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I typed up my long post and attempted to submit it. It logged me out and everything was deleted. I'll try again.
Yesterday we had a lull in the rain so I decided I would pick up my 80 Fairmont 2 door sedan from the previous owner. I had received a couple of quotes from towing companies but being as cheap as I am I decided to rent a U-Haul trailer. If I had to do it again I'd probably have it towed.
I had been to U-Haul's web site so I knew I would need a 2 inch ball on my hitch. I only had a 2 5/16 ball so I called a friend to see if he had one. He didn't. I remembered that I had a bumper off my old Dodge with a ball on it. It turned out to be a 2 inch with the correct load rating. I didn't have a wrench big enough to remove it so I took it to my friend's place and we got it removed. Unforunately, it didn't have enough threads on it so I had to go to the store and get another ball.
I went to U-Haul to pick up a trailer but they didn't have any so I had to drive to another location, which killed a lot of time. I got the trailer and thought the rest would be smooth sailing. I was wrong.
I got to the location of the car, aired up the tires, put it in neutral and proceded to push it. It wouldn't roll. I tried putting my floor jack under it but it was on soft rain soaked dirt and it wouldn't budge. I finally decided to unhook the trailer and use my truck and a chain to pull the car to the parking lot across the street. I then had to use a hand operated winch to pull the car onto the trailer. There isn't much to hook to on the front of these cars. The chain pulled through some of the metal but I finally got it on the trailer. I think the brakes were rusted but it seems they loosened up some.
I had to borrow the air tank, hose, chain and winch from a friend but I'm glad I had them with me otherwise I would have left with an empty trailer.
Yesterday we had a lull in the rain so I decided I would pick up my 80 Fairmont 2 door sedan from the previous owner. I had received a couple of quotes from towing companies but being as cheap as I am I decided to rent a U-Haul trailer. If I had to do it again I'd probably have it towed.
I had been to U-Haul's web site so I knew I would need a 2 inch ball on my hitch. I only had a 2 5/16 ball so I called a friend to see if he had one. He didn't. I remembered that I had a bumper off my old Dodge with a ball on it. It turned out to be a 2 inch with the correct load rating. I didn't have a wrench big enough to remove it so I took it to my friend's place and we got it removed. Unforunately, it didn't have enough threads on it so I had to go to the store and get another ball.
I went to U-Haul to pick up a trailer but they didn't have any so I had to drive to another location, which killed a lot of time. I got the trailer and thought the rest would be smooth sailing. I was wrong.
I got to the location of the car, aired up the tires, put it in neutral and proceded to push it. It wouldn't roll. I tried putting my floor jack under it but it was on soft rain soaked dirt and it wouldn't budge. I finally decided to unhook the trailer and use my truck and a chain to pull the car to the parking lot across the street. I then had to use a hand operated winch to pull the car onto the trailer. There isn't much to hook to on the front of these cars. The chain pulled through some of the metal but I finally got it on the trailer. I think the brakes were rusted but it seems they loosened up some.
I had to borrow the air tank, hose, chain and winch from a friend but I'm glad I had them with me otherwise I would have left with an empty trailer.
