vincen47

I too, have received kits with nothing more than brown paper around the box. Granted, it was the lowest price + free shipping from overseas on eBay. You get what you pay for, I guess. Shockingly, in both cases, there was no damage, and it arrived still looking like a box. Generally, most items I order are packaged well, regardless of where they come from or how much I pay for shipping. I’m lucky.

They are nice kits, especially being a common 1:1 item, but something that you don’t see often in the hobby world. They represent a 96” wide trailer in 1/24 scale, a 100” wide trailer in 1/25. Both are realistic widths, the 100” being a more common modern trailer width. If anyone wants other dimensions, like the OP, I’d be happy to measure it. The downside of the kit is a large amount of injector pin marks, but they are on the inside and underneath, so they are easily covered up if you add any wall decoration. I got tired of sanding the ones on the ceiling, so I covered the ceiling with a extra-thin sheet of styrene. Problem solved. Same could be done with the walls, painted for a finished interior trailer, plywood decals for a basic one. Otherwise, the baby moon wheels that come with them don’t look anything like trailer wheels. They should be replaced with a set of wagons, mags, or something, unless you like the moons. The best part is you can customize the heck out of them, just like the real world. BCS Trading makes a 3d printed cabinet set that happens to fit perfectly in the front cap. I cut mine up mainly to cover up the generator box, but that could be easily omitted.

Here’s one I built into a 27’ and stretched the tongue, too. They are modular, in a way, so they can easily be lengthened or shortened by 3’, 6’, etc.

I finally have the trailer completed, I was originally just going to to a basic out-of-the-box Galaxie Trailer, but I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Stretched it to a 27’ trailer and outfitted the interior with a small shop for repairs on the road. I wish I could edit the original thread title to say it includes the trailer, but oh well.

One of the best examples of this kit I’ve seen. The first picture looked like it came from a vintage brochure, I had to give it a second look.

I’ve been following this build on the Model Truck Builder forum, you’ve done a nice job with it. The Mack and trailer go very well together, not only in the paint, but in design. The curves on the tractor complement the curves on the trailer.

Looks like you could start it right up! But, of course, Biff is the only one who knows how to start it. Awesome work, just watch out for the manure truck.

Oh this is cool, no pun intended. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone make a 53’ domestic refrigerated container before. I see them all the time going by on the double stack intermodal trains and on the interstates. Excellent idea, and great execution thus far.

I’d contact BCS trading, he has a lot of utility bodies and shells, and he may have something very similar, or he may be able to make one. Some of his items are 3d printed, and some styrene. He’s on Ebay, but I also think he’s got a website and/or Facebook page as well.

I’ve been looking for one of these for a while, a Flat Top Roof for the Italeri 377 and 378 (and AMT 378 Re-box) trucks. Model Truck Builder is now offering one for $10. The quality is excellent and the service is great. I just got mine in the mail. It’ll work great for a Pete 388 conversion with the 63” Flat Top Sleeper I’ve got planned. It would work with any of the 379 and 389 conversions as well. They have a lot of great parts. https://www.modeltruckbuilder.com/store BTW, the whole MTB site, including the forum, is a great resource for truck builders, I encourage you to check it out.

That’s a rig to be proud of. I especially like the mods/upgrades to the truck like the Cat 3406. The trailer is awesome. A great combination!

Nice looking truck, you don’t see a whole lot of the Aeromax 106 on the forum.

Got a set of Ford wagon wheels in the mail yesterday. They are excellent!

Thanks for the tip!

1/64 scale, right? I would look for DCP tires on EBay. I bought a set for a 1/64 rig that was missing one when I bought it a while back. Die-cast Promotions is a huge line of awesome trucks.

That’s a great restoration job, Marko

I couldn’t agree more! The internet has provided everyone with a voice of opinion that will provide both criticism and praise for anything you build. Anything and anyone can have a following, so even though trends still exist, you don’t need to follow them for inspiration or be in sync with them to be followed.

Looks like it might be at home on the show truck circuit with the clean paint (the colors work well for it) and the custom visor and bumper. It would draw a crowd at the truck show if it were real. But, this model would draw a well-deserved crowd at a hobby show too.

This is truly a fascinating thread, a great discussion topic, even if it does get a little heated at times. That’s understandable when we’re dealing with something so individualistic and so dear to us as collectability and value. I’ve pondered this for many years. What will the future hold in what is generally deemed collectible? It all comes down to an individual connection to the object, either through personal experience (growing up in said era) or taught experience, such as an object handed down through generations, though that doesn’t usually apply to vehicles. When it comes to cars, it’s generally a personal experience, whether you, a friend, or a family member owned one, or you witnessed it going down the road, or a magazine ad or poster that adorned your bedroom wall as a kid. Nostalgia, plain and simple, one of the most powerful forces on earth. That being said, the bell-curve of car collectability is usually centered on what is currently about 50 years old. The bell curve marches forward in time as the clock ticks away, as we humans also move forward into the future. Disposable income plays a huge part in what actually makes it into the garages of the collector, thus the younger end of both collector and collectible is not as easily seen, but nevertheless exists. My dream garage (or warehouse, rather) would have vehicles I think are awesome, and multiple examples from each decade of the past 100 years or more. But, most would be ones I’ve seen on the road or driven. Case in point, I’m 40. I still own my first vehicle (not a daily driver anymore), an 86 Bronco. In the past 24 years, I have witnessed first hand the public opinion of that vehicle change. It has gone from a hand-me-down teenager’s vehicle that wouldn’t so much as get a second glance from anyone, aside from a cliche OJ Simpson joke (there were a lot of them, and it’s not even white in color) to a head-turning, increasing in value, desirable truck of today. During a 2002 basic restoration, I found it challenging to get aftermarket replacement parts. Now, it’s easy. Many of you will never give vehicles of that era a second look, and that’s ok. But there’s a growing population that sees value in that era. It’s all about nostalgia. Model companies would be wise to follow the nostalgia-powered bell curve of collectibility. For the most part they do, but it also requires plenty of new subjects to be kitted and reissued as time moves on.

Czech Truck Model has them, with the slits. You can order direct or from Moluminum. I’ve seen them on eBay occasionally.

That’s a really neat and rare build, great to see it.

You’re not kidding about the clear. What a difference between the interior and the body. But, the result is very realistic.

Museum. Quality. Need I say more?

The color choices really work well on this build. I especially like the obligatory IH red paint on the Detroit.

To add to the OP... Don Mills makes a cast metal 3kw portable gas generator.