Wowwie Wow Wow!

[leversole]

Unbelieveably cool! My truck showed up after dark tonite...

I had it all planned out, we were going to unload across the street from my house at the big church parking lot. I was going to putt around there getting used to the truck and learning to drive it as I have never driven a truck bigger than a 3/4 ton pickup! After I got comfortable, I would attempt to run it up my steep driveway and park it behind my house until morning.

Well...I met the driver at the I-80 exit and led him towards my house...big truck and BIG trailer! I talked to him on the cell phone to find out how he had to unload it, front, back, seperate the tracktor/trailer, etc...he said we need to get completely off the road...well...the church was having thier big Halloween party! Completely full parking lot! No Go!

We ended up going to a bar parking lot about 1/2 mile from my house. My son and I helped him unchain it and set up the ramps, he unloaded it and parked it (I guess the maxi spring brakes are trust worthy, they hold it on a hill!)

Okay, the moment of truth...with only one headlight, no tailights, I gotta get this monster home. I feel around on the floor to figure where the brake and throttle are (it was completely dark in the cab) I put it in 2nd lo-split and released the brake, off I go...the only thing I know about shifting this behemoth is from watching the twin stick videos about a 1000 times! Anyway, no traffic so I cross the highway onto my road, Man o' man this thing is cool...accelerate and shift the compound to direct with just a blip of the throttle, hey, this works! Okay, slowing down for a sharp curve and about a hindred church goers coming the other way and back to lo-split...accelerate again, blip, shift, cool! Got into what a pilot would call "Pilot induced ocillation", truck is jerking, my throttle foot is jerking, back and fourth, hey, I am going to 3rd gear...this is one of the coolest things I have ever done! Okay, gotta slow down a little...WTF? Somehow both sticks are in neutral! I read somewhere this was bad! I tried a few gears and various RPMs and finally got it back into gear! Anyway, swing wide and turn into the drive way, stopped and put it into 1st and direct and crawl up the driveway. Parked it, let it idle for while, I was shaking with excitement...this is going to be soooooooooooooooo cool...I wont sleep a wink tonight, but at first light I will check the fluids and continue my education on the backroads! This is going to be fun, fun , fun!!!!

Now, she is home, sleeping, and quiet (no air leaks) awaiting the beginning of her next life.

[vision386]

Neat post! glad you are having fun with it! not many things in life (in my opinion) that are much more fun than driving a two stick mack! once you get the hang of it,it kinda comes naturally. I learned to drive a truck on a B-model,some of the best times of my life were spent in that truck! where ya' at around milton? i get through there quite a bit,just stayed at what used to be the petro just last week. If you ever see the vision in my avatar,give me a holler!....Mark

[rhasler]

Unbelieveably cool! My truck showed up after dark tonite...

I had it all planned out, we were going to unload across the street from my house at the big church parking lot. I was going to putt around there getting used to the truck and learning to drive it as I have never driven a truck bigger than a 3/4 ton pickup! After I got comfortable, I would attempt to run it up my steep driveway and park it behind my house until morning.

Well...I met the driver at the I-80 exit and led him towards my house...big truck and BIG trailer! I talked to him on the cell phone to find out how he had to unload it, front, back, seperate the tracktor/trailer, etc...he said we need to get completely off the road...well...the church was having thier big Halloween party! Completely full parking lot! No Go!

We ended up going to a bar parking lot about 1/2 mile from my house. My son and I helped him unchain it and set up the ramps, he unloaded it and parked it (I guess the maxi spring brakes are trust worthy, they hold it on a hill!)

Okay, the moment of truth...with only one headlight, no tailights, I gotta get this monster home. I feel around on the floor to figure where the brake and throttle are (it was completely dark in the cab) I put it in 2nd lo-split and released the brake, off I go...the only thing I know about shifting this behemoth is from watching the twin stick videos about a 1000 times! Anyway, no traffic so I cross the highway onto my road, Man o' man this thing is cool...accelerate and shift the compound to direct with just a blip of the throttle, hey, this works! Okay, slowing down for a sharp curve and about a hindred church goers coming the other way and back to lo-split...accelerate again, blip, shift, cool! Got into what a pilot would call "Pilot induced ocillation", truck is jerking, my throttle foot is jerking, back and fourth, hey, I am going to 3rd gear...this is one of the coolest things I have ever done! Okay, gotta slow down a little...WTF? Somehow both sticks are in neutral! I read somewhere this was bad! I tried a few gears and various RPMs and finally got it back into gear! Anyway, swing wide and turn into the drive way, stopped and put it into 1st and direct and crawl up the driveway. Parked it, let it idle for while, I was shaking with excitement...this is going to be soooooooooooooooo cool...I wont sleep a wink tonight, but at first light I will check the fluids and continue my education on the backroads! This is going to be fun, fun , fun!!!!

Now, she is home, sleeping, and quiet (no air leaks) awaiting the beginning of her next life.

Congratulations, both on your newly acquired truck (looks pretty good), and getting home in one piece (good work considering it's your first time driving one, let alone one you weren't exactly familiar with). Now, if you really want to make your new Dog happy with you you'll need to make room at the foot of the bed! Have fun, be careful, and post some more pictures when you can.

[leversole]

Neat post! glad you are having fun with it! not many things in life (in my opinion) that are much more fun than driving a two stick mack! once you get the hang of it,it kinda comes naturally. I learned to drive a truck on a B-model,some of the best times of my life were spent in that truck! where ya' at around milton? i get through there quite a bit,just stayed at what used to be the petro just last week. If you ever see the vision in my avatar,give me a holler!....Mark

I am just down the road about a mile from the truck stop!

[other dog]

That's a good story. Good picture of the truck in the dark too,looks great! Maybe i'll get back to Milton Steel some time soon.

[Greg Rider]

It sounds like she is very happy to be with you. Take good care of her and she will reward you many times over in ways you never thought of. Good find.

[Rob]

Of course congratulations are in order for your "new" arrival and I wish you the best of times with the newfound joy.

I find it disturbing a well known vendor catering to the antique truck crowd would sell a vehicle with a single headlamp burning, and no taillamps operational to someone having virtually zero experience with a "big" truck. Shouldn't something seemingly so minor have been addressed prior to the unit being offered for sale? I couldn't, and wouldn't let something off my property that was unsafe to operate unless it was for "parts only", but maybe I'm in the minority. Perhaps there was an arrangement worked out I'm unaware of, or this is part of the purchase price, but there isn't much fun discovering minor things inoperable that should work, (such as basic lighting) as they tend to add up quickly.

Now that you have the truck in your possession there is still lots to learn. I'll bet you spend countless hours fiddling with it and your wife will find it annoying when you interrupt conversations to talk about the truck, (personal experience here) but they get over it. One word of caution offered early on, "Hide all sharp utencils". Again this is from personal experience but at any family get together, this is what everybody talks to me about, "old trucks". My wife always moseys over to a conversation and butting in asks, "how many trucks does he have"?, to which she is still uncertain........ I've often wondered how Superdog does it. I hope your wife is as tolerant as mine cause these things can sure take up a lot of time, but with your son's involvement it will be a family project.

Again, good luck and have fun!!

Rob

[Bobby Covert]

Take her picture in the daylight! (and post) I know you are out in the yard right now!

[Speed]

I know that feeling well;I was so excited when I got my '45 EH in Carson City,rewired it in Sun Valley,and learned its character (both the good and the bad) driving it 300 miles home to Elko. Congratulations on your new family member;may you enjoy many years and many miles together!

Speed

[captbone]

Congrads! Post new pics. Looks great!