Two years ago I got a f450 service body with no crane. The truck sits at 18000lbs and is 1500lbs over weight. I am looking at a new truck and think a f550 is too small. I now take care of 5 excervator 4 skid steers 2 wheel loader cv 50 screen. 4 lulls 2 man lifts 3 trailer up to 30 ton 10 truck from 350 to kw. Various attachments and smaller pieces of equipment I have 6000lbs of tools on the 450 and anther 2000lbs on the selves at the garage. Would a 25999 truck be big enough or would u. Go to 33000lbs. Is a 30 foot reach on the crane necessary Thanks
I'm not the service truck expert but from experience in the business usually bigger is better. Other than the obvious CDL requirements going from 25,999 to 33K there is also fuel tax reporting that goes along with a truck over 25,999. The real question is whether the extra capacity is worth the hassle of jumping from 25,999 to 33K.
Technically any diesel powered truck over 10,000 GVW is subject to fuel tax if it is tagged interstate. If it's tagged for one state and never leaves (intrastate) there is no fuel tax filing regardless of size. The way things are going you'll need a CDL for anything commercial. Might as well get it. With certain insurance carriers it'll save you a bit on premiums. As far as GVW of the truck there's not a whole lot of difference, I'd make sure I had air brakes either way. Juice brakes aren't as good at those weights. Just my experience and opinion there. Some are the same axles etc just de-rated in the VIN tag to stay under 26,001 and avoid CDL. Even non CDL you're still supposed to have authority etc. A 550 and smaller can sure fly under the radar but once you're bigger you might as well plan on being compliant. As far as the crane, 30' isn't necessary but it can be handy. I'd look more at overall capacity than how much stick. I've never said to myself I needed more stick but many times I wanted more capacity. Junkyard
You're right I was mistaken, it's been many years since I owned dump trucks and the taxes blur together. I thought I remembered filing and paying extra fuel taxes for miles driven but it's the heavy use tax form 2290 for trucks over 55,000, which both dumps were. All the damn taxes we pay run together after a while but that's another topic. However there is a federal excise tax of 12% on new trucks over 33K lbs. With the cost of new chassis that 12% can be alot.
Yes they tax any and everything they can! One of the things I sure don't miss from the trucking business.
Is there a benefic between a knuckle boom crane and a telescopic crane
I've never run a knuckle boom but a friend that has one on his truck swears by it. He pushes stuff, drags stuff, bangs on stuff. Whatever he needs to do. I can see where one would be great in certain situations. There's a couple guys on here with them maybe they'll chime in. As far as telescopic it's pretty straightforward. Make sure it's all hydraulic, some the third section of the boom is manual slide out. Not a big deal but it can be inconvenient at times. Wireless remote is awesome. My last truck didn't have it, new one does and idk how I got along without it. I would often find myself crawled up on a mast or under something only to realize it wouldn't reach or something like that. Telescopic do seem to fit on a truck better, especially after the fact. Maybe build a rig with both?!?! Well not really lol. Junkyard
Im thinking 550 size are only rated to 19500. If you run them at max weight all the time. 7000 miles on brake pads. 30000 miles on tires. Sure is handy to have 4x4. And be able to pull your self out with a skidloader.just my 2 cents.
Is it bad to idle truck engine all day or get the Vmac multi functions to power the crane and other functions Do need 3phase power and a 500amp welder
You're correct. 19.5k lbs. My '14 F550 runs at 19k lbs all day every day. I'm just about to hit the 30k mile mark. Still original brakes and the original tires are still around 35-40%. About a 70/30 mix of highway and offroad. The powerjoke sure loves to drink the fuel though. Averaging about 7 mpg with it.
With all the emissions bs on these new trucks I'd seriously consider a self contained unit to power crane and compressor. The DPF doesn't like idle time. My freightliner with an 8.3 cummins will regen several times a day if I'm running compressor and crane for the day. Once in a blue moon it won't regen, goes into limp mode and needs to visit the dealer. Junkyard
92u 3406 ...what tires do you run. I start to lose cords at 30k. Still lots a tread on them when they go. 7mpg is about the best. Get down to 3 with number 1 and running hard.
I want to say they're Michellin but I'm not 100% sure. I'm off work for a week right now but I will take a look when I get back.
Most cranes have an engine on/off switch as part of the remote. If the goons at the body builders can figure out how to make it work. Most of the time it does not work. So if you can get it to work it is great for cutting down on idle time, start the engine, move the load a little, shut it off. Rather than loading up the DPF with pointless idling for hours because the crane moves once in a while. Also it is nice for peace and quiet when you are doing something that requires no power. If you want the other functions (air compressor) can be tied in to some degree but most body builders don't "get it" as far as this goes.
drill big holes in the dpf stops it from clogging up
Well we are the second owners of the one I run but the engine shut off don't work but the start does so if the key is on it will start it but not shut it off btw it is a 2004 Kenworth T300 26,000 GVW. If I was buying a service truck it would be the highest weight rating in the total axles it is. My truck is 1000-1500 lbs over weight but last time I got inspected he didn't weigh my truck just weighed the trailer thank goodness. I also have a cdl for semis so more weight isn't a problem for me. On the crane subject I asked the Teamco guy at Con Expo if they had ever put 2 cranes on a service truck and he said so far they hadn't but it might be a possibility. That would be really handy at times. My crane is a 10,000 lb not sure exactly on the reach it has 2 hydraulic extensions
It seems that if the start works but the stop does not work it ought to be easy to fix. Just break the circuit at the appropriate place as long as the switch is held down. If it was mine I would add some latching to the relay system so all the warning bells and buzzers would not be bothering all the time the engine was stopped with the key on. The latching would be unlatched when it was moved back to start both with the switch or with the key.
Can u mount a 1500lbs welder on the side pack or lengthen the truck to 13 ft with a welding deck
I remembered to look today. Michelin XDS 2 245/70R19.5
Is it worth 20k to get 4x4 in a heavy duty truck Looking at a western star 4700 fully loaded 4x4 for 105k If the front axle and rear axle are 16k giving you a 36k gvw and in Ct it can only be registered to 33k do u still have to pay fet Or get a freight liner m2 for 75k
I am still working on this truck the cost is getting to me and just the size of a kw size truck. Has anyone ever gotten a 550 aluminum body for the daily tools and put the equipment for major repairs on the trailer welding/ lube I need to carry Mecanic tool excavation tool welding equipment and lube equipment an at least be somewhat mobile Thanks joe
I have thought of doing that but I never know what I will need when I go to the job to work on one machine it seems like the operators will always have a half a dozen more things to work on but could always say I will do that tomorrow. It probably won't ever happen but I would like to have a truck with a 20,000lb front axle and and maybe a 18' bed with drive axle close to the back to distribute the weight but not sure how that would come out.
anyone have experience with the hino 258alp with the 260hp motor is that enough power for a truck that weight how bout the new international mv series
Just scanned thru this, and came to the conclusion if you want to hear what you expect to hear don't ask questions. If the 450 is too small having Boat Owner twofootitis(previous disease I had) will not bear you any consolations, step off the line find a MAJOR league big enough will handle adding more to it service truck and just accept the beating for costs, will pay for itself over a few years where you are not beating a too light chassis to death and then trying to find a replacement twofootitis truck again in short order.
Considering you will have to drive 55 in the slow lane regardless of trailer on a 450/550 vs CDL machine, I would say get a trailer for welder and repair type tools. I would keep daily tools and lube on the truck as you will sometimes not want to move a trailer around on a site just to lube some equipment. Since you won't gain speed either way, you might as well go for comfort. Less steps into and out of the truck, comfy ride, comfy adjustable seats, and a smooth automatic trans would win me over vs a commercial truck with air suspension and brakes. That's my 2 cents at least. Put the heavy crap on the trailer and balance it before you start traveling. A properly loaded trailer feels like it isn't there behind a truck. Try highway products for the body. They will custom build whatever you want..... for a price. But you will save a lot on payload, and have a lifetime warranty. Also, I would find a trailer with power landing gear. That way you can dump it on the side of the road easily if you dont need it for a stop.
Trucker " Buddy Wayne " had a good saying about that topic . " You fellers in the cars get over & drive on the shoulder as that's the road you paid for " LOL ….
In my experience spend the money for a bigger truck you wont be against being overweight all the time you will get better stopping power for the weight and it can last at least 20 years if you take care of it The trailers are ok but I always find it nice to have everything in the truck together
That is my thoughts on the bicyclists that love to ride 3 wide in the lane and block traffic.
Are called Targets down here, or sacrificial anodes. Top a hill doing forty with 25 ton on the truck and there they are two or three abreast and ignoring any comers, Until they hear the Exhaust Brake and tires/brakes.
Oh hell ! They need to get over & ride in the grass so the cars have room on the road shoulder No idea what's up with that ? I love riding bicycles but we was taught to stay the hell out of traffic ! HeavyEquipmentForums Don't heal up as fast as I used to .
Detroit powered service rig might give them a little warning ahead of time . LOL
That a Gull Wing 9500? Old 8V sounds SMMMOOTH! The old Cat I run has straight stacks, I use a ear plug in left ear trying to save what I can, exhaust brake rattles Harsh when in full tilt!!
It's hopped up with some kind of under the hood supercharger ? Muffler still in place to keep the " stealth sound advantage " . Yank the gear shift like your in a Chevelle .
Had three of those idiots in the road ahead of me this morning... In the dark. One had a wimpy flashing tail light, all three were to stupid to be wearing light colored clothing. Lucky for their dumbazzes I can see well again.
I love an old driptroit at full song. Thanks
I had a Peterbilt with a pumped 335 running straights that would really rattle the cab with the Jakes on. Had to tighten the headliner screws weekly.
And they sounded meaner and angrier than anything while running through puny little 3.25/3.5" pipes. Kids nowadays, everything gotta run through exhaust the size of a garbage can. Phooey
I had an old IH Loadstar crane truck with a 6V53 that sounded like an angry wasp on the road. Replaced it with a Paystar 6X6 with a 6-71 inline that wasn't much faster or less noisy but got around offroad better and had 2 tons more crane.
This 6v53 sounds mean.
Please, don't call them "Driptroits". If they have been assembled properly they do not leak. if they leak from the gaskets, that's because they have been running longer than you have been alive in most cases. usually the only "leaks" on a Detroit are the air box drains. They will leak a bit of oil that gets past the oil rings if the owner is running 15/40 oil. Personally I'm sick of the attacks on Detroits, I have built about 100 in the last 30 years with zero leaks. Most of this Driptroit crap is just that. Yes I have seen gasket leaks because some Neanderthal over torqued pan gaskets or rocker covers.
You gotta remember, I grew up in 70's-80's. Everything was powered by Cummins 290's Cat 3208 or DD6-71. Ford Louisville, GMC brigadier, ol hendrickson's. They all had em crammed in there sideways. I remember the first time I changed the alternator on a 6-71 in a L8000. Took me 3 hours to fight that damned dog house outta there and a week to get the hands to come clean. I like em, just don't like working on them. Especially since I never learned to do it right. Don't be mad, I mean no offense.
You would fit rite in with my operation . It looks like the late 1970's . LOL !
I'll have to take a picture of some of the old iron that looks like it's from the 70s or older at the yard. Like a cable operated dozer.
That would be cool. I like the old stuff. I used to b!tch there wasn't enough room to work on stuff. Then someone decided,let's cram emissions controls in there too. Dirty b@st@rds!
Yeah, being an old Detroit guy I sometimes get worked up about misconceptions of what they really were about. Again I will state that properly assembled... they don't leak.
But I thought that the blower box cover screws were supposed to be run in with a 1/2" gun set on max with a 1"hose. Lol
In all honesty I did build one from a bare block. It was a little 3-53 from an Insley H800 way, way back in like 88 or so. Soon as I had oil pressure, full throttle, full load for what seemed like forever. I was praying,"don't pop" She survived, didn't smoke, didn't leak, didn't lope either. Don't know how I pulled that off. I was proud of that little engine that could.
I wish I could find a vid with sound of an old Wabco B-70 with a 12V71 and Nelson manifold mufflers and 5" stacks. I think that was the ultimate sound show from any Detroit.
Got to road test an ol GMC general with silver 8V92 . We did a lot to it. Clutch, brakes, exhaust. Resealed high/low piston and some other odds and ends. Took her out and had shifted 6 gears by the stop sign. I think it was only a hundred feet or so. . twin stacks with a shack in the back. That thing was loads of fun.
I worked on many old Detroit's that had outlived their assemblers where the engines still ran good enough the owners would just keep tightening the leaky spots, I earned my DD wings with black stained arms/clothes that would not come clean as the next one arrived before could get it scrubbed off. Driptroit is a colorful friendly way of remembering my early mechanic days, not as a offense just a moniker. Nothing is worse than cleaning Centrifugal oil filtration in a towboat with a angry tri-load of 149's! had to be done by hand with hands, IIICK!
sounds brutal, When my kids were born, the pediatrician looked at me and the wife. Looked at me again and said ,"aren't you gonna wash before handling the baby?" I was like, "this is it, You can dip these puppies in bleach, they ain't coming any cleaner, I could go wash in gas , is that alright?." All I wrenched on back then was DD and Mack , the occasional CAT and lots of Cummins NHT. Those days made me what I am , so , yeah.
In the tows, would cycle one engine off allow to cool SOME then go after service work, filtration was ALWAYS Last just before reloaded oil. A little water some mung from oil adds the smell was truly stomach churning and of course Black as a Coal mine with carbon that WILL NOT wash away. We tried ATF, Gas, Diesel, and gallons of GOOP, Citrus cleaners anything could find. Got married with black under my nails WOULD NOT scrub out, tis the life of a mechanic!!
I still get some customers who refuse to change their oil for thousands of hours. Now I handle that stuff like toxic waste because it stains like an old Detroit. But the worst is carbon electrical brushes that have been used up. All that carbon dust goes around and covers absolutely everything in pure black. In years gone by I bare-handed everything. Not any more. Now rubber gloves before I touch anything messy. Same with ear plugs. Won't even mow the grass without them.
OH yeah PPE what was that back in the day , stuff for sissies. Wish I'd known the benefits before running engines with open exhaust and other such stupidities.
Used to work on a bunch of Scanias with centrifuge oil filters, kept 2 extra shells on the shelf to do quick swaps, and clean them when the service work was done. Rubber gloves and a plastic scraper were the key tools.
I remember when Mack was hanging those off everything in place of the third filter. Nastiest contraption ever for a service component.
I actually ran into one on a Cummins 290 in an old PIE tanker truck. A real "White Freightliner" from 1976. Not sure if it was full flow or the bypass. Wait, had to be the full flow, it did have a Lubrefiner filter too.
Centrifugal's on the boats were 16" diameter, almost 2 feet deep, three per engine where could stagger them on/off, as you removed the cartridge also had to remove the residual sludge from the housing. I really wanted to meet the Enganear that set those putrid bastards up or thought they were neat. Later units had conventional disposable filters none of this idiocy, but did save the old river rats some money in nothing to buy but lid seals. The old 149's ran for hundreds of hours on these monstrosities with no ill effects. I never had to overhaul one so do not know how well the inner parts survived.
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.
So those could be shut off and cleaned while the engine was running? Worked on some big Cummins V16's that you could change out filters while they ran. Worst oil change I ever did was on an old Alco locomotive with a 244 V12 engine, 205 gallons of oil and 12 (iirc) filters in a huge housing. local oil jobber arranged a vac truck to suck it all out, and sent a bulk oil truck to refill it when we were done, Of course it was special 40WT oil for locomotives.
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.
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.
decided on a 33000 gvw truck is an extended cab worth worth the extra two feet what brand would u look at
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
Shadow2, who asked the question, is in Connecticut it seems.
witch body company would u go with jomac or brutus i want to stay aluminum
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.
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.
Interesting and good to know. Did you ever manage to solve the issue?
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.
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.
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.
Not been too close to the later stuff, do know coatings and alloys have changed.
i have order the 550 with a jomac body looking into air ride kit is it worth it and how reliable is it
Air ride is worth it if you drive it unloaded a lot. If it's almost always loaded, just get the right springs. I can't say anything about the reliability... . Sorry.
One nice thing about air ride with dual leveling valves is it always rides level no matter where you mount things or what you haul, I would recommend it if you can get it. Reliability is not an issue on mine which spends a good deal of time off road.
Bet its a lot more stable with a lot less body roll too.
The truck is finally taking shape air ride will be done next week then off to jomac for the body
What are you using for a compressor. I see your dryer sitting above a post cat exhaust pipe. I hope that heat wrap is up to task during regen. Everything looks great. Fab work looks nice and clean. Thought you were going 33k. F550 is 20k isn't it?
My 337 with the px7 has had a few issues in 80k miles...turbo actuator (electrical), #6 exhaust gasket, DEF doser cleaning, and fuel filter heater melted. A subcontractor here has f550s. Always has on in for major something...engine, HPOP, transmission, ball joints, etc... enough that I'd never, ever consider a Ford, ever. But, he bleeds blue.
The 33k truck could not hold all my tool plus hydrlic hose kit and lube skid So I went with a smaller truck and a trailer for the other stuff I don’t need every day 550 can hold 4K of tools Trailer holds 20k Kw is only good for 15k and I would be out of room
Good plan. So, what about the compressor.?
It’s in the metal box it’s a viair not sure on model can make with the kit
I have a VMAC my going on the truck and a Lincoln vantage 500 for my use
That's going to run your suspension?
The viair will it came with the kit
I'm not picking on your set-up, just haven't seen a 6.7 powerstroke with a compressor on it. My bud runs a 2017 550 no problem with it at all. He's got about 80k on it.
The compressor came with the Kelderman air Suspension kit it’s a 12 V compressor that I had to install All the factory suspension a mounting brackets had to come off the air compressor that’s in the black box had to get mounted and wired then the air tanks sky wire to the dryer then airlines rancher out the truck then the airbags on the front and rear got put on and then the axles and brakes went back on after that
Headed to Jomac for the body
try to figure out how to wire in the lithium battery battery bank separate from the truck battery was looking at the perfect switch Dual Rectifier, Gen 4.0 600 AMPS and upgrading to twin 250amp alternator i was wondering how hard it is to replace the alternator and take the charging wire to the terminal on the perfect switch
the first set of drawing
Hey Shadow2, how's the truck body coming along?
5 more weeks
Finally the truck getting out together
Looking good.
Wiring in additional batteries? I used to use an isolator, but I now use a voltage sensing relay. In addition to automatic operation, it can be wired for override.
Voltage sensing is the only way to go these days. Some years ago I tried tapping an ignition fuse just to power a tiny relay on a Dodge pickup and about 1 time out of 4 the thing just would not start. Like the key switch was not even functional. You know these new key switches are not even a real switch any more. Well after hours of poking around we sent it to another electronically minded mechanic and he discovered if the infinitesimal load was removed from that 20 amp fuse it worked fine. So we put a voltage sensing relay on the battery and everything was fine.
Pick it up July 5
Nice Shadow2! Give us some specs - what kind of goodie are being built/installed?
its a jomac 11 foot 60in tall body vmac rapair ** pto and air compresor lincoln vantage 500 120 gallon diesel tank 60 foot 1in fuel reel 100 foot air reel 6k crane the f550 has air ride 12v compresor train horns custom center consul a lot of whelen warning rigid scene lights herd front bumper
Nice.
What is going in the back corner? It looks like its waiting for a crane.
The way Jomac Does it does it is an tower Integrated into the studio substructure for the body and a hydraulic tank underneath the steel substructure
Looking forward to the finished product.
I was going to paint a linex body should I leave it bear or paint
My vote is to Linex the diamond plate in the cargo area and leave the rest shiny. It would make a nice contrast - black and aluminum.
Now, seeing what you were talking about earlier with the raised floor for storage, I really like it. The whole package looks really well thought out. Still looks monstrous for a 550. Can't wait to see it all come together.
That show crane tower and bumper
Man that bad boy gonna show dirt like a Oklahoma fresh plowed farm field!!
I just don't see how that won't be over weight. My stellar 11ft with crane, compressor, and welder on my Pete 337 is 23.5k without my bulk tanks.
It will 22k I put air ride and lager tiers to handle the weight I need other people at my company to drive it who don’t have a cdl and needed 4/4 I know it a trade off only 16k empty though
What is the maximum GVW of an F550 ? I don’t think the DOT will care about larger tires and air ride.
I know I’m over weight I risk a ticket
And risk voiding of any warranties (especially powertrain), overworking unseen components (frame twisting, brakes, hub bearings, etc), revoking of insurance, and exposure to other unseen liabilities, both physically and financially. It just seems like a foolish move to run at 110% or more (and I suspect closer to 130% of the chassis' rating) every single day. My 26k 337 doesn't require a CDL, and wears many of the same components as a 33k GVWR truck.
Do NOT hang a trailer on it if figuring to avoid CDL restrictions, that very next line cuts your throat, 40K GCVW.
i have a class a cdl and a trailer 10k and above need a class a not just cdl my f250 needs a class a to tow it is my choice what i did with the truck class 6 and above would not fit in my shop i want an extended cab with a high end interior i wanted every able to drive it i already voided the warranty with the air ride and emission delete
Who's gonna put the completed vehicle sticker on it? Like this one
nice one - MOD EDIT
Let's take a minute and relax. No need to start throwing insults. Shadow there are some very valid points bringing up the risk you are accepting for your company by knowingly overloading a vehicle beyond the manufacturers specifications. There is no way that I would assume the liability for my company. Our commercial auto policy this year was almost the same amount as our GL..I have never seen that in 25 years of owing a small company. Insurance agent said it was the ambulance chasing lawyers suing commercial vehicles for fender benders. A fender bender averages $6K to settle now. We are having to institute an insurance company mandated driver safety program that goes beyond our safety policy. One of my super's got a ticket a couple of months ago for going 5 miles over the limit on I-20. Insurance company has him on a watch list and if he gets another moving violation within 6 months, he will not be able to drive a company vehicle... You are assuming a tremendous amount of risk that more than likely will not be covered by your insurance policy, something that could cost you the entire company. It's just the sue happy society we live in. I 4
Seems to be around here the DOT has figured out the difference between the F450 and the F550 and stop every 550 or Dodge/Chevy 5500 they see. Most are overweight. Used to be a 550 could scoot right past the scales and nobody looked, now they will chase it down. My insurance company has also informed me that any truck in an accident that is not complying with DOT standards WILL NOT be covered. I've reached a point that you can just bring your stuff to me by tow truck if necessary. An easy job out of the one ton is fine by me, otherwise it's reverse FOB.
This may all be for naught. For all we know, it may only scale at 19,000# loaded, and he can probably do the completed vehicle certification himself. My old F800 w/ Wilcox 11' body, compressor, welder and 6k crane was only 21,000#
As it sit 9.5 height 16000lbs empty
That is quite a good looking ride. Have fun keeping her clean. Nice work. Still questioning stability and weight with air ride, but I gotta say, she's purdy!
Well will not have worry of Leaners when Hot out, be skin searing sweat smokin hot being that dark! Is Purdy though.
We have the same air ride on the 550 Ambulance and brush truck at the fire department since 2011
4 weeks in and almost done with the lights
Gonna see ya coming, and going!!
That's got quite a shine to it, fer sure.
CM1995 what happens if the commercial driver has dash cam video of what happens in a situation of a fender bender and video footage that it wasn't commercial drivers fault? I have a friend that drives his own truck and got a dash cam because of somebody brake checking him and then getting payment for damages. He didn't have a dash cam at the time of that incident but got one because of it.
I had one I used in the Pete I ran, CYA Machine but did not need it.
So is the electrical plug putting power out, or for plugging it in to a 110v system to charge it up and run your onboard stuff? Do you do a lot of night work that you need all the bumper lights, or just for looks? I installed some led floods on a few cranes over the last couple years, specifically for a couple night work projects. They are almost too bright, its great for the operator, but no one around it can work/ see you because the lights are too bright.