Doug Mitchell

Excellent. One question: Why the Cat instead of a V8 Mack? The two are of about the same vintage ...

I'm guessing that this is an air leak somewhere before the turbo. I had 2 aftercoolers crack in a short period on a CH in '91 or so - same whistle, black smoke, lack of power, overheating.

** Figure the cost of your vehicle damage, + medical, + lost income, + other costs as they may be, multiply it all by at least 3, and not more than 5, and they'll be paying somewhere in that range. They have no defense; litigation would move the range up to 5 - 7 X actuals. Be conservative - injuries like yours can last a long time and take awhile to get right. BTDT.

I remember the first time I heard an air starter. I was at Wegman's in the late 80s, and one of their drivers fired off his R model with an air starter. I must have jumped 2 feet in the air. I had no idea what it was.

In my introduction, I mention researching the foundation for building what is generally referred to as a truck conversion RV. In simple terms, a class A sized RV, built on a semi-tractor in a manner similar to a class C. The body issues I have under control; I have been doing a bit of preliminary research with a sleeper maker with which I am familiar from my OTR days. The OAL will be just under 45', with the body being just under 35, depending on the tractor used. In researching this, one of the finalists is a set back axle Pinnacle with an MP8 425E. The transmission will have to be the Fuller LHP, as my wife is small and has a bad back; clutch use would be a problem - and thus, the 425 is the highest rating we can use due to the torque capactity of the engine. She will not be a main driver, but would have to be able to move it in an emergency. Has anyone gotten a reasonable number of miles on such a tractor with an MP8 so I can assess the utility of this combination? How is dealer support? While there is a Mack dealer in Spokane, they are more on the contruction side (go figure). Since we are in the west, the speeds are higher, and specs will be different, but we have to be able to put up with the lower limits in places such as Illinois. It will of course be a 3 axle unit - I need the weight capacity of a tandem (air ride of course), although there is some appeal to a single screw with tag so the tag can be lifted in sloppy conditions. Barry? Input from the service side?

** The problem out west is that the roads get closed a lot, unlike the eastern part of the US. The sparse population means less tax base and less demand to keep roads open (fewer people harmed); the mentality is different, etc. As a result, a sleeper is not really an option out here, and even the big common carriers have them because getting stuck is such a real risk. When I came to Washington after growing up near Lake Ontario and trucking from Illinois to Maine off and on for a few years while my wife did her PhD, I was horrified. Little toy "plows", chain requirements, calling 18" of flurries a "storm" and no hesitance to close roads, even main Interstates - it was a hell of a shock for an East Coast Type A lawyer. Get the sleeper; get more gears rather than less (13 or 18); consider erring on the side of more power, too; falling on your face on hills sucks. My experience is mostly pre-CH; I drove a first generation CH and it was a real pustule. I do miss the V8 Superliner I drove, and would love to get one for the basis of my RV, but fuel mileage would be an issue and my wife can't operate a truck clutch due to her back.

You're not running a winterfront, are you? They are not needed, and as I recall, void the warranty.

On a tangent: what was the last year in which one could get an E9 in the US? And in what (conventional, of course) model?

**** My only real concern about the 9-10 speeds is the fact that we are out west, and speeds here are much higher. If we gear for that, the 55 limits in much of the midwest present a real concern of having to drop a gear to remain within operating range. That makes the 13 and 18 speeds more appealing, as it just means splitting back down once. In most ways, the autoshift 18 is the ticket, but due to my wife's back, clutch operation is a real concern, and my guess is we will end up with the Eaton-Fuller LHP 2 pedal. At least it does have the lower range forward and reverse gears of the 18 speed. For real range, the 13 speed Mack can be had with lower Lo and reverse gearing, which I think would be sound for close in operations and maneuvers. I suspect that in a new truck the Pinnacle and a modest MP8 is the ticket. We will be twin screw (or maybe tag), as it will will be set up to be a second residence and have a lot of water capacity, storage batteries, etc. One thought I have had is the idea of a 6X6, but I suspect that the additional cost and drag would not be worth it.

**** Actually, I saw Mack Man's Superliner for sale, and whimpered like a puppy. That would be one hell of a basis, even though I'd rather have a different transmission. It just brought back memories.

Joining up after lurking for a year or more soaking up information. I drove OTR for a few years while my wife was in grad school; her parents were agents for a 48 state carrier. It was long enough ago that I was grandfathered on my CDL, which I have kept. We had a niche in the midwest running dry groceries to New England most of the time. My first real OTR truck was a Superliner with a 440 V8 and a 10 speed, Neway air ride, and a fairly early Double Eagle sleeper. I really liked that truck. Once I hit 10th, I only shifted to change roads, hit the rest area, etc. Eventually that truck was replaced by a CH with a 350 and a 9 speed. It had the first generation new model blues. The main reason I am here is to collect information for the eventual RV project. Over the last few years, there has been a growth in the number of folks using tractors as the basis for what is essentially a Class A built in the style of a Class C. The interesting part of this is that if well designed and built, it is less expensive than most Class A RVs, yet safer due to better drivetrain quality (suspension, brakes, engine/transmission, etc). We'll use it for a second home type thing if I go back to prosecution, and for most personal travel (I hate flying, and TSA and I have differing views of what one should carry when in public, plus we have big dogs which if flown would have to go as freight and I would not subject them to that anyway).