harrybarbon

My daughter was invited and accepted to go back to Camp America in PA this coming June for the 2020 season. The camp owners have told and keep emailing all their 2020 staff to keep preparing for a mid June start this year. The regular update information my daughter receives weekly is that the owners are in full preparation mode for June start and to receive all their regular students. And if not mid June by end of June. My daughter has been told to get her US visa organised and she has an appointment at our local US consulate for her visa.

Most of the students that attend this camp have attended since their youngest years, nearly all come from well to do/prominent New York city and surrounds families, attorneys, bankers, business etc. While the children are in camp, their mums and dads are away on holidays. No camp then no holidays for the parents!!!

My point/question is, what information may the camp owners know/have that others don't have access to? And given the same students go back every year, the camp owners would not dare risk the health of these youngsters - consider the potential for multi million law suits for negligence, God forbid if 1 or more students took ill or dies at camp from CV!!!

And this is only 1 camp of many (100's) across USA? Camp America I now appreciate is a big part of the annual summer season for lots of families that can afford these camps.

At this time my daughter believes she will be coming to USA for the 2020 season, especially if she gets her US entry visa, we will soon know better.

here it is, Tony's 3 limited edition R models in his doggie compound, enjoy

Truckin_Life_Annual_2019_-_Tony_Champion_Limited_R_models.PDF

And a red C model with tray body with canvas cover (European style)  shown at 2014 Amsterdam truck show with an E9

Hello J, First time I have seen the V8 badge on a C model, I did not know that the C model had the Mack 864 V8 engine. I referred to my copy of Tom Brownell's, History of Mack Trucks. He states that slightly more than 1,500 C models were built and that the V8 non turbo engine was an option. Do you have any information of how many C models with the  V8's engine were made?

I have seen 3 C models that have been imported into Australia and the 3 have the 6 cyl diesel engine.

It is a pity that Mack did not rebuild the L model cabin, retaining the basic design but modernise it to 1960's build and manufacturing improvements/standards, including an updated dash, 1 piece windscreen and have the hood and fenders a 1 piece tilt fiberglass unit, with a feature chrome radiator shell similar to the early Kenworth S model. Then add a separate sleeper cab (say a Mercury cab) and it would have been a winner. And maybe extend the hood to fit the various 60's engine options and integrated power steering. 

My history lecturer said that our history has unlimited information for us to learn.

Common sense is missing big time.

Here in Australia, our 2 yearly Kyabram Mack Muster (that was to be this weekend 21 & 22 March) and our national 5 yearly Alice Springs (end of Aug 2020) shows have been cancelled and planned for 2021. And most other shows are cancelled also.

So all you guys that have planned to join us at Alice 2020 from USA and Canada, we will miss you.

As of tomorrow at 12 noon all non essential businesses are closed, such as restaurants, hotels (pubs) gaming venues, bars, movie houses, etc and each state is going into border lock downs except for essential businesses.

However, the truck drivers are still going - they keep the country going and feed and supplied with toilet paper (and keeping the arse-holes happy)

Seems to me that what is written by manufacturers about efficiency, environment, minimising materials for manufacture and future running and maintenance costs is more talk than really being serious to actually do what they say. The more I think about a single drive axle and a lifting pusher, for highway and normal road trucks, makes simple sense - which unfortunately is so missing at present. Tandem drive is not necessary for all trucks, so why is so much money invested in tandem drives!!! Think of the $'s that would be saved.

I have been thinking - there would be a lot of benefits to reintroduce a pusher axle for highway trucks, that are not really requiring the 2nd drive axle, and using for example the  Neway air bag suspension, the drive and pusher axles are independent, unlike the Page and Page system.  

The Eddie Holland R Mack is a custom build, the front of the hood is a normal R model hood with the straight front and they designed and rebuilt it with a slope same as the V8 Valueliner hood, although it appears that it may have a higher slope than the V8 Valueliner hood.

It certainly is a great design that Mack could have introduced as standard product.

Thank you for the reminder of Transpec, yes this company was the Page and page supplier and fitter of the pusher axle. I see on the picture of the P&P, the pusher axle has spyder wheels and the drive wheels are budds!!! Did the P&P have budd wheels? In Australia 50's, 60' and 70's most trucks had spyder wheels so followed that the P&P axle had spyders.

I cannot recall seeing any P&P with budds.

Also in Australia, a single wheel pusher axle was popular, it was fitted in front of the drive axle for prime movers (tractors) to avoid extending the frame, and the P&P axle had brakes fitted. For tray trucks it was popular to fit a single wheel pusher which were mainly fitted behind the drive axle, to allow a longer frame and tray, to gain more loading capacity (1 or 2 pallets) and avoid having to extend the tail shaft. These single wheel pushers had if I recall a front steer axle with non turning wheels and individual springs, I can't recall if they all had brakes on these single wheels.

And this single wheel pusher was most common across Europe and UK, I think that we copied the UK with the single wheel axles. I have seen the UK and European single pushers fitted both in front and behind the drive axle.

Single wheel pushers were also fitted to long distance buses, mostly behind the drive axle. 

page and page was popular in Aust, 1965 Inter R200 with Page and page, lower truck tare weight more pay load for highway work, reduced maintenance so made a lot of sense, really how often is the tandem drive used on highway work where snow and ice not a concern?

And they made them 4WD, some are still running about in Aust, rare and people are keeping them.

The designers were very clever the way they stamped the V into the front panel and the indented reverse of the V is the outline of the W.

Hello Vlad, your excellent work demonstrates your passion and dedication. Given the extensive work you are doing and your local weather seasons, may I suggest that you consider applying the LIZARD SKIN products to all the cabin body panels that are not the final painted panels.

I have posted here about LS before, the LS will be a 100% cover and protection in all the metal joints, welds, hidden sections as long as you apply it properly following the instructions. After you have completed all the repairs and there is zero rust, then first you have to apply primer to all the metal surfaces to seal the metal. Then you proceed to apply the 2 LS products, 1st the sound control and 2nd the LS. 

If you want a smooth finish on the fire wall facing the engine, I can give the process to achieve this result and I can send you pics of our B model cabin when we applied the 2 LS products.

Then you will not require any other applications for sound and heat and metal protection, only your painting products for the external metal panels that you see. And you do the 2 internals of the doors, especially the bottom sills which rust easily. 

Have a look at the LS web page for more information and videos. Good luck.

I will make some enquiries and see what is available and price today and respond shortly.

Postage could go Australia post and then into US post once it arrives in USA. When I bought our modern steering frame for our B model custom, the supplier at my request sent via US mail, cost was about $US 20 and best part was I ordered and paid on a Friday and it arrived at my home in Melb Aust next Tuesday, yet smaller box of items from US via UPS took nearly 3 weeks

Some of these Valueliners with sloping hood were produced with the 6 cyl E7 Mack motor with 12 speed Mack gearbox, not many made, some went to a Victorian government department and later sold to private buyers. I have a picture somewhere, when I find it will post here.

It would be very interesting to line up Dan Thomas's Aussie Valueliner to a R model cab Brockway and compare the alignment of the front axle and cabin!!!  Did Brockway use the Mack frames?

I see from a side view that the 1976 blue Brockway with the R model Mack cab and the Australian R model V 8 valueliner, seem very similar because the set back front axle/wheels appear to be about same position on the frame of both trucks.

I can see that the one piece hood and guards of the V8 Valueliner would virtually fit onto the Brockway. Is it therefore possible that Aussie V8 Valueliner was based on the 1976 Brockway? And maybe the flat hood 6 cylinder Valueliner model was based on the Brockway?

Orville Speciality Steel Company built most of the extended sleeper cabs out of the day cabs for all the east coast truck manufacturers during late 40's to 50's. I have a letter and pictures from one of the original employees (no 3) that I have been trying to find in my boxes so that I can post here. He was a WW11 vet and in his letter he described how they built the extended cabs. Hopefully  can dig up the info soon 

put the plastic down on top of the base, concretor must not add water to the premix concrete in the agitator before or after it is discharged from the barrrel (it weakens the mix design strength and breaks the concrete curing process) VIBRATE THE CONCRETE as it is placed and no cement dust to be spread when finishing the concrete - in time it will crumble and peel - follow this process and you will get a strong dry concrete slab - 6 inches is minimum and 8 inches is extra strength for your long term safety. If you can get the guys to have a slight fall into the center and out towards the front opening, you can pressure wash the slab and the water will run out the front - or to a proper sludge pit drain - this depends on your local authority re washing out workshop floors etc 

Thank you.

Please kscarbel2 , who owns truck Autocar company now?

3 years ago I was at a Rotary lunch function and the guest speaker was 1 of Australia's (now deceased) most respected motoring journalist. After he finished his talk about motor car industry he was asked his opinion of electric cars. He said that the future is hydrogen powered vehicles, not electric. He also said that he had recently returned from Japan test driving 1 company's (he did not name the company) new prototype cars which were not electric. A few months later without any fanfare Toyota brought 3 Camry's to Australia powered by hydrogen for testing.

The Australian federal government is considering/investigating hydrogen production for export and local use. I also have read that there are a number of hydrogen trials powering public transport buses and other vehicles, with existing engines.

If hydrogen does progress and cost effective and practical conversion kits are made for existing engines, petrol and diesel, millions of cars and trucks will continue to be used with reduced emissions - a win win, especially for our Old Macks and they will be emissions compliant.

I recently saw "The Irishman", there is a scene about mid way thru the movie where the Irishman (lets ignore the actor's name not relevant to this topic!!!) is driving a faded green B model with single axle trailer pan loaded with guns etc for Cuba invasion about 1962, and there were 2 other B models, I recall 1 was red and maybe the 3rd B model was black - not sure!!!