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Readying for the KW

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,430
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Well have decreased the projects list considerably, down to the landscaping and mowing with cleaning out the excess crap in the workshop.
Headed to OKLA this Friday, get the KW Picked clean and ready to load for JY, then haul a wad of little stuff back to the house. Next week will be nothing but cleaning and storing to organize enough to get the wagon pushed in head end out and start my end of it.

First Estimate is in for C15 Overhaul and Head, is incomplete but tallied $7450 +/-, have a second fella setting up a quote for all on the list he can obtain thru IDP, will see as that comes in. Final say as to needs is cleanup of all the already removed materials then strip the pistons and sleeves inspect the block deck, time to drag out the old straight edge after scrub the deck clean.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,430
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
You are doing it NOW!!!

Thinking something as this:
4f8e10b966b0c2208751296c9668f20d.jpg
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,430
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Momma is a tad soft for that!! She is into Creature comforts of Home so we will eventually buy a USED, not threadbare unit. Harley will ride secured in the rear for when we get to where want to be. And I do own a BMG .50 Rifle, do not need much bullet resistance at distance.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,430
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
In MO can License the Class 8 as a RV, requires Minimal Mods, as in a Generator on the frame and fridge IN The Cab, then the Truck becomes a Toter. In all but 17 states, NO Special License to Operate!! In the 17(Incl CA KS TX NV NM and WY) requires a CDL, no intent to go East if do not have to!!
WHY Rely on a Pickup Truck when CAN drive one of these!

https://www.campanda.com/magazine/rv-special-drivers-license-requirements/
 

Spud_Monkey

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2018
Messages
6,436
Location
Your six
Occupation
Decommissioned
My same thought process on owning a semi instead of a truck, though I have learned from my years on the road a single unit is cheaper than pin drag unit. Plus one can see and experience more with a single unit from my experience. Once you hit the road here is good websites to navigate to look for places.
www.campendium.com
www.freecampsites.net
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,430
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Owned a bumper pull years ago
Equalizer hitch was a screeching finger pinching POS but distributed weight Ok. Owned a early fifth wheel no tip/slide outs tiny inside cramped but no worse than a motel room or eating at a diner. Axles and brakes were weak tires crap but serviced well in how used.
Brother owns a Class B RV, invested in a tow bar and a trans disconnect system for a later Jeep Wrangler, couple grand tied up there where those obsolesce pretty fast including the jeep. Mercedes chassis RV has Can Bus electrical that he is educating himself on as to using tail/stop lights on the jeep when tow, plug and play systems are not so friendly.
He is happy with his as is, even with all that, his wife likes being able to move into housing area while moving.
A trailer can be parked on a spot in a campground and locked down essentially holding the spot, a Class B you need to drive to the store or elsewhere and can lose your spot. Towing another car is tricky on its own.

I have used a 3/4 or ton to pull trailers for decades, wears them hard as to drive train, brakes, tires, suspension. My F250sd has had both rear springs changed twice, two third member rebuilds, and a full drive line swap as the balance weight exploded fell off! Do not want to remember how many sets of tires been thru or brakes and just in 330,000 miles. My early GMs were gutless in towing in hills, the 7.3 I have now eats drive train as too much engine for light duty sub-systems.

Should have bought a two ton years ago and could not get there, would have been money ahead.
KW is not a perfect choice it is the available choice, was going to be a ‘63 Autocar but that did not work up so well!! And the KW presented itself.
Will be loads of work but I do sorta get enjoyment of that, self abuse is more like appropriate wording!
Hard to beat the mechanic out of me, yet is getting there.
 

Spud_Monkey

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2018
Messages
6,436
Location
Your six
Occupation
Decommissioned
I wish I was as rich as all you guys LOL
Rich haha, I'm on retirement pension I just buy broken things for dirt cheap and resurrect them to life with touch of personalization. As for money to pay for traveling, that goes into fuel I don't pay to park the rig anywhere. For the price I paid in my PV system (that I built myself) I have made back by skipping campgrounds and don't have to run generator all the time that would suck fuel, maybe once the 3rd day rolls around without sunlight I will fire it up to recharge.
Owned a bumper pull years ago
Equalizer hitch was a screeching finger pinching POS but distributed weight Ok. Owned a early fifth wheel no tip/slide outs tiny inside cramped but no worse than a motel room or eating at a diner. Axles and brakes were weak tires crap but serviced well in how used.
Brother owns a Class B RV, invested in a tow bar and a trans disconnect system for a later Jeep Wrangler, couple grand tied up there where those obsolesce pretty fast including the jeep. Mercedes chassis RV has Can Bus electrical that he is educating himself on as to using tail/stop lights on the jeep when tow, plug and play systems are not so friendly.
He is happy with his as is, even with all that, his wife likes being able to move into housing area while moving.
A trailer can be parked on a spot in a campground and locked down essentially holding the spot, a Class B you need to drive to the store or elsewhere and can lose your spot. Towing another car is tricky on its own.

I have used a 3/4 or ton to pull trailers for decades, wears them hard as to drive train, brakes, tires, suspension. My F250sd has had both rear springs changed twice, two third member rebuilds, and a full drive line swap as the balance weight exploded fell off! Do not want to remember how many sets of tires been thru or brakes and just in 330,000 miles. My early GMs were gutless in towing in hills, the 7.3 I have now eats drive train as too much engine for light duty sub-systems.

Should have bought a two ton years ago and could not get there, would have been money ahead.
KW is not a perfect choice it is the available choice, was going to be a ‘63 Autocar but that did not work up so well!! And the KW presented itself.
Will be loads of work but I do sorta get enjoyment of that, self abuse is more like appropriate wording!
Hard to beat the mechanic out of me, yet is getting there.
Too bad you didn't get the ZF6 instead of the 4R100, but who knew. My 96 F Super Duty 7.3 AKA F450 of the day came with that Dana 80 you have now, and 10 lug wheels. Yeah it had the 16's on it but I eventually got some 19.5's from a GM motorhome and bored the inside hub out with cutting torch and grinder and those wheels lasted forever. The F450 of those years had more of drivetrain and frame than most trucks of it's day, it couldn't be killed, only Achilles heel was the transmission brake behind the ZF5. Only reason I changed the springs out in rear in 9 years I owned it was some idiot spun me out passing in Oregon on ice roads while pulling equipment trailer. Twisted rear axle springs bent the flatbed and snapped the pintle on the truck, they towed the trailer to nearest wrecking yard I went got new pintle hitch and within 4 hours I was back on the road, the car that hit me was totaled and I managed to drive on to Texas.
Well as time progresses post pictures of your trial and tribulations when you get it we love pictures here :)
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,430
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Liked the smoothness of the ZF6, DID NOT Care for the TO bearing Eating Hydraulic Clutch, and when Did Fail internally not much to save, expensive to build. Dana 80s are damned near bulletproof, yet too the old Eaton Two Ton series pumpkin Differentials. Taller Tires, better gearing, depends of needs and availabilities.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
16,544
Location
WWW.
DMiller is right the guy who owns that mack pile of mine is going to pay for it, just kidding.

It ain't going to sell for what you folks think it will. The day I see it loaded on a lowboy
headed away from the yard will be a good day for me.
 
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