Outbehindthebarn Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 Looking at very clean low mileage CH613 with mechanical E7, Fuller trans, and Mack rears on Camelback. I've never drove or been around a Ch, just thought I'd ask for any thoughts or opinions on the model; short-comings, misgivings, strong points etc. It has the set back axle and is a day cab. Thanks in advance. 1 Quote Fun is what they fine you for!My name is Bob Buckman sir,. . . and I hate truckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex g Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 You'll love the set back axle for getting around. CH is a good truck mechanical is a bonus. Ive got no real complaints with mine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outbehindthebarn Posted December 31, 2019 Author Share Posted December 31, 2019 Is a single frame CL a heavier truck than a CH? Quote Fun is what they fine you for!My name is Bob Buckman sir,. . . and I hate truckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Most of the CH series I've seen are single frame and relatively light weight. Was around one CL and it was a double rail truck and orginally an E9 powered unit. We repowered it to and E7-427, or 454, (don't remember) several years ago. Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullheaded Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 I have driven a lot of heavy spec CL's but here is my old 2000 CH. It was double frame, 14,000 front, 46,000 Eaton rears on Mack air leaf. E7 460 with an Eaton 18 speed. One of the smoothest riding and best handling trucks I have ever driven. Also the best factory headlights I ever had. Never even had a need to use the extra 100W auxiliary lights. It just inspired confidence driving it. No matter if it was white outs or freezing rain, it never did anything that made you feel uneasy. That truck sure worked good. Used to haul bark and logs with it. It was like a bulldozer. I had the temp sensors ripped right off the diff pots and it never got stuck. I can't explain it, but that truck just worked better than most I have had. The downfall.....the E7 full of casting sand and electronics gremlins. When it decided to run though it pulled good. I ran with guys that had same loads and trailers and they had Series 60 500's and 475 Cat's. Yes they could pass me on the hills, but I could keep them in sight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outbehindthebarn Posted January 1, 2020 Author Share Posted January 1, 2020 1 hour ago, Bullheaded said: I have driven a lot of heavy spec CL's but here is my old 2000 CH. It was double frame, 14,000 front, 46,000 Eaton rears on Mack air leaf. E7 460 with an Eaton 18 speed. One of the smoothest riding and best handling trucks I have ever driven. Also the best factory headlights I ever had. Never even had a need to use the extra 100W auxiliary lights. It just inspired confidence driving it. No matter if it was white outs or freezing rain, it never did anything that made you feel uneasy. That truck sure worked good. Used to haul bark and logs with it. It was like a bulldozer. I had the temp sensors ripped right off the diff pots and it never got stuck. I can't explain it, but that truck just worked better than most I have had. The downfall.....the E7 full of casting sand and electronics gremlins. When it decided to run though it pulled good. I ran with guys that had same loads and trailers and they had Series 60 500's and 475 Cat's. Yes they could pass me on the hills, but I could keep them in sight. sharp looking truck. Quote Fun is what they fine you for!My name is Bob Buckman sir,. . . and I hate truckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullheaded Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Thank you Outbehindthebarn. You said you are looking at one with a mechanical E7........I never ran the mechanical E7 (only mechanical E6 and E9's) but I did drive a CL with the first electronic 400 E7. I know it ran good and was problem free. And it would pull almost as good as the 460. They didn't seem to have all the electronic malfunctions the later versions of VMAC electronics had. What year is the one you are looking at? Do all know the specs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeH Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 I have a mechanical e7-350, 1995. Almost 20,000 hours and the engine hasn't needed a thing yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, JoeH said: I have a mechanical e7-350, 1995. Almost 20,000 hours and the engine hasn't needed a thing yet. You don't suppose being a mechanical engine has anything to do with it?😁😁 terry Edited January 1, 2020 by terry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
880joe Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 I like my CH's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bts-4120 Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 had one long ago e7-350 manual pump all mack pulled like a freight train felt closer to 450hp than 350. trouble free grossed 130k it was a tank of a truck for a single rail 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeH Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 My 350 pulls more like a Chihuahua than a bulldog... But it moves along well enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettj3876 Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 On 12/31/2019 at 8:36 PM, Bullheaded said: I have driven a lot of heavy spec CL's but here is my old 2000 CH. It was double frame, 14,000 front, 46,000 Eaton rears on Mack air leaf. E7 460 with an Eaton 18 speed. One of the smoothest riding and best handling trucks I have ever driven. Also the best factory headlights I ever had. Never even had a need to use the extra 100W auxiliary lights. It just inspired confidence driving it. No matter if it was white outs or freezing rain, it never did anything that made you feel uneasy. That truck sure worked good. Used to haul bark and logs with it. It was like a bulldozer. I had the temp sensors ripped right off the diff pots and it never got stuck. I can't explain it, but that truck just worked better than most I have had. The downfall.....the E7 full of casting sand and electronics gremlins. When it decided to run though it pulled good. I ran with guys that had same loads and trailers and they had Series 60 500's and 475 Cat's. Yes they could pass me on the hills, but I could keep them in sight. Yea i agree about the smoothest and best handling truck I've been in. FL classic, 379, t800, crapcadia....all don't compare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convoyduel Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 That would be an extremely reliable truck. Won’t be the torque monster feel of a 475 Cat but it will be consistently reliable, easily serviceable and will drive very nicely. The EM7’s felt more powerful than the E6’s which were kind of slushy in the CH’s. The mid to late 90’s CH models are excellent money makers and don’t exhaust a driver. The only real downfalls were that the cabs tended to rust around the rear windows and underside corners if they ran in salt and weren’t cleaned much. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outbehindthebarn Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 2 hours ago, convoyduel said: That would be an extremely reliable truck. Won’t be the torque monster feel of a 475 Cat but it will be consistently reliable, easily serviceable and will drive very nicely. The EM7’s felt more powerful than the E6’s which were kind of slushy in the CH’s. The mid to late 90’s CH models are excellent money makers and don’t exhaust a driver. The only real downfalls were that the cabs tended to rust around the rear windows and underside corners if they ran in salt and weren’t cleaned much. This one is a 1990. Was there some change (other than the VMAC) that occurred in the mid-90's? Quote Fun is what they fine you for!My name is Bob Buckman sir,. . . and I hate truckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convoyduel Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Are you sure it’s an E7? My 1990 CH613 has an E6-350. Decent truck just squishy on power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outbehindthebarn Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 6 minutes ago, convoyduel said: Are you sure it’s an E7? My 1990 CH613 has an E6-350. Decent truck just squishy on power. Quote Fun is what they fine you for!My name is Bob Buckman sir,. . . and I hate truckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtymilkman Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Looks like an e-6 to me with no jakes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettj3876 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 On 1/16/2020 at 8:31 AM, convoyduel said: That would be an extremely reliable truck. Won’t be the torque monster feel of a 475 Cat but it will be consistently reliable, easily serviceable and will drive very nicely. The EM7’s felt more powerful than the E6’s which were kind of slushy in the CH’s. The mid to late 90’s CH models are excellent money makers and don’t exhaust a driver. The only real downfalls were that the cabs tended to rust around the rear windows and underside corners if they ran in salt and weren’t cleaned much. And along the back of the sleeper sill. We had to fab a new one for the 93 when we got it. Really the only spot that was cancer. Last summer we blasted the frame from sleeper back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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