Please help me make my wife feel better........

[Vegas Teacher]

Hello All!!!!

My wife has been reading about all of the terrible stories with Semi trucks breaking down on the HDT facebook forum. We are near 1 million miles on our 780 and she thinks it is going to explode on us costing us 1000's of $. So if anyone on the forum have good running trucks at or near the million mile mark could you please write in so I can show her our truck is not going to explode on us.

Thanks,

Cory O - Vegas Teacher

[Jaydrvr]

12 minutes ago, Vegas Teacher said:

Hello All!!!!

My wife has been reading about all of the terrible stories with Semi trucks breaking down on the HDT facebook forum. We are near 1 million miles on our 780 and she thinks it is going to explode on us costing us 1000's of $. So if anyone on the forum have good running trucks at or near the million mile mark could you please write in so I can show her our truck is not going to explode on us.

Thanks,

Cory O - Vegas Teacher

Well, mine has 1,955,000 miles on it, but I have done a good bit to keep it up. I forget, what year is yours? The number one problem with newer trucks is maintaining the emissions systems. Mine is pre-emissions, so that really helps me. Jay

[lappir]

I'm in the 950,000 range and while I did have an issue that required a few K and a tow it was not the end of the truck explosion. I know several "Farmers" who have millions of miles on their trucks and yes the occasionally need to go to the shop and get a major overhaul, but they get back on the road for a lot more miles.  A new truck can spend almost an equal amount of time in the shop and are a lot more expensive to start with. 

Probably the biggest issue for my truck is the sitting. I go to a place, park and don't drive again until the next long trip. It's usually 5 to 8 months between drives. The drives are usually fairly long though several hundred to over 1000 miles. 

 

Rod

[Star Dreamer]

I think she is right, you are better off buying a brand new truck before you have that bed built! Sounds like you have her approval to get a new truck! 

[Vegas Teacher]

2 hours ago, Jaydrvr said:

Well, mine has 1,955,000 miles on it, but I have done a good bit to keep it up. I forget, what year is yours? The number one problem with newer trucks is maintaining the emissions systems. Mine is pre-emissions, so that really helps me. Jay

My 780 is a 2010 pre DEF.

[Pat & Pete]

29 minutes ago, Vegas Teacher said:

My 780 is a 2010 pre DEF.

Hmm , is she a Chicken Little fan ?

[Darryl&Rita]

Given your track record, with a Schrader valve sitting you on the side of the road for several hours in the Las Vegas desert, she may be right. I know you've put some repairs into the truck, but I have no idea of it's current state of readiness. Once you get further in your training work, she'll have more confidence in you and the truck. Until then, not my wife, not my problem.

[rickeieio]

There are no guarantees   Anything can break, even new trucks.  When we were in Alaska, we saw nearly new motorhomes in the shop getting new engines, under warranty.  But, the peoples' vacation time was up, so they had to fly home and have the motorhome driven back to them.  These were not cheap coaches either.  Over $1m.

We, on the other hand, have had our share of "unplanned maintenance" stops.  They seemed pretty significant at the time, but over the course of 11 years and 55, 000 miles of towing, total cost of repairs (not counting filters, oil and such) was about $25k. No more than the depreciation would have been if we'd started with a new dually.

This is not a cheap game we're playing........

 

 

[Moresmoke]

Keep in mind there are plenty of million mile truck out there earning their keep every day. How many trucks of all ages do you see sitting on the side of the road vs the number going down the road?

 

[spindrift]

2 hours ago, Vegas Teacher said:

My 780 is a 2010 pre DEF.

But it's not pre-emission.  It's mechanical so it could explode tomorrow, or even tonight.

[Cheetah]

When I was driving trucks for a living, I worked for a company that had several  trucks with over 3 million miles they were very well maintained. The interiors were in pretty worn out condition but mechanically they were sound.

[Rotorhead]

I bought mine with 894,000 miles. It has needed quite a bit of work. Starter, tie-rod ends, drag link, shocks, overhead set, and very soon a new clutch. The throw out bearing and pivot bearing are bad as well. I also replaced about 6 of the engine sensors so far. So, expect to put some money into it. If it's worth it to you then it's worth it. My wife kind of complained when I got mine and about how much I was spending on it. I told her there are other habits I could be wasting my money on. Now that I have taken the family on a short day trip they all love it. 

I tell people, "It's the funnest waste of money I ever had". We only live once so "Why not".

Edited May 12, 2022 by Rotorhead

[aknavy]

I bought mine cheap, fixed a boost leak, and it's been good since then.  Have yet to be stranded or need a tow.  It's an old truck with no emissions, and was in RV service long before I got it.

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by aknavy

[rickeieio]

Update,,,,,,  This morning we were on our way to pick up the camper after some repairs when I got a screen saying "SCR malfunction or sensor failure".  Called the nearest KW dealer, MHC in Jackson, TN, and they said to bring it it right away, which we did.  It was about 4-5 hours before they could get it in the shop and diagnose it.  Bad DEF sensor telling the brain box we were out of DEF.  They also noted several other things, of which the worst is the EGR cooler leaking, along with a cracked flex joint and another smaller issue.  All of these secondary items can be fixed with one labor charge, as they each need to be removed to access the others.  No brainer, get out the wallet.

So, we bought a much newer truck hoping to have less un-planned maintenance.  Uhhh, not yet.  Didn't bother getting an estimate, just said "go easy on me, but fix everything".

Someone said a few posts back, "This not a cheap game we're playing."  Ouch.

[spindrift]

2 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Update,,,,,,  This morning we were on our way to pick up the camper after some repairs when I got a screen saying "SCR malfunction or sensor failure".  Called the nearest KW dealer, MHC in Jackson, TN, and they said to bring it it right away, which we did.  It was about 4-5 hours before they could get it in the shop and diagnose it.  Bad DEF sensor telling the brain box we were out of DEF.  They also noted several other things, of which the worst is the EGR cooler leaking, along with a cracked flex joint and another smaller issue.  All of these secondary items can be fixed with one labor charge, as they each need to be removed to access the others.  No brainer, get out the wallet.

So, we bought a much newer truck hoping to have less un-planned maintenance.  Uhhh, not yet.  Didn't bother getting an estimate, just said "go easy on me, but fix everything".

Someone said a few posts back, "This not a cheap game we're playing."  Ouch.

Sorry to hear, Rick.

One of the reasons I love dat old arn.

[jenandjon]

Everything breaks down. 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Rick, don't worry, you have a LOT of company on that DEF sensor. Ours went out with less than 60,000 miles on our truck. At that time, KW had somewhere in the neighborhood of 14,000 on backorder.

[rickeieio]

And it's not just trucks.  Our daughter has a diesel VW.  She's had that sensor replaced several times.

I talked to an o/o at the KW shop who'd been there since Monday.  We was waiting on another sensor that is to arrive June 21.

[ms60ocb]

Read this Post on the forum and watch the video to explain to your wife why you run the tow vehicle bigger than required. So really the Million Miles is nothing if the frame and running is worthy. I was in one of cases that required the double whip safely with no contact.

Clay

So this happened on my way home from the ECR.

---

By Chad Heiser,

[AndyR]

I agree with others. If it’s mechanical, its going to break… eventually. I pulled with an F450 and the trailer pushed us around a few times. Truck had 40k miles when we bought it and was in the shop a few times. Nothing major but still in the shop. We no longer get pushed around and have only been in the shop for normal service. 720k on the Volvo. We like our big toyhauler and the toys that go in it. We’ll take the risk of an expensive repair over the risk of being pushed in to an intersection any day.

My wife likes to drive the truck and is going to pull the trailer a little this year so she’s ready if she has to. My issue is I might get kicked out of the drivers seat and I’ll never get to drive it.  

Andy

[Dollytrolley]

Teach,

 

Get your bride in your rig and wander over the pass to PawRump and pull into Top Notch Trucking out on BeleVista on the way to Death Valley (Furnace Creek) and Look (with DARK glasses) at the owners Pete with only +5,800,000 miles on the clock and counting with the shinny eat-off it 650 Kat with so much chrome that they had to COMPLETELY Chrome TWO trailers to match it ......

 

Tell your bride that he spends more on chrome polish than her house cost but the trick to cheep trucking is just keep on top of the little things and that will go a long way to keeping the big repairs in check......like the name of his company says...... Top Notch Trucking.....

Take a peek at Lottsa miles chrome......https://www.topnotchcarrier.com/

 

Drive on........fuss with the little things and keep the big things happy....

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by Dollytrolley
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[Dollytrolley]

Teach,

Be careful when you come over to trade your rig in on the Top Notch Pete......it was 98 f here today when i went out to the mailbox and Dollymomma's pet rattler would not even come out from his den to buzz at me.......it's gonna be getting warm here some day......soon

 

Drive on........Keep a eye out for the rattler at the mail box (nobody seems to mess with our mailbox much....)

[nawaa]

We don't have a million miles on ours yet, but just to keep it in perspective for your wife, the millions of HDT drivers - RV haulers or not - whose truck DIDN'T break down today are NOT going to post on facebook. People only post the bad/exciting/unusual on facebook. It's not real life. I know I don't go on facebook every day to say my day was uneventful or our truck didn't break down today. Just sayin'...  and BTW I'm the wife, and I love our Freightliner. Wouldn't trade it for anything but a bigger truck.