New service truck

RZucker · Sep 2, 2018

funwithfuel said:
I can say the fleet I worked for had Mack's. Extended drain intervals on synthetic oil. If you pull a valve cover you see a perfect mold like you were making a Bundt cake. Soot city.

Why do people do that to themselves? I have showed 3 trucking outfits the errors of their ways on extended drain intervals, 15,000 max and the engines are starting to clean up. Even got 2 of them to do an oil filter change at 7,500 miles.

DMiller · Sep 2, 2018

Yeah, 'Could Be Cleaned' but most times the valves would not hold and the need for filtration bad enough they just left all three in service until due on hours. Just flamin NASTY! I changed oil on an old Baldwin Stationary engine, came out of a Locomotive where still had the 600V generator on it they used for a backup feed at a old machine shop using antique RR tooling. Also one nasty SOB as went YEARS without service. Had to scrape the goo out of the bedded crankcase.

shadow2 · Sep 17, 2018

decided on a 33000 gvw truck is an extended cab worth worth the extra two feet

what brand would u look at

AzIron · Sep 17, 2018

Kenworth t300 would be my first choice or a Pete if you could get an international with a Cummins they are not terrible

Not a fan of the Ford 750s that's a lot of weight to be pulling around with that 6.7 over 100000 miles not sure were the motor would be

Whatever you do build if you go with a hydralic crane I would definitely do a Miller enpac so your truck motor doesn't have to idle and give the emissions system he'll

Just my opinion

funwithfuel · Sep 18, 2018

A paccar, either one would be a nice choice. Cummins c series 8.3 or maybe even ISM11. M11 might be a bit on the overkill side , but at least you want be struggling to climb grade. Trans is totally yer call, for me, I don't think I ever want to go back to rowing in traffic.
Not a fan of air suspension. Again, a preference thing. Comfy ride in exchange for more maintenance. Air ride just cant handle the abuse we put our rides through .
Others have mentioned enpac. If you're spec'ing a new ride and it can be budgeted, that'd be the way to go .
Don't know if you are planning to court mines and quarry. If you are, you must be diesel only. No gas powered anything. Plus a million other compliance odds and ends. Biggest pops I see time after time. Somebody goes to a mine and they have to unbolt their gen/welder just to go downstairs.

Birken Vogt · Sep 18, 2018

I spent many years in propane trucks in this size class, right at this weight.

I have a strong opinion that T3xx with 8.3 Cummins is the way to go. (They call it PX8 now) On the high end of the HP range that 8.3 did fine and it is pretty steep here. Get the Jake brakes if there was any question about it. An M11 would be a waste, not necessary.

I did not like the Petes, the cab floor is another step higher and the cab is not nearly as ergonomic. The KW seems to have everything where you want it, the Pete has everything exactly where you don't, switches and levers and such.

We had air suspension on everything and I really liked it.

Jeckyl1920 · Sep 18, 2018

Not sure about your traffic and stop sign issues. If I had a service truck here in so cal, I would get an automatic if I had a choice. 10-13 speed if you do a lot of heavy offroad and steep hills(why I say all dump trucks should be manual).

Air ride will be more comfortable. As for brand... i couldn't say. The older style trucks with air toggles instead of these new electric switches imo are way better. Again... that's coming from dump truck operating. I don't think you should need anything other than a diff lock and a Jake brake.

I dont know how in the know you are about the new "automatic" transmissions, but some are not automatic, but rather an automated clutch and shift system(forgot the name). They are clunky when trying to creep along slowly, but are more reliable on grades than standard automatics. These guys know more about them if you want more info. I'm mostly just a driver.

Whatever you do, dont buy an old truck with freon based AC!

Birken Vogt · Sep 18, 2018

I've been from Roadranger to Allison and back again and I would take the Allison any time. And yes I do know how to drive a stick properly. Around here the automatic makes it possible to upshift and gain speed on steep hills that would have you stuck in a low gear with a crash box because the road speed drops faster than engine RPM.

Also if this is a used truck, do not buy any DPF truck from the start (around 2007) to 2013 or so, when they had time to work the bugs out. It was pretty bad in between. Also see if you can get service records on the engine, some were just lemons. 2006 and older were pretty good as far as the 8.3s go.

StanRUS · Sep 24, 2018

Birken Vogt said:
I've been from Roadranger to Allison and back again and I would take the Allison any time. And yes I do know how to drive a stick properly. Around here the automatic makes it possible to upshift and gain speed on steep hills that would have you stuck in a low gear with a crash box because the road speed drops faster than engine RPM.

Also if this is a used truck, do not buy any DPF truck from the start (around 2007) to 2013 or so, when they had time to work the bugs out. It was pretty bad in between. Also see if you can get service records on the engine, some were just lemons. 2006 and older were pretty good as far as the 8.3s go.

For Calif service truck using DPF (2007-2009) and early trucks with non and Tier engines. Annual mileage is limited to 1,000 miles per year or less. Re-registration requires reporting to TRUCRS (CARB) annual mileage online by Jan 1st yearly. If compliant you can print a certificate for the DMV. Report 1,001 miles and you will not be able to re-register; you'll receive an email stating 'non-compliant. Non-compliant also means can only be sold for scrap/salvage or sold out of state. Jan 1st 2020 in the end date for older trucks in Calif!

In 2014, to void the flexibility options provided in the 2014 amendments to the Truck and Bus regulation, John R. Lawson Rock and Oil of Fresno and the California Trucking Association sued CARB in Fresno Country Superior Court. In 2016, that court ruled in favor of Lawson and CTA, ordering CARB to set aside the regulation's 2014 amendments. Anyway, if you're buying for Calif usage model year 2010 or newer (DPF-SCR-DEF) is required for non mileage limited operation.

6.7-8.3 Pacar-Cummins issues are 'exhaust gas regen valve', EGR cooler and variable vane turbos. Turbo vanes get sticky and wipe out the unit.

Birken Vogt · Sep 25, 2018

Shadow2, who asked the question, is in Connecticut it seems.

shadow2 · Sep 27, 2018

witch body company would u go with jomac or brutus

i want to stay aluminum

DMiller · Sep 28, 2018

Will forewarn you on the aluminum bodies, worked on fire apparatus and aluminum bodies on utility trucks where the electrolysis effect was a big problem. Electric energy using the bodies as ground would initiate then feed corrosion all over them. See it to some level on aluminum HD truck cabs and aluminum trailer bodies but worst on those machines where the machine relied on the body for higher amperage loads as booms, winches, starter circuits for aux engines and so on. We also tried fiberglass bodies for weight reduction but they did not handle flexing conditions in the field very well, actually most bodies don't but the glass bodies seemed to crack worse.

Jeckyl1920 · Sep 28, 2018

DMiller said:
Will forewarn you on the aluminum bodies, worked on fire apparatus and aluminum bodies on utility trucks where the electrolysis effect was a big problem. Electric energy using the bodies as ground would initiate then feed corrosion all over them. See it to some level on aluminum HD truck cabs and aluminum trailer bodies but worst on those machines where the machine relied on the body for higher amperage loads as booms, winches, starter circuits for aux engines and so on. We also tried fiberglass bodies for weight reduction but they did not handle flexing conditions in the field very well, actually most bodies don't but the glass bodies seemed to crack worse.

Why wouldn't you ground everything to the chassis? You get better current avoiding using the aluminum as a ground point anyways.

DMiller · Sep 28, 2018

We did, stray current is unavoidable, a loose ground, a weak contact, even time and corrosion at the contact points, all adds up and adds to stray current pulsing thru the machines. Knew when had issues when marker light power or when powered up a boom leaning on the body would bite working on or with them. Electricity is a strange animal, opportunistic and unrelenting.

Jeckyl1920 · Sep 28, 2018

Interesting and good to know. Did you ever manage to solve the issue?

Birken Vogt · Sep 28, 2018

I worked on a lot of aluminum fire apparatus and never had any corrosion issues. And they were covered with lights and gadgets like anything else.

DMiller · Sep 28, 2018

Around here in the 80's/90's the cities had the local garages do much of their work. Most of the machines I dealt with for lighting or instrumentation issues boiled down to aluminum corrosion with all too many low mile, fairly young units less than 10 years in service, could read the voltage changes across the corroded regions pretty easy. We tried extra grounds, hard to frame grounds, grounding buss bars nothing seemed to control it once started, worst units were the snorkel/aerial ladders with pedestal and generators. At the utility, before I was actually an employee but a contractor saw it even worse with generators, 12/110 converter units, the booms and pedestal units were OK but connections to the service bodies sucked.

Jeckyl1920 · Sep 28, 2018

Have you seen this on newer bodies? I know the older aluminum stuff was crap. I've seen some 70's-90's aluminum components corrode that weren't ever subject to electricity, salt or even water other than humidity. I think they played with the chemistry a bit since then.

DMiller · Sep 28, 2018

Not been too close to the later stuff, do know coatings and alloys have changed.

shadow2 · Jan 30, 2019

i have order the 550 with a jomac body

looking into air ride kit is it worth it and how reliable is it

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