RowdyRebel

That's kinda what I was thinking too...just sounded steep to me. When I bought the truck, it had been set up for just about anything I could think of...so I've got the plug with a heavy cable already on it...although that stuff is cheap & easy enough to replace w/ new that I wasn't too worried about it. Heck, if I get out there and really search, I may even have the relay already mounted SOMEWHERE on the truck On my dash, I have a "blank" that I was considering either using to mount a switch, or trying to find a switch that would work and would snap in place for a "clean" look to the install. I'm a little surprised that schematic doesn't have the 14 gauge power wire to the switch fused at 30 amps or less...only protection on the circuit comes from the 40 amp breaker, and 14 gauge wire is only rated to 32 amps...just doesn't seem too "safe". I suppose 12 gauge wire could be used instead of the 14, but if I'm not fusing the lead to the switch, I'd probably run 10 gauge wire up to it with a switch rated for at least 40-50 amps...no sense in burning anything up. The schematic is definitely helpful...confirms what I already thought would work. Still wondering what the difference between the three kits are, though...that can wait 'til Monday, though. I think I'll make a few phone calls, too...one to the dealer to get the price mix-up sorted out, and the other to the yard manager who I talked to about getting a price on the install kit through them. Then, when Shurco gets back to me, I'll have their price for buying what I need direct. Then it's just a matter of dropping the dimes to get what I need.

Not EVERYONE with a tall antenna on their truck is a "super trucker". I pay $15 to $20 each for my antennas whenever I need 'em...102" steel whip...and I mount it on the lower mirror bracket. It still reaches over 15', though... I just can't see paying $70+ for a Wilson (or any other "name brand") antenna that's just going to get beat to hell on low clearances at shippers, receivers, tree limbs, etc...'specially when a $15-$20 antenna will do the same job. For me, it's just a matter of being a cheap penny pinching SOB.

One of the other O/O leased on where I'm at has one...sharp looking truck up close, but not my thing. If I wasn't in a Mack, I'd either have an old Ford LTL 9000 or a corn binder of some sorts (5900ish). I drive a truck to work & make me money, not to "look" good going down the road. Ain't got no use for a chromed out highway cruiser or a plastic hunk'o'junk. Where I think they went wrong with the Lonestar, is instead of trying to "modernize" the lines of a good looking, stylish, classic truck, they should have left the lines alone and just modernized the materials to reduce weight. which gets me to another gripe I gots with these vehicle makers.... I'm curious why everyone went away from the old sealed beam headlights (where there were generally 4 to choose from, and if you bought the wrong one you were an idiot). The old bulbs, you got new glass with the bulb, so that your lights ALWAYS shone like they did right off the dealer lot whenever you changed a bulb. Now, you only buy the bulb (and have 50,000,000 to choose from, it seems...all of them look alike), and the plastic lens gets dirty, scratched, & discolored over time so your headlights are less and less effective the longer you have the vehicle. Take my CH, for example. Same danged size & shape headlights as in my '86 Ranger. Bulbs cost the same for both. The old Ranger gets new glass with each headlight change. The Mack has the stupid scratched, dirty, discolored plastic lens that limits my vision at night. Not all change is good change.

Company I'm leased to is starting to get 'em in. Up until now, I've been able to pull & operate any and every trailer in their fleet...which makes me the only truck they have with that capability/versatility. Right now, the electric roll tarp trailers are the only ones I CAN'T pull & operate. Anyway, I'm wanting to wire up my truck so that IF one of them becomes available, I'll have a chance to get it. I asked at the local Mack dealer...they called up to their other store (who is a Shurco dealer) and I guess either the relayed message about what all I needed got mixed up...they told me $2500 Clicking around the Shurco site, that looks like the cost to equip BOTH the truck AND the trailer... Anyway, the truck end looks to be fairly simple... A rocker switch (or I assume ANY on-off-on type switch would work) on the dash, wired up to to control a solenoid. A 40 Amp circuit breaker on the power lead to the solenoid from the battery. And the solenoid controlling the direction of current flow back to the motor on the trailer. Now they (Shurco website) sell "Cab Wiring Kit - Rocker Switch" for $192.01 "Cab Wiring Kit - Remote Box" for $96.60 "Electrical Parts Kit w/ Rocker Switch - 40 Amp Modified" for $84.48 Would any of those suffice? What's different in each of 'em to cause the price to be that much different? They also list the 40 Amp Breaker for $7.02 Solenoid for $42.38 (cover is another $8.86) Rocker Switch for $12.02 (mounting bracket is another $3.82) Could I just buy those individual items, wire in my own on-off-on switch & plug, and save some cash? If I get set up and manage to snag one of the electric tarp trailers, it'll mean at least an extra turn per day. If I can do it for less than $100, it'll pay for itself within the first week I put it to use. $2500 would be kinda steep, though...don't think I'd spend the money until I was guaranteed to be hooking to one of those trailers...and even then, it'd be a hard sell. If anyone knows, the curiosity is getting to me. Already shot an e-mail to the folks at Shurco, but it'll be Monday at least before they get there to respond. If nobody posts up anything before then, I'll post their answer in case anyone else finds themselves needing to wire up their truck...

With a 39' frameless end dump, I'm 30K full of fuel...29,600 when I'm on "E" with my '01 CH. As I run it down the road, I don't even WANT to know what just the tractor weighs...probably in the 18-19K neighborhood. It was 17K low on fuel before I put the wet kit, blower, and stocked the tool box. All I know is that I can get in and out of anywhere I need to go without much concern for not making it back out in one piece. That's why I bought a Mack.

shouldn't HAVE to....'cept for to maybe fit under the rear axles ...I'll find out tomorrow when I'm greasing it.

Holy crap yer good!

So I was getting tired of my creeper getting stuck on every tiny little pebble in the friggin' driveway, and the redneck in me decided to do somethin' about it. New wheels vs. old wheels: lifted it up a little bit: prolly had this creeper 10 or 12 years at least....works better now

I would imagine this might have something to do with it:

I want one... ...would be fun to stick in a "project" truck... ...with a B-model cab.... ...pulling a low-boy or flatbed so they can see ya ain't runnin' light when you go around 'em on the way up. If I ever win the lotto....