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Some History about HDTs


cadonnelly

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My first HDT was a Volvo 610 that I purchased in 2002, it is a bit interesting how I got there.  I was in Junction City Kansas visiting New Horizons, and somewhere somehow ran into Jim and Valerie Gehlen.  He had a previous generation Volvo, and was having a bed made at ????? (lost the name) in Junctiion City.  They gave me a tour of the truck and bed.  Well not long after their rig was totaled and he needed to get a new truck.  I had been looking at truckpaper, and saw some 610s in Salt Lake City at Bennetts, called Jim and told him about them.  He purchased one, and had a long bed made for his motorcycles.  I decided to get one, went to Bennett's and there were 13 on the lot, all from Knight Transportation.  The salesman, whose name is gone right now, went through 4 or 5, test drove three, and he picked the one I purchased.  Not sure what is selection criterion were, but they worked.  He gave me a lesson in float shifting in the parking lot, and I drove home to Stillwater Mn.  I loved the truck, I had a walkman, turned it off, so I could listen to that engine.  It just flat out sang to me.  I went through Wyoming so I could hit the Black Hills and see how it handled some hilly stuff, and it was fun, fun, fun.  15 years ago, the forum was not that big, but being lucky, no problems on the drive home at all.  I know others bought Bennett trucks as well, not sure if Bob Speckman was one of them or not.  A HDT owner from California bought one as well, made his bed with gen set etc.  So there are a few Bennett trucks out there.

So bought two other 770" both still in use on the forum. I had a situation at home with my daughter, who needed her Dad to be in her life, that kept me pretty much home bound for 6 and half years.  She is doing wonderfully well now and I can travel again.  Probably TMI.

When I started to drive the latest 610 with autoshift, I kept jerking and the truck kinda bucked going down the road.  The owner laughed and he said, all of his truck drivers that drove straight transmission trucks had the same problem, I heard the engines revs go up and I wanted to float the gears!  Well I was a quick study with the autoshift, and it will be okay, but I do like to shift for myself.

Anywho little bit of history.  Chuckd

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Nope, same bumper but the KC lights died before I got it and the holes needed to be filled in.  Have everything ready to paint under the black.  Then thought about cutting in my own driving and fog lights.  The black "paint" is actual Duplicolor spray wrap.  Covers the ugly 4 tone primer...

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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Congrats on the truck. So this is #4? So from someone that has gone from 610 to 770 twice and then back to 610, how do they compare? Did you find the taller/larger condo nice or more trouble? Were any of them singled? What manual transmisisons have you had and what is your favorite? 

I'm still very early into my 2000 Volvo 610 with the Detroit and 10spd manual and I'm certainly enjoying it. I can see why a 13 would be nice, but I'm enjoying the 10 and definitely enjoying the manual as I get better at it. 

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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Well, getting rid of my 610 was probably a mistake, I thought I wanted more space in the cab, I do winter camping and using the cab in the middle of a long trip is a good thing.  The 610 was singled short.  i used ample power products to provide ac power and battery charging, way to expensive, and the single cylinder diesel turned diesel fuel into noise.  The next was a 770 from Canada that had a pretty tough life from a rust standpoint.  I went to the same bed builder and got a terrible job, and he took forever.  It was singled short, and was a 13 speed.  The 610 was a 10 spd.  We haul such light loads that splitting gears like the 13 spd does I think is overkill.  The next 770 was an auto shift, and the only truck that left me stranded.  I had gone to one of Oldphonemans Oregon - Winchester Bay Rallys - and on the way home, near Fargo, I think the ambient heat got to it, and I was stranded.  The first was a Cummins M-11 and the later were Volvos.  I liked the 770, at times it seemed clumsy, around town, as it is a bit top heavy.  The 610 I used as my run around truck after I had unhooked my fifth wheel.  It just seemed more maneuverable.   Made for some interesting journeys up to the ski area, where the roads are ice covered and narrow.  So went smaller this time as I just happen to like the size.  It also looked kinda macho at the trail head sites^_^

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My 610 is singled short and I've just been driving it around now and then bob tail getting used to it. I've been spending more time on busier streets with lots of shifting and yesterday I purposely took it down some pretty narrow streets near us just to get a feel for driving it in tighter places and I'm really getting comfy with it. I'm pretty glad I'm not nearly as tall as a 770/780. Once we get on the road, we'll only have the 610 and a couple motorcycles to get around, so this works out well. I think I'd really want a some sort of car if we had a condo height truck. I think this was the perfect one to get into the HDT world and not get too big and bulky. 

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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7 hours ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

The first 610 has an M-11 engine and a Rockwell 10 speed.  To me, the Rockwell will either float flawlessly, or you can't find a gear to save yourself.

Rockwell fixed this some time ago: Clicky

"Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. 

 

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8 hours ago, cadonnelly said:

Well, getting rid of my 610 was probably a mistake, I thought I wanted more space in the cab, I do winter camping and using the cab in the middle of a long trip is a good thing.  The 610 was singled short.  i used ample power products to provide ac power and battery charging, way to expensive, and the single cylinder diesel turned diesel fuel into noise.  The next was a 770 from Canada that had a pretty tough life from a rust standpoint.  I went to the same bed builder and got a terrible job, and he took forever.  It was singled short, and was a 13 speed.  The 610 was a 10 spd.  We haul such light loads that splitting gears like the 13 spd does I think is overkill.  The next 770 was an auto shift, and the only truck that left me stranded.  I had gone to one of Oldphonemans Oregon - Winchester Bay Rallys - and on the way home, near Fargo, I think the ambient heat got to it, and I was stranded.  The first was a Cummins M-11 and the later were Volvos.  I liked the 770, at times it seemed clumsy, around town, as it is a bit top heavy.  The 610 I used as my run around truck after I had unhooked my fifth wheel.  It just seemed more maneuverable.   Made for some interesting journeys up to the ski area, where the roads are ice covered and narrow.  So went smaller this time as I just happen to like the size.  It also looked kinda macho at the trail head sites^_^

Dang Chuck,

 

You never mentioned being left stranded. Thankfully it has not done that to me. Have had a couple  'I don't want to go yet tantrums, but once on the road she is a good girl.

Go Granny Go

 

Rod

 

 

 

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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1 hour ago, noteven said:

Rockwell fixed this some time ago: Clicky

LMAO......    Whoever did that was great!  Sounds like a Ford engineer explaining how to fix a 6.0

BUT, I have driven a few Eaton 13sp and compared to the Rockgrinder, they are smooth as well, the video above!

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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9 hours ago, BlueLghtning said:

My 610 is singled short and I've just been driving it around now and then bob tail getting used to it. I've been spending more time on busier streets with lots of shifting and yesterday I purposely took it down some pretty narrow streets near us just to get a feel for driving it in tighter places and I'm really getting comfy with it. I'm pretty glad I'm not nearly as tall as a 770/780. Once we get on the road, we'll only have the 610 and a couple motorcycles to get around, so this works out well. I think I'd really want a some sort of car if we had a condo height truck. I think this was the perfect one to get into the HDT world and not get too big and bulky. 

What I have learned, is anywhere a UPS truck can go, or a short school bus, we can too.  I do field survey work for Southern Cross- natural gas line stuff, and I drive into neighborhoods that you would think would be a bad idea but I had no issues.  I've had the truck in the French Quarter New Orleans, while it wasn't my brightest idea, I figured if all the beer trucks and food trucks deliver there, then I fit too.

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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The short singled (182") 610 I had we could take almost anywhere. And CERTAINLY anywhere I had been taking the previous F550. The Volvo maneuvered WAY better than the pickup. I never hesitated to drive it like a "pickup". It was a great daily driver for three years of fulltime RVing. Had it had an IShift instead of the autoshift it would have been even better..... 

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
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See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
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On 5/27/2017 at 8:56 AM, Jack Mayer said:

The short singled (182") 610 I had we could take almost anywhere. And CERTAINLY anywhere I had been taking the previous F550. The Volvo maneuvered WAY better than the pickup. I never hesitated to drive it like a "pickup". It was a great daily driver for three years of fulltime RVing. Had it had an IShift instead of the autoshift it would have been even better..... 

WOW your 610 was 10" longer on the wheelbase then my Kodiak is. And the Kodiak will turn or go where a pickup can't. If I get the Kenworth, I will sure miss that part. As the 72" W900L is going to be 4ft loner on the wheelbase.

And for a 13 Speed, where they shine is dropping one gear when pulling hills. Most time I only had to flip the button. Let off the fuel and get back on the fuel. And I was in 12th, and when I was ready for high again flip that button, let off the fuel and get on it again.

Road gearing shows the KW the way its set up. Will pull any great with our camper in no lower then 12th. :D

 

 


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