Tractor Trailer Community Build

[highway]

it's not as easy to find good reference pics like that as i've found over the past two days thank you for the explanation too.

I know, because I found those pics at 4:00 in the morning originally for your thread on the Titan along with a couple others, but by the time I was going to post them the next morning, I figured the other guys already had you steered in the right direction.

[highway]

I just measured the vinyl hose that came with the kit and it measures out to 1 Foot and 2 1/2 inches. Doesnt that seem a little too big? Its a pain to get on there. Should I cut it down some or is it supposed to be that long?

OK, the first thing, is that in real life length or scale? I'm guessing that is real life length, because scale that wouldn't even make it to the trailer!

I forget how long the coiled lines are on the 1:1, but I know many of those older AMT kits had the hose in there for not only air lines, but the brake lines themselves too, you just need to cut it down for the pieces your using it for. I already put the instructions away so I don't have them in front of me, but sometimes AMT had diagrams for how long each piece should be. If the instructions don't have this, and the tubing is only for the tractor to trailer air lines, cutting the section in the box in three sections of 4 and 3/4 inches will give you a straight hose of 10 feet in scale, and that sounds about right for the 1:1 lines. The coil a portion of that, starting where the line would come off the top of the pogo stick, around a nail or something similar and that will give you the two air lines for the trailer as well as the electric cord for it as well.

[highway]

I've been doing some thinking, and that can be a dangerous thing! Anyway, I talked it over with the boss of this build, and since the only main rule of this build that he (me ) will probably really enforce is the DOT road legal one, if it is alright with everyone else, I would like to finish the Ford as part of this build. I know I even used it as an example of what I wouldn't allow, but after that long talk with the boss, we decided anything but a completely finished rig can be OK, just as long as some building still needs done on the kit. Pictures will still be required of entries, just to make sure they are still in the progress stage and not finished prior to entry.

Is this OK with everyone? Let me know what you think, and also if there are any objections to my Ford joining up as well. By the way, it will not have the Allison, it will have a nice normal road truck Detroit Series 60 under the hood now.

[highway]

the Italeri truck accessories set comes with 4 lengths of wire that are intended to be used to make the trailer hook-up lines. the pieces are about 11 1/4" long and i "coiled" two of them around a piece of styrene rod to make coiled lines from. that 11 inches of wire got pretty short in a hurry i'm thinking at this point to make the coiled lines the way i want them to be and in my opinion look good it's going to take a length of wire about 13-14 inches in length.

the wire in the set is yellow and and orange/red color which i'm guessing is the colors of the European hook-up lines. from what i've seen and what i've been told the U.S. trucks have red, blue and green or black lines. the black wire is easy, have plenty of that on the bench but now it's going out to look for some red, blue and green solid core single strand wire in a size that's appropriate. multi-strand core wire doesn't hold it's shape for nothing.

the problem i ran into with the Titan is that the trailer hook-up lines come from the back of the cab and hook onto an area at the top left corner when not attached to the trailer. most trucks apparently have the "pogo stick" which seems so much easier to plumb/wire

Dave, which Italeri truck detail set are you talking about? I never got any wire in mine!

Anyway, you are right on the colors for U.S. trucks, for the coiled lines, the most common colors are red, blue, and green or black. They break down like this for uses:

• Red: Trailer air supply, which is connected to the red valve in the cab, suppling all air needs to the trailer for brakes, air suspension, etc.
  
• Blue: This supplies the service brakes from the brake pedal in the cab, operating the brakes for normal braking.
  
• Green: Modern electrical line, includes wiring for modern ABS brakes on trailers.
  
• Black: Black was used for the older electrical lines, and to my knowledge, does not have the wiring needed for modern ABS trailer brakes.
  

There are a few execptions, there were a few manufactures who used straight black lines from the factory for everything. In these cases, the gladhands at the end of the air lines were color coded red or blue for which system they operated.

How does this look? I cut it down to 4 3/4 inches. Is that how it is supposed to look or do I need to change it up a bit? Thanks for the help.

Justin, that would be alright for the straight black hoses I just described above, because I have seen quite a few trucks with the straight lines wrapped around a pogo stick like that just to keep them out of the way. I forgot last night that vinyl tubing won't coil like wire will the way Dave described.

[Nick Winter]

Been busy lately, ain't done much, off as of 12:00PM eastern time on friday will probley tinker a bit then.

Mock up, and priming.

still gotta stop by randy's and pick up 3 sets of the dually's, but I'll get to it.

Nick

[mistermodel]

I want to comment on a few things-

I haven't started any more on my 359

dwc43- your engine looks good,I thought I had a pic of the A/C system for you,but cant see the compressor.so I think its on the lower drivers side.The canister thingy part of an A/C system is on the lower passenger side of the firewall,PM me if you need the pic of I'm talking about

Justin-you got the right idea about the hosetenna.The hoses(3) would come off the frame ,coil around and hook to the kit part.AMT molded the gladhands hanging off the hosetenna for storage off the frame.If the stick didn't have have these hangers,a cab mount hanger would be proper.A older truck like the frieght liner would have non coiled black hoses,not to say coiled coloured ones would be wrong,but the truck would have to be updated with much newer replacement parts

Everyone else,Glad to see some trucks being built

[Nick Winter]

my work over this week since last sunday. I'm off now and will probabley tinker a bit more than usual.

Started on the offroad/push bumper, did another coat of primer on the cab.

I know it looks rough but neither is done.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Nick Winter

[SuperStockAndy]

Aaaw man, I'd join this but I only have like one more part to put on my Pete

[Nick Winter]

Nick, it maybe just me, but you side trim looks to be out of scale for the truck, looks good though.

Donnie I came to a similar realization, think I'll sand it down a bit.

Nick

[highway]

Aaaw man, I'd join this but I only have like one more part to put on my Pete

It's not ending for a year, you have plenty of time to get something else to build!

[SuperStockAndy]

It took me a year to build the Pete (Revell)..... which has hardly any parts................

[mistermodel]

still gotta stop by randy's and pick up 3 sets of the dually's, but I'll get to it.

Nick

I go to that shop,I never knew you could buy them there.I need a few sets myself.Thinking about building a float.Maybe I'll see you there some time.I guess I'll look for some Nick lookin' guy.LOL

[Nick Winter]

I go to that shop,I never knew you could buy them there.I need a few sets myself.Thinking about building a float.Maybe I'll see you there some time.I guess I'll look for some Nick lookin' guy.LOL

Randy just put the Display in this year with his stuff, lots of nice wheels, Who knows you might just look for the young guy with a corvette ball cap dosen't matter what season I can be -40C and I'm still wearing it.

Nick

Edited December 17, 2010 by Nick Winter

[Blake Rogers]

Donnie I came to a similar realization, think I'll sand it down a bit.

Nick

[dwc43]

I need some help with and idea I have. Maybe someone has what I need or knows where I can get them. What I need to pull off my idea is a set of low profile 5 spoke wheels and tires.

You know the old Atlas moving vans and other companies used them too. They use the low profile tires and 5 spoke wheels on there trailers and they are low decked, with storage bins under the trailer too.

I need 8 low profile tires and wheels just like the ones that are on those trailers. No, I'm not building one of those trailers, but a good guess. lol

[highway]

Well gang, instead of working on models, I've been playing around making videos, and no, not those types of videos! I got frustrated I couldn't find any good YouTube videos of one of my favorite trucking songs, so I made my own. This is the first time I've made a video and posted it on YouTube, so I hope you like it.

And yes, as the song says, I've run freight out of Wheeling, WV!

And no, I didn't plan that part of the lyrics being in sync with the pic of my Ford, it just happened that way.

[Nick Winter]

Good song and video Matt.

[dwc43]

Well gang, instead of working on models, I've been playing around making videos, and no, not those types of videos! I got frustrated I couldn't find any good YouTube videos of one of my favorite trucking songs, so I made my own. This is the first time I've made a video and posted it on YouTube, so I hope you like it.

And yes, as the song says, I've run freight out of Wheeling, WV!

And no, I didn't plan that part of the lyrics being in sync with the pic of my Ford, it just happened that way.

Great vid. I could not place the song title till it started playing. I have not heard that in years. Loved that big Dodge you put in there too. Some nice tv trucks in there too. Not a fan of those stretched frames though. I just don't get it, but I guess that's just me lol.

On another note, can you help me on the post I made just above you video? Thanks.

Edited December 18, 2010 by dwc43

[highway]

Great vid. I could not place the song title till it started playing. I have not heard that in years. Loved that big Dodge you put in there too. Some nice tv trucks in there too. Not a fan of those stretched frames though. I just don't get it, but I guess that's just me lol.

On another note, can you help me on the post I made just above you video? Thanks.

Thanks DW, I thought you'd like that Dodge! The only thing I can figure with the long frame trucks is they might have been a custom sleeper truck or something else before they were decked out. There is one running freight in this area that used to have a big sleeper, but now just has the 30 inch casket bunk. As for the TV trucks, I think they are just replicas, but look great either way.

As for those wheels your looking for, the only five spokes that are small enough for what you're thinking would maybe be some 1/32 scale wheels. The AMT Coca Cola reefer set had the 5 spokes on the tractor. I think Plaskit had some 19.5 inch rims and tires, but they were the 2 hole Budd disc wheels.

[dwc43]

Thanks DW, I thought you'd like that Dodge! The only thing I can figure with the long frame trucks is they might have been a custom sleeper truck or something else before they were decked out. There is one running freight in this area that used to have a big sleeper, but now just has the 30 inch casket bunk. As for the TV trucks, I think they are just replicas, but look great either way.

As for those wheels your looking for, the only five spokes that are small enough for what you're thinking would maybe be some 1/32 scale wheels. The AMT Coca Cola reefer set had the 5 spokes on the tractor. I think Plaskit had some 19.5 inch rims and tires, but they were the 2 hole Budd disc wheels.

Thanks. That makes since about the stretched frames with missing sleepers. I thought about using a 1/32 scale truck or something ,but was not sure if that would scale to what I wanted in 1/25. Is the Coke refer a 1/32 ? Can you still find it? Can I just buy the wheels and tires from some place in the 1/32 scale? Sorry for so many dumb questions, but I have not built a lot of trucks, so I just don't know where to look for parts.

[highway]

Thanks. That makes since about the stretched frames with missing sleepers. I thought about using a 1/32 scale truck or something ,but was not sure if that would scale to what I wanted in 1/25. Is the Coke refer a 1/32 ? Can you still find it? Can I just buy the wheels and tires from some place in the 1/32 scale? Sorry for so many dumb questions, but I have not built a lot of trucks, so I just don't know where to look for parts.

Yeah DW, the Coke reefer is 1/32 scale, the trailer is the same as this old Tropicana one I have.

The trailer has Alcoa aluminum wheels, but the Volvo tractor with it has the 5 spokes. Here's a pic of it I found on ebay of it after a quick search.

And the listing for it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMT-Ertl-Coca-Cola-NIB-1-32-scale-Volvo-Tractor-Trailer-/320631963196?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa7277e3c

You might get lucky and find it at a hobby shop with old stock, but I think it was last issued maybe around 2000 or so. I'll keep my eyes open for you, I sometimes get lucky at my LHS and find some of the older stuff hiding.

I'm not really sure if you can find the wheels and tires like that just by themselves, but that's not to say that there isn't anyone offering them. I'll do some digging here, too, I just might have a set hiding here, but no guarantees.

Don't worry about all the questions, and like my mom used to say, there are no dumb questions! That's what we're all here for, to help each other out. Well, most of us, anyway!

[dwc43]

Yeah DW, the Coke reefer is 1/32 scale, the trailer is the same as this old Tropicana one I have.

The trailer has Alcoa aluminum wheels, but the Volvo tractor with it has the 5 spokes. Here's a pic of it I found on ebay of it after a quick search.

And the listing for it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMT-Ertl-Coca-Cola-NIB-1-32-scale-Volvo-Tractor-Trailer-/320631963196?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa7277e3c

You might get lucky and find it at a hobby shop with old stock, but I think it was last issued maybe around 2000 or so. I'll keep my eyes open for you, I sometimes get lucky at my LHS and find some of the older stuff hiding.

I'm not really sure if you can find the wheels and tires like that just by themselves, but that's not to say that there isn't anyone offering them. I'll do some digging here, too, I just might have a set hiding here, but no guarantees.

Don't worry about all the questions, and like my mom used to say, there are no dumb questions! That's what we're all here for, to help each other out. Well, most of us, anyway!

Thanks for the help. I'll just put a bid on that Coke truck and see if I can get it cheap and use it's tires and wheels if that will work. Let me know if you find anything. If I get this one and use the wheels and tires up, I am sure I'd want to replace them and build it or sell it at some point. Thanks again. Too bad we are not building muscle cars, especially Mopar's, then I could help more .... lol.

[mistermodel]

dw,maybe you could use some one ton dually wheels.I want to build a low boy and think this is the easiest way to get doughnut tires.I have a bunch of old trucking magazines and in them there is a few pics of small tire trailers with full wheel disc hubcaps.You could make duels out of car parts and slap on your favorite hubcap for a custom vintage look,but it would have to be an old 60's truck to look right.

highway,could you measure how tall those tires are,Ive allways wondered about them.

[mistermodel]

I forgot,AMT had 1/43 trucks also,those tire maybe better

[Clay]

Got alot done last night on my Dukes Hauler, the trailer will wait until I move.

I will change out the wheels and tires for a set of these one of these days:

Edited December 18, 2010 by Clay