mant Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Hello, I'm very new to this and am very intreged with the HDT and am enjoying going to school on this forum! I'm learning a lot! So I saw this truck on truckpaper.com and was wondering what you all thought about it. I'm thinking drop the front axle, leaving the rear and the drop down for when it would be needed or lose both fronts, leave the rear where it is since the frame suppose to be beefed up and go from there. Seems like a good deal? http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=6121569 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hone eagle Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 What is the rear drive ratio? Heavy haul spec trucks have rear drives that are not compatible with good fuel economy ,but they can be changed. However the statement 'never hauled heavy' only applies to the current owner , it very likely hauled heavy at some point in its life. New ishift is good....... but also points to a heavy work load,nothing wrong with the D16 but will burn a bit more fuel. DPF is a fact of life going forward ,it is what it is - $$$$$. Its your money. Newbes tend to focus on the lower trucks because they seem less imposing but its hard to find one that hasn't hauled steel rolls , tankers or overweight loads Myself ,love the idea of a ishift, the rest not so much- but thats me and my worthless opinion. 2005 volvo 670 freedomline singledNewmar Torrey Pine 34rskswoot woot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis M Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Price seems high to me, but then I have not been watching the market. Probably costly to drop that third axle (maybe could be sold?) but the long wheelbase would not be conducive to RV use. Dennis & NancyTucson, AZ in winter, on the road in summer.1999 Volvo 610 "Bud" 425 HP Volvo, Super 10 spd.2005 Mountain Aire 35 BLKS2013 smart fortwo CityFlame riding on Bud(Replaced '05 smart first loaded in '06 and '11 smart that gave it's life to save me!)Our Travel Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdonlybob Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Looks like a nice truck. I can't comment on $$$ as I have been out HDT's too long...however if you did buy it I would move the far rear axle forward to the other tandem position, cut the frame, and leave that aux. axle where it is... extra weight will not mean anything other than maybe ride a bit better bob tailing. Then if someone wants to buy it, sell it then. I also would check the front axle rating. May be a bit heavy for what you want.. As always JMHO, Cheers, Bob 1989 Safari Serengeti 34'Towing a 1952 M38A1 Military Willys Past HDT owner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Our opinion (and it is just that): We like the 730's so if we were in the market I would look at it. I would probably look to see if rear axle could be easily moved yo the middle axle location and keep the lift axle to allow for weight capacity when needed such like with a smart or other car on the bed. The length would be too long for a large 5th wheel so frame would need to be cut. Another option would be to convert it to have a living quarters box installed and then just pull a bumper style trailer with a car. This would allow you to register it as an RV in Florida if this is where it would be registered at. Price is high due to it being a triple axle and with extras. If you can get it for a price that you can live with then do the usual inspections and dynos and examine the maintanence records (which is a plus). Do try to find out what the axle capacities are and the rear end ratios to help you decide. That lift axle could be nice but could also cause some issues with a bed build so it might not be worth the dollars to buy if you don't plan on using it. Dave 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunJuniper Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 when somebody specs a Heavy haul truck and its built to be that way , i suspect its seen SOME/Alot heavy haul (people can lie so its hard to know if what the ad says is correct or not) why was the I-shift replaced last year? (hmmm... heavy haul comes to mind) nobody has touched on this but the Mileage on the motor. you NEED to see what the dyno results say. i suspect its CLOSE to needing a in-frame and thats why it was unloaded. Fulltimer Class of 2007 1998 Volvo VNL64T610 Detroit Series 60 12.7 470HP/1650TQ Eaton 18spd 228"WB Tandem2006 40' ToyHauler 3 slides and a 14' Toybox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big5er Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 I certainly wouldn't want a truck that long for RV usage. If you think you are going to weigh it down so heavy that you need a tandem, then find a tandem. If you want a single axle and your design/weight will let you , then get a single. In my opinion, once you set up your truck, little will change, so maintaining that drop axle will be more headache than it is worth in the long run. You will find that you either leave it up or down (depending on your situation) about 99% of the time. That drop axle will have different size tires than the other rear axle. It is also a single tire (per side) axle so it and the rear axle will not get you the capacity a true tandem axle set will. I'm with lou10 on this one also. Why "custom" spec a heavy haul truck that you are not going to use for heavy haul. That's a waste of money. Also look at those front rims. They are not the same as the rear two, so that means you will have one size tire on the front axle, a different size tire on the drop axle and a 3rd size on the rear tandems....uh, no! I bet those front tires are real inexpensive too, right? Keep on shopping. MY PEOPLE SKILLS ARE JUST FINE.~It's my tolerance to idiots that needs work.~ 2005 Volvo 780 VED12 465hp / Freedomline transmission singled mid position / Bed by Larry Herrin2018 customed Mobile Suites 40KSSB3 2014 smart Fortwo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mant Posted July 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 Thank you! I think I need to do a little (a LOT) more homework. This is a lot more complicated than buying a car but its an awful a lot of fun! I will keep looking, any suggestions on places to look for something worth seeing in person? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclehat Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 I have a 2012 Volvo 780, very nice. I am considering selling but have not officially listed it yet. It is set up for hauling fifth wheel and two motorcycles on back deck or a smart car. It has a custom bed by Herrin. Everything set up ready to go.If you have any interest drop me a note. Ill send you details.rleesimmons64@aol.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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