Gambi80

I forgot I had an '06 Grand Prix GXP for a short while. A 4-door Grand Prix with a 320hp V8 and 4sp auto in it. For a grocery getter that thing was retarded fast. Never found the top speed limiter on it and a front-wheel drive car just roachin the tires into 3rd gear is an odd sight.

I've never bought a new vehicle. I was referring mainly to the early to mid-00's trucks with the interior comment. Plus, with a rental car...think "days of thunder". lol

I'll trade you my 1/4 frame with it's zillion greasers for your frameless with far less. Depending on how generous I am, it'll take over a tube just for the trailer. Maybe if I kicked it old school with the hand pump gun instead of the battery powered one I'd use less. If I remembered and counted right, there's 53...sounds a bit high, although many are redundant.

All I've ever owned...and will own...are Chevy's (well, GM anyway). Currently I've got an '05 regular cab with the Duramax/5-sp allison combo. Wife traded her Olds Alero+cash for an '04 Jeep Grand Cherokee a year ago. I like the Jeep and it works well as a family cruiser, it lacks power with the 4.slow 6cyl...like the commercial, shoulda got a V8. Previously...88 Oldsmobile Cutlass (the last of the 'big' 2-door car), '84 Chevy 1-ton 454 w/4sp tranny, '96 Z28 Camaro w/a 6sp, '01 Silverado 2500HD 6.0/auto (still love that truck, shoulda kept it) and currently the '05 and a '95 Geo Prism for a commuter junker. My biggest bitch about Ford and Dodge is that the interior doesn't hold a candle to Chevy's. If Ford had a better interior I would've given serious thought to a Superduty. Dodge...well, Dodge makes me think of Al Bundy. And go ahead and call me a sally, but after shifting gears all day in the big truck, I sure as hell don't want to shift any more than down to "D" on my car or pickup at the end of the day.

Second wife, third kid...either way it's needy, tempermental and expensive! Gotta have a/c though...chicks don't dig swamp ass.

I used to mess around with old chevy's, constantly swapping out parts, turning 3 trucks into one. But I digress, I had kids and bought a semi...which is almost like a third kid. The time for messing around with stuff has passed and I bought 'new', an '05 Chevy doody-max. I change the oil and grease it and that's enough.

I would've never put 2+2 together on the RGN thing. Thought it was some kind of tanker for refridgerated nitrogen or something. I've seen the effects of the if I would've been dumping next to that guy...dumping lime out in a cornfield one day the guy ahead of me in line was dumping and the passenger side draft arm broke with the trailer barely halfway up, flipped on it's side. Had I been greedy w/time I would've been squished...because I had a short dump along side his long dump.

Bah, it's all disgusting. I know more than enough people around my age (29) who've either filed for bankruptcy or who were so asshole deep in over their heads with credit card debt. I think I'm in the minority when I pay my credit card, which I RARELY use, off in full every month. I think that when my credit card company sent me a letter recently stating that my limit has been raised by $5,000, they want me to see that and go bonkers with it. The first couple years into my first truckin job, I'd get laid off for a few weeks to a month or so. I was still living at home and really had no bills except for a managable vehicle payment. I remember calling into the un-employment feeling like such a low-life, collecting off the gov't teet. The sick part of it is that when you're union, you don't have to actively look for work while collecting. The new truck issue, I don't want any part of it and for much of the same reasons as Rowdy...although I do like my air conditioned and a power passenger window. My truck is 12 years old and is getting worn out, but I finally have it set up with anything I need. If I were to buy something else I would have to start all over again and I'm having a hard time finding a couple year newer Mack set up exactly like mine. Second choice would be a K-wopper with a 525hp N-14.

I could've opted for the radio with the freq counter but it was $100 more... I don't know if I could handle the ginormous antenna though, the Wilson whip I have now is 4' and it takes a pretty good beating..makes me wonder if something actually hit the mirror bracket.

Wow...barely a year old and nowhere near broken in for less than half price of new? I still don't understand why people buy new. I would never but I guess some people have to.

Being fairly close to the Chicago metro area I get to work in the outskirts once in a while...Joliet area mainly. Most everyone up there has a Nextel...except me. The company I work for usually has them and I hear the company drivers always yackin about everyone beeping eachother... The only thing I wish my CB had is the roger beep, just to be a richard head sometimes.

I don't know what an RGN is... I see Beelman trucks all the time, mainly running up and down I-39. When I worked for Mack they took a bunch of trucks in on trade/bought/dealer swapped/whatever you call it a bunch of trucks and I'd have to go to East St. Louis to pick them up once or twice a week.

I have to have one with what I do...hauling out of quarries, asphalt plants and whatever else. Communication is key. My brother and I also have 2-way FM radios in the trucks addition to the CB's...mainly to b.s. without being heard by everyone else and they've got pretty good range, about 25+ miles with good conditions...plus we've got them in all of our farm equipment.

It keeps the 5th wheel level or stationary while pulling a frameless or 1/4 frame trailer. There are several variations of pins, most common and easiest is how Rowdy's and mine are set up. It stays in until you swap out for a frame trailer...you'd have a hell of a time even trying to hook up to a frameless w/o the pin in .

I bought a Magnum radio the other day, with which I'm thrilled, and use an Astatic mic...with a wilson 2000 whip antenna. It's got all the side bands and whatnot that a General Lee has but I'll most likely not use them. It's got quite a bit of power and the echo (though not the annoying kind). There's always that asshole who's got just way too much. With CB radios there are SO many variables and options that it all comes down to price and preference. The sky is the limit! If you buy a reasonably priced radio, find a reputable CB shop and have them tune/peak it for about $20 and use a decent antenna and noise cancelling mic and it'll do what you need it to.

It's all natural selection, right? I think in my area the sale was made by the dealer. There are a few loyalists either way but many small fleets had the dealer *sell* them. Mack and KW have been back and forth with popularity depending on the sales and service. In the mid-late 90's and early 00's, Mack had it goin on...now the tides have turned and KW has run away due to their above and beyond service dept.

I wish I would've snapped a few pictures of my truck hooked to the flatbed...looked pretty nice. I worked with a few Beelman trucks yesterday (tuesday). I'll assume they're based out of East St. Louis and they're working up in Hennepin, IL...probably 3 1/2 hours north of St. Louis. One of the three construction companies doing the work, a huge retention pond at a power plant, is out of Bloomdale, MO. so I'll assume that's whey they're all the way up here.

There's no point in voting anything other than democrat in Illinois anyway...us "downstaters" get our voting done by Cook and collar counties. What/Who we vote for is pretty irrelevant. Which is why I did not vote for president in this last election...they were/are both no good.

I think some people are having a hard time believing that you have insurance that doesn't have prescription coverage, $25 unlimited doctor visits, next to nothing for deductibles...so on and so forth...so you can go to the emergency room for nothing every time your fart smells funny or your restless leg syndrome kicks in.

none This is the part that worries me the most. I am in the same boat that you are...owner/operator/self-employed...although I have a kid. Since I carry a Teamster card I "get" the option to pay into their health/welfare but it's so outragiously priced (I asked the secretary on the phone if she was fucking nuts) I just buy my own basic stuff....prescription and tolerable co-pays/deductables.

Bah...that sounds so rediculous that is almost has to be true. I think that as a provision in your infamous "obama-care" bill...there should also be a panel to decide if people should be allowed to breed, just as there are going to be "death panels". Although, a reversable vascectomy and tubal ligation have to be perfected beforehand....just like you get snipped when you're born, you get your ammo turned off as well.

I remember watching "Delta Force" on tv when I was younger thinking that was all the inspiration I needed to stay very far away from that part of the globe...

I still think "we" elected the devil...

Whenever we go to walmart, I volunteer to stay in the car and ride around until I get a good parking spot by the door so I can observe (and subsequently laugh) at the people going in and out of walmart. I don't know what it is, but it's goddamn funny! And a lot of times when I'm on the road, especially the interstate, I'll honk the horn at people passing me if I see them on the phone. 9 out of 10 do a mini-swerve and hit the brakes.

ICR DPF is DEF....WTF?