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I finally have a rig!

XS22J8R

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One of my cars (my T/A Challenger I bought in high school about 100 years ago) is a trailer queen now after a 16 year concours restoration shop hell journey that I finished in 2016. The car has hardly left the garage since then, ironically I had a trailer queen and no trailer! I paid someone to haul it the few times it’s been shown.
My last Ram had gone south due to rust and sold in 2010, with my thought I’d get a newer truck soon.
After a health emergency in late 2020 including time in the ICU, I realized I better get off my butt and do things I’ve been thinking of doing before it’s too late. First thing on the list was a new truck, which I decided to forgo finding a used one and buy new. I ordered a 2500 in February of 2021 and my new Big Horn showed up at the dealer in April less than 2 months later.
I had good timing, seeing what a sh-tshow the car buying process has become!
A local friend offered me the use of his car trailer, but that all went south for various reasons leaving me out my registration fee for Moparty last September with a car, tow vehicle and no trailer.
Sadly a local Mopar fanatic died last year and I was offered the opportunity to buy his trailer. That became another adventure, as after visiting the widow in October and putting down a deposit, things got delayed repeatedly waiting for her son to clean out stuff stored in it, then he got Covid, and then she ended up hospitalized and in rehab.
And the owner had it parked in his property in such a way we had no idea how he got it out for when he used it!
Well today in humid 90 degree weather me and my buddy Tim spent an hour trimming trees and bushes, driving my truck through a utility right of way into the back yard, and then hooking up my truck, just to find there was no way we were getting that thing out through the back yard the way the widow said her husband did. Tim thought we could back it out through the front yard from the side of the house, but even that got sketchy when the trailer went over the curb and the rear jack started digging into the asphalt.
He figured that out too, saying jack up the rear with a floor jack and me pull on the jack while he backed up the rig.
We got it out! And then I dragged it 35 miles to storage on its 20 year old tires. My 2500 “Ramstein” didn’t skip a beat towing now that I’m actually putting it to work, so all is good!
I‘m beat after a 10 hour project on a hot day getting this thing out and to storage, dropping Tim off and then me back home! And I gave Ramstein a needed and deserved bath after getting it home too.
The trailer needs tires, checking the brakes and figuring out the winch but it’ll do! 1997 24’ Wells Cargo.
RIP Don, your trailer is in appreciative hands.

CB654935-00F5-4470-9DDA-A16ED7409532.jpeg
 
Glad you were able to work things out.
I, too have had nightmare dealings with past
acquaintances deals.
Nice Truck.
 
Great ending to a rough road for all involved in getting this put together. Had plans this year to trailer a car to Carlisle for the first time, one buddy has the tow vehicle, another was shopping for an enclosed trailer, external forces hit both friends with a sledge hammer, silver lining was things finally worked out okay for both guys, perhaps next year I may be parked next to you in the unloading area at Carlisle. Meanwhile, I'll be making the trip in a modern day car, no GTX on the field. Ugh.
 
Nice set up, glad you got it home .
 
The trailer has all kinds of goodies built into it. Don, the late owner, was a whiz at mechanical and electrical work.
It is all wired up with an inverter and and external plug to use 120 in it. There’s stuff in a drawer for a rear camera that hopefully is all there and I can hook up. He even installed a backup beeper in it!
The family has a real task on their hands dealing with the dads stuff. He had a Challenger convertible being restored and a T/A Challenger and a hemi cuda in the garage.
Supposedly there’s a old Willys Jeep in pieces in the basement.
He had model trains, a diecast car collection and guns.
We went through similar with my dads stuff after he passed in 2013. He was a bit of a hoarder, but my mom was in good health, my sister and me to help, and hobbyist friends of his helping out.
Dons wife has health issues, the daughter and son in law live out of state, and the son is nearby, but has a young family including an infant.
I’m sure having the trailer gone is relieving!
 
The family has a real task on their hands dealing with the dads stuff. He had a Challenger convertible being restored and a T/A Challenger and a hemi cuda in the garage.
Supposedly there’s a old Willys Jeep in pieces in the basement.


What's going on with all the vehicles?
 
They are trying to sell the T/A. They asked me to help determine it’s value. I wasn’t able to get under it to check if it’s #s, and I asked the son to see if he could. He hasn’t yet.
Theres also supposed to be a file of paperwork for it which I want to know what’s there.
They were working with the shop to finish the convertible. Don was a do it yourself person, so I’m sure he was just having paint and body done by the shop. And was going to do everything else himself. The status and location of all its components likely went to the grave with him, so God only knows what will happen with that project.
The hemi cuda they intend to keep. The widow has health problems and the kids have young families. I’m guessing it will become an exciting barn find for someone in the 2030s after sitting for 10+ years gathering dust. :(
His 6.4 2014 or 2015 Ram 2500 has been also sitting around barely touched since he took ill. They seemed to want top dollar for it so I’m not sure what’ll happen with it either.
 
It will be interesting to see what happens with the hemi cuda.
Eventually it will be sold I’m sure. But will that be next year or next decade?
Don collected a lot of stuff, and it’s a burden on the family. He collected model trains too. I think those got sold. He had a lot of diecast cars. Not sure how they‘ll sell them.
I can relate, my dad was a big collector and we had quite a chore dealing with his stuff, he could almost have been called a hoarder.
My dad had a world class gun collection. I have a small interest in guns but nothing like my dads. I did feel connected to my Dad through his guns as I grew up going to gun shows with him, and even went to Europe with him to museums when he was doing research for books he wrote. After he passed, my mom sold most of the collection but I asked her to keep a small number as a representative collection, which I now have. This small collection is worth over 100K and I haven’t even opened the safe to look at them for quite awhile. Shouldn’t they be in the hands of a more passionate collector? Probably, but nevertheless they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon!
 
wow what an adventure

good luck with the new rigs/truck & trailer
 
I need to get tires now, any recommendations for tire brands that are good and brands to avoid in 10 ply (E) trailer tires?
It currently has 1 E, 1 D and 2 C tires on it! Only the E tire has a relatively recent date code on it, so I am in the market for 3 tires.
Hope to break it in going to Moparty next month.
 
Do yourself a favor and just do all four tires now, not three. That way you are on the same schedule for replacing them next time without forgetting the oldest one may let go at any time. They do not give any warning, but do damage the trailer when they blow.

I am about to do the same. My trailer has been sitting mostly unused for several years and I am going to replace all four tires, even though I know the history of these tires since I put them on. The tread looks new, but the sidewalls are showing signs of cracking.

Also, great choice on the Ram. Looks excellent in that color and trim package.
 
Thanks! I ordered it in February of 2021 and it arrived in late April of that year. I got it before the market got completely screwed up! Even has my name on the window sticker.
I was looking at the build your Ram site the other day and didn’t even see Ram boxes there anymore, that is one of my favorite options. Another reason I’m glad to have bought it when I did!
 
I need to get tires now, any recommendations for tire brands that are good and brands to avoid in 10 ply (E) trailer tires?
It currently has 1 E, 1 D and 2 C tires on it! Only the E tire has a relatively recent date code on it, so I am in the market for 3 tires.
Hope to break it in going to Moparty next month.
You might keep the 1 'E' that's on it as a spare. The tires on my box trailer are falling apart just sitting. The last time I moved it was probably 5 years ago and it's being used as a storage unit. Oh well.

And I guess I lucky in the fact my dad got rid of just about everything before he passed on in 98. He never was a much on collecting stuff and didn't have many hobbies but did do some woodworking. It was basically simple stuff like flower boxes etc. And this was after being a carpenter for the for the biggest part of his life. The last thing we worked on together was in 84 which was my shop and is 28x52 straight gable roof and matches the house. He was 63 at that point and didn't like getting up on top anymore but it was just us doing it so he got up there with me and we got the ridge board up and braced things and then he was on the ground from then on lol. Anyways, he gave away his house and moved into a 1 bedroom apt. He still had some things that he never unpacked so it only took me a few hours to clear out the apt. Gave the furniture away to the custodian at church which filled up a LWB pickup (he was a heavy smoker wasn't going to keep much of that) and I kept a few small things. Still have his 95 Dakota....
 
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