of the valley and got back into the North Woods. We made the 250 mile journey back to my parents place in Aitkin, MN in a bit over 5 hrs (2 stops, lunch and fuel). That load maxed out everything about my F350, engine, brakes, transmission, you name it. I did not feel comfortable driving another 750 miles, through 2.5 major metropolitan areas (MSP, KC, and Des Moines), so I decided to leave the C-700 at my parents, and drove back to Springfield with the empty trailer. I will most likely hire someone to go get it and bring it back at a later date. Anyone know of a good vehicle transporter?
All in all, a good road trip, and it taught me alot about the truck, what are it's weak points and areas that still need work.
