Re: [VAC] 59 22' Safari Tire and hitch question

["Bruce DeMille" <bruce-demille@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Morning Don,
I had a similar issue when I brought home my first A/S 1961 22 ft.(about 200
miles).  You've got several options.  Does it have a spare?  How bad do they
look?  Of course you want to replace them but to do it far away from home
may take a lot of time. Does it have the original split rims? Hopefully not,
they're dangerous and the tire company won't want to deal with them. You may
want to fill them up with air and go for it.  Rod at C&G Trailer in
Bellfower CA told me to just go for it (which I did).  He said he has
brought home rigs that had been sitting for many years on old tires with no
problems.  If you do go for it, stop after a short distance and inspect the
tires and feel the temp at the bearings.  If they are cool and the tires
look ok you'll probably be ok.  I went slow and had someone following me for
the trip home.  No problems at all ..... towed like a dream. I made up a
light bar at home and had it all ready to go.... just strapped it on the A/S
bumper and ran the wires up to my truck.

Another option would be to rent a flat bed trailer on your end to tow it
home with.  Then you don't have to worry about tires, brakes, lights, etc.
Just make sure you're not too tall (bridges, Yikes!).

Having the leveling bars but not the hitch bar may be more of a problem than
it's worth to mess with.  First of all are they Reese or Eas-Lift?  Eas-Lift
has changed the way the rods fit into the hitch bar so is it a "new" style
or "old" style.  For about $230 you can get a brand new set from Camping
World plus the 2" ball you'll need.  Reese also has changes their design
over the years I believe.  At my local RV store they are $280.

I got a Tekonsha Voyager which I'm installing as we speak. There have been
many other good suggestions on the list.  Does yours already have the
electric brakes?  If not I can help with questions on your Hadco axle/hub
upgrade.

Bruce DeMille
WBCCI #7676
'61 22' Safari
'76 25' Caravanner