This is a test, and I will collect it at the end of your session?! This is my new Burb, have you seen it before, and if so where? It will go well with my 68 theme, as in my 68 K5, 68 4X4 Burb, and my soon to be 68 4X4 short fleet. It only took me trading my 67 short fleet 454/350, oh and he threw me a lot of cash (come on, you didn't think I'd trade the 67 in my sig straight across for this did you?!)

Now that's what I should have traded the 67 for!
LOL..............

Glad to see it went to someone on this board. Now it has a chance of being done up right!

For what he was asking, this was a steal!! He gave me a list of all the new/repop parts on this thing as well as the before and after picts. It runs and drives nice, that is if you like 305 junk. I am chucking the 305/4-speed/rockwell for what else?? A 454/nv4500/208 (or qksilver has my true desire!) I have a 67 4X4 truck with no drive train, so the 305/4-speed/rockwell will go in there to help me sell it (I was asking $1500 for a roller, with no rust?) No luck so, I hope when it is running and driving it'll go faster!! I plan to drive this while I finish the 68 K5, then this will get my attention.

Is that a PTO hanging off the rockwell? I saw it and was not sure what it was. I think I will put it into the 67 4X4 I have in order to sell it as a runner vs a roller. If anyone has info on what if anything that shaft is and or could have been used for?

Wow - very nice 4x4 :cool:

Must be nice to play with something that doesn't have a million holes in the body.

That guy had two Suburbans,didn`t he?That is a nice factory vehicle.

Yeah, I had two about the time I signed on, qksilver bought em both. Now, for the tragically bad news, I was coming home from the DMV with it on that trailer and it started to sway. Long story short, the trailer hitch popped off the ball (at about 70 MPH) and the trailer and Burb rolled multiple times, totalling the burb and the trailer as well as creasing the side of my 05 Yukon XL. My wife and kids and I are OK and that is all that's ALL that is important, the Burb and the trailer can be replaced (insurance). I'll post picts of the carnage when I get them developed (no digital with me). I had big plans for it, damn it, and I never even got to drive it (well, if you count 30 feet to the trailer). Oh well, we are alive!! Oh yeah, anybody have a nice 4X4 Suburban they want to donate to my unlucky (lucky to be alive, but unlucky in every other way) azz! I might even pay for one "NOT A WANT TO BUY THREAD" I am just wallowing in my misery!!

Woah, sad story. Glad everyone is ok. I always wondered about hitches popping loose. Did it yank saftey chains free too? This one will always be in my mind now if I tow or if I see another headed down the road. I often see some wagging of the camp trailers on the highways and byways but yet to see one get loose.

Again, glad to hear everyone is fine and keep up the good living and prayers.

Those F***ing chains snapped like they were bailing wire! Again that is good, the trailer and 68 flew, LITTERALLY flew off the back in the air, had the hitch not popped and the chains broken, we (my wife and three kids 4, 5, and 13) woul be dead or al least very F'ed up, cause it would have caused the Yukon to flip with it and the 68 might have landed on us. The embankment dropped like 30 feet down so it would not have been pretty. I'll get the picts developed this weekend and scan them in.

Yikes, that is a scary story. Any idea what caused the accident? Was the Burb too much for the trailer or was there a lot of wind at the time? I guess I don't have enough experience with towing to understand why this happened--was the swaying alone enough to cause the accident?

swaying at 70 mph with a 6,000lb vehicle on a 2500lb trailer will cause the tow vehicle to lose control real quick. Ultimately the trailer swayed so far right that it popped the hitch off of the ball and allowed the trailer and burb to roll over multiple times. New tow vehicle, new tires on trailer (2 days ago) a pair of 5klb axles under the trailer, not an equipment failure, just F***ing bad luck!!

OMG!! You are lucky!! Sorry about the burb though :(

Sorry about your misfortune-I am glad to hear that your wife and family are safe. Hopefully the incident did not cause any harm to anyone else either. Trailers coming loose are never better than them staying on the tow vehicle.

I would like to offer some thoughts on your incident.

You never said- but is your Yukon XL a 1/2 ton or a 3/4 ton? If it is a 1/2 ton, you were dangerously close to being overloaded. Did you weigh after you were loaded? I will bet you that the 68 weighs considerable more than you think it does.

According to my GM trailering guide a 1/2 ton range is as little as 7600lbs to as much as 8800lbs. Of course it also stipulates that "weight carrying hitch limit is 5000lb trailer with a 600lb tongue weight. A weight distibuting hitch and sway control required over 5000lb trailer weight. The vehicle owner is responsible for obtaining the proper hitch size, type and capacity".

You may have some problems with your Insurance Co. if they are towing savy at all.

Now before this turns into something it's not intended, I am NOT slamming you. I am trying to help. I have towed all over this country and I have hauled everything from cars/ trucks/ and the occassional farm tractor to make a few extra bucks. I have NEVER had a trailer sway on me. EVER. This is due in no part to "good luck". It is based on using the correct equipment and the very careful tie down of the vehicle being towed.

Trailers wag for a couple of reasons: Incorrect tongue weight; Overloadeing the tow vehicle and/ or it's tires; loss of tire pressure SLOWLY ( not a blow out) and lastly poor trailer axle placement ( this one is out of your control unless you specify your own trailer specs)

I have a 3/4 4wd Burb with a tow rating of 9K+ and I would never try to tow that much with it because that is and the upper end of it's cappability. Suburbans make great tow vehicles for "light" vehicles, but not anything like the 68.

From the pictures your provided, the 68 was too far back on the trailer. The Subs carry alot of weight in the reardue to the glass and roof. The front bumper should have been at least even with the front header of the trailer. You want the trailer to carry the largest part of the load, but you have to make sure that the larger percentage is not BEHIND the trailer axles. It can't even be even.

I also noted that you had TWO tie downs for this load. I hope this was done while you were getting the other two tie downs. You should NEVER EVER tie down a vehicle with anything less than FOUR tie downs. They should be at the four corners and they should not cage the energy of the suspension. If you try to do that, you will have a very rough ride and a very high possibility of tie down failure.


I hope that the intent of this response is taken in the flavor it was intended. I am not beating you up- I have no reason to. I am merely trying to help educate you ( and others on the board) as to some very common trailering mistakes. I tow ALOT. I use my Dually and an 18' open car trailer for almost everything I haul. I do have a very HD 18' solid deck that I use for some of the heavy loads.

Now I am sure I will get blasted for kicking you in your time of tradgedy but I would feel worse if I didn't say anything and you had another incident with a worse outcome.


If it makes you feel any better- I pi$$ my Dad off all of the time when I correct how he ties stuff down- but he always caves because of my track record...:hm:

Crews--I hope no one will get on you for that response. I think it was very appropriate and informative. That is the main reason I posted before--I was trying to figure out why this would have happened (it seemed like more than just bad luck). Thanks for the good information...

Not slamming, but I want you to know I have hauled cars across the country (I delivered a Burb to qksilver in NC from AZ last summer) and then brought back a 67 swb from NC to AZ. I also delivered that same 67 swb truck to Sante Fe, NM and brought back the 68 Burb from there (a 700 mile round trip) and had taken the Burb 100 miles south of my house. This is why I said bad luck. In 400 miles no sway and the burb was located in the same place on the trailer. My tow Burb is 3/4 ton, not over loaded. I wouldn't say bad luck for the simple fact that the burb and trailer rolled down over a hill hurting nothing besides themselves. It could have gone to my left and over the left lane on my side of the freeway and possibly across the median and into oncoming traffic. So I am very lucky in my bad luck. I thank you for your words of wisdom, they didn't apply to me in this instance, but maybe someone else can learn from my misfortune and your advice.

Glad to hear you have a 3/4 ton. They definately make better tow vehicles. From the sounds of things though, you may want to invest in a weight distributing hitch. I know these make a huge difference on my Sub in particular.

You may want to look into wether or not you lost air pressure in one of the trailer tires. I don't know how or if you could prove that, but since you just had work done to them- that would be suspect.

Sorry I don't believe in luck (good or bad). I plan for the worst and hope for the best.

I've put 45K on my dually in the last 6 mos, probably 25K of it with a trailer and a load on it. Not trying to be a know it all- I just spend alot of time towing. And thats just in the last 6 months. I have probably logged close to 500K towing miles. I need to find a new hobby....

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Anybody believe in guardian angels?

Ok, my main reason for the post is, what is this 68 K5 you are talking about? I thought 69 was the 1st model year, but I'm new to this. Thanks.

72 K5 w/68 clip! A home brewed build (I like the 67-8 clip way better). Well, crews you may not believe in luck, but I believe in God, so I think there is a reason why I am sitting here tying and not smeared all over I-40, call it what you want. I am pretty sure I was as good as I could have been, would I do things different, sure, but that is why hindsight is 20/20, just glad my family and I are here to have a second chance.

wanna make a couple bucks selling me the brows off that thing if they're still in good shape? :D i want to help you capitalize on your misfortune ;)

dang, just realized the pass. side is missing :mad:

sorry to hear about your luck. i think what happened to you is every single one of our worst fears - and you and your family made it out alive. sure, it's a pity that a burb is wasted, but ... buy it from them at salvage cost and use it for what it's got in it - it's clean. bound to be something to part out - let that thing breathe life into some other trucks.

what a drag! are you in flag?

S&*@ happens...........Mike(70rs/ss) and a few others on the board know how much i towed last year.
I HATE TOWING trailers........give me a flat bed everytime

Dayum!!Bad luck!!I`m glad you all are ok.

Man, hate to hear about your misfortune,trucks and cars no matter how rare or expensive can always be found or replaced again. but your little ones and your soul mate are something we dont even wont to think about being hurt or lost.Great to hear no one was hurt or killed..........Mike

72 K5 w/68 clip! A home brewed build (I like the 67-8 clip way better). Well, crews you may not believe in luck, but I believe in God, so I think there is a reason why I am sitting here tying and not smeared all over I-40, call it what you want. I am pretty sure I was as good as I could have been, would I do things different, sure, but that is why hindsight is 20/20, just glad my family and I are here to have a second chance.


An AMEN to that.

Glad to hear everyone is safe and sound, I was looking at your signature, Im glad it was the Burb and NOT the Camaro. RS/SS is a rare find, and probably much much harder to replace.

Crews does have some very good tips. In my days of towing, I have seen some pretty amazing things. The problems usually come down to ignorance then lack of education. people think they have a 1/2 ton and they can pull anything, QUALITY tie downs, there can never be enough.


Best of luck with the insurance.

Sorry to hear of your loss.
Wheres the pics?

I am sorry to hear of your crash and glad to know nobody was injured. Let me play Monday Morning Quarterback for just a minute. I have experience towing all kinds of vehicles and equipment, sometimes way too heavy for the towing vehicle. I have experienced sway many times, partly triggered by speed.

I've always been taught that when the trailer starts to sway, try to speed up to straighten it out, then decrease your speed slowly. . . and that's easier said than done at 70 mph. Up here in WA state there is a little known speed limit for ANY vehicle with a trailer, 60 mph. I see combinations all day doing 70+. And I know after towing your setup for several hundred miles with no problems gives more confidence to speed up, but maybe speed contributed to not being able to correct?????? Just a thought.

68-BEAST

Amazing story, glad you and your family are all good.

Gotta ask for my own curiosity, how did the trailer brakes work for you?
Did they slow the 'package' down prior to rolling or cause it?

I've always been taught that when the trailer starts to sway, try to speed up to straighten it out, then decrease your speed slowly. . . and that's easier said than done at 70 mph

I've found that by activating the trailer brakes manually from the controller
(only the trailer brakes), it settles thing's down pretty quick.

The pull induced by the trailer braking cancels out the sway.

Gotta ask for my own curiosity, how did the trailer brakes work for you?
Did they slow the 'package' down prior to rolling or cause it?


70rs/ss, any idea's/input/concerns about how the brakes worked out for ya?

70rs/ss, any idea's/input/concerns about how the brakes worked out for ya?


Sorry to leave my thread for so long! I had the brakes on and plugged in, but from one sway to slow down, and then accellerate to drive out of it as stated in another post, I flat ran out of time. The trailer was gone in a split second. I am left thinking I could have done a lot of things, but too late. I have talked to the ins guy, and well I don't know if I mentioned this before, this baby had 12k miles ORIGINAL (marked as original miles on the CO title and transfered to my AZ title)!! My ins guy had a heart attack, I am just waiting for an offer. I'll post picts this weekend. I am on my way to buy its replacement. It is not of the 67-72 vintage, but it is a 74 3/4 ton with 50K miles front and rear air, etc, etc. It will be a 68 when I get the ins money and find another shell as I will put every usable part into the older Burb.

As promised, the picts of my carnage, again thank GOD no one was hurt!! The first pict is a before (when I got it home!) and the other two kinda explain themselves (just one short day after). I'll buy it back as the wheels and tires are new, the motor and trans are good, the grill and the tailgate. The rest is kinda junk.

:( thats a depressing picture. 12000 orininal miles:whine:

Wow! That's horrible! Hope you find a decent repacement soon.

Bummer........feeling for you dude

Glad your OK! Sorry to hear of your misfortune.

That is a disheartening picture. Sorry for your loss.

Like I said before I have bought a 74 3/4 ton GMC loaded to the teeth and I am robbing everything from it (it runs and drives with 96k original miles and dual AC), I know it is sacreligious, but at least its not a 68-72 right?! Anyways I'll keep looking for a 67-72 Burb to put all of the 74's parts on, I may actually put the 74 frame under the 67-72. I am past being bummed, In 17 years of wheeling and dealing (over 100 vehicles in that time) I have never had anything except a wreck total any of my rides, so I have been fortunate (never even had one broken into!) I plan to buy the Burb and the trailer back to refurb the trailer and rape the burb (at least something good can come of it?) On a side note, I have also considered selling my 68 K5, 67 4X4 short fleet, and pretty much everything else except the Camaro and give up on the "old car" thing. I know how that 2wd Blazer guy feels (can't remember his name) but he was hit by a hit and runner and he lost interest and was selling it here on the board. I'll see how I feel in a few weeks, it could go either way.

Thanks for posting those pics, I hope it makes everybody a little bit more aware while towing.

To me, this is what the board is all about...sharing your experiences, good or bad at the same time learning from others doing the same. (stepping off the soap box now)

Thanks again 70rs/ss, your positive attitude is good to hear. :cool:

I was on the cuff over buying a load leveler set up due to cost but this thread alone made the difference.
Already installed. ;)

Glad to here you guys are O.K. The Burb and trailer can be replaced.

Thanks for posting those pics, I hope it makes everybody a little bit more aware while towing.

To me, this is what the board is all about...sharing your experiences, good or bad at the same time learning from others doing the same. (stepping off the soap box now)

Thanks again 70rs/ss, your positive attitude is good to hear. :cool:

I was on the cuff over buying a load leveler set up due to cost but this thread alone made the difference.
Already installed. ;)


I've used that trailer to deliver a 4X4 Burb to qksilver in NC (about 2200 miles) and brought back a 67 swb w/454 back the other 2200 miles w/not even so much as a wiggle. I even had this Burb on the trailer for 4-500 miles again nothing, then WHAM!! I guess I'll load for bear even though I am hunting birds from now on!! The load leveler is a great idea and I am even in the market for a 3/4-1 ton diesel so I can haul and save fuel at the same time.

Man, I feel for ya! I'm really glad you and your family are okay.
Those pics are hard to look at...I'm just glad noone got hurt.

Two weeks ago I bought a trashed '69 C-20 parts truck with no motor or tranny and was towing it home on my Dad's small car trailer without any trailer brakes. I didn't have to go far, and only a few miles on the freeway, but without a motor the tongue was really unweighted.
I barely made it up to 55 when the trailer started swaying so bad I actually thought it was gone. My heart darn near stopped and I literally couldn't breathe. There was a lot of traffic behind me and I could just imagine the carnage with it coming loose. I slowed it down, but it took until I got under 40 for it to stop rocking. I pulled over and checked everything (including my underpants), then kept it under 45 all the way home.
I know a "near miss" story isn't going to make you feel any better, but I'd shove that POS parts truck off a cliff if it would bring that burb back for ya...

Thanks, thecatseye66 I appreciate that. I really am completely OK with it, now. I will find another and since I have had children, my car hobby has taken a backseat as I have more important things to care for. I never thought I'd say this, but they are just inanimate objects. Yes, even my original 70 rs/ss, 4-speed, AC car would go if my wife or children needed something. I can always find another (it may cost more than a house, but again all worldly possessions). A very dear friend of mine as well as being one of my employees just lost a daughter 4/28 in a car accident, so I have a good perspective on this. Wrecking this Burb pales in comparision to the hole in your heart from losing a sibling or a child, or a loved one for that matter. I lost my brother a year ago 6/4 and I can tell you this, losing the Burb seems smaller than a grain of sand on the road of life, especially since my wife and three kids were in the Yukon with me. I could have lost them and nothing in this world is worth that!

I just want to say that I`m glad you`re alright and have a good head about it.It`s a damn shame about the Suburban.I don`t know if this helps,but...
...bought for $16,000,another $28,000 into it,$12,000 from insurance:










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Special K- no disrespect intended but "28,000 into it...".... 28 GRAND?!?!?!?!?

Was there 25K in cash in the glove box? :confused: It was a nice looking truck but man I can't see where there is 28K ADDED to it...that would give you a total of 44K in the truck...and you got 12K from Ins. Co.?

What a shame that you lost a very nice looking work truck- just curious about the upgrades.

Yup.Good math,that`s what I figured,about $45,000.About the cost of a new Duramax without any improvements.The truck was set-up just the way I needed/liked it and was as good as new with excellent body/paint,new drivetrain,300+hp,adjustable suspension,go anywhere capability,tunes,and unique.
I provided a list for the insurance company to get that much.I could give you one,too.Utility beds are $5,000.The motor was $8,600.I had a new NV4500($1,800)and NP241($800)in it,converted from a dual-mass flywheel to a solid($1,800)and I had a Centerforce Dual Friction clutch assembly($500).Intercooler($1,300),hood($700).I changed the grille and front fenders and added Bushwacker flares.Overall paint job.The ARB air-locker/compressor and air bags.There was a Hellwig sway bar on the rear and Edelbrock shocks all around.Changed gears from 3.73 to 4.10/discs on rear.The bed was Line-X`d in a custom color as well as the surfaces on the rack(over $300 for each item.L.e.d. lights run around $90 x 4.Weld Outbacks/SuperSwamperSSRs($1,800).The custom tonneau cost $325.About $1,500 in the stereo.I bought the towing/camper mirrors from GM piece by piece @ $350.EGT,Boost,and oil temp guages in pillar pod.The seat upholstery cost $325.4" BD mandrel-bent exhaust and custom cold-air intake to work off the scoop.I built the rack,but the steel cost a good bit and it was powdercoated/lineX`d.I also made a pair of rub-rails with diamond-plate for a step that were powdercoated.There was a Honeywell 12v generator in one of the bins.I had to pay for some labor on some of it,too.I owned it from 4/98 to 10/04,so it was over a time period.Yet,it only had 130,000 miles at 9 years old (1/2 what I put on mt`92).But,the insurance company considered that high miles.I also got dropped,I was not Charged.It all adds up.

70 RS/SS, sorry about your Burb. Real nice truck you had.

Tim, sorry about your truck, too. That must have been a nice work truck.