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Looking to upgrade from pickup


bluflame11

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Singling mine was $1800. You gain lots of storage in under bed boxes singled. Likely the best reason for singling. Not arguing with anyone on this. Just pointing out a big plus. As a full timer storage is precious. No boxes on mine in picture. Adding some now.

 

Glenn West,

Now the storage is the more difficult one to agree against. But a large Dram Box will go along way. LOL I am curious tho, is storage on your truck as bad as it is before you go full time. Like back at home the bigger the house the more storage you have and the more junk I seem to accumulate? Just asking

 

Norm

Norm & Rhonda

2013 Volvo VNL780 500HP D-13 12 Speed iShift Trans

2008 Jayco F 36 V 40' Toy Hauler

2016 Smart Fortwo Prime

2014 Harley-Davidson CVO Limited

 

 

 

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We been full time since 08. I really skimp on tools due to storage. Like to work on my own stuff. On my previous dually I had a hauler bed with boxes. They were rather shallow though. My boxes for the HDT are 30" deep. 5 foot long too. that is why I singled. Also we be adding a drom cabinet behind cab. I do loose some traction with a singled truck. But I don't go off road either. Just trying to point out the advantages to an HDT that most don't consider.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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Bluflame11

 

Something no one else has said at least if I remember correctly. Welcome to the forum.

 

With that said. As you probably have figured out by now there are as many opinions here as there are trucks on the road. I wish I was closer to you I would have no problem taking you and you family out for a drive. Everyone that I have taken out says the same thing. "This isn't hard this is fun".

 

I used to pull my 5er with my 2012 Ram 350 with a 75 gal transfer flow tank in the back. I carried 110 gal on board and loved that I could buy fuel when I wanted not because I needed to. But my trailer used to drive my truck. I scared me too many times and that is coming from a retired 35+ year Professional driver. I too started to research MDTs. For the money I ended up with a very nice 2013 Volvo 780 with the ishift.

 

First decision you will have to make. And as far as I am concerned it is personal preference because you can talk yourself blue in the face and never convince me that singling the truck has any disadvantages being tandem. Mine was and is still a tandem truck. I have no plans at the time to go thru the trouble and expense to single it out. Just can't justify the trouble or expense.

 

You cannot be any safer then pulling with an HDT short of converting a tank.

 

I think most of the people that I have talked to have only registered their HDT as a truck for personal use. I have gone through the trouble of changing mine over to a Motorhome. Right down to the new VIN# It wasn't fun but I have a lot of peace of mind driving past scale houses and on to streets posted "NO TRUCKS"

 

What ever decision you and your wife make there is one thing that we all will agree on. stepping up and getting a bigger truck is going to be the safest thing you can do for your family.

 

Good luck in you new adventures and if there is anything any of us can do to help I am sure all you have to do is ask.

 

Hope you having a very merry christmas. And we all look forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

Norm & Rhonda

 

 

Thanks so much for the welcome and being so kind!!

 

I do think it would be really nice to get it switched to a motor home if I can.

 

Did you put a new hitch on yours or are you able to tow with the regular hitch? I do plan to change it out eventually, but it may take some time and I was wondering if I could use what is there already? I know an air one would be best.

 

Singling mine was $1800. You gain lots of storage in under bed boxes singled. Likely the best reason for singling. Not arguing with anyone on this. Just pointing out a big plus. As a full timer storage is precious. No boxes on mine in picture. Adding some now.

 

 

If I went with this, I don't think I would single it, at least not right away, its really nothing more right now than I just like the looks of a truck that big with tandems better....that may change, I dunno

 

My plan is to do some calling around tomorrow to the DMV and my insurance company, then go from there...do most just use their auto insurance or do you go with another company? I have seen the name Blue Sky pop up on here a few times, but I don't know anything about them.

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I went with Blue Sky for my HDT and 5er. Everything else I have is through USAA. I couldn't get USAA to insure my HDT in California. I know some other members have been able to use USAA in other states. My Blue Sky policy is better coverage than I had with my dually and 5er through USAA and it is cheaper. I have had one claim with Blue Sky for a broken rear picture window on the 5er. They were very responsive and paid the claim immediately.

2000 Kenworth T2000 w/ Cummins N14 and autoshift
2017 DRV Mobile Suite 40KSSB4 with factory mods, dealer mods and personal mods - now in the RV graveyard
2022 DRV Full House MX450 with customized floor plan
2018 Polaris RZR Turbo S (fits in the garage)
2016 Smart Car (fits in the garage or gets flat towed behind the DRV when the RZR is in the garage)
My First Solar Install Thread
My Second Solar Install Thread & Photos and Documents Related to the build
My MX450's solar, battery and inverter system - my biggest system yet!

chadheiser.com      West Coast HDT Rally Website

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AZCACOIDIAKSMNMOMTNENVNMNDOKSDTNTXUTWYxlg.jpg

 

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Thum Insurance has provided us good service on our truck and trailer http://thuminsurance.com. They shop around and provide you with options. They've written policies for me to Interstate and Blue Sky. They gave me a better price than going direct to the insurance providers.

2006 Freightliner M2-112 Sportchassis
2015 Keystone Raptor 412-TS
Lots of motorcycles and toys

Murfreesboro, TN.

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So...I am running into one road block...

 

Titling as a motor home in PA seems doable...

 

I am having trouble getting insurance coverage to get the unit home prior to titling it as a motor home....

 

Everyone I have talked to so far will insure a motor home easily, but since it is currently a truck, no one is able to get me a small policy for a brief period of time to get it home to PA. I would need to go about 800 miles to get home.

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I went and checked out my truck. Made deposit. Sent dealer the necessary papers to title as motorhome. He removed commercial hitch as part of deal. Dealer registered it. It is his responsibility to register the truck. I drove about 250 miles one way. After all registration done insurance was simple. I freaked out initially. I also had mine singled, bed built, hitch installed all near dealer. It was Houston TX so that was easy. Dealer delivered to shop for me. After all done, wife drove me to Houston and followed me back. I was working in New Orleans LA at this time. Really very painlessly.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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Blueflame...I'm commenting late on this topic. I too vote for an MDT as I did not want the size of a HDT. Insurance and licensing for the MDT was no problem. I'm sure it's great for some but not us. Additionally, I didn't want to buy used which also eliminated the HDT. The MDT has all the power, space and storage I need.

 

Here is a link to the unit we purchased, Just FYI

http://powersrv.com/Showroom/Show/View/RV/70354/Freightliner.aspx

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Hate to disagree with you Glenn but I currently own a 2011 6.7 Ford F350 dually, a 2012 Freightliner M2-112 with a 450HP/1650 torque Detroit with 12K front and 23K rear and a special ordered 2017 Kenworth with 500HP/1650 torque Cummins with a 13.2K front and a 23K rear.

 

I think that I have a pretty good idea about "how much truck" each of them is. The M2 will get up to speed faster and has a better Jake brake than the KW due to the Allison auto. It is easy to get 5 or 6 people inside and with a short hauler bed, it will fit into the same spaces as the dually.

 

It will fit thru a 10' x 10' door, has air brakes, air suspension, air ride seats and an air hitch. When we bought this truck, we were planning on the kids traveling with us but with both of them not at home and living across the country, we decided to change trucks and have one built with a bed for a smart car.

 

That car is the ONLY reason we are going to sell the Freightliner. We have gone to the ECR and Hutch in that truck and have enjoyed our time with it.

 

It is every bit the truck as far as capacity goes that the KW is and in several ways it is a lot better. Unless you have owned both, I doubt that you could understand.

2017 Kenworth T680
2015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites
2016 Smart Prime

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Well the price I see is just as high as a new HDT is. And yours may have more power than most but from my reading here on this forum they just is not the truck an HDT is. True, I don't have one. Most are not full air ride. Most are low hp. Read many statements here about 30 mph hill pulling. If this is wrong, it came from owners here.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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Well the price I see is just as high as a new HDT is. And yours may have more power than most but from my reading here on this forum they just is not the truck an HDT is. True, I don't have one. Most are not full air ride. Most are low hp. Read many statements here about 30 mph hill pulling. If this is wrong, it came from owners here.

Glenn, the people making those claims are not talking about an M2-112. They are typically referring to an M2-106 or an International medium duty truck. These trucks have much smaller displacement motors in them than the 112. The 112 is the same drivetrain as an HDT, but in an MDT body.

2000 Kenworth T2000 w/ Cummins N14 and autoshift
2017 DRV Mobile Suite 40KSSB4 with factory mods, dealer mods and personal mods - now in the RV graveyard
2022 DRV Full House MX450 with customized floor plan
2018 Polaris RZR Turbo S (fits in the garage)
2016 Smart Car (fits in the garage or gets flat towed behind the DRV when the RZR is in the garage)
My First Solar Install Thread
My Second Solar Install Thread & Photos and Documents Related to the build
My MX450's solar, battery and inverter system - my biggest system yet!

chadheiser.com      West Coast HDT Rally Website

event.png    

AZCACOIDIAKSMNMOMTNENVNMNDOKSDTNTXUTWYxlg.jpg

 

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I can only speak from experience with our M2. It is equipped with a 385 HP 1200 ft. pound Cummins ISL9, and Allison 6 speed. Our trailer weighs 21000 lbs. and did Wolf Creek pass at 50 mph at the top, starting at our cruise speed of 60 mph. I think the whole selection thing come down to a personal choice. What ever floats you boat is what you should do....

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When you have 3 or 4 people Glenn, a smart car isn't much of an option. Your optimum solution for your needs doesn't necessarily match someone else's needs and requirements.

 

We used our M2 as a daily driver and didn't think much about it. It was nice to put 5 people in it to go somewhere though.

2017 Kenworth T680
2015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites
2016 Smart Prime

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Well I have to park in tight parking lot. Construction refinery. Not even allowed a MDT in lot. Drove my Freightliner when Smart got totaled. They really flipped out. Said never bring it back. Now if one is retired and don't drive a lot even my hdt would be fine. The decision to totally personal. I just trying to show the differences. I must bring a car though. Hdt and Smart great fit.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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Well I have to park in tight parking lot. Construction refinery. Not even allowed a MDT in lot. Drove my Freightliner when Smart got totaled. They really flipped out. Said never bring it back. Now if one is retired and don't drive a lot even my hdt would be fine. The decision to totally personal. I just trying to show the differences. I must bring a car though. Hdt and Smart great fit.

Surprised that they would flip out, because I have seen some tool trucks and service trucks as well as welding rigs that make your HDT look like a "simple" truck. And HDT dont take as much footprint space as those other trucks. Well, power plants and such are unique work sites. I usually have my 1 ton CC Dually with my welding rig setup in a service bed trailer for my jobs. Takes more room but since I work on loading docks, I am not as big as a OTR tractor hauling a 53' trailer, so I fit just fine.

Marcel

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Bluflame11

 

Something no one else has said at least if I remember correctly. Welcome to the forum.

 

With that said. As you probably have figured out by now there are as many opinions here as there are trucks on the road. I wish I was closer to you I would have no problem taking you and you family out for a drive. Everyone that I have taken out says the same thing. "This isn't hard this is fun".

 

I used to pull my 5er with my 2012 Ram 350 with a 75 gal transfer flow tank in the back. I carried 110 gal on board and loved that I could buy fuel when I wanted not because I needed to. But my trailer used to drive my truck. I scared me too many times and that is coming from a retired 35+ year Professional driver. I too started to research MDTs. For the money I ended up with a very nice 2013 Volvo 780 with the ishift.

 

First decision you will have to make. And as far as I am concerned it is personal preference because you can talk yourself blue in the face and never convince me that singling the truck has any disadvantages being tandem. Mine was and is still a tandem truck. I have no plans at the time to go thru the trouble and expense to single it out. Just can't justify the trouble or expense.

 

You cannot be any safer then pulling with an HDT short of converting a tank.

 

I think most of the people that I have talked to have only registered their HDT as a truck for personal use. I have gone through the trouble of changing mine over to a Motorhome. Right down to the new VIN# It wasn't fun but I have a lot of peace of mind driving past scale houses and on to streets posted "NO TRUCKS"

 

What ever decision you and your wife make there is one thing that we all will agree on. stepping up and getting a bigger truck is going to be the safest thing you can do for your family.

 

Good luck in you new adventures and if there is anything any of us can do to help I am sure all you have to do is ask.

 

Hope you having a very merry christmas. And we all look forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

Norm & Rhonda

Sent you a pm

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I know what you mean. I take my Smart with me too.

3ba6b552-4fde-4772-b8f3-f6c3d0616fc8_zps

 

I like taking my smart with me too. But I like having my Harley with also. Just kinda like that, never have been able to leave home with out my toys. So Smart has to be able to go on the truck so that the Harley can travel inside where it is more protected. Just need to figure out how to get the Polaris Razor on the combination somehow. Hummmm

Norm & Rhonda

2013 Volvo VNL780 500HP D-13 12 Speed iShift Trans

2008 Jayco F 36 V 40' Toy Hauler

2016 Smart Fortwo Prime

2014 Harley-Davidson CVO Limited

 

 

 

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I like taking my smart with me too. But I like having my Harley with also. Just kinda like that, never have been able to leave home with out my toys. So Smart has to be able to go on the truck so that the Harley can travel inside where it is more protected. Just need to figure out how to get the Polaris Razor on the combination somehow. Hummmm

Is that a old picture as I believe I see a Sport Chassis ? or the signature in error. Either way you have a load.

Clay

Clay & Marcie Too old to play in the snow

Diesel pusher and previously 2 FW and small Class C

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I like taking my smart with me too. But I like having my Harley with also. Just kinda like that, never have been able to leave home with out my toys. So Smart has to be able to go on the truck so that the Harley can travel inside where it is more protected. Just need to figure out how to get the Polaris Razor on the combination somehow. Hummmm

 

 

Same problem with me. No matter how much capacity I have for hauling toys, there's always something I have to leave at home.

2006 Freightliner M2-112 Sportchassis
2015 Keystone Raptor 412-TS
Lots of motorcycles and toys

Murfreesboro, TN.

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