thirdcoaster

I had considered a medium-duty, but they seemed relatively expensive for their hp/torque and weight capacity. I guess it's worth another look, especially to get a crew cab. If I found one with the 19k or 20k rear axle and all air-ride it should be up to the task. Some of the horse haulers drive some mighty nice ones too....$$$$$$$$! The sleeper-reduction plan sounds interesting. I'll have to study the box profiles to see which models that would work on.

It's good to see some thoughtful replies. I looked on Truckpaper, and there are a few pre-'02 units with Autoshift, and yes, I do realize that it has a clutch pedal. We recently drove a Volvo with a Meritor Freedomline (two pedals) and liked it but it had the long sleeper which made the overall truck too long for my use. I drove a Freightliner with an Ultrashift (also two pedal) and that particular truck "lurched" forward or backward as the clutch engaged from a standstill. I don't know if they all do that, but you'd have a heck of a time lining up a gooseneck ball. So if we consider a 10-year old truck, how many miles is too many? I know maintenance is key to any machine lasting, but most of these trucks have close to, if not more than 1 Million miles. I've now talked to several people about singling a truck, and everyone including you guys agree that it's not a big deal. Now if someone could tell me how to shorten a 70" sleeper to about 42", a truck would be easy to find.

Rob, whatever I do, I still need to be able to haul minimum 4 people. The R-700 cab would be a little cramped, even with an auto . A sleeper tractor with a converted bunk would take care of the people capacity. The same tractor could tow my gooseneck trailers or RV with ease. A short belly dump trailer would do my dirt and gravel hauling (they are pretty cheap right now, too). A short bed between the sleeper and fifth wheel would give me some bobtail cargo capacity. Sell both the F-450 and R-700, own one truck. Were there any trucks prior to 2002 with autoshift? I haven't seen any that old. I'm going to try to run to Houston Friday to look at the mack linked above. Anything specific to look for? I'll mostly be going to put a tape measure on it to make sure everything can be done the way I want and to drive the Autoshift since I've never driven one. Keep the ideas coming. I think I can make this work if I find the right truck.

I may not have been clear. The R-700 is a dumptruck and my wife never drives it. She does, however drive the F-450 when on the ranch or RV'ing. Oh, BTW, I would want to put a simple flatbed on any truck that I buy. Just a giant pickup .

I've been looking at trucks lately & would like a little input. I'm a rancher and homebuilder/real estate guy. I have a F-450 that I pull my 15-ton gooseneck and cattle trailer with. On any given day, I may haul a backhoe or dozer, each at 19,000 pounds on the gooseneck which weighs about 7,300 pounds. We also have a toy-hauler RV that has a loaded weight of about 21,000 pounds. The F-450 is a little out-gunned. I also have an R-700 tandem dump that is used for hauling gravel for roads and fill dirt. Both trucks are licensed as "farm", and thus limited to 48,000 pounds gross. Each truck costs over $1,000 per year to license and insure, so just owning them gets expensive even if you don't turn the key. My idea is to buy a short sleeper tractor and a 20' belly-dump to replace both the F-450 and the R-700. I would modify the sleeper to resemble the "work station" in a Volvo to allow my family to ride. In order to make this work, I need an auto trans truck so that my wife can drive it. No, I'm not going to teach her to float-shift, I would prefer to remain married . These trucks are few and far between as you might imagine, but here's an example of a possibility: http://www.arrowtruck.com/docs/search.details.aspx?invstkno=165281 I would prefer a single axle over a tandem, but those are really rare. I've located a nice factory single Volvo in Cali, but it's expensive. What pitfalls are there with singling a Mack like the one above? Is the engine in the unit above at 355hp generally reliable and is it up-ratable? Lastly, feel free to tell me I'm nuts.

I am looking at a similar truck, just not as "low mileage". The one that I have found is an '07 CXN 613 that has just under 300,000 on the clock. 427 hp with an Autoshift. New rubber, 217" wheelbase, all aluminum, looks really nice. Not local, so I haven't seen it in person. Are these riddled with problems like some I read about? BTW, the truck won't be worked hard every day. It's a replacement for my tandem dump and F-450. It'll be pulling a 16 ton gooseneck with a backhoe or dozer on it, a cattle trailer, or a small belly dump. I could even single it if I wanted. If we want to go camping, it will become an RV hauler too (kinda insulting to a Mack, huh?). So what do you say, pursue it or look elsewhere?

The one on the right should really put her hat on...don't want her to catch a chill!

Rob, before or after the paint job?

Here's a couple more. The cab is going to be black in a few of days.

I'm going to attempt to post a couple of photos. I took them inside my warehouse which is pretty dark, but it's been raining and I didn't want to get the cab wet since I was about to start body work. By the way, the Detroit isn't really that loud, just having a little fun.

He has a way with words.....

I'm a new member, and wanted to say Hello, and thanks for the site. I joined here recently to try to learn about a I purchased. It's the first Class-8 truck I've owned, so it has been a bit of a learning curve. I semi-retired two years ago, but am way too young to hang up working altogether. We have ranches here in Texas, but that is only part-time for me so I started a housing project building rental units. The first four houses are well underway, and I am enjoying my new occupation as babysitter. I did all of the preliminary excavation and dirtwork with my Case 580SM. I decided to go ahead and buy a dump truck to haul fill sand for foundation pads, and gravel for driveways and the ranch roads. I doubt that I will ever pay myself back for the truck cost and operating expense, but the convenience of having a truck when I need or want something hauled is worth something. Besides, I always wanted a big truck, so this was a good enough excuse. There, I said it . Now, about the truck. Formerly a military tractor, the truck is a 1975 R700. More precisely, it's an R769 with a Detroit 8v71 turbo and a 10-speed. The Detroit, which was replaced by the military 488 hours ago runs great and sounds great, but is a little LOUD. Axles are 12K front and 44K rears. It has a new Warren 15 yard heavy duty dump body with electric tarp and air gate. The prior owner installed a new self-contained air-conditioner and air-ride seats as well as new rubber all the way around (385's on the front). After taking delivery of the truck, I had a mechanic friend look it over in preparation for the required DOT inspection. We found a few issues . The batteries were marginal at best, so 4 new group-31 batteries fixed that. Next, the air wipers didn't work, so I ordered a replacement motor and switch; perfect. The brakelights stayed on all the time, so a new switch was installed. Then the brakelights wouldn't work at all, so I re-wired the brakelight circuit; done. There were a few air leaks that were quickly fixed. A couple of light bulbs, fresh oil and filters, a quick check of all fluids, and she was ready for inspection. I drove to the scales, and got an empty weight ticket showing 23,620 lbs. She passed inspection yesterday , and now has brand new license plates! The cab is still in olive drab, but I am going to start preparation for paint tomorrow. There is very little rust anywhere on the truck, thank God. I ordered new emblems from Watt's Mack, so she will be looking sharp soon. Overall, the truck is in remarkably good condition and really runs and drives well, although she is a little LOUD. Top speed is about 65mph which is fine for the rural roads I will travel. We've had a lot of rain the last few days which gives me a few days of shop time to get the paint done and tidy up any other needs. This site has already helped me, and I hope to become more active here. I'm going to search for sound deadening tips here in a little while. Did I mention that my new truck is a little LOUD?

Seller: Sergio Positive A+ I purchased two hood ornaments, described accurately, fairly priced Good communication Quick shipping 11/16/09