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Wish me luck...


Av8r3400

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Nice truck. Congrats.

Glenn, the newer trucks are amazing in some ways. I just did a couple of long trips - over 1000 miles, each - in two different trucks with 2.67 gearing. They had in excess of 500 hp and 1850 torque. Both trucks got in the high 9's or low 10's pulling my 28,800 lb trailer at 67-68mph. That is not bad!! 

Note the higher speed than I normally drive (normal for me is 62 mph). These gearings will not let me cruise in 12th lower than 65 mph. At least not with an overdrive trans. The truck under discussion here does not have an overdrive trans, which is why it has such tall gearing.

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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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Okay we'll try again.

This one's for Dolly.  Here is the magic carpet that took us from Wisconsin to Fargo.  "Bootsey" is probably the cleanest, most well kept Apache 235 (250 per side) you will ever find.  Roomy and comfy for the four of us.  A 2 hour trip out.

Bootsey.jpg

 

Here is "Me Harty Master-Builder Crew".  [pirate voice = off]

From the Left is Dave, retired millwright, master welder/fabricator, amazing airplane builder, pilot and all around swell guy - one of my best friends.
Center is Paul, 40 year multi-million mile over the road driver, expert airplane builder, pilot and also a good friend.
Right is Gary, Bootsey's daddy, Wright 50 year award winning pilot,  retired pharmacist and good friend.

Yes, if you surround yourself with good people, it makes all the difference!  (That's why I hang around here, too!)

Crew.jpg

 

Here is a larger version of the original photo of the truck.

Truck.jpg

 

Av8r3400
2012 Volvo VNL 730 D13 iShift & 2021 Grand Design Momentum 397TH

TEq81qV.jpg

I'd rather die trying to live - Than live trying not to die.   -Leonard Perry

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More to come later.  Maybe a build thread to document my trials and errors...

Av8r3400
2012 Volvo VNL 730 D13 iShift & 2021 Grand Design Momentum 397TH

TEq81qV.jpg

I'd rather die trying to live - Than live trying not to die.   -Leonard Perry

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With that kind of help you should produce something exceptional!!

Maybe a "flying truck".... :)

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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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52 minutes ago, Jack Mayer said:

Nice truck. Congrats.

Glenn, the newer trucks are amazing in some ways. I just did a couple of long trips - over 1000 miles, each - in two different trucks with 2.67 gearing. They had in excess of 500 hp and 1850 torque. Both trucks got in the high 9's or low 10's pulling my 28,800 lb trailer at 67-68mph. That is not bad!! 

Note the higher speed than I normally drive (normal for me is 62 mph). These gearings will not let me cruise in 12th lower than 65 mph. At least not with an overdrive trans. The truck under discussion here does not have an overdrive trans, which is why it has such tall gearing.

I really like the newer trucks. See them and think about it. The emissions always changes my mind though. Very nice truck. 

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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Congratulations on the new truck!  I'm envious, that is the model I'm interested in too.  It looks very clean at arms length, I hope it really is, up close.

Kevin and June

2013 Volvo VNL 730    D13 Eco-Torque @ 425  Ratio 2.47 

2014 DRV 36TKSB3 

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Poking around in further detail today.  There are only a couple of minor details to work out.  A broken latch handle on the wardrobe door, a loose attachment clip for one of the upper rear panels (behind the upper bunk), a couple of quirks with the seats and a bit of a whistle in the passenger door seal / window area.  These are the only minor surprises I have found, so far.

DW drove it for the first time today.  It went pretty well.  With a little practice she'll be a pro - she's quite the trooper.  Although she still says it's too big.

The truck drives nice and handles as expected.  My experienced OTR driver friend (who helped drive it back) says it rides so much better than his Freight-Shaker, once he got used to the air ride front suspension.  His words were don't fight it, just roll with it and it handles just fine.

 

(I need to change my signature now...)

Av8r3400
2012 Volvo VNL 730 D13 iShift & 2021 Grand Design Momentum 397TH

TEq81qV.jpg

I'd rather die trying to live - Than live trying not to die.   -Leonard Perry

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18 hours ago, Av8r3400 said:

Okay we'll try again.

This one's for Dolly.  Here is the magic carpet that took us from Wisconsin to Fargo.  "Bootsey" is probably the cleanest, most well kept Apache 235 (250 per side) you will ever find.  Roomy and comfy for the four of us.  A 2 hour trip out.

Bootsey.jpg

 

Here is "Me Harty Master-Builder Crew".  [pirate voice = off]

From the Left is Dave, retired millwright, master welder/fabricator, amazing airplane builder, pilot and all around swell guy - one of my best friends.
Center is Paul, 40 year multi-million mile over the road driver, expert airplane builder, pilot and also a good friend.
Right is Gary, Bootsey's daddy, Wright 50 year award winning pilot,  retired pharmacist and good friend.

Yes, if you surround yourself with good people, it makes all the difference!  (That's why I hang around here, too!)

Crew.jpg

 

Here is a larger version of the original photo of the truck.

Truck.jpg

 

Av8 Wow that is the best looking indian I have seen in 30 years at least.......shucks they never looked that good new......

 

I rattled around S. America some in a 150 hp and boy oh boy on a hot muggy day it flew like it had a full diaper......not a good ride.....I would have killed for a 235 or 250 version......

 

I had a 1/2 interestfor a while  in a grown up version of the Apache .....a 81 Aztec F Turbo and it was a very good load hauler out of short strips but one day in the dead of winter five of us almost froze to death in the darn thing ........I had to pick up one guy in Indy, fly to Meigs Field  Chcago to pick one guy and then to O hare to pick up two others then on to Ironwood Mi and it was clear and so COLD..... The Aztec had a fresh 100 hr insp with a new Janitrol heater installed and all went  well until about 15 minutes out of O hare when the heater singed off ......bad juju........with five big chaps in that cabin those windows frosted over in the inside so fast I was IFR in no time.....

My front seat passenger wore out two credit cards scraping frost off a dinner plate size patch of my windshield enough so I could see to land........God I hate combustion heaters.......

 

Nice looking machinery you ride around in.......both.

 

Drive on...........(Enjoy the ride and ......keep your credit cards handy)

97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S

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What a nice Apache, I have flown a few and as a A&P IA, have worked on way too many. That is one nice looking bird. 

The Volvo is nice too, congrats on your find. I am looking for one right now, hopefully find one soon.

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Mine is a "Foltz" truck.  RDO has a contract with them.  They have a fleet of 200+ trucks and they trade 25-50 at a crack.  They have another batch coming in soon, so the old ones (like mine) had to go.

Av8r3400
2012 Volvo VNL 730 D13 iShift & 2021 Grand Design Momentum 397TH

TEq81qV.jpg

I'd rather die trying to live - Than live trying not to die.   -Leonard Perry

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On May 4, 2017 at 11:50 PM, Av8r3400 said:

So far it passed professional inspection, oil labs and dyno test.  Now I travel 500 miles to see the truck in person, drive it, and put my personal inspection to it.

Did you use an inspection service from the HDT info website?  Does RDO offer the dyno test or did you have it taken elsewhere?

Kevin and June

2013 Volvo VNL 730    D13 Eco-Torque @ 425  Ratio 2.47 

2014 DRV 36TKSB3 

Signature.jpegmKgUJbbl.jpg

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I used National Inspection Service, recommended by Vegasflyer.  I couldn't make contact with any of the companies in the resource guide.  I'm finding some of the guide's information to be getting pretty out dated. 

RDO facilitated the dyno run at the Cummins shop next door, I paid the Cummins shop directly for it. 

Av8r3400
2012 Volvo VNL 730 D13 iShift & 2021 Grand Design Momentum 397TH

TEq81qV.jpg

I'd rather die trying to live - Than live trying not to die.   -Leonard Perry

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As far as I can tell National Inspection is the best to use. They cover the country pretty well. And from what I have seen in the past do a pretty good job on the inspection. No inspection is perfect. Even my own inspection of my new truck overlooked a few things. But nothing critical.  It takes about 2-3 hours to do a really good, complete, inspection. And doing it without a lift is going to leave some things out.

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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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