Tow vehicle.. If you had it to do over...

[Jay3849]

2 hours ago, GlennWest said:

seems your mind makde up. Just a note here. I hated driving my dually for a daily commute. Large turning radius. Like my current setup.

 

No, Glenn, actually I have come around to your way of thinking, by necessity of the current situation; semi prices, and associated equipment, are so ridiculously affordable, with prices still falling, that to buy a 4 wheeler and RV at the moment when I could, and I have, lived in a truck for weeks on end, and I have a perfectly good CDL A, is ridiculous in my situation....

I have no family with me; no girlfriend or wife, no house payment, no bills but support for my daughter, a phone bill, and insurance on an SUV, which is about to be sold if I can get anything for it...

All I have is an estate to settle, costing me nothing, and not on fire.

So why not buy a sleeper truck, drive around and introduce myself to the RV community, pick up a few loads under my own authority (a few loads being about all one can hope for, but who cares, when I can likely do fine with a couple thousand dollars per month... And you know how simple it is to make that much with a paid-for truck, even as freight hauling has slowed to a crawl. I don't want to cut any throats on loads, but the point is, I can afford to.

If it's all I can manage, I'm not out much and have a very powerful, if small, RV, and could grab a used 5th wheel to drag behind it if I want (also dirt cheap).

when freight picks up, as it will one day, there I will be ready.

It's not anything like I planned. But the Coronavirus is not like anyone planned.

My former boss, who I drove for for 5 years, just happens to do equipment sales, excavating equipment, mostly, and I was his go-to driver so he will help me set up, sell me equipment I know I can trust, as he indeed wants me to haul at least a load or 3 of his own, each month, likely more, as he's grabbing up these awesome deals and parking them on 20 acres, to better turn a fabulous profit when things start shipping again.

He wants me to buy a lowboy from him, and I can get a fantastic semi that would go another 5 years or so for 25k easily... So I can't really see how it makes the least sense to do anything else for a couple of years. With some effort I could probably bank 15-20 thousand each year easily, while I look at RV's, RV parks, land, and some beautiful scenery.

What do you think? Hotshotting would be nice but no way anyone is making any kind of living with a pickup right now, according to nearly every source. This seems to make sense to me, the sleeper semi, with a half-million miles or so.

You think I'm overlooking something? I hate to miss a detail but this seems low-risk to me, as I am looking for a vehicle to drive around the country in anyway.

Your current setup? Can you share more?

 

[GlennWest]

My setup is a 2006 Freightliner Centry. Flat bed and carry a Smartcar just back of cab. Tow my home behind that. I do no commercial towing. Although I have meet a few that did. But their wife drove their commute vechile. If you would be content with with a travel trailer, their would be no need for a bed. 

Edited April 21, 2020 by GlennWest

[Jay3849]

19 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

My setup is a 2006 Freightliner Centry. Flat bed and carry a Smartcar just back of cab. Tow my home behind that.

This sounds intriguing. 
 

I'm a flat bed guy... But the former boss in question has 8 dollar per mile freight with a lowboy... That he wants to sell me, to haul his equipment. 
it's considerably more expensive than a regular 48' flatbed, as you know. For $45,000 though I get a $55,000 lowboy with $8000 worth of new tires all the way around. Gooseneck. 
 

I cannot believe how much big truck one can buy right now for 25k. 
It's blowing my mind. That and a $15,000 flatbed just seems like a no-brained right now in this situation. 
never saw an RV pulled behind such a setup, though. But another 10-15k and I have a job and a home while I explore my options. 
idk, yet, about dropping so much on a low boy... Big money freight but who knows how much of that there will be?

Still... He just paid a guy $4500 to haul a big excavator from Florida to Indiana though...

Edited April 21, 2020 by Jay3849

[GlennWest]

I have less in my truck than a used dually cost. But mine is also a freightshaker also. But I am looking at cabovers. A singled cab over would be so much shorter than my setup

Edited April 21, 2020 by GlennWest

[Jay3849]

6 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

I have less in my truck than a used dually cost. But mine is also a freightshaker also. But I am looking at cabovers. A singled cab over would be so much shorter than my setup

A cab over... I never even thought of it but that's a great idea. 
I suppose I just have not seen many, in a very long time. 
not even sure I've ever seen any not decades old... They still manufacture those?

Ill have a look...

[GlennWest]

Freightliner makes the Arsoby. Most are sold in Europe but a few here. Anything else is old and need remodeling.

[Jay3849]

18 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

Freightliner makes the Arsoby. Most are sold in Europe but a few here. Anything else is old and need remodeling.

I just saw an Arsoby. Sweet, but 1.2 million miles for 20k. 
 

I should be all over this one though, if they'd come down a bit. 
 

I need to mention this idea to my former boss. Buying and selling this stuff is all he does now. 
 

https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/list/category/213/heavy-duty-trucks-cabover-trucks-w-sleeper

 

yeah.... I tried just inserting a pic from that url but I have not got the hang of this yet.. 93 Peterbilt 362, I believe I was getting at. 
 

The Arsoby, with 750k or less... I'd be all over. 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Jay3849

[GlennWest]

Yes, that is a beautiful truck. I was just looking at it. If I go this route, I will loose the Smart, single truck short and use it as a daily commute

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by GlennWest

[Jay3849]

2 hours ago, GlennWest said:

Yes, that is a beautiful truck. I was just looking at it. If I go this route, I will loose the Smart, single truck short and use it as a daily commute

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I lost my post asking you if you had a request. 
 

my former boss is the real deal when it comes to buying, and he'd find what you wanted and make it just as sound, and guaranteed, as you requested. He's talented and charges too little.. I was always on his case for it..

But it would work for us, as I'm soon putting in a request anyway myself and he'll go find whatever it is. I'll haul for him. Don't feel a bit bad for beating him up some; he knows I'll get him out of any spot I can. Did it for years. 
 

just mentioning it. If I buy 70k worth of stuff from him and tell him to grab a so-and-so cab over and make sure it's sound, he'd grab it.

if you're on the lookout I'd hook you up with him. He's more than fair, is my point, and buying is his thing. 

[richfaa]

I have had Ford and GM tow vehicles. I do not care about the brand .I care about the truck doing the job I need it to do an at the price I can afford to pay. We have a Ford now and we have not had a problem with any brand.