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Ford LTL 9000 Custom with Livestock Trailer


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This is my current WIP:

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The sleeper was tragically destroyed in a mad modelling accident (I threw it against the hutch on my desk), but I'm in the process of rebuilding it. The stats on the stretch 180 inch scale sleeper, approxamately 345 inch scale wheelbase on the tractor, and total combo length of 70 scale feet.

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Nice truck and trailer! Keep at it on the sleeper, you'll get it... :lol: The best thing I have found to do when discouraged on progress of a project is to walk away from it and take a little break, looking at things from a distance can give you a new perspective on things....Keep up the good work! cant wait to see it done.... B)

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Guest Johnny

I gues anywhere you are in that rig is home! :unsure:

I have seen some pretty elaborate truck sleepers built for Gypsy Truckers over the years! Never could convince the wife that was a way to live though! :lol:

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Cool!

There is also a swimming pool inside? ;)

Thanks for all the kind words, and, no Brizio, there is no pool inside. I can't swim!! :lol: But maybe a hot tub for after the long days on the road! :lol:

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Till now I have streched my Peterbilt 359 chassis rails but never do it on a sleeper.

Man you are really streeeeeeeching things.

You think this one's big, wait till I build my next one! :) The next one I have swimming around my little mind is going to make this one look small. This one is a 180 inch, the next is going to be a 230 inch!

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Attempt #2 is coming back together, I just have the driver's side wall and floor to reglue in place:

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I'm making it stronger this time, using some extra bracing behind the walls and some five min epoxy to hold it all together. The Bondo work on the roof is done (I used enough hardener this time!!) and after the other wall and floor is on, I'm going to sand the rivets off to make everything smooth as most of the real ones are and more Bondo S&G putty to smooth everything together. Hopefully, the temps here are going to be in the low 60s by the end of the week, so I may have the truck in primer by this weekend!

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I've been hard at work on the sleeper, and attempt #2 is DONE!!

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I have also done some work on the frame tonight and added some crossmembers for some added strength:

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I put the rear axles together and mocked the driveshaft up so I could add a carrier bearing, which I scratchbuilt from a couple old MPC wheel hubs I had from some wheel parts pack? that I got from a friend of mine and some rectangular tubing:

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I'm going to still have to add some strength to the frame, probably with some I beam attaching the sleeper to the frame. I mocked it up again with the Bondo on the sleeper, and the frame started bowing from the added weight!! :) Anyway here she is mocked up again, and hopefully tomorrow I can get the first coats of primer on her:

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how many fuel tanks you putting on her ???

I'm planning on maybe four for fuel, one for clean water storage, one for dirty water storage (since these sleepers have kitchen sinks and bathrooms, and sometimes washer/dryers), and two frame mounted toolboxes, one for tools and equipment, one for an APU generator.

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You may need to put a lift pusher axle under that thing.

Lookin' good !!

Maybe, but I'm really not going for the heavy haul look.

Wow, that's huge!! Who needs a livestock trailer, just put 'em in the sleeper! B)

I bet the cows would like that, but I wouldn't!!

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With that type of "span" you might want to add some brass/metal to the frame "splice" for added strength. If not you will have a continuous bow.

Kurt

Thanks, kurt, I was thinking the same thing!

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I got more done today on the truck and trailer, I spray painted the inside of the trailer and got the roof of it glued in place. The roof have a slight warp, thank gooodness for super glue and clamps!!

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I also tackled the priming of the cab and sleeper, along with the frame, and mocked the truck up again with a few pieces of rectangular tubing between the frame and sleeper that will later be glued in place for extra strength.

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The extra tubing to strengthen the frame will go past the sleeper, so I decided to see how a headache rack I modified from Revell AG's Pete 359 would look on the back.

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This will hide the extra tubing where it extends past the sleeper and the tubing will tie the original frame back together. I also laid the fuel tanks beside the truck to get an idea of what the side will look like, as well as the 5/16 diameter aluminum tubing I'm going to use as the stacks.

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Of course, the stacks will not be that tall, I just haven't cut them yet! :lol: The tanks laid out may not be the final design, but close to it. The front two per side will be fuel, the next water, and the last (the square one) will be tool boxes, one of the tool boxes (probably the passenger side) will be representing the APU generator.

P.S. The nose of the trailer gives you a hint of the trailer color, some Krylon "Original Chrome" I had sitting around.

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Put the cows in the sleeper? Yeah, they might drink out of the hot tub... B) I've always wondered how the prototypes kept from developing frame sag through the years. I'm working on that same trailer now, they do go together nicely. I was going to ask where you got the headache rack and then read a little closer... What color are you going to paint the tractor? And, are you going for any graphics on that billboard of a sleeper? ;)

Edited by Wagoneer81
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Put the cows in the sleeper? Yeah, they might drink out of the hot tub... ;) I've always wondered how the prototypes kept from developing frame sag through the years. I'm working on that same trailer now, they do go together nicely. I was going to ask where you got the headache rack and then read a little closer... What color are you going to paint the tractor? And, are you going for any graphics on that billboard of a sleeper? ;)

Hi, wagoneer, thought I'd find you here! :lol: I think the prototypes don't sag because I think the frames are a little thicker than normal and LOTS of crosssmembers. I'm working on some extra strength right now (waiting for the glue to dry B) ) by adding some retangular tubing to the top of the frame where my extention is. I'm going to hide it under the sleeper and headache rack. The trailer goes together very nicely execpt for the roof, mine had a slight warp and that's why it looks more like clamp storage in this picture:

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There is also not much to glue to, the roof sits on top of the side panels and the thin lip there and the side ribs are all that hold it in place. The way I glued mine in place was first I applied some Model Master Liquid Cement to each rib, laid the roof in place, and started clamping front to back. After I had the roof in it's final position, I used some Zap CA (the really thin stuff in the pink labeled bottle) and found a small depression where the roof meets the side panel in the back, put three or four drops in the hole, then slowly rotated the trailer so the Zap would run along the seam to the front of the trailer. That worked fine and the roof stayed where I wanted it! Also, the headache rack, even though it's from the Revell AG's Pete 359 (and it's also in the "Can Do" wrecker), I modified it with some square tubing and closed the back to make it a true box. I originally made it as a master for a mold I made experimenting with casting my own parts. A friend of mine has an old Western Star I had bought for him to give him something to do while he was laid up after knee surgery, which he never finished, and he finally gave it back to me to finish for him. Since he used to haul steel, he wanted the AMT flatbed on the Star, and he wanted a headache rack on his, so I made that one to cast. Finally, color and graphics are undecided as of now, paint may be DupliColor "Mirage" purple to red flip-flop and possibly a complementing or contrasting "Mirage" set of ghost flames on the hood. The only color I know for sure is the trailer, and it's Krylon "Original Chrome", since it gives it a nice new aluminum look. Well, back to the model desk!

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