Lightest/heaviest coaches here?

My 76 Superior 54XL tips the Toledos at just over 8,000lb with a standard amount of gear for the car loaded. When shipped from Bruce B back in 2008 the transport company moved it on a covered flat bed and would not attempt to load it on a standard car carrier.
 
As Mike M. stated I wieghed the 1973 S&S hightop in at 8020# including a full tank of gas, supplies and no passengers. The funny thing is, that the car Tim P. bought from me gets much better MPG and they weigh in at the same wieght. Is the Superior more aerodynamic????
 
Bruce Biancalana said:
As Mike M. stated I wieghed the 1973 S&S hightop in at 8020# including a full tank of gas, supplies and no passengers. The funny thing is, that the car Tim P. bought from me gets much better MPG and they weigh in at the same wieght. Is the Superior more aerodynamic????
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THX BRUCE! I feel better now.. I don't think people were believing the 8000+ lbs weight before. With the fiberglass (camper shell looking) top... as I have been told by M-M / Superior people... you wouldn't think it would weigh as much as a Criterion or Lifeliner of the same vintage? When I drove it 2,200 (trouble-free) miles from Minneapolis to Southern CA in the summer time with the A/C on all the time at freeeway + speeds it averaged around 8.8 MPG. Never really checked it after that. Other than the more radically angled lighted sign top, maybe the wind is getting trapped in the twin CJ's or the Super Chief? MM
 
My '59 Comet Olds weighed in at 5305, empty, with about 10 gallons of gas. The standard Olds Dynamic 88 4 door sedan that it was converted from weighed 4165 lbs., so the 24 inch stretch and coach conversion added 1140 lbs. to the original weight of the vehicle.
 
Time for a resurrection!

I have several high tops that I am going to be saving over the next couple of months. Considering the difference in weights between hearses and high tops it has my mind going on how many I can move at once. Most of the high tops are still loaded with equipment (lights, sirens, cots & misc medical equipment). All of these units (8-10) are approx 8 hours out and all have to be trailered.

All units fall into the late 60's through the 70's and I know the weights go up as they get newer. Listed below is a sampling of what has to be moved.

Late 60's Superior Rescuer's

Early 70's Superior 51's & 54's

Early to mid 70's S&S Medic 1's - Seen Mikes post earlier - will be single hauls.

Late 70's Superior Downsize's

I prefer to haul doubles but the heavier I get with high center of gravities makes the 8hr trip home a tad nerve racking. A 15,000lbs load is ok however, 15,800lbs load makes me look like an elephant shagging at the beach.




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I hauled my fully loaded 73 Lifeliner from MD to PA on a 10,000 lb standard aluminum trailer and believe me, if it wasn't over that combined weight, it was damned close. That thing swayed like a hammock. 100 " Hail Mary's" and 100 " Our Father's" helped !
 

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Mike McGeehan said:
I hauled my fully loaded 73 Lifeliner from MD to PA on a 10,000 lb standard aluminum trailer and believe me, if it wasn't over that combined weight, it was damned close. That thing swayed like a hammock. 100 " Hail Mary's" and 100 " Our Father's" helped !
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Nice looking rig there! I am trying to get a feel of "Scale Weight" of the coaches. When I speak of "combined", I am meaning multiple coaches combined on my trailer at once. lol

I wish I had the side to side swaying instead of the vertical listing side to side. Tipping is not a good feeling but a sway to and fro is an easy counter for me. ;)

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Darryl Thompson said:
Nice looking rig there! I am trying to get a feel of "Scale Weight" of the coaches. When I speak of "combined", I am meaning multiple coaches combined on my trailer at once. lol

I wish I had the side to side swaying instead of the vertical listing side to side. Tipping is not a good feeling but a sway to and fro is an easy counter for me. ;)

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Now yer talkin...beautiful pic !
 
5500 each for the cars 3000 for the trailer, probity 1000 lb tong wight before you loaded yourself, your baggage and the tool box. then fill the truck up with 8lb a gal fuel. OK there rough estimates but all close. the truck will handle it fine but you have gobbled up your extra safety factor. as long as you know this and can adjust your driving to compensate you will do OK. I have pulled more just over the margin then I ever have into the safety zone. the key is having tires on the truck that will handle the load and adjust your driving habits for what your carrying. but never try to fool yourself into it's not over loaded
 
weight

Mike McGeehan said:
Hi Matthew,
The 2013 Tundra with a 5.7 has a stated towing capacity of 10,400 lbs. I don't think the rig shown reached that weight but I didn't weigh it and I was nervous !
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I would weigh the ambulance and trailer separately, and also calculate the tongue weight for that particular load. With that short of a trailer you are pretty limited in how you can position the weight, and if there is too much weight on the tongue it will affect how it pulls just as much as if there is too little tongue weight. Hopefully you have electric brakes on that trailer -because it's not what you can pull that's important - it's what you can stop.
 
John ED Renstrom said:
5500 each for the cars 3000 for the trailer, probity 1000 lb tong wight before you loaded yourself, your baggage and the tool box. then fill the truck up with 8lb a gal fuel. OK there rough estimates but all close. the truck will handle it fine but you have gobbled up your extra safety factor. as long as you know this and can adjust your driving to compensate you will do OK. I have pulled more just over the margin then I ever have into the safety zone. the key is having tires on the truck that will handle the load and adjust your driving habits for what your carrying. but never try to fool yourself into it's not over loaded
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Waaaayyy of on weights there Ed. :confused::confused::confused:

Assumptions on this type of thing within a hobby field is not just an Uh Oh, my bad on being off. It is a matter of life safety and also personal property safety. Moving coaches is 20 times worse than hooking up to a standard car or truck.

Here are the "accurate" weights +/- a few pounds. When it comes to moving these cars, everyone "has to" be safe and know full well that a heavy coach can definitely gain control of your towing setup and make for a nasty day.


Hearses - 1940's - 1950's = 4900lbs - 5600lbs
Hearses - 1960's - 1970's = 5400lbs - 6200lbs (depending on options)

Low top ambulances follow the same weights as hearses +300lbs for cabinetry

Hightop Ambulances 1950's = 6600lbs - 7200lbs S&S's are the heavier bodies
Hightop Ambulances 1960 - 1966 = 7400lbs - 8100lbs
Hightop Ambulances 1967 - 1976 = 7700lbs - 8400lbs

22' - 24' Heavy steel car trailers weigh between 1800lbs - 2200lbs
50' Gooseneck car haulers 4900lbs - 5700lbs


It is always better "to know" semi accurate weights when towing potentially heavy cars. This always becomes a bigger factor when tow weights are known to become top heavy in turns.

My last trip saw some good weight and stability. THE KEY TO A GOOD TRIP IS WEIGHT POSITIONING. Make your trailer axles take the brunt of all weight, keep your tongue weight to a minimum. ;)

My last run stats are as follows with 2 Hightops.

Truck - 6778 lbs
Trailer - 5600 lbs
Car load X 2 - 7811 lbs ea.
Misc tools + 2 people 400 lbs

TOTAL WEIGHT ON PLATE = 28400 lbs

I would never advise anyone to do this with a standard truck, I use a custom power built pull truck to handle the weights.


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All good advice, for sure. I exclusively, until the ambulance, haul 70's full-sized GM passenger cars when I buy/sell and my setup is more than adequate for that task. I was definitely stretching the limits hauling that monster 73 MM. Caution, careful speed and lots of prayer/luck got me home safe.
From the comments submitted, I'd certainly think twice if I had to haul the ambulance again for any significant miles...." a word to the wise is sufficient".
 
I have yet to run one across the scales that went over 6500 the heaviest was Jim's 66 superior combo and Brendon"s 63 high top both of them were 63 my 72 olds high top was 53. but I'll never argue with a man that moves a lot of them.
I don't think I ran the 73 S&S across the scale but just jacking it up you could tell it was heaver. your figures would add about 5000 lb more to that load on the tundra. some were double the GVW rating of the truck.
 
John ED Renstrom said:
I have yet to run one across the scales that went over 6500 the heaviest was Jim's 66 superior combo and Brendon"s 63 high top both of them were 63 my 72 olds high top was 53. but I'll never argue with a man that moves a lot of them.
I don't think I ran the 73 S&S across the scale but just jacking it up you could tell it was heaver. your figures would add about 5000 lb more to that load on the tundra. some were double the GVW rating of the truck.
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I'm overly confused. :confused:

How in this world would a combo weigh more or even equal to a high top? More mass (metal, framing + cabinetry) = more weight?
The only way that factor could be right is if we cut the floorboards out, ripped the power gear out and Flintstoned it to shows??

Secondly,

Maybe a lack of muti-quoting so I have to ask..

How would 5000lbs be added to the Tundra?? I don't move coaches with a Tundra. My GVW is a lot higher than anything posted in "What do you haul with?".

:lightbulb: I need a drink......

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to many post to keep things straight. got the Toyota mixed up with your picture. but trust me the 72 CB high top with me and the dog only crossed the scales at 5300. thats why smart people loved them lighter and fast then the caddy by a bunch
 
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'74 M-M Lifeliner Scale Weight

This sticker is on the dash of my '74 M-M Lifeliner. It would have been put there when in service with the Minden, NE City/County Safety Authority. This would be scale weight, unknown as to with/without a driver.

I pulled it home from the Kansas City metro area on a 22' tilt bed trailer with light axles behind a half-ton Dodge 4x4! DON'T EVER DO THIS! I was never able to (safely) exceed 45mph all the way home! I had the weight adjusted on the trailer as good as was humanly possible and I still thought that we were going to die with each hill that we went down(there are a lot of hills in N/W Missouri!). I am sure that my trailer brakes have to be toast after that trip!
 

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This is one of the reasons non Cadillac ambulances were push and pray the Cadillacs had the commercial chassis brakes the others just regular car brakes. My wifes aunt was an EMT (driver) in the 40s and 50s her tales of fast trips with the Squads Fixible Roadmaster Buicks would stand you hair on end. She told of the Sigh of relief when the Squad was able to afford a Cadillac. "We would arrive at the hospital and be able to stop at the Emergency Room entrance not go by and have to back up".
 
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