You are welcome, Doghouse. It is a good idea to have the overhead run periodically. Some will do it annually. Others will do it about every 250,000 miles. It can really make a difference in how your engine performs. It is also not that expensive. It should run from about $200-400 unless there is something which needs to be replaced.

 

I don't have time for all those toys when I work. I have a TV, but don't usually watch it unless my wife is with me. She likes to watch while I drive. I didn't even have a TV in the truck until about a couple of years ago. I prefer listening to the radio.

 

here too.. i am either driving or in bunk sleeping. stop to eat, shower fuel, or do paperwork. the only time i watch t.v. is at flying j if i'm waiting for backup or heavy traffic to get gone.

 

The overhead bill is around $350,...not too bad. Right in your range Gman,...the tech also said that things look good and clean, like it was a well taken care of engine.
I won't know about fuel mileage until I get on the road, but from what you say Heavy,...it seems right in line with what others have.
Heavy,..does your lower hp cause you any real difficulty on pulling hills,..the last truck I drove had a 430hp cat with no engine brake,....so this time things will be different on both of those fronts.
Pepe,
I can tell you this about the t-mobile card,...it seems to work great,.....except for the cheesy antenna that they have for the unit,...it kind of just "sits" lightly into the side of the card, and if you are typing like I am now,....and your hand hits the antenna,...it falls right off, and then you have to re-acquire a signal before you post,..or the stuff you typed gets lost in e-mail land somewhere (probably goes to the NSA or something like that)
As far as going camping,.....and money to waste.
I started with a budget to buy my truck of around 30 to 40 grand, and only spent 10,000, so some of the rest is going into the "goodies" package.
I remember driving for Stevens before, and here are the things that I wanted to avoid while I am in control of my own business.

1.Showers,toilet-w- hot water
There is no way in hell that I will wait in a truck stop for my number to be called, so I can go take a shower with flip flops on so I don't get some kind of foot-rot from some other "typhoid foot-rot Mary". Let alone what I have seen in some of the toilet stalls,....not for me man,...I would rather empty a holding tank once a month than have to clean somebodies crap/urine off a toilet so I can use it.

2.Refrigerator,micro,stove,sink.
I would rather cook my own meals in the comfort of my own truck as opposed to using a microwave that has exploded food all over the inside of it, and some kind of gaak on the handle. Or eating out a greasy spoon, and not only that, but I have gotten sick more often than most because I eat mostly salads,....and since a salad can't be cooked to kill the bacteria,...I end up ill from careless cooks.

3.TV electronics.
These are tools to use for modern trucking,(except for the TV, kinda, because I use it for an enlarged computer monitor as well).
I'll be using load boards, and posting my truck, faxing contracts, and communicating with my home all from the comfort of my cab.

I think everyone has something in their truck to make their life more bearable. I for one have never had a CB radio. I carry a small handheld for the receiver, or my cell phone works well also.It worked for me at Stevens, it should work well on my own truck.

PlayStation's, I really never got into video games, but as I said before,...whatever it takes to make life better on the road.

My vehicle weight should be around 22,000lbs after the conversion, if I go for a lightweight trailer (10,000lbs) I should be able to haul anything my little DD60 can, so I'm not really concerned about the weight.
I am really looking forward to getting back on the road,...I miss it greatly, and have been planning this for a while now. Just this time,..I am the captain of my ship,...not at the whims of some dispatched who plays favorites with my career.


I'll post pictures of before and after as soon as I get her back.

Drive safe everyone

 

a 3.27 inch tv? how do you see it?

 

No silly, he has three 27 inch TV's.

 

3, that way I can watch 3 movies at once,... thus making the absolute most of my down time

 

You are very wise!

 

Hey Steve,.....you're not at the store stocking up for next week yet??
By now the ants in your pants must be driving you nuckin futs!!