so this morning i loaded the black sdl that brian has bought from me onto my trailer.

but not without a little adventure first.

so i took my dodge truck down back and hooked up my trailer. i parked it off to the side and brought the sdl out of my lower garage and turned it around so i could load it nose first. i parked the truck with the nose heading down the short but rather steep incline that is at the end of my back driveway where it tees into the alley. i thought this would be a good position for loading the car with the nose heading down a bit.

the back driveway is gravel.

so i put the ramps down and set the brake on the truck and lined up the sdl with the trailer. i did a masterful job of lining the car up.

so i started to drive the car up onto the ramp. whoooooooaaaah. the truck and trailer started moving ahead as if driving off on its own. i clamped the sdl brakes right down and the whole rig slowly ground to a halt. it had moved about 8 feet. so here i am sitting in the sdl holding the car, truck and trailer with the sdl brakes. i eased off the brake after setting the parking brakes and the rig slowly begain taking off again! what the hell! so i clamped the sdl brakes back down and thought really hard. i am in my t shirt and rough shorts. no cell phone so i cant call anybody to help me. is the truck in neutral somehow? what to do? i picture the truck driving off with the trailer and hitting the neighbors garage which is now about 8 feet in front of the truck which has moved forward maybe 15'.

think think think.

so i notice that when the truck moves forward the rear tires are not turning. so that means they are just sliding. the front of the sdl is pushing the back of the trailer down, lifting up the (light anyway) back of the truck and it is all sliding. so i conclude that if i back off the trailer the truck wont slide too far. so i back off the trailer and watch the truck and trailer slide merrily forward. the truck slides til the front tires are resting against the railroad tie on the far side of the alley. the rig slid a good 15 to 20 feet before stopping.

so i back the sdl up and back the rig up and put the rig around the corner of the alley on the asphalt and loaded it with ease.

i havent had such a scare since i set my old sportscar on fire.

i will be heading east with brian's sdl tomorrow evening.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.