Long-distance Deuce recovery question

[nhdiesel]

I have read several threads about doing a Deuce recovery, and got lots of great tips, part numbers of required items, etc. But those were "best case" scenarios, where you could bring everything you wanted, including a kitchen sink. I'm going to be doing a long-distance recovery in Kentucky (Louisville) and loose plans are to fly in and drive home (1100 miles). Before the warnings, let me give details:

I have friends in Louisville, and one of them was a mechanic in the service, and has experience with Deuces. He likes them, and wants one of his own someday. My truck looks to be in excellent condition, and word is it was driven in. I take all that with a grain of salt. The first step of my plan is for my friend to do the recovery and get it to his place. He knows the trucks, can do an inspection before driving it, and he only has around 30 miles or so to go. Once home, he can give it a thorough checkup and report back to me. I told him if all looks well, go ahead and drive it, have fun with it, and work it. If there are any bugs, I want them known before I leave for home. He'll have a few days to put some miles on and see how things go.

If everything is a go, I'm going to ship down various tools I would want for my return trip, as well as my 24v/12v converter, CB radio, MP3 player and large, granny-style headphones for my own sanity and listening pleasure. I'm a mechanic, and in-tune with vehicles and have driven Deuces before, so even with the headphones on I will have a pretty good grasp of how the truck is running and driving.

I'll fly in and spend several days checking over the truck myself, visiting with friends, and doing some maintenance on it before heading home. Pretty much a minimum of oil change, new fuel filters, and if there is any question, belts; otherwise just take my spares with me.

For tools I plan to have a wrench set, socket set, and sockets for the lug nuts (nut & square stud), pliers, and a few other basic tools. Not a lot, but enough to do basic repairs. If there is anything more major that I end up needing, I can always buy it on route.

The truck has been singled out already and has the highway radials on it, so it shouldn't be *too* bad to drive. I drove one 500 miles on NDTs, so this should be like a fine european car in comparison! Even with the low speed of a Deuce, if there are no problems it should be around an 18 hour drive. Add in food & rest stops, and I figure 20 hours. If I leave Louisville early in the AM, I should be home a bit after midnight. I do have planned in spending the night in a motel, since I don't doubt that the trip will go slower than planned, and I'm sure my body could use a rest part way home.

Oh yea, I'm going to try to con one of my friends to go with me, for moral support (i.e.: tell me I'm nuts most of the way) and to help with any issues that come up.

Now I'd like advice from the masses. And, if there are any SS members along my route who would volunteer to be on the emergency contact sheet, please chime in! The route is I-71 to Cleveland, then I-90 across to Albany. From there 7 to 9 across VT, and up 91 and home. I have friends along the route from Albany home, so the last leg isn't a problem.

P.S.: If anyone ever finds themselves in northern NH, you are always welcome here! (Though why you would be up here is beyond me...)

Jim

 

[Speddmon]

You'll be going through Columbus Ohio, I'm about an hour and a half East of there, so I can offer some help if you would like.

As to your plan, It sounds solid to me. Except for your time estimate. Unless this truck will do better than the rated 56 MPH. 1100 miles divided by an average of 50 MPH is 22 hours! That's not counting fuel, food or leg stretches.

 

[Alredneck]

I will be up in the northeast of the states doing some runs before headed back to TN, if you get into trouble give me a shout. I drove a M54 multi, over 4000 miles with nothing but some tools and filters, Jeep wrecked into it breaking my rear dogbone, brought home with the rear axle chained together! It takes alot to kill these old trucks!

 

[nhdiesel]

You'll be going through Columbus Ohio, I'm about an hour and a half East of there, so I can offer some help if you would like.

As to your plan, It sounds solid to me. Except for your time estimate. Unless this truck will do better than the rated 56 MPH. 1100 miles divided by an average of 50 MPH is 22 hours! That's not counting fuel, food or leg stretches.

Guess I should have done some simple math. I used Streets & Trips, and set my Speed on Highways to SLOW and it showed me leaving at 6am and getting home around midnight. Apparently their version of slow doesn't mean Deuce-speed!

I did almost the same trip on my KLR650, and even with a breakdown (chain came apart, did other damage, had to pull rear wheel, remove various broken chunks from the bike, and wait for someone to give me a ride to a bike dealer & back), and only missed my 24-hour time limit by 20 minutes. I was doing an Iron Butt ride, needed 1k miles in 24 hours. Oh yea, and this leaving after a full day's work, in 43 degree temps and pouring rain for the first couple hundred miles.

I work well under pressure, and can handle emergencies well. On another trip home from Louisville, after paying a shop to do an alignment on my truck (Sullivan Tire in Keene, NH sucks) my brand new front tires were nearly bald by the time I reached Ohio on the return trip. I ended up doing a tape-measure alignment on my Dakota at a truck stop, and got it close enough to get the rest of the way home. Nothing like a little wrenching to break up the trip!

The only other thing I may do to prep the Deuce is ship a 24v truck heater down to my buddy, so we can install it before the trip home. Its been in the 40's here during the day already, 30's at night. By the time my EUC clears I could be driving home in the snow. A heater *may* be handy!

Jim

 

[Alredneck]

Heck yea, had to call 911 once to get the highway patrol out on I95 to give me a jump because directory assistance couldnt figure out the HPs number and my alternator was out! And yes they sent a trooper, AWESOME!!!!!

 

[nhdiesel]

All in the name of fun!

Jim

 

[nk14zp]

Good luck

 

[cattlerepairman]

I have read several threads about doing a Deuce recovery, and got lots of great tips, part numbers of required items, etc. But those were "best case" scenarios, where you could bring everything you wanted, including a kitchen sink. I'm going to be doing a long-distance recovery in Kentucky (Louisville) and loose plans are to fly in and drive home (1100 miles). Before the warnings, let me give details:

I have friends in Louisville, and one of them was a mechanic in the service, and has experience with Deuces. He likes them, and wants one of his own someday. My truck looks to be in excellent condition, and word is it was driven in. I take all that with a grain of salt. The first step of my plan is for my friend to do the recovery and get it to his place. He knows the trucks, can do an inspection before driving it, and he only has around 30 miles or so to go. Once home, he can give it a thorough checkup and report back to me. I told him if all looks well, go ahead and drive it, have fun with it, and work it. If there are any bugs, I want them known before I leave for home. He'll have a few days to put some miles on and see how things go.

If everything is a go, I'm going to ship down various tools I would want for my return trip, as well as my 24v/12v converter, CB radio, MP3 player and large, granny-style headphones for my own sanity and listening pleasure. I'm a mechanic, and in-tune with vehicles and have driven Deuces before, so even with the headphones on I will have a pretty good grasp of how the truck is running and driving.

I'll fly in and spend several days checking over the truck myself, visiting with friends, and doing some maintenance on it before heading home. Pretty much a minimum of oil change, new fuel filters, and if there is any question, belts; otherwise just take my spares with me.

For tools I plan to have a wrench set, socket set, and sockets for the lug nuts (nut & square stud), pliers, and a few other basic tools. Not a lot, but enough to do basic repairs. If there is anything more major that I end up needing, I can always buy it on route.

The truck has been singled out already and has the highway radials on it, so it shouldn't be *too* bad to drive. I drove one 500 miles on NDTs, so this should be like a fine european car in comparison! Even with the low speed of a Deuce, if there are no problems it should be around an 18 hour drive. Add in food & rest stops, and I figure 20 hours. If I leave Louisville early in the AM, I should be home a bit after midnight. I do have planned in spending the night in a motel, since I don't doubt that the trip will go slower than planned, and I'm sure my body could use a rest part way home.

Oh yea, I'm going to try to con one of my friends to go with me, for moral support (i.e.: tell me I'm nuts most of the way) and to help with any issues that come up.

Now I'd like advice from the masses. And, if there are any SS members along my route who would volunteer to be on the emergency contact sheet, please chime in! The route is I-71 to Cleveland, then I-90 across to Albany. From there 7 to 9 across VT, and up 91 and home. I have friends along the route from Albany home, so the last leg isn't a problem.

P.S.: If anyone ever finds themselves in northern NH, you are always welcome here! (Though why you would be up here is beyond me...)

Jim

Having just done exactly that (fly and then recover an unknown-to-me Deuce long distance) I would mention that you can fax ahead a parts list to the nearest NAPA store to give them a bit of time to order stuff you need/want and that they do not have in stock.
I found that getting "normal" 28V light bulbs in a hurry is a real hassle, for example. Never mind a sealed beam 28V headlight!
You are a mechanic, so you know what the score is with regards to parts you *should* be carrying on the truck. Geared lug wrench or impact? Also, with singles you are going to need a jack to change any wheel. With duals, you have a 4 in 10 chance (only slightly worse than flipping a coin) that you won't!

If you plan on staying overnight, I recommend going up-market a bit (meaning: stay at a well known chain hotel instead of a cheap-a** motel). They are often on "better" corners of town and have a tendency to watch their parking lots, as opposed to cheapo places. Your Deuce likely has no cab locks and nothing to prevent a moron from removing chocks or opening the brakes and letting it roll. Think tool security, too.

The best assurance is SS members on speed dial.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I've done exactly what you are talking about. Check this thread out for a recap. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/military-vehicle-road-trips/18289-tennessee-adventure-about-begin.html The one thing you need to add to your collection is an assortment of compression fittings. They saved our bacon at 1AM in BF egypt (or GA can't remember). We sent ahead a towbar and brake fluid as well. Packed tools on the flight as well as an air impact. Cheap air hose can be gotten on the road but do ti before you need it. Our ride was a hair over 1000 miles.

 

[mahdey]

i'll be in columbus, ohio so if you break down there, i can always tug you back to my apartment where there is a napa and surplus dealer near me.

 

[nhdiesel]

Thanks. I'm planning to hit Harbor Freight in Louisville and pick up a cheap bottle jack- buying one will be cheaper than shipping one. For lug nuts, I'm figuring a breaker bar and long pipe. I did just check on a geared lug wrench, and I could order one ahead of time.

For the parts, I'm going to order them up ahead of time, and have my buddy hold onto them (unless he feels like getting his hands dirty and doing some install work) until I get there. But to be honest, out of everything I ordered up for my first Deuce, my local Bond Auto Parts (carries Wix) had all but one filter on their shelf, and even that filter was just out of stock (not special order). Oh yea, and save your money on the Wix filters from Napa...the Bond ones come with gaskets! Anyway...I'll be there most likely the better part of a week, so even if I have to order something, its usually no more than a day or two to get something in.

I hadn't thought about the security side of things. I usually pick a secure-looking place to stay. I like the Motel 6 chain for balance of cleanliness and cheapness. I have stayed in the one in Erie, PA and a few others. I prefer the Erie, it has a well-lit open parking lot and seems to be in a decent area, not like some of the inner-city types that always have people walking through the lot or hanging around. Its a little early in the trip for a stop, but I'll play it by ear. I'm hoping to be between Buffalo & Syracuse when I stop. Also, I'll remember to bring some chains and locks for security.

You'd be surprised how people can leave things alone if you are careful about where to stop (even at less expensive places). As a motorcycle rider, I have often stopped at motels with a fully-loaded bike, and have never had anything touched. At quick stops, such as gas and food, I'll even leave all of my electronics on the bike- portable radios, GPS, etc. Longer stops and I take the small, expensive stuff with me, but still leave luggage-tents, sleeping bag, chair, and other equipment- strapped to the bike. In my early days, when I was much more worried, I once rolled my entire ST1100 into my motel room for the night! It barely fit through the door, but I got her in!

I'm appreciating all the thoughts and ideas. Keep them coming, it all gives me extra to think about.

Jim

 

[Speddmon]

nhdiesel,

You had better check those filters you bought...to the best of my knowledge, the only filters that come with the proper gaskets are the two oil filters. The two secondary fuel and the primary fuel filter all have o-rings with them, but they are not the proper ones. The NAPA and Wix filters are the same thing, except that NAPA drops the first digit of the WIX part number.

ie....NAPA 3511...Wix 33511...Primary fuel filter.

As another example, the o-rings supplied with the primary fuel filter are part numbers 15095 & 15133 (WIX), 5095 & 5133 (NAPA). The dimensions of the two are 4.013 & 3.663 O.D. respectivly and 3.468 & 3.437 I.D. respectivly. But the bowl on the primary takes a 15131 (WIX), 5131 (NAPA) with dimensions of 3.587 O.D. and 3.317 I.D.

I could be wrong, but I got those part numbers from SS members. There is even a post mentioning it here...Help me build the ulitmate Deuce Recovery List with Instructions

 

[jime]

North of Columbus OH, off exit 131 I-71. PM sent

 

[roscoe]

Not on your route but ya got my "moral support." Looks like your doing things right, just don't forget to enjoy the ride.

 

[KaiserM109]

Collect phone numbers of volunteers to help, wear hearing protection and take interstate highways when you can so that you don't block up the only lane.

I soloed one 500 mi. towing my '69 Bronco. My current avatar was taken just outside the gate of Ft. Riley.

Good luck, Arlyn

 

[mahdey]

pm me if you want my number....hearing protection is a must...i took mine out on the highway today for the first time and i got off the first exit i saw to buy ear plugs.

 

[BillF]

sounds like a fun trip

 

[nhdiesel]

Thanks guys, I already did a 500 mile recovery without ear protection, this time I WILL have it. I also need some tunes, which is why I bought a 24v/12v converter. I'm thinking over-ear headphones (decent ones) for my buddy and I, and hook up the MP3 players. They should block out the truck's sound and replace it with our own.

I'm pretty much planning on taking it a bit easy, going to leave for home on Sat. AM and stop for the night in western N.Y. Then an easy day Sunday making it back to my friend's, where I'll most likely stay the night again.

I'll order up the *right* seals...thanks for the heads-up! But I'll still buy my filters from Bond. My local Napa quoted me almost $75 for the 5 filters (2 oil, 3 fuel) not counting the seals. I got all 5 filters and 3 belts from Bond for under $70, Wix filters and Gates belts!!! I'm going to order the parts and have my friend pick them up. A few other things are going to get shipped to him as well.

Jim

 

[91W350]

Did you make your trip yet? Sounds well planned and fun. Glen