rickeieio

I just spent well under 1 minute looking in the Resource Guide and see that South Dakota does allow registration as either m/h or private truck. No special license for m/h. Day cab would be private truck. So, now that door's open, start digging.

Vern, there's a COE campground at the north end of Land Between the Lakes with pretty big sites. Spindrift was there yesterday, and is an old hand on N14 Cummins. You might get lucky if he sees this.

As you're finding out, each person's requirements, combined with their state's requirements, dictate different answers. I've seen hatrack's truck and like it, a lot. But it wouldn't work for us as I'd need commercial license plates/class A/insurance...all because we live in Indiana/Ohio. I don't know where he's domiciled. Since you're domiciled in SD, I'd look in the Resource Guide for the requirements there. You may be fine with a day cab as a "private truck". Just know that it'll be harder to find one with gentle miles and the creature comforts to keep your co-pilot happy. I believe hatrack bought their's new, assuring they'd get what they wanted.

And there is something to think about. A day cab is, well, used for fay trips. Lots more shifting, turning, local deliveries, etc. Likely less miles for more wear and tear. That can skew the numbers of the cost of what look to be comparable trucks. In the end, only you can decide what you want, v. what you need. And of course, what you fell comfort able driving and spending. I recently was asked to check out a 2012 Volvo 670 for someone. Pretty decent truck with 800k on the clock, for $22k. Three years ago, that truck would have been close to double that price. Happy hunting.

I haven't priced lately, but when I bought our last day cab, I considered buying a sleeper truck and removing the sleeper portion because it was so much cheaper. But, I would have the longer frame rails and removable sleepers limit the choice of trucks. My Mack cost about $5k more than a comparable sleeper truck back in 2007. Day cabs will likely have anywhere from 100-150 gal fuel tank(s). You're correct, most sleepers have bigger tanks. Day cabs are more likely to have been used for short trips, so more start/stop and less highway miles. Day cabs are unlikely to have better creature comforts, sound deadening, air ride passenger seat, adequate leg room for passenger, etc. Single axle trucks can be easily overloaded if configured to carry a car. It appears that's not an issue for you. Tandem sleepers are inconvenient to use as a daily driver. We've done it many times though. Compromises...... if you're comfortable driving a truck manual tranny, don't be afraid of them. However, don't think for a minute that a truck manual is anything like a manual in a pick-up. It's a whole different game. My philosophy on the whole egr/dpf/def thing is that it's like the early days of unleaded gas, efi, and catalytic convertors on cars. The early days were fraught with problems, but in the end, it works quite well. That's why we opted for a newer truck, skipping the years during the industries "learning curve". But that's just my opinion. Good luck with your search. If you happen to be near the west side of Cincinnati, stop in and take a ride in ours.

That's pretty much what I said, but beware, many (most?) county/state offices don't really know because this isn't something they do very often. If the office doesn't agree with the Resource Guide, there's a pretty good chance said office doesn't really know. So, yes, it's my opinion that you seek out the correct answer for the state in which you will license.

It depends. You need to follow the rules in the state where the truck is licensed. That may, or may not, be in the same state as your domicile. For instance, we live in Indiana, but our rig is licensed at our farm, just 6 road miles away. 100% legally. Both Indiana and Ohio have the same requirements for a n motorhome: permanent bed for sleeping, permanent table with seating for dining, fridge or ice box, and cook surface or oven. No sink or toilet required. Most modern day cabs have air ride cab, as well as chassis and seat(s). Our Mack had air seat only on drivers side. Day cabs ride rougher for the same reasons that they're more maneuverable. Some states allow a day cab to be licensed as a simple non-com truck. No bothering with m/h status. Which circles back to.......what state will you license said truck? Look up the requirements in the Heavy Haulers Resource Guide above.

I'll add, it's the threads and tutorials from folks like you that gave me the inspiration and confidence to dive into our build. I couldn't have done it without the help of those who went before me. I'm sure you've inspired others to follow suit.

When we built our bed, in my long winded thread titled "Bed Build Planning", I admitted to "stealing" ideas from others' bed builds. Making cardboard templates was one of them. My shop princess got pretty good at making the templates so I could plasma torch the side panels. Thank heavens I was paying attention to you when you built the yellow (Bandbuds) truck. Keep the ideas coming. I may need them if I ever build another bed.

I ask this because I don't know..... Would it potentially harm anything to put in a regular relay? Could something worse than a blown fuse become of it? Reason I ask is \because John Deere does the same silly stuff, using special proprietary parts that far cheaper elsewhere. Only difference is the markings on the cover.

There's Jerry's Truck and Diesel on Kilby. 513-367-2502 I think. I'd call Engel's Towing up in Colerain and ask for a recommendation. Jimmy or his dad, Jim, will steer you right. That said, I'm no meckenik, but I enjoy a challenge. Will you be around Friday or Saturday? I need to run to Harrison anyway, so I'll be half way there. Call me. 513-284-6927. If I don't answer, leave a message.

I never would have thought to put "pdf" in the search line. Good detective work Dan!!!

Measure to see if the voltage at the source is the same as the voltage at the ecm. Same with the ground. Only a very slight difference (voltage drop) is acceptable. For example, read the voltage across the battery terminals, and again across the ecm terminals. Any difference more the a couple tenths/volt is indicating a poor connection.

I especially dislike that ad that jumps out and asks, "are you overweight"? How dare they........🤣

Vern, read the title. 😉

Carl, if Vern's Cummins is similar to our ISX, the "primer" pump. or primary fuel pump, is electric. A lot of farm equipment uses the same pump, a simple little cube that sits there and merrily buzzes away.

Unfortunate, but true. I've seen so many times where someone asks a question as their first post, and they never come back to find the answer. Forums do not provide instant gratification, but they do encourage long time participation.

And when you can't, well things get weird. Unfortunately, we were scheduled to work every day, but someone covered for me to at least be available to help the newbie tech. It wasn't as simple as no hot water. We had a leaker. Decisions were made quickly, and things went sideways. New heater shipped in, had all three fittings with poor threads, Another heater would have been several more days. Tech didn't have 1/2" npt tap, and on and on......

OH and IN (we live in Indiana, but the camper rig "lives" at our farm in Ohio) classify us as a m/h, no matter what we're towing, providing it's not for commerce. ymmv.

We needed a new water heater last fall in Albuquerque. The only two techs I could find available were both fresh out of rv tech school Both were full timers, and only there to make some fast money. I had to show them a lot of shortcuts, and provide them with things they didn't stock. One ran to Harbor Freight for tools a couple times, on my dime. In short, I spent well over $1k for a job I wish I'd done myself. But, possible future warranty issues and the fact that I was supposed to be working the Balloon Fiesta, were factors. Lesson, don't get a newbie "tech".

I've heard that from other sources as well. That said, other forums I participate in, and moderate, are shrinking too. The "instant gratification" mentality doesn't fit when many of us don't check in often. I've noticed many times that someone new asks a question, but never comes back to see the answer. Unfortunately, some folks come to a forum (not just here) expecting to be spoon fed info rather than educating themselves. It's sort of like we're having a pitch-in picnic, and someone just shows up with an empty plate and barges to the head of the line. You tolerate it for a bit, but when they keep coming back...... I've not been here nearly as long as some of you, and I really appreciate being able to learn so much from y'all. Thank you.

It's just crazy how much fuel has come down. Last September, we thought we'd struck gold when we filled up in Oklahoma for $4.09.

Just checked Wichita area. Costco is about $0.48 higher than some places called Jump Start near there. 350 gal x $.48 is.... not enough to make up for the drive. But, that's over $1.00 better than Hutch.

Darryl's right. I just had that discussion with one of our tenants today. He took his trucks to the local co-op for fuel at $3.85. Closest Costco is $3.13. BUT, that Costco is about 20ish miles away while the co-op is 6 miles. Bigger purchases make the distance economical. Can't bother taking the smart, or even my pickup. That said, there are no truck stops as close as the Costco, and all the regular stations run in the $3.80 range. Your big tanks are your advantage. EDIT: If it makes you feel any better, when we got back from our last trip, I topped off at Costco when it was "only" $3.39. Contrary to what all the "Chicken Littles" are crying, fuel prices have been dropping.

420 gal, should easily get you from sw Kansas to LA and back assuming 6.5 mpg. I've been buying fuel at Costco. Every time I've checked, they beat the best I could do using a discount card at a truck stop. Of course, that may not always be true, but so far......