Using a SEMI TRUCK (HDT) For Towing an RV. Pros and Cons!
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- Опубликовано: 1 ноя 2020
- #rv #towing #trucks
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why are we watching your truck, when we are talking about a HDT
I have no idea???????
I know. It got so confusing.
Came down here looking for this comment. Right at the top...
He is showing his $100,000 f450 with wide track front axle / wheels. Front wheels on it are as wide as dual rears. That $100,000 f450 class 6 can strand you weeks at a time as well.
At 70mph I get 10mpg pulling my 48’ flatbed (9200 lbs) with my 2017 Freightliner Cascadia with DD13. With 20,000 lbs on the flatbed I get about 9.2mpg. With 48,000 lbs on it (78,000 total lbs) I get 7.2 - 7.4mpg. I mounted a hitch on the rear of it so I could keep my fifth wheel because I still haul the flatbed part time. Kinda Semi retired !! 😆. Also I made a bed that fits over the fifth wheel that I transport my Harley and Samurai on when hauling my 40’ tow behind camper. Nice video. Take care. ✌️
Some points to consider
1. Dot requirements is a pm schedule to be maintained in these trucks. Often it is easy to obtain service records because the majority of off lease are from trucking companies rather than from the single owner operator
2. A significant amount of rv using HDT are full timers
3. Your mpg estimate is from industry standard with the estimated 80,000 pound GVW most HDT owners are seeing upward 9 to 10 mpg.
4. With fuel capacity you have the ability to be more selective on where to purchase fuel. And with volume discount using fuel card often can purchase fuel at a significant discounted rates.
5. The higher profile enables the driver to often have better visibility than a standard pickup
6. HDT ride quality are often are better than a pickup for OTR so driver fatigue needs to be a factor
All good points. My VNL 780 (2015 - 550000 miles) 10.5 mpg bobtail, 9.5 towing. My previous truck was a 2018 F450 (new) and got 9 mpg towing.
That is amazing fuel economy, thank you for your comment
So I have to ask then you emissions equipment is gutted then
@@kylepokorski6045 those are fuel mileage numbers with full emissions compliance.
@@americanrambler4972 I highly doubt it
Agreed. I have a 2011 VNL 780 and get 10-11 pulling my Momentum 381m. My F450 gets about 7-8 pulling it
I am a manager for a company with a fleet of 30 freightliners that do regional and short haul. Just one man’s perspective, but disc brakes seem to have a little too much hype. First, if you are using a class eight to pull an RV, both disc brakes and drum brakes Will be more than sufficient. Second, when it comes to cost, disc brakes are only cheaper to maintain if you do not ruin the rotors. One benefit of drums is that it is much easier to check your brake life with your wheels and tires still mounted. if we are swapping tires on one of our tractors with disc brakes we make sure that our mechanic is there to inspect the brakes when the tire guys pull the wheels and tires off. Third, I have seen these big disc brakes get stuck after a hard braking Situation, but we have not experienced that with drums (not saying this is impossible with drum brakes). I mention point number three because if you don’t recognize a stuck brake, you could end up having that brake catch on fire and burn your whole rig down.
On a final and separate note, of our 30 trucks only two of them are pre-emissions. The other 28 are 2015 through 2024s. I know for this audience a 2024 is probably not the model being discussed but when it comes to emissions equipment , that doesn’t matter. To try and make this point without getting too scientific, think about a 1 ton Drw , with two different drivers. One of them is a hotshot guy who pulls at max weight most of the time and the other commute a total of 40 miles a day and works in an office. The guy that works in the office will probably experience a higher regen frequency on the emissions equipment than the hotshot guy. Newer diesel trucks are not made to idle like the old ones. The combustion process is very inefficient at idle and you do run a higher risk of clogging your diesel particulate filter. The hot shot guy will probably have a cleaner diesel particulate filter because he is towing very heavy very often and diesel particulate filters need that heat to burn off all the soot that is caught in the filter. Now consider pulling a fifth wheel with an 18 wheeler. That tractor is not having to work very hard so it may not be given the same amount of opportunity to burn the soot that has built up in the filter. Luckily, most emissions, equipped trucks nowadays, as long as you get them up to highway speed, they can start dosing Fuel into your exhaust to passively regen , but that can only occur at high enough speeds. If the truck asks you to perform a regen definitely do it. If you plan on Boondocking and camping where you do not have power hook ups, maybe see if there is an APU that can be installed on your 18 wheeler. That’s the most optimal way for over the road truck drivers to have climate control capabilities while not running the motor i’m not sure if they make one strong enough to power a fifth wheel but at this point, we’re pretty much just talking about using a generator instead of the tractors motor. I hope this is helpful for someone.
If interested in the HDT, then go toan HDT rally and talk to the folks who are already doing it.
Would definitely be nice to have seen a semi truck next to the pickup hooked up to a fifth wheel camper !😱
FYI, modern day class 8 tractors( the last 40 years or more ) have been manufactured with " Bob tail " proportional brakes. IE, when bob tailing the brake system is not nearly as sensitive to stopping as you suggested. Full braking is in effect when the red trailer brake supply valve is engaged when hooked up.
I have a 2001 Vokvo VNL660 hauling a 45' 5er. Spent a lot of time looking at pickup trucks. Just could not get over how much smaller a truck is then the trailer. So we ended up with an HDT. Have never wished we had a pickup instead. It's very comfortable, and fits our 4 kids 2 adults and 4 dogs in the truck without issue. Cant do that in a pickup.
I was able to purchase my 2001 freightliner sport chassis for less than $30,000 and it only had 162K miles! I’m now looking for the perfect RV!
Just got my first 5th Wheel camper. Just over 42 feet. Hauling it with a Sport Chassis Freightliner. Wish me luck lol.
Don't forget about the slight panic attacks in RV parks when a HDT pulls in and the limited amount of RV parks that allow it. Plenty of parks allow my 42ft 5th wheel but accepting my HDT as well is another battle I need to plan for. Great Video as always
A HDT may need a state inspection every 30 to 90 days also a a cost of +$100 per inspectkon.
When I drove a Freightliner Classic XL, I could get a tad over 7 mpg pulling max gross. I had a 12 liter Detroit 9 speed governed at 65 mph. The Series 60 was rated at 435 hp on the foot, 500 on cruise. That was a 2002 model with only 17k miles on it when it was assigned to me.
New Volvos get close to 9 with compound turbo. Peak torque at lower rpm as well
Yeah a full up semi is a solution I would recommend only for a retired truck driver, preferably one who bought out his last rig. Frankly I shudder at the idea of some old guy fresh out of the CDL Mill and spending zero time working under the supervision of an experienced driver hopping behind the wheel of a true Class 8 and pulling a 30,000 lb 5th wheel across the country.
I will say that the bobtailing issue is overrated, just slow down and increase following distance and you will be fine most of the time. ( and the rest of the time you should be staying off the road anyway.)
I think the main reason why you would want a Runabout vehicle is because a semi cannot go everywhere. Most Mega Marts don't care about a bobtail semi parked on the lot, however pretty much everywhere else may have a problem. There's also the standard concerns of Bridge height and weight limits.
100% agree with the first part. The thought of that is scary and unsafe
It's like driving a mobile RV. Check out Suite Travels and other youtubers who are pulling their RVs with a HDT. There's a community of them.
When getting repairs done "big trucks = big bucks". Seriously, I drove my own truck for 15 years and my last semi was a 1995 Volvo with a Detroit Series 60. I almost never used a dealership for repairs unless it was for warranty work. And sometimes not then if it was going to cost me 2 days down time. I had my best luck with mobile techs. I also had a mechanical backgground to be able to do many things my self. Of course the problem there is having the right part with you when something breaks! As far as fuel mileage goes, I spent a couple years delivering automobiles, rv's, vans, etc and there were also drivers using Dodge Rams 5.9 and Ford 7.3 and I was getting better fuel milage, longer service intervals, and was definately much easier on components like clutch, brakes, transmission, bushings. That said, I would never use a class 8 for pulling an RV. I think there would be insurance issues, decreases the number of places available to fuel, ease of entry, my wife would be overwhelmed by the size, and.future repair costs on a 500,000+ mile semi. Companies take trucks off lease around 500,000 miles for a reason. Repair costs start to increase and down time increases also. One week downtime for a repair could cost more than $5000+ when counting the actual repair + lost revenue.
Have seen plenty semi pull horse trailer with living Quarters and horse trailer RV conversion in Florida
If I were full time I wouldn’t hesitate to go HDT. Great video.
Me and the husband pull our 5th wheel with a 2014 freightliner cascadia (He still uses truck for OTR work so couldn't change anything on truck) We bought the jackalopee truck/trailer converter and a Bluetooth break controller everything hooks up nicely. Wouldn't change a thing. 🙂
I'm in and out of rental and lease trucks. My favorite automated transmission is in the Freightliner. The engine is a Detroit DT13 and the transmission is the DT12. The transmission is load sensitive. Empty the transmission will start in 5th gear and skip gears. It also uses the engine brake to slow the engine during the shift process to speed the process. Empty with the trailer it has no problem keeping up with traffic.
The transmission has three settings, performance, economy and manual. In manual mode it can be shifted with a single up and down paddle. The engine brake works like a champ in performance mode.
I'd love to have a class 8 for rv towing. The obstacle I see is having a vehicle to drive when the rv is set up.
My mpg at 65 mph
7-8 at 76,000lbs
8-9 at 40,000
9-10 empty or bobtailing
Anything over 65 is drops and at 75+ I don't even want to know
We pay about 250.00 for a full lube and oil change and run it for 20,000 miles. Over-the-road and light duty they can run up to 40,000 miles
A truck with disc brakes utilizes the front brakes when bobtailing. It stops so much better than a truck with drums. Disc also stay dry in rain.
People hauling their camper in their 1 ton need to slow down - don't drive 30k pounds like a race car.
You made this sound way harder than it is. some of your facts are wrong. I'm a truck driver. I've been driving for 25 years. I'll go over a few things that you said that are wrong. in the last few years trucks have been available with disc brakes. either on just the front axel or all. they are optional and they're pretty good. as far as the warranty, just like a used car you can get them on used trucks. the manufacturers warranty is usually 5000,000 miles so if you look around you can find one with 300,000 or 350,000 miles on it that still has some warranty left and of course you can by more. i truck carrying the weight of an RV should get anywhere from 7 to 8 mpg's and yes it costs a lot to fill 250 gallons but at 7 mpg's that over 1500 miles per tank. As far as repairs. major repairs can take a while if they need to order parts that they don't usually carry but a lot of things can be done at a truck stop like fixing an air leak and minor air leaks don't have to be rushed to the shop. the compressor is driven off of the engine so it can keep up. for me, the main reason that I wouldn't use a big truck is size. most of the other stuff you talk about is wrong. trucks even have windows in the sleeper. the one thing you said that I agree with is backing under your trailer with an automatic. that why a lot of the older drivers like manual transmissions. we like having full control over it. I'm sure there's something i missed but I'll end it here. I will say this though. personally I would rather have a pick up but I don't really want a giant 25,000 or 30,000 lb 5th wheel. One other thing. if any of you decide to get a tractor make sure you get one with a Detroit or a Cummins motor. if it breaks down it'll be a lot easier to have it worked on. All of the truck manufacturers except Mack offer them as optional engines so all shops can easily work on them. Manufacturer specific motors are harder to get worked on like Volvo or Mack or even Pacar and International.
Everything you said is true. I just bought a Volvo HDT. I’d recommend to anyone that’s purchasing one to spend the money to have it fully inspected. Fluid checks, Dino, etc. That way, you know what you’re getting.
Just my opinion but if you’re looking to save money, an HDT isn’t cheap. You may be able to pay less than a brand new F450 loaded but everything else is more.
Thank you Lori. The point of this video was not to be argumentative or to state one is better than the other. It was to give perspective on both fairly. I think sometimes people are so enthralled in their own purchase that they're unwilling to be unbiased towards it. Thank you for your honesty, I truly appreciate it.
You can buy a used class 7 or 8 truck CONSIDERABLY less than a new F450.
@@BigTruckBigRV 6mpg ? maybe 8 or 9mpg is the norm i suspect and even 10mpg if you take it easy.
Love the video. Disc brakes are a option on class 8 trucks. I had a 2014 Kenworth T680 with disc brakes.
I was going to make this comment. Disc brakes are getting more common here in the states on class 8 trucks.
Disc brakes are an option on trucks manufactured in the last 15 years. They are becoming more popular option for many fleets due to their increased performance HOWEVER for hauling a 20-30k lbs camper the performance is increases may not be noticable with that little of weight. The other huge downfall to disc brakes on class 8 trucks is the cost of ownership. New technology= more$$$. My recommendation would be stick with drum brakes that are cheap and have worked well for years. Especially for light load hauling.
Wanted to clarify about the class 8 "automatic" transmissions and some bobtailing advice.
Automated transmissions aren't fast shifting in some cases and in a few other cases, the clutch application can be a "on or off" situation where a normal manual, you can feather the throttle and clutch and you can select a better gear ratio rather than always starting in 1st gear in a automated shift transmission.
As far as bobtailing, it's easiest to bobtail with conventional dual rear tires whereas "super singles" will provide better MPG on dry roads, wet roads make the rear end hydroplane easier.
A lot of newer tractors in the United States have disc brakes as well. Unfortunately, many do not because American truckers generally speaking don't embrace anything that wasn't around when their grandfather was driving.
Not quite true. Truckers don’t embrace anything that is not demonstrably more reliable, has better functionality, lasts longer and is less costly to repair. Otherwise they stick with what works in their environment. If it helps their bottom line, and keeps them rolling, then they are all in on it like white on rice. Back in the 1970’s, disk brakes and antilock brakes were tried on American domestic trucks, and the technology was not mature enough then for prime time. The failure rate, performance and cost was not acceptable, and they gained a bad reputation. It took a long long time to over come that. The same was true with automatic transmissions. The penetration of automatic transmissions and air disk brakes are now increasing substantially because cost, performance and reliability/durability is now being successfully demonstrated in the market. If a trucker or the company sees it improving their performance and reliability, and thus the profitability or income verses the older technology, they adopt it quite handily.
@@americanrambler4972 that may be true of the larger companies; but not so much for the individuals. Most of them are not nearly old enough to remember anything in the 1970s. Also, if what you say is true, the old Pete 389 would be gone a long time ago because you pay a significant price in fuel efficiency to have a truck that looked like it was built during the Carter administration
These are very good points, but if anyone is really interested in getting into an HDT should really go to a rally to learn all pros and cons.
Thanks for all you do to educate folks on all things RV and trucks
I have 30 years experience on big trucks and stage coaches....and now city buses.
We are going full time when I retire....on the fence about going big truck single axle or a pickup dually.
Will keep watching you to see what RV information could help.
In this big truck video I just wanted to add my 2 cents worth....most big trucks these days come with air ride suspension so bobtailing isn't as bad as say 10 years ago..my last truck (9200 International) rode pretty good.
The other thing people might consider is lienceing. Such as CDL etc.
Where we live big trucks need annual inspections which could be costly over a pickup.
Anyways keep up the great work/ reviews and videos.
I'm sure they are helping thousands of folks
Rob.
As always an excellent video. I know I'm a little late to the party, but wanted to make sure there was one more aspect every needs to be aware of with HDTs.
If you have RV based roadside assistance (which is usually better than your standard insurance carriers limited roadside assistance) you need to read the fine print really closely.
For many of them, like Escapees or SafeRide, a vehicle with sleeping quarters is considered an RV and they only allow one RV per policy. This means that a fifth wheel towed behind an HDT with a sleeper is not part of the policy. Not a big deal to get a second policy, but a real bummer if you think you are covered and you aren't when something goes wrong.
Anyway, make sure everyone checks the fine print, and keep up the amazing work.
Newer semi trucks can be spec for disc over air and they last about 200,000 miles. All the newer trucks at my job are disc brakes. Slowly phasing out drum brakes.
We are getting 400k out of our disc semi trucks
The last truck I drove had 720k on pads for air disc brakes
I think you did pretty good job on the pros and cons. Been and company driver for 10 years and owner-operator for 20year.
I had an HDT and pulled my fifth wheel many times with it. But I did use it primarily for hauling heavy equipment. I converted the pin box on the trailer to gooseneck, that way I only needed to have a removable ball mounted behind the hitch. I could go in the back and sleep, even had a small bathroom in the sleeper. Kitchen even though compact. Worked great for boon-docking. It looked rather overkill to have a 4 axel HDT semi hauling a 18k LB trailer! No longer have the truck, sold it with the business a few years ago. Currently I use a Chevy 1 ton with a goose neck service body. Love the concept but still a big and wide body! All the extra storage is wonderful. A box for blocking, tools for repairs, a place for extra fuel can and DEF, even a place for my air compressor! Truly self sufficient on the road!
2020 f350 srw here. Payload is just shy of 3800 lbs and towing is 22k max gooseneck (i am using gooseneck conversion to my RV because i prefer gooseball coupling over kingpin) and I tow my grand design 381m (20k gcw, typically loaded to 18k resulting in a pin weight of around 3200 lbs) and it does great. Drw isn't an option for me due to snow and city driving. But I have the new 10 speed with 475 hp and 1050 lbft (if I remember correctly)and my wife usually gets about 22-25mpg (at the pump) commuting 100 miles a day and we get around 11 mpg towing. Could not be happier especially since where I live diesel is cheaper than gas and I have a fleet card giving me even more discounts. I have towed in over 20 mph crosswinds too and haven't had any issue with sway or getting pushed around. I may swap to the long bed f350 to get the 4400 lbs of payload in the near future so I don't have to worry as much about distributing the weight in the RV, but for now it all works great.
“Bobtailing a semi tractors are not fun” I love bobtailing semis
You are the exception. Bobtailing is easier but fun/enjoyable it is not.
My dad had a class 8 strait truck. 66 GMC we converted to a boom tow truck. to haul Class 8s. wasn't allowed to drive it cause it had air brakes. His other was an International 1700. it had non air brakes. I loved it.
There are 3 pedal versions of the automated transmission which avoids the lurching you spoke about when hooking up. Basically you use the clutch for starts and stops, with the computer taking over for normal shifting.
The new automatic in semi have urge to move work just like you automobile are very smooth when taking off and backing up
The biggest issue of semi tractors pulling lighter trailers is that the braking system is designed to be most efficient at full capacity; that is, with the full 80,000 lbs. An RV just isn't going to have that kind of weight, nor the air trailer brakes (which, again, the semi is designed for), reducing the effectiveness of the brakes all around, particularly in conditions of poor traction (bobtailing has the same issue, only worse). I don't know if this could be modified, but without modification, it does present a hazard, especially to the novice.
As to road repairs, many truck stops have shops, & a number of roadside service companies exist (as others have posted). A good start there is a truck stop listing book, which collects info on truck stops, rest stops, & other services, and what services & amenities they offer (a lot like similar books for RVs). Best bet is to do some research on your route before rolling.
A lot of good info....I want to add a few other things. The front brakes are only 10% of braking and the auto transmission shifts using air so if you don’t have enough air it will not shift. Need to be able to find air leaks or you will be stranded.
The truck I drive now has to have 100 pounds our transmission won't go in gear.
No air and you can’t release the breaks
We have duallys with gooseneck horse trailers and tractor trailers and we found our single axle Volvo with a sleeper gets just as good fuel milage hooked to our gooseneck as our Chevy 3500 duallys. We use that setup for long trips quite frequently
J just bought a fixer upper 2015 Peterbilt 579 with the mx13 engine, its a mid deck sleeper, disc brakes all around, at an auction for $2,100, could not pass emissions. Looks like it was just a bad egr cooler and a missing sensor. Might very well haul a big RV but i would put the rv minus its suspension on a lowboy equipment trailer, will have better brakes. Saw a guy doing that up here in Alaska. Takes rough roads far better.
The wheel brakes on a class 8 aren’t designed to stop an 80k pound load. Any driver relying on them coming down a big hill with 80k in tow is in for a thrilling surprise. There’s a ton more that goes into these trucks that takes years to learn for someone who does it every day. Let alone a weekend warrior who’s never driven bigger than a 3/4 ton.
The Army trained me to drive an M920 in just a few weeks. Just saying.
@@CPTTango30 idk why truck drivers make driving a truck seem like it’s a rocket ship
@@CPTTango30 learning to drive one, is far different than operating one properly and efficiently.
@@luisfloressidekick because it is when you have to encounter the other morons on the road...
Heck I’ve been driving 18 wheeler for over 25 years and i am still learning everyday. Mountains grades for anyone is a challenge and as they say you can go down steep grades slow all day long and one time going fast as hell and thats your last ride.
I don't remember which company does this but there is a company that converts semi-trailers to RVs like a 53 foot trailer for class 8 trucks! The frame of the trailer doesn't change just what's on it so the kingpin can still handle those large slams from class 8 trucks! If I would get a RV & want to get a class 8 truck to pull it, chances are I'm going with an actual semi-trailer to have converted for it!
Was it SpaceCraft by any chance?
I
love watching most of your video it so informative
Curious as to how the braking system is going to work. with air system in the tractor, is there a system that can control electrical brakes in the RV trailer, or will the tractor brakes suffice both?
There is an electronic box that is used to convert the wiring on the truck to be compatible with the trailer.
Being a retired truck driver, your video is mostly correct. A lot of companies are switching to air disc brakes on their equipment. The engines today are designed to last well over 1M miles. Most companies do take care of their equipment. Volvo and Kenworth offer studio like sleepers with couches/dinettes. Fuel capacity now is typically 180 gallons and DEF tanks ranging from 13 to 23 gallons. Most trucks today loaded to 80k will average 6-8 mpg but pulling a 5th wheel travel trailer 8-10 would not be unrealistic. Dry service is typically done every 15k while oil changes done every 30k. Insurance is also another factor as well as the possibility of needing a cdl or non commercial cdl like what is required here in California. You have to have a motorhome endorsement and non-commercial cdl to pull any travel trailer or 5th wheel or to operate a self comtained unit.
Disk brakes are available on lots of newer trucks KW,Pete,and Western Star.
Great video. The newer automated manuals are quite a bit smoother going down the road than the old ones. Also, with a tractor you have the advantage of air ride suspension. Some of them also on the front axle. Much more comfortable than a class III, four or five truck. Not to mention air suspension for the cab and, really wonderfully, air ride driver and optionally passenger seat
This seems like advice that someone would give about semi trucks 20-30 years ago, alot of decent new auto transmissions shift as good as pickups, manuals in semis are super easy to learn too as long as you're not afraid, most new tractors have disc brakes or atleast optioned, and I've bobtailed my single screw day cab lots in florida downpours while you should be careful its not dangerous. Also to get a tractor repaired it's way easier to find a shop than a class A RV
There are many US semi manufacturers with air disk brakes on the vehicles they are very common
Agreed, just rare in terms of off lease trucks that are 5ish years old....according to the GM of a major Semi dealer I work with
Even then it's just front air disc
@@kylepokorski6045 we have a few pete 389s that are a few years old and it's disk brakes on all corners plus the trailer.
We had lots problems with air disc brakes on our volvos
@@BigTruckBigRV Not that uncommon, You just have to know where to look.
Most class 8 manufacturers have crossed over to air actuated disc brakes the past several years. And many of those tucks are coming to the used market.
We use a class 6 truck which is the same footprint as a dually pickup And has the advantage of a heavier running gear works for us repair costs are about equal to a one ton pickup fuel mileage is a bit less
Don’t have to fuel as often and can shop around for best price. MPG is closer to 8-10 when properly equipped
Pulling a 20K# 5er with my F-450 I'm also getting about 9 mpg.. (6.7 PSD and the new 10-sp)..
you were talking about how large trucks are jerky, it depends on what brand you get like Kenworth doesn't know how to make an automatic transmission so it is very jerky and painful to drive at slow speeds. mack on the other hand is really good it feels smooth and you can crawl at slow speeds just fine, Freightliner feels like a normal automatic transmission, and I was told International is about the same as Freightliner.
Also the mileage is not the only item to check. Run hours. Some trucks will idle for a weekend waiting for a dock appointment. Some do have a stand-alone to prevent this but I have witnessed trucks having to run the main to keep the truck comfortably during harsh weather conditions.
Well the only thing you got wrong was the mpg on the truck. I average 8mpg cross country in my class 8 hauling a 53ft trailer with 40,000lbs of freight. My 5th wheel weighs 14,000lbs fully loaded so I can expect 10mpg or more towing it cross country. My auto shift is very smooth shifting even when bobtail. Everything else in this video I agree with. Great info in video. Thanks
What kind of fuel mileage do you get on average unloaded/loaded with your F450?
They are extremely nose heavy when Bobtailing. My Volvo with 600 hp Cummins and 13 speed trans. and the set back front axle, bob tail I could lift the rear axles off the ground under hard braking.
Very sharp turning radius and fantastic ride, (air ride suspension, air ride cab and air seats). But yes you are correct a loaded trailer is preferred. Even with a lightly loaded trailer #30,000 it was easy does it in the winter.
Also I want to mention I love your Channel
A dually so lovely to import this is a small fortune .
I found your info to be quality and informative. Thank you. Jesus be in y'all !
The real question is can a dually pickup reach up to 500,000 as a semi-truck? It really boils down to what you want a truck for and how much driving you're doing.
Class 8 truck class 8 repair Bills 29k for an inframe and head job yay
This people are insane even to consider this...🤣🤣🤣
Amortize that out over a million + miles, compared to MAYBE 300,000 on a pickup.
@@blackdog714 emissions friendly rigs your doing 2 to 3 in frames over the span of 1.2 million miles so that's 90k plus the cost of the truck there's no financial gain but at the end of the day you can show everybody how small your socks are by driving one
@@kylepokorski6045 3 in frames on million mile truck is lot. I drove non emissions truck with close 1 million with no inframes.
@@kylepokorski6045 I own a fleet ...with proper maint 1 million BEFORE major work... Have 32 yr owning class 8.
Class 8 trucks have disc brakes from about 2011 on it is standard now for safety
Front disc.
@@BigTruckBigRV They use drum on back on 2020 I have disc on the front You can option on the new ones with disc brakes on all axles
We have disc breaks in class 8 trucks in Canada. I assume USA has it as well also.
With third four thousand lbs on the drives, that helps with your ride. Pulling a fifth wheel with the hitch at the back of the tractor, the weight on the drives is about mabe a little more than half, you will shake the heck out of the fifth wheel. Class eights are not made to pull 5th wheel trls. I drove for thirty years and I will argue this till I am six feet under. 265 inch wheel base with a fifty three ft trl grossed out at eighty thousand lbs still gives you, especially on our wonderful highways, one heck of a ride. I would think twice about buying one just to haul a fifth wheel. Everyone wants to be a trucker. I can sit here and con everything about a class eight truck.
2001 Volvo 660 Cummings in frame didn’t even know the 40 footer was behind it. Great custom truck looking for one
I would add most heavy truck repairs are out of the realm of many diy guys. I did heavy truck and equipment for years. If you plan to diy your repairs plan on a budget for tools.
Love my 07 Volvo 630.
I drive a class 8 and not having any problems with that you putting out here my truck is 244” long and get about 10 mpg
They are putting disc brakes on class 8 trucks
I have my CDL but haven't drivin in years.. So my question is for the average joe license.. If your not using it for commercial use,do you still need a CDL,the D.O.T. card and drug card?
Check out RV Haulers and most or your concerns for high mileage, Also Summit and and Sport Chassis put an 800 lb weight on the rear axle to make them more manageable
Several years ago I was at an RV show where there was a custom built peterbilt truck specifically designed to tow fifth wheels. It looked kind of similar to a class five truck from the big three, but I was thinking it might ride better with the famous peterbilt suspension system they're known for. Of course, this was being sold as a new vehicle so you weren't going to get the cost savings that you talked about in this video. I would like to know if anybody has used this type of vehicle from peterbilt. Perhaps they don't even do it anymore?
At the end of the day personally I would go class 8 and I would go with the Mack R model not the best looking truck but the toughest.
Would be nice till that R model broke your rv in too a pile of scrap the ride in every R model I drove was ruff and that small cab would suck. But I do love the looks of the R model on of the best looking IMO only truck I like more is a W900a
Regardless of the truck you choose to tow with do your research and buy what you are happy with as long as it is safe and not overloaded. I use a medium duty International and am happy it has pros and cons to it and it is not for everyone as far as operating cost it is slightly higher than a pickup the fact that I feel it is safer towing with it gives me the justification for the added increase in cost it is a personal choice that each individual needs to be happy and safe
I have watched a lot of youtube videos about these trucks. The people that use the big semi trucks say its the stopping power in the big truck, is why they bought the semi.
Something I think about rv's is what happens when you start to tow and your slides did not come in all the way. like is there something that blocks you from doing that?
Nope, nothing
In my opinion you should always, always, always do a walk around of the entire rig whenever you hook a trailer up and every trailer you tow should have it’s own unique checklist above and beyond the basics like lights, tires etc.
BTBV most of your points are correct but as with anything you need to learn about the tool your using. General maintenance is generally the same if not cheaper. Usually with my experience HDT will get fixed a lot faster then a class 3, 4, or 5 truck from the big 3. Fuel economy will be a lot better with an HDT compared to a truck from the big 3. Also the HDT will climb hills a lot better then class 4 or 5 trucks from the big 3. On the case of tires you could go to Super Singles and get better fuel economy. Yes they are more expensive and may not pay for themselves but will help. The tires on class 8 trucks can last up to 400,000+ miles depending on maintenance and getting lucky to not hit nails and whatnot in the roads. Some of the newer class 8 trucks have disk brakes and air bags up front. Lastly hooking up to a trailer with a automatic class 8 truck is just as difficult as with a class 3, 4, or 5 truck. A class 8 truck with an automatic transmission will not be jumpy if you Learn how to use it. You never want to slam into your King Pin wether it is on a 5th wheel or semi trailer. The sleeper on a class 8 truck like you said can be made into any setup that you could dream of. Honestly JD I would suggest you ride in one and see what it is like! Yes it’s bigger but it’s just a large car! Keep up with the great content!!!!!
Thanks for the comment! I have driven 3 different Class 8 trucks over the years. With my RUclips channel, this is the one I drove ruclips.net/video/den7nUd7Aas/видео.html
Being in class 8 truck maintenance I have to agree with the first part of this comment. HDT maintenance should be competitive if not better in some situations. No you will not find a HDT repair shop in most small towns but if you look around any interstate where the trucks run you will find repair facilities set up to repair HDT and get them back to hauling freight asap. These HDT are many people's job and if broken down they loose money every day their in the shop. Repairing these trucks is a serious deal 365 days a year.
maintenance on a class 8 is truck is cheaper when you consider the PM and wear items.
Thank you for the information how much can you toll will you 450 dually
I would go with a sport chassis vs a semi but that’s just me
semi trucks don't surge unless you have a hopeless driver .
on the preventive maintenance for semi trucks its easier than a regular truck since all Petros ,TA ,and many other truck stops have a service bay for complete chassis service you dont need to unhook your trailer .
interesting video
Remember, a slightly movements in a truck weighing 20k back towards a stationary fifth wheel is far more intense than a 8-9k pickup doing it. You can "accidentally" damage you fifth wheel without even knowing it.
I would unhook my trailer, then go back to my trailer while my truck is being serviced.
When Big Truck Big Rv watches his own videos . later on buys a semi truck tow rig
Just to let you know that 70%of semi are now disk brakes and it’s growing because the disk brakes are less down time and last longer and its less cost than the drum brake set up most companies are choosing disk brakes but there is a few out there that have not changed yet but they will end up changing because of cost
4-6mpg is only to be had with at least two of the following: a mechanical engine, a lead foot, or something needs repaired.
Also a big big issue DOT. Yearly physicals. If your use cpap per Dot you have to have yearly physicals. Per 2020.
Cost to repair $$$$$.
Parking limitation. No Jake brake or engine brakes in some states and cities. And that's just a few things I run into driving commercial
My semi is close to 40 feet long has 3 drive axles that are 102 inches wide and 36,000 pounds
Your so cool.
Fuel economy actually isn’t that bad in an HDT. Our renegade motor home is built on a freightliner Columbia chassis and we have a 30’ stacked trailer behind it for racing. We are around 56,000lbs loaded and get about 8.0-8.5 mpg on stock gearing. Watts on Wheels, a RUclips channel, has a Volvo HDT for their trailer and re-geared the truck to better suit their weight. They get almost 11mpg. Compare that to Fast Lane Trucks 2020 comparison of the Ford, GMC, Ram 3500 towing comparison at 31,000lb towing and they all got around 6mpg. If you are going to be towing very heavy, or over 22,000-24,000 lbs your are far better off going to a mid size like an M2 or T300 or better yet a class 8 truck.
Transmissions, rear ends and engines usually are warranted for 350 -750k miles !!!
Good video....but I would like to say as far as mpg goes--
I drive a 2020 Freightliner Cascadia. I have 169400 miles on it with a lifetime mpg of 8.3.
But I would not want to shake my rv to death using this to pull it...
Semi trucks you can get them with disc brakes now
If I got away from a motor home, I would seriously consider a class 8 tractor with something like a Sundowner toy hauler. I would go a different way than most though, probably a Kenworth K100 maybe a Peterbilt 352, yea I know they ride rougher but I like em. If I were to go with a conventional it would probably be a Pete 359 day cab.
Don't do it unless you can keep $10 to $20 000 in the bank for repairs and maintenance. Many owner operators gone broke because maintenance is very expensive. The semi truck will have to be registered as RV. Meaning it will need microwave, fridge and some type of toilet. I own semi Kenworth and I get really nervous when my maintenance account drops below $10k. Repair bills in the thousands are routine for semi truck. IMO you are much better off getting a regular pickup truck unless you have the income to maintain semi truck and know how to drive it.
I have a F450...and I've towed loads that would freak you out...but that's me.
I'd really like to know where someone would be able to test drive a Volvo sleeper cab HDT or similar. Having driven multiple commercial chassis emergency vehicles, 90k lb fire trucks, and nearly a dozen different retired military tractors, I kind of have an idea of what I'm in for but would like to know for sure. Worst case it saves me quite a few hours searching for one of these things online
European trucks have been on disc brakes for the last 25 years or so and trailers have for around 15-20 years.
lots of military trucks use allison autos with torque converters that are smoother than automated manuals. Not sure if you can find commercial trucks with autos like this but they would be more familiar feeling for new truck drivers.
You can, but I think the highest rear gear you can have is 4.30. Any higher and you burn up your clutch packs.
Thanks. JD.
I love my new truck that the why I ordered it. He is named RONA because it took me 4 months to get it. Holds 119 gal of diesel.
You seem to be lumping autoshift transmissions in with fully automatic transmissions. I have driven both, and the Allison automatic 6 speed acts just like your F350 automatic, and yes it will shift a little harder. You still have to be very careful, because of the weight of the truck backing into the hitch. If you want to have fun, go off the stoplight with the Allison next to a car and leave the car in the dust.
If were were to switch from our class A Diesel Pusher to a luxury 5th wheel I want to address one thing you did not talk about. We travel with our 3 cats. In a 5th wheel they cannot travel in the coach, so they would have to travel in the pick up truck with us which makes for tighter quarters for everyone. i would look at a Semi Truck with an extended cab so we had a back area for fridge, big lounge bed and more room if someone wanted to get up and move around. Anytime you want to stop for food while towing with a pick up truck, you have to pull into a place to eat. I just like the idea of more space .
Hi...I agree with most of what you are saying but still not correct on alot...I have a large DRV...pulled it with my 1ton dually for 4 years...learned real quick...it work the truck and me...retired from 48 years of oversize heavy haul and knew that a hdt would be better...took my Western star HDT and converted it...repair shops still cost about the same...lots of money no matter how you look at it...mpg...about the same ..8mpg for my dually..8-10 for my hdt...it is harder to get into some camp grounds..I have found that the pros out weigh the cons by FAR...NO WAY would I go back to pulling a large 5th wheel without a hdt...thanks...if you would like to see my set up...go to rvillage and look me up...J&A