My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip

[MARKDTN]

What kind of wrecker is that? It looks like a Holmes.

20+ years ago, my dad bought a 64 GMC big dump truck (I don't remember the model) from my uncle. I think it was about a 12' bed. It had a 351 V6 and 2-speed rear. My uncle also had a bit bigger Chevrolet dump that had a 327 crate motor and 2-speed rear. The GMC had an electric 2-speed while the Chevy had a vacuum 2-sp. My uncle said the electric was better. After a short lesson on driving 2-sp rears, we loaded the truck with rock for a chimney (the purpose of buying the truck) and I was sent on my way home 350 miles. He warned me that the brakes were good loaded for only a few stops, so not to overheat them. I made it home just fine, and it got around 5 mpg loaded or empty. I made another round trip to get more rock, and it did fine on that one too. After the project was over, he sold the truck to a local contractor and I saw him about 6 months ago. He told me the truck was burned when his house caught on fire. He sold it to someone who wanted the dump bed.

My uncle bought it from GA Power in the early 70s with no bed on it. He found an old 50's truck with the dump and swapped the bed onto this one. So the bed the latest guy got will have been on at least 3 trucks. Funny how that all works out.