Trucks

[dfrisk]

MATT - I know ALL ABOUT driving with the headlights pointing at the tree tops. I hauled about thirty full rough cut 1X12's twelve feet long in the back of my SWB '78 F150, 6-3/4 ft box, had a scrap cylinder head off a FARMALL M setting on the frt of them because there were
teetering on the edge of the dropped tailgate. I really didn't want to reload them in the middle of busy city streets & state highways.

We used to call that "Shinin' for Raccoons.

I graduated from HS with a guy who actually got caught doing that.... IN his squad car with the spot light... while on duty....and shooting at them with his service revolver.

PAUL - Does #1 SON need somebody to hand him pliers & screwdrivers? Or I could drive his PSD spec'd almost identicle to my '96 to fetch him coffee!

 

[proessler]

Dennis, You have to get in line behind me! I'm not sure if he drinks coffee... He had to install new tires on the way back from Denver. After 200 miles & a change over with the spare the tire, the State Patrol would have writer's cramp with tire cords supplyin' traction...

We have the same term for Lights a Shinin' ...

 

[wheinsohn]

Gee, how much will a S-15 or S-10 haul? I will have to find the pictures of mine going to plow days. The best I figure is that I was overloaded as soon as I sat in the seat and then my 275# brother got in next to me. It made it to travis's 2 or 3 times that way pulling the 2nd tractor on a trailer behind. It only has the 2.8L carburated engine but got 18-19mpg. Bare truck is 3000# and I had about 1400# in the bed with 4500# plates on it. Oh I forgot to say that it was ordered by the original owner with 1/2 ton suspension.

 

[wheinsohn]

Here is the picture.

 

[dfrisk]

WES - Your S10 seems to be handling the weight O-K. My PSD is a bit of over-kill for towing a CC or two. For the "MUD-BOWL PD" I rented a tandem axle car trailer for the 982 & 72. 7000# cap. trailer for 2000# of tractors. Think you met us all at Rochelle for breakfast didn't you? I remember the table at the truck stop was FULL!

PAUL - I can buy Pepsi or Coke too...the kind that comes in the red can.

Funny but true story. Last guy I drove for had an old late 70's IH Loadstar single axle tractor for me to drive. MAN I put a lot of miles on that old POS one year. I got stuck in an icy crushed rock parking lot during the winter. Spun my way down to the rock to get out. Put some pretty good grooves in the drive tires, cords were almost showing. That spring I got stopped by the IL DOT down in Roseville, IL. He actually considered the grooves as tread but didn't like the leaking air line from the compressor to one of the air tanks. DOT Officer gave me a ride to town to a heating & A/C shop and they made me a replacement copper air line and drove me back to my truck where I replaced the line, paid for the guys time & material, got a receipt and took off. Then there was the night the alternator died just east of Des Moines, had that fixed at the big IH truck dealer just east of DM, and they also recharged the battery since it was almost dead. Ahhhh I don't miss driving at all.

 

[wheinsohn]

The load in the back of that S-15 is a 1650 with calcium filled 10.5 tires, 100# of weights on the front end, 140# of weights on the rear, 2 plow, 10 gal. of gas, spare tires for truck and trailer, and a toolbox full of tools. I figured it was close to 1500# in materials. 3000# truck, 1500# cargo, 2 passengers @ 500#, and tongue weight of trailer on 4500# plates.

 

[mgonitzke]

RPRU 2009:

Northern Illinois PD I went to in August '09:

The trailer looks so wide compared to the S-10 that people in the oncoming lane usually hug the shoulder side of the road

 

[mhomrighausen]

Dennis F. Here you go... Mahindra IH Comparision. If you read some of the postings it is interesting.

 

[T-Mo]

Matt, Kirk, others,
Mahindra offers manual transmission in other markets, but it won't be available for the US market - just the automatic. They probably did some kind of market research and decided Americans want automatics. Go figure.

 

[snicklas]

Actually, Most, if not all the "Big 3" has killed off the Manual Transmission... and I believe, (Along with alot of people over on the deisel truck site I frequent) is more due to emissions than "people wanting automatics". I know seceral people that have search and waited for YEARS to find the truck they want since they want a handshaker....

With and automatic, the computer controlls the engine and transmission and can "run everything at peak, lowest emissions performance" they can. They and set the shift points to keep the engine in a certain rancg, and not "run it up" and burn extra fuel and cause emissions. Most people say you can't/shoudn't tow with an automatic, but they have vastly improved over the years. Most of the people that are looking for handshakers that I know, just tone like or trust an automatic. Or have the opinion that "real" trucks have to be shifted..... That is probally why they aer only releasing an automatic in the US... to keep the treehuggers and EPA happy.