Stretched frame Tractors

[Sergey]

Hi, fellows.

I am a man from another country and have question, that creeping my mind. How does Stretched frame Tractors appear?

I know, that they are very popular on the West coast, but WHY?

Thanks in advance,

Sergey

[67PontiacGTO]

I know this probably isnt the right answer, but its cause they just look sick!!!

[cowboysevens]

well sergey there are a few reasons for "strecthed" frames, lol yes one of them is because they look "sick" but also for load whieght distribution, and load length compinsation such as a load of rebar that is 60 feet long can fit legally on a 48' or 53' trailer with out special permits cause they hang the access off of the front of the trailer. here in the U.S. your load can hang off the back up to 4 feet with out a permit and or pilot car, but it has to have lights and markers, anything over that requires special permits, special driving times etc. etc. depending on the state your in. hope this helps

dennis

[Sergey]

Thank you,Dennis.

I see your point. But why it take place mostly on the West Coast?

[SpreadAxle]

Roads in the eastern states tend to be more crowded, and the city streets much harder to navigate with a longer truck. Out west, you have much more open roads, so that's why you see the longer frames on western trucks.

[Sergey]

Roads in the eastern states tend to be more crowded, and the city streets much harder to navigate with a longer truck. Out west, you have much more open roads, so that's why you see the longer frames on western trucks.

Thank you, Ray. You just confirmed my guesses.

Let's a little continue this theme. What can you tell me about Big custom sleepers ("Double Eagle" for example), riding on Stretched frame Tractors? How much does they usually cost? How comfortable they are?

[mackinac359]

The long wheelbase tractors (stretched frame) being common in the western USA is a leftover of the old days when the length laws west of the Mississippi River allowed longer trucks than the eastern USA. West Coast tractors had longer wheelbases and conventionals were more common. Cabovers were designed for the eastern USA market and shorter overall length laws.

A longer wheelbase can be used for overhanging over-sized loads on a flatbed.

The longer frame space can also be used for a "dromedary" box, tank or flat deck to haul more cargo.

In later years (1980s) bigger sleepers became popular and the long wheelbase was spec'd on a truck-tractor for a larger sleeper.

In the 90's the long wheelbase became a popular "look" or style creating a somewhat cartoonish version of the old West Coast look. The original "long wheelbase west coast trucks" had wheelbases between 250 and 270" inches. Now we see 312" and longer wheelbase versions. Trucks this long are pure style.

When someone says a truck has a "stretched frame," that typically means the truck has had the frame rails cut and additional frame rail added to lengthen the rail. Much like we would lengthen a model frame. On a real truck this is done if the truck was originally built with a shorter wheelbase than the owner wants - usually the 2nd or 3rd owner will do this sort of work. A new truck can be ordered with most any length of wheelbase.

Tim

[cowboysevens]

Thank you, Ray. You just confirmed my guesses.

Let's a little continue this theme. What can you tell me about Big custom sleepers ("Double Eagle" for example), riding on Stretched frame Tractors? How much does they usually cost? How comfortable they are?

you can spend upwards to $100,000 on a custom sleeper, and the comforts are only limited to your imagination, anything you have in a home can be in a sleeper including the kitchen sink and washer and dryer. alot of the moving vans AKA: "bed buggers" that you see with the big sleepers dont carry heavy loads, they travel around the country to expo's like computor shows etc. and they have alot of down time so they get the big comfortable sleepers so they dont have to stay in a motel. some of the big sleepers you see on the road just have a contract carrying the same light load like my step dad has a 140 inch ( i think ) on his new truck , but all he hauls is specialty aircraft parts. most over the road trucks can not have a big sleeper like that because they are to heavy and take away from the load whieght availabillity.

dennis

[whale392]

Dennis, who does your dad haul for (under contract as an owner/operator I am sure)?

Reason I ask is we ship our aircraft engines with 'Southern Pride' and I know their rigs are set up for hauling jet engines (Air Ride equipped drop or double-drop deck trailers, tarping, extra timbers..........) and most of their rigs run a 120"+ sleeper.

[cowboysevens]

Dennis, who does your dad haul for (under contract as an owner/operator I am sure)?

Reason I ask is we ship our aircraft engines with 'Southern Pride' and I know their rigs are set up for hauling jet engines (Air Ride equipped drop or double-drop deck trailers, tarping, extra timbers..........) and most of their rigs run a 120"+ sleeper.

ya know im not sure, he is my step dad (lil brothers dad) and we havent talked in a few years since he remarried a mean woman, lol. i just get updates from my lil brother , he is an owner operator and his name is larry, big man 6' 4" 250 lb and a beard. his new truck is a freight liner coranodo its kind of a purpalish rasberry color. should have a pic of an english bulldog wearing sunglasses and walking with a cane, his company name is blind dog trucking. its a very sharp looking truck.

dennis

[Sergey]

Thank you, Tim & Dennis.

You helped me a lot. It's always interesting to learn something new about Trucks.

[highway]

Let's a little continue this theme. What can you tell me about Big custom sleepers ("Double Eagle" for example), riding on Stretched frame Tractors? How much does they usually cost? How comfortable they are?

Sergey, as you know, I've been working on my own stretched frame and custom sleeper truck, my Ford LTL 9000.

I've scaled the sleeper at a 180 inch unit, and the frame is stretched to a wheelbase from the center of the front steer tires to the center of the first drive axle of about 345 inches. While mine is not a replica of a certain custom sleeper, I did do some research on them. You will find these two sites very interesting and helpful. The first link is to Indiana Custom Trucks, ICT Sleepers, and the second is for ARI Legacy Sleepers.

http://www.trucksleeper.com/default.htm

http://legacysleepers.com/index.php

Here are a few of the pictures from those sites, and like Dennis said, you can get almost anything in these sleepers you can think of, even a shower and bathroom!

I even found an optional fireplace on the ARI Legacy Sleeper site!

These pictures are from the ICT site.

[clayton]

Sergey, as you know, I've been working on my own stretched frame and custom sleeper truck, my Ford LTL 9000.

I've scaled the sleeper at a 180 inch unit, and the frame is stretched to a wheelbase from the center of the front steer tires to the center of the first drive axle of about 345 inches. While mine is not a replica of a certain custom sleeper, I did do some research on them. You will find these two sites very interesting and helpful. The first link is to Indiana Custom Trucks, ICT Sleepers, and the second is for ARI Legacy Sleepers.

http://www.trucksleeper.com/default.htm

http://legacysleepers.com/index.php

Here are a few of the pictures from those sites, and like Dennis said, you can get almost anything in these sleepers you can think of, even a shower and bathroom!

I even found an optional fireplace on the ARI Legacy Sleeper site!

These pictures are from the ICT site.

Home on the range, and most of the time those owners may not have a place too call home.Most folks don't know that they see those truck and think Wow he rich. I'm guess the payment run 2k to 3k if not more a month??

, Also try the eBay motors look in the truck page lots if info there as well I use it a lot.

Higway I'll get some photos in the next few days of mine.I kinda for get or think I'll get in a min.

[mistermodel]

Back in the day western Canada trailers had an 16" king pin compared to an eastern 36" king pin to get the tandems further apart to get max. weight acording to the bridge formula.I'm prety sure an 260" wheelbase with a 16" king pin forty footer would give you the max. lenght of the day.Also trailers speced for the west only alot of times had non slideing boggies on the trailer.I think even today only tandems are allowed in British Columbia,no tri axles

[tanarries]

Home on the range, and most of the time those owners may not have a place too call home.Most folks don't know that they see those truck and think Wow he rich. I'm guess the payment run 2k to 3k if not more a month??

, Also try the eBay motors look in the truck page lots if info there as well I use it a lot.

Higway I'll get some photos in the next few days of mine.I kinda for get or think I'll get in a min.

hear is one i am working on

not a real truck but just somthing i am working on

home on the range dose not tell it all some of the over the road truckesr that own there own rigs also live in them so that they can always be running

basically the truck is there home.

and the one truck i seen " wish i had a pic" the guy paide $1,000,000 for it and had it specially built for hauling heavy loads like earth movers and cranes

it was all he owned and it was decked out to the max.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

Thank you, Ray. You just confirmed my guesses.

Let's a little continue this theme. What can you tell me about Big custom sleepers ("Double Eagle" for example), riding on Stretched frame Tractors? How much does they usually cost? How comfortable they are?

"Big sleepers"...Maybe somebody's trying to compensate for something. LOL

[Sergey]

Sergey,Most of your west coast long frame trucks were built out of need and not to look "cool" or for big sleepers.

They were built that way to take advantage of California's unique length and weight laws. California had many complex laws and used bridge law formulas before the federal government enacted their bridge laws. link explaining bridge laws below.

Due to those laws and the way owners and company speced their trucks California has some very unique setups which I and some others just love.

(yes Paul I'm talking about you)

Long frames on tractors took advantage of those laws to gain the most payload.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bridge_Gross_Weight_Formula

Any questions don't hesitate to ask,

Leo

Thank you, Leo. Very usefull information. Where can I read about length laws (limits)? I heard COE were manufactured due these limits and would like to know when (where) Lenght limits were actual and when not.

[mistermodel]

Sergey,somewhere I have some charts from the 70's that show lenght laws stat by state.I'll dig them up for you and post.Some time in the 80's they did away with lenght laws,well sort of.There is still some restrictions such as distance betweem truck and trailer axles.For example here in Ontario you cant have a 53 foot trailer with the boggies all the way back of the trailer.I think ontario can't have more than 75 foot total lenght,I'll try to find out definate answers for modern laws.

[cargostar]

The DOT website should have all of the regulations listed

[Chuck Most]

So, this must be why 'Michigan Specials' are so stubby, huh?

[Sergey]

Sergey,

If you look above at a link I posted for California's laws there is all the info for current California laws.

It doesn't give too much history just current law.

Leo

I see, Leo. I just wanted a little history. When I saw movies like "Convoy", I heared drivers complain about speed and lengh limits. I just wanted to know when (where) those limits was in action and when stoped. I can see truck manufacturers doesn't make COEs anymore.

Edited November 3, 2010 by Sergey

[Gray Smith]

I see, Leo. I just wanted a little history. When I saw movies like "Convoy", I heared drivers complain about speed and lengh limits. I just wanted to know when (where) those limits was in action and when stoped. I can see truck manufacturers doesn't make COEs anymore.

I think that movie is good only for the visuals of all the trucks.

I am also upset that COE's aren't made anymore, those are my favorite style trucks

So far as stretched trucks go, I like them from a purely aesthetic point, and most that I build will be stretched.

Edited November 3, 2010 by stryfe101

[Sergey]

Thanks to every one for your help. I'm writting an article for a magazine now. Tim, Dennis & Leo, don't you mind if I use your words in my article as a history note?

Edited November 9, 2010 by Sergey