TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Aug 01, 2006 3:11 pm

Hey Guys,

I have purchased an '87 Syncro on E-bay that is in Northern Indiana. I am in Georgia, so I need to drive there and pick the van up. 600 Miles.. Oh yeah! I plan on using the van to convert my '90 Westy into a Syncro Westy!! I can't wait.

The front driveshaft has been removed from the vehicle and is not available to reinstal. The current owner has told me that the driver's side cv boot is also torn. So I am wondering what is the best way to tow this van? I will be using a heavy duty Chevrolet Diesel so power will not be a problem. I think I will try and use a tow dolly that I will rent from U-haul, the type that you drive one axel upon. Should I drive or back the van onto the dolly? I am not sure if the engine weight would be better over the dolly wheels or at the rear of the van. Also, does it matter that the driveshaft is out or that the cv is torn?

Thanks,

James

Tue Aug 01, 2006 3:19 pm

If you are going to rent a dolly, maybe you should just rent a double-axle flatbed trailer. Then you don't have to worry about that torn cv boot, the missing driveshaft or any other unkowns.

Tue Aug 01, 2006 3:33 pm

cloudbaseracer wrote: Hey Guys,

I have purchased an '87 Syncro on E-bay that is in Northern Indiana. I am in Georgia, so I need to drive there and pick the van up. 600 Miles.. Oh yeah! I plan on using the van to convert my '90 Westy into a Syncro Westy!! I can't wait.

The front driveshaft has been removed from the vehicle and is not available to reinstal. The current owner has told me that the driver's side cv boot is also torn. So I am wondering what is the best way to tow this van? I will be using a heavy duty Chevrolet Diesel so power will not be a problem. I think I will try and use a tow dolly that I will rent from U-haul, the type that you drive one axel upon. Should I drive or back the van onto the dolly? I am not sure if the engine weight would be better over the dolly wheels or at the rear of the van. Also, does it matter that the driveshaft is out or that the cv is torn?

Thanks,

James

Congrats on winning, I was actually looking at buying that van, it is in the next town over from me. I went and looked at it the other day. The interior of that thing is in excellent shape. My wife was kind of freaked out that mice were living in the wheels though.

Tue Aug 01, 2006 3:38 pm

Rhawk,

So can you tell me anymore about this van? It is the yello and white one in Elkhart. Same one?

As for the large trailer, I would rather not get something that big. The current owner says that the van is drivable since the front wheels are not required to drive.

James

Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:45 pm

It is definitely drivable, I drove it around the parking lot a bit.

I would be a little weary of taking it on a long trip though as it has pretty much been sitting for 4 years, im sure some hoses and whatnot are rotted.

Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:14 pm

at an FMBC campout in Feb someone pulled one down on a dolly (pulled it with an EV no less :D ) for a Kai here in FL, He's planning on doin te same thing you are. I didn't take a real good look, but it was sitting front on the dolly. Safest bet of course would be to disconnect the rear shafts, but they are a pain to get at on a V-gon.

'd be bringing some fresh rubbers if its been sitting for along time, I blew out a tire on a "poison pinto" that I was towing from NC to FL on a dolly, that was a rough minute or so, I was towing with my Chevelle, I wasn't worried about the Pinto, but I though I was gonna loose the chevelle-because of a Pinto :shock: !

BTW, I went to NC with a dolly to pick up a true '68 GTO, got screwed and ended up with a "Poision" Pinto ( I wasn't going home with an empty dolly!) I should have left that POS on the side of the road with the blown out tire!

Back to regulary scheduled program... might try your question over at FMBC, I'm bad with names, but the guy who towed that syncro gets around to alot of campouts, someone might know the story better, I know he towed it from like michigan or something for Kai.

Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:18 pm

If you want to be totally secure, you can put the front wheels on the 2 wheel dolly and remove the rear axels at the wheels and use bailing wire to hold them out of the way. It should be safe with the tranny in neutral if you do not want to remove the axels.

If you end up needing the drive shaft PM me, I have a spare.

Have fun,
James

Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:21 pm

So do you guys think it would be a problem to tow it from the rear with the front wheels off the dolly? I am not even sure that the steering wheel will lock in a straight position. If not and I have to tow it with front wheels on the dolly and the rears spinning, is it going to mess up the tranny or anything else if I do not disconnect the axels? Not even sure how I would do that anyway.

James

Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:54 pm

Please do consider the full trailer, its no wider than a dolly, and has brakes...........!
If renting a Uhaul its a few dollars more for the full trailer around here but well worth it. I always tell a white lie and tell the front counter that I will be towing a 2000 Beetle, cos the vanagon is a heavy vehicle and some won't allow the rental.
I've towed behind a tow dolly both with front wheels on the dolly and in reverse, I personally prefer the front wheels up.
Did you ever receive those pictures of my conversion?

Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:14 am

Paul, yes I did get the pics. Thanks!

I will look into the full trailer. I was just wondering about the smaller one so I did not have to tow the large trailer all the way up and then back.

James

Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:43 am

<<So do you guys think it would be a problem to tow it from the rear with the front wheels off the dolly? I am not even sure that the steering wheel will lock in a straight position. If not and I have to tow it with front wheels on the dolly and the rears spinning, is it going to mess up the tranny or anything else if I do not disconnect the axels? Not even sure how I would do that anyway.>>

James,
Instead of taking a chance in towing it backwards, or screwing around with dropping the axles in Elkhart,just go rent an aluminum U-Haul car trailer,
drive the Van on it--and forget about it.

This is the no questions asked, and the best wat to get the job done.

Period.

Unzip the mattress, pay the piper, and get it the Van outa Indiana.

I for sure wouldn't be towing it on a dolly 600 some miles, backwards, or without dropping the axle shafts.

Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:50 am

"cloudbaseracer" ....hmmm....

Now that's either a sailplane or a hang glider aviator!!!
...REAL AVIATION, as the gods intended!!

I'm both...
Commercial Glider + CFIG
Advanced rated (H4) in Hang Gliders

Oh yeah...
SZD-55-1
Moyes LiteSpeed

Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:11 am

AviatorJames,

Yes, hangglider pilot mainly! Wills Wing T2 (new) but thinking about going Rigid (Aeros Phantom or Atos VR. I do some powered private pilot stuff as well. I am in GA and fly around Lookout Mtn.

James

Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:50 pm

i got a 87 syncro 7 pas for sell in va $1000 good motor and trans needs lots of love

Wed Aug 02, 2006 5:42 pm

devesvws,

Now you tell me! :lol: Actually I may be interested if you can pm me with the details.

James

Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:28 pm

Before you go, call u haul's 1 800 number and ask for rates from every town in between you and the van. When I towed a 79 back to Edmonton from Twentynine Palms, the rates on a dolly varied from $40 CDN to $350 US, for the exact same piece of equipment, for the same time period, depending upon where I picked the dolly up. Taking the time to ask can save you a lot of money! The weird part was that there seemed not to be much rhyme or reason for the price variances, they must use some weird variables to calculate rates.

Jeremy

(btw I towed the 79 from the front, trans in neutral, made sure there was nothing loose in the bus that might bump it into gear on the way. It was fine, YMMV!)

Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:01 am

Arrived home safely with the new toy?

Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:18 pm

Yeap, got home alright. I wound up getting the full size trailer for only $70. I will post pic and some updates of the conversion.

James

Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:34 pm

Hi Cloudbaseracer,
How did that conversion turn out?
Did you take pictures?
Thanks,
busman

Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:52 am

baraka,

I am still in conversion mode. The guy doing the work has taken an extensive time off. I am keen to get him back on it soon though. I will post thoughts when it is completed.

Are you looking to do the same?

James