highway

One simple reason, and it isn't impairment in the common sense, but being impaired with NO COMMON SENSE!! The number one reason for topping a trailer is GPS and rookie drivers relying SOLELY on the GPS and most often a car GPS, not a truck specific system, to get to their destination. The truck specific systems are not foolproof either, but they should route around restrictions and low clearances, but still nothing beats the Motor Carriers atlas that includes restricted routes and low clearance locations and a phone call to the shipping and receiving department for accurate directions to the pick up or drop off. The biggest excuse is usually "The GPS told me to go this way". There have been a few times in my career that I have either been on a detour or new route that checked out in the atlas that have had unmarked bridged that scared me, but thankfully (KNOCKING ON WOOD) I have never topped a trailer, because if it looks iffy and not marked, I ease up to the bridge and check before going under. Yeah, I probably have made quite a few impatient people mad, but better than destroying the trailer. One detour in Pittsburgh for I-376 (can't wait for that mess to be completely done! ) that was a truck specific detour claimed a trailer about a month ago where I work, and all I can figure it was caused by driver inattention/inexperience. The bridge, from the stories going around the yard, was an arched bridge like the 10' marked in one of the previous pics (which the middle is probably high enough to get through) and the driver caught the top right corner of the trailer. There was one like that on the truck detour, and was not marked but did look like if too far over to the right could grab the trailer, but not from the travel lane. Was the other driver that didn't make it under the same bridge I did driving on the shoulder instead of the travel lane?? Still trying to figure that one out! Funniest thing, and this is just trucker talk around the yard, but this driver then dropped the trailer he just topped with the bridge right there with freight still on it and came back for another load!!

I think I see what you mean now Brian, if these are the correct fenders and this pic I found is actually an 86 as it is marked in Google images..... ....compared to the ones on my 1:1. That is something I have never noticed before, but I see that they match the front also on the 86.

Thank you. There is nothing inside, it was my first attempt of a custom sleeper so I didn't consider an interior. I'm tinting the windows on the top of it black to hide the lack of detail. Another couple to add to the list are the Chevy Bison/GMC General and the old KW W925 (Movin On) and it's (poorly done) cousin T-600 from AMT. They all have the little window pass through to the sleeper.

Yeah, the 97 F150 is one that is worse than mine LOL! At least I can live looking at the front of mine, but an ex's dad's 97 parked next to mine made mine look like a supermodel! I Googled some early F350 pics and I don't really see the difference Brian. They all look the same to me, just like the old early 80's stepside fenders look the same as the dually fenders. And if you really wanted to get technical, I would also have to pull the 7.3L diesel out and drop in a 6.9L since the 7.3L wasn't offered until 87.

Maybe a few pics of the greasy bits underneath this may help out. It has the Dana 60 solid front axle and the 10.50 unit in the back, which I think someone mentioned (and if not, I will ) is the rear axle in the Monogram F250 and F350 kits, not a Dana that it is commonly confused for. This truck, and especially the pics of the rear suspension, should help you in the conversions you'd like to do too, because even though I do not know the full history of this truck before I bought it, I do know it was built as a chassis cab and is equipped with an 8,000 lb rear axle weight rating. It's total registered GVWR is 12,000lbs. If you do use pieces from the F250/F350 kits, you could use the kit rear springs as the front for a 4x4 like mine. Rear 10.50 axle and passenger side spring. A few better pics of the rear spring pack and overload stops on the outside of the frame rails. Front Rear Hopefully these will help you with your conversions. Oh, and I'm just wondering why there are some of you calling the 80-86 and 87-91 trucks different generations. The 80-96 model years are all the same generation of body style with these trucks, just with styling updates in the 87 and again in the 92 model years, but they stayed the same truck behind the front clip for all of those 16 years. Yes, there were some changes and upgrades in mechanical and running gear as well during those years, but they are all the same generation of truck. In fact, I have considered long and hard about clipping my F350 with either the 80-86 clip or the 92-96 clip, because of all the trucks I could buy, it had to be the only front end of those 16 years I didn't like! It looks like a brick trying to be aerodynamic to me!

According to the box art photo I found on Model Roundup's page for the kit, it has the Cummins NTD 350. http://www.modelroundup.com/product-p/amt-r2-724.htm

Actually Michael, the wrecker bed is made by an outside supplier, not Kenworth. If Jeff would have use the KW hood with the Ford cab, then I think Henry might have had a problem! This may be a little too radical of a modification for some, but this is my first attempt at building a modified rig, most any trucks I built before this one were just out of the box with maybe just a wheel swap from spoke wheels to Alcoas or different stacks. It's the same Ford Jeff used for his wrecker, with 7 1/2 inches added to the frame and sleeper to convert the sleeper to a 180 inch custom. The sleeper is the same as the one on Jeff's wrecker, just with some added roominess.

Here's the instructions from mine, that should help. Tried to rotate pics, for some reason they are right in photobucket but not here

Nope, I don't spend too much time in truckstops anymore with my dedicated gig and living about 5 miles from the DC means I spend almost every night at home now Sean. The only food that would have kilt me was my own cooking, not thankfully that hasn't happened either, YET! And you're giving me ideas LOL! I have planned since I started this one of doing another custom with an even larger sleeper, and I just so happen to have an old AMT NASCAR hauler/moving van kit that I haven't quite figured out what to do with yet. Yep, still kickin and busy, and thanks Clayton. Thank you Brian.

Well, it has certainly been a while since I visited and updated here, life has been a roller coaster in the personal part and very busy in the professional part, but at least since the last post in this thread, I have made this just my workplace again.... ....and has not been home since I moved into a 2 bedroom apartment in May, and one is my exclusive model room! I still haven't had too much time to do very much, but I did get a new model desk.... ....and have spent a little time at it, but I'm still in the process of moving the collection the 45 miles from storage I have in Wheeling WV to the new home in Wintersville OH about 5 miles away from the DC I haul out of. I'm hoping now that I'm just focusing on work and with colder weather in the future here will also be spending more time at home on my days off (and the personal roller coaster finally being parked because I'm getting sick of heartache, I'm giving up on having anyone else in my life for a long while thanks to that roller coaster) I'm hoping to get more done on this project this winter and hopefully done for the next contest around this area next year. There has been some progress between work and the personal life getting in the way. I did get these 8" stacks from Rhino's Custom Model Truck Parts, it just so happens Ryan that has it doesn't live very far from me, so I picked them up to save shipping LOL! They are very nice pieces and were going to let the 16V71 breathe freely, but ran into a couple problems. The stacks are a little short for the height I want, so they will be saved for a daycab project, because the bigger issue is the beast is a little large too. I'm still deciding what to motivate my largecar with, but it will either be the Buzzen Dozen I've wanted since the plan changed way long ago or I have been throwing around the idea of a 3406 or 3408 Kitty Cat. As for the trailer, the bullrack has been sent to the packing plant and this beast won't be hauling life cows, it will be hauling hamburger!! It is getting the Moebius Great Dane as in the last post, but with one exception to that idea. I will occasionally have this hauling Walmart freight (took some nice pics of a brand new Dane a few weeks ago for markings for the smoothside) but the ribside will not be a stainless as I stated before. I did something I don't do because I like flexibility with my trailers. I had some of the paint left from the tractor and figured I'd give the trailer a little more of a custom look by spraying the reefer unit with it last Friday thanks to an unusually warm day in this area and an unexpected day off from work thanks to low freight in the grocery division on Black Friday, WELL.........I liked the look of it so much and I had some more left so I thought I'd see what the sides would look like as well. Now the problem is, I still need to put a couple more coats on everything, and I'm OUT OF PAINT, so I'm going to have to get another can and then I'll still have more to use LOL! I still have more of the frame paint as well, so the landing gear and rear suspension will be painted to match the truck frame the next warm day I get. That's all for now, but hopefully this project will be seeing more attention soon. I know for sure I have some tweaking to the wing to do, it is sitting a little high and straight up for my liking.

Clayton, one question on the "new" kit rule and trailers. Would this be eligible since: A: It was never finished and is still a WIP from a fresh kit? There is a WIP thread here from the beginning somewhere. B: The trailer is going to be part of the unit, and it is a fresh kit? It is not held together by anything but rubber bands and was just mocked up to see how it would look.

I'm not 100% sure Dan, but I think it may have had tools that went in the storage area in the belly that were chromed too. I don't have mine here right now to check, it is in storage right now.

Yeah, as Luc said about his Prestige set, the previous issue of just the trailer released in the mid 2000s had the wheels chromed also. An idea since the wheels aren't chromed in the latest issue, there are ten hole steel wheels that look just like the Alcoa aluminum that could be painted to match or contrast the trailer for a slightly custom look.

Also for phantom duallies, Lindberg made the 1/20 Toyota and Nissan kits. As for some of the older Chevys, fenders from an early stepside are all that's needed to make a GM dually from the 70s and 80s, and from what I remember of the older Dodges, they just had flat large fender flares.

It probably helped that the truck was just reissued, causing that "collector value" to bottom out.

Thank you, I'm posting from my phone at time and it doesn't like Photobucket very well.

Yes the transporter will, look for the thread in the "Truck kits news and reviews" section on it and you will find the pic of my earlier release of it with its load of mixed 1/24 and 1/25 scale cars.

Thank you Harry, at least someone appreciates us in the general public!

Hmmmm, no respect for truckers?? Remember that when you sit down to eat tonight, the food you're putting in your mouth, the plate you're eating it off of, the fork you are using to eat with, and the table and chair you and your dinner are sitting on are all there because of one thing, THE AMERICAN TRUCKER!! I've been doing this thankless job for 17 years, and just get SO infuriated at people that have the attitude that little magical fairies put all their goods on a shelf for them. I'm a proud professional but will admit there are some out here that do not look at the job the way I do, the steering wheel holder, and all that were involved in this accident are dumb steering wheel holders that are giving the proud professional like me bad names. Well, off my soapbox now, I have groceries to deliver so more disrespectful people like you can eat! I'm with you there brother! I was always taught "No load is worth your life or anyone else" and I still hold true to that to this day. I would have parked until conditions improved as well and crept along slowly until I did find safe haven, but super truckers think otherwise. I know firsthand how it is to get "the call", I lost my brother in a crash in 1992. His rig went of the road and crashed into a bridge abutment due to a sudden heart attack. I started driving 6 years later, and keep safety of myself and others my #1 priority!

After reviewing the pics again, it looks like the mount itself may be solid (don't know, have picked one up for my stash yet) and if it is, a pivot would need to be made there. It still wouldn't be a difficult fix though.

Well, I was a little late getting to the party!!

Jon, I looked at your build thread and noticed that there are a mix of white and black molded parts, and since I haven't gotten this reissue (even though I had the blue Aerodyne as a kid) and figure the dash was still molded in the black plastic, was color was it molded? All the previous suggestions are great if it was in the black, but if by chance it was on the white sprue, you could take a very fine tipped sanding stick and carefully sand the paint from the gauge numbers just enough to where the white starts showing through. Another variation of Jeff's tip, you could get a very fine point Sharpie and follow his tip. Craft stores like Michael's offer various styles of drawing pens, pencils, and markers that I have see many use to do just as Jeff suggested. I don't know if they still make them or not, but I have red, white, and silver Sharpie fine point paint markers that I think I bought at Michael's for fine detailing purposes. That is what I used on this shifter to replicate a 13 or 18 speed splitter valve. I also used it on the steering column to replicate the four way flasher pull switch.

Yes Brian, Andy is right, and the lift mechanism IS there. If you look at Allen's pics, specifically pic #7 (the second on after Part 2), you will see the lift (silver) and lift arm complete with lift height adjustment holes. There is also the attachment hole in the plow, so a piece of small chain would be all that's needed to hold the plow up off the ground. Now if you want to go 100% full rivet counter and have it 100% prototypical, the lift arm would have to be movable up and down and have a support coming from the lift mechanism to the lift arm to act as the 1:1 hydraulic cylinder to hold the lift arm in the "UP" position, but just for normal display purposes, a short chain for "UP" and a longer chain (with some slack) for "DOWN" would be fine. Oh, and I have driven plows in the past with the WV DOT, and the truck was a F550 dump with spreader box and a very similar plow up front.

Well, not a huge update, other than this is on the back burner once again thanks to life issues AGAIN! Thanks to some personal issues, it is now residing in a box under the bunk of my 1:1 Cascadia with me temporarily until I get a home that is not on wheels again, but once I do find a new non moving home, I will have much more free time on my hands and plan to get this back to front burner status, along with a new addition. The original trailer is going to be finding a home on the fifth wheel of this, and I plan for it to be a chicken truck! I'm going to make it stainless and light it up like a Christmas tree, and maybe the smoothside will make an occasional appearance on the Ford as well hauling some Walmart freight!