Good news and bad news

[tonkadoctor]

A few weeks ago I bought a new truck to build into a camper hauler.

A '99 Freightliner FLC 112 48" Condo

• C12 CAT
• 13 speed double overdrive
• 3.42 rear
• 255/70R-22.5 rubber
• Aluminum Frame
• 242" wb
• Aluminum wheels
• single drive axle w/ 20k tag axle

Truck has the correct tires, gear ratio, weedburner exhaust, cab to rear axle measurement and bumper to back of cab measurement for a 26' body. Should be an easy conversion.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Unfortunatly about a week after I bought this, My Ford was run over by a big truck in a truck stop parking lot in Idaho leaving me out of work until they settle this mess. They hit her hard and there is a ton of damage that you can't see in the pics. Crying shame too that this truck just passed a Level 1 CVSA DOT inspection with no violations 2 days before the wreck. Now it's a mess sitting at a body shop in Oregon waiting in limbo while I sit at my house in North Carolina with my thumb in my --- out of work and out of money staring at a truck I can't use until it's converted into a camper hauler.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[geonc]

DAMN! Real sorry to hear that Mike....Guess the knucklehead that clipped your front just got serviced by a lot lizard and forgot how to drive......
Did ya get out and adjust that drivers depth perception with a tire thumper?

What will become of the old girl when ya get the Freightshaker set up?

Glad to hear of the new ride tho!
I prolly won't be of much help on the new ride....

I'm currently in Norfolk waiting on a double tow up to NY then we are heading south to Louisiana for our total gut and re-fit/re-power.....

Congrats on the new ride

 

[Fordsandguns]

Ouch! That sux!

 

[tonkadoctor]

Hey George,

You concentrate on getting back on your feet after being out of work so long. Nothing major needed on the new truck, just yank the fifth wheel, move the drive axle to the tag axle position (bolt in swap, both axles use the same suspension hangers) and slap in a section of driveshaft and the chassis is ready.

Gimme a call when you get home and we'll grab a cold one and swap sea stories seeing I have nothing better to do right now.

Boy did I want to calibrate him, I was sitting in the truck when he hit me. Jumped out and snaped pics of his door signs and tags before he could do a hit and run. He was pissed when I called the police. LEO showed up within a minute of my call

There's a chance she might be totaled. There's prolly about $7- $10k worth of damage there. The chrome trim piece around the grill is $1300 alone and there is damage to the frame extensions, a cut front tire and possibly bent the front axle / steering, wiring harness etc... He hit it hard, whole front is shoved over a few inches. I had it patched up and drove it to one of our Oregon terminals from Idaho and it handled like chit.

I had 4 buyers lined up for the truck and I hadn't even advertised it yet. Told the potential buyers I was planning to sell around the end of april. I wanted to run a bit more to make some more capitol to invest in the next truck build and not cut myself short. I was planning on having the major work done at a shop while I stayed on the road to minimize downtime building a new truck.

2 other owner operators for our company sold their trucks for good money within a day of advertising them so there is demand for this type of truck and there are very few of them on the road. If they fix it, I will put the winch and toolbox back on it and run it a few trips to check everything before I sell it.

This happened at our busiest time of year, there are over 700 loads available right now to dispatch on and we are a month behind shipping as the RV industry made a huge comeback this year. I was making very good money this year....... Until now.

 

[argve]

Ah man that sucks.... Since you are effectively an owner/operator/sub contractor can you file with his insurance for lost wages??? Since this did affect your lively hood? I don't know the laws concerning haulers... I'm just asking...

 

[Goofyexponent]

C-12.....425 hp?

That should make a NICE RV!! The 13 double is one of my favorite transmissions, and with those 3.42's you won't be stopping every 100 miles for fuel.....especially with those 100 gallon tanks (I presume you have twin 100 gallon tanks)

As for the rig that hit you...you have to wonder what is going through people's heads....or what isn't going through their heads and should be. I have had cars litterally drive RIGHT into the side of my trucks before, follow me off a highway into a MARKED CONSTRUCTION SITE because they are just a bunch of sheep that can't take direction and think for themselves lol.

I am sorry to hear about your truck being trashed, but it looks like you bought the Freightshaker at the right time!

Keep us posted on this...I want to see how that freight burner turns out!!

 

[Russ]

Sorry to hear about this Mike, I was thinking about you the other day, and figured you were really pounding pavement this time of the year. Looks like he really did a number on the ol girl. That Freightshaker should make you some cash though. Keep us updated with the conversion,

 

[tonkadoctor]

Ah man that sucks.... Since you are effectively an owner/operator/sub contractor can you file with his insurance for lost wages??? Since this did affect your lively hood? I don't know the laws concerning haulers... I'm just asking...

I can file for lost revenue / economic damages. Can't do this if the accident happens in a "No Fault" state like Michigan, in "No Fault" states you are pooched on this ...... Idaho isn't a "no fault" state.

 

[towcat]

tonka-
if you need any help getting things sorted out, let me know.
imho it looks fixable with front end work too.
one of the shops I deal with on big boy alignments is the best in the area and reasonably priced for the O/O. He was a little guy one time and hasn't forgotten what it's like.

 

[tonkadoctor]

C-12.....425 hp?

That should make a NICE RV!! The 13 double is one of my favorite transmissions, and with those 3.42's you won't be stopping every 100 miles for fuel.....especially with those 100 gallon tanks (I presume you have twin 100 gallon tanks)

As for the rig that hit you...you have to wonder what is going through people's heads....or what isn't going through their heads and should be. I have had cars litterally drive RIGHT into the side of my trucks before, follow me off a highway into a MARKED CONSTRUCTION SITE because they are just a bunch of sheep that can't take direction and think for themselves lol.

I am sorry to hear about your truck being trashed, but it looks like you bought the Freightshaker at the right time!

Keep us posted on this...I want to see how that freight burner turns out!!

Peak is rated at 445 hp so it's a 380/430 or a 430 hp engine, no lable so I don't know which. Tranny is an RTLO 16913A rated for 1650 max tq and the truck was used for heavy haul out west so it's most likely a 430 hp 1650 tq version of the C12 as most of this fleets trucks are.

58 mph is right about 1300 rpm in 13th which is a .73 OD, 12th is .86 OD, 11th is direct.

Twin heated 100 gallon tanks w/ cutoffs and drive axle has diff lock too.

Truck got 13.5 - 14.7 mpg bobtail on the trip home w/ cruise set at 58 mph all the way .. hand calculated.


Now as far as my timing for the purchase it's both good and bad......... The good, I'll have less downtime if they total the Ford..... The bad, I burnt through about $9500 of my emergency capitol with this truck purchase, repairs to this truck, and fuel getting it home leaving me barely enough to pay my bills for this month.

Truck purchase $6500
Repairs to Freightliner $1551.37 (replaced clutch switch to fix cruise and jake, replaced ujoint & trans yoke nut, replaced wiper arm, wiper switch, check injectors w/ cylinder contribution test, cab shocks and 1 mount, level front suspension putting in spacer)
Insurance $230 (first month and deposit)
Initial fill of the very empty fuel tanks $474.44
First fill to check MPG $366.92
2nd fill to check mpg $181.20
Oregon trip permit $43.00
Food etc..... ???

 

[tonkadoctor]

tonka-
if you need any help getting things sorted out, let me know.
imho it looks fixable with front end work too.
one of the shops I deal with on big boy alignments is the best in the area and reasonably priced for the O/O. He was a little guy one time and hasn't forgotten what it's like.

Thanks TC

Oh it's fixable, the question is how much is insurance willing to pour into it in parts labor on an older specialty truck and the biggie... downtime. Many parts are obsolete and hard to find for the old F800 which can mean considerable lead time to get parts new or used.

A very good friend of mine who has the same type of RV transporter was wrecked last sping when a set of truck duals went through his hood and windshield all the way inside the cab with him (yea he's lucky to be alive much less walk away with only a bruised shoulder) and was down for 3 months while they rebuilt his Freightliner FL50.

 

[The Warden]

What in Hades was that driver thinking?!?

So sorry about the wreck...she was a nice rig! Hopefully things get resolved fairly quickly...