I"LL START BY SAYING I GENERALLY DO THINKS BACKWARDS AND THIS IS NO EXCEPTION. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO I PURCHASED A 1978 MACK U-685ST17054 WITH A FONTAINE 12 YARD DUMP- BODY TO USE ON MY FARM IN PENNSYLVANIA. IT IS A TANDEM TRUCK WITH A FIVE-SPEED FOWARD ONE- REVERSE TRANS. I DID NOT EVEN GIVE ANY THOUGHT ABOUT WEATHER OR NOT I COULD MOVE THIS TRUCK WITH A FULL LOAD ONBOARD UP UNTIL NOW. THE TRUCK HAS A TURBO ENGINE#ETZ675 230HP YEAR1980. I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY 1980 IF THE TRUCK IS A 1978. MY THOUGHT WAS IF THEY HAD THE DUMP-BODY INSTALLED IT WOULD BE A MATCH TO THE TRUCK. THE BODY WAS INSTALLED WHEN THE TRUCK WAS BRAND NEW . I WAS GIVEN THE ORIGINAL PAPERWORK. I PAID 7000.00 FOR THE TRUCK AND IT HAS 350000-MILES . IT ALSO WAS USED ON A DAILY BASIS WITH A PA INSPECTION GOOD UTILL MARCH 2006. I GUESS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS IF THIS TRUCK WILL BE SUITABLE TO HAUL A FULL LOAD OF DIRT A SHORT DISTANCE IN NOT THE STEEPEST OF GRADE . THANK YOU
