Hmm, Old Goat's corner, Christmas Yard ornament?

[phoenix2013]

Wife can't go shopping in her convertible

[phoenix2013]

[Jim & Wilma]

Henry, were you really that good this year?

[Jack Mayer]

I see Mark is visiting.....

[phoenix2013]

30 minutes ago, Jack Mayer said:

I see Mark is visiting.....

 

2 hours ago, Jim & Wilma said:

Henry, were you really that good this year?

The answers are: Yes and No

Before I expound on the "incredible" significance of this picture I invite the veterans to offer opinions and pose questions 😁😪 

Jack, he is on schedule to complete his Concordia arrival on this Christmas day. He had a late start yesterday, 15 year old, original ET Junior, needed a "loving touch" from the old goat, but all is good now. 

 

[phoenix2013]

For the "newbies", here's a little "taste" what's coming in this thread.

Mark and I have been friends for 15 or so years going back to the start of this "movement" and the first 50 HDTs singled and converted to RV pulling. That pantheon included Jack Mayer, Mark Bruss, Steve Dixon, Dave Chetli, Mark Shelley and others, I came in on the next batch after the first 50. Mark had his converted 770 waiting for his custom SpaceCraft he designed which was going to take a little over a year to build. Also, this website was started about that time with lively discussions between the pickup owners and MDT owners vs. HDT owners. To say that we were understanding would be an overstatement (that's when the term Dark Side came to life) here's couple of examples with first one about Mark.

Powerful religions and cults keep the “believers” mesmerized and frequently require personal sacrifice. Examples abound from sending faithful on crusades, to asking them to drink purple juice, to exhorting them to drive an explosive laden pickup with a finger on a trigger. There is probably no more “dangerous” neighborhood for an F-350 owner than HDT Forum. It is full of newly converted who have found a new religion based on “bigger is better”.

I don’t think the high priests of Detroit are yet worried, concerned maybe, but not worried. They can look to an inexhaustible supply of pagans to conquer and convert to their side. The HDT folks represent but a small bastion of knights who have lost their ways and who occupy but one castle.

What might concern them is the repeat of history. Powerful religions remain powerful when their flock is large and generous in its contributions to tithes and offerings. Certainly, every time $50,000 is plopped on plate for an F-350 the “missionary” work gets a significant boost. For a price of F-450 I’m sure you can also obtain indulgences which should shorten your stay in the purgatory by several hundred years and should your “piety” contribute to a price of an F-550 I  am sure the Detroit “clergy” would promise you front of the line on the way to meet St. Peter.

But the chinks in the armor are beginning to show as more and more of the faithful are going over to the Dark Side. Here one, here’s another and they seem to be popping all over.

You might be interested why I posted the picture of this individual. He represents the worst nightmare to Detroit, an unrepentant and vocal heretic in the mold of John Calvin or Martin Luther. If Detroit could bring back the Inquisition, they would burn him at the stake. In his quest to become RVer, he has not contributed one penny, gelding or shilling to the coffers of Detroit. Oh no, no LDT or even MDT for him, it was a Volvo 770 which he embraced right out of his RV puberty. And in a manner similar to Martin Luther nailing his thesis to the church doors in Wittenburg, this heretic subverts Detroit’s hegemony by publishing documents and formulas trying to prove that F350s are not up to the task. And the gall he has going onto other forums and LTD forums standing toe to toe with the “faithful” and placing doubts in their minds.

 

But that’s enough for this evening; If the RDBE Mistress get wind of what I am doing she might pull power to the internet modem. She was not too happy with my original “literary output”

The next installment shall examine why the HDTers are not that much different than the Pilgrims who came over from England and settled in Massachusetts.

This was the posting that pretty much banned us from other forums to the Dark Side (the original post)

Fundamentalist religion, virgins, puberty and F-350s

Those of us who have become the veteran pullers who "graduated" to HDTs are often stymied by the recalcitrant attitudes and refusal to listen to reason, examples, statistics, specs, etc. Suffer no longer I have a "rational explanation".
I am known among my friends to be both an "amateur psychologist" and a comedian. I felt that combining those two skills could be the "ticket", which brings us to items in the title of the thread.

Those who wish to pull big rigs with pickups view that as a "fundamental right" based on lack of forbidding laws, Detroit's encouragement and superior skills honed by years of practice.
My "take" on fundamentalist religion is that it comprises of strong core beliefs, constantly reinforced. That is why it is so difficult to "reprogram" those who have fallen into its grasp or were kidnapped by any cult. The high priests of Detroit through the megaphones of TV reinforce this hour on the hour with glorious pictures of pickups falling out airplanes and stopping 30,000 behemoths, or with trucks racing towards precipice and stopping with inches to spare. No wonder the "believers" are willing to straps their kids to the seats of the F-250s and F-350s and take them onto New Jersey turnpike or the New York Thruway.
Heck, I believe that should the sales drop because of safety concerns, Detroit would promise 40 virgins to those who might arrive at that Big Campground in the Sky in their F-350 or Toyota Tundra.
Since I mentioned virgins it dovetails into subjects of innocence and puberty. Pulling with pickups is in my opinion the puberty of RVing. Having myself pulled with four pickups over a period of 30 years I can only explain it as a case of arrested development.
During those 30 years I could vociferously argue about my abilities with a pickup, my great "skills" with a pickup and many other "theories". Not unlike the "discussions" (if you guys can remember that far back) with your fellow virgins of how it would be to be with the member of the opposite sex before one had the chance. Not having "experience" with more "capable partners" robs one of the necessary frames of reference for factual comparison. And those of you who are on second or third go around in the marital arena can attest that a relationship can be quite disappointing if the partner reveals lack of skills or abilities which you were expecting but which were never there from the beginning.
Having graduated to MDTs and HDTs has elevated my "experience" to a whole new plateau. These vehicles were truly capable "partners" to my RVing enjoyment, capable of doing their part, not requiring special care, or elevated skills.
I had the misfortune of pulling with a very nicely appointed pickup (again) for a year until the HDT and the ET hitch were ready. It felt every day like that "error in judgment" made by some of us picking up a "trophy wife". The looks might be there but not much beyond that. And the stress of that "relationship", forget it!

So to conclude my thesis as an "amateur psychologist" and using marital comparison with which most of us are familiar the situation is as follows: Those who pull with pickups just emerged from RV puberty and are in their first marriage. They feel that they chose "wisely" but the doubts are emerging. The partner is lacking, is financially irresponsible (demanding computer chips, engines upgrades, transmission upgrades, brakes, etc.), but you still want to keep her because she's good looking. And here come these nasty HDT guys acting like marriage counselors and telling you that your only solution is a divorce. After you consider what the divorce is going to cost, you realize that you are "stuck" while they relentlessly showcase their partners and tell you about the “superiority” of their partners!

It is particularly galling when they do it in front of your wife who is barely on board with your assurance that this is the “best there is” and still not over the fact that you just spent $60K ON A PICKUP!

You can tell how old this article is, have you seen an F-350 pickup for $60K lately.
 

[Sculptor]

Deleted 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Sculptor
Deleted

[ms60ocb]

Very good story of truth. When I hooked on to something my F350 shouldn't be pulling, I started looking with my wife. When my wife couldn't easily get climb in, we marked it off the list. We found the real MDT's where easier to climb into and still achievable after 5 years (the past 18 months don't count).

Clay 2015 Freightliner M2 106

[DanZemke]

14 hours ago, phoenix2013 said:

Before I expound on the "incredible" significance of this picture I invite the veterans to offer opinions and pose questions .

Hi old goat.

Does he still have the Volvo and SpaceCraft trailer?  Is the Super C his?  Is he about to move to the Grey side?

[phoenix2013]

7 minutes ago, DanZemke said:

Hi old goat.

Does he still have the Volvo and SpaceCraft trailer?  Is the Super C his?  Is he about to move to the Grey side?

Three answers: Yes, till last night, yes and yes. I shall spin the tail as there is a point to this story.

 

1 hour ago, ms60ocb said:

Very good story of truth. When I hooked on to something my F350 shouldn't be pulling, I started looking with my wife. When my wife couldn't easily get climb in, we marked it off the list. We found the real MDT's where easier to climb into and still achievable after 5 years (the past 18 months don't count).

Clay 2015 Freightliner M2 106

Here's the part of the stable (7) of pullers just prior to the HDT. The blue MDT I used for 4 years, MDT was sold to "finance" the HDT. The last Ford F-350 relegated to dump run duties.  The corner vehicle was a "semi" MDT conversion (prior to the International MDT), didn't have heart to get rid of it yet. The 40' Royals International weighed 23,500 lbs. with 6,500 lbs. pin weight. Nothing I had worked for it, hence the purchase of the HDT and designing an ET hitch to pull it.

[phoenix2013]

1 hour ago, DanZemke said:

Hi old goat.

Does he still have the Volvo and SpaceCraft trailer?  Is the Super C his?  Is he about to move to the Grey side?

A tiny bit of additional "clarification" since I detect a "pregnant" question. He has indeed moved to the grey side. Both truck and trailer are in the process of refurbishment and will be on the market, I'll explain in detail.

[DanZemke]

I too, embraced a Volvo 770, without participating in the sins of pulling a trailer that was too heavy to be controlled.  Alas, I am still in the pubescent stage.  But I will emerge, in 2022, as a late bloomer.

BTW, I recently watched a Ridley Scott video entitled The Last Duel.  I enjoyed it, and I suspect you and perhaps Mark, would too.

Best Wishes

[phoenix2013]

Mark and I had the benefit of the old continent secondary education, albeit at the opposite ends of the continent. Knowledge of history, ancient through modern was considered more than essential for moving through the ranks, sufficient to hold you back a year if you faltered. On par with math and sciences, although if you were not as capable in math and sciences you were deemed as lacking abilities, if you faltered in history you were deemed as lacking intellect, or a polite way saying that you were ignorant. So folks tried very hard not to earn that moniker. You must have noticed my drawing references from historical persona and events. I've seen the trailer for The Last Duel and read the script (Wikipedia), seems worthy of couple of hours. The 2003 historical drama "Luther", in my opinion, was perhaps the most outstanding film of that genre in terms of historical accuracy and the impact of that period on the society.

I am aghast with the current efforts to not teach history and when taught convoluting the facts to serve personal biases and political views. When our generational knowledge of history causes folks to change the names of public buildings and remove or topple statutes we have reached a truly exalted stage of ignorance. Here's a bit of history from mid 1800's.

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by phoenix2013

[phoenix2013]

On the way from Florida to Missouri 

Yes, I do have a picture when Mark and I originally (15 years ago) ferried the rig from Missouri to his place in Massachusetts.

So here's the real point of this thread. It's a fascinating story how this rig, a truly full custom designed by Mark Shelley came into being and how SpaceCraft built it over a period of a year incorporating many of the firsts that Mark insisted upon. The same goes for the truck and the ET Junior that's in it. I shall "spin the tale". SpaceCraft rigs are timeless, the fact that it's 15 years old means nothing and the fact that something this unique becomes available should be noted by those looking for the best. SpaceCraft is performing few minor fixes and updates and then will market it on consignment. 

Edited December 27, 2021 by phoenix2013

[SuiteSuccess]

Henry,

Interesting the writer of your quote wrote “The Idiot”.  Appropriate for a lot that’s happening now.  I, like you, love history and it’s denial or destruction only makes us more ignorant.

Edited December 27, 2021 by SuiteSuccess

[phoenix2013]

Carl, so on point and written in 1869. Apparently periods of enlightenment are followed by periods of idiocy, or is it the other way around. I sincerely hope that enlightenment follows our current period, it can't happen soon enough. 

[phoenix2013]

Before I showcase the rig a bit about the rig designer.

Mark has a degree in mathematics and in his latest turn of his carrier works on massive computer data bases. If asked he'll describe what it is (what's not classified), but generally he'll conclude that he does things that people are willing to pay him "stupid money" to do. Our mutual respect goes way beyond engineering skills, he and I believe that hands-on fabrication skills are just as important if not more so. During the build of my bed he not only provided engineering (pondering) ideas.

He also actively participated in its execution.

Mark was on another "branch" in his career, fine and exotic woodworking, when the rig was being built. When he gets an idea he's relentless. Apparently, SpaceCraft was reluctant to fulfill his request, so he told them to stop until he got there. He spent next few weeks at SpaceCraft "executing" his idea, the FLOORS.

 

These floors in his SpaceCraft were featured in SpaceCraft catalog for years, but there were no other takers for Mark's talents and workmanship. Above, our two lovely wives on the day the rig landed in Massachusetts. Since SpaceCraft was sufficiently "motivated" by Mark, they proceeded with his next request on everything that was WOOD, more on that in the next post.

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by phoenix2013

[phoenix2013]

SpaceCraft is well known for their quality cabinetry and woodwork, Mark's request was, "we are going with natural cherry for everything". Got to match that floor for uniqueness. SpaceCraft had a pile of cherry enough for several rigs, the pile was down to nothing after building his rig. Look above at that door and the door trim with ladies in front of it. Below, look at the kitchen cabinetry and the stair railing.

The all cherry windows trim, the slideout trim and of course that custom round kitchen table.

The two living room slides.

 

And the little "touches" in the bedroom around the bed for the "king".

Also, note the walls coverings. No cheap luan plywood with vinyl pattern glued to it. The walls are solid and designed to be painted. The reason? Should the styles change one gets tired of the colors, the walls can be repainted.

Edited December 28, 2021 by phoenix2013

[phoenix2013]

Shall we continue starting with the "less glamorous" area.

 

Three axle independent air suspension, smooth as silk going down the road, I watched it driving behind Mark few days back. 17.5 inch tires from the factory, no fooling around with the weight of this rig. Note the hydraulic lines, these are going to six of these.

 

I'm going to take this moment as a teachable opportunity of why this was also a first. How many folks out there know what this is?

[Nigel]

My guess, air over hydraulic brake system for the trailer.  
 

Nigel

[phoenix2013]

3 minutes ago, Nigel said:

My guess, air over hydraulic brake system for the trailer.  
 

Nigel

👍 Bravo

[GlennWest]

That's on my Teton also. Sweet

[rickeieio]

BluDot here too.  Only way to go.

[phoenix2013]

Yes indeed, if you see a pair of air lines, one red and one blue as you see on this rig,

you have an air over hydraulics braking system happening here. Although it's actually second it also was the first of the kind. Fascinating history behind this "first". This is for the benefit of the visitors, lurkers and newbies who have generated at the last count on this forum 162,000 views and 857 posts. 

The air over hydraulics braking systems for trailers is sold by BluDot https://bludotinc.com/  Before the air over hydraulic system there was also the vacuum over hydraulics braking system, also by BluDot. BluDot no longer sell those. That system was developed several decades ago for the benefit of the equine industry.

Before HDTs and even MDTs there were only pickups to pull these.

 

Load one of these with six horses behind a pickup and the language gets quite salty when that pickup and that $60 bucks electric brake controller is trying to deal with lights that just turned red. Now, any pickup by itself has very nice brakes, actually it has what was called power brakes. Power brakes were first installed commercially on Pierce Arrow automobiles in 1928, simply put, the master brake cylinder got a vacuum power boost, everyone has seen one of these.

 

Where does the vacuum come from to power the chamber? Plenty of it is available in the intake manifold. Every time the intake valve opens and the piston goes down on the intake stroke it sucks out everything (including the fuel) from the intake manifold and creates vacuum. Need more vacuum, install a belt driven vacuum pump on the engine.

The fine folks at BluDot came up with an idea, why not install hydraulic brakes on the horse trailer axles, install additional vacuum assisted  master cylinder in the trailer and drive the whole thing with the truck braking system. Great idea, worked like a charm for the benefit of stallions and mares although it wasn't as simple as that. First, not a good idea to screw around with the intake manifold vacuum balance by adding another load to it, hence the need to have a separate vacuum pump driven by an engine belt. Also needed were two vacuum hoses from the truck to the trailer and a vacuum accumulator (storage) tank in the trailer to make sure that there was always enough vacuum to do the braking. One of the hoses was connected from the truck vacuum pump to the trailer accumulator tank, the other hose was the "control vacuum" for the power booster in the trailer which would mirror what the power booster in the truck was doing. 

How come in the pickup days of yore you didn't see any of those systems on trailers built for humans. Are you kidding, consider the cost difference. Besides, six horses could be worth a million bucks, six humans? I guess you have to ask the RV industry.

So how come you know so much about it? The answer in the next "instalment".

[rickeieio]

3 hours ago, phoenix2013 said:

How come in the pickup days of yore you didn't see any of those systems on trailers built for humans. Are you kidding, consider the cost difference. Besides, six horses could be worth a million bucks, six humans? I guess you have to ask the RV industry.

While I suppose it happens, I've never seen humans riding in an rv trailer.  I believe it's illegal in a bumper pull, but okay in a fifth wheel?