• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

waiting in troutdale TA 5T + dukw

quarkz

Supreme Galactic Cleric
805
71
28
Location
Kennewick, WA
Any one in the troutdale area with space to store a rig for a week?
I am trying to flat tow a dukw with the 5 ton, but 2" shackles didn't work with 1-5/8 tow bar feet.
Looking around here for a flat bed to haul as another option.
Give me a call 5x9 5x1 2x5x
 
Last edited:

AaronW

New member
870
3
0
Location
Napavine,WA USA
Medic5050 is in Troutdale. Maybe he knows a place. You can store it here in Napavine if that makes it easier than getting it to the East Side right away.
 

quarkz

Supreme Galactic Cleric
805
71
28
Location
Kennewick, WA
Some day I am getting that DUKW.:jumpin:
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:driver:.
Helpful folks at Rigging supply[thumbzup], 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.:evil:

We hooked up our safety chains and were off, 4PM.:driver:
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. :oops:
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 :driver: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.[thumbzup]
 

Attachments

L999here

Member
348
18
18
Location
South Bend,IN
.....float it...

Unless the hull is cracked or damaged beyond repair,you got a great MV to restore. Since so many are used in commercial ops...should be able to obtain some good parts as necessary. Nice recovery.....
 

NDT

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
10,107
5,714
113
Location
Camp Wood/LC, TX
I've used the medium tow bar to tow DUKWs with no issues, don't use the feet, just put the end of the tow bar over the tow shackle on the front of the DUKW, extend out the tow bar somewhat, and go. I found you can tow it faster than it can propel itself.
 

quarkz

Supreme Galactic Cleric
805
71
28
Location
Kennewick, WA
NDT,
The DUKW didn't have the original shackles, 2" throat w/ 1"pin, neither did the rigging place.
So the smallest shackle the rigging Co. had on hand with a 1" pin was 4" wide (used 2" of spacers) , which would not fit in the recess where the eye was located. Long story short, to much travel. I will be looking for some DUKW shackles.

Scott, she will be......[thumbzup]

Just gotta find a drop deck w/ winch to get her the 212 miles from Portland to Kennewick.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks