Freightrain

That's what $1000 got me back in 1996. A few dollars more...... I've had visions of replacing my 1997 Haulmark 40ft'r with something with actual living quarters/bathroom. I stopped at local trailer dealer a couple years ago and got a quote. Now, my empty box was $11k back when. I put all the stuff in it. The new 44ft box was $18k, plus $8K for a bathroom, etc and total was about $42k with options I wanted put on. Today, they aren't making them in Elkhart, IN anymore. Too many supply issues. WTH? There are new builders in Georgia, but not sure of the quality. My Haulmark was a "higher" end build and has served me well for all these years but it is getting kind wore out. So, right now I'm now searching for a drop deck moving van of sorts that I could convert myself. Finding one with minimal doors on it is tough, but they are out there. 40-42ft with axles moved forward to enable me to get around my neighborhood and in my driveway is mandatory. A 48ft with axles in the back won't do it. Time will tell.

I never trusted anyone to fix my stuff, but I am slowly falling away as I get older. My 95 f150 needed a rear fuel tank. I kinda got it loose but my back was all jacked up and I gave up because I couldn't move around on the ground easy enough to get it out and new one in.. Local shop did it for me. It was easy on a lift and everything was broke loose by me. Though they didn't check the sending unit very well(new pump also) and the fuel gauge is off by 1/4 tank. When I did the front tank previously I checked to make sure the arm was bent correctly so it reads right. That's the difference in doing it and doing it right.

Couple winters ago, was out to lunch and went to leave Subway to go back to work and...."click". Nothing, nadda, kaput. There was lots of snow in the street, I wasn't climbing under there to rap it with anything. I called a tow truck and had it taken the 3 blocks back to work where we had a shop across the road that does all my basic truck work. I was in no mood to do it myself, even in our warm shop(I didn't have any "work" clothes to wear). I wasn't laying in all the slush either from the truck dripping on me. I'm beyond that kind of work anymore. I paid the few hundred bucks to have it all done for me. I count my blessing when I'm not in Timbuktoo and no help to be found.

Like Mark says, the idiots in charge don't care about our laws AND history. They want to destroy it all and make us all "woke".....smdh.

The song that all the woke wackos are screaming about right now. CMT banned from playing the video, etc. "Try that in a small town" by Jason Aldean.

Wonder why they don't have Jason Aldean singing at the parade.....LMAO 🤣🤣🤣

Dang gone! You don't have much luck with glass!!! Are the fuzzy and felts missing from the tracks? No reason the door glass should have broke. Yes, the lock channel is a PITA to install. I tried using the typical tool and broke it! Had glass shop do it for me. Best $20 spent!! The air compressor will pass oil as the rings wear. Mine would make a milkshake in the tank every trip out. Spent the money on rebuilding it and been dry for 20 yrs. It will sludge everything. I pulled my air wipers, dismantled the motor, clean it and the valving on the end, new lines and it will throw the wipers off it runs so fast. Many don't want to deal with them, but some simple maintenance and they work well. The shutter control is another simple repair item. Mine would leak air bad. Just a simple rubber cup inside, mine was hard as a rock. Found something at MacMaster Carr and it works perfect now.

I got signed back up. Is it me, or is it really annoying when you CAN'T see your password as you type it? Some give you an option to see it, many don't.

Ken texted me back before Macungie to see if I was coming. I think he spends more time at the farm in PA then across town from me. Last time we spoke he was working towards selling his MH and trailer.

When shoot Hank. Good to hear from ya Eddy. Glad you joined us. Geoff, I know it's a "mack" website, but the more the merrier and most all of you guys have plenty of help to add to any of the sections of this forum. Heck we even have a post in the Odd and Ends that is for "Off track" stuff that happens with most of the posts there. It's been a running joke for quite some time, so a post was started.

I wouldn't worry about manually opening them. As long as everything is plumbed correctly it will work just fine automatically. Mine open and close going down the road. You can hear the fan change pitch if it gets cold and they shut(around 160*). Pull a load and they open. When truck is off they will open and close as the temperature changes. Until it runs out of air and opens.

And if you cranked the handle, the pressure would increase. If you did, it would blow the inner tube. I made that mistake one day. Dad wasn't happy with me because I cranked it up as he was filling it and didn't know it. Lol.

Typical shutterstat has air supply to the stat and from the stat to shutters. Yours looks like it might have a shut off valve from the dash to remove air supply so shutters are always open? Like mentioned above, it takes air pressure to close them(sprung open for safety). Note: the shutterstat is marked IN and OUT. If you supply air to the wrong side, they won't open again(I found out personally LOL).

Shoot...I was almost there. Guess I'll head north again.

Was at a 4th parade and did a little people watching. Ya, there aren't many "thin" young people around anymore. It's crazy how bad people just don't care. I was 5-10, 155# out of school. I'm 57(next week) and just 170#. It takes a lot of determination to not let yourself go. A good friend did and he is now 70 and near crippled due to being so overweight for the last 25 yrs. He has been my main reason to watch what I eat.

Good to hear from you Jim. Glad you are on the mend. The man upstairs ain't done with you yet.

How much is "a little" and how hard do you run the truck? I don't know how hard oil is on a drier? It's likely only going to get worse, so I would say replace it when you can.

I think that is his intention. No, 24.5" rims will not bolt to 22.5" spokes.

My welding supplier just told me the end of July for Stellite hard facing? Um, wth am I suppose to weld with?? Saw a couple customers last week, one told me that an OEM took 9 months to get him a new extruder screw. I don't feel bad when we are 6 months behind. No materials, no help. We're just screwed all the way around.

Yup. Leaning on a Holmes Lumber Longhorn. Who cut and pasted the Mack hat on years ago?? Lol.

Joey, you will find that Geoff is a world book encyclopedia of information! He will be a great addition to BMT.

Jim Tomer(Tundra) is from a frozen land(Alaska), and Idaho. He made a stop in Ohio some years back and we spend an afternoon looking at Bighorns. I even got pictures (somewhere). Jim Hancock got in a bit of a tiff on here a few years ago and he and a few others left abruptly. Sad.

Absolutely fantastic work.

Hey Tony. The gang is migrating here?

Starters do NOT reverse rotation with polarity changes. The power goes into the armature and windings. Thus reversing both which cause it to run the same direction no matter what. Story: Few years back, at the motor shop I use they were putting an FE on the dyno. They threw one of their "shop" starters on it and it won't start or build oil pressure. They were stumped for quite a while....until they pull the cap and saw the distributor was going the wrong way. Seems, somehow they got their hands on a REVERSE Rotation starter(used on twin engine boats). They only go ONE way no matter how the wires are put on.