New here.
 

Hello truck conversion community.

I am planning on buying a truck conversion sometime after my vacation property sells. I will be reading all of your veteran advice on ideas, wants and needs. What I've read so far has been interesting and helpful.

Thanks Speeno

Speeno,
Welcome, wow I am just down the road from you.

Welcome to the best!

Sam

Hi Ed, where are you at?

Thanks for the welcome Sam.

Hi Ed, my phone didn't show your location but I see it on my laptop.

Hello and Welcome. I'm new to truck conversions too (just purchased our Renegade in October '15). You've come to the right place for information. The folks here were a tremendous help with my purchase.

And I'm west of you. Welcome to Truck Conversions. You're going to love it when you get one. Have you gone over to Eldorado Trailer Sales, Eldorador Trailer Sales is located in Eldorado, Wisconsin.Â*|Â*Eldorado Trailer Sales, motorcoaches, equipment trailers, cattle trailers, enclosed trailers, Wisconsin

They usually have a pretty good inventory of T/C's.

Just west of Appleton

Thanks Petrel, Renegade is one of the coaches I have been looking at.

Hi Bob, I have talked with Eldorado. I am waiting until their Showhauler gets back, it was at a show in Tampa. Then I will look at both S/H and Ren. I'm sure I will like it, I have been driving heavy wrecker and tractor trailer as a hobby for 25 years. Yes I am a truck nut.

Are you going to look at the Showhauler garage unit??? If so, I have seen it. Very nice.
Not sure when I decide to pull the trigger if I will go with Showhauler or another Renegade.
Both have pros and cons. I think Abby has a couple units on order.

Welcome to the fray ;)

Hi Ed,I am looking to see what I like better, I here good and bad about RFP and aluminum. I would like to here your opinion on both someday.

Thanks Bush Pilot.

I may have to go with a S/H or Hawk because I want be build on a W900.

Wow! That W900 is a nice looking tractor. I am new to trucks, so I don't know much about them, but what are the advantages of the Paccar engines? I see that they are in all the premium brands.

I am not a mechanic but they use a European fuel system of I believe Mann diesel. I have driven them, they have good power and are quiet. I personally will be looking a Fitzgerald glider with an N14 Cummins or a Detroit series 60. They are much more reliable, easier to work on and you don't have to pay FET tax.

Hows your new Ren.? Have you had it out much yet?

Oh, Ok... so the Paccar is not part of the equation for you. I got it.

We just purchased the Renegade in October and we've only had it out about 5 times for short trips. We absolutely love it. It is just so comfortable and easy to drive and everything is so accessible. Only downside (to me) is that the dear wife loves driving it too.

If I bought a new Kenworth I would get a big Cummins. Mine will be an 18 speed manual so it might take my wife a while to learn.

You must be planning to tow something very heavy.

No, just don't like auto and auto shift trannies. I like to drive on the low side of the rpm range and I like shifting! Can you send me a pic of your coach? Is there anything you would get or change if you had the chance. I want to learn from all you guys who blazed a path befor me.

We wanted a washer/dryer, but liked our rig too much to let it be a deal breaker. Otherwise, right now all we want are the lights and electronics updated and slide outs in the storage. A cable master and new cab seats are in the distant future.

With regard to auto shift, at least the ZF we have, it does keep the RPMs low. The truck usually only uses 5 or 6 gears, even when towing, (unless we are in the mountains) and it takes its sweet time rolling through them. There is no rushing it or running up the RPMs.

There are folks on this website who have forgotten more about TCs than I know. Hopefully you may hear from some of them soon.

My only 2 cents comes from researching class 8 trucks to tow my camper. What I have found is that the average RV guy does NOT want a manual transmission in their rig and even if they do the general consensus is the wife would veto, and I would extrapolate that to include the average TC driver as well. If you want to have any resale value a manual transmission will severely limit your pool of potential buyer to weirdos like us who enjoy rowing the gears. I've been pricing used trucks for a while now and there is a big jump in price to get into a (generally newer) chassis with an automatic, but I'm figuring it is an investment if I can't manage to find a buyer for a manual truck down the road.

My only two cents worth of advice comes from researching a class 8 truck to tow my fifth wheel camper, and the average RV guy out there does NOT want a manual transmission, and even if they did the wife would veto it. I am extrapolating that to include the average TC guy as well. If you want to have any sort of resale value down the road, you will be severely limiting your pool of potential buyer to weirdos like us who enjoy rowing the gears.

Wow! Thats beautiful. You have the nice Freighliner, Coronado with exposed fuel tanks. Good work. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you.

Hi Hot Rod, you are exactly right. I am not arguing against auto's. I just have driven them all an prefer manuals. If I am going to spend all this money I need to be happy driving it. Which is why I want to drive a W900. Remember, "You can take the nut out of the truck... But you can't take the truck out of the nut".

Just saw the pics of your coach, looks great. What are the specs? engine,trans,weight etc.

Hey Sam, Bob and Ed, can you posts a pic of your rigs?

On other thing about a Paccar motor, Kenworth will only put a Paccar motor in a W900B (short hood) not a W900L (long hood).

Look at my profile i have pictures there.

Sam

OK, I will look Monday at work. Its easier on a big computer then my phone.

Hi Speeno, welcome to the forum. As you know, KW is not very common chassis for T/C. Most are Freightlliner, with Volvo probably second. I think Freightliner is used because they work easier with the conversion companies.

I actually have a KW, mine is a T800, and I have not seen another KW T/C in person. Cummins ISX (the 15 liter version), a 10 speed ultrashift, and twin screw rear. My total length is about 45 ft. Since you have asked for pics, here is mine, crappy pic at a rest area:
https://www.truckconversion.net/attac...5b9df3f631.jpg

Hi 38, thanks for the welcome. Nice truck, I like T800's a lot, they are the preferred log truck in the U.P. Freightliner and Volvo do work better with coach builders, the F.E.T. tax is avoided and they give full warranty on the truck. Kenworth is stickier on both issues.

Cool toad too, I heard you can't back up with a toad. Is that true? Or has technology improved on the tow bar?

Did they put an elbow on the stack to clear the upper bunk?

Mine was built on new chassis, so apparently the orig owner really wanted a KW chassis. Showhauler will build on anything, I suppose the orig owner took the warranty risk. Since mine is actually 2004 chassis, long out of any warranty. It only had 44K miles when I bought it.

Thanks for the toad comment, it is my 52 GMC that has Jaguar IFS and IRS, 350 Chevy and 700R4. To tow it four down I have a driveshaft disconnect I put in. The truck is so low the tow bar angle is bad, but it works. I tow the GMC or my wife's 2008 Ford Edge four down. Any of my other hot rods I have a std car trailer I use since they aren't set up for the flat towing.

You can't really back up with a tow bar. At least more than about 5-10 ft max in a straight line. I have done that before the toad wheels will turn due to the caster in the toad front wheel alignment. A dolly is also not able to back up, like a tow bar. You can back up a trailer of course.

Yes, the exhaust has the "dump truck style elbow" to clear the bunk, but I am going to change that and run the exhaust down underneath and out in front of the rear tires. It makes that side up top by the awning get all soot covered. Being up high is a PITA to clean. It has the same exhaust look on other side, but it is just for the generator exhaust, I'll change that too even though it does not really get the soot. It's all on my list of improvements to do. I have many items on the list for this spring and summer :rolleyes:

Your coach is beautiful with or without exhaust. Anything you don't like about Showhauler or would change?