Copperhead |
05-30-2010 11:29 PM |
The size of the engine and hp ratings are not the real issue with that type of work. All the other components of the truck must be top line stuff to handle extreme cold, rough conditions and be reliable to lower risk of breakdown when someone is way out away from shops. I drove in Alaska for 10 years and the size and hp of the engine was not really top of the list of things I worried about. But temps that regularly get at, near, or below -50F can really be brutal on equipment. Brake lines, suspension components, etc will really start to take a beating in that kind of cold. We even ran tubes in the tires to prevent the bead from breaking when the truck would sit for only a couple of hours and a tire go flat. Just sitting for a couple of hours, the tires would stiffen such that it took a while to get them to soften enough to not feel like you were running over railroad tracks. We called it the "Fairbanks Square Tire effect". Along with air dryers, we also ran alchohol injection systems to put alchohol regularly in the air system to keep things from freezing up. It is very important to carry a number of spare parts, fluids, and plenty of tools. Belts and hoses (coolant and air) are the most suseptible to breaking at the most inoportune time. Fuel filters are critical!!
It takes a heavy dose of common sense to operate in those conditions. Simple little things mean a lot, like not setting your brakes when you stop until the brakes are completely cold. Busting them loose is not a fun task at extreme cold conditions. And you can forget about those simple walk around pre trips that are so common in the lower 48. A thorough, complete pretrip is mandatory!
Doing that type of work is a real mind game. You have to really want it and you have to be mentally prepared for it. Mind over matter is not a catch phrase in that environment.
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