Picked up my kit April 16, 2011. Drove to MI with my friend Greg. I had checked with u-haul to make sure they had a trailer I could rent weeks in advance and got my truck inspected by them to make sure everything was going to work . A couple of days before I am due to leave, none of the u-haul stores in my area had a trailer, plus I learned for a trailer this size/weight, you need electric brakes! I find someone to do the wiring install ($300 I didn’t expect to spend) and Alan SL-C comes to my rescue by lending me his trailer.
I’ve never towed anything before, so driving this took some getting used to. Drive to MI went smoothly and we arrived at the shop Friday evening and dropped off the tires/wheels and trailer. When we found the hotel, it was pretty sketchy. Dumped a bag and went to find something to eat. I asked the waiter if there were any decent hotels in the area. We found the one he recommended and got a room. Went back to the original hell hole and grabbed my stuff. I have stayed in some budget hotels before, but our original hotel was dirty and dangerous.
Back at the shop next day at 8:30, and Mark was still buttoning things up. We loaded car on the trailer and were off around 10:30. The trailer taillight I had replaced the day before was broken again, so we stopped at Harbor Freight 2 miles away and I fixed it in the parking lot. Five minutes into it, a dude pulls up and asked “what is it?” I was trying to be polite and the more info I gave him, the more interested he was, finally getting out of his car and checking out the suspension. I stopped work to grab something out of the truck and he said, “I have a ton of automotive experience, and I’ll offer to help you build this for free”. Too bad I live 15 hours away, seemed like a nice guy who knew his stuff. He leaves and 1 minute later, a young guy and 2 girls pull up and he stops and starts asking questions. I tell my buddy Greg, this one is yours or I’ll never finish this 10 minute job.
We finally get on the road again about 11:00 and it starts to spit rain. The forecast is not good and I am hoping we can outrun the storm. Getting lots of looks by cars passing us. I see a guy coming onto the highway in a Dodge Challenger and I pulled over into the middle lane, because I can tell he is getting on the highway at speed. I check my mirror to see where he is so I can pull back into the right lane and he is….missing? He finally comes around the left and I see the passenger was taking pictures! Every toll booth/rest area we stopped, the car was getting attention and comments.
Six hours later, it starts pouring. Rained the rest of the way back, wind driven, foggy….was really miserable and difficult to see.
I think my next build, I’ll have it shipped!!!
I’ve never towed anything before, so driving this took some getting used to. Drive to MI went smoothly and we arrived at the shop Friday evening and dropped off the tires/wheels and trailer. When we found the hotel, it was pretty sketchy. Dumped a bag and went to find something to eat. I asked the waiter if there were any decent hotels in the area. We found the one he recommended and got a room. Went back to the original hell hole and grabbed my stuff. I have stayed in some budget hotels before, but our original hotel was dirty and dangerous.
Back at the shop next day at 8:30, and Mark was still buttoning things up. We loaded car on the trailer and were off around 10:30. The trailer taillight I had replaced the day before was broken again, so we stopped at Harbor Freight 2 miles away and I fixed it in the parking lot. Five minutes into it, a dude pulls up and asked “what is it?” I was trying to be polite and the more info I gave him, the more interested he was, finally getting out of his car and checking out the suspension. I stopped work to grab something out of the truck and he said, “I have a ton of automotive experience, and I’ll offer to help you build this for free”. Too bad I live 15 hours away, seemed like a nice guy who knew his stuff. He leaves and 1 minute later, a young guy and 2 girls pull up and he stops and starts asking questions. I tell my buddy Greg, this one is yours or I’ll never finish this 10 minute job.
We finally get on the road again about 11:00 and it starts to spit rain. The forecast is not good and I am hoping we can outrun the storm. Getting lots of looks by cars passing us. I see a guy coming onto the highway in a Dodge Challenger and I pulled over into the middle lane, because I can tell he is getting on the highway at speed. I check my mirror to see where he is so I can pull back into the right lane and he is….missing? He finally comes around the left and I see the passenger was taking pictures! Every toll booth/rest area we stopped, the car was getting attention and comments.
Six hours later, it starts pouring. Rained the rest of the way back, wind driven, foggy….was really miserable and difficult to see.
I think my next build, I’ll have it shipped!!!