Some day I am getting that DUKW.
But not this weekend.
Just did a successful recovery though, no damage, no one hurt got everything back to where it started without incident.
Just so everyone knows a dukw has shackle eyes on the bow, but they are 2" in width. Standard Vietnam era tow bar has feet that mate to a 1-3/8" eye.
I found this out the night before (11PM) the trip to PDX (5AM) of the size difference.
Figure we would go to a rigging store and get some shackles and be back on the road
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Helpful folks at Rigging supply
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, but a shackle w/ 2" throat and 1" pin doesn't live on the shelf.
We thought we were close with a shackle that was oversized with nuts and washers as spacers. So I got the material, riggin is expensive and off we went.
A lot of prep on a very old and battered DUKW plus the 2nd wrench in the system, the shackle was recessed in a pocket on the hull so we couldn't use what I bought directly.
An earlier attempt to tow left a 1" bolt double nutted and a couple of pieces of plate to make up a link for us to use.
We hooked up our safety chains and were off, 4PM.
On the slow ride down marine drive, from the expo center, the duck kept trying to pass us.
There weren't many easy ways to turn off marine, and I kept hoping for some straight sections to see if the dukw would start to track properly. But it didn't.
Made it into the Travel america at trout dale, scratching heads, taking other truckers opinions, and trying different configurations of the available parts, but ot no avail.
Started looking for a owner/operator w/ flatbed, but the load boards now adays are all computer and you really have to go thru a broker to get listed.
After we had given it our best, we decided to get the seller to tow it back to the yard it came from.
But they didn't have a rig with a long enough reach to get under the bow to grab the tires. (also I tried axle shacked but because of the bow that didn't reach either).
So we decide to tow it back.
Made some configuration changes, then another long drive, dukw wanting to pass, got back to the yard, met one of the drivers (now 11PM) Unhooked and chatted. Back on the road
and easily moving at 65mph, (on the flats) better than the 30 mph tow speed.
We stopped along the way for food and rests (those 5 ton cabs are crapped). Got back about 4AM. Long @$$ day, 5 tone was a charm to drive) Now I have a lot of PM to do.
Gonna try to find a shipper. Need a drop deck w/winch. Got Portland shipping form the seller, also gonna contact PARFREY Trucking who brought the 5 ton home to me. If ya'll have any leads let me know.
Go great recovery, not the out come we wanted, just a little poorer.
Lesson to be learned for me, if a variable changes don't adopt the make it work mindset, talk it thru with your team, and look at what it will cost you in the worst case if you rush things and they don't work out.
Heck, Mike my recovery buddy is a machinist and another couple of days and a lot less money I would have special DUKW tow feet for a Medium tow bar, which would have made the DUKW track like all the M35's I have towed with it (on there sides)
I will see what pix I can scrounge up. I didn't get any but others were snapping as I slaved away.
Aaron,
Thanx, we (read as I) should make ow own PNW SS Help Directory to carry on trips.
Like the MOG folks are putting together
Blackberry posting to SS isn't flawless or fun w/ 10 thumbs.
Scott,
she is a DUWK but she ain't no trailer queen, maybe one day she will float, or maybe she will just be a mobile submersible hot tub.
Here to a glass half full and everything working out so you can have another glass when that one is empty.
